Having spent some more thought on this, I think I know one of the reasons new people who come here leave again as soon as they've read a few posts.

Posts are too long. They are too relying on events that happened earlier (and that the new reader has no grasp about). I think what we need is more interaction between players. Has anyone here played on a Mud? You would know what I mean. Make posts more like a long emote. Just make it a little more to the point and filled with information, than mud emotes usually are. We couldn't have people go

"I lean back in my chair and smile, saying 'Yes.'"

as is possibly on a mud where you get the response right away. This would be too time consuming considering people post maybe once a day at the most. Instead have it be something like

"Jerreck leans back in his chair, judging Ravyson's words carefully. Finally he speaks, "Yes, but why should I give you five hundred Red Fists for a mission like this? As far a I can tell a small unit of perhaps fifty would be enough." The scarred warrior studies his friend with a curious look.

This would leave more open ends for new people to chip in, and they wouldn't have to worry about what the heck Jerreck and Ravyson are talking about. This, they could find out as the RP continues and by listening in on the conversation for a while too, perhaps.

I admit, when I came here a couple of years ago, this was often the kind of RP people were doing. Shorter, smattering posts with quick replies and good opportunities for people to join in. My posts were from the beginning more of the narrative sort, mostly because I felt that I didn't know anyone here, and I wanted to give a good introduction to my character (at the time called Defender but later renamed Jerreck). As things went, I kept on with these longer posts (longer than most people anyways...) and when Elrohir came back from absence and was writing even longer posts (more like chapters of a story) it became a trend. New people that came along and that I rped with (Shara, John, Ravyson) picked up this style, and the rp forum changed into a story telling forum, basically. I guess I should take some of the blame for this, but at the time it seemed like a good thing. We had more descriptive posts, more feelings, more intricate plots.

The problem was that outside of those taking part of the stories, nobody understood them.

Now, when we have two stories going (BIS and Shadow's story), i bet nobody except for the participants (heh, that would be Ravyson and me for BIS and Shadow for.. well Shadow's story) are really sure about what's going on.

Erm.. alright. Therefore, I am not so sure it would help to just restart everything. Sure, i'm positive it would help for a short time. We'd have new players who could be in it from the new beginning, but after a while we'll be back in the old ways. Long, extremely confusing stories that no new people will want to join, because they don't feel like reading a thousand old confusing posts by whatever people was in it from the beginning.

What I suggest is a twofold solution.

1.) Restart things from the beginning. Null all old RP and let's keep it in fond memory. Keep Phaema the place if necessary (Elrohir seems to want to, and i don't see why not) but let's have it populated by some new folks... played by us and the new players that will hopefully come here.

2.) I suggest we try to keep rp more down to earth. Let's play more normal characters, that might end up great heroes one day, perhaps even kings. Let's not play strange, extraplanar beings that float around in a confusing reality, and that people really can't envision, take to heart, and even less join for some RP. When we do this more earthly rp, let us try for more interaction. More loose ends for the next person to pick up. More interesting little rp in normal life situations. Perhaps some people simply gather at an inn to have an ale and talk about their latest adventure (i know, big generalizing here but you know what i mean). Great opportunity for someone new to join in.

Most of all, let's have fun! We might need some rules and such, but i doubt we need anything heavy. We will do fights with common sense. If i think that the nasty villain/monster/trap did a good post and should have been able to hit my character with its weapon or whatever, then i emote... er sorry... post that in my reply.

"As Ravyson stands up and lunges forward with his longblade, Jerreck is caught by surprise and can't quite avoid the strike. Taking the blade in his shoulder, he winces and backs off. He places a hand over his shoulder, trying to stop the blood from flowing out of his body."

(Btw, my apologies to Ravyson for using you in these examples.. your character is by no means a villain, as far as I know )

As for magic, we'll just have to use common sense, and come up with some sort of guideline as to how powerful mages should be compared to fighter types. If more powerful, we might need to control them somehow.

Alright... long post again, and for this i am sorry. I care a lot for this place, and would like to see it thrive.

Cheers,

Anders Carl Gösta Warrby
(yeah yeah.. don't know if you can read weird Swedish letters but what the heck, everyone else is posting their full name )