Eddard

Thanks to all that came through tonight! It was another lovely time. In regards to the event's length, it always starts at 8PM EST and ends... whenever it ends. Both that we've held so far ended around midnight but it could go beyond that should people find themselves sticking around that long. I apologize for the scheduling conflict this date created with the HoD tavern night. We did our best to avoid it but scheduling had it where Thursday was the only option. As my FC mates have stated, the next event will fall on either a Tuesday or Wednesday for sure to prevent that sort of thing. Not only do we want to avoid stepping on schedules but we'd also love to have your crew stop by!

Neverfar's next tavern night has its date! It will be this Wednesday, September 23rd... We changed the date for this week to Thursday, the 24th. Same time (8PM EST). After this, Neverfar's will become a monthly event occurring on either the last Tuesday or Wednesday of the month, schedules depending. Hope to see you all on Wednesday!

A lot of good stuff has been said that I'd like to echo: This is an important thing to embrace if you want to find yourself getting more open RP. There may be times where your character will talk with someone new, have a good time, wish them a safe night and be on their way. When the whole Au Ra surge began, Eddard never actually spoke to any until he approached one at the Quicksand with the intent of asking what exactly she was. They spoke a bit, he learned a bit, payed her for her time via cup of tea, then went back to his papers at his table and that was that. It was still an enjoyable bit of RP that really didn't hold any weight other than Eddard being less of an idiot. I read an RP article recently that said you shouldn't give the answer, "No, my character wouldn't do that," to minor things that could facilitate RP. It's too easy a dismissal/ Of course there will be many situations in RP where a thought that crosses your mind won't happen because your character wouldn't do it. I am not telling you to ignore your character's traits, but what if your character has reason to break habit? If your character wouldn't get X person's attention under normal circumstances, what circumstances would make him get his attention? Your character's armor is awfully beat and needs replacing and the armor that man is wearing looks excellently made. Maybe your character could ask theirs where they got the armour. Is that information enough to get your character initiating? Be creative with it! If your character just really doesn't like approaching strangers at all, an option for introverted characters is to accidentally get someones attention. A popular one is to literally bump into people. I got an RP session out of simply making Eddard sneeze while waiting around for something (and I hadn't even sent that person a /tell or anything). There are times where RP will just need a tiny, wordless nudge to start. That being said, this is also important: I got lucky with the sneeze but it wasn't in the QS which made it possible. Your emote either has to be specifically geared towards someone (or perhaps an area) or at least a general action that would turn some heads. Eddard sits at his table, sipping a drink as his eyes scan the pages of a book with Alchemy For Dummies printed on its spine, is a little more likely to yield something since someone may find alchemy enough reason to approach you but is still very general and could very easily get lost in the chat wall. Eddard walks through the tables as he reads a book titled Alchemy For Dummies, tripping and falling over the Au Ra's foot due to his textual distraction, is more likely to get some results, especially if I sent that Au Ra a /tell beforehand. His fall could even attract another person, if I'm lucky. Different people have different preferences on how to approach this hobby. Some people like to go out and be the Driver while others like to be the Introvert and just observe until something pulls their character in. It becomes dangerous should the Introvert ratio become too overpowering though I don't think that's an enormous problem for this community. It's just a personal obstacle players are facing where they don't want to be a wallflower but lack of this skill or that confidence halts that. Being a wallflower isn't a problem until you see it as one and decide you no longer want to have that tendency. Albeit hard, this is a place to give advice on overcoming that.

Hello, hello! I've finished another theme to share with you all. Without further delay, I present Anthony Valron's theme: Fury's Chosen This is a good example of a theme that was in some ways affected by the character's homeland, Anthony's being Ishgard. For one, there's organ, though that isn't something that effected the song's outcome tremendously (though I do think its timbre was a very nice addition). Anthony requested it to be a theme that "creates excitement and energy." Although this is present through basically the entire piece, there are some sections that are heavier and a bit more intense. This was done with the Dragonsong war in mind, the warlike changes symbolizing the conflict that each and every Ishgardian knows about all too well. These warlike themes do not bring the piece to its end, though, the main theme coming back strong as ever through the conflict. I'm quite happy with its outcome and I hope you all agree! Next up is Minahirion which will be followed by Zac Evans, a commission customer that has been bumped up to the top for his contribution. Expect a message from me very soon, Minahirion!

Neverfar's first tavern night was loads of fun. There was a good turn out with a lot of great guests. I'd like to thank everyone who came for making it a successful night I'll update the thread with the next date once it's decided.

On the various noticeboards across Eorzea, one may take notice of a flyer that's recently been posted. Its print is bold and eye grabbing, the quality of parchment and penmanship representing well the establishment it spoke of. Upon reading, one would find that it's actually a more refined version of a tavern advertisement that's been up for a number of moons. A tavern they very well may have heard of already. [align=center]Neverfar's [/align] [align=center]Where Adventure Dines [/align] [align=center]Neverfar's is a warm and welcoming tavern waiting to have you visit. We are located at Plot 44, Ward 12 of the Mists in the lower level of the Pathfinders Seascape. Under the new management of Jin Karasu and sporting a just remodeled space, we boast a large and unique selection of drinks and dining in the most comfortable of atmospheres. Surely the decision to stop by will always the best of your day. [/align] [align=center]However delicious, a great tavern always offers more than food and drink. We have a fireside lounge located above the tavern should the space get too rowdy for some as well a guest room should the night sap you of all your energy. With our home situated by the ocean, guests can take advantage of the cool night and calming view. We will often arrange for some form of entertainment to be present, whether it be in the form of a talented bard or a drinking competition to make things all the more interesting. [/align] [align=center]You'll swiftly find yourself at home with the comfortable atmosphere and welcoming company. Should we sway you enough, do not hesitate to apply to the Pathfinders Free Company, partner of Neverfar's (see below flyer). [/align] [align=center]We look forward to seeing you![/align] [align=center]Take a peek at our IC menu, put together of Reinhold Allemand![/align] [align=center]((Out of Character)) [/align] [align=center]The Pathfinders have decided on two scheduling changes in an effort to make our tavern more accessible! The first decision was to make our tavern nights bi-weekly on every other Friday. [/align] [align=center]The second decision was to hold two tavern sessions each event day, one being more geared for EU times and the other to accommodate NA times. One could spend the entire day there, of course, but we wanted to make it easier on our EU friends to share a drink with us. I deeply thank Maril for taking up the task of running that end, bar tending on the character Toukta Kahkol. A thanks to Jin Karasu as well for heading the NA shift![/align] [align=center]February Tavern Nights are Friday the 10th and 24th![/align] [align=center]The EU shift will span from 8PM GMT(3PM EST) - ~12AM GMT (7PM EST)! [/align] [align=center]The NA shift will run from 9PM EST - ~1AM EST! Mist Ward 12 Plot 44 Downstairs![/align] [align=center]If your character is an entertainer of any sort that would like to do business and perform at our events or if you have any questions in general, feel free to contact one of the two event hosts or another company officer (Eddard Holt, Madison Brookstone, Reinhold Allemand). We look forward to seeing you![/align] [align=center][/align]

That person's attitude is his own and by no means reflects the general attitude of the RPC. Blacklist and proceed with whatever approach to RP you'd like to do.

I have returned with music! Contrary to the plan, the music I'll be presenting today isn't what I wrote for Shala. Shala originally asked for a piece that was to be 5-7 minutes long. Although I initially accepted it became a problematic detail when the time came to write it. We were able to compromise and I wrote some short snippets for him. That being said, I just need to clarify that no free requests will exceed 3 minutes. I won't be extremely strict with this and cut a song prematurely should it reach that mark but it will not be far over this should it even reach it. On top of this, I need to make another unfortunate announcement. Due to the length of the wait list and the time available to me, I'm currently closing all free requests. Should you not want to wait for them to open again, you're free to PM me about commissioning prices. I'm hoping this won't be permanent but it will not be short lived. Onto the music that I'll be presenting today, the theme for Kroemgarr Hollborgsyn: March of the Castle With the detail presented, Holl's theme was one that I could tell would sound somewhat stalwart from the start, not unlike Xanister's theme. A large difference between the two is that Holl is not the imposing type as Xanister is, making the piece require a different approach in some areas to avoid it sounding too hardened or serious. One of the requests that Holl made actually helped this, that request being some sort of Prelude-esque arpeggio sprinkled here and there. The width and timbre of that piano motif helped lift the vibe of the first half, preventing it from becoming heavier than desired. Another detail that helped set me on the right track is a common factor between his song references. Two of the three used the same scale, that scale being called the Dorian scale. Only one note changes compared to the natural minor scale but it makes a ridiculous difference. The main theme would sound a good deal darker if not for that detail. Case and point: The more you give me the better! Can't stress that enough. I hope you all enjoy the piece! There's been a change in list order due to someone offering commission for their piece. Anthony Valron has been moved to the top and Minahirion will follow afterwards. Expect a message from me in a day or two, Anthony!

Something that's evident in pretty much anything that anyone will ever do ever is the fact that getting better at it is a beneficial thing, whether it be playing an instrument, fixing a car, or in our case, writing/roleplaying. This can sometimes come very easily, the person seemingly being born with the ability. Mostly, it's a bit more of a process that takes a good deal of patience. In either case, there's something that's important to actually get better instead of hitting a wall. That is evaluating what we do and acknowledging our faults. Let me start by saying that there is certainly such a thing as too self-critical. Don't go and convince yourself that because you don't do X as well as you'd like that you're simply awful; everyone has things that they can improve upon. Acknowledging faults is hard to do without being discouraging so just be mindful that everyone has their strengths too. At the same time, it's important that we don't fluff our vision of our own performance by focusing how good we are at X while Y is severely lacking. If we don't acknowledge our flaws, progress may not be so easily achieved. Worse yet, not acknowledging faults may cause them to be a seemingly unbreakable habit. Finding the balance between the two can be hard at times, especially if we're coming off of an RP where we feel we dropped the ball or reread a journal entry we now think is infinitely flawed. Once you get it and pinpoint areas you want to see yourself better on, seeing yourself grow will be worth it. So, to the discussion part of the post: How do you go about evaluating your own performance? Do you reread logs of past RP sessions? Do you read articles on writing/roleplaying and compare the points in it to your own style? Do you chill in the Quicksand and simply observe other RPers at work to see how they play out things? Do you have a way of bringing yourself up if you feel you're being harsh on yourself? Any thoughts on the skill, please share. I personally like to do the second one where you read this or that and think of your own style. Doing just that is what sparked this post, this (profanity within, should you mind) article having me reflect on some of my tendencies in a way that I hadn't before, number four being one of them. I recommend the read.

As said, taverns are a good starting point. I'll confirm that RP is seen in the Coffer & Coffin by Black Brush Station now and then but I won't try and say it's bustling. My biggest piece of advice for finding RP in the open world is to keep an eye open while doing any gameplay that brings you around the map (Main Scenario or grinding or whatnot) while being willing to separate from that gameplay easily. I've met a couple of people by poking them while the main story had me in X settlement. While there may not be many constantly RP heavy areas for open RP, there are a lot of RPers on Balmung that are walk up friendly spread throughout the map, so take advantage of that as you explore.

He's gotten less rebellious with age (though he still has a problem with authority) but Eddard definitely would have been a trouble maker in class. He'd be that kid that smokes cigarettes in the bathroom. He'd probably get in the occasional fight though it'd be to protect someone else from some bully or the like instead of one that he instigated himself. He wouldn't be the most popular kid but he wouldn't care either. He'd just try and pass (if just barely) while making things exciting every now and then. Basically:5oVBvxA0mm0

Eddard would undoubtedly be one to have some intense road rage though that doesn't mean he'd be a good driver himself. He'd probably weave in and out of traffic just to try and cut off the guy that just cut him off, the speed of his car relative to how loud he's yelling (which starts as him grumbling to himself the way he usually does). "...What in the hells are you doing you gods daMNED BASTARD OF A WHORESON YOU CUT ME OFF AND I'LL CUT OFF YOUR BALLS I SWEAR BY THE TWELVE..." -honking and screeching breaks on the highway as Eddard blazes through the lanes with no regards to safety-

[align=center]Across the noticeboards of the various city states, one could find a neatly written flyer with bold writing meant to catch the eye. Fresh papers had replaced the time worn copies, showing that the company's efforts to bolster their ranks has yet to wane. [/align] [align=center]Recruitment is open![/align] [align=center]Greetings![/align] The Pathfinders Free Company is looking for new recruits and connections! We are accepting members of any kind, whether you be an axe-wielding whirlwind or a needle-wielding fashionista. So if you desire to make Eorzea a better place with a sword in your hand, or by finding the latest breakthrough in aether research, or even just supporting those doing so then the Pathfinders are looking for you. [align=center]What do we do?[/align] The Pathfinders is a Mercenary Company and Aetherical Research Center that strives to make every day life better for the average Eorzean. We specialize in escort and guard missions and only accept jobs from reputable sources. In addition our Aetherical Research Center works hard at identifying any relics that should be found in the course of any of our missions as well is discovering new ways to do things, often resulting in cutting edge technology being created right in our estate. [align=center]Where do I fit into that?[/align] Many of our missions relate to defending Eorzea from the hazards it holds; any able bodied fighters should be ready to use those skills they hone. As for those who specialize in magicks that may not be suited for combat, or even if they are, then our Aetherical Research Center located on the top floor of the estate would be just for you. Should you be the sort that uses a hammer to craft instead of to fight, rest assured that your skills will be put to use as well; not only do our own members require your services from time to time but we also take the occasional order should we know we have capable hands. Should you be not fighter nor crafter, do not be dissuaded from applying. In our efforts to accept those from any walk of life, we would assign a job to you which we find fitting, whether it be serving as an ambassador or as an employee to our tavern "Neverfar's." [align=center]How will I benefit?[/align] On top of being payed for your duties, company members have full access to our barracks and dine free in our tavern. Should you be going through hard times and need a place to regain your footing, our company could very easily be the place to do that. You will also have access to our training grounds, archives, and chocobo stables. [align=center]Where can I apply?[/align] You can seek out our house in the 12th Ward subdivision of the Mists, plot 44, and ask for a recruitment officer's assistance. Should none be available at the time, the available members will answer any questions you may have.

That actually reminds me that I still need to get into that Fate-14 linkshell... But, yes, action is of course the way to go about it, not words. Hosting larger events is something I'm working towards since FF is the first medium in which I've attempted to do so. When the time comes that I'm comfortable to hold such events consistently I'll be putting my server-wide efforts in. I hope my comments haven't come off as "complaining" since it's not how I'm trying to sound. In any case, I'll be sure to take the advice.

I'm aware and appreciate the efforts behind these, knowing events are a big way to get out. The only event I've attended myself is the Costa event Kilid mentioned and it was very nice. What I'm encouraging id some kind of event that moves about every week as opposed to being in one spot to encourage exploration of the huge map that is Eorzea. A player may end up loving one of the spots and look to RP there more, breaking the Ul'dah trend outside of events.That children aged (Edit: Come on, Google Voice. Don't make this hard) Pilgrimage * event that you just mentioned it sounds exactly what I mean, I just wasn't aware. I would have cited it if I did. Thank you for pointing it out. As you said, though, not every event is everyone's cup of tea; as cool of an idea it may be, Eddard would never go to that event. It's one of the reasons why I think a cyclic sort of thing could be useful. If one week's thing isn't enough motive to leave, maybe the next one will be.

This is an idea that Gilgamesh tried to implement a while ago. It may even be coming up on a year soon. In any case, as marvelous as it is, it caused confusion a number of times, fooling crafters into thinking we were actually looking for a meld and not RP. That happened more commonly than it actually gotRP. I wish SE would give us our own indicator and wish this could suffice until then. After seeing it implemented, I'd say it doesn't work as well as one would help and should be put to the side. Honestly, Balmung already has a trend that helps depict this. A whole lot of the RP FC's in this server have "RP" somewhere in the tag. "WE-RP," "TO-RP," "Rs-RP." It may not be a way to see if that person is in character at that precise moment but it is a way to show that you can at least try and at the worst be turned down due to being OOC, which isn't exactly a travesty. The tags, at the very least, act as some sort of filter between who's an RPer and who isn't (mostly at least since not every person in that guild may necessarily be an RPer).

Ohhhhh, that's a really nice idea! It's not quite what I had in mind since it's limited to an actual event as opposed to helping promote random roleplay in other areas, but I think something like that would have a much better chance of working more effectively, especially if it were possible to organise more than one such events - all of which rotate. Granted, there's no reason you couldn't do both but the event idea certainly sounds like an ideal place to at least start in my opinion. The RP that happens may not exactly be considered "random" but it still fills the purpose of building bridges. For example, I saw one character ask another out on a date once after the one that asked was particularly impressed by the woman's story. The event itself wasn't random but that particular connection wasn't exactly planned. Between performances (or during if characters are a tad rude ) people mingle and make merry and all that. The central premise entertains but doesn't take up everyone's focus entirely. In any case, starting with an event is a clearer start. Shoot me a PM if you want some help brainstorming possibilities. This is something I'm really behind since I've seen the wonders the Ballad works.

One thing that makes it easier is to have your friend come to you if their character has less reason to be sticking around to one general area or anything like that. Beyond that detail, not being against the RP being somewhat loosely related to your story could make it more flexible since your character's motivation would be there. In the story, what does your character need at the moment? Would it be justified for their character to be one that yours would go to for help with that need? They may not necessarily succeed in being extremely helpful but it will make RP happen either way. That isn’t to say they’ll outright fail at what you ask, it may just turn out that what you ask for isn’t as helpful as you may have hoped, which may work out if you already know how this need will be resolved in the story. It's completely feasible that our characters may go through several connections or resources before a break through, whether we wrote them prior or had them happen to RP with a friend. If no specific reason works, thinking general and working back to specifics could help you think of something. Using that may often make the need something you think of on the spot to help get the RP going. This could still loosely pertain to your story but may not be something that needed to happen, especially if it just ends up being a fruitless endeavor like I mentioned before. Some general categories and examples could be: Trade, which may lead me to determining that Eddard needs his crafter friend to fix up his armor before pursuing the dangers his story holds; Information, which may lead to me determining that Eddard seeks out a scholar friend to see if he can learn more about his enemy only to find out his friend has no new information; Support, which may lead to Eddard asking a conjurer/medic friend the favor of helping the wounded recover when they return from the doubtlessly taxing mission that faces them. I'm working off imaginary partners in these examples but knowing the traits of your friend's character could make the thought process easier. Keep in mind that this can work both ways. If your character could find no reason to seek out your friend's character, perhaps your friend's character could find reason to seek yours out. This sort of thought process works a bit easier if you're able to justify your character having a bit of free time somewhere in their day that isn't taken up by their story/stories but I can understand if that isn't the case since I've been there myself. I hope this was helpful and hope you find some compromises!

Over on Gilgamesh, there's a weekly event called "The Minstrel's Ballad." It's a lovely event where a number of characters gather to watch performances of others (anyone is able to participate on a whim), whether that performance be a song, story, poem, what have you. It's easily one of the highlights of the server. One of the best parts about it is that the location changes every week, heavily encouraging RP around all of Eorzea instead of one typical place. Not only did it allow for change of scenery, it allowed for different characters attend should the player not be able to justify their character being in certain locations (IE: A character of mine avoided the Shroud for a time). Acknowledging that reference, I agree that a weekly event used to get us out and about would be very beneficial. Whether it be a consistently themed event like the Ballad that's just in different locations or a set time every week that has a variation of events in differing locations (though there's no reason to say certain events can't be reoccurring if popular enough), it's a good and fun incentive to have our characters travel. I think it's worth some brainstorming and I'd lend my mind to the process happily. Is there anything inherently wrong with Ul'dah being a large base for a lot of RP? Not really, I suppose; people make the decision and stick with it and apparently continue to have fun, which is what it's all about. But, it is extremely limiting to do it there too much, which needs be acknowledged regardless of how much people actually mind. There are a lot of marvelous spots that deserve to be utilized. There are so many bars that aren't the Quicksand. Outside of the bar scene, locations like Bronze Lake are a good go to in terms of settlements. But, there are plenty of spots that might not even have a label on the map and are just bits of scenery that lend themselves easily (IE: The campfire under the train tracks in Central Thanalan. Yes, still in Thanalan, but it's not Ul'dah). Although open RP may not be feasible there, answering the "Who wants RP?" calls on our linkshells are great opportunities to use these more obscure but still lovely locations.

Learning this tasty bass line. Mmmm. So tasty. PwFXIzlSzAM

All of these are really nice! I particularly like that stain-glass looking one and am really looking forward to see it colored (should that be part of your agenda). Keep up the great work Also, for the record, you can change the name of the thread if you do a full edit on the OP. At least, you should... I had to do the same on a thread of mine.

The Coffer and Coffin just south of Blackbrush Station in Central Thanalan has always been my favorite to go to. It's got that nice dive bar charm to it where the vibes tell you that you could do better but at the same time make you completely content with being there. It's certainly the sort of setting where some gritty bar fights could occur; there was actually one last night where one person had a beer bottle shattered in their face and the other was stabbed in the back... Twice, I think. It's also got a nice porch and a cozy campfire should it get too crowded or rough inside for your character's tastes. There are a few fates where Qiqirn's stop by to wreak havoc and such by said porch, should the players want to acknowledge it for any reason (one of my belligerently drunk characters likes to go out and beat them senseless in his drunken rage when they drop by).

A few months back when an FC mate referenced the Futurama episode with the "What-If Machine," we started to ponder things about our characters should life had dealt them different cards in one way or another. Would they know they same people they do? Would they hold the same morals? Would they even be the same character? It's an interesting thing to speculate on seeing how one event occurring even slightly differently could completely change the course of a character's path. Should any what-if strikes a note of interest in your creative mind as they pass through, please ponder publicly! You could talk it out or perhaps write a little excerpt from the daily life of this character that could have been. Keep in mind you don't need to go for the big ones and ask "What if the biggest day in my character's life didn't happen?" These what-ifs can be whatever you want them to be. Make it serious, make it silly, whatever. Just have fun with it!

Things like the examples you gave would be plenty reasonable places to yarn on to any that would listen. It isn't like you're making stories that could somehow interfere with serious canon so I can't forsee people getting irritated over them. Expanding on what Marisa said, we can assume the gaps between zones are pretty vast. Another detail to support this is the drastic change in environment we can see when moving from one zone to the next. Going from Twelveswood to Thanalan shows a contrast between the foresty to desert environment though it's pretty safe to say that's gradual instead of the abruptness we see.

Thanks very much for your words in interest! My Steam name is Hodor and my Skype is MrGuy0250. Message me on either you like for my PayPal info. I really appreciate the generous act. You don't sound nosy at all. I find your interest a compliment of sorts since you probably woduln't be interested if I was bad hehe everything on my Soundcloud is made using sample libraries which are bundles of pre-recorded sounds for instruments. Have one for strings, piano, guitars, blahblahblah. They ain't cheap but I adore them. As for how long, I've been playing music since the third grade and started taking in seriously once I started playing bass in ninth grade. I started composing in tenth grade and just graduated college for composition in May. So I've been comspoing for around....Seven years? I didn't pick up the nifty programs until the start of college, though. Thanks again for your interest! I'll be updating the list with yours and other entries some time over the next few days. When your turn comes, you'll hear from me!