I for one can say to have been one of the proud lamenters who have also tried to bring interest to other areas. The Classroom-type RP mini-events did have a moderate success for as long as I personally worked to attend and support every class being held. Unfortunately, when I decided it was time to back off and see if the trend would stay afloat on its own, it didn't work too well. Teachers got demotivated by the lack of students showing up (guess people like to RP characters who don't need to learn anything, eh? *eyeroll* Just teasing!), or never showed up to the classes they scheduled entirely, discouraging students in turn.
All in all, I did thoroughly enjoy the classroom roleplays, I still think it's a great way to make class guilds popular and also to force people to form bonds with strangers (that's what schools do IRL as well, after all. Sit 5 hours a day, 40 hours a week with the same group of people and bonds, whether they're bad or good, WILL form). Maybe I'll attempt to bring it back when I'm not so superbusy devoting all my RP hours and RP days to TalesofHydaelyn.
With all that being said, I still avoid the Quicksands with passion. I have nothing against those who go there (and how could I? I have no idea who they are!), but the few times I've been there I seemed to always have horrible luck and only manage to meet people who'd hit on me IC and get disappointed with me OOC when I'd reject them (except that one time I had a few-seconds long conversation with Aya as Jet'a. I treasure that moment!), so I opted with the theory that my character is just too hawt to have non-romance-centered exchanges there.
For the past two years my group and I have had all sorts of different hangouts spots, usually lasting about a month each because we do RP travelling and moving home as kind of a big deal which requires lots of thought and preparation (funds, supplies, clothes fitting the climate, etc.), unless emergencies forced us to move out quickly (I guess we've been watching too much The Walking Dead!).
I don't remember them all, but here's what we've been using:
2013:
August/September: The Hermit's Hovel, Limsa Lominsa (Mizzenmast)
October: Summerford Farms
November: Red Rooster Stead, Swiftperch
December: Moraby Drydocks
2014
January: Limsa Lominsa (Mizzenmast)
(This is when we got the airship pass at last)
February: Gridania (the Roost)
March: Ul'dah (the Hourglass)
April: Vesper Bay (a week), Camp Drybone
May: Hawthorne's Hut, Little Solace
June: Buscarron's Druthers
July: Vesper Bay (a week), Highbridge
August: Little Ala Mhigo > Quarrymill > Little Ala Mhigo
September: Vesper Bay (a week), Fallgourd Float
October: Vesper Bay (a few days), The Gray Fleet (a week)
November: Costa del Sol
December: Camp Tranquil
2015
January: Forgotten Springs
February: Wineport, Camp Bronze Lake
March: Church of Saint Andama Landama, Coerthas
April: Aleport (a couple days), Gridania (the Roost) (a week), Mor Dhona
May: Vesper Bay, Althaea's Orphanage (Mist) (current)
All in all, I did thoroughly enjoy the classroom roleplays, I still think it's a great way to make class guilds popular and also to force people to form bonds with strangers (that's what schools do IRL as well, after all. Sit 5 hours a day, 40 hours a week with the same group of people and bonds, whether they're bad or good, WILL form). Maybe I'll attempt to bring it back when I'm not so superbusy devoting all my RP hours and RP days to TalesofHydaelyn.
With all that being said, I still avoid the Quicksands with passion. I have nothing against those who go there (and how could I? I have no idea who they are!), but the few times I've been there I seemed to always have horrible luck and only manage to meet people who'd hit on me IC and get disappointed with me OOC when I'd reject them (except that one time I had a few-seconds long conversation with Aya as Jet'a. I treasure that moment!), so I opted with the theory that my character is just too hawt to have non-romance-centered exchanges there.
For the past two years my group and I have had all sorts of different hangouts spots, usually lasting about a month each because we do RP travelling and moving home as kind of a big deal which requires lots of thought and preparation (funds, supplies, clothes fitting the climate, etc.), unless emergencies forced us to move out quickly (I guess we've been watching too much The Walking Dead!).
I don't remember them all, but here's what we've been using:
2013:
August/September: The Hermit's Hovel, Limsa Lominsa (Mizzenmast)
October: Summerford Farms
November: Red Rooster Stead, Swiftperch
December: Moraby Drydocks
2014
January: Limsa Lominsa (Mizzenmast)
(This is when we got the airship pass at last)
February: Gridania (the Roost)
March: Ul'dah (the Hourglass)
April: Vesper Bay (a week), Camp Drybone
May: Hawthorne's Hut, Little Solace
June: Buscarron's Druthers
July: Vesper Bay (a week), Highbridge
August: Little Ala Mhigo > Quarrymill > Little Ala Mhigo
September: Vesper Bay (a week), Fallgourd Float
October: Vesper Bay (a few days), The Gray Fleet (a week)
November: Costa del Sol
December: Camp Tranquil
2015
January: Forgotten Springs
February: Wineport, Camp Bronze Lake
March: Church of Saint Andama Landama, Coerthas
April: Aleport (a couple days), Gridania (the Roost) (a week), Mor Dhona
May: Vesper Bay, Althaea's Orphanage (Mist) (current)
To be an interesting, intriguing, well-written character, there needs to be something to allow the audience to relate to them. That is what the problem is with who wants their character to be "perfect". Perfect characters will never be strong, and strong characters will never be perfect, because WE (those who read, who watch, who RP) are not perfect.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.
