Roleplay Forum - Valucre - Valucre Newsletter: 9/20/2011

Earl Nightingale
“We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn. Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service.”

The New Initiative: Written by supernal

A new initiative has been created by supernal and will be set into motion universally by our various board owners. This initiative will allow our members to keep current with both the canonical and non-canonical events of each board.

Current Events: Public - This will consist of all of the myriad, lower level events executed at the hand of the multitude of Valucre's players. This serves a dual, maybe triple, purpose. On the one hand, it will allow members to be able to communicate their activities to other members and the board at large. On the second hand, it will allow a board-leader to know what members are up to and if they want to intervene in anything. What gets added to a “current events public thread” does not necessarily constitute canon, so if a board owner sees something fishy going on, they are at liberty to ignore it for the most part. A good example of this would be a shake-n-bake town a user created and consequently destroyed, as opposed to destroying a principal town in that leader's land.

The Public will simply be a list of how our writers using our illustrious lands as a canvas, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Current Events: Canon - This will be locked so that only respective board-leaders can post in it. This will be, as the title may lead one to think, canon events. In order for anything to be posted in here it must first go through the canonization process, which involves the user adding summaries to their threads, submitting the thread through a form, and then having it approved by the board-leader. The board-leader can request edits or modifications to make things accurate, naturally, or can retcon or deny or interrupt as necessary. This is in place so that board-leaders don't have to read and approve every single thread that happens upon their land, and so that members have some degree of freedom in the ability to actually write, free of constant scrutiny and restraint. But if you want your work to impact the canon, the creation of another member in effect, there is a process to follow.

Some canon events can be posted in this thread and left there, that being good enough. Others will require an update to a respective lore article. For example, Roen’s relatively recent claim over Patia would be posted both in the Current Events: Canon thread and updated in the Patia article.

PM Warning!
Some of you may or may not have noticed that when sending a forum PM to members of Admin or the Team Leaders, you will receive a warning asking you to follow a certain protocol before you send the actual PM. These warnings and protocols vary depending on to whom you're sending the Forum PM. (The messages are closer to 'friendly reminders' than to actual Forum warnings, but you should read them thoroughly before submitting the message.)

Social Groups
Valucre Scrabble and Literati Club - If you love word games and would like to play with your fellow Valiants, then join the club! Tips, coaching, and critiques are available for those who want them.

The CK - If you want to add more spice and realism to your writing, if you want to put yourself at the mercy of every hero and villain you come across, then the CK is for you. Any characters tagged CK, that is "character killable", is a character you, the writer, has designated as free to kill. Ready and willing to engage into a fight and put their lives on the lines.

Certain situations will automatically brand you a CK. For example, being an assassin or a town-destroyer without roleplayer consent. Characters not specifically listed as CK are, unless otherwise specified, non-CK. Obviously.

Valucre Starcraft League - A league of play for the Valucre Community where individuals can orchestrate 1v1 Practice Matches, create 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 teams, and challenge one another in various matchups. As the league expands, various Tournaments will be introduced, with the goal being to create a GSL-themed format.

Pirates Abroad!
La Joya De La Corona - Captained by Captain DeRose - Rumour has it that there's more than just seaweed and skeletons to be found on the island off the coast of Casper. Join Captain DeRose and, perhaps, you will find the treasure of a lifetime!

Crimson Wings - The Crimson Wings, once a band of air-pirates that grew into an empire at the hands of Shyft focus, seek to return to their humble beginnings in the hope of putting a foot in the doorway on the world of Valucre. They start again as a band of air-pirates led by a knight of the Empire.

The Dangles - Little is known about the Dangles but that they are a crew to be feared and that the man that commands this troupe of hellions is 'closar tah kin wit' da devil hisself'. Nothing more than a name (Cap'n Silver) and a vague impression (An eye patch; a limp; a crazy smile) identifies the man and nothing more than a motto identifies the crew (Stealin' all the good booty since 07!)

Map Tutorials
systemNULL shared some awesome map tutorials created by Jeremy Elford. Check them out here!

Word Search - Terrenus Landmarks

Earn 10vB per word, up to ten words per user. Post your finds here. Submissions that solve more than ten words in one post or multiple submissions by the same member will be deleted.

Z M A R L B O R O K E E P E E K Y E L G N A L
T S D N A L E T S A W E H K S R A D E C E H T
A S I G H T S E E H A I E E S A F F A B L E H
N D D C G E S S K C E E T H L O Z A I B G D E
G O R O I R H A E A R R A C R L I O S R D N B
I O H X O T E F O C L W B B H T I T D G E A A
P W E I U W U A O C N G I I S S R V R I T L D
A S E O L L S N T E E D A E E A C A H B N S L
T R S L W L I R E P D L R O E S N A L S U N A
I E E O A N S G E I I O B H P I B A V C A A N
A D O V O N L O N D F N T A T A U E O E H M D
A D A C I A D G F H D S E E T R K C D H R O S
I U O R C R H G T N O U M B G S O N I L O N T
A C E I K I G N O L O O C M A N N D O W A I R
G S E G L F I A F R U D O S I R D R N P M M E
R R K L N R O O O N G U D N Y E R E A B L T S
U E S A Y A S R T P N E O E N R T E E B A E E
A V P B E L R A E T A M R V N T O R N G S R D
L I A S L P I K A S A K A C O D C C S S T R H
B L T I A N D I C R T L N G U R O L A N C E G
S O H T E C N A S A L A R O E L L D E E H N I
D R A G L A P H E E L O T E P E A v Y A A U H
N D O U G T O N Y D F B K U H E A V E N N S A
O S E G D I R K C A L B L U E H I L L S C S Z
P D O O W N O O M W E L A N D A Y R I V E R E

ASHVILLE — BARNSTABLE COAST — BIAZO — BLACK RANGE — BLACK RIDGE — BLAURG — BLAURG MOUNTAIN — BLUE HILLS — CASPER — COCONINO CREEK — COCONINO MARSH — CORY SCUDDER'S WOODS — DARK FOREST — DAY RIVER — DEAD PEAKS — DOUGTON — FORBIDDING HILLS — FORGOTTEN WOOD — GRANITE MOUNTAIN — GREAT PINE BARRENS — HAUNTED GLEN — HELL'S GATE — HERBIE'S BED — HIDDEN VALLEY — HIGH DESERT — HILLS OF LOST HEARTS — HILLS OF NODDENDODY — IGNATZ — LABYRINTH FOREST — LANGLEY KEEP — LAST CHANCE — MARLBORO KEEP — MOONWOOD — NO MAN'S LAND — OLIVER SCUDDER'S WOODS — PALGARD — PATIA — PEACEFUL WOOD — PONKAPOAG LAKE — PONKAPOAG RIVER — SHAWNEE GLACIER — SOUTH SEA — TERRENUS — THE BADLANDS — THE CEDARS — TIA — TIMBER CREEK — VALUCRE — WASTELANDS — WELAND — WELAND GORGE — WITCH'S CAVE

Bonus words: Tourist brochure

Spoiler:

Beyond festivities

Featuring:

Faustus - Donovan; cira.cipher - Shay; Acies ab Vesania - Chaflin; Fallen Joy - Liyah; Alexei - Alexei

Originally Posted by Lunadrakla

I find this rp to be worthy of spotlight because not only does it show an array of feelings and character backgrounds but it also shows a development through the characters through interaction. This thread has brought me to laugh and to cry with the characters.

The story.

Award Nomination

Ever notice a member who, even for a moment, shines brighter than the rest of the community? Do you think he/she deserves to be recognized because of something they've done? Let everyone else know and submit an Award Nomination. You may also submit your ideas for additional awards to supernal.

Possible awards include:

Recruiter Award - Issued to user for having the most referrals and recruiting the most people.
Light of Valucre Award - Issued to the overall most critical members of the community, both in roleplay and in behind-the-scenes work.
Storyteller Award - Storyteller of the Month, as chosen by the people.
Discussion Ender - I killed the most discussions!
Most Helpful - The most helpful member on Valucre.
Activity Award - Very active.

Roleplay Spotlight

People are busy. Sometimes, too busy to read every roleplay on the board. However, between the bulk of us, all roleplays are read by someone. Ever come across one that you think everyone should read? Well, here's your opportunity to let us all know about that excellent roleplay you're reading and have it featured in the Newsletter. It's as simple as filling out a brief form.

Player Spotlight

Is there a member of Valucre whose works inspire you to write better? Or, perhaps, there's a member who's shown his or her desire to improve upon their works and, in effect, creates inspiration in others? Help us cast a light on that member by nominating him or her in the Player Spotlight by submitting a brief form.

Staff Spotlight

Do you know a member of Staff who is diligently working to help make our experience on Valucre a memorable one? Tell him or her 'Thank you' by nominating them for the Staff Spotlight. Simply submit a form and include "STAFF SPOTLIGHT" within the body of the text.

ValBullion

There are many ways a member can earn experience points, or ValBullion, and many ways a member can spend them. You can read more about this here.

Quest Tab
A Quest Tab is located at the top of your page (between Lore and Community). Clicking on this tab will open a drop-down menu where one can view the various Quests that are available to our members. To participate in any of these Quests, simply contact the creator of the Quest and provide them a link to either your interest thread in the Water Cooler (if you have one) or a link to your roleplay. This is just so that the various Quest creators can keep track of them. A Quest may be pursued by more than one member or group of members at a time, however only one will be successful in accomplishing said Quest. If more than one group pursues the Quest's goal, the decision for success will be left solely at the Quest creator's discretion. You can also create your own Quests. Learn how in this quick, how-to guide written by Glory.

Global Quests - These are Quests that take place throughout the whole of Valucre.
Personal Quests - These are Quests that are created by any member of Valucre for any reason. Need a certain item to complete your spell? A princess disappeared and you need a group of adventurers to help find her? This is where you'll find the help you need.
Terrenus Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Terrenus.
Genesaris Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Genesaris.
Rosinder Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Rosinder.
Muhir Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Muhir.
Paragon Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Paragon.
Isélyr Quests - These are Quests that are available only in Isélyr.

It should be noted that members can earn vB by participating in these Quests (in addition to whatever items, vB, skills, etc the Quest itself offers). Learn more here.

Open Thread Policy
Threads whose titles are not specifically stated as being open are still considered open. Only those explicitly saying 'Closed' or 'Semi-closed' are closed. A current list of Open Threads is provided in the Water Cooler and members are encouraged to post their open threads there, as well.

Writing Prompts
It is said that it takes twenty-one days of performing a new task before it becomes a habit. If you choose one writing prompt and vow to spend five minutes a day working on it, you will have formed the habit of writing daily.

Just as you begin to drift off to sleep, you hear a shuffling sound at the door and realize that someone has slipped a note into your room.
You and your favorite character you created meet face to face.
A bookshelf at the far wall of the library catches your attention. There is a small, black book that seems out of place. When you reach for it, the bookshelf slides open to reveal a secret doorway.

Writing Tips

Help With Homophones

A homophone is a group of words that sound the same but have different meanings. Some homophones can be spelled the same, such as bear (animal) and bear (to carry). Other homophones can be spelled differently, such as to, too, and two. These are the homophones that cause many writers to become confused. Often times, a writer will use the wrong word and can, in effect, cause confusion in his or her reader. Not to fret, though, because here you can find a few of the commonly misused homophones, as well as techniques you can use to help you remember which word to use.

You're/Your

Your is the possessive pronoun form. You will use this word when you want to express something that belongs to you.
Example:
Your writing will improve with practice.
You're is the contracted form of the words 'you are'. Use this in sentences that combine the subject of the sentence 'you' with the verb 'to be'.
Example:
You're going to love roleplaying on Valucre.

Hint: To help you choose which word to use, try reading the sentence aloud using 'you are'. If it makes sense, then you know you are using the correct word. If it sounds silly, then you know you need to use your.
Try it:
I am going to join (you are) roleplay.
Sounds silly, doesn't it?
Let's try it again:
I am going to join your roleplay.
There we go!
Let's try another:
(You are) getting the hang of this.
Yes. Makes sense.
You're getting the hang of this!

To/Two/Too

To is a preposition which begins a prepositional phrase (to Terrenus, to the cathedral) or an infinitive (to fight, to swim).
Two is a number. (Valucre has two Team Leaders.)
Too is an adverb meaning 'excessively' (too powerful) or 'also' (can throw fireballs, too).
Hint: If you're going somewhere or doing something, use the word 'to'. If it's in excess or in addition, use the word 'too'. And, if it's a number, use the word 'two'.

I'm going to join two more roleplays even though I'm in too many already.

Editor - supernal (Carlos)
Writer - Disco Lemonade (Nette)
GFX Artist - Kaijin (Ava)
Word Search - Archival