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Calling me out, brah?

First off: Better, more interesting stories can be written in 500 words. By default, the system in place rewards the long-winded, not the well-written or the reliable.

Second: The prompt for the academy isn't that juicy. "Here, pick the most boring stuff the Naruto series has to offer, fail twice, succeed once, and hope you hit 2000. If not, do it again."

Third: I'm not sure if you noticed, but this roleplay is a multiplayer one.

If you look at any successful multiplayer game- the ones people give a crap about- one of the things that they don't do is hold you away from from the rest of the player-base for arbitrary reasons.

If I wanted to write stories by myself, I wouldn't be here. I'd be writing a novel. I want to write a novel- but that's work and this- roleplaying in NFS - is fun.

You know what people remember around here? The epic confrontations you had with a rival. The fun missions you did with a friend.

You know what people don't remember? The boring, contrived stories you write on your own. I should know- I wrote a lot of boring, contrived stories in lieu of roleplaying with other people. I won't be playing that game this time around, because it's just not memorable or fun.

The one time that it was- it was because I stepped into Snow Country, and the player who played the Snow-Kage (and a couple of other players) showed up and turned what would have been a boring solo grind into a pretty nifty on-the-spot event that was pretty cool.

Goddamn- look at the OOC a page ago, where we were reminiscing about the time that Sai and Ele killed half the guild. That was fun, not the academy bullcrap I solo'ed before it.

Fourth: Who said 100 words? Don't strawman me. I said drop it to a point that makes a lick of sense. 2000 is a totally arbitrary number, and doesn't teach squat.

The original guild didn't even require 2000 words.

OG-NFS had you learn 3 Basic Jutsu and gain 1 Stat Point while you were there.

The basic jutsu available were each Level 1, meaning that they required 1 post of 4 lines, 1 line averaging 18.5 words-a-piece. Let's call it 20. For each of those jutsu, you had to write 80 words. 80 x 3 = 240.

The stat point required 10 posts of 4 lines - following the same metric, that's... 80 * 10 = 800 words.

The sum of that is 1040 words, half of the arbitrary sum we have over here.



*cringe*

Please. This is a game we play to have fun. Don't be an elitist about it just because you have the time or the bullshitting ability to solo 5000 words in Academy.

When I started roleplaying in NFS a decade ago, I was literally writing four lines at a time- trading back and forth turns with some neighborhood friends (Vid13 is still on the Crew roster, oddly enough).

We spat forth a couple hundred words in the academy, then basically disappeared into Tea Country to learn new techniques- and look where we got. Vid used to be one of the big players in NFS1.0. Here I am.

If NFS1.0 could accept what we did- we in NFS2.0 can too.

There is literally no good reason for such a high barrier of entry.

Thought it up on the fly, though it's been growing on me.

I have to agree with Vash on this one. More than 2000 words is pushing it, especially for me since i haven't RP'd in years (since the guild went inactive). RPing with others makes it easier to cope with, but those who want to solo the Academy shouldn't have to do so much just to pass.

Hey Captain!

How're y'all doing on this lovely evening? emotion_dowant

Hey everyone, how is it going tonight?

Edit: Okay, so Leaf peeps, you three created a team (Kool, Inu, and Sai), so you got the bonus at the end of the academy. Now, if me and Den link up, there are only two of us. SO, does that mean that we can't get a team bonus, or can we begin building a team and have the bonus for when we RP together, and while we wait for the ability to recruit another person?

Not too much here either. I am just too awake to sleep, so I figured I would get a bit of work done in the Academy. I get on a lot during the late nights, but not a lot of others are around at the same time. xD

I am building a samurai-esque character that uses chakra to tap into the power of the soul, and then manipulate that energy, and I am wondering if I can create a basic ability that just allows him to manipulate that soul-like energy with his chakra, but not use it in any sort of offensive / defensive manner.

I just might be, compadre~



Simply put--"Just because you can doesn't mean you should." If you can't make a decent story giving some relevant depth to your character in 2000, but can in 500--go ahead. I'm pretty sure I mentioned multiple times the need for investment in our characters. (Note: You're RPing in the single largest group thus far. Five people. You could literally s**t-post your characters existence describing him breathing and still graduate.)



When I mentioned legitimate character growth I don't recall telling you to mindless check grind a system you already know. I mean, what exactly do you plan to do in the periods where there are no running events, or you find yourself away from the group? If all you do is bounce to these events, your character's existence is basically comprised of 2 words and event grinding. Part of RPing is the story. Hence why it's called "Role Playing". You have a role to play.



Multiplayer RPG, yes. FPS, no. The goal was to have more presence than breathing 2 seconds before [insert event post here] dramatically spawned from satan's butthole.

Who exactly is holding you, or any of us away from the player base? 2000 words is a drop in the bucket for all of us. It's a joke to think someone with so much experience with NFS thinks 2000 words is a hurdle. Further of that, as mentioned earlier, you could let wind and pass the academy with your group. Hell, I could too and I'm going the academy alone.

There weren't a whole lot of times in which I really had to write alone. I joined by recommendation from a friend and strived to RP with people. There were gaps inbetween that had to be filled and couldn't be helped. Did I cry about it? No. I covered the gap to my next RP partner and strummed up another story and/or event. It's because of those times that I was able to still maintain a competitive level / setup as well.

You keep using this word. >Arbitrary. I don't think it means what you think it means. If a meager 2000 words, especially in a time where everyone is simply preparing, has you frustrated that you actually have to write--I have very little faith in your commitment to this time around. Having to write any sense of story or action in an RP isn't 'arbitrary'. What's arbitrary is joining a modded campaign event just to drop out of existence mid-event without a word. Not like that's ever happened before, right? -stares-



I will do what I please, sir Man O' Straw. Who are you to define 'sense' or 'sensible' when it comes to writing requirements (in a system that requires--you guessed it--writing)? All you're doing is defaulting to the old NFS ways. We didn't choose the old NFS. We chose this one. Further of that, the requirement is shared. Ultimately, the total is meager. I managed a guild where the options and requirements were set low, so 'everyone could pass'. The same people who couldn't bother with something like 2000 words also happened to be the people who did very little, accomplished nothing, and ultimately left. Generating more work along the way for almost nothing in return. I was still committed the last time when the dust cleared. Those 'memorable events' you speak so arrogantly about did very little to prevent it. I would actually like to 'enjoy' the events and role playing without having to worry if you and the next 12 guys beside you are just gonna stop posting and disappear off the face of the planet amidst something important. Every. Single. Time. The great battle between us and the Orasakais, the Chunin Exam, Modded Campaigns. It never fails, and it's that much worse when you're actually moderating and putting up the effort to host this environment for everyone. In one foul swoop our effort is invalidated and the job becomes unrewarding / thanksless. If you can manage to hold onto your britches and plant yourself long enough for us to really enjoy this run, then whatever--do what you're gonna do, but don't talk all this grandiose "I'm here for this and that" and disappear dead center of what you wanted.





>Make NFS v2.0 Redux great again (That's right. Drink it all in, man)

I may be able to find the time here soon with a coming day off despite working more than 40 hours to the point of exhaustion where all I want to do is crash and sleep after work, but that's all part of making time for it. Just writing this post in the OOC is enough to show you too can contribute the time, or bullshittery if you prefer.

This is the part I really get confused at. Entry began after acceptance to the guild and an approved character profile. The Academy was the very first stepping stone, and is ultimately belittled entirely. It's very much a part of the guild/anime and has since been expanded with ideas and forum structure. If we followed your idea of the Academy, there would literally be no point to having one. If you believe you should automatically skip to Genin and do whatever you please. The point of advancing the academy in the first point was to provide some form of structure. We already went the route of "Let them free to the world and see what happens." Everyone scattered out and began dropping like flies out of the blue. While you stayed quite some time, you also didn't have to compromise your RPing team much at all after the first major event battle. Heck? Academy? Countries? Diversity? We don't need any of that all if it's really so pointless as to build a character. Let's just all make a bunch of NPCs with various builds and mock battle to the end of time. Who needs theme, structure and setting in a THEMED guild anyways, right? [Sarcasm Intensifies]

And, to cap it all off--another statement about how 'high a wall' 2000 words is. Do you have even a remote idea of how many words it took you to reach the level you did the last time we were both actively RPing in this guild? I was up in the high level 40s at least. I'll repeat myself. For anyone with half a mind about them-2000 words is a joke.

This would be a question for the Sai. I vaguely recall something in my 2-man cell with J forever ago, but I'm dead tired and 2 and half hours from my next 9 hour strenuous shift, so I'll leave it at that.