You know, I have been so focused on making sure that OB World was going to provide a continuous stream of updates that I have neglected the whole blog aspect. And there are plenty of things that are worth blogging about when it comes to OB, so I really should start.
Perhaps you guys can tell me whether or not you’re even interested in a blog aspect to this page. I would like to look at giving out more posting permissions to key OB staff, so that they can blog and update the areas that interest them. What do you think?
This won’t be some grand introduction to OB-related blogging, though. Instead I wanted to address an area of the site that our updates have pretty much neglected: Adventure Square.
I think that we neglect this area a bit because it isn’t widely understood; even some OBers have trouble with it! Forum RPGs have been around forever, but we have a particular brand at OB that hundreds of members have cultivated and developed over almost a decade. It’s not tough to understand, it’s just quite different to what you see at other communities.
There have always been the "bigger" RPGs created by members who are well-known, but just as important are those RPGs created by lesser-known members. I think there are probably a ton of RPGs that have never really been properly credited simply because they haven't ever reached major prominence on the site.
Also, even when there's a lull in activity in Adventure Square, there are still always a couple of excellent RPGs running.
If you have never participated in an RPG before, or if you simply haven't been interested in them for a while, I'd urge you to take a good look at Adventure Square today. There are several great RPGs running and there are some excellent ones in the pipeline.
Here are a few that I thought I'd suggest looking at:
The RPGs above span the spectrum. Some are highly-elaborate endeavors with large casts of writers and high production values. Others are relatively modest in scope, yet have evolved into major RPGs with weaving story lines and complex character relationships.
What I love about RPGs is that they aren't just fan fiction; they are so much more. Collaborative storytelling can be a really wonderful thing to watch and participate in. And best of all, their dynamic nature means that you have to be prepared to change course because unexpected things can happen at any time.
We have been trying to set up a system where people can advertise their latest RPG creations in a sticky thread (Upcoming Attractions), but it really hasn't taken off.
I wonder if we can approach that in a different way - perhaps even a World dedicated to RPGs. What do you guys think?
