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Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:22 AM |
So, with this reunion of sorts going on and all... and going back and reading through the forums, I have come to realize a few things.
1) I really miss the creativity of this community. The things you people thought up... and then presented in character on this stage for the rest of us... fantastic!! Vives was not my only RP server, there were a few before it, but it was certainly the one I felt the most at home with, and was much more a part of... to the point I even became a DM. And I loved the way the DM team was up for just about anything (within reason of course.. but pretty much anything presented by player or DM alike was at least considered, no matter how far fetched or absurd)
2) I miss the way the creativity of this community inspired me to try to reach for that same mark. Personally, I don't think I was ever anything more than average, by Vives standards... (but then, we are all our own worst critic) but the fact that I was a part of Vives... being able to see and be a part of the fantastic imaginations of the players and DMs around me, kept me striving to improve, and flex my creative muscles.
3) I have tremendous respect/love for those who kept Vives up and running... constantly making changes/improvements/additions to the mod, managing the website and forums, acting as DMs and all that that entails... everything that went on behind the scenes. I don't think I really ever filled out my DM shoes.. not even close... I was very much a solitary focused player... my main character, Cora, kind of set that tone, (and I look back now and think that perhaps she had more influence over me than I did of her) and I think that made it hard to really think as inclusively as I could have. But the rest of the DMs were definitely an inspiration.
4) I should maybe see a psychiatrist (or an exorcist?) about removing Cora Delving from my psyche. Yeah.. she never really left. Even after Vives was a memory, her and Johe would occasionally resurface so that I could play out their fate to a satisfactory conclusion.. and even then, it has never actually reached a conclusion... just an end to the chapter and beginning of a new one. It is my hope... that I can be inspired enough by this Vives reunion to finally write it down and share with you all. *holds breath*
Thank you everyone,
-BKatt aka The_Shadow
Now to see if I can locate those NWN discs... |
"I'm not closed-minded, you're just WRONG." - Bucky Katt
My characters n portraits |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:25 AM |
Well said! I couldn't agree more with your sentiment. I believe we have a real opportunity here to bring back the old days. All it takes is the old folks!
JJ |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 09:42 AM |
If people are serious about this I could be persuaded to build a new module. Chief is doing Darker Days to finish off the Vives 1 stories. And we still ahve old time vives for existing characters. And I think people could get back in the swing with those.
But if you all want to play NWN again, it could be nice just to start fresh. I know how to build a PW now, and have my finger on the pulse of the best content.
I really wanted to get my own module Arnheim going, but crashed and burned as a one man show. DSM helped some with DMing, but I burned out on everything else. If we could get a few more folks in a team, it would be possible to avoid the burn out. I think we could collaborate on a module of our own, using everything that we learned from Vives.
Just sayin... |
Famous last words:
Mykal> it's my new wireless router.
* > Mykal has quit (Ping timeout)
Vulpina> Hey!! IRC didn't boot m.....
* > Vulpina has quit (Exit: DarkMyst WebChat) |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 03:00 PM |
3) I have tremendous respect/love for those who kept Vives up and running... constantly making changes/improvements/additions to the mod, managing the website and forums, acting as DMs and all that that entails... everything that went on behind the scenes. I don't think I really ever filled out my DM shoes.. not even close... I was very much a solitary focused player... my main character, Cora, kind of set that tone, (and I look back now and think that perhaps she had more influence over me than I did of her) and I think that made it hard to really think as inclusively as I could have. But the rest of the DMs were definitely an inspiration.
Horse crap! From what I've read of the conclusion to Cora and Johe's story, you did a great job. Definitely took the dark dreamer, made it your own and used it really well. And to do that with Johe totally clueless you were a DM, brilliant stuff. :)
And ingenious at the end, letting Johe think that you both got to live happily ever after. Totally lulled him into a false sense of security. And then at the most opportune moment, Cora proved her evil genius with a means of torturing Johe for the rest of his life...she has a kid!!! :P
Seriously though, I can only imagine Johe's face after cleaning all those diapers and surviving without sleep for a couple of decades....to discover the child isn't even his!
*the dark dreamer smiles and winks*
*grins, ducks and run*
But yea, great to see you BK...and all the other people showing up in last few days, great stuff
Sirac
PS And Hene, personally I am most tempted by playing / DMing the old Vives. Just worried any big project will fall flat with the time it takes to get done. I know I'd love to play / DM with this amazing community again, but realistically my time is so limited Im not going to start making promises I cant keep. But I would definitely spend as much time in game as I could manage if others start to re-visit Vives! :) |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 09:20 PM |
I have to agree with Sirac even though I really don't like him right now :)
My suggestion would be the dreaded "wipe" that the DM's used to joke about all the time, and start fresh in the old world. Close the history books, and make new memories with new characters. As much as I would LOVE to continue the story of the Jaxon family, deep down inside I know that pursuing something I loved and enjoyed 5 years ago is bound to fall flat, because the rose colored glasses of memory are going to set the bar too high, and the fact that we all have different lives now that demand more of our time would make those expectations impossible to reach.
I would also encourage everyone to make completely different characters than what you had before and embrace the social experiment that Vives always was and could be again.
Just my 2gp
JJ |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:38 PM |
Isn't that what VivesDD is about?
Og Post! |
Og: Holy Paladin of Midor with his blessed Great Axes of Smashing and his Skull of Obtuseness
Egon: Wandering Warrior helping where he can |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 01:06 AM |
Chief's Module - Vives Darker Days - in a nut shell is a transition module towards Vives 2. He can speak to this far better than I as to what his plans are with it, but we both talked about it being an opportunity to tell the stories of the end days of Vives as we knew it.
For the past few years we've also kept the old module alive as a nostalgia module. Calmeir is doing a great job as the host and admin right now.
If people just want to relive the old days in the old module, thats great. And that is why we have preserved the old character vault as well. I do not think we should wipe that vault out of respect for others who want to peek at Vives as it was.
Anyway... we'll see how this Vives energy goes. Some of you might change your minds about starting fresh. I'll be around. |
Famous last words:
Mykal> it's my new wireless router.
* > Mykal has quit (Ping timeout)
Vulpina> Hey!! IRC didn't boot m.....
* > Vulpina has quit (Exit: DarkMyst WebChat) |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 02:12 AM |
Some reflections I've had in no particular order.
1) I never found anything nearly as satisfying as Vives. Like not even remotely. And I only really played on Vives for, like, 8 months or so. But I played A LOT during those eight months. I went the gamut from player to DM to totally burned out in such a short span. I still remember these great interactions with Mykal, Coruva, Barnas, Spacious Q, Elvalia, Aesir, I'm already forgetting all the names...
2) I can't believe how long ago it was that I played on Vives. It seems that I don't even know most of the people reuniting here. But that's testament to how well Vives did. In retrospect, it seems like the stories I was involved in were so small compared to what went on after I left. In elf years, I've matured nearly a century or so. It'd be hard, I think, to recapute my main PC — Dina — because she represented me at a, let's just say, younger age before children. Anyone who has children here can probably attest to how much that ages you, but also matures you.
3) The first month I was at Vives. Everything was so magical. I was sort of terrified to wander into any new area without sixteen others players. I do remember logging in in the mornings (EST) and there were almost no players on, so Dina would go adventuring talking to her panther — Yavie. Yes, I was roleplaying with myself. *shakes head* But one morning, I suddenly got an XP bonus for roleplaying and learned that one of the DMs — I suspect it was Coruva — used to follow me around listening to me talk to myself!
4) I also fondly remember my brief time as the "elven" DM. I'm not sure if any of the characters I created lasted, but I think they did. I don't really recall them all. There was dying queen and a young princess and a mage — Camthalion Tasratir — and a druidess. It's been so long, but I'm pretty sure I created the elven tower, but I don't even remember. I think it was Tel'elena? I could totally be misrembering. I know everyone's been dying to know this for the last 10 years, so I'll reveal it Camthalion was the lost love Dina would occasionally allude to. There was some server wide event I ran, but never finished, that involved orbs or stones of power. I think Phoenix Dias was very involved with that one. That event was headed towards a big climax, involving players having to donate some of their life sources in order to save Vives but we never got there. I think this was a sneaky DM way of lowering everyone's level. I also remember Aros just hanging out with the elven players, and that was quite fun. And I think we introduced some Treants as guardians of Ferein. There was player, I can't recall his/her name, who was very involved with that storyline. I just remember he/she went to medical school or was in medical school or something like that.
5) It's sad to me that I never finished those stories, but some quality of youth made me want to go create something better than Vives, which didn't get very far.
6) Last one for now: I remember spending hours running around with Barnas who really taught me how to play NWN, so I stopped running into walls.
Wow...that was quite a ramble. Congratulation to anyone who got this far.
-Nar |
-Narenia
Main PC: Dina Islme |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 02:59 AM |
I never found anything nearly as satisfying as Vives.
That's because there wasn't anything nearly as good. Oh, some things were came close. I really enjoyed playing on Thain which was (and still is) a very enjoyable world, but there were never really any players in my timezone and those who were had bad, bad, bad reputations with the admins (I seem to find all the best sorts right off) |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
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"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
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<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 03:43 AM |
Some reflections I've had in no particular order.
1) I never found anything nearly as satisfying as Vives.
) The first month I was at Vives. Everything was so magical. I was sort of terrified to wander into any new area without sixteen others players. I do remember logging in in the mornings (EST) and there were almost no players on, so Dina would go adventuring talking to her panther — Yavie. Yes, I was roleplaying with myself. *shakes head* But one morning, I suddenly got an XP bonus for roleplaying and learned that one of the DMs — I suspect it was Coruva — used to follow me around listening to me talk to myself!
-Nar
Well said Narenia. I guess the thousands of hours I played on Vives would attest to that as well. :-)
[moderators note: there, fixed it for ya, now get a life, ya slacker]
Funny you brought that up with talking to your familiar as I did the same thing with my pixie and it was -you- who followed me around as a DM. Haha.
I fondly remember the days when Luther and Xaranthir (then still Dias I believe), had a magical bag co-op. And I miss tromping around with Fri'el, never quite sure whether she'd outright kill me or not.
I never played on any other PWs, but did run my own loacal server instance of Lord of Worm's Arbor Fall. It's pretty, to say the least, but it lacks the stories and richness of Vives. Then again it wasn't the prettiness of Vives that defined it, but the people, players and DMs alike. Except for PDW of course, who wanted nothing more than to kill us all.
I've brought this up in email rants to Ficcy, WA and PDW in the past, but I yearn for a voxel based game that would allow us to have a PW. A friend brought up that Minecraft already has all those things, but it's a little too .... blocky for me. Heh. It would be awwesome to have a game that a) has just a continuous map (although that would make it a lot harder for certain area properties of course), b) allows both players and DMs to log on, c) allows the players (within reason and limited by rules) to mine, build, etc Basically I was dreaming of a NWN-like world where everything could be modified and you don't have any inaccessible tiles. |
Luther McIath: I see, so [X is] the right person in the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time.
[Fictrix] ... And can speak French, like both! Wait, I mean Elven. |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 04:38 AM |
Growing up as an obnoxious teenager, Vives had quite a unique significance for me. It would not be hyperbole to say that Vives and everyone involved with it have played some significant role in making me the person I am today. Fictrix can probably attest that my mind never wanders too far from here, and we both have inflicted great amounts of babble on one another concerning Vives even after the world was dead and gone and in the past.
Because it never really could just stay in the past.
This is not a new realization. I have known this when Vives was still going strong, and it only became ever more true as time went on. In the much overused words of a certain maniacal artificial intelligence: I'm making a note here, HUGE SUCCESS. I was quite surprised at the turnout we've had in this reunion. I never expected to hear from most of the people here ever again after Vives. It's nice to learn that Vives had more significance to more people than what I originally considered.
Is there anything that could match Vives for what it was? I doubt there ever could be. More than a few times I have told Fictrix how much I missed it, how much I missed the roleplaying and creativity we've had on display here. I don't think I'll ever stop missing it. In fact, I'm still doing it, always, at every opportunity I get, across different settings and different stories. BKatt says he still has Cora Delving in his head after all this time. After all this time, I have only accumulated more and more characters from stories never told or only ever partially told, all of whom take permanent residence in the swirling vortex of entropy that is my psyche.
I'll also never stop missing the people who were part of Vives. Because when it comes down to it, Vives was not the NWN module or the forums or the setting or anything like that; Vives was the community, and all of you (and those who may not be here as well) have been a great community.
It is great to see you all again, even if it's just for now, just for a little while, and thank you for all the great experiences that we've shared. And here's to the faint hope that maybe we could, at least some of us, share such experiences again in the future.
Goodness, I've gotten quite a mushy ramble here, myself. |
WickedArtist: I think he needs a proper elf.
WickedArtist: A christmas elf!
Tasra: Any sort of elf that actually smiles ;o
Gasp! Scandalous!!! |
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Re: Reflections
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 04:50 PM |
Seriously though, I can only imagine Johe's face after cleaning all those diapers and surviving without sleep for a couple of decades....to discover the child isn't even his!
*the dark dreamer smiles and winks*
*grins, ducks and run*
HAHAHAHA... brilliant!
Now that's going to work its way into my head, and the fate that I had constructed for them. That is so wonderfully twisted.... and such a perfect example of why I love the mutually creative process that Vives always was. Left to my own devices, I would not have come up with that... and yet, that is so utterly perfect. |
"I'm not closed-minded, you're just WRONG." - Bucky Katt
My characters n portraits |
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