New RP Boards & Mature RPs (Input needed from EVERYONE)

I'm going to go ahead and roll these two topics into one, as they criss-cross one another.

Topic 1: Do we need more RP boards than what we have?

I've heard mixed opinions about this from a few people, and when I created the Sci-Fi board, I also got mixed feedback. Do we need to split the boards into more than just Adventure, Drama and Fandom?

I know this won't magically increase the number of RPs for right now, but is it something we want as an RP group? It could create unneeded clutter, but it might also draw more people in because they see a genre they like, and seeing that genre there might inspire more RPs for that genre.

Those are just my thoughts on the subject, but this is meant to be a discussion.

We created this site together, and so I'd like to hear everybody's opinions on this.



Topic 2: Mature RPs

There seems to have been quite a bit of talk about this, but only from a few people. Some of that discussion got a little heated, so please no being rude, calling names, whatever.

Do we want mature RPs on this site? We did have some rated as Mature on ASN, but some of these ones will go past what would have been accepted on ASN.

But before we can really discuss if we want them or not, what really needs discussed first is what is meant by a mature RP. What is your definition of mature?

We need an actual definition of it that everybody understands before we can have a true discussion about it.

So, this'll probably be a big long post. So here goes:

First: I think making a seperate board for every genre will create un-needed clutter and do nothing but seperate people into cliques. Not to mention it will prevent people from looking into rps just because they don't really like a certain genre or whatever. Plus, with them being so empty it will make this place look even more dead than it already is. I think that to get more activity, there must first BE more activity from people here. So, that's my two cents there.

Second: Here's where this will likely get long.

How I define mature: First off, let me make it EXCEPTIONALLY clear that mature DOES NOT mean sex and cursing for the sake of them.

So, now that I've made that point perfectly clear. Mature means a lot of things. I find it hard to define in a way that is easy to understand so I'll list examples of mature subject matter below below:

Slavery, rape, murder, death, sex, drugs, alcohol, religion, politics, foul language, homelessness, crime, punishment, military, war, kidnapping, running away, confronting fears, fighting....blah, I've run out of steam trying to conjure tangible examples. So, I'll give some examples of mature books/movies/games/etc.

Dune, Lord of the Rings, The Horseclans, Gor, Tarzan (the real Tarzan, not the Disney version), the John Carter of Mars series (again, the real version, not the Disney version) The pendergast novels, Dragonlance, Pern, Jurassic Park, other Micheal Crichton books, Sherlock Holmes (not the movie version), Van Helsing, The X-men, The Watchmen, Wolf's Rain, Ghost in the Shell, Lovecraft, Poe, Gears of War, Halo, Borderlands, Mass Effect, A Song of Fire and Ice(aka: Game of Thrones), Pitch Black, World War Z, the last half of the Harry Potter books, Dragon's Dogma, The Witcher, Bulletstorm, Tales of Vespiria, Resonance of Fate, Lost Oddessy, The Illiad, The Elder Scrolls, The Hurt Locker, District 9, The Walking Dead....I could go on and on and on. There's too many example to compile here.

The basic point though is that for me, mature means we don't have to tip-toe or hint at or shy away from anything--be it explicit, unsavory, dark, etc. It means adult characters with adult thoughts and feelings. It means adult situations with real consequenses. It means being able to show those consequences and actually put characters in real peril. It means making characters agonize over moral decisions. It means showing those agonies. And yes, it means sex and cursing. BUT only when those things fit the scene, story, and characters.

So, yeah. I'm all for having mature rps be welcomed on this forum. Because the fact of the matter is, I'm mature. I curse. I have sex. I make questionable decisions. I doubt myself. My thoughts are mature, my feelings are mature. My writing is mature. And because of that, I can no longer write "PG13". I'm not saying let this forum turn into a free-for-all with porn spewing out everywhere. Just...I don't think its right to say that those of us that prefer to write mature stories with mature content and mature subject matter can't do so.

My final point may be irrelevant but here's some mature rps that were attempted on this site:
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t81-a-new-agestar-trek-rpmopenalways-accepting
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t62-roommates-mature-yoai-don-t-like-don-t-join-open-no-longer-accepting
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t115-extraction
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t35-willamette-incident-not-result-of-nuclear-plant-collapse-but-what-may-soon-be-coined-as-the-beginning-of-the-zombie-apocalypse-frank-west
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t229-ora-noc-terrol-the-road-to-paradise-rated-m
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t239-hell-s-angels-rated-m-and-accepting
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t174-novus-city-temorarily-closed-still-accepting-new-characters
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t407-pandorum-subpono-astrum
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t409-hordes-a-zombie-rp-mopen
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t401-secrets-in-our-school-mature-accepting
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t357-the-darkest-price-open-accepting-m
https://newworldsrp.rpg-board.net/t365-assassin-s-creed-rated-m-for-mature

Lot of examples, huh? Yet, even will all of these there was the fear of going overboard. I don't want to write in fear. If you don't want to write mature content, fine. You don't have to. I'm NOT out to change people's values or whatever. I just don't want to have to compromise my writing or be persecuted for it.

Dylan told me about these discussions yesterday and I was really really sick so all I could was sort of read what was being said.

I want to add my two cents because I think the more opinions, the better. And the quicker we can resolve these issues.

CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING?! THE BEST WAY WE CAN MAKE THIS SITE ACTIVE IS TO BE COMMITTED & CONSISTENT OURSELVES.
I UNDERSTAND WE ALL HAVE OUR RL ISSUES AND SUCH, BUT IF WE JOIN AN RP, POST IN IT! IF YOU CAN'T/NO LONGER WISH TO, THEN LET THE CREATOR KNOW. THERE IS NOTHING MORE RUDE OR DISHEARTENING WHEN SOMEONE JUST STOPS POSTING, ESPECIALLY IF THEY WERE CONVERSING WITH A CHARACTER. IT MAKES IT HARD FOR AN RP TO CONTINUE. /rantover

TOPIC ONE; Making new boards may work, if as it has been said previously, if we were more busy. There isn't a lot of point while we have at MAX, 5 people online. If we had 50 or 500 people, then yes, that would make navigating easier, but at the moment, I don't think it truly matters.

However, making the Sci-fi board was fine; separating the popular boards is a good idea, perhaps not necessary, but not detrimental either.

TOPIC 2; MATURE RP'S. yes, i agree wholeheartedly with what SM said in terms of what is MATURE CONTENT.

This is ESRB rating guide's definition (the gaming rating company) on what MATURE is;

MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

and ADULT ONLY;

ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

Most of us on here are now over twenty, and when we were on ASN and RPing; we were younger, and the board was aimed at a younger age group, so it only made sense to have PG or TEEN rated RP's. Now we have a separate board, we are all two-three years older and now in a mature age group ourselves.

I think what needs to happen is that the swearing block is taken off. We are all adults, and if we can't hold an OOC discussion without excessively swearing, calling each other names etc, then we obviously aren't adult enough to be on this board. Don't get me wrong, I swear a lot in really life (and so does Dylan ) but I know when to hold back, and when I might in company that does not want to hear me cussing. Please don't be offended if I chuck a "shit" or "pissed" in my chats every now and then, because I am human.

My ZOMBIE RP encourages swearing and violence, because I want it to be as realistic as possible. You won't have a zombie apocalypse without swearing, violence, sexual frustration, rage etc. I am not forcing anyone to be part of it, but I am baffled to think that people won't join because I wanted a mature theme.

If we have a really big group of users on here that don't want this to be a mature site, then make a mature board for us and let us go crazy. I just think that it would really open this board up to world, and let more people feel comfortable here, if we made this board a mature one, as most RPers are of a mature age, and want the freedom to express such themes.

Quick post, because I have to leave in a few minutes.

Just addressing the first topic.

The longer I think about this, the more I agree with what has been said. When I first saw somebody say something about splitting the boards up more, it seemed like a cool idea, and the board looked cool when I first made it, but the more I've thought about it, the more I do agree that splitting the boards up just creates clutter, when our site is all small as it is.

If the site was more active, had more people, then it would make more sense.

I think I was excited about it just because it was something new, a change from what we've had, but the more I think about it, the more I think more boards are just clutter.

But then the question arises as to whether to leave the Sci-Fi board separate, or to merge it back with Adventure?

Unless anybody has a different opinion to offer on the first topic.

Well, I don't really see a point to keeping the scifi board separate.


And is anyone else going to bother commenting here? This is supposed to be a discussion where everyone gives input. Not two people. This lack of caring to comment is one of the exact reasons this site is dead.

Topic 1:

While I don't see a reason to add more boards at the present, I think Sci-Fi should remain its own board. Science Fiction has become so synonymous with space and the future that it is thought of as something almost entirely different then Fantasy now. I don't see the harm in giving it its own place. I think adding more boards might be something good if we ever get more members, but as of now there's not much reason to.

Topic 2:

I would really like to see more mature RPs out there, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to touch upon darker themes or that kind of stuff. And I don't think there's anyone who is actually against there being mature RPs on this board. The problem, the same problem we've been dealing with for some time now, is that there is no commitment to any rps. We've had a lot of mature rps fail, but just as many lighter-hearted ones have also failed to gain steam. We need people to actually stick to RPs they sign up for, instead of flaking out.

Guys, we really need everyone to come together. You can't just shuffle off to your own collabs anymore, you can't just lurk, that's not going to make things better. If you're a registered member here, we need your input, you need to join in this discussion. We're too small a community right now not to have everyone's efforts to help. If you aren't a registered member, please consider joining and helping us get this place into a functioning community of writers.

Topic 1: Had we more members, more boards would be wonderful. But as sparse as things are around here, I think it'd just create needless clutter. Though Sci-Fi probably does need its own separate place.

Topic 2: I am overall fine with mature RPs. There are some things I would not feel comfortable writing, sure, but ultimately that is the choice of the player and his/her fellows, and all that jazz.

Ouch. I'm definitely one of the flakier of the members here, so I'll start with apologizing for not posting in collabs or roleplays; I realize commitment is necessary to keep a roleplay going and I've had my own experiences with gradual or sudden roleplay deaths, so I really should know better overall. I'm very sorry, and I will try to be more active and involved in community efforts to the best of my ability.

Having a separate board for sci-fi roleplaying might be wise to keep if the boards do grow. I think we could do a little more promotion, perhaps on ASN or other sites we're active in, or even dropping a link in a message somewhere to other, non-roleplaying, time-having writer friends could be beneficial. I know that's worked for me in the past although those members are not always the most active. But the active members here are a great, welcoming community, so I feel more than assured recommending the site to others. A lot of people have an interest in the sci-fi genre among others in that umbrella, so it might be helpful for the future. In regards to making many new genre boards, my personal thought is that it may be beneficial to start with a miscellaneous or cross-genre roleplaying board. A place where roleplays that fit in more than one of the existing boards or outside of them altogether can be categorized to save some confusion. Otherwise, I am personally content with the organization at this time. But I feel like having that place might be helpful in the future.

In regards to mature roleplays, I think Shadow Moonseye said it all. I agree with her entirely. Similar to Magus, I know I'll have a few things I might not be comfortable writing, at least not in graphic detail, but that is merely a personal preference and I usually approach roleplays in an experimental manner now, and I'm open to exploring subjects and situations more in-depth than I may have been a few years ago. I'd hate to be unoriginal, but again, I completely agree with SM's definition of mature. There isn't really anything I'd add or subtract from it. I usually strive for accuracy and honesty in my writing and I think "maturity" or "mature-ness" often grows out of that effort.

Also, would anyone like to attempt another method of discussion? Perhaps add one another on Skype? I have a very active "former" ASN member chat that, besides being a great way to keep up with friends, also helps to organize roleplays and other collaborations. Is there anyone who would be interested in this sort of communication as well as has it available?

I'm still kind of getting into the groove of being active here again and have yet to join a roleplay away from the Collab board since I.. rekindled my relationship with this forum. But I plan to, anyhow.

Topic 1:

As it has been said multiple times before, I agree that splitting the boards will be a good idea when the site is more lively. For now, it will probably make more sense to leave them as they are. As far as what to call the boards, my only suggestion is to maybe rename the Adventure board Fantasy/Adventure, just because when I first came here, I found it to be a little misleading. And by that, I just mean I didn't immediately read the board description under the heading (though I did eventually) and I didn't connect that fantasy roleplaying would go under Adventure.

Topic 2:

I completely agree with what's been said here before about defining mature. Technically, I'd say that it's anything ideologically sensitive that would take maturity to read and/or write about. As Georgie said before, we're all a bit older now and have what it takes to write about mature content realistically and accurately. At times, this will mean cursing and explicit description. As long as RPers are warned about that beforehand, there should be no problem with having a Mature board (with a description).

I am also a part of the "former" ASNer Skype group and have found it a quick and easy way to plan collaborations. It might be a good idea to have something along those lines for NWRP. I have no idea how active the chat at the bottom of the forum is, but using that could be productive, too.

Here's my thoughts on the matter of a mature board or not. And the asn skype thing.

Firstly, I don't think creating a separate board labeled Mature will send a very good message out to new people coming to this site. Usually boards that are labeled mature on most RP forums tend to become a cesspool of smut, so that's probably what people will associate a mature board with (because for whatever reason mature seems to automatically equal SEXSEXEVERYWHERE). So, I still feel it would be in the best interest if new worlds if mature content was just allowed on the site in general. If things get particularly intense, we can put up warnings at the top of posts so people can be aware. However, if mature content simply won't be allowed on the forum at large, I will support Lovelyzombie's idea of a mature board--simply so that I have a place that I can write.

Second: We have a chatbox, so let's pay more attention to it and use it. Or, we could go the alternate route and set up an IRC through Darkmyst. IRC through there never kick people for being inactive, you can set people to be moderators, they can be set to ping people when their name is mentioned, etc. Plus there's the nice option of creating side channels within the main channel for RP/Collab scheming. They're temporary channels that one person creates then can invite people to. Overall though, I think we should either stick to the chatbox or go the IRC route. The skype thing won't do anything to make our site active, yet if people come and see that we have an active IRC or Chatbox then they might have more reason to stay and check things out.

And seriously, can we try to move on from ASN? ASN is not the be all end all of forums....

^Okay, you are really going to have to be more specific by what you mean when you say you want mature content to be allowed on the site in general. We've only got a ban on swear words, hateful/discriminatory stuff and pornography, anything else is fair game to talk about on the board in general, and you CAN make mature rps. Heck, we have a debate/discussion board for more mature/thoughtful discussions about whatever. I honestly don't see where you are coming from, unless it's that you want to be able to swear on the boards and not just in rps. I curse often in real life, but that's usually just how I talk and I don't think about it when I do, but writing is different, I choose which words I use and I try to avoid using loaded, negative words when I can. I don't see any reason why allowing people to swear openly on our boards would help us. If it's another issue, you're gonna have to elaborate, because as far as I can tell we don't have any rules against mature stuff being discussed.

The chatbox is relatively easy to use, is right on the main page, and thus it should probably be the main form of chat that New Worlds uses. The thing is, it actually needs to be used for that purpose. But it can also be hard to chat if people are dominating the box by planning a collab that you aren't a part of, so we'll need to iron out any problems that arise.

And ASN is important to us, SM. Like it or not, that's where we're all from, it's how we first started RPing with each other, and some of us still frequent it. Of course we'd like to expand and get people from other forums here and participating, but the fact is we originated from ASN and it's even where our structure and rules came from. It's kind of important to this place, and so we still look to it for inspiration and potential members. (Plus it's the only other forum I ever visit.)

Well I thought I had been perfectly clear. The whole reason this discussion came up is because the boards are rated PG-13 and because I've felt like I have to tone down my writing. Mature content IS NOT just swearing. Seriously. It feels like this whole site is geared towards writing for pre-teens. But, if you say mature content is good and fine, then so be it. I'll write my mature crap and if I get in trouble for it then I'll reopen this discussion.

I get ASN is important to some of you, but we should be our own forum. Our own place. We're not affiliated with ASN in anyway, so why cling to them? By all means, try and promote us there if you want, but ASN is and always has been a fandom site. We're a Roleplaying site that is meant to have diversity. We're not doing ourselves any favors by clinging to where we came from.

I honestly don't see it. Sure we're pretty strict about treating other users with respect and not posting inappropriate things, but I can't seem to find anything that would make one thing we don't allow mature themes here or look down on them. And I can't even find one mention of the boards being rated PG-13. Honestly, it's kind of a shock that people don't feel like they can write what they want to here, is it just because people aren't really doing so? The community here does seem to prefer to limit themselves a bit, is that really making other people feel like nothing else is permitted here?



How are we clinging, exactly? And are you saying ASN doesn't have diversity? What are you suggesting?

Yes, it honestly feels that because everyone here limits themselves in what they write that only that kind of content is allowed. It feels like if I put a toe out of the line that people have drawn for what is their preferred style that I'll be ostracized.

I just see ASN constantly being brought up. That's clingy to me. And ASN is a fandom site, so its core content is not diverse. It is meant to cater to ONE SINGULAR fandom out of millions of fandoms/interests. That's all that I've meant. I'm not saying ASN is bad or anything like that. Seriously, there's no need to get defensive over it, I'm not attacking the site or its people.

Well, I'm not sure there's any quick solution we can implement that would change that feeling. We won't ostracize you for writing mature things, I don't want anyone to feel like they don't belong here because of that. We might lean towards lighter and softer stuff now, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate or welcome people with different tastes into our community. If more people would be willing to give us a shot, things could get better in that regard.


That's not what I meant, SM, I should have wrote that better. I was legitimately wondering if ASN came off a certain way to you, because I've seen tons of different people on that forum and it's very diverse in that sense. And even its off topic board thrives, so people show off diversity there. My last question was actually asking what do you suggest we do to fix what you see as a problem? We might never really let go of ASN in the way you want us to, or at least as quickly, but that doesn't mean we can't also embrace other sites or ideas.

I don't know. Maybe just make it clear that people don't have to limit what they write and that this site will welcome all kinds of writing. We need to show that people that we will welcome before people give us a chance. Another worry is that with everyone here limiting what they write it puts people off in the sense that they feel like no one will be comfortable with their writing and that no one will write with them. This is really the main reason a few people I know won't give this place a chance.

Just...try not to hold ASN up on this pillar. Its constant ASN this, ASN that on here. ASN was great at the time. Yeah, its where we started. Yeah, its still an awesome ATLA/LOK site. But its been years since the RP board there was shut down. So I just think its time to let go of what it was. There's no reason to stop liking the site, but like I said it's not the be all end all of forums. There are lots of RP sites and forums out there that we can also look to for ideas/members. But my main concern with letting go of ASN is so that we can go ahead and become our own site--not just an unofficial offshoot of a site that cut its RP board years ago.

I'd like to be able to do that naturally, and not be forced to add on to the descriptions or make a thread that basically states: You can feel free to write whatever you want as long as it doesn't violate any rules. That's just kind of awkward, I'd like people to be able to pick up that we won't limit them. And if they all joined, they could at least start out writing with each other, I think part of the reason rps don't work is because few people stay committed to them. I know I must sound like I'm beating a dead horse here, but that's a reason I don't really make RPs anymore, because people drop out at an alarming rate, and we barely finish them. We don't even get to the mature themes before an RP dies sometimes, that may be why we (seem to) limit ourselves, before we get into the nitty gritty we fall apart at the introductions.


Well, to be honest, it's the only forum I've really liked. I don't explore much, but the other forums I've been to on the web are frankly awful in comparison, so if at least I seem to hold ASN on a pedestal... well, maybe I do, but it's because it's one of the only forums I've really liked. But we do have a suggestions board (we're in it now) where people can suggest new ideas or ways of doing things, but it doesn't seem like we get that much aside from technical/layout problems. We do consider people's suggestions and try to make things work for everyone. So really we need more people to just input their opinions here, what they would like to see improved or what would make them feel more welcome.

Hi everyone. I not proud to admit that I am a 'lurker' of this board and I keep trying to integrate back into it but the problem is, is that sometimes the board isn't that active enough for me. I suppose my time zone is a major factor (GMT+0) as I assume most people on here are from the USA. I would really like to get back to this board and I want to offer another chance at it so I am going to add my own opinion on what needs to be done.

I've read all the previous posts and I agree with most of them but I wish to add my own alterations of them.

Topic One: Splitting the boards would be a great idea if there was more activity (I think everyone has said this). I think the problem with the boards currently, depending on how pedantic you are, are the naming of the boards. So far we have 'Adventure', 'Sci-Fi', 'Drama' and 'Fandom'. The problem, I think, is that these are not clear on whether it establishes a Setting or a Genre, because it seems like we have both. What if we have a Drama orientated roleplay in a Fantasy setting? What if we decide to roleplay as students in a futuristic world? Where would we post these roleplays? So I think in solution to this, we need to set a specific category for naming these boards. We may understand where a roleplay goes, but it's also to facilitate newer members aswell. So we should either name by Genre (Action, Drama, Romance) or by Setting (Fantasy, Modern, Futuristic). Personally I would go with Setting because with Genre you could get mixed up with that aswell.

Topic Two: I am indifferent to a Mature Board. However I think we need to consider on what we can do if a Mature Board is likely to be added. I think we should only add a Mature Board if it is possible to restrict content from underage members. So if a member is under the age of 18, they will not be able to see the Mature Board. Or perhaps we can have a password system for it if it is not feasible (or if many people lie about their age). If any of these are not possible then I think we should start adding a mature tag to roleplays which will have mature content.

That's all I have to say about those 2 topics, but since I am here I may as well post my opinions about the site in general.

The thing I liked about the ASN forum was the community. There was definitely a sense of camaraderie between the members there and that's what made it so welcoming to just continue to go back there. Personally, I was only interested in the Roleplaying board, so when that shut down I left, but then I joined this board knowing some people I know and have roleplayed with will be here. I agree that in order to bolster our member roster and to improve commitment between members, we need to be committed to this board ourselves (something which I will aim to do). I think we also need to start advertising ourselves and the best place to do that is on ASN (for its camaraderie). I don't think it sounds like a bad idea if we message to someone from ASN: 'Did you know that ASN use to have a roleplaying board? It got removed, but most of the members made their own!'

That's all I have to say. Now to find a roleplay!