I feel... Unsatisfied

[Darth Vazela]

This is no particular jab at Chaos in general, it's writers or staff. This is purely just me, as a writer and as a character, putting it out there for the community to see at 04:05am. I am going to bed after I finish writing this and hopefully, by the time I wake up tomorrow, there will be some responses and interest.

Vilox Pazela was the first ever character I created to write my own Star Wars story. In comparison to my other characters (with the majority of them having been moved onto Chaos), I enjoy writing Vilox Pazela a lot more than I do others... And yet, since I joined Chaos, Pazela has never been a prevalent or regarded as a 'main' character for me. This is my fault, considering that I have taken several month LOAs since joining the board in 2013 and so on and so forth.

But there has been a distinct lack of interest from the community for what I have been trying to establish with Pazela ever since I joined the site. As was recently pointed out, Chaos is celebrating it's third year and I celebrated my second year on Chaos back in September of this year, so I hope that with the establishment of factions such as the Primeval and the recent rise in Dark Jedi, I hope that leading into 2016 I can finally establish Pazela on this board.

I want to become the main focal point of a story that affects the community by large. I want to be the one to influence the hearts, minds and souls of my readers, as well as the people that are included in what I roleplay. I want to achieve something so memorable and grand, that years from now, there will be writers- perhaps still on Chaos or other boards- who will remember Vilox Pazela and the stories that came out of him and his actions in the Chaos universe.

And I want to begin that story with you- whoever you are who has got to this point of my post- to participate and help forge a legacy alongside me. Something that will make you satisfied, happy and content with what you achieved during your time here on Chaos.

To cut this explanation down- and I know it might be confusing, but I will summarize it for you now- I want to build a Following- a group of people who want to affect this universe and change, for the better or worse- with me as the lead and the direction.

To appease those who would like a comparison, consider Ajunta Pall and the following of Dark Jedi that he created.

Join and follow me. I promise you that you won't regret it.

 

[Kenrath]

[member="Vilox Pazela"]

I have faced very similar things over the last year. Vengeance is not a DJ and I really don't see him ever going DJ but i wish you luck none the less.

 

[Darth Metus]

[member="Vilox Pazela"]

So you wanna be a hero kid, well, whoop-

Wait.

Wrong movie.

Jokes aside, I get it where your head is at. However, putting aside our bro-hood for a second and looking at this objectively, I'm hesitant. If you want to build a faction, it needs to be more than a System within which you are the Sun. Any faction that goes the distance becomes a community. Ya dig?

With that in mind, the question then becomes "why?"

What does your supposed following have that other factions don't? What sets you apart aside from alignment/the fact that you are at the head? Why should "we" join?

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Vilox Pazela"]

It seems interesting, but I'd like to see what you have to say in regards to [member="Ishmael Verd"]'s comment. He raises a good point or 5 or I can't count or something.

 

[Ayden Cater]

These sorts of threads are dangerous. They require that one steps up to the edge of the abyss and look downward. And not to sound cliche, but sometimes the abyss stares back and you won't like what you see.

To make a thread like this, you have to be prepared for honest criticism. Some might take the opportunity to unload baggage, sure, but there are many who will take the time to level with you and hand out some cold, hard truths. If you're not ready to accept that, if you're not ready to accept the unpleasantness with the pleasant, then you've missed the point entirely of making the thread in the first place.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

And I want to begin that story with you- whoever you are who has got to this point of my post- to participate and help forge a legacy alongside me. Something that will make you satisfied, happy and content with what you achieved during your time here on Chaos.

You do this with every character you meet, every thread you finish, every writer you approach on Skype and go 'hey, I've an idea...'

You create a legacy by consistently expanding where you are and who you're doing it with. Sarge 'made a name for himself' early because I was committed to one thing - writing him with as many people as possible. Sith? Sure. Jedi? Yup. Imperial? Mandalorian? Yup yup. It didn't matter what it was about, or why he was there, and it could last one page or fourteen.

I made myself available as a writer, and made sure that my character always had a reason, no matter how stupid (note: Sarge's ability to just 'appear' at whim) to join a thread.

Don't start by being the center, start by being a participant. People will eventually come to recognize you for that, and begin to form an opinion, and soon enough you'll have a reputation and the ability to potentially affect something major. We're all here to tell a story, but what I read here is 'I want to tell stories for other people to know me, and remember me,' and when you do that, people lose interest.

Why? You're not aiming for interaction, you're aiming for impressions. People pick up on that. You do you, homeboy, but don't be afraid to let other people do them - even if you aren't the focal point of what they're doing.

 

[Matreya]

[member="Sarge Potteiger"]'s post is almost identical to what I would type.

I would honestly be wary of ever stating that you want to be the center of attention, it makes the whole thing a bit pretentious. Personally, I see it all as said: you make yourself known, play with everyone, make interesting threads, let your characters evolve.

I find that my first character on site is known by a large populace of the site, majority being the vets that have been around for longer. I made Zaiden out to be this chauvinistic anti hero, role played with every single person I could, and before long he was actually pretty known. But when I attempted to step further into the spotlight is when things started going sour; its a community forum, you can't occupy the spotlight of your own choice.

If your put in the lime light, hash that poodoo up! But don't try to do to much by forcing it on others.

You end up with potentially one of the most hated story lines in the sites history <.<

 

[Jsc]

If you build it, they will come.

That said. In the brief time that I've known your writing I've never experienced you or your characters to be into the whole leadership thing. IC, they slink and sleuth through the shadows and pretend to spy upon everybody at every moment and at everything. Just waiting for that perfect moment to jump from the shadows and yell, "Gotcha". Ya know. Or something.

You need substance man. A Faction idea or storyline plot that people can really get behind. And for the love, you've got to pitch in someway other then, "It's 4am. I am sleepy. Thusly. Follow me and eventually something cool will happen. Maybe." ...Otherwise? It's just like the others have said. Just keep on keeping on. RP and let whatever happens, happen. Cheers.

 

[Arlan Zy'rosh]

On any Role-Playing site I've ever been a member of I can honestly say this problem comes up. Everyone wants to be the leader of something grand rather than just being another supporting cast members. That goes for me as well, I much prefer Role-playing a character in a leadership role to a foot soldier. The truth is though we can't all be the great hero or villain if the stories we write are to be believable.

Becoming a centralized character is hard in any open Role-Play setting, especially one as completely decentralized as Chaos. This site focuses more on individual stories over site-wide cohesion, so the only true way to effect the galaxy at large would be to become a Major Faction. Now of course that is not to say there aren't characters whom remain unaffiliated that are widely known, just a generalization.

I can only say, as a Role-Player, when I see posts like this I hesitate. I like heavy story emphasis so when I see faction adds and the like I tend to ignore them. If I were going to attempt building any sort of group I would do so IC. Try to find likeminded people and pound out a story over a month or so, developing your group beforehand. I would much rather join a group like that than one simply asking for members.

[member="Vilox Pazela"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Vilox Pazela"]

Three things.

• Sarge's advice is sound.
• You've definitely made an impact on my storylines with ol' Pazela. Sure, we've butted heads, and I've probably taken too much enjoyment in foiling your plans, but...you are virtually the only person on the board whose plans I've consistently taken the time to foil. Because our characters contrast with each other really, really well, and because you make big grand plans better than most.
• I forget the third thing.
• I remember the third thing now. Many, many people have made vanity project factions that centered on them. It has not gone well, historically. But very few of them approached it with a disclaimer like this. They took it for granted that people would come on board, or they spent all their time talking up the transcendent awesomeness of their character. Relatively few of them were like 'I would like to write a story about having a following and making a difference. Is anyone interested?' That's an approach that may bear fruit.
• In hindsight, that may not have been the original third thing.

 

[Darth Vazela]

[member="Vengeance"]

Thank you.

[member="Ravager"]

Good questions. I'll address the faction part first.

I have no intentions of starting up a faction. Perhaps a faction page, where we can have our own sub-forums and basically an area for us to come together and shift out things, but I have no intentions of creating a major faction. Perhaps later down the line, if the story evolves to allow it or if the other people involved would like us to go major.

I think of the resistance movement that @Jorus Merill began. That's been up for a long time, yet it has no intentions of going major because the people involved are pulled together from several other factions. This is probably the main comparison I have to build the Following (or another name, if the Following is too prentious for people).

I 'dig' that major factions should have a community. It's why the One Sith has been successful and how the Primeval managed to become the Force it is now. Anyone who was involved in the Primeval's early days knows that it struggled for a while before it became what it is today and I congratulate all the writers involved, especially the Host Lord, for driving that concept forward.

I consider myself friendly OOC, if not a little bit crazy (see the Lenny Skype bombs), but all that was done in good fun and jest. I'm easy to get along with and to sort things out.

Why should you join me? The truth is I can't answer that or convince you too because I only have the concept that this group of people have begun to follow me, on the basis that we are about to change the Galaxy.

My character has an end goal, a plan that he wants to enact, in order to change the Galaxy. It's something I don't want to reveal yet, as I feel that it requires the necessary build up in story for it to become viable- and from there- people can decide whether to support or go against it.

My 'faction' doesn't have other things that other factions don't have. If you want to learn the dark side, the OS, CoTBR or Jen'ari Empire are your best bets. If you want to play the good guy, then you have the Republic etc. I really don't have anything to offer that is different to those factions except for one thing.

It will be story driven. Each piece of roleplay will be done as a connective to the next part, heading closer to the end. No dominions. No invasions. No political aspirations, aside from the overall concept of changing the Galaxy. Just a set goal that my character has in mind. Obviously it will be something bad, as I want to establish Vilox Pazela as a villian.

[member="Jack Mirrikh"]

See above.

[member="Ayden Cater"]

I am prepared for honest criticism. My goal isn't to appease the masses, but to find the select few interested in participating, and from there, developing something special, for both us and the community.

[member="Sarge Potteiger"]

I understand that everyone forges out there own legacy for every thread and story they participate in, but then I'd respond by saying that doesn't everyone start that by discussing it first?

This is a discussion about beginning something for myself and those who would be interested in joining.

Direction wise, this concept will go with how the people who want to join in want it to go. You won't find me dictating anyones roleplay.

I am aiming for both interaction and impressions.

[member="Darth Pikiran"]

I won't be making these mistakes. When I say I want to become the center of attention- to become the main focal point of discussion and roleplay- it is because I hope the story that I will develop will be accepted by the community, and subsequently, the community will make me the main focal point, rather than me making the community do it instead.

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

Exactly. If I build it, they will come. You are right.

And you are correct about Pazela, and by extension, Darth Ayra. I enjoy playing these type of characters that have little to no substance, being in the background. One of the best Sith Lords that ever graced this site did the exact same thing, with Darth Voracitos.

I have a storyline plot that people can get behind. Hopefully my replies here will get people interested enough to hear what it is.

[member="Arlan Zy'rosh"]

Yes, people have do have a problem with becoming the main focal points of a faction, or sticking to the sides and becoming a supporting cast player. It's actually one of the main problems with this site.

I can only become the main focal point- the center of attention- if the community decides it; and they will only do that if they are enjoying what I am doing, the plot itself and if they decide that I warrant that kind of attention. If they don't, so be it.

I have been trying to find people IC for a long time. Mikhail Shorn, Ashin Varanin, Spencer Jacobs, Tyrin Ardik, Kiera Ticon, Anja Aj'rou and a couple of new writers that joined the site, but ultimately disappeared.

Creating this thread is basically starting over again. See my response to Ashin for more background information.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

Ah, the one who got away.

That in itself is a ratification that I have done something on Chaos, that a character that is so embedded in Chaos' lore would consider me in such a way, so thanks for that.

I am back, trying to start over again, after what Ashin (and Spencer) did to stop me. Kudos, as I believe we'll be clashing heads again, regardless of whether or not this starts out with just me or with another group.

To all those tagged and those reading, my premise is summarized up well by Ashin: I want to begin a following, a group of pople, who would like to make a difference. Is anyone interested?

And if you are, then we can go into discussion about the story itself, without giving away too much. Perhaps just a plot- like one of those summaries you read on the back of books, which gives you an idea what the book is about- before we can begin this.

Thanks for your interest so far.

 

[Kei Amadis]

[member="Vilox Pazela"]
-edit
Sarge beat me to it