I Miss the Nexus

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:05 am

Things are so quiet here... it is depressing me. And sadly, I am working on top of a mountain for the summer, so as much as I'd like to run a clutch or an RP, I can't for now.

I guess I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not dead... and I hope that the Nexus doesn't entirely die before I am able to come back around.

On a different note, I am working on getting some images ready for the prizes from my RP. XD It's taken me forever, and even if they don't get posted, I figure it'll be fun to give them out anyway.

Post by **Dray** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:19 am

I can definitely see where you stand... it's been an awesome run, right? On the other hand, the thought of paging and drawing more of essentially the same thing isn't as inspiring as it once was... It would be nice to see some things happening and just lurk and watch, but I think we're all stuck in the same mode right now!

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:57 am

I wish I knew what we could do to spark up interest for ourselves again. **sadface**

Yakima · Post by **Yakima** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:46 am

I'm in school again right now, living on my own for the first (well second) time, and working a lot. I don't get much time to think about writting or dragons though I was doddling new layouts for my sites today during class since my monitor at home is larger and my layouts don't seem to like the big screen. *pouts* But I'm in the same boat. I had a lot of things planned, like Flynnth's sport frenzy and a few things at the FGPC and the Oddessy.

And while part of my excuse relvolves around LotRO taking up my time (I blame my hobbit...it's HER fault!) I honestly just haven't been able to concentrate.

I also blame getting a new computer and still not having all the programs I need/want. I need to get Terragen back up, I decided, and perhaps the new version to see if I can figure it out. heehee

Anyway, I'm not dead and miss writting clutches and stories for candidates, mostly. But I'm not deleting anything. And who knows, maybe I can use some of my sites as school projects later...and not my Hobbit (her name is Kynta and she is a brat) like I have been...Somehow she's managed to sneak her way into 3 school projects so far. (I'll have to show the one..it was fun) And maybe I can start drawing my characters now instead of using the portrait maker. *smirk/dance*

Okay, off to last day of class this quarter. *dances again*

(I have logged onto the chat room a few times to see if people are on to talk to but it seems no one visits there anymore...I miss the people here even if I've been sucked into saving Middle-earth as a hobbit...

)

Post by **Dray** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:20 pm

I don't know how viable it'd be, but making art challenges for characters to advance might be kind of fun. XD Right now I just don't have a lot of time to spend drawing Nexus-based content!

Definitely think we need some newbies to take over so we can lurk and join when we want to. X3 We're an aged group who's seen and done it all... need to find a way to entice people who haven't yet amassed 1000's of dragons to join! (DF was thinking of working on something to help with that... though I think she was waiting on input from other Nexus-goers before starting...)

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:40 pm

Personally, I've always loved grabbing tons of dragons, but it might be interesting to do story/RP based stuff that's not just hatchings and whatnot. Maybe instead of amassing new characters, using ones we already have? I feel like we've all come up with these awesome worlds and what not, but we've rarely ever played in them together, outside of bonding ceremonies and the like.

Yakima · Post by **Yakima** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:04 pm

Truthfully, i would really like to get my sites 'finished' (as in riders at least paged and layouts worked out) before I set into writting again. Though, that never has seemed to work for me. I'm too much of a scatter-brained person to do that...heh.

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:39 pm

I wanna run a clutch, but there's no one left! *sigh*

Post by **Dray** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:44 pm

I'm lurking! Kat and I are gearing up for Nanowrimo so I haven't been doing much all day except for writing things! After November's over, I think I'll be more involved. :3 I hope to see a bit more happenin' around these parts. (If you wanted to run a clutch, I wouldn't complain!)

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:59 am

Maybe I'll just try to run one, and see what happens. Maybe with a little more RP involvement? Cause I really enjoyed running that Apidae game. And I still owe some people images for that. Lol.

Post by **Dray** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:06 pm

I've enjoyed the RP aspect of the Nexus more than the dragon paging, at least during that last spate of activity... Maybe if the reward is more the interaction with other characters, I'd be all over it. :3 I have the feeling that a Nexus-based D&D campaign would be pretty fun!

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:24 am

RPing is why more interesting to me too. As opposed to just having your characters interact with themselves. Plus, I'd like to know more about people's worlds, and RPs are great for that.

Post by **Dray** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:54 am

It's been a long time since I've dabbled in any world-building/sharing stuff... X3 You might have to start things off easy!

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:30 pm

Starting things off easy is probably a good plan... considering that I get so in-depth with my stuff that I get fed up too quickly to finish much! XDDD

Post by **Dray** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:51 pm

Maybe start with a smaller scene... or as in a D&D campaign, you could toss together a setting and ask for specific kinds of characters? I don't know that I'd have time to run something... but do you have any ideas in specific about what you'd like to see?

(I'm hoping to set up some RP-based events around that colonization, but I won't be able to get around that until after November. If anyone is interested then, mark it on your calendars!)

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:18 pm

Honestly, I'd be interested in any sort of game. I like learning new things, so if there were some interesting setting or culture based tid bits to pick up, I'd be happy enough. :3

I'd love to partake in any RP run from your colonization thing... although, I am a bit out of the loop on that, since I was stuck up on the mountain all summer.

Post by **Dray** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:27 pm

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that... the Nexus has been so quiet, it's hard to keep up with where everyone's at. How was it?

The colonization thing is what I hope to be an offshoot of the Nexus: new forum, a single world (in character) that different characters with their different Nexus backgrounds can have a reason to meet and interact on a regular basis. The ability for all of us oldbies who are sticking around to bring elements of our old worlds into play, while (hopefully!) building a cohesive foundation that we can rope newbies into... writing prompts, RP nights (and campaigns, perhaps!) along with hatchings that are more rare with unique images... Largely, I'm hoping to make this game version an updated and more cohesive Nexus fun-times experience. Fingers crossed!

Post by **StarFyre** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:31 pm

Mmmm, rp. Tell me when, where, and if I can bring my Renos or if I have to be serious (*sadface*) and I'll be lurking for hours beforehand. I've been so caught up in the minutiae of building another of my worlds (AUGH NANO GO AWAY! YOU CAN'T COME SO SOON!) that I really haven't been paying attention to much of anything else.

Unfortunately, I'm not even focusing on the RIGHT minutiae, but instead on the rather large, power, and very disinterested group I've been calling the Scions, who are the ultimate cause of the chaos enveloping the world (something about their scholars used to be able to see past, present, and future, and started to play god with that knowledge, which the real Gods didn't take kindly to), but really couldn't be arsked to do anything but retreat to their bloody Strongholds and wait out the current Crusade like they've done all the previous ones.

But hey. They've got something like 16 or so words for pleasure. I mean, there's an entire sept dedicated to all aspects of pleasure.

<.< .... Yeah, I'm insane.

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:10 pm

So, I've been wondering about a new Nexus based project- and maybe something that would get things started up for the group again (if there's any interest).

There are a bunch of groups on DA (Valley of Siyyon, Windsonde, etc) that are a mix between art and RP groups. We have a really intricate little universe here, and I was wondering if we might want to pool some of our collective species/worlds to update the DA Nexus group and make it something more than just an adoptables group.

I know that I would be more interested in something like that, and judging by the popularity of those other DA groups, other people would be too.

Just a thought. I hate to see how quiet everything here is.

Post by **Dray** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 2:53 pm

I wouldn't mind seeing something like that, either -- I think that the current layout of the DA group is pretty cumbersome and it keeps getting flooded with 'BUY MY SHITTY EGG FOR DA POINTS! 8D' applications that keep getting through... (:I)

It would be nice to restructure the DA group from the ground up. This site does a pretty neat job of the structuring of which species are adoptable and what's needed to get them. I think that ours could rely more upon in character stories, but I'd love to see a mixture of adoptable types straying wider even than dragons. Alien species, humans-from-adoptable-site-X, etc... it would be fun to have such characters be open to adopting as well. Perhaps not in the 'you find a basket with a baby in it' idea... but I dunno, just putting it out there!

I'm currently still busy with NaNo, but at the end of November I'd like to throw some time into real Nexus activities! I may go on some sort of email spree to see if we can't get some of the users who used to lurk back into action. Maybe before that happens, we can rework the Nexus DA group to reflect some of the changes you and other users of this forum would like to see?

Post by **Dray** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:43 pm

Double post (I know I know, I'm sorry!) but... it's interesting to note that these communities often start you off with a base format/character, and then you have new options unlocked as you contribute.

What do you think a Nexus-based version of that might be? egg/hatchling/adult? Limiting dragon species to those that have weird abilities or shape-shifting? How open-ended would you make character creation in order to join and participate? How would you address the current paradigm of collecting scads of characters as time goes on? Focusing on one character in particular? Or just a small handful? How would that play out with the whole 'adopt a dragon' idea?

Post by **StarFyre** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 7:37 pm

Honestly, to wit, I want to take some of favorites (or maybe make new ones, I unno) and do some rping. I loved rping my Renos all that while ago in the chatroom, so something like that would be <3 *hasn't rped in so long...*

Post by **Dray** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:17 pm

I don't want to take over everything, and I know that Airy sounds like she's having ideas... but would you guys be willing/okay with having the DA community somehow tie into the Nexus Colonization forum that I'm going to be starting to work on? DA would be an awesome staging ground, so it would be awesome to use it to gather folks together for a preview.

Totally open for content, reward system, style of RP/challenges, etc!

Some thoughts (which are completely open, and I'm just dropping 'em because I've been thinking about it!)
-A group setting that's literally a staging ground, like a station orbiting the planet that people can teleport to or ship into? (Alternately, a moon, or a parallel dimension... anything that's sort of a stepping stone to the colonization aspect?)
-Starting ranks for characters; you can bring over any one, but they're the 'omega' or 'nugget colonist' or what have you when they first start
--Groups for these starting characters to fall into (very much like Airy's RP divisions for her Apidae game!) Perhaps adventurers (hello Renos!), researchers, magic-types? (better suggestions totally open!)
--Challenges of the writing and art variety for each group, with opportunities for RP amongst all of 'em
-Random events that can potentially change your character if you opt in (via RP, art challenge, etc.) For very weird example: "Oh weird, there's a horn-sprouting xeno-virus floating around the station! Draw your character being affected and those changes can stick!)
-Occasional dragon hatchings, just because it's the Nexus... but maybe we could gear them more towards new players of the game?

Will stop before I do another MASSIVE post!

Post by **Dray** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:17 pm

Oh man, I can't stop thinking about this!

How does this sound:
We run each of our adoption agencies from a different folder within the DA group. (Nidus Avengaea vs. Star City. vs Clan Akelara vs. Jhiirsai)
-Each folder houses information about the world, which is cross-posted to a meta folder that's just for information. Each folder also contains character sheets of people who are creating characters that originate from your world, dimension, space station, or Weyr. Each world folder could host all of the dragons or adoptables you'd like to run from that specific location. Some of the info and stuff submitted to each world folder might be double-posted to secondary folders.

Secondary folders:
-Info: includes world/adoption agency info. Specific entries for adoptable species. You may wish to include info about species living in your world that people could apply/sign up as, and perhaps stats sheets to fill out?
-Events and Challenges: people submit their art and writing to specific challenges here. We may wish to include current events up here with a spoiler image and some rules about what's going on. This drawing by Unyko would be a perfect example for the art-style challenges!
-Hiatus/Not Active: Any info that's not currently active can go here? Alternately we can have a 'betweened' section if you guys are feeling particularly eeevil.
-Items/Pets: Selling cyborware, or elemental crystals, or holiday flits? If you have an items manifest that you'd like to advertise, it can go here!
-Points-based Events: Though it's not as in the spirit of the Nexus as a forum, I think that having a points-sell section to fundraise for a better group might be a nice thing to have.
-General Art for the community: anything related to any of the worlds that isn't for a challenge or otherwise, like fanart, could go here!

RP and events:
I've created a DA-based chat room here that will be spruced up as I figure out what needs to be added!
As owners of agencies, we can each work on our own events whenever. I think it would be great to have community-wide events as well -- the winter gather, for starters!

Regarding currencies and stuff.
'Adopts for points' is sort of inescapable in Deviantart. While I don't think this should be allowed in a 'take over the community' sense, having specific fundraisers could lure some folks in from time to time. If we managed to raise a bunch as a group we could even update the group to support prettier options. :D
Having an in-game currency could be handy as a supplement for those members who really just want to hoard -- and could be a smaller incentive for folks to contribute: 'Draw a picture, earn 20 grist! Write a story, earn 10 grist!' Grist could be spent on items or pets, or the occasional for-sale creature (supplementary to DA points, we could have an option to buy with community-earned currency.) A community-based currency like grist could also go a long way towards the colonization game that I'm hoping to run, where you could use it to purchase land or livestock or a mining stake, etc. >:3

Other thoughts:
I don't know I just want to start some RP sessions with a few little reward incentives, what do you guys want to see most?

aireona93 · Post by **aireona93** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:14 pm

Dray! I am so happy that you have ideas! I will need to take some real time later to read through them and come up with some more of my own.

I'd love to see more than just dragon species involved. I would really like to see a catalogue of the species common to the Nexus too. I know that JKat did that a long while ago, but an update would be cool. Especially since alot of species have come and gone.

Post by **Dray** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 6:36 pm

I'm glad you're excited!

I am working hard to get the DA group set up to take on new members and provide a playground that we can write up our species for newbies to earn and play with. Fingers crossed that it takes off!