Safe havens for writers have always existed in the past. But usually, there always existed at least one city capable of standing in opposition to the ones dominating the rankings. Not too long ago, Ph, Se and Dt battled fiercely for the 15 spots. Trading the top spot every 2 or 3 days had become the norm. What changed? How did we get to a point where a city enjoys seemingly unprecedented dominance for a prolonged period of time without any substantial opposition whatsoever? And more importantly, now that Philly's dominance on the boards is nearing absolute supremacy, what possible consequences will there be?

Why would there be consequences?

The internal struggle in Seattle put a dent to their claims, and the nationwide fighting events improves PH on the boards.

thinking.. And if Philly wants absolute supremacy.. They can just shoot all 'strangers' on the top 15?

Not sure there are any consequences in a bad sense. I figure it should at some point motivate someone, or a group of someones, to band together within a city to push themselves into the rankings and make a dent.

I think what may have changed is that other cities just haven't cared too much about this side of the game as Philly have and does, and those individuals that really enjoy this side of the game inevitably want to be around more like minded individuals like them. If you write, and you come here to do that most of the time you are logged in, being in an environment (city, or crew) that doesn't share that passion can have you feeling bored real quick. I say this from experience.

So when there is a place which is so focused on this side of the game as Philly is, naturally people that are just as focused on this side and that aren't getting that enjoyment where they are, might just float on over here. I can also say this from experience, as that's what has happened with members within my crew. I don't see this as a bad thing though, as our environment is very active and enjoyable because we choose to be around people that share the same passion, and it makes our time in game more enjoyable for it imo.

I don't see this being a bad thing at all actually. Not when everyone is enjoying themselves. The only thing that looks odd, I guess, is the VIP board. But if it harms no-one that it is predominately green, then I see no issue with it. And as I stated above, I see this as a potential motivator for other cities to step up and get involved.

I know for sure that some people in LA and LV are looking at trying to turn their cities efforts on their head. And Philly will be helping play a part in these efforts too, as we share the same love for writing and role playing and building thriving businesses. This is also a positive with a city being so engrossed in this area of the game together, we can then band together and help others get involved in it too.

I am interested to see if we can sweep the VIP ranks with all green though. That would be a sight to see and something to strive towards for sure. :)

As far as I understand, and I will admit my knowledge is limited, the internal struggle of Seattle is long gone. Now coming to the nationwide fighting event of PH, is it something that is hard to replicate? Are similar ideas unachievable in other cities? 

Shooting all ' strangers', Sir is not what the spirit of competition between roleplayers is about. The idea is to beat all opposition on a level playing field without resorting to shortcuts. 

Finally, the consequences that I speak of may not occur in a form that is readily apparent to most but they will still occur. One of which could be the continued arrival of new recruits interested in roleplay only to Philadelphia, another could be a decision by other cities to stifle any roleplay growth by not encouraging it as they previously used to. Or on a positive note, it could lead to the establishment of a successful model for roleplay and writing which may come to be followed by other cities in the future. How likely any of that is or what else might be a result of it is up for discussion. 

I agree with a lot that Adonis has said, though perhaps because I am not well versed in the political aspect of things, I can't help but wonder why the other cities 'have not cared enough about this side of things' as he said or more importantly if they are doing something to attempt to change that, what can we do to assist them.

While as a Philly resident, my interest in seeing a fully green board is apparent, as someone solely here to write and roleplay I am intrigued by the curious state of these aspects and what that represents for roleplay in the future. I personally feel that we are at a crossroads. Depending on what happens next, roleplay can either go on to become a substantial part of gameplay or diminish further than it might already have. 

Why would you care if Philly or any other city dominates that ranking? I can understand the competition between districts given the obvious benefits, but on a national level how does some persons - or city's - standing matter?

Personally, I think a completely green board is a bad sign for Philly.
Whether story-telling or relevant discussions, if one city dominates the rankings, they dominate the conversation. That hints at a one-sided conversation. And with that as a community we might miss out on the potential of a more diverse conversation. I would hope that enthusiasts of roleplay and public conversation are involved because of the intriguing and surprisising things it may bring them. If you like metrics: builld a gun and start a war.

But if you value dialogue, creativity, debate, exciting stories... make it inviting for people to participate. As participation, beyond city-limits, makes things interesting. People, while some very introvert or awkward, are observant and will want to play. They tend not to play if things are not intriguing enough though. Or off-putting. Or too challenging.

Those who supply content should do it in such a way that others can easily join the conversation. Or rather, make it so that people will want to join the conversation. Personally I think relevancy of efforts plays a big role here. The more relevant a topic is, the more people will pay attention to it. And the more likely it is some of the audience will start to interact. Now this also is something that has to grow. But that's not necessarily in terms of adaption, but perhaps even more so in terms of creation. If you write a lot, reinvent yourself. Do something new. Do something exciting.

We don't live in a library. We are no authors of a genre that appeals to some and not to others.
This is a simulation above all. This is our world. Our life. We are movers. Shakers. Our efforts invoke change.
And change invokes doubt, reservation, hope, questions and opportunities.

All that creates dialogue, because it matters. And with all those that care involved the rankings don't matter a bit anymore.
How we discuss, debate... the solutions we might think of and the resistance it might create. These are the things that are relevant.

In that sense, AlexanderKnight, my suggestion would be to not wonder about which direction this community takes at the crossroads you mentioned. Instead, be unique, choose a direction. Take the community somewhere. If you worry about things, don't support solutions others might offer... create solutions. Don't be afraid to fail, because you can get up again and improve. We don't need people that question state, we need people that inspire change. Don't question others, but rather ask yourself how you can improve to be a greater source of inspiration?

Because, let's assume the board is fully green. Let's assume AlexanderKnight is at the number one spot.
What does that teach us? Is it the success of a person, the succcess of a city? Or rather the failure of others?

It doesn't tell me anything meaningful at all.
I'm fairly certain that if we would pick more social goals, instead of the mathematical ones, there would be less proof of our efforts, but more meaning to it. Like Ghandi said; be the change you want to be in the world. But if you're rather a metric... sure, pursue that.

I must admit, as an Indian, I am always amused when someone quotes Mohandas Gandhi. Jests aside though I feel you answered your initial question yourself. A fully green board concerns me not just from a quantitative standpoint but from a qualitative standpoint as well. It represents more than just a statistical victory for the city. As you said, it represents the absolute hegemony of a particular kind of opinion in the street. Whether people agree with it or appreciate it, will be irrelevant if that is all that they see.

As previously suggested it also represents a cycle. The more promotion a city gives to rp, the more writers will join it and the cycle will continue, thereby robbing those present elsewhere who wish to organize some form of a renaissance from doing so. Breaking the cycle continues to become tougher the longer it exists.

I am sensing some hostility from your words, and forgive me if I this is an incorrect assumption. You speak of valuing debate and dialogue but disagree with my attempt to create one here?

You advise me to pick something and just do it rather than simply talking about it. As a participant in one of the PTB events that I organized I would have assumed you would see I and people like me are already doing things. A nationwide kickstarter to help out people seeking financial help to promote rp was started not too long ago and has already provided funding for a few individuals. We are conversing with people who have the power and the desire to change things in other cities as well. 

Many events have been planned and they will soon begin once the logistics are cleared. Constant efforts are being made to make things more interactive. A lot is happening behind the scenes including the constant mentoring of new writers in this world of ours. But just because that aspect doesn't receive the limelight doesn't mean it doesn't exist. discussion, in my opinion, is essential. It allows us to garner feedback such as yours, Sir, so that we can alter our strategies accordingly.

I see you have taken an understandable jab at me seeking the #1 spot, which I can only assume is a reference to the recently started Midas Air Gauntlet. I would just like to clarify for the record that I do not chase the top spot needlessly because I too do not care much for rankings. Having done it representing four different cities I no longer crave the glory so to speak. The idea of the Gauntlet was the establishment of a long term project which would bring the Midas Air together as a group and encourage them to write more to 'defend' the spots they hold. I was only supposed to be the first in a series of challengers.

But I digress. You speak of wanting to make things more interactive, and I commend you for that approach. To that end I ask if you have some executable example to suggest which we can help you implement Sir?

The hostility you sense should be interpreted as opposition to the context you created for a topic worth discussing. From our brief interactions I know you have passion for this topic and I’m aware of some progressive efforts happening across the country. These efforts matter to me, because they offer meaningful engagement. But I didn’t recognize that value when the ranking system was introduced as a measure of relevancy. When you combine that with terms as ‘dominance’ and ‘absolute supremacy’ I felt you started leaning in a direction that for me is the opposite of what the social engagement in this community is about.

As you mentioned just now, it is indeed about quality above quantity, but the ranking system does not really take that into account. Apart from that, I hope that quality works in the forums bridge gaps rather than create them. That’s why I don’t appreciate some of the terms you used in relation to content creation. Sure, in discussion sometimes opposition arises. But if we are able to embrace that and not play the rank or position card - which are largely metric-inspired ideas - to lull a debate we would actually come together, despite apparent opposition. Why? Because that attitude allows us to explore and address the things that actually matter in contrast to keeping up a metric-driven masquerade.

Maybe you and me, right here, right now is a good example of that. We aren’t in conflict. We are just reviewing each other's thoughts and ideas. I suspect we share many of the same values regarding social interaction in this community. I mainly got involved as I thought this was not necessarily the best way to facilitate the debate on this topic.

And that’s what I meant earlier when I talked about those that create content. They should bring their A-game to make sure the right effect is reached. The more content you create, the more I expect it to progress. The more on target it should be.

Not so that you reach a higher ranking.
But because your work would allow us, as a collective, to benefit.

I don't think a fully green VIP will happen, personally. There are still very active writers in Seattle who are solidly in the Top 10. 

What changed? How did we get to a point where a city enjoys seemingly unprecedented dominance for a prolonged period of time without any substantial opposition whatsoever? And more importantly, now that Philly's dominance on the boards is nearing absolute supremacy, what possible consequences will there be?

Here's my best answer to your question, AlexanderKnight.

I largely agree with Adonis who said

"I think what may have changed is that other cities just haven't cared too much about this side of the game as Philly have and does, and those individuals that really enjoy this side of the game inevitably want to be around more like minded individuals like them. If you write, and you come here to do that most of the time you are logged in, being in an environment (city, or crew) that doesn't share that passion can have you feeling bored real quick." 

Here are my additional thoughts: I've spent fifteen years off and on writing here, with many people doing so much longer. Mafia stories in the 1930s... well, that's a pretty narrow window. I think that many of us (with the exception of a few, like Adonis here), find collaborative writing exciting, because it keeps things fresh. For the "early days" of MR, I remember a larger number of small pockets of writers... now, it seems like the trend is for writers to try to flock together. I'm sure this had been attempted prior to me doing so, but last year I launched an RP-only family called RP Inc. with the goal of assembling as many writers as possible into a single place. The thought process behind that is that throwing people to write together is exponentially more engaging and fun than having 1-2 writers per crew. There have also been several organizations over the last decade that have worked to connect writers with each other. 

You'll notice that if you click on the green profiles in the VIP rankings that we're not talking about "Philadelphia"- we're talking about South Philly. Race Street, largely through the work of JackMezzo, has been able to bring writers together and provide them with a more in character focus. This doesn't make Race Street better- people can play the game however they want- but I do believe that it's more fun for writers. And while there are other very talented writers in other cities, there's no denying that many of them have flocked to the same place to write with each other.

 Depending on what happens next, roleplay can either go on to become a substantial part of gameplay or diminish further than it might already have. 

I think roleplay waxes and wanes depending on many factors. Personally, I think it's a very strong "era" for RP.

But if you value dialogue, creativity, debate, exciting stories... make it inviting for people to participate. As participation, beyond city-limits, makes things interesting. People, while some very introvert or awkward, are observant and will want to play. They tend not to play if things are not intriguing enough though. Or off-putting. Or too challenging.

Agreed, DustyKid; I sincerely hope that this happens as well.

Regarding your comments on focusing on the qualitative and not the quantitative- well, I have a suggestion there as well that you made me think of, but I think I'll post that in the suggestions forum. Thanks for the idea!

Clarifying a point on Adonis:

I said: 

 I think that many of us (with the exception of a few, like Adonis here), find collaborative writing exciting, because it keeps things fresh.

What I meant to say was:

I think that many of us (with the exception of a few, like Adonis here) struggle to repeatedly write solo works; collaborative writing can keep things fresh for those who may have a hard time self-generating an expansive narrative. 

Glad to see your contributions to the streets, Yami. 

Here we go again... someone calling out spam. Is this your genuine opinion Yami or are you just trying to ride the wave of just being totally oblivious to the writings in the streets these days?  

Just for clarification, 

Definition of spam - irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the Internet, typically to a large number of users, for the purposes of advertising,

Key word irrelevant????? 

Please, if you would so kindly link me to a thread written by a Philly poster that supports your argument? 

Personally, I love the challenge of trying to keep some orange on the board and it is a challenge at times.  If at times I feel that I’m talking to myself in Seattle I head to Philly and try to join in stuff there.  I’d been away for about 6 years and this is the most rp heavy era I’ve seen.  I’ve said it to some people that it’s a refreshing change for rp to be more than:

So and so stands on a soapbox, pontificates/moans/explains then gets off the soapbox.  

I joked to Adonis that Philly was like a black hole in that all of a sudden the likes of Luna and Charlie P turned up there but does it matter that much really?  If nothing else, the ideas that start in Philly can morph into variations on a theme for other cities and families. As long as people accept imitation being flattery rather than copying it’ll all end up fine. 

As long as people accept imitation being flattery rather than copying it’ll all end up fine. 

Inspiration is a hell of a drug :)

That's how I see it, anyways. I don't think you can find a purely original thought. Everything is an offshoot of something else, reworked and tweaked as the creative imagination has its play. So I'd see it as flattery.

I remember bringing the dice idea to the masses all those characters ago. Basically when I first met Keats on here when he was KateLogan. Now it's a really fun thing to see in Philly. I could be annoyed that someone has taken off with it and made it their own thing, which has happened a couple of times since. But it's actually the opposite. To see an idea I had such an interest and passion for being used today, it's all positive feelings that come up.

"Absorb what is useful. Reject what is useless. Add what is essentially your own." - Bruce Lee

Alex, now I feel challenged to make sure a bit of red stays up there again. Having lost my motivation for a while here (I think it happens to us all after three months of hardcore posting, honestly. Or at least most of us), I'm happy to have the challenge to give me some new motivation. 

No all green board for you if I can help it :p 

On a more relevant note, I don't see it as a bad thing at all. As mentioned by others, writers tend to flock together as they have for some time now in this game. There's no harm to it as long as it doesn't stifle the writing of others, which I don't think it has at all. In fact, I think PH has been wonderfully inclusive of writers from other cities and has encouraged writing across the map. If the boards do turn all green it's because they've earned it, and I don't think it's harmful at all. 

Just to clarify on something that was said, quality of the post is taken into account in regards to both XP and VIP points. 

That's interesting Zoom. Can you explain a bit on how that happens?
There is ofcourse a mathematical quality that can be calculated. For example the length of a post can be taken into account, as well as the amount of replies from diverse people to a topic. But in the end all these mathematical considerations would be assumptions. 

For me quality is a measure of entertainment value or social-political value. Neither is necessarily defined by content size. Fun and additions aren't restricted, nor pushed, by numeric boundaries.

I love to role play.  I love role players.  It was the sole reason I came to this site in the first place.  Much of what I do now, I do for role players.  I (and others) have chosen to sacrifice my own role playing to try and create a stable environment for role play to flourish.  Please don't make the incorrect assumptions that a lack of constant role play is an indication that one does not care.  I do what I can to encourage role play in my city and across the country, but the fact of the matter is that peace requires constant work by the leadership and there are only so many hours in a day.