Roleplay Guide Magazine - Oct. 2014

OCTOBER 2014

INNSMOUTH

Saving an iconic Second Life sim that brings the work of H.P. Lovecraft to life

GAMESCOM THE QUEST

R P UNIVERS ITY H O W TO

3

Tips for engaging role players

THE DOCTOR IS

BACK!

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

THE REBIRTH OF RPG MAGAZINE Just in time for Halloween, Roleplay Guide Magazine is revved and raring to shake things up once again!

This has been truly a year of birth and rebirth from the flames with the launch of iMoogiRadio. com and iMoogi.tv, the comeback of Avante Modeling Agency in Second Life with the inaugural fashion show "Ignite Your Fashion Passion" (seen on http://www. iMoogi.tv) and now, by some very serious demand from the gaming community ― Roleplay Guide Magazine.

Role play has always been something near and dear to my heart, from the early days with DnD and Champions table top RP games to the very first choice based role play computer games on amber or green monochrome screens to today with the elaborate interactive online games and high end graphics.

Roleplay Guide Magazine and the community site, WorldsOfRoleplay.com have always been specifically about this unique niche in the world of gaming but now, with this exciting resurgence and incredible audience growth, now nearing 89,000 online members, we're going to expand our definition of what to cover by adding the card-based games such as such as Magic the Gathering and incorporating unique experiences such as Cosplay and LARP. Roleplay Guide now also features our new Editor-in-Chief and Art Director, Ji Nirvana. Ji brings a fabulous new outlook,

twist and ideas on presentation that is sure to keep things exciting for you, our amazing readers!

If you have idea's for great stories, or things you want covered that you think would be great learning topics, give us a shout, Roleplay Guide is all about the players after all!

Happy Halloween and don't forget to get out there, don those costumes and prep those character sheets and back-stories ... really get into your character's and have a great time immersing yourselves in a whole new reality, the one you create for yourselves!

All my best,

Filipa Thespian

FILIPA THESPIAN

EDITOR’S LETTER

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK Roleplay Guide Magazine is back and we can hardly contain our excitement!

We have the unique opportunity to bring you a publication unlike any in any virtual world or seen on magazine racks across the globe.

And all of this is thanks to you, the role-play community. Thank you.

I am really excited to breath new life into RPG after a two year hiatus. When I was approached to captain this vessel, how could I say no? It was the perfect opportunity to couple my experience as a journalist in San Francisco with my love for all kinds of gaming, comics and sci-fi or more specifically Doctor Who. I couldn’t very well let this opportunity pass by.

As we move forward, each month we’ll bring you regular features such as RP University, sim reviews, in-depth looks at different RP sub-cultures, upcoming game titles, interviews and upcoming cons. That’s just a taste, a morsel of what you’ll come to expect.

So, get ready!

In this issue, we take a look at the new Doctor played by Academy Award-winning actor Peter Capaldi (pg 32). You may remember seeing Capaldi in an episode of Doctor Who back in 2008, where he played Caecilius.

If that doesn’t ring a bell, be sure check out “The Fires of Pompeii” episode. Capaldi also made a cameo on the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and is known for his role as the doctor of spin, Malcolm Tucker on the comedy show “The Thick of It.”

We’ll delve into the world of famed American author H.P. Lovecraft with a fresh look at Innsmouth, a sim based on the author's library of work (pg 24).

The sim itself is undergoing new changes admist some rather chilling news.

Spoilers! I could tell you about everything that you'll find in this month’s issue, but what’s the fun in that? Be sure to let us know what you think of the new RPG Magazine by sending a notecard to me inworld or via email at suggestions@ worldsofroleplay.com.

My greatest hope is that you, our readers, enjoy what you read in RPG each month, leaving you eager to read the next issue. Thank you again for all of your support.

Cheers,

LORCANBORU RESIDENT

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER FILIPA THESPIAN

EDITORIAL

CONTENT

WWW.WORLDSOFROLEPLAY.COM

EDITOR IN CHIEF JI NIRVANA WRITERS AILA ENCHANTED, DESMOND MILLER, FILIPA THESPIAN, JI NIRVANA, LUNASMURF CANNNED

ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR JI NIRVANA PHOTOGRAPHERS LORCANBORU RESIDENT, JI NIRVANA

PRODUCTION

PAGE DESIGN JI NIRVANA

BUSINESS

ADVERTISING SALES JI NIRVANA

32

EDITORIAL INQUIRES All editorial inquires including submissions, letters to the editor and ideas can be sent to: submissions@roleplayguide.com ADVERTISING INQUIRES Interested in advertising? For advertising rates, specs, run date and other information email: jessica@roleplayguide.com

Roleplay Guide Magazine and its accompanying website WorldsofRoleplay.com are owned and operated by iMoogi Enterprises, LLC. The Roleplay Guide Magazine Team are dedicated to role play in all its forms. We strive to inform and educate our readers on all things RP across multiple platforms either virtual, online or in the real world.

Second Life速 and Linden Lab速 are registered trademarks of Linden Research Inc. and Roleplay Guide Magazine is in no way affiliated or sponsored by the aforementioned party.

DID SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR?

A familiar face emerges after a 12th regeneration.

Do you think you know who the Doctor really is or has something changed?

14 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

16 42 24

38 43

42 THE QUEST

38 DEFINING RP

16 RP UNIVERSITY

43 GAMESCOM ROUNDUP

ABC’s new reality show takes competing to a different world, literally.

Long-time role-play sim owners share their tips for keep players engaged.

24 INNSMOUTH

RPG revisits the H.P. Lovecraft sim in time to celebrate the author’s birthday at the HPL Festival.

RPG goes through the basics of the various type of roleplay from cosplay to table-top.

New and exciting RP titles are slated to hit both computers and consoles this Fall and Spring 2015.

6 PUBLISHER'S NOTE 8 EDITOR’S LETTER 33 UPCOMING EVENTS

COVER PHOTO

RAY BURMISTON, BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 15

RP UNIVERSITY

3ENGAGEMENT WAYS TO IMPROVE

BY AILA ENCHANTED

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JI NIRVANA

T

here is one special sim that sits in the heart of every role player. This special place is where momentous occasions and chaotic adventures are shared with close friends and family.

Each place is different. Some with meadows sprinkled with flowers that glitter like gems to eerie candles flickering from a lone window high up in a towering cold and grey castle.

It’s inspiring to see a growing interest in role play with the sprouting of new role-playing sims in Second Life. But opening a sim is just the tip of a humongous iceberg to creating a successful role playing environment.

The biggest struggle most new sim owners face is keeping newcomers

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engaged enough to continue come back.

So, if you’re a new sim owner pulling your mesh hair out in frustration asking yourself, “Where are the players?’ Why don’t pirates dock here anymore?”

Fear not! There are experts for that.

Three veteran role play sim owners AineMari Flanagan, Runa (alrunia.ahn) and Rik Sullivan share their insight on running a successful role play sim in Second Life.

A quick guide for sim owners to keep new and seasoned roleplayers in active and excited about roleplay in their community

Be Active

As a sim owner, it’s important to immerse yourself into the tales, or lives, of the various players.

A meet and greet session with the new residents and players of your sim is great way to stay involved and add to their storylines. This can come in the form of the mayor’s tea party, breakfast with the High King or even a free palm reading.

“I find that I love taking the minor role and allowing others to be roleplay leaders because it opens up all sorts of interactions with people, [that] would not be open to in their storylines. I would restrict interactions with others if I was a noble persona.” — AineMari “It's imperative that an owner dedicate

some time to play his or her character. This shows the players that the owner's true passion is to role-play and not just to own regions. It also keeps the owner in touch with the stories, the attitudes and the health of the role-plays and players.” — Rik “A fact dear to my heart is, that if you are actively in character, you do not need to search for role-play nor do you require so called role-play events — though they can help, to a degree, with traffic for a sim and to draw temporarily attention of new players or to boost a storyline.” — Runa Bottom line — make the effort to move around and role-play with the new players to make them feel welcome.

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 17

RP UNIVERSITY

Expect Trouble

You have to be realistic about this issue. There no running away from it.

Metagaming and godmodding are usually the number one problem that a new players face at a new sim. Nobody wants to be sacrificed to the Spider Goddess on her first trip to a medieval fantasy sim.

As an owner, you must listen and assess issues from an unbiased point of view. Fairly new role-players usually do not intended to create mayhem on the sim; they are usually feeling lost and confused at being in a new realm or place.

On the other hand, do act fast with the real and obvious spammers, griefers and troublemakers. One method used by some sim owners is having administrator alts to handle all these issues to avoid personal attacks.

Get Help

Recruitment of your ‘second-in-command’ is important. It is imperative to pick the right people to assist you in making the sim a comfortable and engaging place.

First and foremost, you need to have experienced and fair role players helping you. They really do need to have bucket loads of empathy and patience when dealing with newbies.

A good mentor is one who is flexible

enough to intertwine their stories with new characters in the sim. A word of caution, there are handfuls of power crazy administrators, whose main agenda is to divert attention to themselves.

Sim ownership is an exciting and rewarding endeavor. The invaluable knowledge from Aine, Rik and Runa they have shared will definitely get you off on the right foot.

Keep the adventures and mayhem alive.

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 19

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LORUCANBORU RESIDENT 24 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

A Lovecraft Affair RPG REVISITS INNSMOUTH, THE ICONIC SECOND LIFE SIM BASED ON THE WORKS AND IMAGINATION OF AUTHOR H.P. LOVECRAFT

BY JI NIRVANA AND LUNASMURF CANNNED

The moon is high in the night sky with fog rolling in from the sea. It’s too late to turn back now.

The fierce wind blows by tousling your hair, trees and anything it’s path. The sounds of creaking wood fills your ears as the fog seems to keep rolling in, making it difficult to see what lays ahead. Your heart begins to race. Your breathing is slightly labored out of fear. And your eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness. Uneasiness sets in as you make your way down the broken path towards the

little seaside town of Innsmouth.

This is the magic of Innsmouth. It truly brings the imagination of acclaimed horror author H.P. Lovecraft to life. The seaside town was ravaged by creatures from another world, leaving behind a desolate wasteland with a town of survivors, continuing to fight for their lives.

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 25

REVISITING

"INNSMOUTH HAS BEEN A TRUE LANDMARK OF SECOND LIFE FOR YEARS, AND FOR MANY IT IS THE FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE WORK OF HP LOVECRAFT" — ARIK METZGER

Lovecraft had an uncanny ability to draw out one’s fear of the unknown. His stories are where the barriers between nightmares and reality are blurred and even broken.

Innsmouth is a vision of one of the great works of Lovecraft’s work “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” and “Color Out of Space.” It was constructed by Darmin Darkes and BaileyMarie Princess for Joyous Parkin nearly six years ago. Eventually Darkes took over the upkeep and costs of the sim.

Many people have a deep love for Innsmouth and the works of Lovecraft.

Primary admin and resident of Innsmouth, Arik Metzger (Arikthered Resident), has been a driving force in preserving Innsmouth by remaining active in the daily lives of its residents and visitors.

“Innsmouth has been a true landmark of Second Life for years, and for many it is the first exposure to the work of HP Lovecraft,” said Metzger.

This once sleepy town, is home away from home for Metzger because his father use to be a fisherman. He had always been drawn to H.P. Lovecraft and his great works and shares a love of similar types of works from others.

But this beloved sim faces an uphill battle for survival. Due to the rising financial costs of maintaining the community, Darkes decided it was time to let it go.

“Innsmouth sim is for sale. I’m giving first dibs to you folks in the hopes that someone 26 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

will want to keep some of the build,” she said in announcement. “Worst case is having to flatten it and sell it. I just can’t afford it any longer.”

The startling news prompted the emergence of the Innsmouth Preservation Society. The society itself is currently working to rejuvenate various aspects of the sim including role play, events and sustainability.

Long-term plans are in the works to ensure the life of Innsmouth.

“Big things are happening with this sim's transition,” said Metzger. “Though essentially my goal is to maintain the sim's multipurpose uses [with] no drastic changes to the overall layout.”

In a matter of two days, nearly 100,000L was raised in order to keep the Innsmouth online for at least another 30 days. What happens next is crucial. Long-term plans are currently in the works with the possibility of residential and commercial rentals and monthly events are just the beginning for Innsmouth.

Many regulars and visitors are also hoping that Innsmouth will be around for awhile.

“A friend of mine of showed [Innsmouth] to me ... I felt at home here,” said Unnr Resident and Innsmouth Preservation Society member. “I worked on the Lovecraft Festival for a couple of months and got to know a lot of amazing people.”

She is optimistic for the future of Innsmouth and said she hopes many of the current features will be maintain specifically the general look and feel of the sim as well the “open style RP sim,” to allow and encourage both role play, visitors and observers.

JI NIRVANA

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 27

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN ROGERS, BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE 32 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

PETER CAPALDI TAKES ON THE ROLE OF THE DOCTOR LIKE NEVER BEFORE

BY JI NIRVANA

I

t’s almost impossible to imagine a Saturday evening without “Doctor Who,” or that the extremely popular show almost didn’t make it’s comeback in 2005. During its nine year stint, the show has definitely gained more momentum with fans from all over the world from the U.K. to the U.S. to South Korea.

After the exit of Matt Smith, some fans, myself included, were a bit weary of the new Doctor. We get attached to a particular incarnation of the Time Lord and never really want to let go. “What will the new Doctor be like? Will he be just as charming? Will he be scary? Will he be funny?,” are some thoughts that may come mind.

CONTINUED ON PAGE [INSERT PAGE NUMBER]

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"THESE ARE ATTACK EYEBROWS. YOU CAN TAKE BOTTLE CAPS OFF WITH THESE." Actor Peter Capaldi, known for his role as Malcolm Tucker on the BBC show “The Thick of It,” does a decent job of capturing the essence of the Doctor. He’s a bit more refined than his predecessors but also seems more brooding, dark, lonely and a bit scary.

Maybe it’s the eyebrows and Capaldi’s piercing stare.

I wouldn’t write him off completely.

It’s still too early in the season to really tell what he’ll be like but so far I’m not entirely turned off by his take of my beloved Doctor. He still brings a smile to my face, makes me laugh and makes 34 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

me want to channel my inner Amelia Pond and say, “raggedy man.”

One of the first things that stuck out was the new theme song. It seems too high pitched and screechy. Overall it doesn’t seem to fit the personality of the new Doctor and I’m not the only who feels this way. The Doubleclicks, a sister duo who sing songs about nerdy things, shared their take on what the 12th Doctor’s theme should really be.

But don’t take my word for it, watch for yourself. Here’s a link to the video: http://youtu.be/vm5sdW51kpU. The Doctor’s unique look is also fairly refined — deep navy coat tails lined with ruby satin over a matching vest with classic white dress shirt and navy slacks with polished black dress shoes. But the Doctor isn’t the only one to get a makeover. The TARDIS has also been remodelled and includes the additions of book-filled shelves and plush velvet chairs. It’s like a Victorian sitting room or study.

In the season première episode,

“Deep Breath,” we are once again back in Victorian London with Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Without giving too much away, it’s whirlwind tale about a string of mysterious deaths, a dinosaur and post-traumatic stress from the Doctor’s latest regeneration.

No spoilers here. But what the one question on your lips at the end of the episode will be, “who is she?”

Producer Steven Moffat and his writers, definitely played up Capaldi’s Scottish heritage and brilliantly. I love the quips Capaldi gets to make in the season première like “I’m Scottish. I can complain about things,” or “These are attack eyebrows. You can take bottle caps off with these.” The episode ending was also a nice touch, spoilers!

Capaldi is definitely not the young Doctor we are used to, but there is still something alluring and captivating about him. It’s the Doctor like you’ve never seen him before and I hope it only get better from here.

But only time will tell.

Q&A

COVER STORY

WITH

PETER CAPALDI Can you describe your emotions on the first day when you stepped on set as the Doctor?

I was frightened and excited. My first proper day was stepping out of the TARDIS into a brand new world, which was exactly what was happening to me.

Of course being inside the TARDIS you’re just inside a big box really. It’s not bigger on the inside, it’s just a prop and you’re in there with Jenna and a prop man who you’ve never met before. It was all a bit cozy. But it is frightening because you have to take on the challenge of this role, but at the same time it’s exhilarating because you are getting to step out the TARDIS as Doctor Who, and that’s an iconic role and a great position to be in.

Since the show returned in 2005 have you always hoped the role would come your way?

I was always interested but I never thought they’d come to me. So I was always interested because I liked the show very much, and I loved Chris (Eccleston), David (Tennant) and Matt (Smith). All of them I think have been fabulous. But I was always interested in being in it. I was always hoping someone would call me and say ‘What do you think of coming and being in an episode?’ – but I never thought they would think of me as Doctor Who. You are a big Doctor Who fan. Is that an added pressure or an advantage?

Both. It does add to the pressure because you’re hugely aware of how well the role has been played by previous incumbents, but at the same time you have a sort of relationship with it that that doesn’t have to be acted. It’s a knowledge and a closeness to it that takes you a long way down the road. You almost instinctively know what it is. You can recognize what it is and what it should be, because it’s in your DNA. What has been the best thing so far about being the Doctor?

It’s working with all of these gifted people, because the crew, the designers and the cast are all so good at what they do. To be working with people who are so great at their jobs is a wonderful thing, and it’s a highly imaginative place to be in the studio when this is all going on. It’s fabulous from the point of view that you’re doing things you would never have done in other television shows. There isn’t another television show like it, where the central character can be blown up, or materialized underneath the sea or be in 36 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

RANKIN, BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

outer space. So to turn up every time you start a new episode and be submerged in a totally new world is certainly one of the best things about it. To be able to have the privilege of looking after this character for a while is the best thing about it for me. It’s that you’ve been given this very precious thing, and it’s your responsibility to try and keep him aflame until the next person comes along. You’re looking after the character and it looks after you too.

How do you feel about being the joint oldest Doctor?

I think you learn to pace yourself and you recognize the dangers. Everybody counselled me about how physical the role is, but that’s great! It’s like exercise, you don’t have to go to the gym. You just come and play Doctor Who and run up and down corridors being chased by monsters, and run away from explosions. It keeps you fit, but obviously when you’ve been around the block a little bit like I have, you can actually say ‘I’m not running over that thing over there, that looks too dangerous.’ You can pace yourself more, and that’s what I’ve done. So touch wood we’re nearly there, and I’m surrounded by a great team who look after me. I think too much is made of my age, who cares? Doctor Who is over 2000 years old…

How has it been having Jenna on set to share the experience with?

She’s great. Jenna has been absolutely brilliant. I think she’s wonderful in the show, and she’s my favorite companion. She’s been so welcoming to me and so warm. I couldn’t have wished for anyone better to welcome me to the show. She’s just been delightful to work with, so I hope we can carry on doing that.

INTERVIEW PRINTED FROM A BBC PRESS RELEASE.

RPG GUIDE

You Roleplay How? DIVING INTO THE DIFFERENT GENRES OF ROLEPLAY GAMING

BY DESMOND MILLER

R

ole-playing games, at the heart, are games played for fun with or without friends. It’s a way for escaping into a fantasy, Sci-Fi or other kinds of adventure. Their a ton of different types of role play that suit individual tastes. This quick guide is geared toward explaining what some of the most popular types of role-playing. This is not a complete list and

we encourage you to research the areas you find most interesting.

Again, this guide is not suppose to be the end all be all of role-playing games. This is just a helpful guide to get you started on the journey. There is a lot to choose from when one is planning to go on an adventure. Good luck and remember, always bring a healer!

TABLETOP

SERGEY GALYONKIN, FLICKR

Tabletop role-playing is what you might call “traditional” role-playing.

Game play happens around a table and includes a dungeon master, or DM, that weaves a story. Each person participates by creating a character, on paper, that is then weaved into the story. Essentially the DM creates a story with certain obstacles that the players must overcome and are rewarded for with experience points which they then use to make their characters stronger.

These campaigns could take an

38 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

afternoon or months to complete and the group generally consists of the DM and 4-5 players, who take the role of a fighter, thief, mage, or healer. Of course these roles can vary greatly from game to game and encompass many different genres from fantasy to science fiction to horror even. At the heart of tabletop RPGs is a group of friends going on an adventure together. Some of the most popular tabletop RPGs are “Dungeons & Dragons” and “Pathfinder.”

DECK

Deck-based role-playing is very different than all of the others because technically it's not really role-playing.

Granted games like Magic the Gathering want people to get into the role that they are Planeswalkers “people with the ability to travel to different dimensions” and you use the deck of cards that you build to do battle with other Planeswalkers, or players, to see who is the best. Yes, there is a story about warring Planeswalkers but it takes a back seat to the deck building and game play.

This is how most deck based RPG's are set up and you'll find that they can be highly competitive. However there are other games that have tried to incorporate actual role-playing with card decks. Pathfinder has

a deck-based RPG where the player has a character card, like a warrior, and they shuffle a series of decks then place them in front of them and the decks are random encounters with monsters or equipment cards that strengthen your character.

The goal of these games is to find the boss card, which is

TEXT

Text-based role-playing, whether online or not, is one of the oldest types of role -playing games and are still around to this day. One could say this type started with the old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books then was transferred over to computers. Basically the player, usually from the

hidden in the deck, and defeat it. It is very linear game play but it can be more structured then traditional role-playing.

With games like these, you don't need anyone else to play with. Some of the popular deck based RPGs are “Magic the Gathering,” “Pokemon” and “Pathfinder.”

first person point of view, would enter a castle or forest then they would be given a series of choices like “do you want to go left” or “do you want to examine the area.” Nine out of 10 times the play would meet a grisly end. It really didn't matter because you could always start over and choose a different option.

With the advent of smart phone and gaming apps, text based role-playing has moved online and what was once a one person experience has grown. While the choices and game play are still the same, now players can interact with others in the game world and their choice can affect other players choices. Most of the games are played on smart phones because they are easy to make and some popular ones are “TORN City” and “Sryth.”

ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 39

RP UNIVERSITY

MMORPG

Massive Multiplayer Online RolePlaying, MMORPG, is pretty self explanatory. Millions of players playing a single game and running around doing quests, battling enemies and in some cases each other. This type of role play is very common. However, there are still single player role-playing video games, but even those have an online alternative. Two of the most iconic RPG video game franchises are “The Elder Scrolls” and “Final Fantasy.” Both started as single player RPG's but each boasts hours of interactive game play and compelling stories for the player to get

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT 40 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

immersed in.

Now both of them have online games that boast millions of users. There's one catch though, for most of these games you must pay a monthly subscription to play with your friends. Though they do give you the first month free. The one MMORPG that arguably rules them all is the World of Warcraft. This game set the standard for what a successful MMORPG should strive to be and is still going strong. Other MMORPGs include “Guild Wars,” “League of Legends” and “Kingdom Hearts.”

LARP

WIKI CREATIVE COMMONS

LARPing or Live Action Role-Playing is closely tied to the idea of tabletop roleplaying but sometimes without a dungeon master and without dice. The participants take the role of their character in body and form by dressing like them and acting as their character during the adventure. One of the most mainstream LARPing games was “White Wolf's Vampire the Masquerade,” in which

the players would “Masquerade” as a vampire within a clan of vampires and they would fight other characters who were in opposing clans.

LARPing can be really fun if you're able to find a group of people that you are comfortable playing make believe with for a couple of hours. “Dystopia Rising” and “Alliance LARP” are just some of the active LARPing groups with chapters across the globe.

MOYAN BRENN, FLICKR

COSPLAY

Cosplay is not so much about playing a certain game but more about the fabrication and the skill at which the player executes the look of a certain character from another popular media source like anime, manga or comic books. Cosplay is mostly about people wanting to emulate, by dressing as, their favorite characters from the stories they have read or the movies they have watched. Cosplay has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years and even has a show on the Syfy channel titled “Heroes of Cosplay.” One of the most prominent cosplayers is Yaya Han.

REVIEW

FANTASY WORLD COMES TO LIFE ABC takes reality TV competitions to a whole new level with its new fantasy adventure show The Quest

BY DESMOND MILLER In this day and age, you can't turn on the television without seeing a reality competition show. They / 4 STARS are the new norm and it looks like THE QUEST THURSDAY AT 8PM they are here to ABC, TV-PG stay. Even so, television producers continue to find new and interesting ways to package this very simple concept.

ABC's new show "The Quest," created by the executive producers of "The Lord of the Rings" and the producers of "The Amazing Race," is no different. Though there is one thing that separates it from the rest of the herd — the setting.

The concept of the show is built around the creating a fantasy world for the contestants to compete in. Twelve people from our world have been

RICK ROWELL, ABC STUDIOS 42 ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

chosen to compete in a series of trials to determine who will be the one true hero to defend the land from an ancient evil. Sounds cool, huh? Imagine the opportunity to act out the fantasies that you read about as kids: fight monsters, meet Kings, Queens and the Fates, to be the hero of the land.

The thing that sells the series is the complete immersion into Everealm, the name of fantasy kingdom. The cast never breaks character, making it feel like a real place.

In the pilot episode, a scroll is delivered each contestant inviting them on a grand and epic journey. Then they walk through dark and winding tunnels that leads them to the Everealm.

This opening helps to further authenticate the feeling that the competitors and the viewers are leaving our world and emerging into the fantasy realm.

The actual games they competed

in were varied and seemed like fun.

Again, the reason was to see who the hero would be but also served as training for the great war that was coming. All motivating reasons and it sort of made sense for the premise of the show.

In each episode, the three of the lowest performing contestant are then tested by the Fates for a chance to remain in Everealm. During the test a winner is chosen and are declared safe, while the other two face judgement from their fellow contestants.

Like I said before, the core of the show is that of a reality competition but because the cast and crew have taken the time to craft and create a living breathing world, every now and then you forget you have actually seen this all before.

"The Quest" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. or 7 p.m. central.

Cast members get news from the battlefield that Verlox (Douglas Tait), not pictured, and his dark army inch ever closer to Saenctum's walls. The Paladins are called on to display their field skills under Queen Ralia's (Susanne Gschwendtner) scrutiny. On horseback, the Paladins must go through a number of tasks to prepare them for battle.

NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING TITLES DESTINY: Bungie is back with biggest sci-fi title since "Halo" — "Destiny." The game merges a first-person shooter with MMO elements, taking gaming to a whole new level. Actor Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannistar in the Game of Throne series, plays Ghost — your trusty computerized companion. Available for PS4, PS3, XBOX 360 and XBOX One.

PHOTOS BY KOELNMESSE

GAMES, GAMES, GAMES

FIREFLY ONLINE: The beloved series created by Joss Whedon is now coming to computers worldwide.

Be your own Captain Mal and travel the Verse.

Announcement came at the San Diego Comic Con in July. Game to be released early 2015.

It's gaming and con season! Lots of events happening all over the globe. With San Diego Comic Con, Gamescom and Pax Prime passed, gamers, of all types have a lot to look forward to with titles like "Destiny", "Firefly Online" and "Shadow Realms."

This year RPGs are becoming just as popular as first-person shooters. In the forefront of this year's releases is "Destiny," from Bungie.

There are too many titles to mention but you can find out more from gaming sites like IGN and Gamespot for deeper coverage.

SHADOW REALMS: Bioware, the makers of games like Bioshock, is taking epic to a whole new level with their new RP action title "Shadow Realms." Epic 4v1 battles take place in war between good and evil. "Shadow Realms will be availabe in 2015 for PC only.

Gamescom 2014 attendees gather at Riot Games booth for news about strategy RPG title, "League of Legends." Over 300,000 visitors gathered at the annual event held in Cologne, Germany.

Exciting, new game titles revealed at annual gaming conventions across the globe

Month of October

UPCOMING EVENTS

Breast Cancer Awareness Month October is the official month to think pink! Many events are happening in various regions across the globe. Be sure to participate or donate to local organizations that are geared toward breast cancer research.

October 10-25

The Boho Fair III Shopping is good for your soul!

This month is the Boho Cultural Fair III in Second Life. The fair features bohemian-themed items from over 50 designers from across the grid. The event also totes the Gacha and Bazaar Zones where patrons can get high quality discount items.

October 23-26

DeathCon 2014, Lafayette, NJ The Ultimate Apocalyptic Swap Meet. Deathcon is a weekend of blood, screams and fun with a live burlesque revue and sideshow. Help with character creation growth. Organized by Dystopia Rising. Pre-registration now open, for more info www.dystopiarisinglarp.com ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 43

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