Flagaclysm
UPDATE 10/13- Looks like the add on Mary Sue is working and I’ve read an RSP of someone who is using it! Thanks for having it on, Myrrir!
Also, we’ve been hearing some news about MRP! Looks like the author is trying to get it up for the patch, but since he/she is over in the EU, us in the states have to wait until today (or this evening) to see how it’s going to fare. We’ll have an update for you this evening, when I get home from work (at around midnight, EST). And make sure to click on the picture in link. Looks like the author likes us! We may have to start using MRP! <3
We’ll be updating this post as often as we can with as much info as we get. Stay tuned!
One of the tidbits in the new, Cata-compatible 4.X version of World of Warcraft is a little disconcerting. Check it out on the Moon Guard forums here, or I’ll pull some of the relevant info:
What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been
An almost accidental peek at some of our blog stats has led to a horrifying discovery:
What does it Meeeean?!
Alternate Title: Ho-lee Shit!
Step One: Either think back to or, if you’re a newer visitor, enjoy for the first time, this post on our nascent website.
Step Two: Enjoy this screenshot from the Cataclysm beta courtesy of @TharickAnador.
Step Three: You now understand why Varendil is hyperventilating and grabbing his coat to go tell Lanuria at work.
Edit: Forgot the first hyperlink in my panic.
Labor Day!
Varendil here. Pretend this post went up two hours ago when it was still technically Labor Day, but as far as I’m concerned, staying up until 3am still counts as the day prior.
We don’t have any new content for you quite yet, but we do have repeats – if you haven’t been here since the beginning, feel free to go through the archives and find some oldies but goodies. Check out the drama on some of the early posts, too, it’s rich.
If you’ve somehow read all of those, I will not-so-humbly offer the following: my other stuff.
After the subject came up in our interview on EoRP, I narcissistically started reading some of my (old?) WoW fanfiction again. I still like it, durn it. So if you’d like a break from horrible destruction of lore, take a peek at my writings. All but one of the stories are about the universally beloved Varendil (and his accomplices, from orc plate rack Bruxinax to cousin Saelar to fiancé and later wife Lanuria), and they’re in a loose chronological order for your reading pleasure. Share, as they say, and enjoy. I’m probably gonna try to get Lan’s stuff in the same collection eventually and wrap it all up in a neat little package.
We’ll be back with real content soon. I’m working on the Roleplayer’s Lament Rap, which you should all find enjoyable, and Lan’s working on a Spot of Good Advice about how to roleplay out the exact ingredients in hair dyes, which should be fun. Stay tuned!
Reminder!
Varen and Lan are going to be on the Essence of RP podcast on OMFG.FM on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 1 PM EST. Please show up and flood their IRC client so that people will think we’re popular. Varen’s always wanted to break into some form of Skype-based entertainment, so be supportive. It’s also our best chance to be noticed by enough people to finally win that Peabody award we’ve been coveting. Whaddya mean we don’t deserve it?
Community Interaction
Varendil here. Some pieces of news that you, the viewers at home, might be interested in.
First, the biggest piece: Lanuria and I are going to be appearing as guests on the Essence of RP show/podcast on OMFG.FM on September 1st at 2 PM EST. It goes out live that Wednesday, and the show is then released for download on Saturday. I guess they really like us over there and are looking forward to interviewing us, which is nice. There’s an IRC chat you can join for their shows, either in an IRC client or via a Java applet on their site, and we’d love to see some of you there. We’ll remind you once it’s closer to that day, of course, and we’ll see if Almighty Farseer has recovered from the savage beating the lot of you gave him in the comments. 
Second, Lan and I have been working on some propaganda posters for the site as a fun little side project that we have no idea what to do with. The few we’ve done so far can be seen on our Facebook art album. We’re working on another one that we intend to put out in sizes that would let it work as a desktop wallpaper. Thing is, we need characters for it. That’s where you come in. If you don’t already have it, go nab the WoW Model Viewer, make your character, put them in their combat RP armor – whatever they’d wear to look good in combat if stats were no object. Save the character as a modelviewer file and email the file to contact@roleplayerslament.com and we’ll see if we can get it in this or any other upcoming poster. We can’t promise everyone will make the cut, because we’re going to be looking for variety in race and class and armor appearance, but we will save all we get for future use. If you’re like me and this sort of treatment makes you feel validated, you might enjoy sending your char in. If you have a favorite color for representing your character, like Lan’s green and Varen’s blue (despite the fact that they normally wear orange and teal armor, respectively), you might wanna include that too, in case the armor doesn’t stand out color-wise.
One last thing. This site has reached the point where there are people on private WoW servers and even LotRO Online that are linking to us. We’re getting more pageviews in a day or month than I ever dreamed anything I’d do would garner. I want to thank all of you out there for making it possible for Lan and I to have a seriously fun and awesome hobby.
8-3-10 NEVAR FORGET
As most of you know, Varendil and I come from the server of Moon Guard. Moon Guard is a server with a VERY high population and with that high population comes fabulous role play and, of course, the bad. Along with this comes the mysterious Goldshire, a place our server has been known for amongst most other RP servers and even those awesome PvP servers.
You Mean They Make Games Other than WoW?
EDIT: Updated below. Click on through (to the other side) and check it out.
No, this post isn’t about my love of TeamFortress 2 (Although you’re all certainly welcome to join me in playing that, too).
We (would) make good team!
No, this is about a different roleplaying experience. See, I like D&D, but I don’t have anyone to play it with IRL. However, I do have this awesome little community of cool people that are clearly savvy at roleplay, so I thought I’d bring one’s chocolate to the other’s peanut butter and see what happens.
In that spirit, what follows is my idea for a campaign.
[Patch Notes] Fury of the IRL
Now some of you don’t care about our real life, but when it interferes with the blog, we feel a need to pass along the news.
In a few weeks, I’ll be packing up my things and heading to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. Because of this, Varendil and I’s IRL is pretty full with extra shifts at work, packing, and planning, so we don’t have as much time as we used to to collect RSPs to bring to our site. This is where you, the faithful reader, come in.
There Will Be a Quiz
We’ll just leave this here – it’s a survey regarding how you access/follow the site. The more we know, et cetera, and thanks in advance for letting us know!
Site Update: RoleID is Here!
Hey, everyone. Varendil here. Or should I say Taylor Vincent.
In order to foster more constructive dialogue here on the Roleplayer’s Lament, we’re happy to announce that starting this fall, in order to comment on this site, you’re going to have to use a WordPress login displaying your full first and last name. We’re calling this RoleID, after Role-player’s Lament, and it’s a new way to stay connected with your friends on the blog.
We’ve had a lot of trolling and drama on the site lately, as well as some faked deaths and anonymous criticism. Quite frankly, myself and Lanuria Courtney are tired of dealing with it. Rather than simply acting as admins to the site, which is something well within our job description too difficult for us to do, we think that this system wherein your posts are linked inextricably with your real private identity will do the policing for us, discouraging trollish behavior.
The RPL comments have always been a great place to discuss the latest info on our posts, offer ideas and suggestions, and share experiences with other readers — however, the comments have also earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild. Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the RPL community in ways they haven’t been connected before. With this change, you’ll see blue posters (i.e. Varendil) and green posters (Lanuria) posting by their real first and last names on our comments as well.
So sit back, enjoy the site, and plan on changing your WordPress display name to your real first and last name. Otherwise you’ll be forced to go elsewhere to talk anonymously about our content and we don’t want to do anything to fracture our community.
Update!
There’re a few things we thought we’d mention to all of you, our generous and awesome fans. (more…)
Insert Your Own Three Days Grace or Jimmy Eat World Joke
Normally, Varendil and I stick to posting only RSPs on this site. We try not to insult the writer and try our damnest to never let our emotions go past the little box on our screen. Sometimes, this fails, but only when someone does really, really stupid OOCly and effects a whole lot of people.
Something like…faking their own death.
The Roleplayer’s Lament
A few of you might have noticed that there’s a post missing from the front page. Allow me to explain.
Our most recent entry on the site profiled a character whose name I will not give in an attempt to give him no more discredit. That individual died this morning due to complications with brain bleeding and hemorrhaging.
We’ve removed the post in an attempt to cobble together shreds of respect and apologies. There’s not much we can say. The last things – the only things – we said about this individual were derisive toward his creative endeavors, even bordering on malicious. We offered criticism not knowing that there was no time for improvement, for revision. Instead, in his final days, we offered only disapproval. Needless to say, this was nowhere close to our intent, and so we’ve shuttered that post.
Lanuria and I offer our most sincere condolences to the friends and family of Matthew Graves. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you, as will those of anyone who reads this site, I’m sure.
Tonight, the roleplayer’s lament is a different one. It is a lament that there is one less roleplayer in the world.
See That Button to the Right?
The Facebook one? We know they have plenty of bad press (for good reason) but if you’re on there and already Liking stuff you like, we’d be grateful if you’d toss a Like our way. It doesn’t just make our e-peens grow, it encourages us to keep doing what we do in the face of white knights and other haters. Thanks. Varendil out.
Updates!
A couple things that frequent readers may be interested in:
- Kraes has appeared to state that his RSP was, in fact, a fake, which means that 38 of us (myself included) were fooled. Curse you!
- On another “Varendil Was Wrong” front, I got this letter a couple weeks ago in regards to this post. At first I thought it was a convenient out, but I suppose not:
This basically guts the argument I made in the post, so it’s withdrawn. Also, my feelings are a bit hurt! This site is not personal, okay? Now stay tuned for thirty pages about Poundspasia and Surion.
You people need to stop being so good at fooling me! Next you’re going to be placing choice typos into your fake RSPs and intentionally choosing Linkin Park theme songs and then I won’t stand a chance! Also:
- Aestiah has informed me that some people have contacted her to say that Lanuria and I don’t seem quite as evil after our interview. Don’t worry, everyone that hated us: you’re all still welcome here! Apologies are very welcome as well, of course. We’re only human.
Celebrities!
Wanted to let you all know that Aestiah, a wonderful Moon Guard roleplayer and hunter extraordinaire, has posted an interview with us up on her site. Check it out!
I Know You Don’t Want to Hear About Our Real Lives, But…
Varendil and I just got engaged so we’re feeling good enough to not give a crap. Congratulations and gifts should be directed to Varendil and Lanuria of Moon Guard. Primordial Saronite and Battered Hilts are preferred.
Call to Arms: Help Us Help You
We humbly ask that you and let us know what you want from the site in the future! Thank you!
An Aside
Just going to link to my TwitPic here because I’m lazy and playing WoW:
I love receiving feedback, especially when they’re this careful, reasonable, and attentive to detail.
The Hazards of a Flag Tag
When Lan and I first started considering the idea for this blog, the biggest question (besides choosing a theme, an issue we still struggle with) was that of whether or not we somehow protect the identities of those ridiculed on this website. In the end, we decided not to for a few reasons.
One, because we are jerks.
Two, because with all of our playtime being on Moon Guard, and the community there being reasonably tightly-knit, simply editing out names might not do anything to hide anyone’s identity.
Three, because this is information that is being provided by the player to the public. We’re not giving out the real names and addresses of RSP failures and asking people to punish them. We’re simply assigning blame where blame is due. And if the shame generated by being featured here (assuming being featured here generates any shame) causes someone to change their ways, then we can swell with pride and say we helped eliminate a little more bad writing in the world.
Not to mention validating our being jerks.
The Roleplayer’s Lament
Welcome.
If you found this site, you most likely came from my own website or Varen’s. Maybe you came from the Moon Guard forums or maybe you just stumbled upon this site due to tags, links or word of mouth. Regardless, welcome to Varendil and I’s little corner of the tubes.
This is the Roleplayer’s Lament, where Varendil and I relentlessly mock bad RSPs.
This blog is designed to do a few things:
- To point out the wrongs people place in their RSP tags
- To assist those who are learning how to use a Flag for RP reasons
- To protect the world from devastation
- To unite all peoples within our nation
- To denouc-
Wait, that’s the Team Rocket motto.
A-hem.
- To show examples of good RSPs that don’t rape a thesaurus
- To help remove god-moders, Mary Sues, and lore breakers from our ever-fragile role play servers
- To bring you, the reader, a little humor by making fun of what we are: nerds, devoting ourselves to pixels in a video game
This site is not here to hurt or upset anyone. We have no personal vendettas against anyone or any group of role players. We are simply Role Players on WoW who take our role plays a little too seriously. We take pride in our writings and while playing on Moon Guard, we have seen a lot of good…and a lot of bad role players.
We aren’t here to tell those bad people to stop role playing. No, not at all. We are deeply involved with our characters and the world around us in Azeroth . We care deeply about the state of role play on World of Warcraft as a whole and hope that this blog doesn’t offend anyone, but betters those currently playing on Moon Guard and various other RP servers on WoW. We want to ‘live’ in a world where people use their RSP for right reason:
Describing your character’s outward appearance without sounding like a vocabulary e-peen contest.
Or ignoring lore.
Or making us want to rip our eyes out.
Until our first real post,
Lanuria
…and Varendil is somewhere, I’m sure…
Lanuria Dawnblade, a.k.a. Courtney Adler, aspires. She's an aspiring DM, aspiring photographer, and aspiring wife. She lives in Monroe, Wisconsin and complains about the weather far too much. She enjoys The Big Bang Theory and singing the songs from Glee.
Varendil Dawnblade, a.k.a. Taylor Vincent, is a 22-year old writer, student, World of Warcraft player, and 4th Edition DM. He lives in Monroe, Wisconsin with his fiancé and their jade plant, Esmeralda. He likes Douglas Adams and The Venture Bros. He hates Toni Morrison. Don't even ask. 
