If you're new to Webchat Role-Playing


If you've never role-played using an HTML chat room before, Runic Flux may have a lot of things that are new to you!  Consequently, this page will give you a little insight about what Runic Flux is like. Most of this site will tell you many things about the story itself, but you could still be left lost if you simply don't know how.


1. What the heck is Runic Flux?

Glad you asked!  ;D  Runic Flux is an online anime time travel role-playing game.  Let's break that down...

Online... This means that we play our game in chat rooms.  It's like a pen and paper game transferred to the internet, except with easier rules, so please don't think that this is some kind of software RPG like Everquest.  =P

anime... "Anime" is the common-usage word for Japanese animation.  If you haven't seen any anime, I suggest you do, because you may not know what you're getting into here.  ^_^  Anime in general is lively and bright; far-fetched yet usually more realistic than American cartoons; and full of unique humor which comes from a very unique culture.  We try to capture this style in our role-playing, as well as use anime pictures for our characters.

time travel... Runic Flux's style of time travel is actually sorta limitted. We're not talking Back to the Future here; time gates are portals that open at specific places for mysterious reasons. RF's style of time travel is actually closer to fantasy than sci-fi, in part because the eras you'll visit will never have unrestrained super-technology. To find out more, look into the "About" and "Eras" sections of this site.

role-playing game... If you don't know what this is, I honestly don't know what you're doing here.  ^_^;  But I will, of course, tell you what kind of role-playing it is! In fact, that'll spill over into it's own section.



2. How do you role-play in RF?

Runic Flux uses organized freeform role-playing. This means that we usually view the game as a chance to work together to create a story, rather than play it entirely as a game where you can "win." Whenever it's appropriate, you post a description of what your character is going to do or how he/she is reacting to the situation.

The "organized" part about it is mostly the presence of a Gamemaster. When a character does something or attempts to do something where the end result is up in the air, (like making a wild dive to catch a person falling from above, as opposed to bonking a friend over the head for being an idiot, where the outcome is easy to tell) the Gamemaster tells what happens, or what the character sees... or even what he knows. The Gamemaster also gently guides the story and makes sure the story elements all fit together.

Runic Flux is role-played using a style of chat room called webchat. This means that it's accessed through a web browser, and the room looks sort of like a webpage. The advantages are that you can use your own personal picture with your posts, you can use HTML if you know it, the room supplies buttons to change the appearance of your post text, and the room itself has a visual atmosphere. Webchat is a little slower than IRC and java chat, but I believe the advantages more than make up for it. Our style is to sit back, relax, and take our time in deciding responses, so the story is almost like reading a good book.



3. Why Runic Flux?

The creation of Runic Flux was basically my personal little dream.  ^_^  I love anime, RPGs, and role-playing in general, and my favorite concept of all was for a story which mixes sci-fi, fantasy, adventure and humor together through the use of time travel.  It took almost two years to actually start, but it's here, and I love it!  From this point on Runic Flux is not just mine, but the creation of everyone who role-plays in it.  My part is merely to referee to make sure the timeline all fits together and the style is kept intact.


4. What else should I know beforehand?

Well, an important point to know is that we almost always make our characters specifically for Runic Flux.  Even though Runic Flux has an era called the Middle Ages, it's not technically the same Middle Ages you may have played in other fantasy RPGs, and similar is true for the other eras.  To put it another way, The Blue Crescent, the world the story takes place in, is in another dimension, so characters with complete previous backgrounds don't work "as is."

The last thing you should know: sessions occur whenever we can get everyone together; as often as once or twice a week.  So if you want to play, make sure you're easy to get ahold of and have some free time here and there.  :) Icq is very helpful in keeping in contact, and I must eventually know your e-mail if you want to receive notices about the game.



So, are you interested in Runic Flux? If so, the next step is to read the rules and look up anything you're interested in as far as eras.  The Runic Flux room is open to general use, but if you want to be part of our main campaign, please get prepared here.  One last thing... don't take it too seriously; try to have fun!  :D

~ Radien (runicflux@yahoo.com)