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Hi All! People have been complaining about battle injuries for a while now and since everyone has their own take on how to fix or rework the system I thought I’d share my opinion on it aswell: As far as I know two people before me already suggested the idea that if you are lying in the hospital bed your BI fades faster. And while this is a great idea, I’d take it a step further and lock people to certain areas of the hospital while the 3 phases of BI are active. My reasoning is the following: 1. You are defeated in combat and are in critical condition. Being fresh out of surgery, the medical corps ordered you not to move from your bed. During this critical period you are bound to your hospital bed for 1/3 of the BI timer (which in turn speeds up the timer). 2. You have somewhat recovered and the doctors let you walk around the hospital freely, but you may not leave until your treatment is complete. During this period you are bound to the hospital and are unable to leave until 2/3 of the total BI timer is gone. During both phases 1 and 2 there would be a great need for Medical Ninja. As far as I know the Chakra Medic kit is still missing a jutsu, which in this case could be one that if applied to the patient (the one with BI) would make their BI timer fade faster while draining chakra from the Medic. This would not only create an RP environment where Medical Ninja actually treat people in hospitals but would also keep people from BI warrioring, as it would be more important to treat the villagers than mindlessly running out of the hospital on repeat in case the village is under attack. 3. You receive your hospital discharge papers and are sent to the village hot springs in order to fully recover from your injuries. Here you can freely walk around the village for the last 1/3 of your BI timer but going to the spa makes your BI timer go down faster (e.g. at the pace of the “guilty pleasure” spa mission). I believe that these 3 phases of BI and the introduction of a new Medical jutsu would not only prevent BI warrioring but also create more RP for the game even if in a low RP environment. As for Rogue Ninja I believe that the options of recovering in bed or getting treated by Medical ninja is still on the table. As for the spa (which rogues don’t have access to in their villages) they could opt for complete recovery in a bed located in the Cursed Lab which would look a lot like the one that Kimimaro was hooked on to when Kabuto was treating him. That could make BI run out at 2x the speed but the risk / drawback would be that Rogues would find themselves in a DZ outside the hosts cave if their treatment was complete. There could obviously be drawbacks to the idea but I think it’s pretty solid as it doesn’t allow people to leave the hospital for 2/3 of the timer, while the last 1/3 can either be spent in hospital to wait for full recovery or take advantage of the spa option which may be risky if the Village is under attack. Anyway, that’s more or less it for my idea. All feedback is much appreciated and if you’ve got any further points to make, drop them in the comments. I’m curious about your ideas regarding the post / issue. Thanks for reading!

Hi All! In this post I'm going to talk about the general state of RP in Nin, try to understand why people dislike RP so much and provide possible solutions to the issues that stem from the latter. It's going to be a long ride, so buckle up. 1. Why Nin needs RP: In my understanding Nin has always been a very RP-driven game. Players are presented with the opportunity to create their own character in a Naruto-inspired world, make up stories and lore as they progress and have different arcs according to how their character relates to the world around it. Players can write about their character's lore and history in their Ninja Bio-s, which not only makes forums more interesting to browse but also helps players find others worth RP-ing with in a DZ before a fight or at GD when someone asks them for entrance to the Village Spa. There are however certain stories that are uniform to all players, such as the Land of Waves, Land of Toads and Land of Iron Arcs. Not only do these stories help players to lvl, but can also provide for some interesting lore when used creatively (e.g. People "befriending" a personal-summon at Land of Toads). These stories however only make up a certain portion of RP opporunites that Nin can provide, as the most creative scenarios are made up by the players themselves or ranked ninja (Chunins or above) hosting RP missions, which are predominant around the road to lvl 30. After hitting 30 most people are focused on grinding to 50 and learn their second mastery, and they seldom RP with exceptions such as the Chunin Exams or joining 2 Genin who have a Ranked to host them in order to help out. As players get closer and eventually hit lvl 50 they mostly tend to gravitate towards the PvP aspect of the game as hunts, spars and tournaments feel more rewarding, which brings me to my second point: 2. There are no incentives to RP: The lack of end-game content that most people complain about is mostly defined by the current lvl cap, hunts, spars, raids, tournaments and the occasional Toads fight to settle Nin Gen beef. It's ironic that the part of the game where people would have the time to create scenarios and RP freely as they don't really have anything to do besides AFK at their village's square / GD, spar or go out into the DZs to raid. There is no goal to achieve besides maybe going for a 0.01% drop from bosses which gets boring quickly as killing them doesn't reward people with much xp and they mostly drop nothing, attending CEs until one eventually gets promoted or pulling strings to become the next Kage or Council. Although most people complete their RP missions without breaking a sweat, the majority of players agree (based on previous forum posts) that RP missions need a complete rework that rewards the host as well as the Genin. There is also the feeling that RP missions are 4 mini-events where people have to be in-character when it would only be natural in an RP game to stay in character for most of the time, instead players are basically themselves wearing a Ninja skin. There is no continuity to Teams: forming after graduating the Academy, getting a Sensei to guide them through the first part of the game, doing RP missions, attending the CE, etc. are not things that are intergral to the game when these very things would make it more exciting in terms of player-interaction. The game should also reward teaming to discourage people from playing alone. As someone who has got to lvl 60 all by themselves, the routine has always been log on - do dailies - hang out - log off - repeat. If I were in a team it would have been way different as doing dailies with my teammates + sensei (let's say we'd set a certain time to log together) would be more efficient and fun. Many old players are also dissatisfied with the lack of content when they don't realize that we, the players, are supposed to create content in the late-game when we have nothing else to do. But unfortunately... 3. People don't like to RP: It has always hit me as a bit ironic that people do not like to RP in an MMORPG. In fact so much so, that RP is considered anything from cringe to almost taboo in some communites of the player-base. Of course many remember the (in-fact) cringe ERPs that some players took part in when talking RP, which is understandable, but it would be wrong to shoehorn these instances in with the basic RP that would be healthy for the game's vibe. Yet the lack of RP is not entirely the community's fault since the game is designed in a way that promotes PvP over RP at any given time. One example would be that the game has become over-saturated with tournaments as GMs don't really want to host RP events as they are tedious and require long-term planning. Players are also awarded more by mindlessly killing the closest enemy ninja that that shows up in a DZ regardless of lvl which is reinforced by the "it's a harsh world, suck it up" mentality communicated to new players in the final exam at the Academy. I personally, do not have anything against the PvP aspect of the game, in fact I've come to like it quite a bit even though I'd consider myself barely decent in my own right, but the fact that most encounters usually end with the enemy standing above the defeated player saying anything from "trash, dogwater, etc." to slurs getting thrown around in-game like candy truly breaks immersion. Just to put it in context: Imagine Choji defeating Jirobo, barely standing on his feet above the enemy and saying "L" instead of some badass monologue about how no one gets to eat the last chip but him that he had in the show. I mean let's at least put a little bit of effort into it. Another issue is, people who consider RP cringe often go out of their way to ruin events for others (I'm not pointing fingers, every village and their mothers have done this in the past) which does not only break immersion but objectively ruins the fun for others who were enjoying the event. The fact that these things go unpunished just further proves my point of RP playing second fiddle to PvP in Nin as everyone is expected to just suck it up and move on, or raid the village back when they are having an event of their own, creating this never ending cycle. If GMs were to enforce RP and actually punish people who ruin the fun for others it would probably make for a much healthier atmosphere during these events as players wouldn't have to be on their toes 24/7 about when to expect getting cloak bombed into next week by some enemy village. 4. Improving the RP in Nin: I've been thinking about different ways to provide RP with a more significant role in the game, which mainly fall under 2 categories: GM-based RP and Community-based RP. Below are some ideas for each of them: Community-based RP: Clan Meetings: As the name suggests: Clan members sit down in their respective Clan houses to discuss activity, events, village politics etc. There is also a possibilty of Clan leaders discussing inter-clan relationships in a map where they can't be disturbed by a possible raid. The former could be done every month or so, while the latter every 3 months. Clan Wars: A longer RP scenario (like the Warring States Period) in-between Kage terms where Clans can declare war on rival clans to settle political or personal scores / establish which one of them is the strongest in the village. Of course as the new Kage is elected it would be heavily suggested to hold a meeting between Clan leaders to make peace. Times of Peace: Kage sign a treaty at the 3 Kage summit depending on which village they want to have peace with. There is also a possibilty of all 3 Kage signing the treaty which would lead to cooperation, easy missions in enemy villages and joint operations against rogue organizations. Plots of Assassination: During times of peace Kage can send their ANBU to assassinate high-ranking shinobi from enemy nations (Council, ANBU, PB, 7SM, LMPF leaders or even the Kage) which can, depending on how they react to the situation, lead to war between villages. Academy Entrance / Graduation Ceremonies: Teams getting assigned to a Sensei: Players can form 3-man cells based on who they want to play with and what time they can usually play together (can be done in village Discords). They are assigned a Sensei after Graduation who helps them do missions, maybe host RP missions if they didn't do them before and train with them for their first CE (around lvl 50). If anyone from the team quits or goes rogue they can be replaced by anyone who doesn't have a team and would like to be part of one, or in the case of a Sensei going missing the Kage assigns a new ranked to the team. GM-based RP: War (Between 2 Nations): If 2 nations declare war on one another it could be for an extensive period of time: Raid points could be added that have more durability (would need days to take down) and the village which loses the war (e.g. loses the raid points) becomes a DZ. This would mean that villages can opt for different tactics ranging from a full blown assault to guerilla warfare. The DZ debuff would last for a few days (rebuilding the village from an RP perspective). All Out War (Shinobi World War): Basically the War Event but with more RP. Kage summit, followed by an FFA where the village which manages to win gets a buff (e.g. 20% on exp and drop rates for a week) with the other villages getting a debuff (minus 5%?). Rewards for attending (War Armor, Exclusive Cosmetic Items / Weapons) These war events could be held every 3-6 months. War between 2 nations could happen at a maximum of twice per term while an all out war could only occur if all 3 villages declare war on each other. Joint CE: Basically a joint CE but with heavily inforced RP rules to avoid trolling / people being out of character. Toads Dojo Challenge: Once every month GMs could host a tournament with the winner getting the title of Dojo Champion or something along those lines. The winner would then have to defend their title in a Best of Three against a challenger. If the challenger wins, the defender loses their title which is transferred to the winner. Of course there could be overlaps where the community wants to initiate change with the help of a GM. Such instances would be: Overthrowing the Kage / Council: In Leaf (since it's a democracy) people who are dissatisfied with the current Kage or Council (this has to have a strong basis, e.g. abusive or corrupt Kage / Council) could hold a protest against the 'leadership'. If enough people attend, GMs can set up a vote where if the majority agrees with abolishing either Kage or Council they lose their title and are (optionally) exiled from their village. In Sand as the village works as a monarchy and the sand siblings are next in line for the seat of Kage, the top-brass of the village can plot an assassination against the Kage (e.g. ANBU leader, PB leader and SMPF leader hold a meeting where they decide to dispose of the current Kage by challenging them to a fight below the Sand village in a 10v10 or a 5v5. If the Kage and his supporters win, the people plotting against them are exiled, if the coup is successful the Kage loses their title / gets exiled). Mist already has the Blood Challenge. Bijuu hunt with the Akatsuki: Kage / GMs settle on "sealing" a tailed beast into one of the villagers (presumably the strongest one in terms of PvP), who receives an item which only drops if killed by the Akatsuki and whose identity is kept a secret outside of the villages. The goal of the Akatsuki would be to find out who the jinchuriki are (through spying, interrogation, etc) and hunt them down. Once they have collected all 9 tailed beasts and sealed them into the Gedo statue, they receive a huge buff on every stat and a state of war is declared across the ninja world prompting a 3 Kage summit. The goal of the Akatsuki would be to destroy all ninjas from the shinobi villages opposing them (in a GM map) and if they win they retain their buffs for a week to ravage the land (rings), but if they lose the organisation has to disband. If the villages opt for a Shinobi alliance, then there's an automatic peace period of 1 month between all villages. This event could happen through the course of 6 months (hunting period) and a specific date should be set for the war so the summit can be held and troops can be mobilized. To wrap it up: I know most of this is just wishful thinking which would require reworks or additions of new features. As of now I think that the community RP scenarios are possible if Kage and Council + Clan leaders agree to doing them, although some GM or GM/Community RPs could be tried out just to see where it would take us. Anyway these were just some of the RP ideas I had in mind for a long time, so I thought I'd sit down on my day off and put them out there for the community. If you've got any remarks, comments or additional ideas feel free to drop them in the comments. Thanks to all who took time to read through it, I told you it was going to be a long take. See you around, Peace!

How are we all doing? Still experimenting with new Nin Video formats. Tried to see if doing a track review is possible with this template as Nin-Rap seems to be making a comeback. This time around I gave my opinion on Kin's track: "Friendship ended with Suna" Original forum post below: I'm sorry if it came off a bit short, I've been working on it for a while now and I've gotten a bit tired of all the editing. I'll probably take more time to review other upcoming tracks, just wanted to see if the format catches on. As always, I'm open to any suggestions. Shout-out to @Enkidu, keep doing what you do! Peace!

Hi! Thought I'd try out a new format while making Nin videos. This one is directed specifically towards Lowbies or people new to the game to give them some basic knowledge of the game's world. I think I'll follow it up with another video where I kind of map out the different areas of the game so they can find their way around easier until they get used to the world. Anyways, always open to suggestions, so let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks for checking it out. Peace!

A nin-machinima I've been working on (with improved quality). Special thanks to @Chiba Miyuki for the cameo! Feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy!

Hello! I just made this pixel inspired by Naruto's and Hinata's wedding. I think adding them to the cash shop could open a lot of possibilites for RP weddings. They were pretty easy to made since the male one is a recolored kage robe and the female one is a modified and recolored snake inner kimono. Based off

Been working on this fun little pilot today, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Hope you enjoy!

Hello everyone! I found this website the other day in another discord server and I wanted to share it here. https://picrew.me/ This website allows you to create your own custom character in a lot of different artstyles. While the website is in japanese its pretty easy to navigate. (If you use google chrome, you can right click anywhere on the website and select translate to english.) With a little work you can even add some things yourself! Like for example I added The leaf bandana and Netted shirt to the art to make it look like my character even more! I think this can be very useful for a lot of people RPing.

Hideki Clan: The Hideki Clan (秀樹一族, Hideki Ichizoku) is one of the many clans of Konohagakure and a branch family of the Sasayaki Clan. The clan's name translates to "Timber Trees" from japanese which symbolises their philosophy on broadening their knowledge, much like how trees grow with time and is also mirrored by their clan words: "Better to light a fire than curse the darkness". They are known for their lexical knowledge of the shinobi world and their stealth tactics, which heavily rely on the Cloak of Invisibility Technique. The clan's first and current head is its founder Nagao Hideki. Overview: The clan is renowned for its archive which is said to hold an in-depth knowledge of the shinobi world. Members of the clan, who are known to seek knowledge in remote places of the ninja world, are trained to gather intelligence from an early age utilizing the Cloak of Invisibiltiy Technique developed by their ancestors. The knowledge stored in the clan's archives is a result of documented missions combined with expeditions into the Land of Fire and beyond. Members' ability to use stealth is often relied on at times of war to gather intelligence on the positions and movements of enemy units which are then relayed to the higher-ups in order to aid them in composing battle plans. Hideki kinsmen are also known to heavily rely on one another since young shinobi are put in teams from an early age in order to master the basics of teamwork. Each team is assigned a team leader who helps them develop their skills and provides assistance during difficult missions when necessary. Experiences gained by young shinobi while working in teams are later relied upon in battles and hunts while they also serve to strenghten bonds between team members and the clan. The Hideki Clan has also kept records of various medicine preparations and effects utilized by its Medical Corps, members of which are known to be skilled in the area of medicine and healing arts. Hideki are also known for their close connection to nature itself as they tend to the trees of the Sasayaki Clan Forest which is symbolized by the clan's insignia. Due to this deep connection with nature most of the clan's members also tend to sign a summoning contract with an animal of their choice at some point in their life. The clan shares their ancestral home with the Sasayaki, thus they reside in the Sasayaki Clan House found in the north-eastern part of the village. Young shinobi attend classes in the clan's classroom where they are taught the basics of life as shinobi and are also encouraged to broaden their knowledge by browsing the archives. Matters of utmost importance are discussed in the clan's secret hideout which houses a council room for times of peace and a war room for times of war. Kinsmen are also able to enjoy sounds of nature and converse freely in the clan's zen garden. Rites of Passage: One of the earliest rites of passage for young Hideki is a game of hide and seek starting from the Konoha playground. Young clan members are tasked with finding three elders who used the transformation jutsu to pose as Kimi, Miki and Oku in various places across the village relying on their surveying abilities. Upon completing the task, they are provided with a scroll containing the Cloak of Invisibility Manual and are officially recognized as Genin by their fellow clan members. Clan members enter adulthood once they obtain their first face mask and successfully complete the trial of the mask. During the trial candidates are expected to obtain three pieces of ryo from three separate checkpoints in the village guarded by Hideki clansmen and return them to the Sasayaki Clan House without fainting. Those who succeed are recognised as adults by their kin during a ceremony and are officially allowed to wear a mask on missions and hunts. Traditional Garments: Members of the clan dress casually whenever they are spending their time-off in the village or are out on missions (in order not to draw too much attention to themselves). On official occasions (e.g. clan meetings) Hideki kinsmen wear their clan's traditional garments which feature the Sasayaki Clan's Cloak in order to symbolise their affiliation with the Sasayaki as a branch family of the main clan. For Male Hideki: - Black Shoes - White Baggy Pants - Black Turtle Neck Shirt - Sasayaki Cloak For Female Hideki: - Black Shoes - Blue Short Pants - Black Turtle Neck Shirt - Sasayaki Cloak Clan members also seem to favour wearing their hair in ponytails. Leaders: Nagao Hideki: Founder and First Head Current Members: (from left to right) Shinmon Hideki, Kiyumi Hideki, Nagao Hideki, Pot Hideki Thank you for making it this far. We are a heavily RP oriented clan whose members will always have the Leaf's best interest at heart. As our clan is among those recently formed in Konoha we are looking for young shinobi who value RP, knowledge and teamwork. In return we will provide a welcoming and supportive atmosphere which will help them grow into splendid shinobi who will help raise our next generation. If you wish to join us send me a pm on forums or find me in-game and we will talk things over in the clan house. We also have our own discord server featuring our classroom, hideout, archives, zen garden and a market. Requirements for joining are being: - A Sasayaki clan member - Commited to RP - Able to help recently graduated genin, or academy students - Active As there is always room to grow and improve we are thankful for any feedback or ideas you might have on our clan. Any contributions / feedback are more than welcome. We are looking forward to new members and meeting people who we share a common goal with.

In the fighting spirit of Deathmall & Gen @Deathmall @Gen We are gathering at the Leaf Graveyard (Located North of the Leaf Military Police Force building) on May 16th, 2020 at 1PM EST. In remembrance of a great friend, an ally on the battlefield and a wonderful leader. It will be the end of a great journey but the start of an even better story for a legend. It will be open attendance, everyone is allowed to come not only Leaf villagers. Hope to see a lot of you, we appreciate all the time, effort, and extra support Deathmall has contributed to Nin Online he will be missed no doubt. We will be hosting a gambling event at the end of the ceremony in memory of the old man with some nice prizes funded by the Leaf treasury. If you are interested in coming to pay your respects or unable to attend leave a reply/comment. Appreciate y'all, Raw Special Message from Deathmall: "Thank you all for the experience, it was a pleasure learning,enjoying and fighting with you all over the years. Enjoy good luck friends!" "The End" Gen & Deathmall Short Story It's a dark stormy day in the Leaf village. Standing in front of a couple of young ninjas at the gate, our brothers', Deathmall & Gen. A large raid was approaching... Deathmall steps forward to the ninja preparing for battle. "Leevi, I need you to do me a favour, my boy!" Deathmall said to Leevi as he took a toke from his cigarette. "What's good Death?" Leevi responded "Take the others for safety! Commence tactic 13a" Deathmall said to Leevi with a sudden smirk Leevi shook his head in confusion before quickly getting focused. "I won't question your judgement, this must be a real threat...Are you sure? Gen stepped in and nodded in agreement. "They're coming, get ready!" Gen said as he focused his attention on the tree outside the gate. "Olright you guys follow Dairuto's orders, I'll be back in a moment!" The old man instructed the others as he gave them one bright smile! Suddenly the village gate started to close, Deathmall & Gen dashed forward at extreme speed, everyone was unaware the old man was still able to move like that. All that could be seen was a horde of ruthless ninja rushing toward our gate. The Chunin & Jonins' stood in a horizontal formation as instructed by Leevi preventing anybody from attempting to leave. From the inside, we could see an absurd amount of chakra being channelled from two bodies. Gen spread chakra into his hands creating large bright blue chakra scalpels. The horde was closing in, Deathmall jumped into the air quickly doing hand signs as he fell nearly as light as a feather. Gen kept guard using double his usual chakra limit while deflecting projectiles targeting the Third Hokage. As the enemies approached, Deathmall finished his hand signs landing from the ground with an enormous aura of lightning infused chakra around him as he casts the largest lightning pillars, stunning all the missing ninja making them flee the area. The battle led to the sacrifice of Leaf's Ex-ANBU Leader Master Gen & over-exhaustion of Lord Third Deathmall Sasayaki leading to his demise after the battle. Deathmall Rank: Jonin Leaf 3rd Hokage Leader of the "Red Moon" Organization Gen Rank: Chunin Ex-ANBU Leader RIP 2015-2020

A short introduction First of all, let's make sure things a clear so that there aren't any misconceptions regarding the state of RP (Roleplay) in NinOnline. The main focus of the game is on PvP, emphasized by several tournaments and an active community creating new builds and an existing meta. And while RP is encouraged, it is not the focus. But Nin has had a track record of attracting people that come for precisely that, which is why I want to help anyone that may struggle with this unique RP environment. Index The basics of RP The RP of NinOnline 2.1. How Gameplay and RP tie together 2.2. The current timeline Your very own shinobi 3.1. Where and how to start 3.2. Goals and ambitions 3.3. Organizations 3.4. Consistency 3.5. Preventing to become a Mary Sue Tips, tricks, and examples 4.1.1. Being part of a Conversation 4.1.2. Being part of a Conversation: Examples 4.2 How to properly use the /e and /emotes commands 4.3 The chunin exam 1. The basics or RP RP, or roleplaying, is the art of socially interacting with another, or multiple, participants through writing. While this seems simple enough, achieving an exciting and enjoyable experience is much harder in reality. Several factors come into play, starting with some "rules". Now, these are not set in stone, and more like guidelines that anyone who has some experience with it will agree are necessary to ensure a smooth experience, even if some of them seem mundane or obvious. But they are the basics after all. No. 1 - Ownership Probably the most important thing, you only get to decide about your character. More often than not, you will see RP that you can't wrap your head around. Maybe it's their backstory, their behaviour in a particular situation, or so on. But no matter how major or minor your complaint is, it is their character. Dictating what someone can and can't is an absolute no go. If you dislike someones RP, walk away from it. If that is not a possibility, keep interactions with that character limited. No one else gets to decide what kind of character, fitting for the setting obviously, you can play. But more on that later. No. 2 - Writing and grammar Obviously, this is important, but people often assume that just writing proper English is all. It isn't. While being able to understand what you wrote is mandatory, given the whole social interaction through the writing part, but there is more to it. What you write can be grammatically correct, but still wrong regarding context and setting, or create a specific image for your character. It will be tough for others to perceive you like a deep and emotional character if you only ever talk like Killer Bee. And sure some people find it fun or will use the universal excuse of "That's just how I RP!" but aren't willing to live with the consequences of others not treating them in a way they would like. So always remember, not only check how but what you write. No. 3 - Focus Another point often overlooked. You must take your time and commit to the session. Leaving in the middle or not responding in conversations are big killers for RP and can quickly ruin it for everyone. And while there is casual RP, if it is clear that time is needed you've got to be ready to offer it. No one will judge you if your connection interrupts or private reasons make your leave the PC. But being hungry and ditching to make a sandwich or leaving because of your ranked match that is starting in a different game is poor behaviour and will guarantee that you won't find many people that are willing to RP with you anytime soon. No. 4 - RP =/= Normal Gameplay The title may be a bit confusing, so let me go into detail. RP makes you go into a role, and within that role, you may have friends and enemies only tied to said RP. So if you have a grudge against someone based of RP, don't carry this out of RP. It, first of all, doesn't make any sense and can fuel toxic behaviour within a community. It is fine having a rival or something similar but knowing when to stop is essential to maintain healthy relationships. But at the same time, trying to befriend anyone can cause trouble as well. The different villages in NinOnline have unique rules on interactions with members from other villages. So always keep track of the current relations between villages, or you'll quickly end up with no allies. Besides, you can't use the information that you acquired outside of RP when interacting with others. But more about that later. Now if you follow these guidelines or at least keep them in mind, it should make the whole experience better for you and everyone involved. And with those out of the way, let's get in-depth about the hows and whys of NinOnlines unique RP. 2. The RP of NinOnline The setting of NinOnline, as before mentioned, is a world full of shinobi taking inspiration from the Naruto universe. That is what we will mainly go off since NinOnline has no set story by the developer or any specific lore in that sense and is entirely run by the community. Villages and official organizations are controlled by players. Now, what does that mean for RP? A lot of people are under the assumption that "if there is nothing set, I can be whatever I want!" which is not the case. Over the several years that I've been playing, I saw scientist creating clones, war heroes seeking revenge, mafia leaders and all of them just genin. The issue that comes with this is inconsistency and a weak character that doesn't fit and won't be taken seriously. Going after the standards set in Naruto is the only way to provide a fair environment for everyone. Now people make the argument of Sasuke being a prodigy from a young age, Orochimaru was a genius scientist, and so on. What a lot of people forget is all those characters where established within their universe and were able to prove those statements. Coming fresh out of the academy boasting level 1 and claiming you are anything like them is childish at best and pathetic at worst. The gameplay of NinOnline takes a crucial part in this and helps us to differentiate the good from the bad, literally. 2.1. How Gameplay and RP tie together NinOnline is a game, with stats and levels. It has rules and regulations on how things work and interact with each other. You can certainly have a solid RP character claiming he is "the greatest Tai user" for example. But if you lose to any run of the mill Tai user, your RP starts falling apart. This is where Nin vastly differentiates from regular RP since just writing isn't enough to solidify your character. Players will test your statements, all the time, and not being able to prove your claims results in no one taking you seriously. At the same time, this opens some doors for people that are uncertain about what kind of character they want to pursue. Instead of claiming to be the best, make it your goal to become it. Now your character has a set goal with no set time of completion, which allows for natural RP that will keep itself alive. You need to be able to tie your RP with the gameplay you provide since they go hand in hand. It may seem like a burden to some since they prefer to be the protagonist, the hero, the chosen one of their own story. But this isn't your story. It is your story within NinOnline, full of people with their personal stories and goals. And obviously, that means you may never be the best but at the very least gives a reason to try and become it. Now, of course, if your goal isn't to become the strongest in combat, the gameplay still affects your RP. Don't claim to be a hardened fighter and die to a few bites of wolves, and don't claim to have jutsu that can crush any enemy and barely scratch someone in a spar. Your actions are tied to your RP, which brings both good and bad. It limits what you can do but prevents people from just making up whatever they please. And if they still do you know who to avoid. Back to the topic of how the gameplay and RP are connected. NinOnline offers different commands on how to express emotions and actions, for both casual and RP. For casual use, you have the /emotes command which will list you with several options to express feelings by showing a little emoticon above your character, shown below. (Not including the emotes /clap, /slowclap, /321, /rock, /paper, /scissors) /! /? /<3 /n /r /... /go /y /' /cry /huh /wave /grr /!! /hi /gg /owo While these are valid to use, it always depends on the people you RP with and the situation you find yourself in. That's also why I refer to them as casual; additionally, they are used by the majority of the community for regular conversations and goofing around. Now the alternative and prefered way of showing emotions by dedicated RPers ist to use the /e command. Typing /e followed by a space and any message will look like this: (/e is daydreaming, /e is feeling immense pain, /e is worried, and so on) This way of expressing yourself is not only more engaging but also allows you to go deeper with emotions and states of mind that simply can't be done with the emoticon method. It is also a fantastic way to be part of a conversation without forcing yourself in or interrupting others, but more on that later. The final part would be RP missions. Those are unique missions hosted by a higher ranking shinobi of your village and provide you with tokens that can be turned in for experience points. The host of the missions has free reign over deciding who passed the task and thus, poor RP may result in a failure. It is also an excellent way for people to get into RP if they haven't had a chance to do it before and can be a great way of showing how the RP of NinOnline works. There are currently 4 RP missions, available at level 12, 17, 22, and 27 respectively. There are also the Chunin Exams or CE for short which are advertised to be heavily RP focused, but I will make a separate section just for those. 2.2. The current timeline Even though there is no defined storyline, NinOnline had its fair share of events, official and player-made that all contribute to an exciting environment for RPers. Wars happened between villages, uprisings, rebellions, corruption, and if someone takes time to dig deep in the forums they'll find a plethora of beads to build a character on and make something truly unique. But, as per usual, this brings a lot of challenges as well. While you may believe in the corruption of a council, it is not necessarily canon unless there is empirical evidence. So while you can still RP with the idea of a corrupt council, remember that it is purely your take on the situation around you and not fact. And thus we face another problem, going back to guideline number 4. What if you find out on discord or see screenshots that prove your point? Let's stick with the council example. If you find out that council members were bribed to vote for a specific candidate through any other means than RP, first and foremost has this information to be reported IF it is going against the rules of NinOnline, that's a given. Then you can use this information, mock them, and so on. Now, if it is an elaborate RP event planned and overlooked by the staff, rules change. If you somehow got wind of anything, outside of RP, you can not use it since your character didn't acquire this information. But we are going off-topic so more on that later. So, remember that you have several options on how to perceive the world, based on past or current events. Want to be careful around the Anbu because you believe they are corrupt? Go ahead, but don't make things up. Justify it by events you read about on the forums or witnessed yourself instead. You think that the Sand village is switching leaders way too often, showing political weakness in your eyes, go ahead. Besides, if you are capable and confident enough, why not make a post yourself? Make it clear that it is for RP purposes and maybe you lead the next chapter of the timeline? It is a very touchy subject and hard to fully grasp by just reading about it, but eventually, if you spend enough time in the community, you will get the hang of it. This concludes the section about the unique RP environment of NinOnline, so let's move on the most exciting but also often the most significant source of conflict in RP. Your Character. 3. Your very own shinobi Now that we know about the basics of RP and the specific situation in NinOnline, it is finally time to start making your character to throw out there! But where to start? This section goes into detail about the basics of character creation, their backstory, and common mistakes to avoid. 3.1. Where and how to start First of all, we need to remember what we learned in section 2 and 2.1. If you are a new player and start the game, you will be an academy student at level one. And while it is pretty simple to advance to the genin rank, the fact remains that you are a greenhorn. A beginner about to step foot into this new world. So what can we do for our character in terms of RP? First of all, the backstory is always an excellent way to start. If we visit our profile, we see a tab titled Ninja Bio. This is the perfect place for your backstory since it is easily accessible by everyone. In terms of design, there are no set of rules, and everyone has their style. Always check out the bios of other players to see how they did it and get inspired. A popular method of making ones bio more unique is creating ninja info cards. Their designs also vary and can be found on a lot of profiles, but let's continue with the main topic. So you have the ninja bio tab open, excited to create something and find yourself in one of those two scenarios. 1. I got so many ideas, where should I start? 2. I got no idea what to do whatsoever. We already established, as a beginner, there isn't much in terms of achievements that you could've possibly done. So refrain from making you look like the best of the bunch. We know that our abilities in-game tie to our RP, so more humble beginnings are recommended. If you prove yourself, you can start going down that route and start pursuing RP in that direction. But more importantly, and often overlooked, is your heritage. How did you grow up? What about your family? Any rivals or close friends? What made you go down the path of a shinobi? By answering all these questions, adding some character traits, things they like & dislike, it elevates your character far above the standard and is a solid base for future additions. Once again, though, remember section 2. If you claim that you come from a village that was raided by the neo-akatsuki and destroyed, this is not canonical nor has it happened as any sort of event. If you still want to stick with it, why not be from one of the main villages? They got raided multiple times throughout the timeline by a plethora of different people and groups. Not only is a backstory like that more believable, but it also solidifies your character as part of this world despite not have taken part in mentioned events. With everything set, let's go for some goals. 3.2. Goals and ambitions You wrote your backstory, created your character, and got some levels. What now? A lot of new players face this problem when playing, and it becomes even more of an issue for RPers. Having a goal becomes tough if the "story" of the game is everchanging and dynamic. We can avoid running into this roadblock by utilizing the features given to us by the game. As mentioned before, the simplest goal would be a combat orientated one. Trying to become a good PvPer and basing our goals of that. While it isn't the most unique nor incredibly exciting path to go for, it is a reliable option and something that will never fail due to the strong presence of PvP. If you like fighting but want to have more RP becoming a teacher may suit you. Using what you learned and training the new generation is not only a fantastic way to incorporate PvP with RP but also helps the community. Getting beaten by a random ??? that jumped them helps no one and discourages, especially new players. Being able to train and improve your skills in a controlled environment is especially alluring to newcomers, and a great way of making your mark as a teacher in terms of RP. Not into fighting others but enjoy grinding and collecting? The role of a merchant would suit you best. NinOnline has several cosmetics that you can farm and sell to interested buyers. Buy joining the official NinOnline discord you also get access to the trade channel, with constant offers to buy and sell a multitude of items. Not a fighter and prefer to support? Welcome to the world of medical-nin. Being able to heal others can be a significant edge in different situations, and the unique ability to revive someone prevents the infamous battle injuries status. And for anyone afraid that they won't be able to defend themselves from threats as a medic, NinOnline made sure that if you can heal a lot, you can hurt a lot. It may sound confusing at first, but you'll understand if you play the game. With some goals for the long-term set, there are a few more things you can do to flesh out your character. 3.3. Organizations NinOnline has several organizations in the game, official and player-made. These organizations are beneficial for RPers since they allow us to find a place of like-minded individuals to pursue common goals for all sorts of purposes. Can't find an organization that suits you? Create your own! It is a robust tool to emphasize what your character stands for and create a micro-community within the world. As I mentioned before, there are official organizations like the police force, for example. Adding a new layer of rules, these official organizations are perfect for people that are still desperately looking for any sort of "legitimate" reason to RP since now, sticking with the police force, you are enforcing the rules of the village. You have a unique role in the bigger picture of that villages community. And if you prefer the more evil side of things, the neo-akatsuki is something you can strive for. 3.4 Consistency So for this section, we assume our character has a pretty normal backstory. He grew up in the Sand village, a mom and dad with no other siblings. His backstory states that he never went out of the sand territory. Let's assume he managed to reach level 30 and became a chunin sticking to his backstory. He hosts an RP mission for some genin and decides to slay some tigers with them. In RP one of the genin asks him if it is safe to go there and our chunin replies "Of course, I know that place like the back of my hand". Now if he wasn't just coky in front of his team, he just caused an inconsistency. Describing your character in one way and acting completely different is exceptionally harmful to RP since, as we mentioned before, we have to go by a set of rules; otherwise anyone can be everything, which is not what RP is. A much simpler example is, someone states in their bio that they are terrified of blood and can't stand to see it, almost passing out at the sight of it. Now they pick either weapon master or medic as their masteries. This makes little sense in regards to his backstory since both of these roles are the closest to blood, with the weapon master causing open wounds using his swords and tools and medical-nin having to tend wounded allies. This would be less inconsistent if they justify it by saying they want to overcome their fear head-on. Otherwise, the character has no reliable backstory that others can use in RP. But this applies to all aspects of a character. The way they talk, behave, react, the more specific you define this, the more attention you have to pay. The best RPers are the ones that rarely, if ever, break character and stick with it no matter what. Being able to do and say anything turns you into a Mary Sue, which we will look at in the next section. 3.5 Preventing to become a Mary Sue. Taken from Wikipedia: "A Mary Sue is a generic name for any fictional character who is so competent or perfect that this appears absurd, even in the context of the fictional setting. Mary Sues are often an author's self-insertion or wish fulfilment. They may excel at tasks that should not be possible for them [...] They may disregard previously established aspects of the fiction such as characterization and natural laws." This is important to know since many beginners tend to create characters that fall under those criteria. They make shinobi that are both open and friendly but are also laid-back and shy. They love going out with friends but are introverts at the same time. Several different characteristics that contradict themselves and make for a terrible character. Also, they tend to give them too many abilities and strengths. We already established that in terms of PvP you couldn't make anything up since you have to prove yourself against others. However, people still manage to ruin their characters by adding all sorts of skills. Great at cooking, dancing, fantastic climber, fearless, immense willpower, the list goes on and on. A lot of people want to make a good character, and no one wants to be labelled as weak or useless but more often than not are weaknesses of a character what gives them depth. No one will care for the journey of a character that is already a master of all, and no one will cheer for them in a tournament, but rather the underdog that despite his obvious short-comings made it just as far. Weaknesses do not equate to a weak character, but a well-rounded one. Now we should have our character, presumably not a genetically modified shinobi, time traveller, or the lost descendant of god knows who, but a young shinobi setting out to carve his name into history with his ambitions and beliefs, with strengths and weaknesses. With a goal in mind and a potential organization in sight, you have your very own character and the all the basics to start RPing in NinOnline. The next section goes more into depth about some topics and provides some additional help by using made-up scenarios and interactions that can help everyone, not just newcomers. 4. Tips, tricks, and examples This part of the guide will focus on a more direct approach by showing you side by side comparisons of different RP encounters and extensions of the previous topics. There are many facets to it and, especially even for advanced RPers, it is often a struggle to perform right, no matter the preparation or dedication. I'll try my best to provide examples tailored to NinOnline. 4.1.1. Being part of a Conversation While I talked a lot about the relevance of actual skill concerning the gameplay, at the very start, we established that RP is the written interaction between individuals. And we do that mainly through dialogue. It is simple enough to talk with one person only and do RP, let them finish, they let you finish. Not much to do wrong here. The tricky part starts when there are multiple people involved. So let's lay down some ground rules necessary for a smooth experience and then go into the intricacies of it. As mentioned before, allowing someone to finish their sentence is key to proper dialogue. But now, with multiple people involved, it may become quite hard to join in or get your point across. We already established that your character is not a protagonist by default. So sometimes you may slide into the role of supporting or side character, and don't let that discourage you. And usually, if the people involved know what they are doing, they will let you have a say eventually. Keeping that in mind, you may find yourself in the spotlight of an RP session. The key is not to overdo it. If you already got in that position, it doesn't make sense to hog it and makes the whole experience boring for others. And always keep in mind, you won't always be in that position, so if you abuse it, you may receive the same treatment or will be exempted from future sessions altogether. Another big problem is almost abusing the (OOC) or (Out Of Character) clause. Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you would have to break RP, you would type in brackets (). We already established that we are all humans, mistakes are made, and sometimes things are just not clear enough. You can use this to indicate to others that the sentence on display is not from your character, but the player behind the screen. What do I mean when I say abusing? A lot of players, especially inexperienced ones, will constantly break character and type a lot of messages with the (Out Of Character) method. And just like most things, it should be used only if necessary. If you don't understand and order, don't break character to ask what you need to do, but do it in character. No one will judge you for asking a question, but they will if you keep interrupting the RP since that is what we are doing. We are out of character, meaning the RP was interrupted by something else. In most scenarios breaking character is not needed, but people assume it is fine since it is precisely that, out of character but can't see that they are still a major roadblock for a smooth experience. So unless absolutely necessary and unachievable by any other means, try to avoid it like the plague. Now if you find yourself in the position of a bystander, you can still contribute. We learned about using /emotes and /e earlier. This is an excellent opportunity to put them to use and make the session more exciting. Did someone say something exciting? Show it by using an emote! Your enemy said something infuriating, but is still in his monologue? Start fuming! Maybe your emotions will lead to attention from others, and thus you managed to be a passive part of the conversation and get an active role. Now, as with everything, don't overdo it. Not every quip needs an emotional response, and overusing /emotes and /e is a common beginners mistake. Use it sparingly at the right time, and you'll make any conversation much more lively. Let's look at some examples. 4.1.2 Being part of a Conversation: Examples So let's have a scenario of 4 people involved, a specialized jonin (Saku) with his assigned team (Flame, Iskarus, Hisa) doing a simple reconnaissance mission. Name: Text like this represents normal dialouge (Text like this represents events happening in-game) Text like this represents using the /e command Saku: Alright, we have arrived, Flame and Hisa, make sure no one was here before. Flame: Sure thing. Hisa: Will do. (Flame and Hisa start moving around, investigating the area) Saku: Iskarus, you'll follow me, we will check the surrounding area. Iskarus yawns Iskarus: That sounds boring as hell. Saku: Too bad, come on, follow me. Iskarus shrugs. (Iskarus and Saku move ahead, but can't find anything suspicious) Iskarus: Great, a waste of time. Saku: I know you'd rather be sparring now, but we have a mission to do. Iskarus: Wasn't there anything more exciting available? Saku frowns. Saku: It's not always about fighting, you know? Iskarus: Tell that to the neo-akatsuki. Flame: Complaining again, Iskarus? (Flame and Hisa joined up with Iskarus and Saku) Iskarus: Ah, shut up, nobody asked you. Flame starts laughing. Saku: Did you find anything? Hisa: No, nothing at all. Hisa stretches and yawns. Hisa: So can we go home now, I'm tired. Iskarus: Yeah, we are wasting our time here. Flame: As if you have anything better to do. Flame grins wide. Iskarus: I do, beating you in another sparring match. Flame: Ist that so? Well, let's go then! (Flame enables PvP, indicating he is ready to spar.) Iskarus: Sure, I get to beat you in a different setting. (Iskarus enables PvP as well) Hisa crosses her arms. Hisa: So immature. (Flame and Iskarus get in position, but Saku runs between them) Saku: Enough already, this is too dangerous. Flame: Ugh, fine. (Flame disables PvP) Iskarus: Oh, what, afraid? You should be. Saku starts grinning. Saku: If you want to spar that badly, let's head back to the village, and we have a go. Loser has to buy ramen for the team. Flame looks excited. Hisa: Nice, free ramen. Iskarus: Anytime Teach, get ready to pay up! Saku: We'll see. (The group heads back to the village) That was a lot; let's analyze the conversation and use of emotes. I wrote it deliberately with everyone being considerate of each other and assuming no one interrupted anyone. Notice how a majority of sentences are kept short. This is very important and something you should always pay attention to. Writing too much slows down the flow of the conversation, people will be too busy reading your wall of text, and the RP quickly withers away. This applies even more to the /e command. Writing too much is counterproductive since it is meant for emotions and not conversations. On the topic of using /e, notice how I used it in a way to connect it to the previous or upcoming sentence. This is a great way to give your dialogue more punch and make it feel alive. Sometimes the /e command has been used purely for reactions, which is a clear example of the earlier mentioned method of being part of a conversation without interrupting it. The amount of /e used is also in an acceptable range, but some could argue against it. This always comes back to preference, but since the things they wrote in /e were very short I doubt anyone would have a problem with it. So this is what we gathered. -Use sweet and short sentences unless you need to describe something of importance, or it just can't be done otherwise. -Use the /e command, but keep it short and don't overdo it. Now let's look at another example. This time, with a jonin (Reign) and his team of genin (Randi, Sepu, Dominic) doing a reconnaissance mission as well. Name: Text like this represents normal dialouge (Text like his represents events happening in-game) Text like this represents using the /e command Reign: We arrived at the destination mentioned in our mission documents. Let's scout out the nearby area and find any clues that may lead to enemy movement of any sort. Randi and Sepu, you check this sector while Dominic and I will check the next one. Sepu: Alright. Dominic: Understood. Randi: What the hell, no way. I will go with you Sensei, Dominic is not ready to handle a surprise attack like I am. Dominic: What makes you say that? Randi: Sensei, trust me, you are much better off with me on your side. Dominic: Hey, I'm talking to you! Dominic gets angry. (Randi runs ahead of the group) Reign: I guess Randi and I will go. You two stay together then. Dominic: ... Sepu pats him on the back. Sepu: Don't let it get to you. Dominic: You're right. (Meanwhile, Reign runs after Randi and meets up with him) Reign: Randi, this kind of behaviour goes against everything they teach you in the academy, and I won't have a genin disobey me and make up their own mind. It is simply unacceptable, and I hope you understand the consequences of your action. Randi: Look sensei, I found footprints. And from the looks of it, they must've been from the neo-akatsuki, and they are fresh too, maybe we can catch them off guard! Randi revels in the fact that he found something by himself, screaming out loud "Soon I will get my revenge on the neo-akatsuki for attacking our village." Reign: Now hold up how can you be sure that it is from the neo-akatsuki? We have no reports of them in our mission documentation, and they haven't been roaming this area for quite some time. (Reigns message was barely sent as another wall of text from Randi is posted) Randi: Take the others to the village and warn the Kage; I will go ahead and find more evidence. Don't worry; I'll manage on my own. Reign: Listen here; you are the genin; I am the jonin. You don't give orders. Randi: What the hell, I am clearly more competent than all of you. Why would you prevent me from pursuing my destiny, my NINJA WAY! You know what, maybe the neo-akatsuki is right after all. I don't need a village to hold me down. Screw you and these other morons. I'll be back even stronger and crush you. Randi gets furious about the fact that the jonin won't understand him and proceeds to flee into the wilderness by himself. (Randi runs off into a different map, not regarding Reign or his team in any way) We will end the convo here because I am sure the majority can tell that this was an example of how to do everything wrong. I purposefully wrote it with everyone staying in character despite the horrible RP going on, to make the errors more clear. So let's dissect and apply what we already know. First of all, both Reign and Randi are writing way too much. Their sentences are long, full of unnecessary information and overall poorly executed. The most significant problem child here is Randi. Not only does he continuously write excessively, but he ignores his teammates and his higher up. He is lost in monologues and forces himself into the position of leader. This also applies to the way he is using the /e command. That command is used to express emotions and actions one takes that aren't doable by gameplay means. We established that these should be used both sparingly and kept short. He overdoes it and makes his performance even more underwhelming. These mistakes become much more problematic since the chatbox used in NinOnline is already small, and long sentences like that make it impossible to have fluent RP for everyone involved. 4.2. How to properly use the /e and /emotes commands I have been mentioning it a lot, and we are going to use this section to elaborate on how exactly you should use it without hurting your RP instead of helping it. Said several times already, but something that can't be stressed enough. Don't overdo it!!! It is the biggest mistake of a lot of people and the downfall of their maybe otherwise completely fine RP. You should keep what you say in /e short and sweet. Here are some good examples. (Someone else said something to another person.) Saku is angry. (Someone stars yelling or screaming) Saku shrieks in surprise. (A friend or ally gets defeated in combat) Saku starts tearing up. To the point, clear, not disrupting the flow of conversation, and thus, the flow of the RP stays intact. Now for some terrible examples. (Someone else said something to another person.) Randi gets infuriated about what the hokage just said, he can't believe that he heard it with his own ears. (Someone stars yelling or screaming) Randi is struck with fear, causing him to stumble backwards and fall on to his rear, resulting in his pants getting dirty. (A friend or ally gets defeated in combat) Randi suddenly realizes a wet feeling on his eyes "Are those tears?" as he quickly wipes them away with his forearm. Now we have to make it clear that, objectively these sentences aren't wrong. Some may argue they provide more information than the short versions, but they aren't taking into consideration the context of a given situation. 90% of the time, short sentences are more appropriate and just work better. So what about the other 10%? This is where you go back to the topic of context. If several people are interacting with each other, we use the short versions, but in some unique cases, we can use the more extended versions that are similar to what Randi used. Below I will list possible scenarios that may be applicable. 1. As a way to initiate RP If there isn't already any RP going on and you don't just want to ask for it blatantly, you can use a longer /e message to indicate your intentions effectively. Saku gets excited seeing his friend Flame sparring and decides to join him Saku is happy to be greeted by Iskarus, and starts grinning wide. Saku is baffled that Hisa got so much stronger since the last time they met. This is a valid use and clear sign that you are currently RPing and thus totally acceptable to be wordier than average. 2. Doing a specific action in RP Maybe your team leader asked youto look for clues in the forest where a group of genin have been assaulted. Instead of simply walking around a bit and continuing the conversation, you can use a longer /e message. Saku gets frustrated since he can't find anything useful in the area. Saku shudders as he accidentally puts his onto a bloodstain. Saku rummages through a bush and manages to find a strange-looking kunai. Scenarios like these are probably the best for longer /e sentences since they paint a picture we can't achieve otherwise. The trick is not to use this all the time and is one of the most common mistakes during chunin exams. Standing in the waiting room and using a sentence like this: Randi pulls out a scroll with plans and strategies for the upcoming exams and shows it to his friends. Let's remember context. In our first example, Saku was given a task and used the /e command to emphasize his actions that he couldn't do otherwise. In the instance of Randi, it becomes trickier. If no one asked him and he just said it for the sake of RP, it is a poor choice and somewhat of an ass-pull. It is much more graceful to talk about a plan with your team and create it right then and there. Thus, after your entire team does some RP you could use a /e sentence like: Randi writes everything down that he has discussed with his team. Now it becomes much more understandable and more exciting since it is a reaction to a prior event. If you want to insist that you were prepared beforehand make that clear to the rest of the people involved. Mention it to your team in a conversation, brag about having studied prior exams, etc. You need a set-up, or otherwise, your RP will suffer. 3. Thoughts and Passive Interaction Sometimes, you don't want to say something directly but share certain information or feelings with your peers. This is where longer /e sentences can come in handy. But be careful since this is another big problem for a lot of people, overdoing it and technically never saying anything and being mute, in an RP sense. There are generally two methods we can approach to get our thoughts across. A direct and a more narrative one. The direct way would look like this: Flame starts thinking "Why won't anyone listen to the kage during the chunin exams?" In this case, we can see what the character in question is thinking about any given scenario. The narrative solution would look like this: Flame is confused; he didn't expect the chunin exams to be so unorganized. This way makes it seem, as the name suggests, that someone is narrating his thoughts and allows us to phrase things that would be otherwise not fitting your character (throwback to section 3.4) as long as it is within reason. We can also use longer sentences for situations where you simply can't interact with but don't want your character just to stand around and be silent. So let's assume we know for certain our character won't be getting any involvement for a set amount of time, and we don't to just spurt out random lines. Now lines like ... Flame stretches and lays down on the floor, trying to get himself into a comfortable position. ... become acceptable because you won't be doing much anyway, and is an excellent way to be a passive part of the RP, of course under the assumption you won't overdo it. So what have we learned? Using the /e command is a double-edged sword. While it provides your RP with a lot more depth and can make for some engaging scenarios and conversations, using it poorly or in excessive amounts can quickly make you look like a complete tool. So always remember, when you are about to type your next /e command, ask yourself "Is this really necessary?". It is regularly better to type less. We already know that we can't constantly be in the spotlight, but we can always make a fool out of ourselves. Use /e responsibly. 4.3 The chunin exam The without a doubt biggest RP event available for players is the Chunin Exam, or CE for short. This is a tournament hosted by the Kage of a village and the primary way to advance from the genin rank. I have been part of, and spectated, several CE over the four years and was the first person to receive a higher rank because of RP. So I want to use this opportunity to talk about this major RP event and why the outcome should not discourage you from doing RP or stop playing altogether. Let's get started! Since players in the form of the Kage and the higher ranking shinobi are in charge of handling the CE, they all vary greatly in execution. Some may go more smoothly than others, and the enforcement of RP is handled differently. Already we come to a big issue with the CE. At the time of creating this guide, I was fortunate enough that a CE was held within one of the villages. And witnessing the decision making of the Kage made it extremely clear that the player run communities are both a blessing and a curse. Let us look at some examples. "Kage A held a CE. He is overall considered ruthless and harsh for his strictness and enforcement of rules, both PvP and RP related. And not doing any RP at all restricts you from receiving a higher rank, even if you would've won the entire tournament. The higher ranking shinobi overwatching his CE act similarly." "Kage B held a CE. It has just begun, and the crowd is rowdy. He tells them to be quiet to explain the rules. One of the participants, entirely out of character, constantly interrupts him. The Kage, in RP, walks up to him and warns him for the last time. He continues though, met with an emoticon by the Kage. The Kage is overall very forgiving and doesn't punish at all. His higher ranking shinobi act similarly, breaking RP regularly and fooling around, even arguing with him, but not in an RP sense." Now we have two completely different Kage and how they handle their CE. Every RPer will of course side with Kage A, since in their eyes it is the proper way to host such an event. But we established that this is a PvP focused game and community. So while it is called an RP event, since it is in the hand of sometimes people that never did any RP, you can see how this becomes a huge problem. So a majority of people prefer Kage B, since he will pardon and give them second chances till the actual fighting portions of the tournament start. This is also why I mentioned it at the beginning, don't get discouraged by the CE since Kage change as do participants, so you have a chance to be part of a decent one eventually. And some may think now "But why participate if RP isn't enforced properly?" and I can only say you are right. The CE is a big turn off due to the false advertisement and inadequate regulations in most cases, but as stated, villages are run by players. And the examples given weren't made up, but things that happened in real CE tournaments. And again, some may think now "If even the higher ranks don't care, why should I?" and once again I can only say you are correct. You shouldn't, but it is the only official way to get a higher rank within the game by RP means or at least stated that way. And maybe you get lucky and have a Kage A hosting your tournament. I realize that it sounds underwhelming for everyone that wants to join because of the RP but still do it. You need a team, after all, so get some friends together, and if everyone is just not caring, at least your team will. CE are a great way to make memories, and even a Kage B may see your RP performance and gives you a rank. And if you think that is impossible with the current leadership, try to push for a vote, or change villages. As an RPer, we are the minority, so we have to bend a lot to get the experience we desire. Some may have been looking for actual advice, but following this guide is all you need. It is a glorified RP session after all, so the same rules apply. We talked about how to be part of a conversation, consistency, passive engagement, and the use of emotes. There isn't anything else you would need for the CE. So give it your best, and obviously, try to have fun with it. Don't get frustrated over other people failing miserably trying to string a coherent sentence together. RP with your team and be the best at it and trust me, if you give it your all, people will notice you. They always do. And this concludes my guide on NinOnline specific RP. I am always willing to help someone in terms of RP regarding their backstory or otherwise so just message me. I hope I could help someone with it and can't wait to see you in-game. Afterword If anyone wonders who I am and why I did this. I'm Saku, joined this game a little over 4 years ago, only ever had this account and been a big fan of RP way before that. As mentioned already, I was the first person to receive a rank because of RP, being promoted to the first specialized jonin of Nin. That's why I wanted to make this updated guide since there is an older version pinned, but I felt it didn't represent me or the Nin RP accurately, so I reworked it. I enjoy writing, so feedback is highly appreciated. Thanks for taking your time reading this far. You're the best.

Dear Ninja, Since you took your first steps you've started your story even without knowing it, and since then you've grown and met a vast amount of individuals whom you've built a relationship. Either through rivalry, partnership, idols or someone to look up to, that's your story and its the foundation of this event so. Today we start an event and the rules are simple. Make an adventure Document your adventure Take pictures (Or however you'd like to present it EG: Video, Sketches etc.) Post it 1st place prize: Gold Ninja and x10 Coupons. 2nd and 3rd place prize: Premium Hair (Winners choice) x5 Coupons. Then end date is 2/29 (The end of the month) If you don't understand the rules, you can use the following link as a reference. Good luck! and find a great adventure to tell! Winners First Place: Ketzu Runner Up: Kekiro Runner Up: Tekkey Hinode Thank you everyone who participated, it was a hard choice because all of your stories were phenomenal!

(As of May 26, 2018 this system no longer exists. Thank you to those who've participated, it was a good test-run and we've managed to learn somethings for the future) The Hidden Leaf Village will initiate a rank-based system with permanent teams after the Chunin Exam V in April. After meetings with the Higher-up of the Hidden Leaf Village, I've decided to implement permanent Genin teams for Chunin Ranked individuals. The way this will work is, Chunins will be asked to lead a team of 3 Genins, and the Chunins are expected to lead all three past the Chunin Exams. I will be forming teams after Chunin Exam V using all the listed names I received prior to the exam. This plan will ask for the following ranks to... Jonins - The Jonins of the Hidden Leaf Village will not only be required to fulfill their basic duties such as serve as commanders in the battlefield but will also be asked to oversee the Chunins and ensure everything goes as planned. (Also important to note Jonins would be priority to be picked as leaders of official organizations, and Specialized Jonins would ideally assist as Co-Leaders. Specializied Jonins - Specialized Jonins will be asked to assist Jonins, but their main duties will fall into official organizations within Leaf (Leaf Military Police Force, Medical Elite Division & Leaf's Intelligence Division). (Note Specialized Jonins are unable to lead a team) Chunins - Chunins will be required to lead a permanent team of 3 members (By permanent I mean till all 3 of their assigned Genins pass the exam). Genins - Genins are to submit team requests to me (Via Forums, In-game or Discord) before the Chunin Exam V. (As we work our way up with more ranked people RP Titles like Council and high-positions in organizations will be soon requiring ranks) Hidden Leaf's Official Organizations: Medical Elite Division - https://www.ninonline.org/forum/index.php?/gc/33-medical-elite-division/ Leaf Military Police Force - (Soon) If you wish to know more about Ranks & Titles make sure to review the post inserted below - More information about this Team System will be on this post in form of a reply below. It'll include Team Swap requests, Team Replacements (due to inactivity) etc.. Compatibility will be a priority when deciding teams things such as language, levels, masteries, activitiy, and timezone will all be accounted for. Best Regards, Third Hokage and The Hidden Leaf's Council™