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rusT o.

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84

1 Review by rusT

  • Next Incantation

8/9/19

Please note, this is not a review of The Next Incantation's positives or negatives, but instead a summary of why this RPG has run its course and why I strongly dissuade you from joining.

TNI's members, staff and owner need to accept that the best thing to do for TNI and everyone associated is to permanently close its doors. In its place, I strongly advise the owner create a new, invite-only RPG into which the invitees could bring their characters (or make news ones) and start afresh.

The merits and entertainments of TNI don't matter any more because so-called "internet drama" has seeped into every inch of the site. Nothing is untouched. The effects of drama don't vanish just because some of the people involved have left the site. Drama stains, and you can't scrub it away. Members can't steer clear of the stains because they are so big. Newbies see the stains and are too scared to ask what they are. Game instructions are written from the perspective of someone who already expects you to aggressively screw up. Everywhere is faked smiles and forced pleasantries. Paranoia is the order of the day. Everyone is exhausted. That will never go away.

The drama itself is not important because it will not or cannot be solved. What's important is that, as a result of it all, the memberbase has been through trauma after trauma to call it "drama" is to cheapen the real human feelings at the forefront of all this. Mental health issues have been caused or exacerbated as a direct result of TNI. Anxiety, depression, PTSD more cases than I can count. To prevent this from continuing, TNI needs to wrap up and stop. It is a destructive force.

There is no other way to solve the problem, because the problem is the very core concept of the site. The owner has come out and explained that TNI is intended to be her personal space, but TNI can never be that. This is because it is treated by all parties not as personal space, not as a community, not even as an RPG, but as a court of law. When it comes to game rules, game mechanics and any kind of disagreement, those involved discuss the situation as if they have their lawyers firing official declerations back and forth. Complaints about this game, complaints about the complaints (and so on) read like messy divorce filings. Again, that does not make for an RPG, a community, or a personal space, it makes for an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere.

There is only one reason I can think why TNI is still open, and that is simply because it's lasted this long. Some wear their site's ancient birthdate (in this case 2003) as a badge of honor. But longevity does not equal quality. TNI's captain is proud of keeping her ship afloat, but it's already at the bottom of the sea.

Let it go before it drowns you. Go and find a beautiful island somewhere new. Invite your friends. Be happy at last.

rusT Has Earned 4 Votes

Rust O.'s review of Next Incantation earned 4 Very Helpful votes

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