- Invitation Status
- Not accepting invites at this time
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Online Availability
- 10AM - 10PM Daily
- Writing Levels
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Female
- Genres
- Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy, Thriller, Space Exploration, Slice of Life
ARE YOU A GAME MASTER WITH A BIG SETTING THAT NEEDS AN ORGANIZED SPACE TO SHINE?
IWAKU'S WARP CHALLENGE GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A FORUM IN OUR REALMS SECTION!
The Worldbuilding and Roleplaying Game Master Challenge is a contest where you present your roleplay to our set of five judges, and depending on how many slots we have open that year - we choose our qualifying favorites to give a forum to!
WARP season now begins in January where we will open up the WARP forum for you to submit your new and existing roleplays. This year we have 3 slots open where - for the first time - one slot will be a community vote! So not only are you trying to catch the judges attention, you'll be seeing how many members really want to support your roleplay!
WITH THIS TEASER - GET STARTED PREPARING YOUR ENTRIES NOW!
Every year we end up having to disqualify entries that could've won, but never finished writing their roleplay information. Make sure the important parts of your entries are the first things you finish. I highly recommend making use of the Roleplay Help and Guides section to aid you in developing your settings or to get a little inspiration!
Judges often look at the following things:
☆ Locations - Does this setting have interesting places characters can explore and interact in.
☆ Characters - Does this setting have a variety of character potential and is it easy to create a character.
☆ Worldbuilding - Does this setting have a plot and story that helps connect characters, places, elements all together.
☆ Staying Power - Can this roleplay last in the long term to make having a forum worth it.
☆ Hype Factor - Does this setting get us excited and spark our imaginations. Is it unique enough from currently active Realms.
SUBMISSION RULES
There are two categories for submissions: Existing Roleplays and New Roleplays.
All entries must:
- Have a single, clearly defined setting. This may be on any scale, from a specific school to an entire planet or star system.
- Be intended for long-term play. Roleplays designed to wrap up within one or two months of play will not be accepted unless they are part of a larger, directly-related setting.
- Be thread-based. Chat roleplays will not be accepted.
Fandom, Redstar, Bluestar, and Staff-run roleplays are allowed as submissions. However:
- Only one fandom roleplay may be chosen per category.
- Only one Redstar/Bluestar roleplay (EITHER, not both) may be chosen per category.
- Only one entry submitted by a Staff member can be chosen as a winner out of the entire winning entries.
These limitations are stacking. This means that if a Staff member submits a Redstar fandom roleplay, it would count for all three limits if chosen as a winner.
Note: This does not mean for certain that fandom, Staff-run, or redstar/bluestar RPs will number among the winners.
If not enough entries meet the criteria, we will not fill the slots.
All participants in the contest must be a member of at least 4 months and must never have had their account banned or suspended. Warning points do not disqualify you for entry.
One entry may be submitted per user.
Entries must be submitted under a "main" GM. If there are two or more equal-footing co-GMs sharing a roleplay, they must pick one person among them to submit. Being a co-GM doesn't count toward your entry limit but we reserve the right to reject anyone we think is trying to abuse loopholes. All co-GMs must be listed in mock-up OOCs for New Roleplays or on the submission form for Existing Roleplays.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What happens to my threads if I win (with an Existing Roleplay)?
[/B]Any and all existing threads will be moved to the winners' new private forums. From there it is up to GMs to restructure as they see fit.
What am I allowed to do with my forum?
The subforums for winners will be totally up to the GMs. The GM (and any necessary co-GMs) will get full mod powers over their own forum, and they have free reign from there. Staff will not be archiving threads from these forums and will only moderate if requested by the GM or if something gets reported. However, all Iwaku rules still apply. GMs may be punished if they knowingly allow or ignore rule violations.
Will I be able to add my own moderators to my roleplay after the fact?
Yes, absolutely. Just send in a Contact Us request or PM any of the judges asking them to give the helpers forum permissions.
Will submissions get reviews by the judges?
No. The focus of the contest is promoting roleplays and rewarding GMs rather than on improving writing, so we will only be focusing on choosing winners.
Can I edit my entry after I submit it?
Submissions can be edited without restriction up until the deadline, when submissions close and judging begins.
Can I advertise my submission?
Ads for these RPs shouldn't be posted in the Roleplay Advertisements forum unless they are existing RPs, as this would be confusing. GMs may create Interest Checks if they wish for the New RP submissions.
Are alternate versions of existing RPs allowed? What about reboots of past RPs?
Yes. Submit them as "new" roleplays with a mock-up OOC.
Why aren't Chat RPs allowed?
GMs of chat roleplays can already create private chat rooms for their roleplays, and a roleplay that isn't thread-based has far less need for a forum. You can always run chat RPs that are based on a larger thread-based setting, however.
Do I need to save my stuff so it won't get lost when the contest ends?
Nothing will be deleted. Any entries that don't win will simply be moved to the Archives.
QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
Questions asked in previous Q&A threads have been collected in paraphrased form and answered here so there can be a shiny new thread without losing any valuable information.
Can roleplays that have been run on other sites or for a very long time be submitted?
Yes. As long as it meets the criteria outlined in this thread for what sort of roleplays we're looking for, we don't care how old it is or where else it has been run.
Do winning roleplays have to start running immediately after the contest ends?
Nope, you can take your time getting things set up before officially starting.
Do I have to run the submitted roleplay if I win?
Technically no, we can't force you to actually run the roleplay, but if you're not certain you want to do it then don't submit an entry. This is a contest with limited winners and you might be rudely taking a spot from someone who would actually make use of it.
Can the roleplay have an open-world structure?
Yes.
Do Interns count as staff members in regards to the one staff winner rule?
Nope. They're sort of demi-staff, not full staff folk, so they don't count for this purpose. They come and go and it could create some awkwardness if they're counted as a staff member at time of submission and then are no longer an Intern at the end of it. This also means that anyone hired as an Intern after submitting an entry hasn't ruined their chances of winning.
Is it okay to make multiple posts in my roleplay submission thread to make sections for different information?
Absolutely.
☆ We are looking for largescale roleplays that feature rich worldbuilding, cultures, environments and peoples.
Take the time to really flesh out different locations people might be roleplaying in, the different kinds of character options a player can choose from, and consider what sort of stories people will want to tell in this universe. Your content needs to be able to spark a player's imagination quickly and draw them into your world.
☆ Roleplays need to sound welcoming, inviting, friendly!
Because these realms are featured roleplays on Iwaku's main page, they are going to be the first things people notice about Iwaku. While having standards are important, we don't want to see elitist attitudes, snobbery, or condescension. Put your best face forward in representing our community.
☆ Your roleplay should have a feeling or vibe that is more than just "Generic Fantasy #9278" or "Wizard School but Gayer".
It's easy to put together an awesome general setting roleplay and have it be fun - but for this contest we're looking for things that are really special! Make sure you stand out from the crowd in some way by having unique content, whether it's just something well thought out and developed, or a new spin on a common trope.
☆ Give choices and options that are genuinely unique from each other to create diversity and story telling opportunities - not just a visual palette swap!
If you're doing a sci-fi with multiple species, don't just do "Humans, but with pointy ears." or "Lizards with fancy colors." Create an actual culture for these different species and build in some conflict or meaningful story elements that might make playing one of these things more intriguing over the other. The same thing applies to fantasy settings! What sorts of issues can come up between a Wood Elf versus a Dark Elf character? Inspire players!
☆ Don't slack off on the information if you have a Fandom setting by assuming players "already know what it is".
Largescale Fandom roleplays can be hard to pull off, as not only do you have to do something interesting with a preexisting universe, but you have to try and lure in players who might not be familiar with your Fandom. You still need to put in the time to describe your setting and all of the details that makeup this universe.
☆ It's okay to use outside information sources - but make sure you credit them!
Especially in the cases of Fandoms where you can reference wikis and the like to help save you some time. Make sure you always cite and credit your reference sources if you are not writing all of your content from scratch. This also counts if you happen to be rebooting an old roleplay by another GM (with permission of course).
☆ Proofread and organize your content as neatly as possible.
Players need to be able to read your information! That means language that is clear and simple to read. Use flowery prose to create your vibe and ambience in your introduction - but when it comes to the important details, like how to create characters or get involved in your roleplay? That needs to be concise and where players can find it fast.
☆ Don't wait until last minute to post your entries or get things set up. Use the full month to work on it!
We're expecting to see a lot of written content - so get started ASAP! Post your plot introduction, get those locations posts, detail out your races and species. Write your rules. If you do a little bit every day, you're not going to have to scramble last minute to finish.
☆ Pretty graphics and coding do not matter. DO THAT LAST.
This is a competition about engaging worlds and stories - prettiness isn't important. Every year we have several GMs get disqualified because they wasted all of their time making their roleplay pretty and never got to writing the actual content. Avoid this mistake by making sure all of your most important content is done first.
☆ About that pretty bbcode and text color and font sizes... WE CAN'T ALWAYS READ IT.
It is pretty - but often coders are making the text TOO SMALL or using colors that blend together. Pretty coding doesn't do you any good if we can't easily read your text. Likewise, your coding also needs to look good across multiple browser sizes and devices. Computers, phones, and tablets. All of those graphics and coding will move around and shift with each device - which shuffles your content into all kinds of directions. Be sure that we can read everything!
☆ Existing Roleplays have an advantage in WaRP as they're already completed and successfully running - but make sure your roleplay has easy to find "New Players Information".
It's harder to get new players for an already existing roleplay, as they often feel BIG AND INTIMIDATING. Make sure you have an Introduction for New Players so they can get caught up to where your roleplay is now, and have some options on how they can get involved with brand new characters.
Take the time to really flesh out different locations people might be roleplaying in, the different kinds of character options a player can choose from, and consider what sort of stories people will want to tell in this universe. Your content needs to be able to spark a player's imagination quickly and draw them into your world.
☆ Roleplays need to sound welcoming, inviting, friendly!
Because these realms are featured roleplays on Iwaku's main page, they are going to be the first things people notice about Iwaku. While having standards are important, we don't want to see elitist attitudes, snobbery, or condescension. Put your best face forward in representing our community.
☆ Your roleplay should have a feeling or vibe that is more than just "Generic Fantasy #9278" or "Wizard School but Gayer".
It's easy to put together an awesome general setting roleplay and have it be fun - but for this contest we're looking for things that are really special! Make sure you stand out from the crowd in some way by having unique content, whether it's just something well thought out and developed, or a new spin on a common trope.
☆ Give choices and options that are genuinely unique from each other to create diversity and story telling opportunities - not just a visual palette swap!
If you're doing a sci-fi with multiple species, don't just do "Humans, but with pointy ears." or "Lizards with fancy colors." Create an actual culture for these different species and build in some conflict or meaningful story elements that might make playing one of these things more intriguing over the other. The same thing applies to fantasy settings! What sorts of issues can come up between a Wood Elf versus a Dark Elf character? Inspire players!
☆ Don't slack off on the information if you have a Fandom setting by assuming players "already know what it is".
Largescale Fandom roleplays can be hard to pull off, as not only do you have to do something interesting with a preexisting universe, but you have to try and lure in players who might not be familiar with your Fandom. You still need to put in the time to describe your setting and all of the details that makeup this universe.
☆ It's okay to use outside information sources - but make sure you credit them!
Especially in the cases of Fandoms where you can reference wikis and the like to help save you some time. Make sure you always cite and credit your reference sources if you are not writing all of your content from scratch. This also counts if you happen to be rebooting an old roleplay by another GM (with permission of course).
☆ Proofread and organize your content as neatly as possible.
Players need to be able to read your information! That means language that is clear and simple to read. Use flowery prose to create your vibe and ambience in your introduction - but when it comes to the important details, like how to create characters or get involved in your roleplay? That needs to be concise and where players can find it fast.
☆ Don't wait until last minute to post your entries or get things set up. Use the full month to work on it!
We're expecting to see a lot of written content - so get started ASAP! Post your plot introduction, get those locations posts, detail out your races and species. Write your rules. If you do a little bit every day, you're not going to have to scramble last minute to finish.
☆ Pretty graphics and coding do not matter. DO THAT LAST.
This is a competition about engaging worlds and stories - prettiness isn't important. Every year we have several GMs get disqualified because they wasted all of their time making their roleplay pretty and never got to writing the actual content. Avoid this mistake by making sure all of your most important content is done first.
☆ About that pretty bbcode and text color and font sizes... WE CAN'T ALWAYS READ IT.
It is pretty - but often coders are making the text TOO SMALL or using colors that blend together. Pretty coding doesn't do you any good if we can't easily read your text. Likewise, your coding also needs to look good across multiple browser sizes and devices. Computers, phones, and tablets. All of those graphics and coding will move around and shift with each device - which shuffles your content into all kinds of directions. Be sure that we can read everything!
☆ Existing Roleplays have an advantage in WaRP as they're already completed and successfully running - but make sure your roleplay has easy to find "New Players Information".
It's harder to get new players for an already existing roleplay, as they often feel BIG AND INTIMIDATING. Make sure you have an Introduction for New Players so they can get caught up to where your roleplay is now, and have some options on how they can get involved with brand new characters.
WARP SUBMISSIONS OPEN... JANUARY 1ST 2024
Maybe one day.
