Relationship between Iwaku and RPNation?

[cam]

Iwaku is linked to via a button at the bottom of RPN's main page, and the two sites have an almost identical layout and feature set.

Is RPN a sister site of Iwaku, or what? I'm currently registered and active on RPN, and am wondering what Iwaku offers that's different. I'm always on the lookout for the right RP community for me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Diana]

We are affiliates and casual friends! :D

The layout and software being similar is a coincidence. O__O We use the same forum software and have the same resources for modifications. So the system will be almost identical on both sites.

The way we run our sites is very different, though. Like our organization and many of our policies. We probably have different content sections too, I don't really have a check list of that kind of stuff.

The big difference, though, is that RPNation is a family friendly roleplay forum. They have strict policies on certain kinds of content in roleplay so they have a good family safe environment for their members. You're not going to see a lot of cursing, sexual content, gorey stuff, etc. On Iwaku, we are NOT family friendly, we're liberal about our content rules, which means complete creative freedom for members. But it also means it could be uncomfortable for conservative members.

You'll have to try us both out and see which place fits you the best. :D

 

[SamIO]

The aesthetic similarities are a result of both forums relying on the XenForo base; it's a fairly popular structure, so you'll find a lot of forums feel about the same. Iwaku and RPN happen to have each other sponsored in their respective affiliates sections, but as far as I know, there is no significant relationship between the two.

Regarding differences, Iwaku has a more liberal stance on bbCode flexibility, while RPN favors standardized posts with little use of per-post visual design. Iwaku has Blogs and a Content section for non-roleplaying creativity, whereas RPN, as far as I can recall, has no such features. Iwaku offers a variety of Chat Rooms dedicated to roleplaying, while RPN has no such thing and actively discourages roleplays which are played off-site (unilaterally limiting RPN members to forum roleplay, which was the number one killer for me).

RPN has a more stable shoutbox codebase, in comparison to Iwaku's which is rather buggy and inconsistently documented. RPN's organization, while essentially the same as Iwaku's, is supplemented by various browsing features which make searching for roleplays or partners more streamlined. RPN favors safezone policies to ensure that there are as few confrontations as can be reasonably avoided, whereas Iwaku favors a liberating atmosphere and deals with conflict on a less preventative and more corrective basis. RPN is more family-friendly, whereas Iwaku opts to segregate essentially unrestricted content into various maturity and preference groups.

Anyhow, I hope this helps you out. Both are close-knit and organized, so it's really a matter of whether you prefer the nature of one over the other (or if you'd rather use both). :3

EDIT: Stinkin' owls flying over my head. ;3

 

[cam]

That does actually help a ton, thanks.

Now to poke around a bit and get settled. :D