Any Active Heavy RP SG's out there.. is this thing on?

Well, see Lady_Cyrsei, that's the crux of it!
I've been part of a great group, The Paragon Universe, for a couple of years now.
We are pretty small and have definitely lost people over the years and our recruiting efforts generally result in people looking for bigger, more active groups and eventually disappearing (not all, of course!).
The biggest problem seems to be that people want that big, active SG to join... When, sure, that could be great, sometimes what you need to do is become part of it yourself.
If everyone who wanted that wonderfully active, IC, RP, mature, OOC drama-free SG would join together... we'd have it.

So... I will kindly suggest that you (And anyone else) check out Paragon Universe. You'll see a lack of activity, I'm sure. However, that being said... We have weekly events on multiple nights and often end up having too many for one team.

We're a SG based around the concept of one base (A pocket dimensional base discovered by a few heroes) that is used by multiple teams of heroes and other independent heroes interested in making use of those facilities.

It's mainly a home for smaller SGs/Super Teams to all share and obtain the benefits of being a bigger SG (Always people on [crossovers], big fully functional base).

We had (And still have a couple) small subteams with their own themes and such. The name Paragon Universe is actually an OOC name which represents the basis of the group... Like the Marvel or DC Universes... It is the umbrella over the different comicbook titles/super teams (Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men, and solo artists and lots of cross overs and teamups!).

It's a great idea and has worked well when we've had the people.
We're far from dead though... But I don't wish to pretend that we're super active and busy... only to have people come by and be disappointed.

So, we cover all your points very well except for the always SG chatter/superly active.
However, so long as those who join are similarly mature and reasonable people, like we've enjoyed throughout our existence, we'd have that level of activity.
And, we all know how it works... It just takes a few people being active to inspire the others, and so on and so forth.

Sorry for the big long rambling reply, but I know that we have a great thing over here that could very much use more solid role-players and people looking not only to take part... but be a part of the big time fun we can all have.

And yeah, the definitions of "Heavy" or "Medium" role-playing has become a pretty confusing thing.
I generally refer to myself as a heavy RPer, but by some definitions, I am likely NOT.

I and the PU are always IC and anything OOC is in brackets. We do everything IC. From just simple teaming to TFs to whatever we're up to.

We have an OOC global channel for coordinating and keeping in touch while doing other things and whatnot. It is open to join "Paragon Universe" for people to contact us and work out an IC meeting and/or to get to know us (Or just spy on us) a little.

1. We seem to be "heavy RP" as you suggest... IC all the time and not necessarily dramatic stuff, just always IC and in the world, etc.

2: Activity is a weird one as we could definitely be MORE active, but then again, we generally get more than 8 people for our regularly scheduled team nights and such (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) and any other thing we add as needed/wanted.

3: Events - We like to have each subteam leader run at least a weekly night. While these things are usually AE mission arcs created specifically for that night... It can just be RP in the base (or anywhere), TFs, any sort of missions or Giant Monster or whatever. So, we have those regular mini events multiple nights a week (All of our current ongoing teams have an open invite to any member). The more subteams we have, the more events that take place (Sometimes we've had multiple ones on the same night).
In other words, we like events!

4: The PU overall has zero IC rules, other than having to be a hero (Or at least convince the existing members that the character is trustworthy enough to have permission and residency within the base, "the Citadel"). Different Subteams CAN have any such rules, if they wish, such as uniforms or whatever. However, none of our current subteams have any uniform rules. S.T.O.R.M., sort of a super-hero spec ops type of group (Though the current leadership is very relaxed) has some uniform options, but no mandates.

5: No prestige farming, that's for sure. Great, mature, standup individuals make up our membership and our founding members. The main thing is... We consider ourselves leaderless, but more accurately... we are all the leaders. We will vote on any issues that someone wants to raise. We mostly work things out through intelligent discussion and handle things responsibly. It's worked well for us for the 2+ years we've been together. We want people to dive in with us, with respect and be a leader themselves. Plus, all the subteams have their own leader for that particular group.

6: "NO DRAMA!" This is why I don't think I could ever leave this SG, hehe (Or one reason, anyway). I look around... and feel pretty happy about how things have always been rather cool here. I'm happy to be a part of that, myself.


Yeah, I need to post in the recruitment thread and I should try and spread the word a bit more than I have. Honestly, times have been busy and people's insistence on only joining a highly active SG has made recruiting less fun and, with that little time, many of us have just focused on having fun when we do have the time to play!

(Not sure if this long ramble is ready for posting, but here goes!)

Join the "Paragon Universe" OOC channel and/or check out our guildportal site and forums and think about it.
We would love and welcome individual players, existing groups, or new Group/Team concepts ready to be put into action who may be willing to come under the Paragon Universe umbrella and enjoy our base and great, mature, friendly and awesome role-players for the big time fun that is CoH RP!

This thread?

It totally delivered.

Here I was just about to say that yeah, Cyrsei, you're just being picky and it was seeming more to me like you just wanted someone to prove themselves to you, and that you clearly should lead your own group, but! It's cool to see you're way ahead of me and will be starting your own. I'd be interested, as you and I have played several times so I'm pretty comfy with you.

See you around hopefully. And maybe I'll join ya. I wouldn't mind getting in on the ground floor for a SG or VG that's led by the right kinda person, and you're it.

I like your spirit, Cy, ("I'll make one!"), but I have to say that *starting* a new SG/VG is hard work. Harder than it seems. You have to, to a certain extent, constantly check in with people, take the lead, recruit, build a base (at least a minimal one), find a way to motivate activity, and so on. It seems to me that once a SG/VG is rolling, with several *core members*, it's in a good position to last. But until then, it's a lot of diligence devoted solely to the SG/VG itself. One of the biggest problems you'll find is finding the core peeps... because of alting, your players will be on their more established characters.

On another topic, is anyone reading this part of an active, story-driven Villain Group? With all the SG talk, I wonder how much Heavy RP is done on the redside. I have a character that I absolutely adore, but if I were to believe that the groups posted on (The VG Directory) the forums here were the only groups, then it would mean that VGs all fall into two categories: (1) Somewhat over-the-top RULE-THE-WORLD!@~ types (Legion of Doom clones), or (2) Merc thugs for hire. These two categories don't quite fit with her.

If you're part of a good RP-oriented Villain group that's active, please give a shout out! I want to find you!

I'd be hard pressed to think of any groups that meet the OP description. At least, I haven't seen any in years.

Many SGs define "active" as "we log in once a week to reset our Last Online counter." If you do see some of them online, they are paired off under a tree somewhere, just wanting to monologue their unsolvable angst problem (that you just can't possibly understand!), or offering epiphanous insights into those abyss-like deep subjects that you couldn't care less about.

I find it sad to join a new SG (which has been around) and still end up in the top 3 prestige earners in just a couple weeks with a casually played alt. While I'm not, at all, into prestige farming (and have quit SGs that implemented prestige quotas), just as a measure of "helping out through normal play" that just shouldn't be the case. Or you see there's ten players on the SG's "Devoted OOC Channel" but none are talking, one might say hello in response to your own greeting, and all you get is crickets chirping when you ask if there's any action you can join in on.

I also find many themes too restrictive. We're all pixies, vampires, troubled teens, or stranded aliens from 1926 with a strong leaning towards going shirtless and wearing purple fedoras... And then when you find that group of "we're a team of superheroes!" they are named something like "xXMotherslaying Kill KillersXx - Beta Squad" or "Jesse's Justice Juice Stand." Jeez, please put some effort into having a name that doesn't totally suck or sound like it was made up in a thirteen year old's fanfic about brutal vigilantes.

I don't give a flying flip about a base. I have my own base, it's fully stocked, as far as I'm concerned (ok, I'd like to one day get the second tier autodoc). I want a group that functions as a group. Not in name. Not as alt parking. But actually adventures together and crap like that. It's amazing to me that most of the groups that actually group and run regular stuff also are big into PLing and farms while shunning roleplay.

I will also echo an earlier comment... so many people just want to join a winning team. Most of them have no interest in helping to make a winning team. I see groups with potential out there now and then... but its own members are terribly stagnant or can't understand why they aren't doing better (and then log off after only 5 minutes because no one else in the SG is online).

Obviously, I'm jaded... but I didn't get this way from good experiences.

You know, this topic is actually making me think a bit.

I've been trying to come up with answers for "what makes a successful supergroup", since I'm essentially running two SGs at the moment. I wouldn't call either of them heavy roleplaying groups (Northern Watch is medium-ish, we have a once a week thing. The Protagonists used to be, but that's another story...). But no matter what the level of activity or RPing is, the way to go about the situation is similar, if not the exact same. There needs to be direction, and there needs to be a group who stands by that direction, "core members" or otherwise.


There are other things, but my brain is blocking them right now.

I think most of the Heavy RP SG's don't do many "community" events because that'd involve a lot of Non-RPers and "Light" ones, and having to interact with the ones going "lol" and " " generally isn't something they want to do (unless it's entirely OOC of course).
I like the list though!
Also by SG I'm assuming you mean blue side? Hero themed?

Paragon Universe is an awesome group, I played with them for quite a bit before my Thursdays filled up, and yes, they are very drama-free and good into RP Funneling my efforts into making Titan Industries/Ares Syndicate fun and active right now, but I'd recommend PU as well for anyone without a solid theme

See, this is why I almost never recruit on the forums. Who needs an attitude like that? If you don't think you'll find a decent group, then you probably won't; you'll fill your head with so many demands and sub-demands that even a decent active group will fail to satisfy you.

Besides, here's something I discovered as both a player and an SG leader - if you just want all the food chewed for you and put in your mouth, you'll never integrate with a group. You will whine and moan about how it's not active, but you yourself will never form teams or initiate RP or promote storyline ideas. You'll cry about how the Old Guard doesn't want you, but you'll lurk on the SG channels, sulking, and never even try to involve yourself.

Sorry, kids. I'm not a kindergarten teacher. I'm not even a high school teacher and believe me, I've absolutely no interest in being one. You have to do your own share of work if you want to successfully integrate in a group as a newcomer, and the "leaders" should not feel obligated to constantly put teams and plot on a platter before you. Do the leaders have responsibility? Yes. Do they have more responsibility than a casual player? Yes. Do they have sole responsibility and you have none? Sorry, no.

So I wish you luck, but I for myself will continue recruiting selectively, and be satisfied with a significant group of players who are willing to participate in making the group an interesting, active place.

Its hardly egotistical to limit players by their willingness to pitch in and build an SG instead of ones expecting an SG to come to them gift wrapped and cater to their every whim....