About the Game
Because all the interest CC is getting (we're getting a lot, right? ... RIGHT?) is making me happy, I decided to write an "About/Why I Made This RPG" page.
When I started CC it was, as some of you know, a fanfic. I've always been the type to pace around a room developing a plot and characters in my head, imagining episodes happening. But then I got to wondering ...
A lot of Sailor Moon RPG's on the web in recent years are either solely canon-based (aka "Hey wanna play Ami Mizuno?") or very far from canon (aka "Wanna play Sailor Slaptypants, senshi of Pants-Slapping?"). While those are all fun and good, I wanted to make an RPG that was close to canon but wasn't JUST canon, you know? My vision was a game with canon basis, but all original characters. I really love Sailor Moon's original story, and let's face it; that's why a lot of us are here, right? We loved the original series.
I also really wanted to keep the mahou shoujo genre intact. So many Sailor Moon RPG's on the web these days either try to make Sailor Moon REALLY DARK, or just turn it into fanfic without regards to the original genre's messages or stylistic elements. Again, I mean no offense to those games -- I really like some of them! However, I feel that some of the greatest charm found in Sailor Moon, and one of the reasons why it's such a moving series and it's endured so long, is because it's such a traditionally shoujo series with all those great shoujo elements -- innocence, idealism, romance, etc. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
STILL, who wants to just go with the same old style? While this game is very much rooted in traditional mahou shoujo, I wanted it to be mature, and I wanted some dark elements, because even the original series had its dark moments (Zirconia? Mistress 9? Nehellenia? DAMN SCARY). My original plot concept was basically just that enemies came to steal souls, but then I started wondering ...
Chaos is depicted in the original series as being manipulative of the other villains. Metallia uses Queen Beryl, Wiseman very clearly manipulates Prince Demando, and even Pharaoh 90 could be interpreted as using the Death Busters, to an extent (he definitely uses Professor Tomoe and the witches). What if those villains wanted revenge against Chaos? A villain that wants to defeat/harm Chaos in some way is much more difficult to label as evil, right? I mean, Sailor Moon's main objective was to defeat/suppress Chaos, so a villain with the same goal would be a lot more difficult to fight, morally speaking.
The original manga depicts the villains in a somewhat sympathetic light, and the anime does so even more. What if that sympathetic light were expanded, to the point where it became morally questionable to even fight the enemy? I thought that'd be interesting, and it'd make it much easier for players to design round characters as villains, rather than the usual flat "BWAHAHA I'M GONNA SUCK YOUR ENERGY BECAUSE I'M EVIL." Now the villains had a purpose that was almost ... well, good!
This plot would also allow for that darkness I mentioned earlier, but still within a mahou shoujo context. I'm really happy people are warming to the idea so much, too! This game, I feel, is unique mainly in the fact that it deals with and expands canon in a way that allows players to be flexible in character design while remaining true to all the things that make Sailor Moon great (I hope).
I'm really happy people are taking such interest in it, even in these early stages. I'm also really grateful to all our members for writing such wonderful characters that parallel and still expand on the original series in such a beautiful way. I'm happy to take suggestions from people, because I believe the best RPG's are those in which all players are involved in decision-making processes. Thanks for making the RPG so much fun already, you guys! And applicants, please don't give up -- we really love new members, and the Sailor Moon RPG circuit REALLY NEEDS new interest.
Everyone's got a great character inside them, waiting to be written, I feel. That's why CC is meant to be a completely not elite community, where all new writers are welcome to show us their stuff! We are always willing to help, because we've all been there -- just starting out in RPG's and character writing, not sure which way to go. Let's have fun, everybody! And again, thanks to everybody who's ever even looked at the site -- it's great to have you.