Welcome to Prismatica!

Welcome to the quint little homeworld of Prismatica, where you can create your favorite anime or original concept characters and bring them to life using a variety of role playing games in our Play by Post format! While there are many websites devoted to modern day or popular anime, the goal here is to offer a slice of quiet nostalgia as we walk down memory lane while we discuss our favorite older anime and manga series. And as far as role playing games go, you could always visit the publisher's home page to discuss specific systems, however, Prismatica offers a unique blending ground that allows you as a Player or Game Master to discuss the pros and cons of various systems in your quest to find the perfect role playing system!

The What?

Prismatica is set up to be a writer's playground. There's lots of space to be inspired by the vast collection of storytelling that Humanity has done-- and speaking of which, you won't find any Generative A.I. here. All of our stories are crafted by hand with love from our own hearts. Find that perfect writing tool that helps unlock all the magic locked away in the dark recesses of your mind. Explore the process of world building and multiple different methods of character creation under the expert guidance of the Staff (more about her in a momment). Finally feel free to discuss and debate without pesky algorithms and obtrusive censorship.

The Who?

The Administrator, Senkusha began her dabblings with community forums back in November 2003. Having recently discovered the concept of anime at the tender age of 28 simply by looking for something less boring than this:

I found an image of a cute redheaded woman in the anime style. The vivid colors, the large emotion-filled eyes, the background. I was curious about who this person was, and using my advanced internet search techniques, I quickly discovered the identity of my eye-candy: Ranma Saotome. After learning a bit about the plot, and while I was utterly bored at work a few days later, I discovered fan fiction! Specifically, [The Magical Mystery Hibiki Tour], written by Jaelle and Orla, a 25-chapter tome detailing the mysterious adventures of Ranma and company getting lost-- because Ryoga is driving! Anyway, (you'll find that I tend to ramble...) this led me to discovering the anime Tenchi Universe, and Tenchi Muyo!, where I quickly formed a fictitious bond with a certain Princess Ayeka. It was during this ten year period where I learned how to administer several Play by Post games, and also grew to expand my love of anime with the awesome suggestions of the community members.

The Why?

Life usually gets the best of each of us, and I'm no exception. Life is messy, and other events take priority. Back in 2020, I realized that I missed the community that was slowly curated, with other lovers of anime, people who enjoy the sometimes slower, yet detailed-information-overload style of Play by Post role playing. Prismatica had its share of birthing pains. A number of domain name changes, software experimentations, and fierce competition with Social Media, this site is determined to stay active. Last year just before Summertime, I decided to abandon my first forum platform, SimpleMachineForum (SMF) and try out XenForo. I didn't make this choice lightly. After all, I grew up with SMF from it's pre-birth days of YABB and YABBse. And I'm not used to paying an annual subscription for forum software either, but the features that XenForo provides a group of creative role players simply blows SMF out of the water.

• Light/Dark theme support.
• Sub-Accounts for in-character posting.
• Post entry box auto-expansion to reduce scrolling.
• Built-in Spoiler support.
• Clean and modern functionality.
• Media Library support for anime
• Easy gamification extras.

The Where?

Prismatica has been configured to be modular. There are a number of categories to help keep the topics organized. The first area is for the site itself. You'll find the change log for the website, see all the introductions of the other members and staff, and have a place to chat about Off-Topic stuff (that is, topics that don't pertain to anime or role playing).

The next section, Mechanics and Guidelines houses all the discussions that talk about role playing systems, all broken down into specific boards dedicated to each game system. There's also a place to discuss general role playing related topics, share war stories, and talk shop in the Table Talk board. Finally, inside the Creativity Corner, we discuss the various digital and old-school tools we use to create with.

The third area has been designated for Sources of Inspiration, a very important part of the creative process. After all, there are no new ideas, only mishmashings of old ideas in new ways! First, there's the Anime area. There are separate boards dedicated to each fandom. The purpose here is to recreate that feeling of the fan-shrines that prevailed during the 2000s. This makes it easier to keep track of the stories that we take information from to play our games! This is also where we can just relax and chat about anime concepts in general. There are three more dedicated boards, each tackling a specific form of medium:

• Manga
• TV & Movies
• Books

Next we come to our pride and joy of the site: Our Role Playing Realms! Each board (with the exception of the first couple) are individual games, each running their own dedicated system of choice. It is possible that you'll run into multiple copies of the same character, albeit using different game mechanics. This is truly a playground of exploration. There are no wrong answers here. If you're interested in starting your own game, feel free to pitch an idea in the Campaign Ideas board!

The final area, The Starlight Sanctuary is reserved for our Premium members. A private forum area where rants, memes, and other hot-button topics may be discussed without concern. There could be profanity flying around inside this area, so watch your step! There's also the secluded role playing adventures, inviting characters to unleash their wild and naughty side. You may access this mature area for only $5 USD for the entire year. Why charge? This is the simplest method to ensure that nobody is inadvertently corrupting the minds of our youth. Payment also helps to ensure that the Trolls stay out of causing trouble.

Along the right-hand side, you'll see all the Members whom have visited within the past 24-hours, the most recent topics, and even the Profile updates-- Life Events that are happening within our member's lives. And if you really enjoy Prismatica, consider gifting a small donation to help keep this site's expenses paid for the year?

And at the very top of the site, there are other site functions that only enhance your experience here. Social Groups: Little private clubs that anybody can join, our Member's Listing, and the Credits and Shop which provide the gamification extras that you can redeem to enhance your visiting experience.

The How?

So you wanna join in? I'm so glad you asked how! The process is pretty easy. The first thing you're going to want to do is click on the Register Now button. Pick a username, use an email address that you'll remember, and pick a good sturdy password-- you can also simply use Facebook, Google or DeviantArt. Finally, you'll want to validate your email by clicking on the link that's sent to your inbox.

Next you're going to want to Introduce yourself. in the Player Applications and Introductions board. To help you out I've created a little form that you can use. The information collected is mostly to help weed out SPAMers and Trolls. Only people who are truly serious about anime and role playing will bother filling everything out, right? Don't mind the Pending status. You may go ahead and start adding your own thoughts to the site immediately! Oh, and welcome. Please have some fun!

Role Playing Game Ratings

What is a RPG Rating?

This is simply a guide recommended for role playing games, similar to your standard Movie Ratings guide, or even Video Games ratings. We utilize the RPG Ratings system because it's multidimensional. Some games may wish to include profanity without any sort of violence or sexual behavior. A simple one-letter designation simply doesn't allow for this flexibility.

Throughout the forum, you'll notice a set of three color-coded numbers to the right of some boards. These are special boards, designed to introduce you to the specific topics contained within that area. Each of these three numbers has a specific meaning. The left-most number indicates the level of profanity that is allowed within the entire section. A zero (0) is the most restrictive, while a three (3) is the most expressive allowed. The middle number represents the amount of sexual descriptiveness that is allowed. Again, zero (0) means that sexual discussion or details are not permitted, while a value of three (3) allows for the most colorful and vivid of scenes to be portrayed. Finally, the right-most number indicates the level of violence that is authorized. A zero (0) means you better be writing something that is suitable for children to feast their eyes upon, while a three (3) is indicative of all manners of gore and trauma.

The following table is a direct copy from the official RPG Ratings website::

Another thing to consider is the Visibility marker. There are three modes:

• Public - Everybody may see the entire contents of the game. This is the default setting and will be used unless specified during the creation of the game.
• Members Only - Only registered members who are currently signed into the Prismatica site will be able to view the contents of the game. This is useful if you want to protect your written content from Internet Scrapers and other nefarious individuals.
• Private - Games with this setting will only be visible if you as a member, have been invited into a game. This is a suitable setting for a close group of friends wishing to explore untamed concepts within a fictional context. Note that the Staff will have access to view everything within these games. This is for the protection of the entire Prismatica site.

Finally, for the convenance of all members, the System Mechanics will be listed for every game. This helps to prepare anybody who may be interested in participating in a game ensure that they have any necessary books, dice, and other tools needed to successfully play the game.

Core Resources

Prismatica offers a number of resources available to enhance your role playing experience. I know that not everybody has seen the anime that are featured here, which is why I'm hosing at the very least, the first season of every anime title that has a dedicated role play as its setting. These anime are located in the Media Gallery and only Registered members have access to them. You don't even have to waste your time and bandwidth downloading these episodes first. Please feel free to add any commentary or suggestions. I'm also going to be offering soundtracks and music, as well as various images and wallpapers to assist with your avatars.

Another resource I hope to eventually offer, exclusively to members are core rule books for various role playing systems. Most of these books that will be offered are for games that offer a primer version of the full game, are games that are completely free or are totally out of print and impossible to purchase. I highly encourage you to purchase these resources from their respective owners of the games you use. This feature will be rolled out when I can finally afford the Resource Manager (a $70 initial expense).

Extra Miscellaneous Information?

Ha Ha! Made ya look! There's nothing here just yet!