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I have been RPing a long, long time. Almost two decades. I've gone through many sites. I've picked up many friends along the way. I've been an admin more times than is probably really reasonable, actually. But I have to say, after being through the wringer, deciding what sorts of people I like, what sorts of RP I like, and how I want my home to look... this is the place. After this, I really don't think anywhere else will suffice. Out of character, the community is warm, supportive, always aiming to make sure interactions are healthy ones where everyone is treated as a person with feelings and lives of their own. It's not always perfect, but when conflict does arise, there's always that goal of making sure it gets solved with communication. I value this online as much as I do in the "real" world. And don't even get me started on the site itself. It was built with love, and is always open to changing what it needs to change in order to make sure the site runs as desired. RP is meant to be FUN and that's the goal here, making it stressful would defeat the whole purpose. Every day sees over a hundred posts, typically even on the slowest days, and plots are almost always hot. Being able to jump in wherever and whenever and keeping things organic means no one gets left behind or left out, and the community's respect of other players means bulldozing isn't an issue, either. I think about my characters here, and the characters of others, almost all day every day. The writing is top notch, the characters are varied and often hilarious, and really I wouldn't trade Passing Strange for anything. Twenty years and I have never felt more welcome, more creative, or more proud being in a forum. If you want to play a wereanimal of some sort, or a vampire, or a magic human, or even just a very normal human stuck in a world with all of these crazies... you gotta at least try this.

This place. I'd gotten out of the RP game a couple years back after a decade and a half or so of it being my primary hobby. Just diminishing returns, souring relationships, egos and mess. I meandered into Passing Strange a good few months ago because I'd known one of the staff for a long while and missed regular engagement with them. We neither of us are great at maintaining contact, so I thought this would help. And my goodness. These people. They are good writers, sure. Threads are engaging and unpredictable and I like that we have a sort of melting pot of styles. Some posts are appropriately pithy and brief, evoking only the attitude of the established character and being excellent little reaction snapshots, while others are replete with visceral imagery that absolutely paints a picture. It all runs the spectrum and serves to drive stories forward in fun and fascinating ways. But whatever, a lot of places have stellar writing. That's not why I love these people. Statistically I have to accept that you probably could, but I still catch myself doubting anyone will ever find a kinder, healthier community of humble humans just trying to have a little fun and make each other's lives better. The staff are across the board gentle and welcoming, hilarious and proactive. They embrace their role as facilitators and accept their fallibility, always open to suggestions and changes. They very sincerely want this place to be safe and gracious to all comers, and the memberbase embraces this fully. I was not a month in before this community felt very much like the place I belong. Compassion runs rampant, and while we of course have occasional conflict because that's how human interaction works, the overwhelming desire to respond with understanding and find workable solutions keeps the community strong. If the setting intrigues you, stop on in. Passing Strange is a wonderful home and if you decide to settle in, I think you'll find yourself loving it for a long, long time.

Having been a part of several writing communities for more than half my life, I think I've finally got a pretty good grip on what makes an enrapturing roleplay experience. The people I have met in the PS community have introduced me to a largely plot-free play style - and that has honestly changed this hobby for me for the better. The writers here consistently supply immense inspiration and compelling characters and stories, and half the time none of us have any idea how a thread is going to end, and I freakin' love that. On top of having extremely rich and vivid in-character happenings, the OOC community is absolutely the kindest, funniest, most thoughtful group of people I have ever met, online and otherwise. The folks here communicate openly and lovingly, are inclusive and engaging, and I have learned a whoooole lot - about writing and real life situations in general - from a lot of them. Here's to PS being around for a long time to come. 💖

Welcome to RPG Initiative. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.