Random Saturday Ep 89: AJC Roleplay Culture & History

 

Greetings from Agent Grave!

 Today I'm going to touch upon a topic that remains sentimental to me: the roleplay community in AJC. Most Jammers are aware that people roleplay warrior cats and wolves in Sarepia Aldan. Despite what it may seem, it is much more than pretending to be an animal. I've met lifelong friends from this special corner of the internet, and I'm still in touch with some of them today. Roleplay has given me a jump-start in my passion for writing, and I wouldn't have the skillset or opportunities I have today if I wasn't a warrior cats obsessed nerd. 

Our culture may seem strange to traders, but it makes us who we are, and resonates with us on a personal level. To understand roleplay culture, you must understand our history.

The community first took off when someone by the name of Madjaster founded Thunderclan. It was a peaceful clan, with a strict loyalty to the series it was based off of. People with an interest in felines flocked from all corners of Animal Jam to Mad's den. There, they chatted, roleplayed, created extravagant plots, and touched up on their literary skills. In Madjaster's den, anyone of any age could roleplay, no matter their background. Nearly any plot was accepted by the others. Thunderclan was a group crafted and changed by many paws, meant to be enjoyed by everyone who appreciated the Warrior Cats Saga. It was very much a "free for all" clan that prided itself on kindness and random encounters. Many roleplayers, both modern and old, got their start here. 

Take this as an example of what Thunderclan roleplayed like:

For years, Thunderclan prospered. Madjaster Impersonators allowed the original clan to shine in the spotlight. Despite this, impersonation is still identity theft, and I personally look down upon it. Various other clans were founded, inspired by both the authentic and fake madjasters. Here is a video depicting some of the most notable early clans.

As 2016 came about, packs became increasingly more popular. Packs consisted of canines and felines, and were often dark-realmed. The literary style early clans used was viewed as old-fashioned. Traditional roleplay was eroded by a new form of wordsmithery: Advanced Vocabulary. In order to write in this style, you listed a bunch of adjectives, along with your character's movements. Common physical language such as "head" and tail" were replaced by anatomical vernacular, alike to "cranium" and "cadal appendage." Though some "advanced anatomy" was actually used in vetrinary fields, a hoard of phony anatomy swept its round throughout the community. "Cadal Appendage" and "Sorcpalishians" do not describe Canidae or Felidae structures. Oftentimes, Advanced Vocabulary was a requirement to join this packs. If you did not already know this niche dialect, you were forced to learn and use it. 

Apart from roleplay styles, packs had one other major difference that set them apart from clans. Packs were notorious for causing wars, instigating raids, and encouraging drama. Though not all packs shared this battle-hungry mindset, it was common for groups to hold that mentality. In roleplay, canine congregations frequently spent their time sparring, training, hunting, battling, and trading movesets. Yes, people did actually offer rares for the right to use someone's advanced vocabulary chat bubbles.

Here is some footage of a pack war between Lazarus, Vigilance, and Jinxed, who were popular groups at the time. 

Eventually, 2016 came and went. The "big names" of that era grew up and left the community behind. From 2018 onwards, the community became focused more on roleplay lore and worldbuilding, as opposed to drama, battling, and regular plots. Skyfall was one of the pioneer groups of this new era. Led by Rebelli0us, Skyfall was a post-apocalyptic group, taking place after a nuclear war. The pack's cast of characters bore unique mutations, which could be used inside of roleplay. I was in this pack myself as a wolf named Thoth, who had enhanced vision. Thoth could see for miles around him. His mutation taught me how to write from different visual and sensory perspectives. 

I don't have footage of Skyfall, but I hope you enjoy this Sparrowclan memorial nonetheless. 

Groups continued to evolve, and by 2018, traditional roleplay had become commonplace again. The size of the community dwindled, but its legacy flourished. Clans and Packs became equal in number. Instead of focusing on war, groups made peace, leaving conflict aside for plots. Of course, there is still drama and remnants of the 2016 era around today. Drama is still a pivotal part of the community, though it is slowly shifting toward the sidelines. 

 If a roleplayer ever uses a wacky anatomical term or requests that you fill out an form for their group, treat them with respect. Roleplay culture inspires common behaviors roleplayers adopt.  People have reasons for acting the way they do. We are different, but human.