OngoingWorlds blog

News & articles about play-by-post games, for roleplayers & writers

Jul
16

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The Simming Prize is Always Open for Nominations

Category: Advertising your game, Awards, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: , Leave a Comment

While the latest Tournament of Simulations has just gotten underway, the awards season never ends in simming and online role playing! Indeed, the Simming Prize (officially The Prize for Simming and Online Role Playing in Memory of Seth Cotis) is always accepting nominations using this form.

What is the Simming Prize, you might ask?

simming prize
The Simming Prize Image by Jack Carter

Well, it goes all the way back to 1999 (or thereabouts) when the Simming League formally launched the The Simming League Prize for Simming and Online Role Playing (or Simming Prize, for short). Modeled after the Nobel Prizes, Simming Prizes were awarded annually with one citation in each of these five categories: Internet Technology, Literature, Management, Peace, and Service. Those first winners included Alliance Simulation Group (ASG), Tashak, Ender Maki, Chas Hammer, RolePlayerUSA, the Star Trek Galactic Newsletter, and Trek Online.

While the five categories no longer exist, the Simming Prize remains alive today to honor those in the simming & online role playing community who exemplify service, quality, and dedication or who pioneer new technology or techniques. The Prize can recognize a significant one-time accomplishment or sustained contributions over a period of time. Individuals and entities who win a Prize are entitled to use the honorific Simming Prize Laureate.

Who is this Seth Cotis?

Seth Cotis was the founder of Starfleet Legacy Alliance (SLA) and a long-time leader within the Simming League. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2005. The League initially considered establishing a new award, the Seth Cotis Medal of Honor. However, they instead decided to rename the existing Simming Prize in his memory. We continue to honor his legacy today. Ametheliana of Star Army, Obsidian Command of Obsidian Fleet, and RPG Writing won Prizes for 2024.

What does it mean for you?

This is your chance to help us honor the best of the community! Nominate your club. Nominate your sim. Nominate yourself! To date, 116 Simming Prizes, through 108 citations, have been awarded to 105 different entities since those original 1999 Prizes. This is your chance to be a part of history as we celebrate our collective achievments.

Simming Prize Website

*****Simming Prize Nomination Form*****

Facebook | X | Discord

But wait, there’s more!

The Simming Prize isn’t the only award on the block. Yes, the Khitomer Peace Awards are accepting nominations for their latest cycle through July 31st. Check it out!

Jun
18

By

Calling all Nominees for the 2024 Tournament of Simulations!

Category: Advertising your game, Awards, Competition, Events, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: Leave a Comment

Image by Willvoy

Now that the 2023 competition is in the books, it’s time for us to hold the next Tournament of Simulations (ToS): this tournament will feature entries from last year, 2024.

For those who might be unfamiliar with ToS, this is where you can enter your role play or sim to potentially win a prize at no cost or risk to you! Judges from across the community go through all of the entries and evaluate them on story, characters, and readability.

As has been our tradition for several years now, play-by-post games will be graded on 10 consecutive posts while chat games will be graded on a single chat session. All sims will be considered regardless of club or fleet affiliation. We then present awards to the top-scoring games. The sims that don’t place are not announced. That’s right: you’ve got nothing to lose, so why not enter?

Okay, enough on that. How about we get on with the nominations…

Read More

Jun
5

By

2023 Tournament of Simulations Concludes

Category: Advertising your game, Awards, Competition, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: Leave a Comment

Image by Willvoy

The nominations were received and evaluated, and now we have some winners! Before we announce those amazing sims, in case anyone is unfamiliar with this program, the Tournament of Simulations (ToS) is an annual competition, sponsored and run by Ongoing Worlds, that is open to all sims and online role-playing games, regardless of format or genre.

This year we had 60 unique entrants, which resulted in 23 different winners. As it is seemingly every year, the participation and excellence displayed is a true testament to the ongoing strength of our simming and online role playing community, despite the naysayers.

As I frequently remind myself and others: evaluating sims is a subjective art, and this is certainly true with ToS.  We’re not here to identify the best games as this is impossible.  Instead, we’re here to identify what we think are outstanding sims that exude excellence.  A different set of judges might very well chose a completely different set of winners.  And that’s okay! If you’re interested, this is how we select the winners. With that on the record once again, here are your 2023 Tournament of Simulation winners:

Play-by-Post

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Mar
4

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USF’s 30th Anniversary: 1995-2025

Category: Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: , , Leave a Comment


Main banner/logo from December 18, 1996 (archive.org)

USF (short for United Space Federation) officially marked its 30th anniversary back in January. One of the oldest clubs still in existence today, they continue to thrive in their chat-based format literally decades after their 1995 launch. To celebrate, they are inviting the entire community to an open house:

And You’re invited!

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Dec
31

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Top Blog Posts of 2024

Category: Roleplay Systems, Roleplaying community Tags: Leave a Comment

Continuing our annual tradition here dating back to 2014, it’s time to announce our top blog posts from the prior year. As it was with 2023, 2024 was again a slow one for the blog. And just like last year, we only have one article to highlight–part IV in our snarky, yet helpful, Spelling Tips series.

But what hasn’t been slow are our play-by-post games over on the main OngoingWorlds site. It’s been as busy as ever with both new and long-running games remaining popular. Or, if nothing there suits your fancy, you can always create your own game.

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Nov
25

By

2023 Tournament of Simulations open for nominations… Finally!

Category: Advertising your game, Awards, Competition, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: Leave a Comment


Image by Willvoy

It’s long past time for us to hold the next Tournament of Simulations (ToS)… before it’s 2025! Speaking of years, ToS is the oldest and longest-running award in the simming and online role playing community.

For those who might be unfamiliar with ToS, this is where you can enter your role play to potentially win a prize at no cost or risk to you! Judges from across the community go through all of the entries and grade them on story, characters, and readability.

As has been our tradition for several years now, play-by-post games will be graded on 10 consecutive posts while chat games will be graded on a single chat session. All sims will be considered regardless of club or fleet affiliation. We then present awards to the top-scoring games. The sims that don’t place are not announced. That’s right: you’ve got nothing to lose, so why not enter?

Okay, enough on that. How about we get on with the nominations…

Read More

Mar
16

By

2022 Simulation Cup Results… Finally!

Category: Awards, Competition, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: , , Leave a Comment

Image by Malkfan

What a tournament! A record of 88 fantastic entrants led to another record of 36 awards to be conferred below. Before we get to those, however, you might remember that we’re running this Tournament of Simulations (ToS) under the Simulation Cup banner to honor the 2012 and 2014 tournaments.

Naming conventions aside, this competition has been one for the ages, easily blowing away last year’s records of 70 entrants with 26 winners. The participation and excellence displayed is a true testament to the ongoing strength of the simming and online role playing community, regardless of what others might say.

As I say every year, evaluating sims is a subjective art, and this is certainly true with ToS.  We’re not here to identify the best games as this is impossible.  Instead, we’re here to identify what we think are outstanding sims that exude excellence.  A different set of judges might very well chose a completely different set of winners.  And that’s okay! If you’re interested, this is how we select the winners. With that on the record once again, here are your 2022 Simulation Cup winners:

Play-by-Post

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Mar
9

By

Top Blog Posts of 2023

Category: Roleplay Systems, Roleplaying community Tags: Leave a Comment

Continuing our annual tradition dating back to 2014, it’s time to announce our top blog posts from the last year. Yes, it’s been a slow year here at the Blog, our slowest ever in fact with only five total articles published all year.

However, 2023 did produce one of our most interesting posts yet, one that I’m not even sure what to make of TBH. If you haven’t read it, take a look below:

Omens

Let’s get back on track in 2024…

If you’re a writer or just passionate about play-by-post, we would love to hear from you and publish your work!

Past summaries: 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

May
10

By

Omens

Category: Events, Play-by-post discussion, Roleplay Systems, Roleplaying community Tags: , Leave a Comment

While toiling away attempting to come up with a great story. Yes, before you say anything I know it has been over a year since my last article. But I digress… Instead of coming up with a great story I stumbled across a very interesting comment on a previous Ongoing Worlds article:

In the 3rd month of the 33rd year, the Castle collapses
Young and Old collide in combat
Seizing the opportunity, the Brazen Man attacks
The Estate is now his, and They his subjects


On the first read, I didn’t know what to think of it, though someone else replied in the comments section with, “What is this squiddies poetry?” Poetry yes, but not Squiddies, I thought. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my many years of simming, it’s that you never know what to expect next or where it will come from next!

Back to the task at hand of trying to get the creative juices flowing and continuing to work backwards in time through the blog posts, I observed a similarly strange poetry-like comment in the Babel Conference article. I then noticed that both comments were from someone going by the name of Nicholas de Sim with an avatar of simply NdS. My interest was piqued! I clicked on Mr. de Sim’s Disqus profile, which revealed six different four-liners. Seeing them all together, they then reminded me of Nostradamus quatrains. Do we have a Nostradamus in simming? Google search time!

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Jan
16

By

2022 Simulation Cup: Enter Today!

Category: Advertising your game, Awards, Competition, Roleplay Systems, Roleplay-related projects, Roleplaying community Tags: , Leave a Comment

Image by Malkfan

With calendar year 2022 in the books, it’s time for us to formally close it out with the annual Simulation Cup. Wait, don’t I mean the annual Tournament of Simulations aka ToS? Yes, they are one at the same!

According to our records, the 2012 tournament was held under the Simulation Cup banner. In honor of that event 10 years ago, we decided to use its name again today. And we think it makes a pretty cool poster too!

The mechanics of the game remain the same: Here are a few tips on how to win. For those who may be unfamiliar, this is where you can enter your role play to potentially win a prize at no cost or risk to you! Judges from across the community go through all of the entries and grade them on story, characters, and readability.

As has been our tradition for several years now, play-by-post games will be graded on 10 consecutive posts while chat games will be graded on a single chat session. All sims will be considered regardless of club or fleet affiliation. We then present awards to the top-scoring games. The sims that don’t place are not announced. That’s right: you’ve got nothing to lose, so why not enter?

Okay, enough on that. How about we get on with the nominations…

Read More
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