Editing The r/place Romanian Trollface (section)

== Timeline ==
[[File:the_troll.png|thumb|200px|The original sketch of the Romanian trollface, made by [[RomanianMemer]]]]
=== 2022 ===
==== Preparation for r/place 2022 ====
It isn't known when the OKPR v2 server was first notified about this event (although on the opening day the server members were already aware a few hours before the start), nor who was the first person to announce the server about this experiment. It is certainly known that [[RomanianMemer|Mihailul]], Netflix's son and Edward were some of the event initiators.

==== Independent attempts ====
[[File:2vpYCzKp2Q.png|thumb|200px|A meme showing the unfinished Romanian trollface and the advancing Ukrainian flag, whose creators are depicted as hungry pigs. This image represents the earliest known depiction by an OKPR member of the trollface's drawing progress.]]
The canvas was opened to the public at 13:00 UTC. There wasn't an immediate response from the OKPR server, as the members have not decided what to draw. After brief dscussions, everybody agreed on drawing the well-known subreddit symbol, the Romanian trollface. Mihailul created the first and only sketch of the pixelated trollface, which will become the official one. The design was prepared and the members were ready. All they needed was a place to begin.

After some 90 minutes, it was proposed to create the artwork at around the coordinates <code>785,530</code>, and so it began the first attempt. There were some fears about the brutal advancement of the Ukrainian flag towards the trollface, but the project didn't stop. Eventually at around 15:30 UTC, while the chin of the trollface was completed, the flag was next to our artwork, bringing with it certain death.<ref name="2022_atlas_5">https://2022.place-atlas.stefanocoding.me/#/5/785/530/10</ref> It didn't last long for the trollface to be covered by blue and yellow pixels, lowering the morale of OKPR members at the moment.

There was a second attempt at recreating the OKPR symbol, although there are currently no direct evidences or media files to prove it. One thing for sure is that the second iteration would have been recreated near the Foxhole artwork, as some members have suggested. While working on the first attempt, there were already some Reddit users creating another pixelated trollface at coordinates <code>650,620</code>,<ref name="2022_atlas_5" /> that eventually would be casted under the shadow of the [https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets r/wallstreetbets] artwork.<ref name="2022_atlas_7">https://2022.place-atlas.stefanocoding.me/#/7/650/620/10</ref> It was also discussed to draw the trollface somewhere near the transgender flag, which laid a few pixels above the Ukrainian flag, but this didn't materialize due to the high risk of being griefed again.

==== Canvas expansion & r/pMegu alliance ====
On the second day at around 16:30 UTC, following the huge wave of redditors joining r/place, the canvas expanded to the right, adding another 1000x1000 pixels. This was the perfect opportunity to revive the project and draw the trollface once again. It was redrawn at coordinates <code>1690,175</code> and the second attempt finished in an hour, but this achievement did not last long as a new challenge arose. 

r/pMegu, a Reddit subreddit focused on recreating Megumin (one of the main characters from the anime series Konosuba)<ref>https://konosuba.fandom.com/wiki/Megumin</ref> on r/place canvas, decided to draw her next to the trollface. The initial plan provided for Megumin's staff to be drawn right to the coordinates where OKPR's artwork was located. Thus it followed a series of attacks from r/pMegu that OKPR members faced for several hours, until around 20:30 UTC when the latter gave up and the artwork was completely griefed.

As a result of this troubled situation, OKPR members tried to keep in touch with r/pMegu members, with some of the former joining the latter's server as diplomats. There were some long discussions with pMegu members that ended well due to the peaceful intentions of both communities, eventually leading to the formation of an alliance that lasted throughout the rest of the event. Following this agreement, on the third day, at about 9:30 UTC, the third attempt of drawing the trollface started with the support of pMegu members,<ref name="2022_atlas_89">https://2022.place-atlas.stefanocoding.me/#/89/1690/195/7</ref> being finished in less than an hour.

==== Xqc's attack ====
[[File:Screen Shot 2022-04-04 at 4.02.07 PM.png|thumb|250px|A diagram showing all the griefing instances made by Twitch streamers up until April 4]]

==== Poland's invasion ====

=== 2023 ===
==== Preparation for r/place 2023 ====
Netflix’s son was the first to announce the OKPR server via Mihailul about the event, thanks to the users from r/pMegu. And again they, along with Edward, encouraged the server to join them and to help recreating the well-known trollface.

==== Early attempt ====
The trio, along with Mihai3, RT and others, were waiting for the subreddit to open its canvas. Immediately as it opened, the users found a good spot for drawing the trollface, the first pixel being placed by Edward at coordinates <code>172;267</code>. RT helped organizing the members to ease the drawing by creating 2 channels for discussions regarding r/place, #place-general and #place-info. Meanwhile, the r/Romania Discord server members were aware about the event, but very unorganized and without a well-elaborated plan for drawing. Eventually they found the trollface and decided to draw a flag close to it.

40 minutes after the canvas opened, the Romanian trollface was griefed by r/Romania members who wanted to create the Romanian flag, and by strangers who just wanted to delay the progress. In order to keep in touch with the Romanian redditors, Edward created an additional Discord server called [[PlaceRO]], in order to unite them with OKPR members and thus to form an alliance, making the previous 2 channels on OKPR obsolete and archiving them. After an hour, it was decided to abandon the drawing of the trollface and focus on expanding and protecting the Romanian flag.<ref>https://new.reddit.com/r/Romania/comments/154tm8f/salut_haide%C8%9Bi_pe_rplace/</ref>

==== PlaceRO ====
Unexpectedly, the server membership count grew at an exponential rate, bringing with it both Romanian and foreign members from tens of different comunities and subreddits involved in r/place. Some of the Romanian communities that helped were r/placeromania, the PixelRO Discord server, the IRaphahell fandom and r/Romania. The server focused on maintaining the Romanian flag and protecting the artworks of the allied communities, without it being easy for them. The server faced many challenges, such as the Brazilian and 'Fuck spez' assault of the first flag or Bratishkinoff griefing the second flag. The server also got much more popularity thanks to Romanian streamers like IRaphahell<ref name="live_rapha_1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24l5hz5fLT8 </ref> and Highman<ref name="live_highman">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHxwgW8B-K8</ref>, although they weren't helping the PlaceRO's cause.

==== The return of the trollface ====
After many ups and downs, the OKPR's long awaited wish was granted, thanks to Edward and RT. At midnight on June 24, around 1:00 AM local time, it was announced that the Romanian trollface shall be the next artwork drawn on the flag, in order to secure the Romanian piece of canvas with more artworks. After half an hour, the already tired online members managed to recreate the OKPR symbol at the coordinates <code>-287,80</code>, which will stand mostly untouched for the rest of the event.