NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="JacksonTT" data-source="post: 2558614">Okay, folks, I’ve been reading the posts over the last few months and noticed a few things that’ve been starting to bother me.  People post their dislikes about the way certain characters act, the way others interact with each other, and the way they react to their surroundings.  I hear people complain that they’re not allowed to be evil the way they want, and then I hear them turn around and say characters aren’t being nice enough anymore.  They even say they don’t like the way certain characters speak.  It all makes me think just one thing.Let me play my character.We’re all here (I thought) to roleplay.  Interactive Story Role Playing.  Right?  Role playing means I’m playing a character, not myself.  A character who has his/her own history, personality, motivations, quirks, flaws, etc.  A character who isn’t perfect, or right all the time.  Or even most of the time.  He doesn’t have to do the right thing, or be nice and supportive to everyone he comes across.  He doesn’t have to welcome strangers over to his table, or be impressed by the latest scary guy.  He can speak the way he wants, act the way he wants around his friends, etc.  This is all in-character stuff.  This is all him.  I’m not saying you have to like it.  I’m not even saying you should.  But when I come to the message boards and see people complaining OOC about the way characters act IC?  Come on, people, they’re not supposed to be perfect.  We’ll let evil people be unpleasant, because they’re evil.  But if you’re not, you’re required to be a happy, smiling helpful person who’s always got a chair open for anyone.  Or else you’re a bad player who’s clique-ish.I’m getting really sick of the whole clique complaint.  There’re reasons for gaming within a set group, and not all of them are, “I feel like being a jerk and excluding everyone else.”  In another thread a while back, it was pointed out that different players had different role-playing styles.  While I might enjoy a less-powerful gaming style, someone else might prefer high-fantasy high-magic campaigns.  Both are fine, to each their own.  But I don’t necessarily want the high-powered guy solving all my problems, because why wouldn’t he if he was my friend?  It doesn’t fit in with my chosen style.  There’re other reasons, too.  Maybe our CHARACTERS don’t have a lot of reasons to particularly trust people anymore.  Maybe we’re playing people who’ve been used and manipulated one too many times.  Maybe they’re sick of it, and only really want to associate with people they know they can trust.  Maybe they’re okay with other people once they decide they can trust them, too, but they’re not going to immediately welcome strangers with open arms.  And then I see posts like this: “I tried a similar, but more extreme, experiment a few times. I brought in someone who was in some kind of danger, but was a completely neew screen name. For example, one character was sick and slowly dying, and another was contemplating suicide. What happened? They were almost entirely ignored, and, basically, allowed to die. Not only did this show a bad reaction towards new characters, but it also made little to no sense In Character.”Personally, I don't see what sense it makes for someone to come into a purely public area when they're dying, instead of some place where they can get the help they apparently expect, like a temple or something.  And some of us have a highly contemptuous view of suicide and don't take kindly to people contemplating it, especially as an attempt to get attention, which is what was clearly stated as this player’s intention.  *I've* brought in new characters before, without the expectation of instant acceptance or friendships, and I've had an okay time.  Seriously.  I’ve seen people come in with very bizarre and “exotic” characters, like races which would normally be considered unapproachable, or unpleasant, and then complain when no one comes over to them and initiates anything.  It’s fine to play things like that, but just be ready to get treated like something bizarre.I’m not saying it’s not a difficult thing to be a new person, and I’m not saying everyone’s being fair.  I know it can be frustrating, especially if someone’s calling you a “st00pid n00b” or something else equally juvenile and ignorant.  I’m not condoning any of that.  I guess what I’m basically saying is, stop telling people how to play their characters, stop telling us how our characters should act and react, and stop telling us we’re jerks because our characters aren’t all the nicest people on the planet.</blockquote>

Verification