05-28-2017, 06:57 PM
I waited to see the initial responses to this, but I'll start it out on the lightest note I can.
Nanovelich, I'm not quite sure who you are, nor will I be speaking my mind about the prospect of wipes. But I will say this.
It's rare to see such a comprehensive and well written rebuttal, and I appreciate it. You're fine with the formatting, mate.
I've been informed of who you are whilst typing this post, and I'd like to extend my thanks. You work has been invaluable to me perhaps hundreds of times in the calc.
Onto the actual OP. It's no secret that I tend to be a recluse on both the forums and the game itself- some already know why, and now the rest of you do too. Despite being an oldbie, it's quite frankly exactly what this thread is about that makes me hide away from the community like a particularly snobby, self-made Rapunzel, only letting my hair down on the rarest of occasions. I adore the game- god knows, I've spent enough time and money on SL1 and 2 both. I adore a lot of people who play the game. But the community as a whole can often sink into a mire of memes, irritating comments that tread awfully close to the fourth wall, and a tendency to treat mechanics as IC in a way that often drains my desire to participate.
Perhaps something that makes this far more egregious is that I often have to grin and bear it for time spent on my guard- but that's a part of the role that I accept for the fun it otherwise allows.
That said, onto the meat and bones of what I want to say- and it begins with Soapy's comment.
I only partially agree with this. I fully agree that this whole situation is a problem that undoubtedly has permanent effects. However, I feel like at least something can be done to improve the state of RP just a little more, to be a touch more bearable again. The first thing that comes to mind is something I'm sharply aware that numerous people in this thread do, albeit with good intentions, including myself. Perhaps if the people who are permanent fixtures in the game and the IC like the majority of posters here, once again including myself, bite the bullet and risked looking like a bit of a twat to just. . point people in the right way if the IC turns a tad sour.
Let's take part of Spoops' post as an example.
This is painfully common, and isn't just a random example. Raijin as a weapon is indeed in the game ICly, as a raijin. It is a thing. But one of the parts of SL2 IC that I adore the most is the ability to bend things a little to fit the IC a touch better. Such as the example that someone might want to RP a raijin as another electrified sword given above. It's an important separation between IC and mechanics that makes the necessary step out of the MMORPG standard of 'this is your gear' to the much more comfortable freedom an actual RP has in characters and character concepts. It's the bridge between 'standard RPG gear' and a well-worn weapon weapon that's important to someone ICly. It's important to allow that for flavour.
The problem here is, of course, not people who want to ICly use a raijin or any given weapon in particular. The problem is, as Spoops mentioned, a separate party coming in, watching a fight, and claiming it's a raijin in character. This is just one admittedly painful common example, well put by Spoops.
But there's something that more permanent fixtures to the game can do about it- perhaps not as a fix, but as a limiting factor, as a buffer to limit just how rampant this, memeing, and the like are. Perhaps if we bite the bullet and risk looking like a dick every now and then, simply saying "hey dude, that's a little immersion breaking," and having a few kind words with someone who does it might make some progress at the very least.
After all, for newer players? It could prevent it from being a habit or convention for them.
For older players, it might function as a necessary reminder that it's super immersion breaking to others- and if it doesn't stop them from doing it, they might be more mindful about who they do it around. Afterall, it's just a different style to some extent, and probably would serve best from gentle reminders of preferences rather than outright getting up in arms.
And hey, gradual improvements do work on the odd occasion- I can think of a few people off the top of my head, without naming names, who used to be hella up to this sort of thing back in the day, but are less memethirsty now.
This isn't an outright fix. By no means. But I'm somewhat of the mindset that a gentle guiding hand in a situation like this can create a situation- if not a compromise -where all parties are at least a little less feeling like fleeing the game.
The Jojo memes are hella awful though, I've seen times where they've almost literally copypasted Jojos, and that's outright not allowed.
Quote:Afterword: Sorry, I tried to format this as best I could for readability. Forgive me, I wrote more than I could chew in the end.
Nanovelich, I'm not quite sure who you are, nor will I be speaking my mind about the prospect of wipes. But I will say this.
It's rare to see such a comprehensive and well written rebuttal, and I appreciate it. You're fine with the formatting, mate.
I've been informed of who you are whilst typing this post, and I'd like to extend my thanks. You work has been invaluable to me perhaps hundreds of times in the calc.
Onto the actual OP. It's no secret that I tend to be a recluse on both the forums and the game itself- some already know why, and now the rest of you do too. Despite being an oldbie, it's quite frankly exactly what this thread is about that makes me hide away from the community like a particularly snobby, self-made Rapunzel, only letting my hair down on the rarest of occasions. I adore the game- god knows, I've spent enough time and money on SL1 and 2 both. I adore a lot of people who play the game. But the community as a whole can often sink into a mire of memes, irritating comments that tread awfully close to the fourth wall, and a tendency to treat mechanics as IC in a way that often drains my desire to participate.
Perhaps something that makes this far more egregious is that I often have to grin and bear it for time spent on my guard- but that's a part of the role that I accept for the fun it otherwise allows.
That said, onto the meat and bones of what I want to say- and it begins with Soapy's comment.
Quote:I'm in full agreement with the OP, but I have to say I think it's too far down the line for this post to have any positive results.
I only partially agree with this. I fully agree that this whole situation is a problem that undoubtedly has permanent effects. However, I feel like at least something can be done to improve the state of RP just a little more, to be a touch more bearable again. The first thing that comes to mind is something I'm sharply aware that numerous people in this thread do, albeit with good intentions, including myself. Perhaps if the people who are permanent fixtures in the game and the IC like the majority of posters here, once again including myself, bite the bullet and risked looking like a bit of a twat to just. . point people in the right way if the IC turns a tad sour.
Let's take part of Spoops' post as an example.
Quote:On the subject of in game mechanics into roleplay
For example, if you were to fight someone, say they are a lightning themed swordsman character, its no doubt they're probably using a Raijin, it would be bad taste to come out and say "Hey wait I know that weapon, its a Raijin isn't it?" when they've been RPing it as perhaps just a regular broadsword enhanced with lightning (Someone playing a Beldam Knight could do this), or conductive metal wires wrapped around a sharp pointed sheet of metal (A street brawler, perhaps), it is stuff like this that I see as inherently poor behavior, and can lead to disagreements OOCly and/or ICly.
That is why, even with the information you are provided, it is NOT ok to just use it willy nilly, to try and sound like you know things, that is why it is better to stay vague about things, compliment the lightning based sword, not the raijin.
However if someone wishes to stay within their comfort zone and want to try and RP that Raijin as a Raijin, and has made it clear that they are (or you can throw them a nice question in looc), then feel free, it is no one's business to try and dictate how you RP, but it is their own business to determine the quality of said RP.
This is painfully common, and isn't just a random example. Raijin as a weapon is indeed in the game ICly, as a raijin. It is a thing. But one of the parts of SL2 IC that I adore the most is the ability to bend things a little to fit the IC a touch better. Such as the example that someone might want to RP a raijin as another electrified sword given above. It's an important separation between IC and mechanics that makes the necessary step out of the MMORPG standard of 'this is your gear' to the much more comfortable freedom an actual RP has in characters and character concepts. It's the bridge between 'standard RPG gear' and a well-worn weapon weapon that's important to someone ICly. It's important to allow that for flavour.
The problem here is, of course, not people who want to ICly use a raijin or any given weapon in particular. The problem is, as Spoops mentioned, a separate party coming in, watching a fight, and claiming it's a raijin in character. This is just one admittedly painful common example, well put by Spoops.
But there's something that more permanent fixtures to the game can do about it- perhaps not as a fix, but as a limiting factor, as a buffer to limit just how rampant this, memeing, and the like are. Perhaps if we bite the bullet and risk looking like a dick every now and then, simply saying "hey dude, that's a little immersion breaking," and having a few kind words with someone who does it might make some progress at the very least.
After all, for newer players? It could prevent it from being a habit or convention for them.
For older players, it might function as a necessary reminder that it's super immersion breaking to others- and if it doesn't stop them from doing it, they might be more mindful about who they do it around. Afterall, it's just a different style to some extent, and probably would serve best from gentle reminders of preferences rather than outright getting up in arms.
And hey, gradual improvements do work on the odd occasion- I can think of a few people off the top of my head, without naming names, who used to be hella up to this sort of thing back in the day, but are less memethirsty now.
This isn't an outright fix. By no means. But I'm somewhat of the mindset that a gentle guiding hand in a situation like this can create a situation- if not a compromise -where all parties are at least a little less feeling like fleeing the game.
The Jojo memes are hella awful though, I've seen times where they've almost literally copypasted Jojos, and that's outright not allowed.
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