Hardest Bit To Play

[Is Friday]

What is the hardest bit/role device for you to use when roleplaying because of OOC "stuff"? What ones will you strictly not do? What requires a judgement on case-by-case basis?

Role Devices:
a.) Being a floosy.
b.) Being a murderer.
c.) Being a cusser.
d.) Being a thief.
e.) Add your own!

I find it hardest to be a floosy.  :oops:  Even harder than murdering people. How messed up is that? :S

[Forest Junkie]

I find it hard to be nice.

[Fnord]

Tavern sitting purely social roles bore me to death.

[jhunter]

Tavern sitting purely social roles bore me to death.

[NoteworthyFellow]

I have no problems killing other players, swearing, or anything like that.  Being a floozy is just about impossible for me, though.  And what's really a challenge is being ICly stupid because my character would be, even when I know, OOCly, that it'll doom me.  I still do it, but it's definitely a challenge.

[Gimfalisette]

I cannot do loner, isolated, no-social-contact roles. I have a difficult time playing personality types that are significantly more emotionally restrained or guarded or untrusting than I am naturally, but I can do it; it's just hard work. I can't really play characters that have casual sex; I've tried, and someone always ends up falling in love. I CANNOT PLAY HUNTERS. OH HOW I LOATHE HUNTING.

[staggerlee]

Music, casual sex and drug use.
In a mud format they're probably the three most dull, painful things I've ever experienced.

Edit: I'm gonna add tavern sitting to that.

[bardess]

Music, casual sex, and drugs are my favorite.  

;-)

[ale six]

I can't play bards, or characters who appreciate bards. I read enough mediocre writing in my real job without needing to play a character who hears more of it.

I have a hard time playing a subordinate to someone who isn't totally incredibly awesome, because otherwise I always feel like I can do the job better.

I have a hard time PKing people personally, however playing a cold, ruthless bitch who gets other people to do their dirty work is (maybe too) easy for me.

Not that I've ever tried, but I doubt I'd have an easy time playing a dwarf.

[mansa]

I find it really hard to play a drunk, spice addict.

[bardbard#4]

I find it really hard to play a drunk, spice addict.

you're so full of shit

[Saitorr]

Women.

[Marauder Moe]

I don't think I'd do very good at being malicious or evil.  Though, I've had some characters that I considered good at heart do some really awful things (murder friends, have innocent people harmed/killed just to send a message to someone else, plot to steal a baby from it's mother).

I had a lot of trouble playing a dwarf.  I could do it in spurts, but there were long stretches where I didn't OOCly feel like doing any of the things his focus demanded and thus I simply wouldn't log in with him.

[staggerlee]

I don't think I'd do very good at being malicious or evil.  Though, I've had some characters that I considered good at heart do some really awful things (murder friends, have innocent people harmed/killed just to send a message to someone else, plot to steal a baby from it's mother).

I had a lot of trouble playing a dwarf.  I could do it in spurts, but there were long stretches where I didn't OOCly feel like doing any of the things his focus demanded and thus I simply wouldn't log in with him.

A good villain has shades of grey and some redeeming characteristics IMHO.  People who kill their friends and steal babies are usually by definition evil... but I mean nobody can spend ALL their time being evil.  That'd be kind of boring.

In short, you might be better at it than you think.

[Barzalene]

Thief. I am too afraid of the humiliation of getting caught!

[jhunter]

Oh yeah...and half-giants. I've tried, but I never feel like I can come up with anything new and inventive. I always feel like I'm just another same-old same-old half-giant.

[Kradock]

I have no problems with any of those, except for the floozy.

I have a personal objection to it.

I love playing murderers, thieves, etc. The time I spent playing a gith was awesome, it was always an adrenaline rush. Same goes for the murderer/thief categories.

[Dynnage]

I always perform my best when I'm role-playing a murderer, a rinthi, a thief, a thug, a spy, or some other kind of shady character, like a smuggler or such.

Whenever I try to play the good-hearted people, I have trouble finding excuses to be good. I live in a desert world inhabited by humongous sand worms, and theres a 4 room deep ditch just a few paces north of town. Whooptedoo, I shall slay in the force of justice? Playing someone sinister is much more interesting, completely. Tell me, would you rather find out what the thug did with the man's body, or what the good-hearted warrior's favorite alcohol is?

I'm pretty fond of tavern sitters. Nothing is more fun than drinking 20 barrels of ale and slurring insults at fellow patrons, then passing out and waking up at the bottom of a well. It's happened.

[Maybe42or54]

I can not be mean in any real way. In real life, I'm naturally mean but other Characters are always way to nice to me, or the ignore my PC completely and that just isn't very fun either.

[Reiloth]

playing a drunk is quite fulfilling.

[Vessol]

Tavern sitting purely social roles bore me to death.

Plus it makes no sense in a harsh desert world with death around every corner...once you stop idling in the bar of course.

[Flying Erdlu]

It looks like I'm in the minority, but I have a problem playing a murderer. I know how much enjoyment I get from my own characters and how lousy it feels to get killed. I feel HORRIBLE if I kill someone elses character because I know I am ruining something they love. That doesn't mean I wont, or can't but I generally feel bad about.

[Rhyden]

Murderer.

The hardest part I find in Arm is p-killing.

That doesn't mean I don't.  :twisted:

[Rindan]

I have a really hard time playing a magiker.  Back when I last played a magiker the population was so low that you were basically signing up for a solo role.  I just never could get into it or stomach the solo casting in a hole/temple routine.  I disliked that there was no place for the few gemmed that were floating around had no place to go and talk the trade.  I have always felt that the elementalist quarters deserved its own tavern.

I have a hard time with iso roles in general.  I like interacting with people.  I can do it and have done it, I just don't particularly enjoy it.

I find leadership roles to be hard, but in a good way.  When playing a leader, I feel the need to keep things interesting and not let stuff stagnate.  I spend a lot of time both in game and out of game pondering up ways to keep people entertained... which is probably why I avoid the role now.  Scourging up enough time to do a leadership role justice is hard.  It is very rewarding when it works well, but it is a real time commitment and responsibility.

Sticking to my original character design is sometimes difficult.  Some times the expected 'support cast' you were hoping to move your character in with doesn't exist.  Other times you just run into writer's block (MUDer's block?) with ideas to execute your concept.  My current character is a great example.  The vision I had in my head when I started him has turned out to not match up with what I have been able to pull off.  I'll keep working at it, but it is a bit of a struggle.

[Bogre]

It's really hard for me not to start conflicts in game.

And it's hard for me not to play 'smart'.

[Mr.B]

I though about it, and my answer is "Nothing." I can enjoy my character no matter what. I don't have OOC hangups about playing the nice guy, the usual half-giant, the weepy mul, the murdering, stealing, pillaging templar, whatever. I like the variety, what can I say?

[bracken]

I've found it impossible to make an extrovert...just don't know what makes them tick.  I may start off writing one up, but by the time I get past the family background, they've turned into something else.

[Rhyden]

It's really hard for me not to start conflicts in game.

And it's hard for me not to play 'smart'.

I had one character who created conflict no matter what he did. He was also quite stupid at times.

My most fun character to date.

[alger]

I struggle with the concept of immortality.  I regularly have to pause and go wait if I were immortal will I really think like this?  Hmmm... that's not right...

Thinking beyond myself is fun, but doing it constantly when so many things would be percieved differently is damn tiring.

[Aquarian]

My hugest hang up, I just can't get past it, is racism. I grew up with it and hated it from the get go. Now being in the military, racism is burned into your head as the embodiment of evil. Which it is.

I constantly find myself making friends far too easily with a race I'm not supposed to make friends with and i even have trouble with hating mages.

I have had characters that are horrified of another race, and that is easier to play. but I still end up 'acclimating' to anything my character is around often enough.

[Ghost]

I can not craft.  For the last 3 RL years, none of my characters crafted anything, including food.  I CAN'T STAND IT!

I can not play aide-type roles.  I enjoy playing around aides, but not playing the aides.

I have a tendency to annoy my superiors from time to time.  It is just hard, not to do it.  I guess I give in to the urge too easy.  Seriously.

[path]

I find it really hard to play sluts and whores. It's so disappointing. I try time and again, but when push comes to shove, I just can't.

I also find it really, really hard to play in clans. I try and try, but it's just never as fun for me.

[jstorrie]

I find it tough to play in restrictive clans, but the toughest thing of all I find is to play super-social roles–I get so. fucking. sick. of the people I'm supposed to be chummy with, and it's a lot easier to just ignore them than assassinate them...

[Goldberry]

This may sound silly...but I have a hard time with RPing hurting someone's feelings.   :oops:

I do it when I have to, but it still causes my midwestern guilt program to kick in.  Hardest thing for me to do period.

[Zoltan]

I have a really hard time playing a completely serious character. As hard as I try not to, my characters seem to find humor in just about any circumstance. It's even reflected in some of my emotes... ugh.

[Dakkon Black]

I have a hard time Killing people. Every time I have I've either had really overwhelming reason or it wasn't supposed to have killed them.

[Hek]

I find it tough to play in restrictive clans, but the toughest thing of all I find is to play super-social roles–I get so. fucking. sick. of the people I'm supposed to be chummy with, and it's a lot easier to just ignore them than assassinate them...

Same. If it has a tight schedule and a bunch of don't-do rules, it annoys me. If, on top of that, the clan has only a handful of active players (which is often the case), I'm not gonna join. The few times I've done it I have retired within a week. I just can't find enjoyment in these types of clans.

I also can't play socialite characters. It's not that my characters never sit around and chat, but you'll never see me playing an aide or merchant who spends two third of their life sitting at a bar. It just doesn't interest me.

I hate crafting. I can make my own arrows if I'm playing a ranger, but I could never play an actual crafter. Bores me to tears.

Now, the hardest thing to play for me... hrm, that's a tough one. I've played a few characters with the most prominent trait being a lack of intelligence. Stupid characters (and not half-giants) can be very difficult to play convincingly. It's pretty easy to just talk like a retard, but bringing it beyond accent and into thoughts, feelings, actions and intentions can be a real challenge.

[Ghost]

This may sound silly...but I have a hard time with RPing hurting someone's feelings.   :oops:

Easy to fix.  You just have to hurt people repeatedly, and after awhile, you don't feel it.

[Vettrock]

The tavern sitter or purely social role don't hold any interest for me.  I've played rangers, a few short lived warriors, and mages.  They have been humans, half-elves, and one elf and one mul.  Dwarves and half-giants just don't appeal to me.  I'm kinda partial to half-elves.

I've always considered trying to play a 'rinther but I like exploring too much and the rinth just isn't big enough....

[manonfire]

...the toughest thing of all I find is to play super-social roles–I get so. fucking. sick. of the people I'm supposed to be chummy with, and it's a lot easier to just ignore them than assassinate them...

Good god, I hear this. It completely defined my last role.

[jstorrie]

I love playing half-elves, actually. I think my natural play style falls more in line with the half-elf mentality than anything else.

[Xio]

I have trouble playing the 'safe' character who avoids those dangerous and stupid risks. Don't really like pking. Tried the whole mercy on, strip and leave 'em alone, but it always comes back to bite you in the buttocks.

[Zalanthan]

I love playing half-elves, actually. I think my natural play style falls more in line with the half-elf mentality than anything else.

Ditto

[Rindan]

This may sound silly...but I have a hard time with RPing hurting someone's feelings.   :oops:

I do it when I have to, but it still causes my midwestern guilt program to kick in.  Hardest thing for me to do period.

I moved to the midwest (Chicago) from Boston for about a year.  I found that in Chicago, I had a really hard time RPing someone who doesn't hurt and insult others.  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't wrap my head around the role.  Verbal cruelty to your fellow man just seems like the natural way of saying hi, and to RP something different was really out of my comfort zone.

I eventually moved back to Boston where I found my Bostinian "Hi!  Shitty day today, and fuck you too." RP goes over very well.

[NoteworthyFellow]

This may sound silly...but I have a hard time with RPing hurting someone's feelings.   :oops:

I do it when I have to, but it still causes my midwestern guilt program to kick in.  Hardest thing for me to do period.

I moved to the midwest (Chicago) from Boston for about a year.  I found that in Chicago, I had a really hard time RPing someone who doesn't hurt and insult others.  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't wrap my head around the role.  Verbal cruelty to your fellow man just seems like the natural way of saying hi, and to RP something different was really out of my comfort zone.

I eventually moved back to Boston where I found my Bostinian "Hi!  Shitty day today, and fuck you too." RP goes over very well.

I get the feeling I'd be right at home in Boston.

[Salt Merchant]

This may sound silly...but I have a hard time with RPing hurting someone's feelings.   :oops:

Easy to fix.  You just have to hurt people repeatedly, and after awhile, you don't feel it.

Until they start stomping you back.

[Janna]

This will sound really weird given the nature of the game which I love, but I can't be a murderer/Pk'er. I do it when its IC appropriate, but its usually at the farthest possible point I can let something go before it would become OOCly inapprpriate not to kill said PC. (humiliation/torture/beatings ftw)

I feel like garbage after killing a PC from my OOC understanding that now you have to sit there and stare at the screen for a few minutes before swearing like a sailor and going through the char-gen. I'm fairly sure I've killed less than ten PC's in my years here.

[Flying Erdlu]

This will sound really weird given the nature of the game which I love, but I can't be a murderer/Pk'er. I do it when its IC appropriate, but its usually at the farthest possible point I can let something go before it would become OOCly inapprpriate not to kill said PC. (humiliation/torture/beatings ftw)

I feel like garbage after killing a PC from my OOC understanding that now you have to sit there and stare at the screen for a few minutes before swearing like a sailor and going through the char-gen. I'm fairly sure I've killed less than ten PC's in my years here.

I have the same problem. I know how much time, effort and fun was put into my own character and when I kill someone elses, it reminds me of how much I would hate to lose my own character and I feel horrible for the other player. Do unto others....etc etc. But sometimes it's necessary. I'll get over it.

[Maybe42or54]

I wish people would actively try to kill my pcs. I always die to NPCs though.. bleh..

[My 2 sids]

I realize it must be hard for PK.  However, I think a lot of PKing is more OOC than IC.  OOCly you can't always trust players have their pcs react appropratly to threats or beatings or tourture or whatever.  Some try to power-game their way out  others live on to inflict innaproprate levels of retaliation.  

I'm not sure how to fix that problem but perhaps that indicates one of the hardest things to role-play in this game is having a PC who (on occasion) must show weakness and humility.

[NoteworthyFellow]

It may seem odd, but I've always wanted to be responsible for a PC's death.  I don't know why, it could be because I've never had a character in the position to kill another PC before, and it's an aspect of the game I've yet to experience.  It could also be because I rarely have my characters killed by fellow PCs, so maybe I'm trying to bring karma down on myself.

Who knows.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'll kill a PC in a heartbeat, given IC reason to do so. I don't feel bad about it ... they -knew- they were getting into some shit when they created a character here.

Lord knows whoever keeps killing -me- doesn't feel bad about it.

Edit: Prolly oughta add that I will roleplay their way out of it if I can, but at a certain point, just gotta lay an axe to their ass.

[brytta.leofa]

I would find it difficult to kill (heh, or even mug--story there) a PC "in cold blood."  Justice/retribution/defense is a whole different deal.

[Mood]

I agree with Venomz.

[RogueGunslinger]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

[Gimfalisette]

I think my score for PKills at this point is probably in the "plenty" range. But overall I don't really OOCly enjoy it, and I definitely try to avoid it as much as possible. Here's a summation of why from this thread where we talked about brutalizing/killing other PCs:

I often struggle when it comes to imposing my will upon other players and making the decision to remove someone from the group dynamic we all create.

I play to create stories and add my voice to the song of Armageddon with the hope that a few notes will be remembered. Sometimes creating the story trumps the individual decisions of my character in how I approach a given situation. Sometimes letting someone live is bad for your character, but good for the game. That isn't to say that someone should feel obligated to be nice, fair, or merciful. It's simply a statement that there will be times when your actions, both ICly and OOCly, can have a profound effect upon the tapestry we weave, and sometimes letting a stray thread survive will result in an even more wondrous product than if you had simply tied a knot.

It's pretty rare that killing another PC makes the story -better-. Usually, killing a PC just means the complete end of that thread. In all the PKills I've done or helped with, I think only one has actually led to significant further plot stuff. Also, looking back on the times my characters have been PKed, I can say with some certainty that none of those kills led to any plot developments.

Now, I agree that there are times when a character just HAS to be killed, like when someone's attacking you and won't quit, when someone's cursing Tek's/Muk's name to a templar, etc etc. But even so, those kills don't really help weave the threads of the story, even though they do create ARM flavor.

[Gimfalisette]

P.S. However, I have no problem playing being really mean and brutal to other characters. I'll do it Tuluki style and subtly insult them to their face, I'll do it 'Nakki style and openly insult them to their face, I'll beat people up, I'll tell nasty rumors, I'll attempt to discredit them and ruin their reputation, I'll steal or extort from them, I'll use psychological warfare, and I'm a fan of creative torture scenes.

I just very strongly prefer that all of this not end in the other character's death.

[staggerlee]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

Look at it this way.  You can do the right thing, or you can do the interesting thing.  Often killing someone can profit your character or ensure that they don't rat you out to the guards, come back for revenge or whatever.  But that doesn't mean it's going to be more fun.

If you leave them alive, they get a potential enemy, you get a potential enemy, and both characters grow from the experience.   In the long run, the more interesting your interactions with people are the less you'll have those moments where nothing seems to be happening.

Basically, as Gimf just said, there's far more potential for fun from a scene where two people walk out than a scene where one person walks out.

I've killed a lot of people on a lot of different muds, and it's almost always been in a blind panic because I didn't know what else to do.  Plain and simple, the longer I play, the less players I kill.  

Corpse objects only have so many uses. It's way more fun to have some disfigured bastard banished to the wastes  and hating your guts, or a new slave, or a rinther cowering in terror in a shack somewhere.  For both of you.

[Gimfalisette]

Often killing someone can profit your character or ensure that they don't rat you out to the guards, come back for revenge or whatever.  But that doesn't mean it's going to be more fun.

Another thought to add to this.

You know what happens when your character gets ratted out, punished, disciplined, beaten, demoted, humiliated, exiled? You get plot. You get potential character development. You get the potential of relationship development between characters.

Plot and character and relationship development come from bad things happening to characters, not good things.

So when you PKill in order to prevent bad things from happening to YOUR character...you have just cut off some potential for getting into plot and developing your character and meeting new people and strengthening or tearing relationship bonds. Unfortunately, it seems to me there are a lot of players who don't want anything bad to happen to their characters. They want to always "win."

To totally mis-quote Dune, "Fear of bad things happening to one's character is the fun killer."

[Maybe42or54]

To me, being killed by another PC is a lot better than dieing to random npc #5. All of my favorite character's died to NPC and I don't really remmeber what they died to, but a few of my disliked Pcs that died to another pc? Priceless.

[Rairen]

I have to add a caveat - while it's nice to always try to seek out alternative forms of torture and give players options, the "people who hate bad things happening to their characters" thing should also extend to not underevaluating the value of pkills.  If you OOCly recognize that other players don't want to kill you, the 'tension' in life or death situations falters, and that tension is a draw of a permdeath mud.  (In this case I'm not disagreeing with anyone above, but that I hate to see the balance shift too far in either direction.)

Death does have extreme impacts on other players and plot.  The absense of a person impacts plots in themselves, create new ones, and can have significant impact on the murderer or those close to the murdered.  Death is the ultimate drama - even if you don't get to experience the aftershocks thanks to the mantis head.

Especially when people start killing their loved ones.  :wink:


Edit:  And, boy, did I let this thread get tangental.  I have trouble playing the polar ends of the intellectual spectrum.  Slow-witted characters can be entertaining for a time, but I start to miss more serious conversations.  Likewise, I can't play evil masterminds.  I don't have the strategic mind to take over the world.

[staggerlee]

That's partially true, yeah.  I'll try to illustrate my point a bit better.

Scenario:

A templar has a nameless man strapped to a table and is torturing him.  The man staunchly refuses to name the names of his confederates, and spits in the templar's face, unyeilding to the end.

What you as the victim are doing is backing the templar up into a corner where he either has to kill you, or sacrifice some of the game's infamous harshness.   (Barring an exceptionally creative templar)

Now, take that same scenario, and assume the more realistic premise that everyone eventually breaks under torture.  Now this time you're babbling whatever the templar wants to hear, and he suddenly has to decide whether or not he believes you and what to do next.  He can continue torturing you, kill you, or let you go. None of those will seem particularly mild after you've spilled your guts and lost an eye.
And whichever of those he chooses, he's left with information that may or may not be accurate.

And now... maybe we have a possible criminal back on the streets, slinking back to his confederates (is he being paid by the templar now? did the templar just let him go?  did he sell them out?)  A former criminal deciding whether to be scared straight, plot against the templar, be awestruck and try to learn to be as badass as that templar in their own right... however they want to take it.

Conclusion:

Basically my point is that it's fun to 'lose' the game sometimes, and can open up unexpected opportunities. But both of you need to be willing to play along.  

And sure... that situation could eventually lead to someone dying, there's no way we want to get rid of PKing.  But the more interesting players can develop some very dynamic, fun relationships and incredibly dramatic stories if they're willing to have fun with it, draw it out, and trust each other on an ooc level.

----> I'm bad at playing political movers and shakers.   (pretends to stay on topic)

[My 2 sids]

[Quote:]
Conclusion:

Basically my point is that it's fun to 'lose' the game sometimes, and can open up unexpected opportunities. But both of you need to be willing to play along.  

And sure... that situation could eventually lead to someone dying, there's no way we want to get rid of PKing.  But the more interesting players can develop some very dynamic, fun relationships and incredibly dramatic stories if they're willing to have fun with it, draw it out, and trust each other on an ooc level. [/quote]

GREAT Point!   exactly, well done, and kudos!

[Barzalene]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

I can totally relate to that.