Hard To Roleplay

[brytta.leofa]

I find it hard to role play a Chosen Lady

New goal (though not the Lebanese part).  But I think I'll have to, y'know, start playing in Tuluk first.

[Gimfalisette]

Dirty 'Nakki fanboi.



My taunting will eventually bring the result I'm seeking, I'm sure of it.

[brytta.leofa]

Dirty 'Nakki fanboi.

You so much have no leg to stand on there.

[Gimfalisette]

Hey now! I've mended my former wayward ways. Any who want to call me fangirl must admit that I'm enamored of a few factions within the game--including Allanak and Tuluk both. In fact, the only environments I don't love are the ones I haven't played yet.

Err, and the solo wandering ranger thing. Never going to be a fan of that. (Haven't tried it either, but it just seems SO highly improbable...)

[Comrade Canadia]

I'm incapable of rping someone who's an evil fucker. All my characters range from cheerful to bitter loners with a heart of gold - but generally being decent people at the root of it is key. Also, not so much luck with anything but non-karma classes.

[FantasyWriter]

I'm incapable of rping someone who's an evil fucker. All my characters range from cheerful to bitter loners with a heart of gold - but generally being decent people at the root of it is key. Also, not so much luck with anything but non-karma classes.

Same here... I wish I could be evil... just once.

[Nyr]

I'm incapable of rping someone who's an evil fucker. All my characters range from cheerful to bitter loners with a heart of gold - but generally being decent people at the root of it is key. Also, not so much luck with anything but non-karma classes.

Same here... I wish I could be evil... just once.

I think this is a matter of perspective.  I did some research and found this topic that someone had brought up about "good" characters within the gameworld of Armageddon.

http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,15090.0.html

I really liked Xygax's response:

...I think most of the people on Zalanthas are, in general, people who think they're good people.  They simply don't have a lot of freedom with respect to how generous they can be in making day-to-day choices.

Elves glorify the art of stealing not because they revel in anarchy and mayhem, but because stealing is one of the best ways to obtain what you -need to live- in a world with tremendously scarce resources.  Tuluki society similarly vaunt thievery, assassination, etc., as high Art for similar reasons.  People aren't charitable because they can barely care for themselves and their families, etc., not because they're inherently evil.

Even defilers defile simply because it is perceived to be a quick route to power, not because they themselves are necessarily evil.

Certainly, a number of players -have- portrayed evil or vicious roles.  But that isn't, to me, necessarily admirable roleplay.  Admirable roleplay is allowing your character to make difficult choices.  Maybe your burglar even feels guilty about robbing people of their worldly belongings.  Maybe your mercenary or assassin struggles from time to time with the fact that every once in a while, he kills someone for no other reason than that he was employed to do so.

Really well-played characters are the ones that live in the gray areas of morality.  They do what they need to do to live.  They do things that give them pleasure or escape from pain even though they know it's wrong, or foolish or wasteful or dangerous (spice, alcohol, etc.).  There was a Kadian PC not too long ago that really fit this mold well, and was a pleasure to watch because his character was so desperately flawed.

ArmageddonMUD, in my opinion really isn't at all about good versus evil.  It's more about the tragedy of good people sometimes having to make evil choices.  Not always, but sometimes.  And it's also sometimes about those people seeking meaning -- maybe spiritual, maybe otherwise -- and redemption -- again, spiritual or otherwise -- for their evil choices.  Not always, but sometimes.

-- X

[FantasyWriter]

Nice link, thanks.

Here's another for us chronic, 'good'guys...

http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/cg/Courses/cgt411/covey/48_laws_of_power.htm

[Comrade Canadia]

Well, I mean, I'm not talking about my inability to play a dark lord of evil. That's not a character, that's a joke. Great villains always think they're in the right and simply have justified doing horrendous things as the only, and best ways they can achieve whatever goals they have. I've known a few good rpers who can have characters like this, and I've just never had the knack for making a character who can justify said things. It always comes off as flat and artificial. Good link, though!

[Me]

Well, I mean, I'm not talking about my inability to play a dark lord of evil. That's not a character, that's a joke. Great villains always think they're in the right and simply have justified doing horrendous things as the only, and best ways they can achieve whatever goals they have. I've known a few good rpers who can have characters like this, and I've just never had the knack for making a character who can justify said things. It always comes off as flat and artificial. Good link, though!

Dude...Dave....what are you doing on the GDB?

[titansfan]

Luckily I'm blessed with the ability to play a wide range of personalities....the only thing is I tend to like many more than others...that being said evil is my favorite by far, in any way, followed in a close second by nice guy/playboy

[Elieson]

I could use some help....

I've rp'd one way for a couple of months of regular play.
Now, the staff (recently added) of my clan has said that what I am is not "right", even after receiving an IMM email that said what I was doing was right.

I can't give anymore information than that because it's a current character.

How do I log in again and roleplay a character who has thought they were following the rules, while I  ooc believed I was following the rules, without getting immediately killed or treated like I've done something wrong?  I have some time invested in this character and don't just want to lose it.    That and I've put alot of thought into every IC action and have rp'd some stuff that will seemingly not be recognized.

I'm not sure how to continue.  I don't know how to even log in.
Advice is appreciated.

[a strange shadow]

Email.

Reference past emails. Line out your character's reasons, motivations, past experiences and interactions in as concise a manner as you can. Explain that you have always understood your character to be represented correctly as per your perception of the environment and that it is difficult to suddenly adjust your entire concept of "how things are" when it is already so well established in your mind.

Stand up for yourself, but be willing to compromise and admit that you may have been under wrong impressions.

It will probably take some back-and-forthing, but hopefully you will reach a satisfactory conclusion.

[Lizzie]

Elieson, if it's conflicting staff information that's causing you concern, you have one other option I can think of that might be helpful. Find someone on the *helper* list who is not currently in your clan. Someone who you know you can trust to give the information to, get feedback from, who won't betray the IC info you're giving them. From what I can understand of the helper system, that is something they occasionally do. You'd need to get permission from that helper before you blurt out the situation - they might be involved in it already and not want to ruin any surprises

But if it were me, and I was getting conflicting info from the staff and didn't want to get yet a third conflicting staff opinion, I'd go to a helper for a fresh, non-staff, but staff-approved perspective.

[FantasyWriter]

1. From what I can understand of the helper system, that is something they occasionally do.
2. You'd need to get permission from that helper before you blurt out the situation - they might be involved in it already and not want to ruin any surprises

1. It is.
2. yes, please ask first.

[Bilanthri]

I felt I had to weigh in on the topic of RPing Good vs Evil. There's been a lot of good commentary on the relative nature of good and evil. For instance: the religious dwarf example from posts back is a great example of someone performing in a manner that they believe to be good, while consistently duping, bribing, and brainwashing 'rinth kids into being part of his/her cult. Now is that good or evil? I'd say it's self serving, which is, for the most part, the -real- way that people act. Some people's self interests make their actions seem good to those around them, and some are quite the contrary. The thing that really gets me about the "harsh world" excuse, is that a lot of people use it as a justification for playing characters that are not merely self serving....they're sociopathic. I've had chars mugged in a variety of places, and often they led to interesting and fun RP sessions. But there are those occasions, which I think occur a bit too often, where a PC has singled me or someone else out to be murdered for the change in my purse, or even so they can move in on my squat.

My point is that there is a very big difference between evil and psychopathic. Why have I met my end to so very many psychopaths?

[SMuz]

I can't RP a player who doesn't talk properly. I've got a 'rinther, and he talks like a fricking noble. See, I wrote "fricking" there! I just assume that having a 'rinther accent would make him sound more retarded or something :p

[audrey]

No matter what I start off with, I always end up making a really bad gurl who deceives everyone she's around. Doesn't really matter whether she's exaggerating about a skill she doesn't have or joining two enemy clans at the same time, she just ends up being really twisted till my head hurts from all the plot twists.

I can't play as good, loyal girls. I also like to play the little girl with spindly arms who could chop a hawk's head off with a lumber axe. I'm an anti-stereotypist, I guess. If I made a half-giant, she'd be a 'gicker or a burger. A half-giant warrior-soldier would bore me to death.

[AmandaGreathouse]

No matter what I start off with, I always end up making a really bad gurl who deceives everyone she's around. Doesn't really matter whether she's exaggerating about a skill she doesn't have or joining two enemy clans at the same time, she just ends up being really twisted till my head hurts from all the plot twists.

I can't play as good, loyal girls. I also like to play the little girl with spindly arms who could chop a hawk's head off with a lumber axe. I'm an anti-stereotypist, I guess. If I made a half-giant, she'd be a 'gicker or a burger. A half-giant warrior-soldier would bore me to death.

This.

Also, for some reason, when I do all my badass emoting at full strength, all the characters around mine start falling in love with them, or, at the very least, being much nicer than I even try to manipulate them into being, so my emoting is really hard. I've cut it back, and I feel like it's really crappy and repetitive, but, when I do feel like I am emoting well, it's impossible for me to play a character that anyone seems to dislike. So, I have started using the rather average emotes, and just kept my awesome emotes on the hemote side, mostly because I really like bringing in the detail, so, I guess it could be harder to see unless actively watching.

*shrug*

Crap, I don't know.

[Riev]

Srsly? My emotes are usually "does something somethingly" over and over again, or nodding a lot. When I do come up with something esoteric and out of my ordinary pattern, I feel weird because I'm not in the same paradigm.

[AmandaGreathouse]

Yes. Seriously. While the part of me that's a writer it very flattered, the part of me that's a player is kind of torn. It kinda feels like they like my characters more because of my writing ability. And, even now, about 80%of the people i catch watching my characters wind up trying to bed them, being overly nice to them, or buying them loads of stuff.

[Tisiphone]

Yes. Seriously. While the part of me that's a writer it very flattered, the part of me that's a player is kind of torn. It kinda feels like they like my characters more because of my writing ability. And, even now, about 80%of the people i catch watching my characters wind up trying to bed them, being overly nice to them, or buying them loads of stuff.

Use it to bite them in the ass. They'll love you for it.

[Zoan]

I couldn't ever play multiple 'new' methods of roleplay at the same time. I'd need one circle of comfort with me if I move to another.

Presuming I've never played a merchant and I've never done a desert elf in say, the Sun Runners. I couldn't be a merchant IN the Sun Runners. I'd be mindblown. I'd need to either be a merchant in say Allanak, as I'm comfortable in that environment, or a (class I've done before) in the Sun Runners.

[deviant storm]

No matter what I start off with, I always end up making a really bad gurl who deceives everyone she's around. Doesn't really matter whether she's exaggerating about a skill she doesn't have or joining two enemy clans at the same time, she just ends up being really twisted till my head hurts from all the plot twists.

I can't play as good, loyal girls. I also like to play the little girl with spindly arms who could chop a hawk's head off with a lumber axe. I'm an anti-stereotypist, I guess. If I made a half-giant, she'd be a 'gicker or a burger. A half-giant warrior-soldier would bore me to death.

This.

Also, for some reason, when I do all my badass emoting at full strength, all the characters around mine start falling in love with them, or, at the very least, being much nicer than I even try to manipulate them into being, so my emoting is really hard. I've cut it back, and I feel like it's really crappy and repetitive, but, when I do feel like I am emoting well, it's impossible for me to play a character that anyone seems to dislike. So, I have started using the rather average emotes, and just kept my awesome emotes on the hemote side, mostly because I really like bringing in the detail, so, I guess it could be harder to see unless actively watching.

*shrug*

Crap, I don't know.

I know how you feel. I think it was ShaLeah who called this being the victim of the Interesting Girl Syndrome. I say, roleplay for you. If you want to pull out all the stops and let rip with your best stuff, go for it. Then there'll be all those moon-eyed people to deal with, sure, but at least you won't ever find yourself bored.

And yeah, there's always the chance to betray someone or the like.

[Cerelum]

I have found it hard to Roleplay city elves and half-elves, because of the mindset.  I don't really like being told how my character would feel because of their race.

I enjoyed half-giants, but find that it's hard to act stupid all the time.  And I hate the people who play half-giants like, "Oh boy, I love dem steaks..oh boy." it reminds me of that cartoon where the big goofy guy is like, "Otay George, whateva you say George."

I really enjoyed the relative freedom of D-elf life, but when your clan doesn't have any members, or they are all in a different time zone, it gets extremely boring and causes me to go kick that anakore and get killed.

What I really wanna do is play some type of staff sponsored role, because I think it will give me enough to do while having other players seek me out, but unfortunately I don't know if I suck or am good at these, as I haven't done it yet.

JaRoD