What age is it appropriate to start playing Arm?

[Dakkon Black]

What if someone comes up to my 10 year old brother and asks his char for a cheap fuck in the backroom?

For 1, I'd almost guarantee he'd be like, ugh, I wanna go kill a scrab, or something akin to that as an answer.

for 2, I've never had the same problems with sex the western world has. Violence and murder is just fine, but acts of love? Better hide that from the children. Wtf is this thinking?  It is not the thinking in latin america, or in europe.

So what if he see's the word codpiece written out in text. It's not going to screw him up mentally for life or something, it's a fact of life.

[FuSoYa]

So what if he see's the word codpiece written out in text. It's not going to screw him up mentally for life or something, it's a fact of life.

Somebody please quote this... I don't know why but it's hilarious to me.

Brandon

[Gunnerblaster]

I'm not comfortable with my characters having relationships (or doing the dirty-rinthi-shuffle) with little'uns (ie, anyone younger than me!).  Never have been very happy with it, never will.

Hehehe. I guess I fooled you good! =)

joking

[BlackMagic0]

So what if he see's the word codpiece written out in text. It's not going to screw him up mentally for life or something, it's a fact of life.

Somebody please quote this... I don't know why but it's hilarious to me.

Brandon

Done. 

[Vessol]

What if someone comes up to my 10 year old brother and asks his char for a cheap fuck in the backroom?

For 1, I'd almost guarantee he'd be like, ugh, I wanna go kill a scrab, or something akin to that as an answer.

for 2, I've never had the same problems with sex the western world has. Violence and murder is just fine, but acts of love? Better hide that from the children. Wtf is this thinking?  It is not the thinking in latin america, or in europe.

So what if he see's the word codpiece written out in text. It's not going to screw him up mentally for life or something, it's a fact of life.

Agreed with the taboo on sex. I would imagine that the violence and torture all over the place in Arm would be worse.

Also have to bring up. I have been playing Armageddon for 2+ years, mostly in the cities, and I have rarely had a situation where I was asked if I wanted to have a quick fuck in the backroom or what-not. Not saying it does not happen, but I find that one has to actively pursue it if one wants virtual nookie.

[Panda]

Even if people were asking people go to go the backroom of a tavern or something, pornography is easy enough to find on the internet, even with vigilant parents, and parental blocks.  Maybe not interactive pornography, like mudsex can be, but a kid that hasn't seen anything 'inappropriate' like that by 13 or so, is probably pretty sheltered.  You'd have to be naive, to think your teenager hasn't seen anything inappropriate, by that age.

Or maybe I just grew up with a bunch of unsheltered people.

Regardless, that would be less a concern of mine, than the ability to deal with mature content, and to keep in-character and ooc thing separated in their mind.

[Barzalene]

What about those people who want to avoid virtually molesting small children?

[BlackMagic0]

What about those people who want to avoid virtually molesting small children?

Virtually molest big children? 

Just teasing!! 

[brytta.leofa]

> ooc Do you, being at least 18 years of age, consent to graphic depictions of kidnapping, skulduggery, general mayhem, and conspiracy to deprive Allanaki citizens of their constitutionally-guaranteed rights?
> ooc If so, please answer "I do."

[Maso]

> ooc Do you, being at least 18 years of age, consent to graphic depictions of kidnapping, skulduggery, general mayhem, and conspiracy to deprive Allanaki citizens of their constitutionally-guaranteed rights?
> ooc If so, please answer "I do."

Maybe it should be an automated thing? For all scenes of violence and/or sexual content.

You see:

Code Select Expand


>consent lithe Scenes of violent torture.
You ask for OOC consent from the player of the big busted, lithe woman.

The player of the big busted, lithe woman has consented to scenes of violent torture.


They see:

Code Select Expand


The burly, brutish man OOC'ly requests consent for scenes of violent torture. Please type "Consent" if you consent to these scenes
and are over the age of 18. Otherwise type "No consent"

>Consent

You consent to scenes of violent torture.


[Vessol]

I would be against an automated system that can be done easily enough by ooc: Hey everyone concent to violent torture scene?
And it seems like your command would be for a singular person, oftentimes many scenes have multiple people.

Plus I don't see why you would ask if they were 18+. It's not illegal or anything for those below 18 to see textual violent or sexual scenes. They see more probably in TV and movies anyways.

[Maso]

I would be against an automated system that can be done easily enough by ooc: Hey everyone concent to violent torture scene?
And it seems like your command would be for a singular person, oftentimes many scenes have multiple people.

Plus I don't see why you would ask if they were 18+. It's not illegal or anything for those below 18 to see textual violent or sexual scenes. They see more probably in TV and movies anyways.

Well, personally I believe a minor would feel less intimidated by an automated system, and also more able to say "no" should they wish to. It's much harder for them to be put on the spot by an actual person and explain that no they don't really want to act out that scene. It is a lot easier to just have to type 'no consent' and not deal with the other person directly.

In regards to the person being 18+, aren't there legal issues involved with exposing minors to this sort of material?

[FuSoYa]

Also I don't think it's the question of legality either Vessol more of the fact that I don't want to be involved with scenes that might depict graphic sexual bullshit with someone who is a minor.  Whether they are 'mature' for their age or not.

Brandon

[Vessol]

As I am a minor for only a few more days. I have never been intimidated by the consent ask, nor have I had any problems RPing intense scenes. I think a lot of you need to try to remember being that age, you seem to depict us as immature dolts who get scared or intimidated easily, but ah well.

And I don't think there are actual legality issues of a minor RPing a sexual or violent activity with an 'adult'.

But who am I to argue? I obviously have a bias because I am a 'minor'. Thus any argument I make will automatically be scrutinized because I am just a "stupid kid", which in truth is kind of a other-sided bias, but :X.

By your posts it seems that the day someone turns 18 then suddenly they become mature, can handle intense shit, and all sorts of awesome things. Man I can't wait, if I'm this awesome now, just imagine me 18. I mean no one under 18 can possibly be emotionally capable of RPing successfully, but when they turn 18, man you better watch out!

In the end I think there are much worse things a kid could be doing than RPing a sexual or violent scene. If not, might as well keep 'em wrapped up in bubble-wrap

[Kyviantre]

I don't think that the problem people have is with a younger players maturity level, more with the fact that if they did do an 'adult situation' scene with a kid, while players know its roleplay, you do that using an instant messenger/chat room, and that is bad.

At least, thats the issue I have.  It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable to think about the idea, it doesn't matter if its consented or not, or whether they act mature or not.  If its illegal in my country (ie, they're a minor, etc), or if they're a lot younger, it just doesn't feel comfortable.  In my personal case, if you're mature, I'll be extremely happy to RP with you and have a whale of a time (or a silt horror, all depending!), but for certain consent-situations, I would rather just avoid the whole sticky issue (FTB and all!)!

[Vessol]

A major issue if someone is worried about doing sexual RP scenes is that in almost all cases you do not know the player behind the character, and shouldn't. I can understand the worry though.

[RogueGunslinger]

I've grown pretty comfortable with doing illegal things.

[Panda]

If I was really concerned about not doing sex scenes with minors, on a game where I don't know and don't want to know who the players are behind the characters,  I simply wouldn't do sex scenes, period.  Because you can't know.  So what, if they say 'yes, I'm over eighteen'.  I was telling websites I was over eighteen long before I was... it doesn't provide a thing, except a comfort level, that quite possible doesn't reflect truth. 

If the issue is graphic violence, I remember playing a lot of graphically violent video games.  At seven years old or so, Resident Evil.  And so on.  And I was reading adult books, horror novels, and other things, before the age of ten.  Would I let my kids?  I don't know that I could control my kids that much.  Kids have friends, and other parents are going to be, undoubtedly, more laid back than I might.

So... in short, I don't know.  But I think it's avoidable to do things that might be illegal, and impossible to know if something really is illegal or not anyway, in this context.

[Tisiphone]

Have those of you claiming that you see no problem with children being exposed to what amounts to popular culture nowadays because you were as children stopped to consider that by most historical standards of morality, you yourselves are pretty fucked up?

[Panda]

I've considered it, yes =)  Morality is a very relative concept historically and culturally, sociologically speaking.  It's a pretty fascinating topic.

[Gimfalisette]

I don't know that I could control my kids that much.

I'm going to address just this snippet--this applies to video game violence, internet use, watching TV, friends, sugar intake, caffeine intake, diet as a whole, homework, relationships with relatives, fashion choices, etc etc etc. and the question of "controlling" one's kids.

Note to start with: When I go out in public with my kids (ages 5, 7, 12), people regularly compliment me on their behavior. Last night we were in Trader Joe's, I told my daughter to stop jumping around while she had a lollipop in her mouth, some woman said to me, "What a good mom! I was noticing that your kids are so well-behaved." This also happens when we go out to restaurants. My kids are extremely well-behaved.

The reason my kids are well-behaved is because they are well-trained. Despite being strong-willed, brilliant, attitude-full kids, they listen to their parents, and they obey. They obey because I (and my husband too) kindly, firmly, do not give them a choice but to obey. In every area of their lives, my sacred duty is to teach them the -best- ways to live. Were I to let them make all their own choices, learn merely by trial-and-error, or act like it didn't matter how they live...I would be cheating them and lying to them.

I have control over how much TV my kids watch, and the type and level of violence in the video games they play, and in the movies they see. I have control over their reading--reading is not optional in our family, it is something everyone learns to do for pleasure and learning, and does daily. I have control over who they hang out with, and how they relate to their own friends and their nuclear and extended families. I have control over what my kids eat, and what they learn about nutrition--dinner is not optional, and kids will minimally taste the food that is put on their plates. And so on and so forth, in every area of their lives.

I don't do any/all of this because I'm a control freak...I'm really not. Being in control is exhausting. However, if I did not do this job, my kids would not be becoming the awesome people they are. Controlling, teaching, guiding one's children is not a question of "CAN I do it"...it's a question of "WILL I do it?"

Sure, the balance of control changes over time, as is appropriate to the age and maturity and understanding of the child. I don't have to force my 12-year-old to eat dinner anymore, because he's already well-trained so that he loves a variety of foods and is happy to eat nutritious stuff. Sometimes I suggest he eat something that's very nutritious but which he just doesn't feel like eating...and that's OK with me, because I know he knows what he's doing now. I don't have to force my 7-year-old to read anymore because he's learned to love it. However, in the past, both of these things were huge battles. But I love my kids enough so that I was willing to fight the battles...and win, for THEIR sake.

Failure to discipline one's children is not love, it is something opposite...neglect.

I love my children, I discipline them, I train them...and my kids won't be playing ARM before (if ever) I deem them ready, because quite honestly I am a better influence than y'all are.

[FuSoYa]

Well, give them a few years to grow into their skin and you might see a few rebellions.  Great kids don't always eat what they are told, jump when they are told, and stop when they are told.  You sound like a great mom (I mean come on... you play ARM, that's already like +10 cool points in my book) and like you have some rad kids.  I'm just saying... if they get a mind of their own and decide to start hanging out with friends, sipping on the hooch, smoking a little weed and finger-banging whoever will let them... well it's all part of growing up right?

Brandon

[Malken]

I don't think it's a question of being mature enough or not to handle a sex scene, I just think it's against the law to have any sort of sexual contact with a minor, virtual or not, and if the minor you're mudsexing on Arm tells you that he is an adult and lying, then you, as the adult, is still going to be guilty if caught by the law.

So, if a minor tells you OOCly that he is an adult, if he's lying, and for whatever reason someone decides to bust you, then you're still guilty of sexual contact with a minor.

That was my point a few pages ago, it had nothing to do with wondering if a 10 years old is mature enough or not to handle a torture scene or a sex scene..

[Tisiphone]

I'm just saying... if they get a mind of their own and decide to start hanging out with friends, sipping on the hooch, smoking a little weed and finger-banging whoever will let them... well it's all part of growing up right?

Brandon

No.

[Gimfalisette]

Well, give them a few years to grow into their skin and you might see a few rebellions.

Rebellion is a daily issue in my home My kids won't GET minds of their own, because they were BORN with them. However, that doesn't change my duty to protect and teach them, and to provide relevant consequences (rewards and punishments) with the intent of modifying their behavior. So long as they depend on me in some way--meaning, they are not fully adults yet--this is the way it is. Even when my kids are all grown up and self-sufficient, the teaching relationship will naturally and necessarily continue. For example, I intend to teach my kids about what qualities to look for in a potential spouse--because by then I will have 20-30 years of marriage experience, both good and bad, and I just know a lot that's relevant to the topic, and I know my kids.

So, point is, just because my kids can/do/will make some bad choices and screw up from time to time, that doesn't change my responsibility. Once you're a parent, you don't stop being a parent at some magic number like 13, 18, 21, or 30.