Let's Play Non-Combatants! (The noncomm challenge.)

[boog]

No such thing as sugar, just spiced sand.

There is sugar, or at least sugar-coated things IG.

Like words?

Well, sure! --

And urine mouthwash could very well be accepted as a bleach, since it bleaches other things. Mm. Lord Templar Piss-Breath. *swoon*

[Clavis]

Hmmm

EW can bottle urine to sell to nobles! For that sparkling white just rinsed feeling? Try Urinwash?

[Scarecrow]

Surrogate Mother

I want to find one of these in Arm and get some product. Regular PC's who get pregnant are too adventurous and die before the birth. I want to actually have one of my PC's be an actual parent! 

[Ampere]

No such thing as sugar, just spiced sand.

There is sugar, or at least sugar-coated things IG.

Like words?

Well, sure! --

And urine mouthwash could very well be accepted as a bleach, since it bleaches other things. Mm. Lord Templar Piss-Breath. *swoon*

Sand is used to clean teeth. Herbs are used to freshen breath.

noncom: male wetnurse (cites gender neutrality)

[Gunnerblaster]

Never done it, before. A non-combatant.

Next character. Definitely.

[jriley]

I'd like to get a good discussion going on character ideas people can use if they want to play non-comms. Whether they be coded wigglers or coded warriors! I encourage everyone to play a noncomm every once in a while.

Noncomms can liven up any clan or area of the game dramatically. In my opinion, noncomms have an opportunity to be the most interesting PCs in any given scene because those players usually has more effort available to concentrate on playing the character, (and not having to worry about the combat code/skills/etc.)

Leaders: It does not hurt your clan to hire cooks, physicians, bards, servants, or grebbers.

Post your noncomm occupation ideas.

Mine: Street sweeper/servant.

Really like this thread.  See some neat ideas.

That being said, I have trouble playing non-combatants, and wouldn't mind some advice. 

When playing combatants, I often become bored with the game, but then at least then I can go hunt monsters, go conduct raids or spar with my friends.

When playing noncombatants, I still become bored, but then have considerably fewer outlets.

The two times I played noble-aides, I become really bored with the role.  There was simply nothing to do. 

Any advice?

[Is Friday]

When I play noncomms it's usually good to not have a lot of "free time" to play Arm. And when you do have free time, it's good to be playing a role that you can enjoy solo-RPing. I played a street sweeper once, (who eventually got hired on as an aide,) but for the most part all I did was go around and change my ldesc and busy herself with gossip. Interacting with people mundanely is about the most fun you'll have, because these types of roles are generally pretty boring achievement-wise.

[Sokotra]

I'm sure there are noncom roles out there that are exciting, but they seem to require tons more time to play than I have.  As a hunter (whether indy or not) I usually have time to plan a quick trek into the wastes, bring in a kill or two and conduct some quick business.  Similar with a raider.  Honestly, I'm just not the type that wants to sit around and chat for hours.  However, when I did have the time to play for much longer lengths of time - I did like to engage in the occasional conversation of various plots, schemes, and gossip.  I still like to... it's just harder to do with very limited time.  Sorry if I keep repeating the same thought in many of my posts, heh... but yeah.. once again this goes back to making the game more friendly toward casual players and being considerate of those that only have time to jump in the game for 30 minutes at a time at irregular intervals.  As I've said, I think the staff and players have done a pretty good job at doing this for the most part, although there are things that could be improved from several different angles.

I prefer combat roles, but I give respect to those that have the time, patience, gift-of-gab, and ability to play the other roles that flesh out the game. 

[Barzalene]

Surrogate Mother

I want to find one of these in Arm and get some product. Regular PC's who get pregnant are too adventurous and die before the birth. I want to actually have one of my PC's be an actual parent! 

Ugh. Don't do it.
I've done this. I stored.

Imagine this: You have a baby. It cries. It's tiny and breakable.
You log in. You want to interacts. Do you a) take your infant into a tavern where a bar fight or murder or puking elf or exploding templar may happen at any moment? Where a mutant might curse you baby and make it grow a horn? Or b) do you try to convince other pcs to come out and watch you burp said infant and change its poopie diaper?

[Wolfsong]

Wetnurse! Buy a wetnurse!

[Royal]

heh, I've been trying to play a role that doesn't go into combat directly. Course this is Zalanthas, and one must remember that if most people want to get around, they must be able to defend themselves in some way.   

[Is Friday]

heh, I've been trying to play a role that doesn't go into combat directly. Course this is Zalanthas, and one must remember that if most people want to get around, they must be able to defend themselves in some way.   

Or hire someone to defend them.

[Royal]

True enough, most people aren't that fortunate however.

[Marshmellow]

If your character is doing so much business that they need to travel, they sure as a Bynner smells like shit better be able to afford it.

[Kankman]

If you find an aide role boring, you're probably not being racist enough.

[Marshmellow]

Oh, and coming back to this...

You can be an adventurer and a non-combatant.  I've had a couple non-comm magickers that were very exploration/scavenge sorts of people, and probably could have really made someone's day really crappy if they bothered to use their magicks in that way... but that wasn't the character.  Run and magick myself to safety in some way, direct or indirect (either support or defensive types of spells), and off I go to my next grand adventure.

Being able to defend yourself and being a combatant are two different things, and I gave only one example.  There are other ways you could 'defend yourself' that aren't in any way shape or form a combat-oriented thing, too, like power through coin or subterfuge or charm.  It's all what you do with what you got and what's in character for your character to do.

[jriley]

If you find an aide role boring, you're probably not being racist enough.

lulz.  Win!

When I play noncomms it's usually good to not have a lot of "free time" to play Arm. And when you do have free time, it's good to be playing a role that you can enjoy solo-RPing. I played a street sweeper once, (who eventually got hired on as an aide,) but for the most part all I did was go around and change my ldesc and busy herself with gossip. Interacting with people mundanely is about the most fun you'll have, because these types of roles are generally pretty boring achievement-wise.

No, I agree with you.  Good point.  I've had good luck playing beggars and spies, both of which usually try to avoid combat.  Those are fun.

Beggars in particular are neat because you get to interact with nearly everyone.  And it really challenges people's roleplay.  You get to see people at their best and at their worst.

[Kankman]

I think there might be a bit of a misconception that non-combat is the same as non-conflict.

As a non-combat character, it is your job to steer those who do fight. It is your job to create conflict, then involve others in your conflict to do the dirt work for you. Sure, as a combat-oriented character you can go out into the wastes and kill stuff. You can go out into the wastes and raid other people, but usually, a combat-oriented PC is too busy hunting to make really good enemies of people.

If your character isn't focused on combat, then you have tons of time to make really great enemies. You can make frenemies too. There's a great opportunity to really get under people's skin, and make them hate your with a really strong passion, and you never need to worry about meeting them outside the gates. Even better, as a non-combat PC it is your job to involve other people in the conflict. If you want someone dead (and everyone wants someone dead) then you absolutely must involve other PCs. You need allies. Or at least you need enough coin to pay someone to do your dirty work for you. Maybe all you need to do is buy a poisoned drink, but chance are you need someone else to do the gathering of the poisoning, and possibly the poisoning.

Combat in Armageddon is great. It's exciting. You can feel like a badass. But the non-combat PCs are the ones who really drive the world.

Don't be a wimp. Play a non-combat PC today!

[HTX]

Yeah, if you're the type of person who needs to explore, hunt or otherwise put themselves in personal danger to enjoy the game, maybe non-combat characters just aren't your cup of tea no matter what you do to spice your non-comm up. Don't force yourself to do something you hate if you're playing a game.

Your best bet would be to go with a character like an aide or merchant and just get heavily involved in plots, scheming, politics, whatever, if you've got long play times and want to play more than just a flavour role. Don't spend all your time just gossiping if that bores you, focus instead on making things happen. Making your character ambitious is, in my experience, one of the best platforms for plots and conflict you can have.

Speaking of conflict, Kankman said everything about non-comm conflict that I was about to say. If all else fails, don't be afraid to start a bar brawl, even if you know your guild merchant beggar will lose. I recall once instigating a brawl which grew massive (in the end involving like 11 PCs), and needless to say my character got his arse kicked as I recall... but fuck it... it was one of my favourite Arm moments.

[Marshmellow]

HTX, you can play a noncomm character that is warrior guild.  You can play a combatant character that has no weapon or combat skills.  Also, you don't need to be a combatant to explore and get into dangerous situations.  It's a mentality for the character.  It's a philosophy on how to deal with conflict, not complete avoidance of conflict.

[Bogre]

I played about 3 years as a non-comm (sort of)...it was really fun. But still, I like being able to bonk things on the head.

[chuci]

I like being able to bonk things on the head.

[jriley]

bonk things on the head.

[/quote]

This game offers so much more than that.

Very well, Is Friday, I accept your challenge.  My next character will be a non-combatant. 

"And theme's that die be the lucky ones."

[chuci]

Yeah, it does offer more than that, and you can take advantage of it while bonking things on the head.

I have played non-combat roles and had fun with them, but when it comes down to it, I enjoy the lean, mean, gritty side of armageddon's combat characters more than I do the puppeteers. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, or that people should feel somehow that they're not enjoying the full extent that the game has to offer. Let's not get caught up in elitism here. Different strokes, different folks.

[Zoan]

Every single one of my characters have been non-combatants save one. Amusingly, it's the one I'm most famous for.