Are people too focused on Mudsex?

[Cerelum]

We expect adult players to be mature enough to be able to handle adult situations in a textual form.  The act of roleplaying out a sexual situation in-game (with or without a fade-to-black) can lead to other roleplayed scenarios involving murder, corruption, betrayal, and fleas. 

This is the only reason Nyr wants sex to be in game, so he can give out various STDs.

[Tenua]

We expect adult players to be mature enough to be able to handle adult situations in a textual form.  The act of roleplaying out a sexual situation in-game (with or without a fade-to-black) can lead to other roleplayed scenarios involving murder, corruption, betrayal, and fleas. 

This is the only reason Nyr wants sex to be in game, so he can give out various STDs.

Agreed. :-D

<3 Nyr.

[bcw81]

I'm honestly suprised this has reached page six before it was locked.

[Morrolan]

I'm honestly suprised this has reached page six before it was locked.

[tongue in cheek]
The fact that we are on page 6 tells me that the answer to Are people too focused on Mudsex? is probably yes.
[/tongue in cheek]

Use of the word "too" in this question is clearly a YMMVYP!.

(Your mileage may vary, you pervert!) 

[ShaLeah]

I'm honestly suprised this has reached page six before it was locked.

[tongue in cheek]
The fact that we are on page 6 tells me that the answer to Are people too focused on Mudsex? is probably yes.
[/tongue in cheek]

Use of the word "too" in this question is clearly a YMMVYP!.

(Your mileage may vary, you pervert!) 

I lol'ed.

[Intrepid]

It's funny to see perceived trends.  Two or three pcs will do something loudly, like a few half-elves being uppity or a couple of rogue mages making trouble in a region.  And what do you know...suddenly, it's an epidemic, according to popular perception.

Note that last part for emphasis.

So, we'll have to play common sense Armageddon style now.  Some rules to live by, both as player and character alike:

1) Sex sells.  It has an ulterior motive.
2) Not every seductress is someone typing one-handed ooc.  See #1 on the ulterior motives.
3) Did two people appear to be leaving a room to have sex?  Are you sure?  Sucker!  Few things are ever what you perceive in betrayal and politics...not even in our egalitarian real world.
4) Conversely, did two people appear to be leaving a room to do something other than have sex?  Hmm...
5) I'll believe a bunch of people are bumping uglies when you can provide a series of logs to the staff taking place in the span of an hour where over half the people logged in during a peak time were, in the space of one hour, having sex.  Note that you have to personally witness this.  Otherwise, you're perceiving a false trend.

Western civilization is such a great society.  Movies with horrific violence will net a PG-13 rating in the states, but a single flash of breasts or a minor sexual situation nets an R rating.  This same repression is evident in how we perceive Armageddon, I've noticed.  Few topics come up as often as sex in the game.  Sex has its place in the game, just as it does in the mindsets of any human being.  The approach to sex should tell you about the character, not the player.  It's funny, it's time-consuming, it's a tool, it's an ulterior motive to other facets of rp.  But does anyone get to claim it's done too much?  Not really.  You might as well pass judgement on too much violence, murder, betrayal, humans, moons in the sky, etc.  It is on a level that's that silly, frankly.

In direct address to the OP: No, no one's having too much sex.  If you think ooc might be coming into it for one reason or another, either try to inject an ic solution to be the change you want to see or...let the staff know.  But if, pc after pc, you feel people are constantly hitting on you, then I have to agree with Boog: You are the common denominator.  There is something you are inadvertently attracting people with in regards to your desc and/or emotes.

Some laws of attraction:

1) Some women like scars.  Even the b'fugly scars.  Don't assume it's a turnoff.
2) If you think weird skin tone is ugly, you need to re-evaluate.  Silver is skin is sexy.  Sorry, Sha.  It is.
3) An ugly desc written in poetic prose is not ugly.
4) An ugly desc written using flowery words is also not ugly.
5) If everyone is covered in shit, your shit-covered pc can still be an f-me because no one knows the difference.
6) Your outlandish mutation can still be an affectation or a fetish.  Winged women, men with prehensile tails, a tongue that can lick your own eyebrows, etc.  Yeah, your mutation is not ugly, it's exotic.
7) Your emotes alone can make you sexy.  S/he who writes well, probably fucks well too.
Good old fashioned flirtation is rp.  Don't look down on it.  Even enemies sometimes entertain some classic sexual tension.

I'll preface my own anecdotal accounts as saying that anecdotes alone mean nothing and should never be taken as the overall state of the game.  That said, my own pc's have had mudsex once in about 7 rl years.  It was a business partner looking to sweeten the deal.  I played it out, it was amusing and entertaining.  It was also time-consuming and I never saw the other pc again.  Both of us were at a low station in general society, both humans, and didn't have to deal with social repercussions.

It's always possible that some players are obsessed with sex rp in the game.  But that may also just be the lure of a serial killer or a pc suffering from nymphomania/satyriasis.  Or they may just be trying to piss off society in general and provoke a reaction.  But frankly, I don't think I've ever seen anything more obsessive than the gdb community in terms of sex in Armageddon.

[Bast]

I do kinda wish there was a way to do coded STDs though... 

[Intrepid]

Ok, so...I now have this weird urge to infect Bast in game...

[Patuk]

Whyever would you think that urge to be weird? >>

[Intrepid]

Whyever would you think that urge to be weird? >>

You don't think it's odd for me to want to make a pc to fuck another pc specifically for the gag of giving them an STD?

On second thought, that is pretty funny...

[Patuk]

Whyever would you think that urge to be weird? >>

You don't think it's odd for me to want to make a pc to fuck another pc specifically for the gag of giving them an STD?

On second thought, that is pretty funny...

^ That, basically. You're never, ever the only one to have the most random thoughts imaginable.

[Akaramu]

2) Not every seductress is someone typing one-handed ooc.  See #1 on the ulterior motives.
3) Did two people appear to be leaving a room to have sex?  Are you sure?  Sucker!  Few things are ever what you perceive in betrayal and politics...not even in our egalitarian real world.
4) Conversely, did two people appear to be leaving a room to do something other than have sex?  Hmm...

Let's respect the possibility that the people who bring up the topic of mudsex MIGHT know what they are talking about, and don't just assume things. It's very possible they just -are- that good at sneaking. And -are- seeing silky aides kanking mages for 6 RL hours straight. (Now this is an example I made up! No one specifically mentioned it.)

I think genuinely accusing others of making up vaguely assumed points they bring up for discussion is as unfair as assuming that every mudsexer plays one-handed.

[Bast]

Whyever would you think that urge to be weird? >>

You don't think it's odd for me to want to make a pc to fuck another pc specifically for the gag of giving them an STD?

On second thought, that is pretty funny...

Hey if my pcs dumb ass decides to be stupid about who she kanks she is getting whats coming to her. There better be a hem in there if its an got bumps or something though 

[Intrepid]

Let's respect the possibility that the people who bring up the topic of mudsex MIGHT know what they are talking about, and don't just assume things. It's very possible they just -are- that good at sneaking. And -are- seeing silky aides kanking mages for 6 RL hours straight. (Now this is an example I made up! No one specifically mentioned it.)

Possibility?  Sure.  Certainty?  Oh hell no!

I mean, for Christ's sake--there's a meme in this community about cyclical complaining and certain obsessive topics that continue to arise.  Without personal experience or concrete proof, assuming the validity of all of these claims players wage against one another is actually a fairly grave disservice.  Anecdotal experiences do not a reality make, and if I took the bait of even half of these broad generalizations as gospel truth, it would utterly kill my enjoyment of this unholy addiction I call Armageddon.

Let's just keep it at this: I have reasonable doubt based on numerous personal experiences as to the validity of claims made to blow off steam about one's fellow player and their choice of decisions and portrayals.

I've seen a lot of colorful claims by players that were dashed by the staff over the 13+ years (I lost the exact count, sue me) that I've played.  It made discussions on Isca rather interesting, but you have take everything said with a grain of salt.  Or a chunk in some cases.

[Akaramu]

Let's just keep it at this: I have reasonable doubt based on numerous personal experiences as to the validity of claims made to blow off steam about one's fellow player and their choice of decisions and portrayals.

I've seen a lot of colorful claims by players that were dashed by the staff over the 13+ years (I lost the exact count, sue me) that I've played.  It made discussions on Isca rather interesting, but you have take everything said with a grain of salt.  Or a chunk in some cases.

Everyone has personal experiences over so and so many years and you can't really say what the intentions of a character ingame, or a player creating a discussion thread on the forums are unless you're on staff and they sent you a request / report about it. In the end, this is a discussion board and people have opinions, all respectfully voiced opinions should be respected and not immediately brushed off with assumptions.

How is attacking players who partake in a discussion any better than attacking the roleplay of some as personally perceived ingame? If people don't like a particular discussion, it's easy enough to ignore. Just don't look at the thread, problem solved. Complaining about discussions on a discussion forum is about as fruitful and necessary as complaining about old people in a retirement home.

[Intrepid]

Complaining?  Hardly.  I find the usual circulation of opinions highly entertaining, if not occasionally disturbing.  However, I do feel beholden to inject a dose of plausible deniability and reasonable doubt into what often comes down to finger-pointing.  If you want to consider that an attack, you're welcome to.  Myself, I consider it a sanity check.

As for not looking at a thread, I don't believe in burying one's head in the sand.

A problem unaddressed remains a problem.  What generally occurs is a series of attack/defense scenarios, rather than the overall trend being pointed out in another opinion.  I'd prefer to do the latter and offer an alternative, overarching opinion.  Given some of the things stated on the gdb, I'm sure anything I say at this point is tame in comparison.  Besides, this community has always been vocal.  If someone really has a problem with me, I'm sure they'll discuss it with me in private messages.

Edited to add: Just to absolutely clear: If anyone really is offended by my rants about sex, you are invited to pm me.  Really.  It is an amusing topic for me, not anything I actually get upset about.  And I guess I don't take the Arm community very seriously either because you guys seem off-the-wall and amusing yourselves.

[Cerelum]

Lots of stuff in various posts

I don't know you, won't claim to know you.  But in the last few posts you've posted, it sounds like you're just being aggressive on the subject to get attention.  If you don't care, then... don't care.

Also, I have said hundreds of times I think Mudsexers are stupid and playing the game for the wrong reason, but I will admit that the "function" of mudsex as a tool to advance roleplay and/or kill someone is understandable.

[Kaineus]

The roleplaying documentation often describes the social and relational customs of various clans and races. And I'm glad these customs are brought up in the docs, because social and sexual relationships are an essential part of any humanoid; indeed, sex  is essential for the success of most living organisms more advanced than bacteria, fungi, etc.

It's up to players to decide how they decide to address their PC's sexuality: RPing it, tastefully avoiding it, fading on such scenes, or taking care of it virtually or offline (a lot of badass mercs I've met in game only briefly mention their forays with VNPCs when sexual topics are brought up). It's wrong to judge any of these approaches as problematic.

The only set rule the staff has concerning this stuff is the consent rule. It should always be obeyed and people should avoid consent grey areas as well. Discussing sexual topics right at the bar is generally lame, but it is fine to discuss such things privately in case there is some spy looking for dirt on someone. Sex in publicly accessible areas of the game is also lame. If you or your character is annoyed by some sex crazed idiots who are defying the standards for the clan or race, then feel free to plot against them or slander them in game.

Mudsex itself isn't a problem, but I do agree that some people are somewhat excessive with it, myself included. There should be adverse consequences for defying roleplaying standards for one's race or clan. Half-elf lovers should be slapped. People should also RP having STDs more often. A long time ago on Shadows of Isildur my PC got hit with a coded STD once, and it was hilarious. Maybe we should introduce some STD code to appease the anti-mudsex curmudgeons

[Kaineus]

I'm a forum noob and accidentally double posted, haah

[Barsook]

It's not against the rules.

[Intrepid]

I don't know you, won't claim to know you.  But in the last few posts you've posted, it sounds like you're just being aggressive on the subject to get attention.  If you don't care, then... don't care.

I don't think I can be more aggressive than the posters who consistently bring up this topic, frankly.  I'm probably coming across as aggressive out of sheer disbelief that so many of you keep fixating on this one issue.  You are the ones obsessed with sex in the game, not the so-called mudsexers.

Also, I have said hundreds of times I think Mudsexers are stupid and playing the game for the wrong reason, but I will admit that the "function" of mudsex as a tool to advance roleplay and/or kill someone is understandable.

If you can make enough of a distinction between sex as a tool and sex just for the sake of it, why not just assume the ulterior motive?  How do you know it's not just an rp aid every time you've seen it?  Who are you to even make that claim for the rest of the playerbase?

[Cerelum]

To be entirely honest, since I've been back playing I haven't heard about mudsex IN the game from a character's perspective, just on the boards.  I just love telling people how stupid I think it is.  Totally honesty there.

[Intrepid]

Well, that's why I poke fun at it.  My own Arm experience almost never resembles the claims being made on the gdb, and I have seen instances of naysay being countered just enough that I look at all of these claims with a dose of skepticism.  I think more people would if they weren't automatically placed on the defensive by the initial topic, but well...that would be assuming, wouldn't it?

[Mazy]

I remember a thread about mudsex that spiraled on and on last year and the year before that. People are very vocal about it, and nothing has changed. I guess mudsex is part of the cycle now.

Ultimately, our community is awesome, whether you mudsex or not. I personally believe that relations in game adds to the world and the immersion. I also believe no one plays exclusively for mudsex. Will people still flirt with your lithe, grungy one-eyed rinther gemmer? Yes. Will sex be a part of the game world until there is a major policy change? Likely. If people are breaking character or documentation to mudsex, then ideally take it up in game or send in a player complaint if it is something like a Tuluki noble and a commoner.

And honestly, if you want to avoid romantic roleplay, it's not that hard to do.

Code Select Expand

The grungy, lipless dwarven female has arrived from the north, smeling like poopy.
The grungy, lipless dwarven female says, in sirihish:
    "okay who wants to musex me now"


[Intrepid]

Yeah, I don't think anyone plays just for mudsex either.  There are far more convenient corners of the internet for that.  Further, I don't think anyone but the collective staff can really enough of a player demographic to make claims of "too much" of any activity or character type.  The thing about gossip and personal accounts is that they almost always end up exaggerated and twisted.

I find our community entertaining, but I question any claim made of the majority/many of the playerbase by a player.  I think the demographics a staffmember can provide would paint a much different portrait of the game than what posters are trying to illustrate for us.