Karma rate

[Marshmellow]

I highly suggest that anyone playing a magicker for the first time plays around other magickers.  There is, obviously, more than one way to do so.  Still, the easiest, generally, is to play a gemmer that doesn't understand much so that they can find other gemmers to interact with on a regular basis... make friends with those gemmers, so you can get a better feel for what being a magicker can do to someone and how you can incorporate such sorts of things into the roleplay of your magicker.

This goes for people that aren't playing their first magickers as well, if you've had difficulty in the past.  There are, often enough, a few good people playing gemmers that can help you to understand the shift in philosophy/tactics that a magicker character has to understand to be able to operate well, all the while having good things to teach to people about how to roleplay a magicker in a way that is rewarding both in material fashion by getting your character a comfortable existence and in a more ephemeral way by helping you to understand your character better and possibly get into the roleplay of that character better.

I wish I could say that I'd be happy to mentor any young gemmers and help people get into and , but I'm currently unable to do so. 

[Kiara]

I highly suggest that anyone playing a magicker for the first time plays around other magickers.

This is good advice. Do not play a solo magicker please. Immerse yourself in the culture and learn from (hopefully) other magickers who are good leaders and can help show you the ropes.

I wish I could say that I'd be happy to mentor any young gemmers and help people get into and , but I'm currently unable to do so. 

There are currently tribes as well that accept magick, both human and elven in nature. I believe that a couple, if not a few of these, currently have solid leadership in regards to magick, as well as differing interpretations of its effects on the world.

[brytta.leofa]

This is good advice. Do not play a solo magicker please. Immerse yourself in the culture and learn from (hopefully) other magickers who are good leaders and can help show you the ropes.

And this has probably been said already, but unless you're already a hardcore solo roleplayer, you will find solo magicking extremely tedious.  I've stored several of the critters.  It really helps to have some kind of outside interest while you're grinding out those first 100 hours of solitary practice.

[Lizzie]

Different strokes for different folks.

I'd play a rogue mage without giving it a second thought. A clanned mage I'd have to think about. And I would not play a mage at all with the intention of getting the gem.

[Marshmellow]

Different strokes for different folks.

I'd play a rogue mage without giving it a second thought. A clanned mage I'd have to think about. And I would not play a mage at all with the intention of getting the gem.

You've played mages before, Lizzie?  If you notice, my last post and the following were talking to people that have not had any luck getting into the role or for people that are playing their first magicker, not someone that has already comfortable with the role.  After that, to each their own.

[Talia]

My general recommendation would be that anyone's first stab at a mage should be played gemmed, within the Quarter, in Allanak, and attempting to get hired by House Oash. If it's a special-apped mage PC, then this goes extra, because otherwise I forsee a quick and very unsatisfactory death for the mage--and that just sucks for the player who put time and effort and hope into the app.

Similarly, my general recommendation to ARM newbies would be that they play a human warrior (or ranger) in Allanak (or Tuluk) and join a busy military or hunting clan immediately (Byn especially), then follow the rules of said clan.

In both cases, it's not about restricting the player, it's about providing the most fruitful possible first look at things, with the best chance for interaction, developing relationships, and getting into plots.

However, players are free to do as they wish in both cases.

[Kiara]

What 'mellow said.

[Synthesis]

Different strokes for different folks.

I'd play a rogue mage without giving it a second thought. A clanned mage I'd have to think about. And I would not play a mage at all with the intention of getting the gem.

Being gemmed isn't a sentence to do nothing but spam-cast and hang out with gossiping do-nothings, you know.  It's Allanak:  the templars and nobles love bloodbaths, and they love badasses.  My last Oashi gemmer roamed around pwning n00bz and nobody in Allanak gave a damn, as long as I wasn't zorching GMH clannies, and as long as I was passing the phat lewtz on to the dudes in charge.

[Bogre]

Most I have played have been solo rogues 'gickers and were extremely easy to get into. Of course they died pretty quickly.

My number one piece of advice for picking a mage concept is to pick something that will be fun without magick. Don't go into thinking 'okay, I'm going to play a badass Rukkian.' Use the elementalism to enhance your character and flavor it rather than defining what its going to be.

[Lizzie]

Yes, I have played mages, Marshmellow. I've played several. My first one was a gemmer. And it is because of my experience, when I did exactly what you are recommending, that I posted my opinion.

As someone who did exactly what you recommend, I say, different strokes for different folks, and doing what you recommend might be the totally wrong thing for someone to do, while it'd be perfect for someone else.

I played other mages *despite* my experience playing a gemmed, not because of it. My first experience playing a mage, as a gemmed, was so unpleasant that it convinced me to have my PC really piss people off and get herself assassinated, because I didn't want to get a bad note on my account for walking off the shield wall. That's how much I hated playing a gemmed mage, and how much it turned me off from the idea of being gemmed or becoming gemmed. I didn't learn anything ABOUT magicks, being a gemmed mage. I learned the very limited amount that I learned from the OOC docs. For me, playing a gemmed was a total and complete waste of time and effort, and I would've learned more about magicks, the dynamics of magick RP in the game world, and been able to better flesh out the concept of my character's background, if I hadn't taken the gem at all.

I've experienced playing a mage with a gem since that first time too, and if my character hadn't gone the way she had gone as quickly as she did, I would've stored her.

[Kiara]

To be fair, being gemmed used to be far more fun right after the CAM started, but before they devolved into power rangers.

This was when the end-plot was in full swing, and several of the characters set many things into motion, playing central rolls in various plots.

I don't know what the situation is like now, but maybe it's time a player tried starting something up on their own down there, and formed a group of some kind.

[Lizzie]

To be fair, being gemmed used to be far more fun right after the CAM started, but before they devolved into power rangers.

This was when the end-plot was in full swing, and several of the characters set many things into motion, playing central rolls in various plots.

I don't know what the situation is like now, but maybe it's time a player tried starting something up on their own down there, and formed a group of some kind.

Organized rogue groups are often attempted. Some of them do great til they fall apart, heh.  It'd be great to see some of them succeed big-time within the geographical boundaries of Allanak. Some kind of serious world-changing shit.

[Marshmellow]

Well, Lizzie, I'm sorry that you had a bad experience as a gemmed.  Did you do as Talia also recommended and went Oash?  Perhaps the other players of other gemmed at that time didn't contain any someones like I suggested are usually around.  Going Oash, at least those gemmed have tasks set before them that aren't just about being a power ranger task force but about exploring the magick side of the world.  It's doing things like this that you really learn what's really going on.  You can do it on your own, but having others that know things too around makes it a much easier, and often enough enjoyable experience.  Anyway, as a gemmed, you have some things you needn't worry about, like a place to live, so you can focus on what it means to be a magicker while also trying to be something else.  As suggested, don't play a magicker, play a person that is a magicker.  So learning how to do this, it makes it easier when, down the road, to play a magicker that isn't a magicker first, that is a person that has goals and alternate skills (from the subguild), and you use the all of this to play a character that you understand better than your first magicker.  That's the point.  Sure, maybe you won't enjoy the role as much as you'd hope, but you still learn.  I'm not saying the role is for everyone, as you seem to think.  Even if it isn't the right role for you, though, playing one or two before playing another magicker is still recommended because it gives you, the player, better ability to learn what is going on when it comes to magick and gives you the opportunity to make better magickers down the road.  If people don't learn, often enough they just go through a slew of rogues that don't ever get anywhere and then they give up and never play a magicker again because they never understood how to play one.

Anyway, there are some great magicker players out there, ones that put a lot of thought into the magick their characters do, and I've seen them come through the Gemmer's Quarter often enough.  No matter whether you will like the role or not, playing a gemmer for your first magicker, I still recommend it.

[Lizzie]

No, my character was not Oash material, and wouldn't have been able to join Oash even if she wanted to. Also, "going Oash" is only an option if there is an active Oashi noble to bring you on board and other Oash mages to interact with. When the pickins of clan life are slim for a gemmed, they're even more slim than any other clan because that gem limits your options just by virtue of its presence around your neck.

[valeria]

To continue the derail, my first magicker was a sekret 'gicker who I loved and who was very interesting and dynamic to play, but who unfortunately died.  My second magicker was a gemmed magicker who was so boring I ended up storing her (after trying to get someone in House Oash to pick them up as a last ditch attempt at having ANY interaction at all).  They lasted about the same RL time and same days played.  I found that being a gemmed mage actually drastically reduced my chances for interaction, and provided no opportunity to learn anything more about magicks than what I could pick up in the helpfile.  In other words, my experience seems to have been much like Lizzie's.

Ultimately, you should probably be playing whatever you think will be most enjoyable to you at the time.  But the way I view it, if you're not enjoying your rogue mage, you can probably successfully get gemmed and see if that works for you (background and other factors willing).  If you aren't enjoying your gemmed mage, you're more likely than not shit out of luck.

[X-D]

I'll not do another gemmer myself,

Course my worst gemmed experiance was in Oash.

Staff does not like when you talk bad about clans, So I won't, but I don't agree with anybody, including Talia saying that as a first mage you should go gemmed and Oash, My bet is that the suggestion would not fit at least 50% of the players.

[Barzalene]

If we're being honest, and let's, let's be honest, a clan is only as good as the players in it at any given time. So, in addition to every other factor, you need to factor in, that. What is the pc leadership in Oash like when you're playing a gemmed? Who are the other minions? I bet that completely changes the equation, and would explain the wide variance of experiences.

[Salt Merchant]

I wouldn't be surprised if House Oash has a bit of a reputation for brutality toward its mages. It's been more than a year; there were public notices (tavern boards) of one mage being whipped on the balcony of the second floor Red's until her blood "rained down" onto the crowds and street, and another instance of a pregnant mage having her abdomen stomped by an Oashi noble until she miscarried, to get rid of the "abomination", also with public notice.

After that, I always thought it was a wonder that any gemmed mages would seek to join Oash at all. It seems that the player base forgets more quickly than the mage community really would.

[Qzzrbl]

After that, I always thought it was a wonder that any gemmed mages would seek to join Oash at all. It seems that the player base forgets more quickly than the mage community really would.

An abomination with a little status is better than just a plain old abomination any day.

[Salt Merchant]

After that, I always thought it was a wonder that any gemmed mages would seek to join Oash at all. It seems that the player base forgets more quickly than the mage community really would.

An abomination with a little status is better than just a plain old abomination any day.

Think about it, though.  Why would you, as a gemmed, want to give someone that sort of life-and-death authority over yourself, at least without knowing them very well first?

[Qzzrbl]

After that, I always thought it was a wonder that any gemmed mages would seek to join Oash at all. It seems that the player base forgets more quickly than the mage community really would.

An abomination with a little status is better than just a plain old abomination any day.

Think about it, though.  Why would you, as a gemmed, want to give someone that sort of life-and-death authority over yourself, at least without knowing them very well first?

Well, think about it this way.... Oash is a big Noble House.... -NOBLE- house. Nobility.... Nobles.

I'm pretty sure many abominatio-- erm.... "Gemmed" would turn a blind eye to the abuse for even the slightest chance to rub elbows with the big-wigs of the city.

Hell, I'm sure -any- commoner would take a twelve savage beatings a day for the rest of their miserable commoner lives, for the chance to wear a noble house's colors.

[Qzzrbl]

You've gotta keep in mind.... We're talking about Allanak.

This place is reeking of death, there's a famine, kids are starving in the streets, and vile 'Rinthi rats come out at night to wreak havoc among the populace....

Most gemmed, when it comes to getting work, have two choices.... Live out their lives as a common, average, filthy commoner scumbag abomination....

Or! Join a goddamn -noble- house. Something many average vile commoners will never have the opportunity to do.

I know what I'd choose if Zalanthas were reality and were a gemmed mage.

::EDIT::

Also.... About those board posts-- I don't think it's the best idea to take things like that at face value.

I'd imagine many gemmed would believe that gemmer who got the piss whipped right out of him probably did something to deserve it.

Or that forced miscarriage? Who knows, maybe that was the noble's illegitimate child and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

Y'never know.

Maybe she did something to deserve it also.

[Kiara]

Think about it, though.  Why would you, as a gemmed, want to give someone that sort of life-and-death authority over yourself, at least without knowing them very well first?

To be fair, gemmed do not have a choice about this in the first place. There are others more powerful in some cases than even nobles that hold life-and-death authority over mages. That would be the templarate.

Pick your poison.

Sure, you're going to be oppressed. That's the name of the game - mages are hated, loathed and feared, not loved and respected.

That being said, stick through it and I guarantee you will become privy to some awesome, awesome stuff.

[FantasyWriter]

This conversation has DRASTICALLY strayed form a player wanting to know how often one gets /should espect to get karma.  Please take the Gemmer/Oash hate to one of the 100+ topics specifically on the subject.

[Kiara]

Actually I think it relates to the topic at hand. Players who have proven they can stick through the good/bad times in restrictive roles such as that of the gemmer often prove themselves to staff, thereby unlocking new options.