RP holes

[IceWhiz]

Good morning,

 I suppose this is something that everybody has encountered at some point or another... But I'd still be happy to hear about different views.

 Sometimes your PC ingame gets locked into a situation that provides very little RP (*) opportunities -- if he is to act IC. This situation might continue indefinitely.

 The three obvious solutions are:
1) Act it out.
2) Storage.
3) Change PCs actions so that he will interact with other PCs.

 What is it that you do?

* -- indeed solo-RP is possible. I'm talking about RPing involving other human actors (be they immortals or players).

[Ghost]

There should be something to play around.  

I remember I heard some screams around (room echo)  and I screamed in response.  The scream came again and I replied again..  Then the scream changed..  It was a response to mine..  After sometime, I got a half-giant guardian threatening me to shut up.  A little conversation with that one, and I was hauled outside.  Earlier that I should be

Also, you can contact to some people you know and bitch at them why you are there.

You can "think" what you are going to do to the people who put you in there (But I doubt you can lay even a scratch)  

Whatever.

Good luck

[Gorobei]

Always remember, people change, and you are in complete control of your character.  If I were you, I'd play it out for a while.  Things are rarely as hopeless as they seem.  Of course, the details are unknown to me, so go ahead and change your character all you like.  Anything reasonable is IC, as long as you say it is.
I'd never store, though.

[Agent_137]

.  Of course, the details are unknown to me, so go ahead and change your character all you like.  Anything reasonable is IC, as long as you say it is.I'd never store, though.

I disagree.

If you have an OOC goal in mind, it's one thing to -shift- your character, or work on coming up with a IC reason for it. But, it's another thing if you're gonna completely change your character without a DAMN good  IC reason.

You're an actor on a stage. If you want to play someone different, talk to your director. Don't just go radically changing your current character.

If you want to play a different character, DO IT. And make up a new background and a new sdesc and a new mdesc to go along with it!

[Gorobei]

You are the director, author and actor.  The immortals are none of these.  They are merely the editors and the publishers.

I'm not suggesting that you write and produce a crappy, implausable script, of course.

[amoeba]

I say most anything is possible.  IRL people do stupid or totaly life changing things all the time with DAMN bad reasoning behind it.  As long as it's IC for the character, the reason can be stupid.   Maybe the character is having a midlife crisis and need to throw caution to the wind.  It could lead you in ways you never imagined.  Me, I tend to be suprised by where my character leads me.

[Gilvar]

Most of the time players FEEL they are in an impossible situation. Like "This situation is boring, I'd like to store." Rather then explore the infinite opprotunities open to everyone but those in confining, typically laid out beforehand, roles.

[Seraphim]

I've been in both incredibly boring IC situations I managed to get out of, and others where, despite what Gilvar said, I really saw no realistic way out. I'm not too much into solo RP and never will be, and will never consider it a way of entertaining myself in isolated, plotless dead end situations.

In one case I was able to hire the Byn (despite lack of active PC sergeants at the times I played - thanks to the Byn imms!) to come drag me out of that hole.

In another case I tried getting drunk, stirring up some infighting and plotting my PC's slow downfall, but then realized it OOCly depressed me to the point retirement sounded like heaven. It made me feel a little bad, because I dont usually retire, but I was really about tearing at my hair somewhere between dullness and OOC depression.

My advice: Think about what could be realistic for your PC to change his / her situation. You are alone in Red Storm? Maybe the place makes your PC ill, and they need to ask their employer to be moved elsewhere. Or whatever. But if there is REALLY no realistic solution, go ahead and retire, the imms are usually cool about it.

The one and only reason I never played Harshlands is because they dont let you retire period, and punish you for taking risks with your character in an attempt to evade a dull situation. Thats a little too OOCly harsh for my taste, whats the point of people quitting a game as the only way out of an unwanted role?

[Vettrock]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?  No!  Fight your  way through the difficultly.  Maybe you can them a few risks here and there, and not knowing your situation I can't give any better advice than that.

[Seraphim]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?  No!  Fight your  way through the difficultly.  Maybe you can them a few risks here and there, and not knowing your situation I can't give any better advice than than.

Germans? Wasnt it the Japanese?

Sometimes it is not IC to fight. It depends on the PC. Drastic changes to the PC's personality are usually not realistic.

[Vettrock]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?  No!  Fight your  way through the difficultly.  Maybe you can them a few risks here and there, and not knowing your situation I can't give any better advice than than.

Germans? Wasnt it the Japanese?

Sometimes it is not IC to fight. It depends on the PC. Drastic changes to the PC's personality are usually not realistic.

Have you not seen Animal House?  One of the classics....

[Lazloth]

Germans? Wasnt it the Japanese?

Forget it, he's rolling.

[zanthalandreams]

Never give up on your character.  

Ever.  

I shall testify:

Once upon a time, I was playing a guard type in a city-based House.  It started out fun, but then leader types stopped logging on and a clique of players who were pretty well connected outside of the game started playing and it just became a dead-end role.  Rp hole.  Wasn't having any fun and the rules of the clan severely restricted doing anything other than following orders.   It was one of those "you quit, we kill you" types of clans.  There's several in the game.  This was my first character, so I didn't know much about retiring a PC.  

It was through interaction with another PC, probably the deepest most realistic character I've ever encountered in this game, that made me see I wasn't allowing my character to grow and change.  I was replaying the same one-dimensional personality over and over.  

I took a step back and asked myself what I would do if I were in my character's situation.  "Shit," says I.   "I'd be gone."

There was quite a bit happening ICly that gave my character reason to want to leave.   So I did.  

I ended up with one of the most fascinating and most fun characters I've ever played.  That PC survived another 2 and a half RL years in the game, grew to be one of the most powerful personalities in one region of the game.

If you find yourself in a dull situation, then move.  Change.  Live.  Go to the other side of the world.  Find a group of like-minded folk, either in a clan or out.  Rise above.   Don't give up on a character.  

If you don't want to desert, defect, or otherwise quit your clan then ask to change your role.   If you're in a quagmire as a soldier, then ask to quit that job and serve as a diplomat.  If you are bored of merchanting, then become a soldier.   So what if you don't have a skill base, at least it'll be interesting to try.

[sacac]

Yea.. I stored my 56 day and I have regretted it ever since.. so I'm never retiring again.

[Agent_137]

Yea.. I stored my 56 day and I have regretted it ever since.. so I'm never retiring again.

:shock:

i coulda told you not to do that!!

[Anonymous]

I'm a big fan of changing my situation, personally.  There's no point in sticking to a character concept to the point that you stop playing.  Add a wrinkle here or there and see what you get.

[Seraphim]

I added wrinkles and was still depressed and bored outta my mind, even more so because I saw what the role COULD have been like... the first RL month was an immense blast, but then everything was taken out of my hands, dead end extraordinaire. I do admit it was a special case and the whole concept was an experiment from start. I have never been in such a hopeless IC situation before (where I felt I could really do nothing realistic), and I doubt I ever will be again.

Never regret it, even tho I liked the PC.