One trend I've noticed lately is that more and more players don't want to have much, if anything, to do with Out of Character communication, especially ingame. This makes it very hard to do everything from trying to set up and plan RPs (since we simply don't have the encounter density needed for randomly running into people to suffice for keeping plots from stalling out) to simply finding out what people want out of their RP, or even simply building relationships at an inter-player level.
Why is this? Is this just me, or is this something we need to sit down and have a discussion as a community about?
Roleplaying is like a fart: if you push it, it's probably a [REDACTED].
If you don't like role playing with IC info only or feel that you cannot role play with IC information only, then you are probably not really interested in role playing.
Surpise, surprise....
One trend I've noticed lately is that more and more players don't want to have much, if anything, to do with Out of Character communication, especially ingame. This makes it very hard to do everything from trying to set up and plan RPs (since we simply don't have the encounter density needed for randomly running into people to suffice for keeping plots from stalling out) to simply finding out what people want out of their RP, or even simply building relationships at an inter-player level.
Why is this? Is this just me, or is this something we need to sit down and have a discussion as a community about?
Yes, it is just you, for the most part. Most newcommers learn to stick to IC info and just play the damn game after a week or so. You? You've been obsessing over this kind of stuff for years now and I'm sure you have a rationalization or excuse for it. If you don't like role playing with IC info only or feel that you cannot role play with IC information only, then you are probably not really interested in role playing.
Surpise, surprise....Roleplaying is like a fart: if you push it, it's probably a [REDACTED].
Yes, there is much truth in this statement.
One other thing to consider is that if 100 players are online and 6 don't reply to you, it seems like RP is thriving and you have tonnes of people to interact with.Aye -- this is a much larger problem because of the small size of our community; I don't have the ability to "pick and choose" what subcommunities to interact with any longer.
But when 12 players are online...
Kaerli, the problem is that you have to pinpoint every single outcome and dissect every other scenario we come up with. So that's why people refuse to discuss some things with you OOCly. Sorry to be harsh but it's the only way you'll understand this.I'd like to do that, but what should I do when players refuse to RP with my characters, because their past biases overpower any chance of current experience overcoming them? Is the anon-alt approach my only hope?
Quit forcing RPs, and let it flow. Roleplaying is like a fart: if you push it, it's probably a [REDACTED].
Is the anon-alt approach my only hope?
Kaerli, the problem is that you have to pinpoint every single outcome and dissect every other scenario we come up with. So that's why people refuse to discuss some things with you OOCly. Sorry to be harsh but it's the only way you'll understand this.I'd like to do that, but what should I do when players refuse to RP with my characters, because their past biases overpower any chance of current experience overcoming them? Is the anon-alt approach my only hope?
Quit forcing RPs, and let it flow. Roleplaying is like a fart: if you push it, it's probably a [REDACTED].
I'd like to raise a point in counter to those who are saying that RP should only require IC communication -- how are we, as a community, supposed to build the inter-player trust relationships needed for RP if we don't communicate with each other as players?You are right: the best inter-players relationships are built when not only IC interactions occur. For some particular RP threads the IC communications between players are not only desirable but also necessary for all players to feel comfortable to play with each others.
This might not work for everyone. But to say that you NEED OOC to some degree to RP is not true.No it's true. You probably did not fall on sensitive topic or failed to understand whether someone got offended (not everyone complain, someone may just decide to quit) or you were simply lucky and always found peoples thinking your RP threads are acceptable. In any case it's the exception which confirm the rule.
Or I simply enjoyed the game without worrying about who's toes I stepped on, if any.well yes ... this confirm the rule ;D if someone doesn't care to "offend" or about the counterpart feelings there is no point in having OOC convo. But in that case you're not building an inter-player relationship. It's a perfectly legit choice as much as you comply the rules ...
(I've had gazillions of RP threads that have offended some people to some degree or another)
If a character is created, plays within PlaneShift's settings, and abides by PlaneShift's 'PG' ruling? There's no reason to go OOC at all. You can live a perfectly happy IC life. And if you offend anyone, then it's their problem - you're following Talad's rules to par! ;DThis is true but is the theory ;D and (un)fortunately real world is sometimes less perfect than the rule would like and it sometimes happens to step on the rules despite good intentions.
Or I simply enjoyed the game without worrying about who's toes I stepped on, if any.
(I've had gazillions of RP threads that have offended some people to some degree or another.)
Here's the catch:
Much like in real life - If YOU fail to tell anyone that what they are doing is bothering you, you will have found no solution.
In PS if you fail to do so, that is also your prerogative. Let's not wait for others to fix our problems for us.
Why is this? Because people are infinitely different in the smallest ways, or largest. If you spend your whole life worrying about being perfect or pleasing others, you have lost a good portion of who you are instead. Embrace creativity and ideas, and if you find offense, seek to make it right, no?
Those who complain are contented to sit back and watch life pass them by. Those who seek to find a change, however small it is, are the real doers of the world.
If a character is created, plays within PlaneShift's settings, and abides by PlaneShift's 'PG' ruling? There's no reason to go OOC at all. You can live a perfectly happy IC life. And if you offend anyone, then it's their problem - you're following Talad's rules to par!
;D
Second -- my natural approach to the world undermines many of the assumptions that form the basis of the RP community around here -- assumptions about what RP is about, how the world should behave, what characters should know about the world they are in, and even how characters should live out their day-to-day lives.
Finally -- my natural approach to the world leads to a RP style that when left unchecked, is pretty inherently offensive to most RPers here, but in a way that isn't obvious enough at first glance to draw complaints; I'm basically one walking player agency problem in a setup like this, which is quite an insidious thing to be.
I've tried asking how you folks play ball over and over -- and time and time again, folks try to explain RP from the same assumption-base they expect PS players to hold, without stating those assumptions, or recasting their explanation when I indicate I'm not understanding it.
Second -- my natural approach to the world undermines many of the assumptions that form the basis of the RP community around here -- assumptions about what RP is about, how the world should behave, what characters should know about the world they are in, and even how characters should live out their day-to-day lives.
Finally -- my natural approach to the world leads to a RP style that when left unchecked, is pretty inherently offensive to most RPers here, but in a way that isn't obvious enough at first glance to draw complaints; I'm basically one walking player agency problem in a setup like this, which is quite an insidious thing to be.(http://i.imgur.com/1X5ufmU.png)
Imagine for a moment that I joined a baseball team and upon receiving much grief from fellow players, I argued to no avail, that my way of playing baseball (which involves shooting poisoned darts and hiding the bases behind my back) was based on my "different mind", "unique lifestyle" and "keen ability to think outside of the box". If they didn't buy it and asked me to change or leave, do you think that it might behoove me to learn how "others" play ball, and start playing it the way they play it?
Point: "nobody tells me how you all roll"
Riposte: We've told you hundreds, if not thousands of times. Many of us, personally. From the very -moment- you stepped into this game, we've taken the time to gently walk you through what we're doing. Don't use that excuse with me to justify why you keep asking. You've been told. You either like it or you don't, or you're trying to manipulate us somehow, which just makes me even angrier. Perhaps it's ok to just admit that you don't WANT to play the way we do.
Am I correct in that this community assumes players can intuit/feel out how a narrative should go? I ask because I've always been someone who's had a logical/visual intuition, instead of a social one -- is there no room in PS for players that lack social/story intuition?
(And P.S. one of the great senses I've had is that PS is representative of most online RP communities -- and that means that the kinds of problems I have here will just recur over and over if I just go community-seeking)
Much like in real life - If YOU fail to tell anyone that what they are doing is bothering you, you will have found no solution.
Kaerli, if your question is something along the lines of, "why can't I relate to people?" Or "what is my relationship to society/the world/the rest of existence/God?" Then I'm afraid you won't find the answer on an internet gaming forum. My sincere advice is to find a trained, professional counselor to help you explore these questions. My recommendation is someone who works with Jungian depth analysis, archetypal theory, gestalt theory, existential theory, rogerian theory, or transpersonal theory (my personal favorite). Or at least find someone you are comfortable with and who has your welfare in mind.Rest assured that I'm working with a professional on these matters.
I'm being very sincere here, this is what I'm in grad school for. I'm in no way being snarky, or calling you crazy, or telling you that you need help. But I can see that you ARE asking for help, and the kind of help you are asking for can only be found in the living, breathing presence of another person, not on the Internet. All blessings to you.