Atlantic Roleplay Community Boards

[Cal Hurst]

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Spontaneous Roleplay
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In the past, everyone has been a supporter of spontaneous roleplay. However, when it comes right down to it, people are against it. There have been many times when people put themselves in a roleplay situation willingly, which spontaneously headed towards a different direction than originally planned. One of the people in the situation then reacts out of character, in an uproar stating that they don't want anything bad (note: bad, not permanent such as losing a leg) to happen to their character, and they recall out, claiming the RP never happened.

Should spontaneous roleplay ever happen? Or should there be a general script that people should follow, such as having a set start, a set finish, some set things happen in the middle, and then fill in the rest on your own whim?
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Character Flaws
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Very few people (I have heard this from many sources on all sides of the fence) will ever roleplay any character flaws. I don't mean "Oh, he has a twitch" or "Oh, she's kind of not a people person." I mean REAL flaws.

There are few weak-minded people, and even fewer who will fall for any trick. Kidnappings don't count, as that's not a flaw, more of an inconvenience to the character itself.

Why do you think this is? Is this a result of people wanting to play "the perfect person" in a fantasy setting?
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Dynamic Characters
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In every good book, there are dynamic characters, with a few static characters. Dynamic characters are characters that change in some major way throughout the story. They either mature, turn evil, turn good, or become motivated by other goals.

In this community, 90% of the characters can be summed up rather quickly in these four statements of 5 words or less.

1) World domination
2) Bring light to the dark
3) Live life peacefully
4) I hate everyone

With these four categories character overviews, you can match up each of the four with one character that has had the same outlook their entire character career.

Now the question is... Is this a good thing? Should there be more dynamic characters?
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[Walter]

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Spountanous RP
No one wants to lose pretty simple, But this ties into the part on character flaws. Everyones fantasy character is a hero of some kind be it dark or light so if their character loses then well they aren't a hero. Since coming back I've tried my best to roll with spontanous RP.
Big no on scripted all the time, thats like acting out a big play and I already know the end.

Character Flaws
I touched on it abit already but no one really wants to rp a average joe (because well thats what 90% of us are irl just average people). So their Fantasy side they want something spectacular.

Dynamic Characters
UO has given us a platform where most of what we do revolves around warrior style characters mage or dexer or some sort of mix. So then your kind of stuck on the same storyline of light conquering dark and vice versa.

I can think of two people who really stand out has having dynamic characters.

Isk is one with his whole good in his own eyes then being corrupted by the armor thats a cool dynamic then there are little things about him like no one really understands why the hell he wears a mask. That adds a cool dynamic.

Rufus had quite a bit of dynamics in his first years of UO with the Forestwalkers and he went evil for abit then came back it was pretty cool actually.


Dynamic characters add some excitment in alot of ways never knowing quite whats going to happen to them. I think it's really neat when characters have some big secret that makes them have some character flaw and you can't quite figure out why.
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[20:28] Inkari: walter=chuck norris

"What do you mean I can't sell castle deeds I create on Ebay?" - GM Darwin circa 1999

[Tay Thormear]

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I've always wondered about spontanious rp myself. There has been huge drama over such things in the recent past. Ignoring other guilds, hating eachother OOC, calling eachother names etc.. People claim to want spontanious RP, but it's not safe to do anymore. For example, people use to be able to raid citys and just attack whomever was there at the time. Now it must be planned 3 weeks prior to make sure both sides have 20+ people, defences are ready and everything is fair. Thats frackin dumb. Another example, I stroll into Hanse and make fun of someone for following virtues. It would take t-minus 10 seconds to get an ICQ or my gm's to get an ICQ claiming griefing. IMO spontanious rp is too dangerous now because people get upset, piss and moan and 50 other things.

You could probably answer the second topic too yourself Ken. Vaen wasn't much of a flawed char, minus the fact he couldn't settle down with a woman. I guess I like to roleplay characters I know I cant be in real life...and that's next to flawless. Beo can't ever make up his mind though and the rest of my chars are up and down.

As for dynamic chars..my main, Beowulf Thormear, has been everything under the cloud. Evil, Good, Vigilanty, and now he's iffy. It's hard to really mix things together. As UO and the rp community is now...you're either good or bad..very FEW people are mixed.

[Cal Hurst]

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Fantasy warriors also had their flaws. Even Superman has a weakness.

Vaen was incredibly flawed. Ask Admoreth, he got to him the most. I've just been away far too long for you to even remember them. But I'm sure if I logged on for 15 minutes, you'd be able to pick them out immediately all over again
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[Mallory Ventrue]

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Spontaneous Roleplay
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Should spontaneous roleplay ever happen? Or should there be a general script that people should follow, such as having a set start, a set finish, some set things happen in the middle, and then fill in the rest on your own whim?

I do not think I have ever purposely turned down any RP... there have been times when RL has prevented things continuing at that time, but I have usually come back to it at a later time/day. I LOVE spontaneous RP and wish it would happen more, but people are too caught up in protecting their pixel images. Heck.. poor Mallory has been maimed and tortured so many times it is a miracle she isn't winding up an old hag with 50 bajillion cats to keep her company. I hate scripted RP and people that think that you have to do what they want you to do because that is how they "think" you are going to RP.
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Character Flaws
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Why do you think this is? Is this a result of people wanting to play "the perfect person" in a fantasy setting?

Esplain Lucy... I am not sure what you mean by character flaws...

Mallory is SUPER trusting and very easy to manipulate. (I know I know... much like the person playing the character). She is caring and compassionate, almost to a fault.

Alessandra is very naiive and has a temper and often times will say something before she thinks ( I KNOW I KNOW!!!).


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Dynamic Characters
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Now the question is... Is this a good thing? Should there be more dynamic characters?

I think every character should want to be a dynamic character. None of my characters are the same as they were 5 years ago, just as I am not the same as I was 5 years ago. The age, they mature, their goals and ambitions change. I do not think any of my characters are "static" although they may appear so from the surface. To quote Shrek, my characters are like onions (no they don't smell, don't give you gas, though they may make you cry) they have many layers, and most of those layers aren't seen through IC stories but through IC interaction IG.
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Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them but you always know they are there...

Shabam 07:41PM actually meet me somewhere!
Shabam 07:41PM I looked at t.v....
Shabam 07:41PM and got lost

Ken 05:39PM You want to see the short of it?

[Mallory Ventrue]

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[Ceinwyn ab'Arawn]

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Wow Vaen. Hmm. I was trying to avoid being serious this week, you jerk. Thanks alot.

1. Should spontaneous roleplay ever happen? Or should there be a general script that people should follow, such as having a set start, a set finish, some set things happen in the middle, and then fill in the rest on your own whim?

I feel that both work. I don't believe in extremes of either case. Forcing roleplay on someone is never good, so it is considered considerate if you at least party them and ask before cutting off their limbs, etc.

As far as plots being scripted. It is nice to have a general guideline, just in case something goes horribly awry, as you said, someone gets pissed and derails it. Though, what I tend to do is keep up backup plots, i.e. so and so is mad because his leg was broken (even if it was previously agreed to he has changed his mind) and he decides he doesn't want to be in the plot anymore and leave house option kerplode drama. The back up plot for example might be.. we already got what we needed from said character.. so don't need him anymore.

I love the type of spontaneous rp from just walking up to someone randomly and take it from there.

What I dislike is feeling like I have to walk on eggshells every time I want to implement a plot. I'm all for giving a small heads up to the leaders of the cities, if there are any active ones, if I plan to sack the cityor something. But, I expect some reasonability in return.

I also dislike quasi roleplay guilds. STRONGLY. I feel that a roleplay guild should be made up of at least 100% roleplayers. Not saying all the chars in the guild must roleplay, for example mules. But I am saying every member should be a roleplayer on at least one character.

2. Why do you think this is? Is this a result of people wanting to play "the perfect person" in a fantasy setting?

I'm not sure I totally follow you in one sense. Do you mean weaknesses, like fire, etc? Or just general imperviousness to all things that might be negative.. i.e. OMG I resist handcuffs and dodge guards with the speed of lightning. Or my favorite - They are fearless in the face of their own death.

To be honest, I've not seen so much of the lack of character flaws. when I find my new guys doing it, I call them on it. Godmoding is annoying and not tolerated. Hope that at least somewhat answers your question.

3. Is this a good thing? Should there be more dynamic characters?

Of the four choices yo list, I can safely say my character is none of those. She is not interested in world domination, nor does she hate everyone. The other two choices are obviously not her. She started out as a normal child, then bad childhood ensues, etc. Now she wants revenge and then she will probably be bored. This is a character who shirked responsibility for most of her UO RP life. It is actually quite odd that she rules Umbra, and that position was taken more out of impatience than any other reason.

The 4 types you name are very similar to people type irl.

And to really answer your question, I think it is good to have a mix of both kinds, dynamic and type cast. The world has both, so the fake world should, as well, to be more believable.

I know I forgot to mention a few things. But I'm starving so hopefully someone else will pick my train of thought up and say it for me.

[Cal Hurst]

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You were one of the characters that in my mind don't fit the mold, Cein. And by don't fit the mold, I mean they are unique.

I see your character as more of a survivalist. Atleast that's how I interpret it. Doing what needs to be done to survive and meet goals.
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[Ceinwyn ab'Arawn]

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Sweet. I liked the character of Vaen Swiftar. To most, he seemed to be all about justice and serving it. But there was always an underlying twist that hinted that it wasn't justice he served, so much as revenge.

He couldn't handle his drink. He had a weakness for drow women. He contemplated world domination, but never acted on it. He was mistaken for the avatar.

He was never a 100% good guy. He was real.

[Cal Hurst]

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You are one of few people to figure out that he wasn't all about justice as well

I think it was you, Arlin, Arcana, and Admoreth who were the only ones to figure it out. Other people knew he wasn't serving justice, but instead of thinking it was a cool twist IC, they harassed me OOC about it (true story).
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[Ishtar]

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Sponteneous roleplay in the aspect that you run into someone and just spontaneously talk is great, can be lots of fun. When you get into scenarios and plots it gets touchy. Things can go in a direction that is unexpected and sometimes a char reaction goes against the original idea.

Scripted roleplay can get rather boring, it's fun to get an idea and roll with it as it goes and just agree on basic details. That way people react IC.

In regards to char flaws, each char should have one. At least one. Each person has a weakness, whether it is stubborness to a fault, fear of orcs, something.

Also if you are evil you need to get caught once in a while and face the music periodically, a good trial can be mounds of fun. It lets people see that no one is perfect.
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"Knowledge is not information, it's transformation."
-Osho-
Atlantic Shard News Reporter

[Cal Hurst]

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[Ishtar]

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I mean an evil char say kidnaps a person, but consistantly evades the law, if they get caught they should no miraculaously break out of jail, wave swords away at will. As for good guys, I'm all for it if a goody two shoes violates a law in Umbra or Dark Cove the same principle should occur.

I refer to people who play characters that are unfallable no matter what, I see it predominant with evil ones but does happen on both sides.
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"Knowledge is not information, it's transformation."
-Osho-
Atlantic Shard News Reporter

[Cal Hurst]

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One more thing (and sorry for not simply editing, the button won't work for some reason), most people don't fear death. And that's fine...

...but to RP to a point where you say "Fine, just kill me, I'll come back anyway!" is akin to saying "Fine, just break my arm, it'll heal in time anyway!" Having your soul ripped from your body, and then to have it restored, would be mentally painful in a way I cannot fathom. Not to mention the amount of physical pain that you would have inflicted upon you to reach death.

No, death isn't permanent. But I bet it hurts like a beeootch!
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[Ishtar]

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Killing a char is another entity all together, but it can be touchy as well. I mean omg I shot an arrow and it pierced its heart killing him, uh no. There always needs to be room to move away etc.

Also, what is up with chars dying and miraculously returning...this one dumbfounds me.
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"Knowledge is not information, it's transformation."
-Osho-
Atlantic Shard News Reporter