01-20-2013, 09:09 AM
Mmm. It's early and I dunno if I'm coherent enough to a good point. But coherency has never stopped me before, so....
Lemme slip on some Krent Meditation Musics
I've noticed that a recurring issue we've had on this server, especially one that crops up with problems between GMs/DMs and players, is this disconnection between "realism" and "significance."
GMs and DMs, being concentrated on establishing storylines and plots on an over-arching, "worldly" narrative (one set on examine entire factions and armies and whole narratives), want to make them as realistic as possible. Because they're focused on working out an entire plot line, they want it to be believable. They want it to have depth. And, most importantly, they want it to be realistic; have it invoke some sort of peril, some sort of weight.
Players, on the other hand, operate on an individualistic narrative. That is, the individual player is focused on developing a good character to role-play whatever literary avenue they want to explore. They want to develop something that can lead to interaction, something that can get involved in the fantasy world around them. And, like all individual characters, the struggle of the player is to find significance in the place that they're in. Something that makes them "matter" to the world.
Of course, I'm generalizing on both ends. Not every GM/DM wants to make realistic, epic, grand-scale plot lines, and not every player wants to develop their character to a significant level. But, that's the general trend, from my own observations.
Now. Both of these desires, on each spectrum, is good. I can't fault any side for wanting to act this way. However, it is this discrepancy that I believe is to be the cause of all the conflict players and GM/DMs seem to be having with one another, in events.
On one hand, you have a DM who wants to make a strong, well-developed, storyline. One that brings mutual enjoyment to all parties involved. On the other hand, you have a playerbase who's enjoyment comes from differentiating themselves from the crowd, from attaining some sort of character significance. The wants of the playerbase do not mesh up with the wants to the DM, because they are contradictory to one another.
The DM says, "you're all in this together! Everyone is the same!"
This position is necessary, in order to avoid favoritism and / or one player "outshining" others.
The playerbase says, "but I want to have a significant connection to this event! I want my character to matter in this peril, otherwise I'm just background prop!"
This position is also necessary, because it is the whole point of role-play. Character development, emotional connection. The experience can only come from that connection.
Each position is necessary and validated. But, they contradict one another. And from that contradiction, comes frustration, anxiety, and anger from both parties.
What we so often see is a frustrated DM feeling more like a baby-sitter than an actual Dungeon Master, trying to keep egos under control. And we also see frustrated players, sighing at the results of mediocre rolls and being gridlocked into mediocrity because of game mechanics.
Tensions build up. Players are either detached from the event at best, or volatile at worst. Indifferent from the mediocrity, or raging in an attempt to break it. This is why so many try to "one up" one another, why "highest roll to kill the bad guy" are such sought-out commodities.
And, of course, GM/DM's end up trying to contain it all. Manage the train wreck, before it sets the whole town on fire.
What can be done?
To be honest, I have no idea. The problem seems to come from the very concept of an event. Which is why, I feel, that we might need to come up with a whole, new, radical kind of approach to this.
Speaking personally, I've become detached from events because of all this talk about "you are not the big damn hero" and the episodic, temporary approach to them.
I feel as though events get too much attention. People only log on or go out of the OOC (yes, I'm gonna complain about this again, even though all of you don't think it's a problem) Village, when they hear word of an event.
People would rather spend their time dawdling in the OOC area of the server, spouting memes and what have you. This means that RP outside of "events" is non-existent; this means that there's no modicum for one to develop a connection between characters. This also means that there's no build up to whatever conflict there is to the event. Or any other medium for which players to attain their want and need for significance.
Because no one is RP'ing outside of events, or outside of the little clique-bubbles that they've established. Random strangers no longer want to RP anymore. "Random" RP, RP for the sake of RP, is discouraged. People only want to RP with the people that they've already RP'd with.
So.
I'll end up in some event, that I didn't really have any lead in to. Plopped in the middle of a bunch of people that I don't know, who's characters have little to no connection to mine. I'll end up sitting back, waiting long periods of time for my turn to roll. And then I'll roll. And I might hit a bad guy, I might not. I might kill a badguy, I might not. But I don't really have any connection to said badguy, or the organization that they're a part of, or have any idea of what they're trying to do.
I'm just a grain of salt, floating in a sea of strangers. No one wants to RP before the event. No one wants to RP after.
The only thing I have to look forward to, is maybe I'll roll high when it comes to kill the Main Badguy. Then I can do something creative, and in nature of my character.
Like describe Rofupi doing some cool Gnome-Fu combo, or have Corlmitz get inventive with one of his explosives.
Why? 'Cause that's all I can look forward to, given the absence of everyone else.
But, apparently, that's exactly the kind of stuff people complaining about. And has been making people so salty.
I like being the big damn hero.
I like kicking realism to the curb.
I do everything over-the-top, crazy, and wild. I make characters that shouldn't be possible work, somehow.
I dunno what it is, either. Every time I see someone make one of these posts that are all "This Is What's Ruining RP!!!" I always scratch myself and ask "what RP?"
Where is this all RP that people are constantly irritated with? Every time I hop online, I just see people in the OOC village, going "dat feel XD meme bro."
Egh. Well. I'm getting too salty for daily recommended dose, and fear of going onto a tangent.
So I guess that's all for this post.
Have some OCRemix;
Lemme slip on some Krent Meditation Musics
Spoiler:
I've noticed that a recurring issue we've had on this server, especially one that crops up with problems between GMs/DMs and players, is this disconnection between "realism" and "significance."
GMs and DMs, being concentrated on establishing storylines and plots on an over-arching, "worldly" narrative (one set on examine entire factions and armies and whole narratives), want to make them as realistic as possible. Because they're focused on working out an entire plot line, they want it to be believable. They want it to have depth. And, most importantly, they want it to be realistic; have it invoke some sort of peril, some sort of weight.
Players, on the other hand, operate on an individualistic narrative. That is, the individual player is focused on developing a good character to role-play whatever literary avenue they want to explore. They want to develop something that can lead to interaction, something that can get involved in the fantasy world around them. And, like all individual characters, the struggle of the player is to find significance in the place that they're in. Something that makes them "matter" to the world.
Of course, I'm generalizing on both ends. Not every GM/DM wants to make realistic, epic, grand-scale plot lines, and not every player wants to develop their character to a significant level. But, that's the general trend, from my own observations.
Now. Both of these desires, on each spectrum, is good. I can't fault any side for wanting to act this way. However, it is this discrepancy that I believe is to be the cause of all the conflict players and GM/DMs seem to be having with one another, in events.
On one hand, you have a DM who wants to make a strong, well-developed, storyline. One that brings mutual enjoyment to all parties involved. On the other hand, you have a playerbase who's enjoyment comes from differentiating themselves from the crowd, from attaining some sort of character significance. The wants of the playerbase do not mesh up with the wants to the DM, because they are contradictory to one another.
The DM says, "you're all in this together! Everyone is the same!"
This position is necessary, in order to avoid favoritism and / or one player "outshining" others.
The playerbase says, "but I want to have a significant connection to this event! I want my character to matter in this peril, otherwise I'm just background prop!"
This position is also necessary, because it is the whole point of role-play. Character development, emotional connection. The experience can only come from that connection.
Each position is necessary and validated. But, they contradict one another. And from that contradiction, comes frustration, anxiety, and anger from both parties.
What we so often see is a frustrated DM feeling more like a baby-sitter than an actual Dungeon Master, trying to keep egos under control. And we also see frustrated players, sighing at the results of mediocre rolls and being gridlocked into mediocrity because of game mechanics.
Tensions build up. Players are either detached from the event at best, or volatile at worst. Indifferent from the mediocrity, or raging in an attempt to break it. This is why so many try to "one up" one another, why "highest roll to kill the bad guy" are such sought-out commodities.
And, of course, GM/DM's end up trying to contain it all. Manage the train wreck, before it sets the whole town on fire.
What can be done?
To be honest, I have no idea. The problem seems to come from the very concept of an event. Which is why, I feel, that we might need to come up with a whole, new, radical kind of approach to this.
Speaking personally, I've become detached from events because of all this talk about "you are not the big damn hero" and the episodic, temporary approach to them.
I feel as though events get too much attention. People only log on or go out of the OOC (yes, I'm gonna complain about this again, even though all of you don't think it's a problem) Village, when they hear word of an event.
People would rather spend their time dawdling in the OOC area of the server, spouting memes and what have you. This means that RP outside of "events" is non-existent; this means that there's no modicum for one to develop a connection between characters. This also means that there's no build up to whatever conflict there is to the event. Or any other medium for which players to attain their want and need for significance.
Because no one is RP'ing outside of events, or outside of the little clique-bubbles that they've established. Random strangers no longer want to RP anymore. "Random" RP, RP for the sake of RP, is discouraged. People only want to RP with the people that they've already RP'd with.
So.
I'll end up in some event, that I didn't really have any lead in to. Plopped in the middle of a bunch of people that I don't know, who's characters have little to no connection to mine. I'll end up sitting back, waiting long periods of time for my turn to roll. And then I'll roll. And I might hit a bad guy, I might not. I might kill a badguy, I might not. But I don't really have any connection to said badguy, or the organization that they're a part of, or have any idea of what they're trying to do.
I'm just a grain of salt, floating in a sea of strangers. No one wants to RP before the event. No one wants to RP after.
The only thing I have to look forward to, is maybe I'll roll high when it comes to kill the Main Badguy. Then I can do something creative, and in nature of my character.
Like describe Rofupi doing some cool Gnome-Fu combo, or have Corlmitz get inventive with one of his explosives.
Why? 'Cause that's all I can look forward to, given the absence of everyone else.
But, apparently, that's exactly the kind of stuff people complaining about. And has been making people so salty.
I like being the big damn hero.
I like kicking realism to the curb.
I do everything over-the-top, crazy, and wild. I make characters that shouldn't be possible work, somehow.
I dunno what it is, either. Every time I see someone make one of these posts that are all "This Is What's Ruining RP!!!" I always scratch myself and ask "what RP?"
Where is this all RP that people are constantly irritated with? Every time I hop online, I just see people in the OOC village, going "dat feel XD meme bro."
Egh. Well. I'm getting too salty for daily recommended dose, and fear of going onto a tangent.
So I guess that's all for this post.
Have some OCRemix;
Spoiler:
Spoiler: