This seminar was conducted on February 20, 2012 by an Otherspace player known as Katrin. Nothing here is meant to be taken as the final word but is based on her experiences from her time playing on this game.
You say, "Okay, looks like we have everyone who is going to be coming."
You say, "So to start things off, thanks everyone for coming to this Seminar."
You say, "If you have any questions throughout this, please don't hesitate to ask them."
Lucy says, "I was told there would be punch and pie."
You say, "You can punch Redmask."
Lucy says, "Okay!" and punches Redmask as hard as she can. But she's 5, so it doesn't hurt. "Awww."
You say, "Now I've been a player on Otherspace for just shy of nine years now. In that time I like to think that I've grown as an RPer, especially since it was the first time I'd ever even heard of roleplaying or a MUSH."
Jennifer says, "I want punch and pie."
You say, "So tonight, I've put together a few things that I've noticed as trends or potentials for problems with players, both new and old."
You say, "I will say, however, that my way is not the only way to do things. And different styles is what makes Otherspace such a fantastic game and one I've loved playing on for so long."
You say, "Before we get started, does anyone have any questions?"
You say, "No?"
You say, "Alright then!"
You say, "The first topic that I'll go over is what I like to call 'Common Sense' in roleplaying."
You say, "If we didn't enjoy RPing, we obviously wouldn't be on this game but one thing that I've noticed over the years is how some people will show up to events or planets that make absolutely no sense."
You say, "I'm guilty of this one myself."
You say, "And in the past, that lack of common sense has gotten my characters into some pretty serious trouble."
You say, "So as much as we want to go places and interact with everyone, sometimes we need to take a step back and consider "Does my alt really belong here?""
You say, "This is especially true with events. I know that I want to go to events and not only support fellow players but also involve my characters in things."
You say, "And sometimes this can just come down to paging the person first and saying "Hey, can we hash together a reason why my character would be here."
You say, "I'll use Razorback's scene on Materi Syna a while ago as a perfect example."
You say, "He was taking a group of people up into the mountains to check on an outpost that had lost communication. That seems like a pretty exclusive event for people who live on and RP on Materi Syna."
You say, "But many people were paging him to come up with ways of how their character would be able to go to that scene. He worked with most concepts to let them join."
You say, "So when you see an event on +calendar, stop and think before you hail that shuttle to scurry over. If nothing else, by having that good IC reason, it helps make the RP that much better and you can interact and participate more."
You say, "Any questions?"
Jennifer reds
Fade says, "Sounds fair to me."
You say, "Alright... next topic then!"
Litar says, "wait i have one or two."
You say, "And really, you guys are welcome to include your input on these things."
You say, "Yes, Litar."
Litar says, "oh wait crap, you answered it. carry on."
You say, "You sure?"
Litar says, "yeah :D"
You say, "Anyone else?"
Jennifer says, "nope"
You say, "Alrighty then! The next thing I wanted to address was the reactionary style that many people use."
You say, "I'm not saying that this is bad or wrong."
You say, "There are times when I'm guilty of it myself."
Lucy says, "Can you define what you mean by that?"
You say, "Yes indeed! I was just starting on that."
Lucy says, "k"
You say, "I know it sounds silly. We're on a game where we kind of have to react to things. Without it, we're just staring at each other blankly and making lewd OOC comments."
You say, "Yes, I'm talking to you, Vadim."
You say, "But what I mean by a reactionary style is having your character /only/ react to the things that are happening in the room."
You say, "Bob will pose that he has entered the room and greets Tom at the bar. Tom will then pose in return that he greets Bob and goes silent, waiting to see what Bob does next."
You say, "It's the consistent waiting for someone else to provide the topic of conversation and the flow of the RP."
You say, "And like I said, this isn't always a bad thing."
Vadim says, "Give people something to work with."
You say, "In some Event Scenes, we might be in a position where all we can do is react. Especially times when Brody is trying to blow us up."
You say, "But in other Events, it can't really progress and move forward unless someone is taking the initiative to branch out or attempt something."
You say, "I know that we often don't want to mess with the event or do something that might not be considered cool with everyone else, but yes, as Vadim said, give people something to work with."
Vadim says, "Because if you're just all standing around waiting for something to happen, that can really make the person who's running the plot start to pull their hair out."
You say, "One thing I've noticed from my own event running is that sometimes you can't progress unless people start to branch out. I can't take you to the next step until that one person is willing to open the box inside the room. But if everyone just sits around and stares at the box, wondering what to do, well... we're at a bit of an impasse."
You say, "Damn it, Vaddy. You stole my thunder."
Vadim whistles.
You say, "And this can also be true in social scenes as well."
You say, "But we'll get to that later on."
You say, "Any questions here?"
You say, "Or comments."
You say, "I'm starting to feel like I'm talking to myself here."
Vadim says, "I think I do, but it's more of an observation."
You say, "You're welcome to chime in with your thoughts or even say you disagree."
You say, "Yes, Vadim?"
Lucy says, "I have nothing to add, but I'm listening"
Vadim says, "What would you suggest to a person who didn't know what they could do to not be so reactionary? Because hell, I have problems with that sometimes. But I think at points, a lot of people."
Vadim says, "a lot of people do"
Katrin nods.
You say, "Are you thinking more in a social setting or an event setting?"
Vadim says, "Either/or."
Lucy says, "Oh, that's a good point. Getting lost is so easy sometimes."
Fade would like to hear your take on both.
You say, "Sure."
Vadim says, "If you'd rather wait till the social scenes aspect for later, that's fine."
You say, "I'll cover both."
Vadim says, "Like right now, I'M BEING PROACTIVE. :D"
Fade is just being Pro.
You say, "For the events, I know that sometimes I err on the side of caution and sit back and wait for the person running the event to do something."
You say, "But one of the best things to do (and I know this seems obvious) is to be attentive to the happenings of the scene."
You say, "A good event runner won't give you nothing to work with and at that same time, everything they mention in a pose could be significant."
You say, "So say we have an event that is a treasure hunt."
You say, "Obviously the first thing everyone needs to do is get a feel for what's happening."
You say, "But as you progress from the start point, you begin getting subtle clues on where to go next, or things that are happening in the area."
You say, "React to these. Expand on them."
You say, "A lot of RP is developing the story."
Fade says, "If I can add something, you can always find something to interact with from the room description, if given nothing else."
You say, "Exactly."
You say, "I'l use an example from my own experience."
You say, "A few weeks ago I ran an event with the purpose of finding a lost group of people on Kamsho. My goal was to find these people but alas, they were dead."
You say, "But along the way, I'd had some side things that could have been touched on if people were interested."
Reode arrives from OtherSpace OOC Nexus.
Reode has arrived.
You say, "God Reode."
Reode :(
Reode says, "I fell asleep ;_;"
Redmask says, "Reode how would you handle a situation where you fell asleep in the middle of a scene."
Reode :( :( :(
Litar says, "just like that ^"
You say, "Now one thing I've noticed is people seem afraid to step out of line in a scene."
Vadim says, "Do you ever thinking about other's feelings, Reode?"
Vadim says, "You don't care."
Reode says, "I'd send a @mail apologizing to everyone!"
Reode says, "MAN"
Reode says, "I have never fallen asleep during a scene"
Reode says, "BUT RAZORBACK HAS"
Reode says, "Sorry continue"
Litar says, "i have another tip, maybe."
You say, "Go for it, Litar."
Litar says, "if all else fails and you're in a room full of turrible reactionaries, keep a shortlist of a couple of staple NPCs to drag around with you should a scene warrant some actual dialogue."
Vadim says, "People are afraid because of the innate fear of something horrible happening to their character."
Litar says, "or did someone already say that?"
You say, "I haven't even begun to touch on the wonderful goodness that is NPC usage."
You say, "But yes, that's also a valid point, Vadim."
Litar <3 redshirts
Vadim says, "Don't be afraid to let your alt get messed up."
You say, "I know that we all care about our characters and don't want to see anything happen to them."
Vadim says, "Wether that's physically, mentally, or emotionally."
You say, "Or in Vadim's case, all three."
Jennifer says, "You have to let go of negative affects to a character. You aren't your character. And characters, like all fictional characters can end."
Vadim says, "To me, that's character develoupment."
You say, "Exactly."
Vadim makes no qualms about Vadim ICly being messed up.
Reode says, "Vadim's so messed up"
You say, "Now again, I'll say that I understand some hesitation in doing certain things, not only for your character but so you don't mess up the event runner's flow."
You say, "Example!"
You say, "When the DMC went to Tavros to explore, I'd had a big long idea laid out about how things would progress. Then a character who shall remain nameless decided to be proactive and went to speak with one of my antagonists and ended up joining their collective."
You say, "Out of the blue."
You say, "Definitely wasn't something that I had anticipated in my initial writings."
You say, "But I also loved that added aspect to it."
You say, "It changed the course of the plot and I think that it was great development for not only his character but for everyone else as well."
You say, "So don't be afraid to take chances."
You say, "And if you really are worried, page the person running the event and say "Hey, you mind if I do this?""
Vadim can tell you know that most plot runners aren't out to kill you. Unless you're Brody and you annoy him.
You say, "I've done it myself just to make sure I don't stomp on anyone's toes."
You say, "Even Brody isn't out to kill most characters."
You say, "Unless you're on Tomin Kora."
Reode says, "Everyone's out to kill me"
You say, "Then it's your own fault."
You say, "Questions?"
Jennifer says, "I'm not out to kill you."
Litar says, "(yet)"
Litar says, "i have a question."
You say, "Go for it."
Litar says, "how do we deal with situations where it *seems* like people are hellbent on killing my character? do i wail for a staffer to come ref things or what? i mean, i don't want to accidentally chop someone's limbs off without the proper witnesses."
Katrin laughs.
Vadim says, "Yes, tell me how to kill people and get away with it."
Litar says, "them's the meat 'n potatoes."
You say, "It's a tricky situation when possibly player death is involved."
You say, "But it is a risk that everyone takes when you interact with anyone."
Vadim will kill Fauze. One day.
Reode bite Vaddy
You say, "In combat scenes that are more than just Akamatsu sparring your character into the ground, I typically suggest calling for a ref."
You say, "A witness that can be present in case someone questions what happened later on."
You say, "It's also good to have a third party, unbiased person that will try to be fair to everyone."
Reode says, "I say Akamatsu gets his own personal ref :I"
You say, "Does that answer the question, Litar?"
Fade pukes on Vadim's boots.
Reode 8C
You say, "You have to clean that up, Fade."
Fade doesn't think Fade has actually puked yet... RAINBOW PUKE.
You say, "Are we good on this one?"
Fade is.
You say, "If we are, I'll move on being more proactive in social scenes."
You say, "The Social scenes could probably be seen as the meat and potatoes of the game. It's how our characters will often develop and grow. It's how you meet new people and learn new information."
You say, "I find social scenes very important."
You say, "But sometimes they can be a bit repetitive."
You say, "I personally find that you can gossip about something only so many times before you've gossiped yourself out."
You say, "So what do you do to make things more interesting?"
You say, "One option is getting to know the person you're RPing with a bit better."
You say, "But after you know every inner most secret, it can get boring again."
You say, "So what's next?"
You say, "This is when I like to call upon my dear old friend, the NPC."
You say, "Make something happen."
You say, "And you'll ask "Make what happen?""
Fade says, "Make what happen?"
You say, "I hesitate to say "anything"."
Litar says, "that's right. you say 'everything' instead."
You say, "Because there are sometimes limits."
Litar says, "aw :("
Vadim says, "That's a bad joke, Litar."
Vadim says, "And you should feel bad."
You say, "I don't recommend RPing on Comorro and then NPCing someone blowing up the Station."
You say, "Comorro might not like being blown up."
Vadim says, "This also relates to being proactive, I think."
You say, "But you could have someone come running through, screaming that someone has a bomb. This gives your characters something to do."
You say, "More than a few scenes I've had have turned into hours of amusing fun because one of us decided to NPC something silly."
You say, "Questions on this?"
Vadim says, "Another pit I think people fall into so quickly with the social stuff is the dreaded 'relationship drama'."
You say, "I'm getting to that."
Katrin gags Vadim.
Vadim says, "If you're going get the gag out, at least get the collar too."
Reode stuffs sock in Vadim's mouth
Reode puts him in closet yer done
You say, "Excellent."
Litar scrolls up past vaddy's bdsmness. "npc something silly like what?"
You say, "Hrm..."
Litar fingersteeples. "pillow fight?"
You say, "Of course."
You say, "The options really are limitless."
You say, "One example I'll give is Fade and Mr. Clamps."
Vadim says, "I like to throw stuff like something breaking. Esepcially if you're on a ship."
Fade pouts and looks for Rowland to maim.
You say, "Personally I find this to be an excellent example of something that could get boring very quickly (insane Riftwalker, gee go figure!) and making it not only unique but gives characters something to work with."
Reode :(
Reode says, "Your crab deserved it"
Reode says, "Your crab was also dead"
Fade says, "He wasn't dead! He was just decomposing."
You say, "Insanity in the crab aside, it was both silly and lighthearted while being something for people to both react to and work off of."
You say, "We good on Reactionary RP?"
Fade nodnods.
You say, "Alright, moving on!"
You say, "Time for Responses to Scenes."
You say, "This will almost fall in with the reactionary style."
You say, "Sure, we don't always want our characters hiding in the corner when the Nall attack because let's face it, Brody throws them at us a lot. But at the same time, unless your character has a particular quirk or suicidal tendency, we need to be realistic about our responses to certain scenes. In most cases, a Resolve roll isn't required when reacting to something but always seeming unaffected by scary stuff happening can become frustrating to both other players and the person running a scene."
You say, "We have a lot of combat characters on this game. I'm personally guilty of that myself."
You say, "But when everyone goes charging into a scene, guns blazing, it takes something out of the fun. What about a moment to reflect on "Oh shit. I might die." Or have a moment of fear."
You say, "We want our characters to be as real as possible, and sometimes this involves showing another side to a character, even when you don't want that to happen."
Vadim says, "Showing weakness isn't bad."
Fade says, "This is a pretty big thing. People make characters with a soft and squishy side, and then send them charging into battle fearlessly. Wtf guise? Also, death threats. If someone is holding a gun to your character, try to imagine how /you/ would feel in that situation..."
Vadim says, "Unless you want to be that meta, in which case you won't be taken very seriously."
You say, "Exactly."
You say, "Now like I said, there are some characters that might be alright in these types of situations."
You say, "I'll reference Melania for this one. She's a stone cold bitch and I have yet to see her flinch at anything."
You say, "But she has a background to back that up."
Reode says, "I hate that bitch <3"
You say, "I know, me too."
Vadim says, "Most people do."
Fade thinks she's sexy.
Vadim says, "Whereas someone like Reode would cry."
Reode says, "At the drop of a hat"
Vadim says, "You wouldn't expect Reode to go running into a fight to bite someone's kneecaps."
You say, "But with Lani, she isn't "I'M GONNA MESS YOU UP" in a combat scene, then "I wuv you guys" as soon as it's over."
You say, "She has a consistency that makes her character real."
You say, "And no one questions the authenticity of her reactions."
You say, "Any questions on this?"
Fade hmms.
Fade says, "It's good to consider that if you have any character that isn't your typical warrior, a scientist, or engineer for example"
Fade says, "Battle may not be a common thing for these characters. If you're hesitant to show fear, you might consider nerves at least."
Vadim says, "Right. If you want to be a hardass during a fight and then have fried nerves afterwards, that's pretty understandable."
Vadim says, "Especially if it's a character who's not used to combat but is forced into it."
You say, "But I'll repeat that there's no shame in having a character be afraid or hide."
Vadim says, "Nope."
Fade thinks about half of his alts will flat out refuse to fight, and hide.
Reode sagenod
Reode threw a chair once
Fade says, "Unless you try to dye them pink."
Reode says, "It missed :("
Fade snickers.
Reode says, "Yeah Fauze stabbed Vicky in the neck >:("
You say, "That wasn't nice."
You say, "Now, we good on this?"
Vadim thinks.
Fade says, "It's his way of saying "I love you.""
Fade is good.
Reode Derp
Vadim says, "Don't be afraid of not rolling."
Fade says, "Or rolling poorly >.>"
Vadim says, "Not everything has to be rolled out, not just combat."
Vadim says, "But combat is usually where rolls come into the most importance."
Redmask says, "But you should also RP within your stats, because someone could demand a roll."
Katrin nods.
Vadim says, "I agree."
Vadim says, "A lot of that though I think deals with the amount of trust you have in the other player."
You say, "And on the opposite side, don't feel like a jerk if you'd like to see a roll."
You say, "I am suspicious of Vadim's ability to dance. I want a roll to have him prove it."
Redmask builds in safety valves if a roll goes wrong. Voluria could be rusty. Redmask is at heart a buffoon.
Reode lol
Reode says, "Hey he's not bad!"
Fade says, "He's not /good/ either."
Reode says, "YOU'RE NOT GOOD"
Litar says, "that's definitely not 'dancing with the stars' material."
Vadim sighs.
You say, "Now the second point I'd like to bring up in responses to a scene is to keep in mind your audience."
You say, "If you are going to an event, please leave the drama at home."
You say, "Yes, maybe Reode is grieving because she lost her favorite pink hat but if she's that distraught, don't bring her to the scene."
You say, "It's sadly as simple as that."
Reode will cry through your whole damn scene >:(
Vadim says, "On the same token, two characters that hate each other can be in the same scene without bringing OOC drama up."
Reode says, "Or not because that would be immensely lame"
You say, "When people go to events, they want to go to enjoy what that person is offering. But when Reode decides to cry and weep ICly and OOCly, it ruins it for everyone else."
Vadim says, "Most Reode alts are punching bags, so that's a bad example."
You say, "It not only makes other characters have to split their focus, but it also goes back to common sense on why is that character leaving the bathouse at all, as well as it's a little discourteous to the person running the event."
Fade likes it when Reode cries.
Reode sob
You say, "Exhibit A."
Fade says, "Aww yea baby."
Jennifer hugs Reode.
You say, "Reode is now crying and taking focus away from my seminar."
You say, "God, what an awful person."
Fade eyeshifts.
Reode sux
You say, "But we good on that particular point?"
Vadim thinks so.
You say, "Good. Moving on."
You say, "Now I'm going to bring up the most controversial point that everyone will have their own opinion on: Pose Length and speed."
Redmask will dissent from Katrin a little bit. Sometimes that can spice up a scene. Not everyone should get along all the time, and sometimes people with a history are forced together. That shouldn't go away. Just have to exercise discretion.
You say, "Now hear me out before you start yelling."
Redmask slowpokes
You say, "No, I'm not saying that you should be buddy buddy."
Vadim says, "Vadim and Gwen are not the best of friends. But I won't run from a scene where she's present."
You say, "Exactly."
Vadim says, "Animosity can be fun sometimes."
Fade is just waiting for his chance with Rowland.
You say, "And there have been times when an alt of mine has been upset but I didn't like that monopolize the scene."
Vadim says, "I say again, sometimes. With the wrong person it can devolve to OOC fast."
Reode eyes Fade!
Fade deathglares.
You say, "Raisa and Joca hated each other. But in an event they were at together, they didn't let that take the forefront."
You say, "So I'll agree with you, Red. Sometimes a little drama can make things more interesting, but when it takes over, then I find it to be a little inappropriate for the setting."
You say, "But back to the next topic, pose speed and length."
You say, "We all have our own style of posing."
You say, "Sometimes that takes more time than others."
You say, "In social scenes, go crazy and spend half an hour on your pose if no one else minds."
You say, "But I will say in events, I personally encourage people to try and keep their poses to the point and as quick as possible."
You say, "As an event runner, there have been times when we end up going far longer than I had anticipated because people were slow in responding or their poses were long."
You say, "Sometimes long poses are good."
Vadim says, "If you write a single line, you are the worst persson in the world."
Reode lol
Reode says, "Ok"
You say, "Okay, let the argument over pose length and speed begin. >.>"
Reode says, "If you're doing somet EPIC AND COOL and you post one-liners...man :("
Reode says, "But that's just a personal thing"
You say, "But for sanity sake, raise your hand and let each person speak."
Vadim says, "That's my grip right there. Not so much with speed, because that's never bothered me unless they idle out RP."
Seryn personally thinks you should do what feels right to the character
Vadim says, "I have a problem with length, because I feel that goes back to giving people something to work."
Vadim says, "Mainly, I have a problem with short length."
You say, "My biggest problem is what's right for /other/ players you're in the scene with."
You say, "Especially in events."
Jennifer says, "My issue is inordinate number of small details that little to no impact."
You say, "Having to wait twenty minutes for each pose when you have more than three people in the scene is difficult on everyone."
Vadim says, "If you take 20 minutes to write just a few lines, something is wrong."
Seryn says, "Alright but the thing is that for most events the longest poses I have seen with a good event runner tend to be to the point anyway, x happened and thus so and so does y"
Seryn says, "Or RL happened"
Seryn says, "and sorry but RL happens"
Lucy says, "Generally speaking, if possible, it's best to warn people RL is happening."
Lucy is guilty of forgetting that part
Seryn says, "if you can"
Lucy says, "Yes, that's why i said if possible"
Seryn says, "dunno bout you but I can plan everything out, set the time aside and still be pestered endlessly"
Reode says, "Seryn can you rephrase your point?"
You say, "Can you clarify what you're trying to say, Seryn?"
Seryn says, "What I mean is, if I know an event is coming up, I can try and set the time aside. Let people know I need to go home at x time and tell my husband, hey got an event don't bother me till it's over"
Reode says, "The previous point though"
Seryn says, "that doesn't actually work, cause he can be late to go home, I could be able to get on for all fo 30 mins"
Reode says, "The one involving x, y"
Seryn says, "oh"
You say, "I'm not questioning people getting distracted by RL."
You say, "But some people are guilty of writing long poses in every situation."
Seryn says, "the one about reactionary RP kinda covered that a bit but I was meaning length of pose"
You say, "I remember we had a player on Chiaroscuro. One of the best RPers I've ever seen. Her poses were great. But she also took half an hour to do each one."
Seryn says, "Ah that one I withdraw from"
You say, "Sometimes you have to set that aside and focus on the facts."
Vadim tried for four to five lines for an event pose, unless it calls for something complicated.
You say, "So are we good on this?"
Vadim says, "And my max is that I try for five mintues to write whatever I need to write."
You say, "We're all going to have our own opinion on this."
You say, "And this is just my particular thought on it."
Vadim says, "Also long poses do not equate to good poses, but that's an entirely different matter, sperately."
You say, "Out of courtesy to the other people in the scene, try to keep your time to something reasonable."
Vadim says, "You don't need to right a huge paragraph just to do one thing that could take three or four lines to do."
Vadim says, "right? write"
Lucy says, "Anyone else take the time during others' turns to write out their reactions to poses that have alread been written?"
You say, "I do."
Vadim does all the time.
Reode does
You say, "I'll start writing out poses in a notepad document all the time."
Redmask shrugs at Lucy. It depends on the scene. "It's good practice to do so, but sometimes you don't know until your pose comes around what you're going to have to react to."
Vadim says, "That's true to."
Vadim says, "Especially with more people and an event"
Vadim says, "When it's just three people, it's a lot easier."
You say, "We could debate this particular point all night."
Litar says, "anal retentive me always writes up a quick frame while i wait for more details."
Redmask is probably one of the fastest (and biggest) posers on the MUSH, so it's rarely a problem for me.
You say, "Okay, we're going to wrap this up."
You say, "One more point, then I'll open the floor to anyone else that has an opinion."
You say, "My last topic of the night is the ever dreaded Social Scenes. I've touched on this briefly and I've already said that social scenes are a very important part of the RPing experience, but there are some things that you'll want to keep in mind as you're doing them."
Vadim says, "Lots and lots of TS."
Reode says, "So much"
Redmask says, "Too steamy for Fade."
You say, "First is that as your character develops, sometimes you'll end up having them fall in love with someone. As many of the older players can tell you, I am notoriously guilty for relationship RP."
You say, "Raisa was infamous for her relationships. >.>"
Reode says, "But we love her anyway"
You say, "But one of the things that we have to remember is first, IC is not OOC."
You say, "Just because my characters are involved in certain relationships, that does not mean I am."
You say, "Kam is a whore. Literally. I am not a whore."
You say, "And shut up, Vadim."
Vadim says, "But....but..."
Vadim says, "Damnit."
Lucy laughs
Reode hahaha
You say, "So always try to remember that."
Vadim lipquivers
You say, "And I know we had a topic going in the forums on the topic of TS. I'm not even going to touch on that here outside of saying that it's a choice. Whether you do it or not is up to you."
You say, "And again, not a word, Vadim."
Vadim says, "You're no fun at all."
Katrin <3
Lucy says, "It's not OOC? I... I thought we had something special, Katrin. T_T"
You say, "We do, baby. But that's not for here or now."
Reode says, "Bout ta ragequit >:("
Litar says, "wait, what. i thought--i was the special one..."
You say, "You're all special."
You say, "BUT."
Reode says, "ALL MY GIRLFRIENDS HERE ARE FAKE NOOOO"
You say, "But with relationship RP, the other thing I'll say is keep it tasteful in public rooms."
You say, "I'm not sure how many of you have taken a gander at the Entertainment Center but WE CAN SEE YOU."
Vadim says, "Yes, -please-. I don't care to see two alts making out in public."
Reode says, "Fade you missed the best part"
Vadim keeps an alt in there to make fun of you if I see it.
Lucy makes messy public affections with Kat.
Vadim says, "And anyone that knows me, knows that I will."
You say, "And we sometimes have newbies in the Entertainment Center so if you want to do mushy or lustyful RP, I recommend doing it somewhere private. A hotel. A home. A ship."
Vadim says, "People, @sweep is your -friend-. Know it, use it, live it."
You say, "Just keep that in mind as you begin to delve into romantic RP."
Fade says, "What was the best part? D:"
Litar says, "the impromptu TS. we are such spontaneous people."
Reode says, "WE TALKIN BOUT SEX"
Fade says, "Aww damn it. I missed the best part."
Reode rubs up on Litar
You say, "And my final note is the drama. As Redmask mentioned earlier, sometimes drama can be a nice way to spice up a scene but sometimes it can also be gratuitous. If that is what takes over the entire RP between two or more people then I personally believe it's gotten to the extreme."
You say, "I'll once again say that I have been there and done that."
Vadim is pretty sure many of us have.
You say, "Many new players will think drama is the best way to involve yourself and keep things fresh."
Vadim says, "It's not and it's a good way to piss some of us off."
You say, "But assure you that it isn't!"
Vadim <-----
You say, "You can do so much with RP that is outside of drama."
Fade says, "Reode. I'm having a baby. But it's not yours."
Reode says, "OMG"
You say, "But some drama can be good."
You say, "We don't want to be one sided."
You say, "And that is all I'll say on that."
You say, "Any questions for me?"
Reode says, "I am going to drag this drama into every gd scene"
Litar says, "last point: if you want to RP but you're lacking in ideas - ASK KATRIN"
You say, "I will batslap you, Reode."
Litar >.>
Fade shares longing looks with Vadim.
Reode :(
Reode says, "Omfg cheater"
Vadim says, "Shhh...not here..."
Reode lollin
Reode says, "GOD"
Reode says, "GUISE"
Reode says, "THIS IS SERIOUS"
You say, "Okay, I guess not."
Vadim says, "Is it time for open floor?"
Litar says, "creepers"
Reode says, "SERIOUS SEMINAR"
Litar says, "total creepers."
Lucy curls up on Katrin's head and goes to sleep.
You say, "I'll now open up the floor to anyone else that might have suggestions for how to better the RP of Otherspace."
Katrin patpats Lucy.
Litar says, "all creepers are grounded. you go sit in brody's house and just think about your behavior."
Vadim says, "Yeah I got something to talk about."
Reode :|
You say, "Go for it, Vaddy."
Litar just knows it's about sexual healing. gawd.
Reode laughs
Katrin taptaps Vaddy?
Vadim says, "And that's the matter of alts. A lot of us are guilty of this and some of us are not, but most of us know about it. Alts are not like candy. Or rather they shouldn't be. I don't think you should make just another alt because you want to have someone at every point in the game. Now, I have a ton of them, but really I only try to focus on three or four of them. And I try to make ones that have different personalities. Variety is the spice of life, doing something different is good."
Vadim says, "That's for your ears only, Litar."
Litar blush
You say, "I'm guilty of a lot of alts as well."
Litar says, "aw crap. alts. i have too many. :<"
Lucy pops a few more alts.
Fade says, "BUT! If you want to make a fastheld alt, do it."
Jennifer is jelious.
Vadim points at Fade.
Vadim says, "What he said."
Fade says, "We got two different MUSHes going on here, we gotta populate the shit out of them."
Fade coughs.
Litar says, "that means everybody pick a partner and MATE"
Litar says, "hurry hurry"
You say, "And I'm sure Vadim isn't saying people /shouldn't' make alts, but I believe it's more about making sure the alt has a purpose."
Katrin claims litar.
Reode says, "Everyone go make a Fastheld alt we're gonna bring sugar to the peasants it'll be grand"
Vadim says, "Don't make alts that are four or five versions of the same person. I guess it's just me, but I don't see that being very much fun."
Vadim says, "Experiment, you might find something you like."
Reode says, "Mr Never Plays his Yoridini"
You say, "Good guys, bad guys, grey guys."
Fade says, "Yeah naw that's fair enough. Also don't make alts for stuped reasons like to get back at someone >.>"
Vadim says, "Has innocent teen Hek to the cold as ice Martian sniper. And they have totally different personalities."
Fade says, "Or to get with someone's character. Unless you know, that's like, prearranged, and even then."
Katrin gets with Fade.
You say, "And all of his alts."
Fade says, "obaby"
Vadim says, "Man, I do need to play my Yoridini."
Litar says, "katrin, seriously, learn to share."
Fade gets with Rowland. Love triangle!
Reode says, "Nooo!"
Litar says, "there's enough of fade to go around."
You say, "Anyone else have something they'd like to bring up?"
Katrin shares with Litar.
Reode says, "Ummmm"
Fade says, "I guess I have something."
Reode says, "Ummmmmmmmmmmm"
You say, "Go for it, Fade."
Reode says, "OFINE GO FIRST"
Vadim says, "I have another one. Don't Mary Sue. Or Marty Stu, as the case may be."
You say, "Let Fade talk, Vadim."
Vadim says, "Oh, okay."
You say, "You can have another turn to rant after Reode."
Fade says, "A lot of us are very close on this MUSH, once you've been Rping with someone for a while you get to be pretty good friends with them. If you're finding you RP with one or two characters a lot, and want to spice things up, don't be afraid to approach them OOC via pages and have a chat to them about possibilities. Communication is as important in a MUSH as it is anywhere else, and can really help smooth things over and liven things up, making the whole process more enjoyable for everyone."
Litar waits in line.
Litar says, "good one, fade!"
Reode says, "Thumbsup Faoz"
Fade does the happy dance!
You say, "Excellent point, Fade."
Reode trips Fade
Fade pukes RAINBOWS.
You say, "As with many things I've said, don't ever be afraid to talk to someone to make sure you're all on the same page."
You say, "Reody?"
Reode thinks
Reode says, "Litar can go ahead of me"
You say, "Vaddy is peeing, so Litar?"
Litar says, "aw, so sweet. okay."
Litar says, "this is for the oldbies: ya'll are hella intimidating, and it's always super scary and sometimes frustrating starting a new game like os that's full of so much theme it shames tolkien. be patient and super inclusive for the new people so they can experience the game, learn, grow, and become grouchy oldbies like you."
Katrin isn't scary. :(
Vadim feels insulted.
Litar says, "RP-wise, it's really cool to actively try to involve them in things."
You say, "But Litar is also right. I know DMC has tried to welcome new players so they had something to do. And I know we've seen an influx of newbies (some of whom haven't stuck) but we always need to reach out and help people get comfortable here."
You say, "We were all newbies once upon a time and sucked at RP."
You say, "And now Vaddy."
You say, "If he's done peeing."
Fade says, "That's a very good point. I know that if I wasn't inducted into the Olympus, with such a fine group, I mightn't have stayed"
Reode says, "He peed so much"
Fade says, "Plus, Reode has a fiiiiine nose."
Reode lololol
Reode says, "SHUT UP"
Jennifer says, "Whats wrong with Reodes nose?"
Reode wiggles it
You say, "Nose sex."
Reode says, "AGH"
Fade brbs!
Jennifer pokes it.
Jennifer says, "Does it light up?"
Vadim says, "Alright. Another thing we all know about is don't Mary Sue or Marty Stu up the join. That's more or less a given, but you didn't come to OS to play -yourself-. This is where creativity comes in, I think. And while I think sometimes Riftwalkers are the biggest culprit of this(I'm sorry), you should always strive for something, while maybe not so blatantly at an attempt at being so 'speshual snowflake', but give your character some thought while it's being made. If that means it falls into some kind of tv trope, then so be it. Because really, all of us fall into some kind of trope or another."
Reode is speshual snowflake
You say, "Thank you, Vadim."
You say, "And you do have a point."
Reode nodnod to Vaddy
You say, "One thing I would say is that with these types of characters, even if they start from the same point, help them flesh out and develop into their own person."
You say, "Raisa was my first alt and boy was she a piece of work when I first started... but she's grown and developed into a character I liked before the end."
Reode says, "This is more of a personal thing I guess but... Do everything you can to make things entertaining for everyone. Try to include everyone somehow. And try to have your character ASK QUESTIONS. Prod and poke. You have no idea (or maybe you do) how many interesting secrets, big and small, some characters have. People here have some amazing character depth. /Care/ about another character, not just yours."