[OOC] Academy Wars: Rituals and Technology in the Modern World, a Magitech School RP

[banjoanjo]

I can't say that I can see what difficulties would arise with a player using first person. GM posts can be in third person regardless of what perspective the player chooses to write in, can't they? What tense GM writes in probs shouldn't be affected by this. Crimmy's a decent enough writer to use first person to effectively convey his character's thought process.

So yeah, I'm with Renny on this. I think Crimmy should be able to write in whatever voice he feels suits the character.

[Raineh Daze]

I can't say that I can see what difficulties would arise with a player using first person.

@banjoanjo

First thing: it reads badly to have a single first person amongst a mess of third person. Secondly, it does make it more complicated.

So far, it's pretty nice and simple, because you have two other characters that look nothing alike. But that's going to get a lot more obfuscated when scenes get more crowded and they look more similar. First person is also a great way to make action far harder to follow.

The only time I've seen first and third person mixed well was when it only changed on a chapter-by-chapter basis. <_<

[VitaVitaAR]

@Kaithas: We've kind of dialed back on non-Japanese characters for reasons of setting(there's Academies in every country) and because the first non-Japanese character who was signed up actually made it fairly significant.

As for the whole first person thing, um...

I'd rather not argue, but I'll be honest and say one of my own personal reservations is... Frankly I've seen people do it before and try to make themselves like the "main character" of the RP.

This has given me reservations against its use. EVERYONE should equally be the "main character" of an RP unless the RP is specifically structured, and everyone agreed, on something otherwise.

That may not be the intent here but it is something that bothers me about it.

[Crimmy]

@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

First-person can actually improve differentiating between other characters within the narrative. Beyond just the physical description of other characters from the viewpoint of the 1st person, there's also how that character perceives the others.

For example, say the 1st person is talking to a pair of twins.

Now he might be classmates with one of them, and thus is more familiar with the dude. So he'd be more casual with the guy. But he'd be less casual with the other one due to their lack of familiarity, and an extra layer of awkwardness because the other twin looks familiar, but isn't familiar at all. There's also how the 1st person will perceive their differing personalities.

These descriptors can be woven into his viewpoint.

Or, if he dislikes somebody, the description utilised will be a lot more harsh.

(A brown-haired bloke breezed past me, his stick-like legs carrying him with excessive speed further into the distance. Douchebag.)

(The man passed by at an intense run, his beautiful, oak-coloured hair flowing against the wind. He was a fast guy, I noted. Real fast.)

They could easily refer to the same character, but the attitude of the 1st person towards them can differentiate them in the narrative. Even in crowded scenes, as long sufficient description is utilised, it wouldn't be confusing at all, especially with the whole new set of adjectives that being in 1st person provides.

To note the "main character" thing.

I wrote Matsuoka up with "supporting cast guy" in mind. No intent for MC-ing here, and it's functionally impossible for a character to become a main character in this situation anyway, hence there's no reason to try. I can understand your reservations perfectly, but rest assured that I'm pretty much using 1st person to explore Matsuoka's stream-of-consciousness inner character voice, which is a bit more difficult to pull off in 3rd, especially given Cloacina's presence.

[Raineh Daze]

Ultimately, it's a matter of subjectivity whether third person is preferable or not. However, I am absolutely certain that everything that could be done in first person, as given, is achievable in third. Third person then lends the ability to use such things as names when the character doesn't know them and lends itself to summarising.

So, please try third person.

[Crimmy]

Ultimately, it's a matter of subjectivity whether third person is preferable or not. However, I am absolutely certain that everything that could be done in first person, as given, is achievable in third. Third person then lends the ability to use such things as names when the character doesn't know them and lends itself to summarising.

So, please try third person.

@Raineh Daze

3rd person and 1st person are different styles to one another. Even if the characteristics of a character are the same, the manner in which they are expressed will be different. The perception Matsuoka has of things. His inner narration. His inner running commentary. His vocabulary. Word choices, the focus of his attention in greater detail, et cetera. All these do not translate as well over to 3rd person. When you look at someone from an outside perspective, you don't see their thoughts in great detail.

Also, there's 3rd person omniscient vs 3rd person limited.

Limited, for example, is also more character-perspective based (eg. Harry Potter), and the use of names doesn't work either, because the character would not know them. It allows some exploration into the character's thoughts, true, but it doesn't really get the full fruit of it. It's also restraining in how the rest of the world is acting.

3rd person omniscient allows one to view the rest of the characters with all information in play, but makes it incredibly difficult to "head-jump" into a character. I dislike the use of this form for RPing because I'm not writing the characters of other players. I'm writing one character, and being able to explore their thoughts is absolutely necessary for that.

[Renny]

I'll get another post out tomorrow. Yasuo's interaction is starting off slow so I'm going to make him more available. Might head down to the courtyard to get some council from Susanoo.

[banjoanjo]

I might make a post with Sakamori-sensei talking to Yasuo. Is that cool with you? @Renny

[Silvan Haven]

Profile coming along slowly but surely, expect brainiac older sister character soon.

As far as the enforced 3rd person thing going on. All I can really say is that it's a terrible idea idea. Every player has their own style of writing and in many cases a character works best when being played differently than the norm.

An RPG is a collection of people getting together to write and have fun. It's not a book with a singular author and form. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it is a good thing. It helps people grow as writers.

I know for a fact that Crimmy has the skills to pull off first person. And I can guarantee that if you don't automatically look for everything wrong with it you will also be able to enjoy reading first person.

Expand those horizons.

[VitaVitaAR]

I'd really rather not have more of the thread taken up by this.

I do think the transition is jarring, but since this is going on too much and I'd rather not take up more of the thread with arguing about it I'll allow it.

I'd still prefer third person but it doesn't ruin the RP or anything otherwise.

[Renny]

@banjoanjo That would be awesome. I'd love for some emotional healing to start early so he's not so angsty around everyone. Thanks Banjo

[Raineh Daze]

Jen's actually dressed somewhat more practically than in her picture. No scarf. Why bring your normal clothes to school? Better to use more normal PE stuff. XD

[Silvan Haven]

What are the gun laws of this Japan like? I feel like the presence of ritual technology might result in them being somewhat different from real life.

[Raineh Daze]

What are the gun laws of this Japan like? I feel like the presence of ritual technology might result in them being somewhat different from real life.

@Silvan Haven

Yeah, they probably include magitech guns as well. :P

[Silvan Haven]

Well I'm really just asking about normal guns since my character is going to use a pretty mana heavy sensory device and she needs an effective weapon.

[Raineh Daze]

Well I'm really just asking about normal guns since my character is going to use a pretty mana heavy sensory device and she needs an effective weapon.

@Silvan Haven

You do realise that this is proposing giving a weapon that has no remotely nonlethal application (like holding back) for a friendly tournament? There's other things, but the law isn't terribly relevant when this basically proposes shooting school students in a competition.

[VitaVitaAR]

Mundane guns haven't been used in a VERY long time, by the way.

Magitech outperforms them in every category. Oh sure it still uses bullets and explosives but it's probably just generated magically and stuff. I don't even think anyone makes mundane weaponry anymore.

[Crimmy]

Finding a way to convey Matsuoka's Kansai-ben through text is admittedly challenging, but fun.

[Silvan Haven]

<Snipped quote by Silvan Haven>

You do realise that this is proposing giving a weapon that has no remotely nonlethal application (like holding back) for a friendly tournament? There's other things, but the law isn't terribly relevant when this basically proposes shooting school students in a competition.

@Raineh Daze

The risk of her accidentally killing somebody is reduced considerably through the use of either rubber bullets or paint pellets.

Mundane guns haven't been used in a VERY long time, by the way.

Magitech outperforms them in every category. Oh sure it still uses bullets and explosives but it's probably just generated magically and stuff. I don't even think anyone makes mundane weaponry anymore.

@VitaVitaAR

Ordinary guns are still useful even in a world filled with magic. Not everybody is going to have a massive pool of mana to pour downrange at the enemy and a purely technological firearm would provide a valuable ranged weapon that placed no strain on the user's reserves.

[VitaVitaAR]

No, um...

They are literally completely useless against anyone with a magitech weapon. They're so vastly outstripped that the best comparison I can make is using a butter knife against someone in a tank.

There ARE magitech ranged weapons that blow mundane guns out of the water in terms of effectiveness.