High Casual Rant

[Little Bill]

Let's rant. Or rather, I'm going to rant, and those of you who have clicked this title are going to listen. Let's not all rant, actually, because there is already one person ranting here, and it is me. You can all discuss, or not, I don't really care. Throw in a rebuttal, even, but don't rant. Why have I elected myself to be the sole ranter in this thread? I am articulate, thoughtful, clever, and not entirely without tact. I have thought long and hard about the subject, considered several viewpoints, and all the same have come to present the following statement as earnestly as possible, as a thesis to the rant that will follow it, without labeling any one group of people unfairly. Are you ready? Good.

If you use the label "High Casual", you are a true coward, and I will fully explain to you why in this rant.

That's right. Right out of the gates, insulted most of the website's playerbase. I don't give a fuck. I speak the truth, and like many preachers of truth, I expect to be drawn and quartered for the truth. I will die a martyr, while those who bear the title "High Casual" will continue to slog through their lies and cowardice for an entire lifetime. I would rather my one death than your ten thousand. I'm sure you're asking by now, "Why, Deadbeat? What's so wrong with High Casual Roleplays? It's just words on a title!" Which is exactly the point. It is more than just words on a title. It is a sign of something greater; A plague of hacky writing that creeps across Roleplayerguild.com like a shadow, choking the very life out of it. Where hacky writing is the cancer brewing deep within the bowels of our site, High Casual tags are the surface-level symptoms we have ignored until it is too late.

Let me begin this rant with a quick recap of our site's roleplaying boards -- Free, Casual, and Advanced. "What about Tabletop and Nation?" You might be saying. Well, fuck 'em. I have confidence that I can beat any of the nerds in those sections into submission, so I'm just going to ignore the existence of those boards for the entirety of this rant. If one of you wishes to champion your respective nerd board, please arrange a physical fight with me in PMs to not clog this thread. Anyway, back to the site recap. Roleplayerguild has three sections for writing, the core function of the site, differentiated by the skill level/effort level of the posts, moderated only by what the players deem fitting for the section. If someone posts a roleplay in the Advanced section that seems more fitting of the Free section, they're free to do so. If someone posts a roleplay in the Free section that seems more befitting of the Advanced section, they're free to do so as well. One of Mahz's earliest ideas for the site is that it shouldn't be overmoderated like other sites, so placing threads in appropriate sections has always been up to player discretion.

It is my belief that this was, as Hiyao Miyazaki famously said, a mistake. Over time, Roleplays have amassed in the Casual section, like lab rats packed into the middle of a cage that has been made too hot on one side and too cold on the other. All through one insidious tagline; High Casual. I hear those words and I cringe. A part of me dies a little inside, and it is the part that enjoys writing collaborative stories on the internet. To me, the very phrase "High Casual" tells me you are either incapable or do not want to put in effort that would make others consider your writing "Advanced", but think your writing should be at least a little bit separate than the "Casual" work everyone else is producing. Neither devoted enough to write in Advanced or humbled enough to live up to the casual criteria of the section you are in. What a cruel farce this must be. What are you afraid of, High Casuals? Are you afraid of living up to the standards of others, or of looking in the mirror and acknowledging your own? Tell me now, or live with your shame in private, neutered silence forever.

But what does any of this have to do with hacky writing? I will tell you. Casual RPs, full stop, are not supposed to be as well-written as Advanced RPs. I'm not gonna say they're objectively worse, not as fun, or any other description, because that would be my opinion, and I have not come here to tell you my opinion. As I said earlier, I have come here to tell you the truth. By the very definitions of the boards, Casual RPs are not held to the standards of grammar and length that Advanced RPs are. The realistic characterization of player-controlled characters is rarely called into question, themes/allegories/foreshadowing are all used less frequently, and the less exciting differences between literary worlds and ours are less explored in Casual RPs. How does this mountain village get food year-round? What are the legal repercussions for Pokemon being killed in duels? How do these viking people live solely off of villages? How does a man study until he can build a death laser without at some point learning the emotional intelligence to not desire world domination? In Advanced roleplays, these types of things are discussed -- frequently, at far too great a length -- whereas in Casual RPs, they are shrugged off for the sake of fun and continuing the plot unabated. I'm not saying either is better or worse, as I think they both have their place, but this place is erased with the use of the High Casual tag.

Gone are the days of Advanced meaning many paragraphs, and gone are the days of the Casual section housing a plethora of fun, low-effort stories. Now, instead of three sections for three levels of effort, we now have micro-section for niche groups. Free is now where AIM roleplayers have migrated to post hedgehog-based romances and battles, Advanced is where scifi ideas come to die, and Casual is split between different levels of effort, from hedgehog-based romance to lofty sci-fi. Why does there have to be a High Casual tag? This is getting into philosophy rather than the original rant itself, but doesn't one section having a subcategory just seem dumb? Are there other categories? Are we just posting postmodern mixtures of letters and spaces in "Low Free"? Is "Low Casual" what Free writers tag to get the same "High Casual" feeling? Is "Low Advanced" supposed to go in Casual or Advanced? Where are all the "High Advanced" roleplays, while I'm at it? This question doesn't need answering, because everybody knows the answer. High Casual is just a tag meant to rope in the most people on the board with the most traffic, because everyone has migrated there because sections don't matter anymore.

I promised you the truth and I have delivered it, whether you choose to despise me for bringing truth to you is your choice. But my sermon does not end with pessimism, because the truth is not something that can be a solely negative rant. We should all strive to tell the truth, starting with ourselves. Preferably when we are choosing which board to put our RP in.

[Dion]

If you use the label "High Casual", you are a true coward, and I will fully explain to you why in this rant.

@DeadbeatWalking

Didn't need to read anything else because I already agree and know exactly what this is about when I read this. 1/1 thread.

[Hero]

I kinda agree with this. Is there something you think should be done about it?

[Dion]

@Hero We've already proposed a rebrand of the various sections to not represent skill or effort anymore but rather the level of dedication required by the RP, but that never got anywhere.

I have to wonder whether this is a problem that requires fixing though because from my perspective this is something that can easily be fixed by just abolishing the sections and using the tag system, but that'd require, you know, an admin to put in work.

[Hero]

@Hero We've already proposed a rebrand of the various sections to not represent skill or effort anymore but rather the level of dedication required by the RP, but that never got anywhere.

I have to wonder whether this is a problem that requires fixing though because from my perspective this is something that can easily be fixed by just abolishing the sections and using the tag system, but that'd require, you know, an admin to put in work.

@Odin

Mmm, while the first thing you said would make sense (though I feel the sections were supposed to represent dedication, meaning more skill meant more dedication), I think the second (outright getting rid of the sections) would likely be a better option. The sections have, unfortunately, made a stigma in each section that do more harm than good in my opinion.

[AlteredTundra]

I agree with some points of this rant, but overall, I can't bring myself to support the idea that, just because one uses the "High Casual" tag, it automatically means they're a coward.

There might be a number of reasons why one uses that specific tag, but when it comes down to it, it is about having a level of expectations while still wanting to keep it casual. Is that really so bad?

[Dion]

<Snipped quote by Odin>

Mmm, while the first thing you said would make sense (though I feel the sections were supposed to represent dedication, meaning more skill meant more dedication), I think the second (outright getting rid of the sections) would likely be a better option. The sections have, unfortunately, made a stigma in each section that do more harm than good in my opinion.

@Hero

I think it's a feature in the making but with the pace of this forum, that'd mean we'd have this feature in about 6 months if we're lucky. At this point I think I'm beyond trying and just letting things run it's course - including the sections. It's obvious thinks are somehow working and asking yourself 'could it be better' is a fruitless endeavour because yes, things could be better, and no, things don't need to be better for the forum to fulfill what it sets out to do (which is to provide a platform).

[Didgeridont]

The various troglodytes of this forum find solace in the multitude of labels they proliferate. You are right in that the issue is more than just the various tags and descriptors that they use; it lies in the fact that these veritable cromagnons and their writings have depreciated and decayed in astronomic degrees for the last few years.

As I write this I hear the crowing of my neighbors lone rooster, a sound that I have heard for many days at this point. I can be rather assured in saying that the crowing of a rooster is a representative in my steady-state world - someplace where I feel at ease due to routine and the homogeneity of experience. The simians of this forum also vie for routine and safety in their own experience, which has led to such a vast congregation of them amassing within the Casual section. Of course, this need for routine has led to other problems, most notably the perpetuation of GMs who are propped up solely by their own cliques or the general lack of originality or experimentation within roleplay ideas, but the concentration of so many roleplayers within the Casual section is most pertinent to this discussion.

Chimps are naturally social animals, which means they wish to stick within groups of their own kind, for reasons of safety, protections, mating, food, etc., yet this also means they adhere to social hierarchies. The chimp who has climbed onto the branches of the trees sees himself as better than one who can only climb upon fallen logs, yet is intimidated by the branches further up, where his more confident brothers play. But what happens when too many chimps climb onto his level? Well, the ape wishes to distinguish himself once more, so he sees fit to climb one branch higher. There! He is now above the majority of his brothers once more! Of course, he is not at the level of his brothers on the canopy further up, but for now he is content - he has not strayed far from his place of comfort, but he still feels himself superior than most.

In general, I agree with Deadbeat regarding the stagnation of the sections as well as the general poopoo-fication of the boards. Yet perhaps it is not cowardice that stops these primates, but rather complacency and laziness.

[ayzrules]

The various troglodytes of this forum find solace in the multitude of labels they proliferate. You are right in that the issue is more than just the various tags and descriptors that they use; it lies in the fact that these veritable cromagnons and their writings have depreciated and decayed in astronomic degrees for the last few years.

As I write this I hear the crowing of my neighbors lone rooster, a sound that I have heard for many days at this point. I can be rather assured in saying that the crowing of a rooster is a representative in my steady-state world - someplace where I feel at ease due to routine and the homogeneity of experience. The simians of this forum also vie for routine and safety in their own experience, which has led to such a vast congregation of them amassing within the Casual section. Of course, this need for routine has led to other problems, most notably the perpetuation of GMs who are propped up solely by their own cliques or the general lack of originality or experimentation within roleplay ideas, but the concentration of so many roleplayers within the Casual section is most pertinent to this discussion.

Chimps are naturally social animals, which means they wish to stick within groups of their own kind, for reasons of safety, protections, mating, food, etc., yet this also means they adhere to social hierarchies. The chimp who has climbed onto the branches of the trees sees himself as better than one who can only climb upon fallen logs, yet is intimidated by the branches further up, where his more confident brothers play. But what happens when too many chimps climb onto his level? Well, the ape wishes to distinguish himself once more, so he sees fit to climb one branch higher. There! He is now above the majority of his brothers once more! Of course, he is not at the level of his brothers on the canopy further up, but for now he is content - he has not strayed far from his place of comfort, but he still feels himself superior than most.

In general, I agree with Deadbeat regarding the stagnation of the sections as well as the general poopoo-fication of the boards. Yet perhaps it is not cowardice that stops these primates, but rather complacency and laziness.

@Didgeridont

That was really extra

[Briza]

One of Mahz's earliest ideas for the site is that it shouldn't be overmoderated like other sites, so placing threads in appropriate sections has always been up to player discretion.

@DeadbeatWalking

Is instating the "ban" of the High Casual as a text tag for a game an over moderation?

[Ruby]

I’ve actually called a few GoT games “High Advanced” in the past.

[Dion]

<Snipped quote by DeadbeatWalking>

Is instating the "ban" of the High Casual as a text tag for a game an over moderation?

@Briza

yes but that's why this thread is in roleplaying discussion and not suggestions, right briza?

[mickilennial]

I don’t think the redundancy of “high casual” will go away for reasons that Odin mentioned and others beyond that. The trinity of sections – free, casual, and advanced – means as little as the average user dictates it to be. These aren’t sections determined by writing denomination, these are sections determined by audience. Casual is the middleman, an audience rather than a writing group, and it only has the varied depth it has is because it is that middleman. Obviously this isn’t going to change anytime soon. Probably not ever. I’d like to say it is what it is, but I’m not sure how worthwhile that is to the subject at hand.

The old RPGuild is dead. It has been dead for years. Perhaps it is best to make peace with that.

[Briza]

<Snipped quote by Briza>

yes but that's why this thread is in roleplaying discussion and not suggestions, right briza?

@Odin

That's why I used the quotation markings.

[POOHEAD189]

I’ve actually called a few GoT games “High Advanced” in the past.

@Ruby

You are doing the lords work.

[Midnight Howl]

Section tags are just what people use to feel good about themselves to fight the crippling depression keeping them up at night. There's no high advanced. There's only "I'm the best writer you uncultered swine!" but the rp dies out from people getting lazy about replying back anyways.

[Dion]

High advanced might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard section wise, haha. What's next, bottom-tier roleplay for something below free? Will we have a tier above advanced RP that uses

this

as it's name?

The 3 existing sections have already lost literally all their meaning where free RP is used only for one liner RP's that die after a day (and thus losing sight of it's intended goal) and advanced RP being used for small group RP's that are supposed to be literate (and losing sight of it's generalized purpose). Everything has spilled into 1 section (casual) for one simple reason and that is that that is where the players are.

What this means (to me anyway) is that low-casual is simply free roleplay and high-casual is simply advanced RP. They are posted in casual for the sake of attracting larger amounts of players, but they are effectively just that.

You could also make a point that we now have five sections, namely free, low-cas, cas, high-cas, and advanced, and that the lines between these sections have blurred to the point where they all might be one and the same god damn thing. Not that that is inherently bad but it certainly triggers my autism and fear for change a little bit.

[Byrd Man]

Let me begin this rant with a quick recap of our site's roleplaying boards -- Free, Casual, and Advanced. "What about Tabletop and Nation?" You might be saying. Well, fuck 'em. I have confidence that I can beat any of the nerds in those sections into submission, so I'm just going to ignore the existence of those boards for the entirety of this rant. If one of you wishes to champion your respective nerd board, please arrange a physical fight with me in PMs to not clog this thread.

@DeadbeatWalking

Not to clog up the thread, but:

Step up or step off, bitch

[Little Bill]

As a man of my word, I have arranged a fistfight with Byrd Man in PMs. Will update shortly.

EDIT: Byrd Man kicked my ass

[Todd Howard]

EDIT: Byrd Man kicked my ass

@DeadbeatWalking

Top 10 saddest anime defeats