Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

[Shorticus]

I really hate when people show up too the interest check, confirm their interest before the GM starts the rp, and then promptly just not enter the roleplay or even bother to further explain why they had decided not to join if asked.

@vancexentan

How often does this happen, out of curiosity?

I can see reasons why someone would do that (including just plain forgetting), but I would like to know how often that occurs in case I ever run my own RP.

[NuttsnBolts]

<Snipped quote by vancexentan>

How often does this happen, out of curiosity?

I can see reasons why someone would do that (including just plain forgetting), but I would like to know how often that occurs in case I ever run my own RP.

@Shorticus

I find that people that sometimes do this tend to be lacking an RP and they are guaging their interest and others by dropping a post in several rps and seeing which one they'll end up joining. I did this once but that was because of the three that I applied for, one gm got back to the RP after several days, one went a direction that didn't interest me after seeing what the people we're talking about, and the third ended up being a successful RP.

There's also some members who cannot time manage. So they'll apply and get back to the site several days later and forget about the RP.

There's also a drop off rate once a few people start to enter, so if you're ever going to gm a game, be prepared for that too.

[Chairman Stein]

Since I pretty much solely do NRPs when it comes to forum-based RP I can only give my perspective on NRPs on the Guild. Also note that most of my annoyances can be brought down to the 'your opinion, man' tier when it comes to irks.

• When it comes to NRPs, Space is literally the most overdone and overrated things on the entire board. Everyone and their dog now has some 'sooper kewl' Space confederation that they wrote around 25k words for when it's just literally a race ripped from the Star Trek Wiki. Plus I never have been a fan of Sci-Fi regardless since I feel it's a incredibly uncreative and simply boring backdrop for a story/RP/whatever.
• In the rare, once in a blue moon opportunity the NRP section actually gets a RP taking place on the planet Earth at some point in human history, it's never an era that someone can very easily invest themselves in. For instance, in my opinion it's incredibly easy to immerse one's self in a Victorian or Industrial era Historical N/RP since we have actual photos of the time, extensively available information on how life worked and how society functioned. Yet we never see those RPs in the NRP section. Instead some random guy who made an account yesterday posts in the Interest Checks for a Historical NRP taking place in the paleolithic era where your entire society is around 20 naked Paleoindians who speak in a language only known as 'guttural shouting'.
• This works for all RPs but any GM that has the utter nerve to say 'WRITING IN THIS STYLE ISN'T ALLOWED BECAUSE WORLD BUILDING.' Not only is that the most fascistic thing a person can say but it's also utterly nonsensical. If I'm interested in your RP I'll write my characters/nation/whatever however I damn well please. If I want to write like it's a high-school text book I will. If I want to write like John Green a mediocre teenie-bop author I will. Just because the GM has some specific idea on what 'world/character building' means doesn't mean everyone else has the same opinion or idea. If you want to dictate your RP to the point where using a certain style is banned then maybe you should re-think your RP.

[vancexentan]

@Shorticus It tends to happen to me fairly often actually. I'd say that it happens every two out of three roleplays. People show up and then they simply just vanish like the other guy says. However for me what makes it especially rude is that I ask them through a PM if they're still there or intend to join and they just don't reply.

[Shorticus]

This works for all RPs but any GM that has the utter nerve to say 'WRITING IN THIS STYLE ISN'T ALLOWED BECAUSE WORLD BUILDING.' Not only is that the most fascistic thing a person can say but it's also utterly nonsensical. If I'm interested in your RP I'll write my characters/nation/whatever however I damn well please. If I want to write like it's a high-school text book I will. If I want to write like John Green a mediocre teenie-bop author I will. Just because the GM has some specific idea on what 'world/character building' means doesn't mean everyone else has the same opinion or idea. If you want to dictate your RP to the point where using a certain style is banned then maybe you should re-think your RP.

@Chairman Stein

I can definitely see what you mean about being told not to write in a certain style. I mean... There's a reason a bunch of different writing styles exist, and I'm personally a fan of writing stories - not necessarily RPs - more like a myth or oral heritage story. Not everyone wants to see that in their RP, and I do get that, but especially in the case of an NRP... Is anyone being HURT by having things written from the perspective of, say, a fable? A history book? First person?

Now, that said, I could see certain roleplays that WOULD practically demand a certain writing style... but the GM should note that in the very first few lines. Say, for instance, the roleplay is about Greek-era heroes and you want folks to experiment with writing in a way that conveys that rather than a more modern style of writing. Or say you're doing a Victorian RP and you want people to at least handle their dialogue and their letters to folks like they're someone from the Victorian era. I think both of those situations would be fair. But again, the GM should have that noted in the very beginning.

When it comes to NRPs, Space is literally the most overdone and overrated things on the entire board. Everyone and their dog now has some 'sooper kewl' Space confederation that they wrote around 25k words for when it's just literally a race ripped from the Star Trek Wiki. Plus I never have been a fan of Sci-Fi regardless since I feel it's a incredibly uncreative and simply boring backdrop for a story/RP/whatever.

This really depends on what sort of space RP you want to have run. See, I love sci-fi, and I think sci-fi NRPs can be really, really good, but... Frankly, I think a lot of people do sci-fi RP wrong. They don't really depict what it means to be alien.

Let me essplain. WARNING: Rambling is about to commence.

If I'm going to write about alien life, I want to write about alien life that does NOT think like a human does. The typical human experience is one in which we taste, touch, smell, hear, see; being able to interact with your environment with two hands; thinking as a single, individual being... So, why not omit some of those senses, or change some of those things we consider so natural? Why not change how some of those senses function? Maybe you create a species that does not interact with the world with their hands, but has to depend on something external to them - another species, say, or mechanical objects? What about a species that isn't physically tangible, but instead exists in 1's and 0's? A species that has a hivemind (okay, that's common)? A species whose members are actually two organisms melded together?

When I stop and think about those weird species, I start to really enjoy myself and dig into what it must be like to be alien, and I start to think about the cultures that would develop around that. I don't want to just play a blue skinned human or a race of green alien babes. When I write sci-fi, I want to write about a species that is something we humans cannot understand.

Moreover, I want to write about the values such aliens who are so different from us would have. A species of 1's and 0's floating about in high tech computers would probably see physical forms as fleeting and temporary and not understand why humans care so much about protecting their bodies. A species that inherently lacks some of our human senses might not understand why we put so much importance on them at all. And if you have a species that has a hivemind, they might very well pity humanity for not being able to be a part of that greater connection, and if cut off from their hivemind might freak out and wonder what the Hell to do. And... well, there's so many examples we could discuss here.

And I think that's what so many folks in online sci-fi games don't do. They write about stuff that's, well, pretty mundane, really: dragon aliens, orc aliens, aliens who have a confederacy of united stars, aliens who are fascist, aliens who are the most deadly extreme form of capitalism. And I suppose some of those are really fun; I especially think the last one ought to be thrown into space NRPs every now and then, because there IS a dark side to truly laissez faire capitalism. But the real opportunity that sci-fi RP allows us is to explore what it means to be so alien that we can't even truly imagine it. We can only guess.

Now, I'm not saying that all sci-fi has to be of this nature. I'm not saying you can't RP green alien space babes, or just have fun writing about giant mechs blowing each other mechs. Dude, I love giant mechs blowing each other up. But I am saying that sci-fi can also be used to explore the human condition, and explore also what makes someone "alien," and... well, to explore how vastly different you can be from the human experience and yet still be a sentient entity, and arguably still be just as "human."

So, I guess this turned into a gripe of my own about sci-fi NRPs, though a very different one. There's GREAT opportunity in sci-fi settings, if only we're willing to explore them.

(Side note: I'm sad to realize that the only sci-fi NRP I was going to join still hasn't kicked off. That was the RP that I was going to use "two organisms melded together" for.)

[TheWinchester4]

I'm pretty new to this site, but in my short time here, I've already seen so many RPs where the GM completely neglects it. I was so excited to be a part of this world that they created, but they aren't excited to be a part of it.

Very disappointing for me =(

[Gowi]

Really angry at myself for letting myself get burnt out/distracted to the point I've been struggling writing long form posts at all.

[AirBender]

Something that really annoys me, and will get your character refused from my RPs, is characters that go against the setting of the RP. If I have a roleplay set in ancient China, you can't use katanas, because they're Japanese and it would have literally been impossible for you to get one! Or if I have a high fantasy setting and somebody makes an anime ass dog girl. Having characters with animal qualities is fine, but not when the are straight out of an anime.

You can do plenty of things with your characters and still keep it to the setting. Really, it's not that tough to do some research and see if the weapon, name, or whatever you chose fits the setting the GM has set. Or, just ask, so I don't have to refuse your character.

Another thing that comes off of that is people who get pissy when I refuse their character for not fitting the setting, or ignore the suggestions I make to keep things in the setting. If they want a katana in a Chinese roleplay, I'll suggest to them a Chinese sword that's similar to the katana.

Basically, I hate people who try to join a roleplay when they obviously know nothing about the setting surrounding it.

[Weird Tales]

What really annoys me about the Guild are the players that act like they're preferred style of characters should be the standard. God I can't stand snobby players

[NuttsnBolts]

Another thing that comes off of that is people who get pissy when I refuse their character for not fitting the setting, or ignore the suggestions I make to keep things in the setting. If they want a katana in a Chinese roleplay, I'll suggest to them a Chinese sword that's similar to the katana.

@AirBender

Katanas are the most over rated sword in history. They're a thin blade used for slicing skin and fabric style armour. They cannot cut through bone or steel unless it's of a really high quality, but even then something like a Claymore would do just as much damage, if not more.

Katanas are only popular because of anime, and even then it's because they have a symbolic meaning. I bet 80% of the posters here won't even understand the honour of owning a katana and just view it as a weapon like a gun, ie: believing the weapon makes you powerful, not the skill and years of training.

[Sombrero]

<Snipped quote by AirBender>

Katanas are the most over rated sword in history. They're a thin blade used for slicing skin and fabric style armour. They cannot cut through bone or steel unless it's of a really high quality, but even then something like a Claymore would do just as much damage, if not more.

Katanas are only popular because of anime, and even then it's because they have a symbolic meaning. I bet 80% of the posters here won't even understand the honour of owning a katana and just view it as a weapon like a gun, ie: believing the weapon makes you powerful, not the skill and years of training.

@NuttsnBolts

Weren't Samurai all about the bow and arrow anyway? Since when did melee combat become the only awesome/chivalrous way to wage war? (Granted, it is awesome, but there's more than one way to build a lifestyle around graceful asskicking.) Sure, they could have sword fights at the golden hour, but who hasn't seen that? What about an honor duel at sunset mounted on horseback, charging about and shooting each other with longbows? Sounds a lot more beautiful and cool to me than Medieval Kill Bill.

[Shorticus]

<Snipped quote by NuttsnBolts>

Weren't Samurai all about the bow and arrow anyway? Since when did melee combat become the only awesome/chivalrous way to wage war? (Granted, it is awesome, but there's more than one way to build a lifestyle around graceful asskicking.)

@Sombrero

Bows and spears were the mainstay of war on Japan. Katanas and wakizachis were used, but they were more status symbols than the weapons you depended on. I'd call 'em sidearms.

Of course, polearms and bows/crossbows were SUPER important in basically all parts of the world, at least in warfare, trumping the use of swords in general (though swords did see use, yes). But at least a longsword or scimitar can be used for more than just cutting down unarmored / poorly armored men. And most swords in general protect the hands better than a katana does... Really, I wonder if Japanese swordsmiths would have put better handguards on the hilt if it weren't for the rigid adherence to tradition that became the norm.

EDIT: I just thought of something: I can name medieval battles across the world which did not include swords, but I can't name any which did not include the use of some kind of long stick with a pointy end. Then again, I'm not a historian.

[AirBender]

@NuttsnBolts Yeah they are pretty overrated. I like to use more exotic weaponry for my characters, like the whip chain I used in the Soul Eater RP. Though I do think they're still cool, mostly because I'm a martial artist and have trained with one. Even then, the sai are way more fun to use and were designed with breaking swords in mind.

@Sombrero The samurai used a ton of different weapons, though the one they are known for most is the katana. They also used naginata, bows, spears, several other types of swords, and many others. They were very well rounded people in general, they were taught not only the ways of the battlefield, but dancing, reading, writing, and the like.

@Shorticus The way you fight with a katana is way different than most swords, trust me, I've trained with one. Then again, you could say that about every sword. I do think spears, naginatas, and other weapons that are a stick with a pointy end, are more useful though. Especially against men on horseback.

I love how this has gone from bitching about our RP problems to a conversation about weaponry from the late 1500s early 1600s.

[Mixtape Ghost N]

@NuttsnBolts Katanas were only really useful against Japanese armor, because they had really bad armor compared to Europeans. lol

[Shorticus]

@Shorticus The way you fight with a katana is way different than most swords, trust me, I've trained with one. Then again, you could say that about every sword. I do think spears, naginatas, and other weapons that are a stick with a pointy end, are more useful though. Especially against men on horseback.

I love how this has gone from bitching about our RP problems to a conversation about weaponry from the late 1500s early 1600s.

@AirBender

I'd love to try using katana eventually myself, along with a host of other weapons I'll probably never have the opportunity to touch. I've mostly watched videos on fighting of different styles, and I've barely practiced with any weapon, so I'll accept you probably (definitely) know more than me on how the katana is used. (If you know of any good videos on the topic, please let me know!)

And yeah, medieval weapons always get my attention.

[Sombrero]

I love how this has gone from bitching about our RP problems to a conversation about weaponry from the late 1500s early 1600s.

@AirBender

Well, I'd like to imagine that cathartic things should (and naturally come to be) be balanced out with fun discussions or at least rants that are funny enough to make everyone genuinely feel better.

@NuttsnBolts Katanas were only really useful against Japanese armor, because they had really bad armor compared to Europeans. lol

@Mr Allen J

The armor was actually pretty good. It's not great against big, bone-breaking weapons, but for things like the arrows, medium to small blades, (I'd argue that armor was the last thing you'd want to hit with a katana, since you're probably far more likely to get stuck than you are to cut someone) and improvised farming equipment that the average samurai had to deal with back then, the protection was amazing, and it was very rugged, relatively light, and allowed for hella mobility.

[Shorticus]

The armor was actually pretty good. It's not great against big, bone-breaking weapons, but for things like the arrows, medium to small blades, and improvised farming equipment that the average samurai had to deal with back then, the protection was amazing, and it was very rugged, relatively light, and allowed for hella mobility.

@Sombrero

Yeah, this is pretty much what matters. I remember someone telling me "Archery is about what works," and that different types of archery developed because different, unique environments demanded different techniques. The same definitely applies to all other aspects of war, including the crafting of weapons and armor.

I mean, let's talk about medieval European armor for a moment. Let's talk about the Crusades. All that heavy plate and mail didn't do much good when the various Crusaders of various Crusades went into the Middle East, did it? The environment changed everything, demanded that people equip themselves a little differently. That's not to say that European armor of the time was bad, but getting heatstroke on the battlefield is a serious problem.

[NuttsnBolts]

Just reading through the responses about weapons in general, would it be worth while to have an article about different types of weapons and how each one should work?

[Shorticus]

Just reading through the responses about weapons in general, would it be worth while to have an article about different types of weapons and how each one should work?

@NuttsnBolts

Maybe? But we'd need a serious expert on the topic, someone who has IRL experience using them and tons of research and can give unbiased responses. That, or we'd need a group of people to work together and discuss this before making a post on the topic.

...Both of those present certain difficulties.

[Sombrero]

Just reading through the responses about weapons in general, would it be worth while to have an article about different types of weapons and how each one should work?

@NuttsnBolts

I don't think it really would. I mean, it would ease some frustration in the long run, but when it comes down to it, we don't really come roleplaying for realism. Besides, are there really people in our number who's used all the weapons and can provide complete, unbiased facts about their abilities history and everything? Hell, we have trouble getting complete facts into some college history courses. People should be logical, and things should be run according to the rules of their universe. They shouldn't be referred to an enormous article about the finer points of archaic weaponry. I mean, wikipedia hardly resolves disputes anymore, this too would fade with time and nitpicking.