I am asking out of curiosity, how much do people like to add music to their roleplaying experience or stories?
I usually like to link music and soundtrack, to add another layer of complexity to the reading and roleplaying experience. I tend to go for an atmospheric style of writing, mainly because I feel it helps with immersion. As such, if a certain scene or setting or action inspires or evokes a certain feeling, from straightforward to abstract, I like to enrich the experience with some music to fit the overall feeling. At the same time, I try not to use music as a crutch, or a tool to purvey the emotion since I feel the text will inadvertently lack substance due to laziness ("I mean, I got the song going, I don't need to write in that much detail what's going on in their mind, right?").
But tell me, what do you think? Is it a good idea, is it a bad one? Is it cringy when the soundtrack style doesn't match your own vision of the story? Does epiphany occur when poignant synths and bass send shivers down your back when you read a breath-taking paragraph? Or do you just delete your RPG account when a song you hate is linked in your favorite roleplay?
I'm all for transparency and offering criticism where it is needed. It needs to be done graciously, and if you ask me, privately. Posting OOC criticism can bring negative feedback from others since most would interpret said criticism as a personal attack. Every roleplayer should improve their writing skills, and if it takes a nudge or two to put them in the right direction, why not?
But what also needs to be taken into consideration is that some just don't want to improve, and prefer to play as they usually do. This mentality usually comes from a lack of serious interest in roleplaying. What I mean by that is they don't really find the pleasure in sitting down and plotting the next move of their character, and just goes with what feels appropriate, and perhaps, awesome at the moment; or, like you suggested, they're outright lazy and reiterate what others have written before them.
As to who should be responsible for telling the player what they're doing wrong, I believe anyone who wishes to help others improve. Perhaps the GM won't necessarily mind that player's writing style (or lack thereof) since it does not directly affect the story in one way or another. Thus, the intervention of a player is most needed. So what if multiple criticisms arrive on their end? There's an infamous saying in my country which I find fitting here, and it roughly translates to:
"If two people tell you you're drunk, perhaps it's time to go home."
In 2035, humanity has evolved with a bitter taste in its mouth after a long-drawn conflict against terrorism. Massive amounts of PMCs that formed in the two-decade time span have either disbanded or dissolved in a larger company, Artemis Security Group. The CEO of this PMC had gained massive popularity, reaching a cult following for his brash and bold statements against terrorist threats and unrelenting attitude in his efforts to eliminate extremism. His influence and economic strength have grown to a point that the people of U.S. prefer to call ASG's hotline for security and law enforcement, as well as for medical emergencies or for firefighting. If one would walk down the street, one would see at least a few ASG law enforcers, while government agents are either nowhere to be seen, or have left the public space and joined the private sector.
The mainstream media's attitude and agenda have fundamentally changed, as news companies are obligated to inform the public of their bias. Technology advancement has made information very easy to access, scholarly articles can now be interpreted by the common man. Social media has become an integral part of human culture, one would be hard-pressed to find someone without at least one active account on a social media platform. With all this, people are growing more and more disconnected from one another. Handheld devices have become nearly indispensable, as more and more technologies are being produced to facilitate connection with the virtual sphere; yet, very little is done to alleviate the disjointing of the population. With the political scene constantly being on the ice and under heavy criticism, it would seem that the resolution of terrorist conflict has disbanded the people further.
Public domain jobs are slowly becoming less desirable due to the workplace quality and paycheck being more attractive within ASG's branches. The private sector has flourished thoroughly, as the company has extended its business across multiple fields of activity, including IT, robotics, fossil and alternative fuel development.
Now, where does the player fit in all this? A certain friend invited you, as well as other acquaintances, over to his workshop to celebrate his failure with some beer, to paraphrase his text message. He's a brilliant engineer specialized in robotics and material resistances, who has developed a prototype for an advanced combat suit destined to fight in covert ops theaters. He entered a design competition with it, and despite the groundbreaking technology he presented, ASG has opted for a different design. So, here's the math:
Beer + advanced stealth combat suit + bad decisions = stumbling upon something dire, that would make conspiracy theorists seem tame.
The catch here is that the end goal is really not sounding all that bad, but the means to achieve it are worrying. With so much power on their hands, this force willing to drive the blind and divided population forward in a new world system might get heavily corrupted on the way, IF they're not already oozing with corruption.
-Details-
Now that was a mouthful, huh?
Have you ever wanted to sneak into corporate buildings and steal valuable information from the server room, sneaking past guards, cameras and deactivating motion sensors on the way? Have you ever dreamed of dashing and hurling yourself from rooftop to another while frantically chased by law enforcement VTOLs? Is brawling with security hand-to-hand, with nightsticks, stun batons, or even fucking swords a wet dream of yours? Is the prospect of lying to your friends, helping your mates not to fall into desperation or motivating your team to stay in the fight attractive? Then this is the roleplay for you!
I am currently seeking for someone sharing the same sort of interest towards half-utopian half-dystopian futuristic roleplay, with realistic technologies and advancement of social interaction. If you really want labels, post-cyberpunk.
The player will take the role of the character being called over by this friend; it would seem rather odd since your connections with him haven't been that strong since neither of you really spent time nurturing your friendship. What will follow is a series of misadventures as they struggle to keep their social lives intact while plotting to do something about this conspiracy they discover. In essence, two vs the world. Bear in mind that I will mostly be a GM rather than a player, but that doesn't mean you cannot contribute! In fact, I encourage you! Surprise me: make poor or brilliant decisions, twist and turn the story, play with the feelings of characters, lie, fall in love, isolate, go insane, grow a thick skin, throw everything you've got on the table to make this journey unforgettable and absolutely fucking badass.
What do I expect of my partner?
1. Be over 18. There will be no adult themes, but several mature issues will be approached. 2. English is not my first language, but that does not stop me from improving my writing. Therefore, I wish to see the same effort coming from you. Spellchecking, grammar checking, I do those as well. Even so, I am aware mistakes slip past, I make a lot of them too; don't worry, I'll most likely never draw attention upon that unless it's REALLY bad. 3. Quality over quantity, but I'm all for quality AND quantity. We won't be spewing novels back and forth, don't worry, but I do enjoy sitting down and reading through my partner's writings. 4. Contribute to plot development. I have the story plotted out, but I'm also prepared for any surprise twists and changes to the dynamic of the progress 5. Don't confuse IC with OOC. This will be taken in PMs, thus, we will have two separate threads for in and out of character. 6. You may have noticed that I haven't specified a pairing, mainly because this is a player & the world, rather than player & player. Both male and female characters are welcome! 7. If you wish to play more than one character, do let me know so we can figure out what can be done, aight? 8. Gotta disappear for a few days because of x and y reason? Shoot a PM so I'm at least informed that you're going off the grid. 9. To enjoy and have fun. Something goes awry, please to tell so we can shift things around and make everything interesting once more.
What can you expect from me?
1. A laid-back, relaxed dude open to most things. If you have a stupid idea, bring it! If it's backed with a good argument, it may get implemented. 2. I'm a big doofus. I may mix things up, do some stupid stuff myself, forget shit, you name it. 3. Story-wise, you can expect tension, drama, explosive action, more tension, an unrelenting play of heartstrings, epiphany, tragedy, misery, uplift. I love to play with my player's emotions, I'm notorious in my tabletop RPG group for bringing people to tears and really hit home with themes and situations. 4. Lots of rad music and imagery! From high-intensity drum&bass rhythms to poignant ambiance tunes, from fitful metal-themed fight music to unnerving stealth cues. 5. I love atmospheric world building, so I might get very descriptive with the surroundings. I find that there's a lot of personality that can be found in a backdrop, and really, when you're trying to sneak around or find an escape route, attention to detail and surroundings will save you. 6. Back-up plans for mostly everything. I am prepared for the wildest outcomes because what I want is to tailor the world's evolution around the player's decisions. The player will adapt to the challenges I have to give, the opposing party will adapt to the player's input. 7. Consistent replies, unless I specifically state otherwise. I will keep you up to date with my progress on the post 8. Transparency. If I don't like something, I will let you know. If I'm extremely excited about something, again, you will know. 9. To have fun, above all. Yes, it's a serious themed story with some pretty difficult stuff to tackle, but it's those hardships that are fun to face with someone just as willing.
If you're still here and interested, please, throw a PM my way so we can discuss some final details and jump right in! I'd rather keep this thread clean for bumping purposes, all replies to my interest check will be ignored. I hope to hear from you soon.
But, remember:
Trust no-one Shut down all of your devices Wipe all of your memory disks Stay out of sight
I've failed the entrance exam twice (nailed it on the third attempt) to the University I coveted. Once I got in, I decided that I will rework my lifestyle and change everything about me, so I will enjoy life as a hard-working student. A few weeks in, I found out just how big of a letdown this University I am attending to is; everything you can think of is poorly organized and the professors there have rather absurd demands, since they don't know any better. Enter dysphoria, and lack of motivation. I try to look for kernels of hope in this massive turd, find very few and in-between. Third year in (the curriculum I'm following lasts six years), there are just too few reasons for me to even try anymore. My relationship was in the toilet and sinking further down, I'm barely attending lectures, I'm plagued by insomnia and stress (since I find no good reason to study); I'm having panic attacks, due to that I'm not very prepared for exams and tests, so I try to study until late, or rather, early in the morning. Because my grades were piss poor, the state stops paying for my education and now I have to tell my mother that she has to pay my tuition (not from the US, in case you're wondering, and we're struggling with our financial situation). I get suspicious of my girlfriend, I lash at her and the other person, at my family, at people around me; I come to the conclusion that I am a burden to everyone, and to society. And, honestly, no one was stating the otherwise either.
So, I laid in bed, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling, heart beating itself out of my chest. I had a glass of water by my bed, and a box full of Zopiclone (sleeping pills). Funny thing is, I wasn't trying to convince myself to do it; I find this nagging idea that I should not, and I start to obsess over it, as I'm rationalizing why I should take the lot and swallow. I'm not sure how I could stay so still and debate this with myself for so long, and just how something in my brain locked me in place as it tried to stop me from completing what I have carefully premeditated. But, all of a sudden, I find it hard to be egoistical for once in my life. I just see how everyone would crumble around me: my mother, my sister, my grandparents, people that knew me. Before this moment, I couldn't care less, but right there and then, it started to hurt. Not only because of my vivid imagination soaring and just playing scenarios in my head, but also because I felt so weak and cowardly that I did not have control over the very last decision I could make. I felt I was too cowardly to complete it. And to think, it was the perfect moment, no one would observe or know until it was too late. The last hurdle was myself.
Now, I find it amusing that I had become a hurdle to myself. Dawn broke, my plan had been foiled. It has been one year since, and right now I'm dealing with much of the same situation regarding the University. Some might find it masochistic that I decided to pursue this career path when it is obviously burying me an early grave, but I have harnessed a very intimate experience and knowledge about death. I want to believe that this experience will help me combat it better, for I shall dedicate my life to combat it through the oath I want to take. I will recite it loud on proud, with the very lips that wanted nothing more but to kiss my sworn enemy.
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Zamokra41
