Shadowgate

Vaser · Joined: 30 Aug 2016 Posts: 6

I don’t normally make many posts on the forums and certainly not lengthy ones. Maybe five in total over the nearly twenty years I’ve been playing this game; so please consider that this is very important to me.

I hail from a time when this game was heavily roleplay enforced, far too enforced. Too far to the point of people having their characters punished and handicapped for “bad roleplay”. They could not earn the player status of High Mortal unless their roleplay was considered exemplary and would be kept from accessing the perks of that status which granted mechanical advantages. I very much like that this has changed and that no one is punished for their roleplay and no one is given a mechanical advantage over another player. The main thing I want to address is an attempt to keep in character (IC) versus out of character (OOC) information separate.

Despite the lack of roleplay requirement now, it is the main reason that I play this game. This game is more than just stats and numbers on the character sheet. It has been a living and breathing world with history and lore that players and immortals are able to impact through their characters and non-player characters. To me it is like writing a story in real time where I get to think like and control one of the main characters. I get to choose what that character becomes and define every little tic and detail about them with a set of rules of course. Others like to slip into the role deeper and turn off their lines to become as immersed in the story as possible. To each their own.

My character revolves heavily around deception, illusion and intrigue. These are all very hard things to pull off because the characters and the player behind them are different entities and the have different information available to them. In an effort to keep those sources of information separate I spent the first three months or so not ever talking on any of the lines. I would have to decide whether I was going to alter self or not before I logged on so I could do it during the grace period before I would show up on the who list. This worked well but it just got to the point where it wasn’t possible to keep doing it, and I don’t feel that it should have been necessary for me to take steps to keep other player’s OOC information out of my IC endeavors.

I knew that eventually I would not be able to keep this information separate. People would realize that Vaser is the person behind those other weirdoes. They could look over both characters and see that most of the gear was similar, despite that I do switch several pieces around especially the uniquely identifying ones. That the abilities they used were the same, regardless of the fact that there are many psywarrior PCs and NPCs in the game world. It was always my intention to make the reveal in some way but through proper IC means.

Through this game changing and once in a lifetime type plot that Nienne has been running I have tried to make my presence felt where it makes sense. I have not just randomly rolled up to try and help hunt the great beasts and battle in the great battles, as even some of the most blatantly evil characters have tried to do. The disappointing part is that my character would try if it weren’t for the OOC information. Aiden is a glory hunter and seeks out and takes on such challenges as a personal mantra, but I know that because of the spread of that information that it wouldn’t work out. Instead I chose to view things from afar, much as many of the powerful characters and NPCs would. There are incredible things happening throughout the realms and he will learn as much as possible through any available means.

Any and all scrying that has happened to various characters through the plot has been entirely IC from my characters perspective. I do not mean to annoy anyone out of character by having done so and I apologize to those that feel that some privacy has been violated.

The main takeaway that I want people to have from this post is that can we all please make an effort to respect OOC vs IC information. Consider that even though you may not be that interested in roleplay many current and former players are still wanting that aspect to remain and that it has been a core part of the game for a very long time.

Vaser

xnithi · Joined: 25 Oct 2017 Posts: 57 Location: Texas, y'all

I have not been annoyed. though mostly because my characters don't usually notice, even when I do. And it's always funny when Aiden shows up, and Sadhara is like "Damn, I just HAD to mention him/Akira!" IC, she doesn't attribute it to scrying, she thinks it's just a part of his weirdness. Sometime, rumors may be sufficient excuse of some OOC info becoming IC, I think. Though, that really does depend on if Aiden actually keeps up with rumors. I can say that Sadhara is a bard in the temple of knowledge, and usually hears a rumor if it makes sense for her to (some thing, she has to wait for character information, obviously). I think if it's plot scrying, you have a reason to do a lot of it, as people who know about your alter egos or otherwise find you creepy don't exactly welcome you into their adventures. On the other hand, you make your own plots, and I think that that has a lot of merit, though that's more work for you.

But, yeah, I think one should have logical reason to make OOC info IC. For example, for some reason plot, I had to keep Sadhara out of the story because she left the group before the scene started, and had no reason to return to the group (and plenty reason not to), until she learned IC that plot was happening, even though I knew that all I had to do was cast a few quick spells to get into what was sounding like an intense plot. There was not way that rumors would work as an excuse. On the other hand, if she had not been in the battle with Tonovi, rumors would have worked there for sure.

Anyways, I hope I am responding correctly and am not commenting on irrelevant parts of your post. I often focus on the wrong things, so please forgive me if I that is the case.
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"[Aiden poses clinging to the ceiling like a gecko].
With a slight shimmer, Aiden is revealed to view.
Night screeches
Aiden drops down and lands on his feet lightly.
Night speaks softly: Why!?
Aiden smiles at Night."