[Terloch]

Ok, this is a quasi rant about the previous review posted, and sort of not, but the review will help explain my point (I hope).

Feudal Realms requires players to write a bio of their character and submit it for approval before they can do certain things within the game.  There are serveral staff members who read over the bios for editing, theme, grammar, etc, and then they are posted on our website for people to read.  Most do get approved, some do not.  The player in question who wrote the review posted the following bio...

********************* start bio *********************

Darkness is the only true home to myself. Yet, I can walk the day. Day walking...The gift of the part of me I hate so much. I have never wished to be born of a human. It is a disgrace. What can I do? So few of my kindred are left. I walk the day, thanks to the human blood that taints my veins.

My father was full blood, but he had unusual tastes. He enjoyed to take human women. So evil of him. Seduce them, bed them, use their body as a capsul for a son, then eat them. Perhaps it  is from him that I inhereted my sadistic tendancies. I have them none the less. I enjoy to hunt my prey. Only women. Their fear saturates the air as they are chased. They know they are hunted...That is what I am. The hunter. Rarely do I not kill. Few times do I allow my prey to live, but it has happend. Being undead has it's advantages and disadvantages. The advantages out weigh the disadvantages by far.

Under a knight I trained for some time. He did not know what I was. He was used...He taught, I learned, I killed. It was that simple. It is a simple edict of life. Eat or be eaten. Hunt or be hunted. I will not be hunted.

Years have taught me how to use my abilities. I have mastered them. I have become  Knight of the Undead. A Knight of Darkness. That is who I am.

Growth. It happens. I have looked to be near 25 for most of my life, when I am actually centuries old. It has always been fun. Scaring women, tasting women...torturing women. Oh the screams! Music to my ears. That is what keeps me going for the women. Men try to act strongs, but die quickly. Women will hold on, and figt for dear life. There screams are so delicate. I could listen to them for hours. And hours I have.

I have taken in a slave. Young. Fragile. Curruptable. She is human only by my will. Soon, I shall make her mine.

In the night...Darkness breeds...I am that Darkness.

********************* end bio *********************

Now, as the player points out in the review, our banner says we cater to all flavors of fantasy characters.  Now, think back to a movie not long ago...Wesley Snipes, sunglasses, big black car, lots of blood...hmmm, reminds you of that bio now doesn't it?

There -are- things which people cannot just randomly pop up as on Feudal Realms, and the players (for the most part) do know this.  Among these are random nobles, lycanthropes, drow, dragons, and vampires.  In the past we have had people try, and they are summarily squashed as they are found.  There are also instances when someone will make a character which does not even come close to fitting into one of the ten clans/groups/houses which we have established.  They demand that a new house/order/clan be made which "fits their character".

Honestly, why is it that people insist on making a character that blatantly does not fit into an established world and it's roleplay?  Anyone know?

[Brody]

Laziness. Plain and simple. It's much easier, if they can get you to roll over and let them, to take the path of the lowest common denominator.

It's one thing if they're proposing something that's actually *interesting* and might enhance your game. It's another when they're basically ripping off an established character/institution in the hopes of avoiding fitting into the parameters you've established.

Don't let reviews like that get you down too much.

It's human nature. People cut in front of you in traffic. They try to edge ahead of you in the line for movie tickets.

If we all had the Force, we'd mostly be Sith Lords - the easy path is the one many people would choose

[Dionae]

This is mostly in response to the statement: "There are also instances when someone will make a character which does not even come close to fitting into one of the ten clans/groups/houses which we have established. They demand that a new house/order/clan be made which "fits their character"."

I know that I have a few characters that don't fit in any of the noble houses, and most are that way purposefully. One character is a common thief/bandit/murderer and I won't even attempt to put him into a noble house because it simply doesn't fit his character. The only house where he might have a place in is Riverdale, yet he is obsessive about his personal freedom and couldn't stand following someone else's orders. I created that character because I thought he would be fun to play, and I love his personality. Granted, it might be more fun if he could pk, but I've accepted how things are, though I've also ended up playing that character less and less.

Maybe some people are like me, and create a character because it will be interesting and be something beyond the norm. Though I have to agree that playing a type of character that you know doesn't exist in your realms (i.e. a drow in a mud without drow) is pushing it, and you shouldn't be surprised if you are confronted about it. But when people are playing realistic characters - a common thief, a rogue fae, a reclusive necromancer - they shouldn't be forced to deal with certain restrictions. I do understand what you're trying to prevent, it would just be nice to be able to come to some sort of compromise.

Perhaps if enough people are pushing for a new kind of house/order, it could be put in. Hm.. maybe that could be a subject for a new poll on the website... "What type of new house/order would you like to see?" *grin*

[Santrilla]

Some people like to make a character that fits their own personal roleplay pattern. They have a complete history, personality and RP system set out in their mind when creating the character. And then when they're done making it, it turns out the character doesn't fit the MUD scenario.

Who is at fault here? No-one. The MUD wants everyone to fit a particular pattern, and the player wants to break that pattern. In such circumstances a compromise seems impossible, but it can happen. And unfortunately the majority wins over the individual. If the admin change the rules for just one person, not only will they be altering things for everyone else when they don't need to, but they will also clear the way for everyone to ask for what they want and get it.

As for the player's motive... well, everyone roleplays in their own way. We're not sheep- sometimes, we break the pattern. Human nature. And if someone tries to break the pattern where it cannot be broken... well, that's their problem.

[Jehanelin]

From my experiences there are some people who make perfectly normal characters and discover that played as is they are, they are going to be very bored. It's usually due to discovering once approved that there is a lack of fellow player characters of the same society, race, class, etc. So they decide...

A noble might slum with the locals.
A member of one race might socialize with a race which supposedly doesn't care much for his kind.
A politician might champion a cause which normally his party wouldn't bother with.

In all cases the player has to make the choice of being bored to death or going to where the action is. In some cases the character was being played just fine according to his mud's standards and then comes the day when her characters friends are mostly or all dead, not logging in or have left for other kingdoms. You wind up with the no win choice of idling or playing a character too atypical for the mud staff's liking.

Have you ever created a perfectly acceptable dwarf, gnome or troll and found your the only one of your kind on the roleplaying mud?

After doing your research, ever made a character complete with long bio, stats, choosing equipment, description then found out that they just don't fit despite what you've put into it? And you start to wonder what if the next character also winds up like this? There is the option of making a new character or trying to make the character work somehow. Since you made the character you obviously like something about it. Do you give up on it right away or try? The ending for stuff like this is usually sad for one reason or another but that doesn't stop folks from trying I guess.

So in a nutshell another reason as to why people wind up with characters that don't fit is because of a lack of fellow players to interact with in the accepted manner.

Then there are those people who create a pokemon for their alien race...

Some of the rejected bios displayed on the website of an evil mush that must not be named are funny...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I've played some pretty bizarre chars, murderers, thieves, heros, insane beggar, anti-social loners, etc etc etc... but that bio story above really really creeps me out. I really can't imagine someone wishing to play such a person... evil and such, fine... but that hints of something dangerous in RL.
But then again, may just be me.

[Mahin]

Um..I gotta agree with the Vorpal Tribble on this one, that bio
freaks me out... heh.

[Eternal]

If that little Blade-rip scares you, Tribble, you should stay away from Armageddon, heh. That would be especially tame considering the kind of characters that exist on Zalanthas.

I remember once Sanvean posted an application someone had sent to our Dark Sun themed game... a sentient snowman. Oyyy...

Ranked right up there with the person whose background was "I WANA FLYIN SHAP'

[jameostheelvenwarrior]

I don't really have that much of an opinion on the subject but I just think the person who wrote the bio is a sicko and has a really messed up mind. Sounds like a Hannibal Lector or something.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Eternal, its not the story that creeps me out, its that someone would think it up and with to play it out. Also, I've played Armegeddon in the past as a dirty, filthy, open sored beggar with lice and worms. Was shown about town by one of those real high-up sentars or whatever they are called, no problem. Never found anything approaching that guy's stuff. Certainly wouldn't have played if I had in fact.

And what does that sentient snowman and that background have anything to do with this?

[Maia]

Personally, I seldom play "evil" characters for the same reason that I seldom play male characters:  the greater the difference between my character's personality and my own, the more work I have to do and the greater the chances of me stuffing it up.

That said, one of the beauties of "alternative worlds" is that they afford the opportunity to explore things that I can't or wouldn't want to in real life.  Wanton murder is obviously one of these things, and something that many players do seem to enjoy exploring.  

And sometimes they do so with very cardboard, one-dimensional characters.  I don't consider that these provide the depth to create an immersive, informative experience either for the player behind them or those they come into contact with in-game.  Not an issue, obviously, on hack-n-slashers, but it does gall me when I encounter such in RP worlds.  

There are players who create murderous characters who were abused as children, are schizophrenic, are fueled by hatred for a race/caste who oppress their own, even characters possessed by the devil or who have inherited vampirsim.  All these at least have created the possibility of exploring the reasons for their characters actions, depth enough to determine how to play out their character's misdeads, when they would slay and when they would refrain, even whether it is possible or likely that they would have a change of heart.  

Players who create murderous characters who kill just 'because they're evil', are far worse in my books than those who actually explore the nature of that evil.  


So, although I admit it does send a few chills up my spine, I don't have a problem with the nature of the bio Terloch posted.  

What I do have a problem with, and I suspect this was what Terloch was getting at, is when people work against the vision of a MU*, especially when a player demands that staff implement a feature just because it would suit the player even though it isn't in keeping with the theme of the MU*.   In this case, it was vampirism in a world without vampires.

If you don't like the feel or flavour of a MU*, go play somewhere else.


Maia, currently splitting personalities on Accursed Lands and Armageddon.

[Terloch]

Maia,

You hit my problem directly on the head.  I have no problem in general with people doing anything that they want, but what I have huge issues with is people who specifically go out of their way to make something or be something which simply has no place in the setting/world that is in place.  If you want to play a vampire, I'm sure there's plenty of places which have no problem letting you do that.  My mud does not.  And yes, the player in question posted a lovely review stating that the slogan on our latest banner is "Where all flavors of fantasy characters are welcome", and his character was not.  Well, honestly, I don't consider a rip-off of the movie Blade to be fantasy in the classic sense of the word, we don't have vampires, won't ever have vampires, and do on, so yes, I guess there's one flavor we do not cater to...


Terloch

[John]

Originally Posted by (The Vorpal Tribble @ Mar. 02 2003,12:51) what does that sentient snowman and that background have anything to do with this?

He was just sharing another time someone created an out of place character. You can't get more out of place, then a sentient snowman in a post-apocalyptic world where the entire Known World is nothing but desert.

John, whose wondering what a flying shap is..............

[AngelaChristine]

7-->

Originally Posted by (Terloch @ Mar. 03 2003,13[img http://www.topmudsites.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif[/img]7)]Well, honestly, I don't consider a rip-off of the movie Blade to be fantasy in the classic sense of the word, we don't have vampires, won't ever have vampires, and do on, so yes, I guess there's one flavor we do not cater to...

Maybe, maybe not.  Flavor is a tricky word.  I like strawberry icecream.  Most of the time the cold pink goo passed off as strawberry icecream contains neither strawberries nor cream, but it is still strawberry icecream flavored.

If his character was a serial killer/rapist/cannibal, who wasn't actually a mystical immortal vampire (although the character might have that delusion) but was instead just some kind of sicko  necromancer, the flavor would be very similar to the flavor of an actual vampire character.  Then the background, as written, would be the character's beliefs about himself and all that would be needed would be an OOC paragraph explaining his "real" background.  Would that flavor be acceptable?

Angela Christine

[Santrilla]

Thought of something new. The only real way to combat a problem like this- planning out your bio and then discovering it doesn't fit into the world you choose- is to look around before you put the work in. Make a guest character or something to begin with. Wander the place, investigate the various races, classes, and roleplays avaliable. Admittedly in some MU*s this isn't allowed, but it should be. I mean, it's like telling someone they're going to be stranded somewhere but not telling them where, so they can pack whatever they like and then find it's all useless when they get there... Odd metaphor, but oh well.

Side-note: Personally, I vary my roleplaying techniques. Often I create a character that mimics my personality in real life, because it's just easier- you simply react to situations in the way you would in real life. Such characters are dark, broody and mysterious, like me. Occasionally though, I go for something more interesting. I have real trouble playing the stereotypical 'big stupid orc barbarian' profile though, simply because in such a persona, those around me are increduously stupid. And that annoys me no end.

[Terloch]

Side-Note: The player in question was a fairly long-term player who knew the game's policies and chose to not only ignore them, but had a royal flipping cow when told that the character was not appropriate...

[Eternal]

Originally Posted by (The Vorpal Tribble @ Mar. 02 2003,12:51) And what does that sentient snowman and that background have anything to do with this?

Other than the fact that the game is a low-technology desert world? On which snow has never knowingly been seen? Hmm... you're right, it was a perfectly valid concept.