Thread: The Jerk
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Old 10-07-2005, 03:05 PM   #18
Yev
 
Posts: n/a
Jerks can be very interesting characters, but they /have/ to have other IC and OOC support. I'm not saying there needs to be any special 'jerk' policy or anything like that. What I am saying is that if a player makes a jerk character, it's often better if they have some friends to RP with beforehand.

I think the major reason this is has to do with how being nice as a character is so much easier from a getting RP standpoint that playing a jerk is just a lot of a extra work. If you can't get RP with a character, why bother?

Have I played jerks? Yes. How do I manage?
1) It's a minor/alternate character that I bring on relatively rarely. Jerks and villians have something in common: The MU* 'paladins' will go after the jerks whenever they show up. If the jerk tries to berate someone, or use some kind of racial slur ICly, you're going to see our paladin go multicultural and say it isn't right...

2) I give my jerks little redeeming qualities. Jerks need friends too, even if they are people bullied into it or need someone big for protection. If a jerk can provide protection (Achilles from the later Ender's Game books comes to mind for me here), then the jerk has a redeeming quality that makes people willing to play.

3) I participate in OOC activities if possble. This doesn't mean I'm always on channel, but I make a point to be a nice guy OOCly, and incredibly polite. I won't apologize for the character's actions, but that gives me no right to be a jerk OOCly.
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