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((OOC)) Role Play Issues

There are RP flaws in SL. (I have been a RPer for 29 years.) You get an account, name it, and stuck with it. You share memories and experiences with that account. (We celebrate Rez Day) This makes people attached to their account.

RP with consequences such as death or imprisonment is avoided. You can’t just whip up another character sheet; you have to register another account with another email address.

Questions we have to ask ourselves: Are you willing to RP a death and never touch that account again? Are you willing to RP confined to a jail cell for years?

 The solution that comes to me is to create characters separate from your account. You would have to wear a tag with the character name. Use a different Avatar, etc.

There are drawbacks to this:

  • People would know all the characters connected to an account.

Hypothetically one could create multiple accounts for various characters, but you run into the same problem.

  • People who do not RP would talk to the account not the character.

 

So suggestions, thoughts, ideas?

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24 Comments

  1. Mr Underby Mr Underby September 23, 2010

    This reminds me of the “SL” scene in Hot Tub Time Machine where one character plays SL and his character is in jail.

    Guy 1:  Why do you waste your time with that second-life? Look at you. You’re still in jail. You were in jail last week. 
    Guy 2:  Hello, I’m a prisoner.  It’s called “doing hard time”.  Second Life actions have consequences, just like real life.

    I was personally not unwilling to have Underby do hard time for his crime, I have other people I can toy with in the meantime, and people to manage my bar for me when I am away, but I did try to avoid it if only because I thoroughly enjoy being mean to people in town.  Besides, anyone who reads comics knows that a good villain never stays in jail permanently… though if the jail was at the bottom of the Vernian Sea… who knows.

    • Bookworm Hienrichs Bookworm Hienrichs September 23, 2010

      *nod* Same sort of problem with Dr. Obolensky, really. Here’s a man who has forcibly taken over the city at one point, set our mayor adrift, threatened the city with various devices…not to mention nearly killed me. Yet he still walks around free as a bird!

      It is, indeed, one of the pitfalls of RPing here. One just has to be aware of that pitfall, and try to figure out ways around it, or explanations for it. Bookworm the character has occasionally expressed outrage that Dr. Obolensky’s still free, but figures that there isn’t anyone around who can best him well enough to bring him to justice.

      Bookworm’s typist, of course, thoroughly approves of his freedom. *grin*

  2. Cadmus Lupindo Cadmus Lupindo September 23, 2010

    This post was not directed towards the Underby case specifically. I play a villain as well, and also have fun “being mean to people in town.”

    It is no wonder if you did not know if murder was illegal in New Babbage early on.
    Cadmus shot someone and few people batted an eye. Doctor Obolensky took over the town, with some help, and never arrested. (He did fake his death for awhile.)

    The various colorful characters (Good, Bad, and Ugly) add to New Babbage. The RP result is the perception of a blase view of life and law.

     We now have people who are RP for change or addition of laws. More power to them, but ultimately we are at a stalemate in RP.

     We all want to have fun. We do not all recognize every RP in New Babbage. If this was to be brought to a town meeting, would it be RP or SIM policy?
    It could be considered forcing RP rules on all.
    (I would never support dictating terms to a sim owner.)

  3. Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 23, 2010

    Flip titles.  Agree amongst yourselves that whatever’s on the Flip Title is who is being interacted with.  The avatar is the automobile, it gets you where you are going – the Flip Title is who’s at the wheel.

    I don’t see knowing who all the characters are that are attached to one account as a BAD thing. There are certain ‘automobiles’ that one might find Unsafe At Any Speed.  One might wish to avoid any of the drivers of that car.  Or conversely if you really LOVE a well tuned vehicle, you may want to actively raodrace with any of it’s drivers.  :)

    I don’t see why roleplay matters should be a matter for town hall.  Roleplay is optional in New Babbage.  If there’s issues to solve, set up a meeting for that with Tenk if needed.

     

     

     

  4. Cadmus Lupindo Cadmus Lupindo September 23, 2010

    It was not my suggestion to bring it to town hall. It was suggested and seconded by others on the Underby case.

    I see part of the issue is modern PC RL veiws bleeding over into SL Victorian Steampunk RP.

    For the RP, or persona, aspect of SL differentiating views, and conflict is good. Going back to the NING days we have had reoccurring issues cycle through until the deceased equine is unidentifiable. (I have fears that even creating this discussion will induce such a cycle.)

    In most good stories square jawed heroes, underdogs, and villagers stand up to the villains. They do not legislate the story to conclusion, that is a RL concept that does not work well in story telling. (The Senate voted Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor, laws were passed, and they lived happily ever after.)

    • Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 23, 2010

      I’m not sure I followed all that, but it seems that what you are saying is that people are having trouble immersing in character and setting, and separating that from today’s rules and reality and their own emotional situations.  

      (I indulge in roleplay in venues other than Second Life for these reasons.)

      I’m not much for acronyms, so wanted to clarify.  If I’ve missed the point, apologies.

       

       

      • Cadmus Lupindo Cadmus Lupindo September 23, 2010

        Thank you Ceejay. You are spot on. I thank you for your clarity.

      • Grendel Footman Grendel Footman September 23, 2010

        think he meant you usually have the hero go against the villian, rather than lawyers and courts and such

  5. Jonathon Spires Jonathon Spires September 23, 2010

    As Ceejay said, Flip titles. It works on the western sims which are more combat oriented anyway. Lets you create “Bad Guy of the Week” or whatever short lived redshirt you need.

    I’m lazy. I’m not interested in making alts.

  6. Gabriell Anatra Gabriell Anatra September 23, 2010

    Flip titles are only good for temporary use though. They’re a nuisence as well. The name-changing thing that’s being tried now might be a little better, but only a little as it’s merely a better integrated titler.

    The issue of law is tricky. If we go with a code of law for RP then it will change things. On the other hand if we don’t then this recent RP would have played out very differently, for instance. There’s not much point in having a set of RP laws that doesn’t apply for some RP. That said, I would not be willing to RP being in prison indefinately. Well, not with Gaby at least. I’d have no problem with playing a disposable alt for that or death or such.

    • Mr Tenk Mr Tenk September 23, 2010

      was there even a preexisting law that was refered to, or was it made up? the unfortunate use of “human being” created unintentional and unnecessary drama, i thought.

      • Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 23, 2010

        Didn’t that also spin off an intriguing thought process on automaton rights though?  I like that.

        • Mr Tenk Mr Tenk September 23, 2010

          right, i think the intention was to keep it on the made people, not the born people. i don’t think we’ve seen the last of the automaton personhood debate, nope nope nope.

           

          • Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 23, 2010

            Good.  This feels like an issue deep in the roots of what my vision of New Babbage is like.  It’s a topic that Ceejay might even speak up about, if she ever wakes up – that last load of absinthe was POTENT even by her standards.

            Hmm. Ceejaytopia as Switzerland.  What’s more Swiss than clockworks?  *grins*

             

  7. Jonathon Spires Jonathon Spires September 23, 2010

    I was in a entirely text based quasi-steampunk rp back  on an old online service where it was rp’d that the area used common-law as its legal framework but didn’t really have things written down. It became necessary just to keep rp’s fresh and interesting without someone brining up canon all the time.

    If things start getting legislated and hard coded in a ffrpg, then the rp becomes more like Junior UN., not to mention (again only from personal experience) that the growing backlog of required information needed to continue going in RP makes it almost impossible for anyone new to join in. Everyone that remains tries not to think about the taste of their own bathwater.

  8. Victor1st Mornington Victor1st Mornington September 23, 2010

    We need to remember here folks that soon SL is gonna allow you to change your avatars name inworld, i think its 1 change every week you are allowed…its under beta testing right now.  So essentially you can “die” and all you have to do is rename your existing avatar, you get to keep all the stuff you have…all the money you spent doing up the avatar isnt wasted either :)

    • Mr Tenk Mr Tenk September 23, 2010

      no more spending on redshirts, yay! prpbaly only works in viewer 2, bugger.

       

      • Victor1st Mornington Victor1st Mornington September 23, 2010

        Yup, its only on Viewer 2 :(

        • Amadeus Hammerer Amadeus Hammerer September 25, 2010

          At the moment the feature is only on viewer 2. I’m sure this feature will come to third party viewers too,if people like it.

  9. Sheryl Skytower Sheryl Skytower September 23, 2010

    you could just wear one of those “my title” thingies that let you label yourself and all that.

    *note intense knowledge of SL scripting and all that*

    I think that while it’s great to RP excellent storylines there’s nothing wrong with hitting the “reset” button when needed to move things along.

    as Book noted – if there was any real sense of “law” in NB Doctor O. wouldn’t ever see the light of day. And we’d be overrun with robots, Martians, zombies…

    oh, wait.

    that happens now.

    nevermind…

    *walks off, smelling new cocoa beans at the Cafe*

  10. Grendel Footman Grendel Footman September 23, 2010

    I have an acount that’s specifically for various characters, monsters, and whatever else, Zombie Ohare, he was the Reanimated Man that started last years zombie plauge, Pengi#13, the SLenderman, Dead Billy the ghoulish urchin, and the Badger.  

    the Reanimated man got his head sawed in by Miss Gizzy, Miss Hermit cut #13 to peices, and the SLenderman is trapped in a steampunk ghost trap.  the only ones I don’t intend to see dead or trapped being Dead Billy and the Badger

    Flip titles and RPtool are his friends.  the fliptitle shows the character he is, over his head (I lately tend to use group tags for my rp group in the same way)

    and RPtool renames him when he talks, so “Zombie Ohare: urgh argh” becomes 

    “Generic Zombie #1: urgh argh”

  11. Phineas Frakture Phineas Frakture September 24, 2010

    its RP, not real…anything can happen in make believe.  In instances like this, I refer to the great Brisco County Jr. series –

    Brisco: “Correct me if I’m wrong Pete, weren’t you killed in a gunfight?”
    Pete: “I’s only gut shot. I healed, I’m stronger now with less appetite.”

     

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