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Game Discussion / OMG!!! HOW DID U GET IN MY MAP!?!? (Sheesh, calm down)
« on: November 08, 2013, 03:12:33 pm »
So I realize not nearly as many people go into Watermill as they used to but this has been an issue from the get-go when the game came out. For those of you tilting your heads wondering what Watermill is, its the map that appears on the log-in screen. Everyone who has the game actually does have easy access to Watermill but it is not as easy as it used to be. It USED to be (and don't do this unless you want a Watermill bare of plants and rocks) that you could open map maker, hit "Export" and boom, you had a portal to Watermill in Cape. THAT was in early versions. Now if you try to export it, or even just open it in Map maker to play with it, its bare of objects. So the only way in now is to make another map and place a portal in it with the destination as watermill and check the box for a portal for the first map to appear in the Cape. I used to adore RPing there but as of recently its grown more than a little unpleasant because I'll be in the middle of RPing and someone comes in screaming
OMG HOW DID U GET INTO MY MAP!!!?? and they're absolutely /freaking out/ as if its hacking. Its not hacking. Everyone has Watermill. You may have had the game for years and NEVER went in there but you DO have Watermill if you downloaded Feral Heart, guaranteed. Otherwise, your log-in screen wouldn't have anything behind it.
First off. Second, if you make your own map INSIDE of Watermill, that is to say if you make a map and you don't save it with its own name like you're SUPPOSED to, you WILL see people in your map when in reality, they're NOT in your map. They're in Watermill.
So the next time you make a map and you have kept it private OR you haven't even put it up for download and you see people running around in it, do not flip out. Check your map again and make sure its not saved as "Watermill" and CALM DOWN. People don't deserve to be barked at for your mistakes. /End rant.
OMG HOW DID U GET INTO MY MAP!!!?? and they're absolutely /freaking out/ as if its hacking. Its not hacking. Everyone has Watermill. You may have had the game for years and NEVER went in there but you DO have Watermill if you downloaded Feral Heart, guaranteed. Otherwise, your log-in screen wouldn't have anything behind it.
First off. Second, if you make your own map INSIDE of Watermill, that is to say if you make a map and you don't save it with its own name like you're SUPPOSED to, you WILL see people in your map when in reality, they're NOT in your map. They're in Watermill.
So the next time you make a map and you have kept it private OR you haven't even put it up for download and you see people running around in it, do not flip out. Check your map again and make sure its not saved as "Watermill" and CALM DOWN. People don't deserve to be barked at for your mistakes. /End rant.
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Game Discussion / You're either going to watch cautiously, growl at me, or stare at me. Seriously.
« on: November 03, 2013, 12:17:02 am »
Long title is long. Anyway, what I'm getting at is, I've noticed after RPing with many, many, MANY different people in different ways that the mass majority of people when a RP begins and their character happens upon a nonthreatening stranger.... these are three key things that they ALWAYS do. They "perk their ears up and watch cautiously," "growl in warning" or "stares at the stranger" EVERY single time. I don't know if its a poor expression of a character but I've seen this EVERYWHERE. Its done regardless of personality, and often regardless of RP ability (although I admit it is more common with the novice RPers but that is beside the point, I still see it VERY frequently in more advanced RPers too). Now I could understand if your character has been, oh I don't know, severely beaten down or is naturally cautious but this EVERY character type doing it. The nice ones. The bad ones. The social ones, the antisocial ones. Its like for the first few minutes of a RP, its like everyone's characters forgets what they would have been doing before they noticed and acts like the world [or in this case, the other character] could potentially be out to get them.
I'm just wondering after hundreds of RPs, both in groups and one on one, why do people let their characters turn into skittish "deer" for the first few minutes of a RP. Does a social person act aggressive to, run away from, or stare at strangers on the street?! No! They go up and say hello [or they dont and wait until you approach them and do the same, but again thats beside the point] I can understand a growl from an aggressive character but even "nice and sweet" characters and even the weak/skittish ones do it too.
A lot of these people RP their characters as if they've /never/ across a stranger before. If you don't think a person would logically do it in real life if it doesnt suite their personality, why would you RP a character with the same personality in that manner at all? Honestly, if we all stopped, stared, yelled profanity at/grumbled at ("growled"), or became cautious/frightened at every person we had never seen walk down the street, we'd never get anything done. So why do so many people's characters do it? I don't understand the reasoning behind it at all and its made the starts of a lot of RP's particularly predictable and boring as of late. ._.;
I'm just wondering after hundreds of RPs, both in groups and one on one, why do people let their characters turn into skittish "deer" for the first few minutes of a RP. Does a social person act aggressive to, run away from, or stare at strangers on the street?! No! They go up and say hello [or they dont and wait until you approach them and do the same, but again thats beside the point] I can understand a growl from an aggressive character but even "nice and sweet" characters and even the weak/skittish ones do it too.
A lot of these people RP their characters as if they've /never/ across a stranger before. If you don't think a person would logically do it in real life if it doesnt suite their personality, why would you RP a character with the same personality in that manner at all? Honestly, if we all stopped, stared, yelled profanity at/grumbled at ("growled"), or became cautious/frightened at every person we had never seen walk down the street, we'd never get anything done. So why do so many people's characters do it? I don't understand the reasoning behind it at all and its made the starts of a lot of RP's particularly predictable and boring as of late. ._.;
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Game Discussion / Discussion: Goofy RP versus Serious RP
« on: October 09, 2013, 08:18:37 pm »
I thought this was a topic everyone could relate to, which type do you like better and why?
Goofy RP: It might not be so out there, hey, it may even start out serious but someone at some point or another either on purpose or on accident, says or does something totally out of line that may be humorous and it all goes out of whack from there.
Serious RP: Now I don't mean "serious" as in taking it too seriously, I mean in that it has some humor but not to the point of utter ridiculousness. The "accidental goofiness factor" or instigation is politely ignored in this RPs and promptly moves onward, maintaining the same atmosphere as before.
I personally prefer the latter, the serious RP, particularly when RPing with strangers or people I don't RP with often. Why? For me its a matter of age of the person I'm RPing with and them knowing what I find really funny and worth taking a RP into ridiculously unrealistic proportions for the sake of humor and what is not. For me, a character suddenly screaming "Cream, ice sicle horseshoe!" if its some weird catchphrase from some anime or child's TV show is.....probably not going to appeal to me. About the only thing it will probably do is annoy me/make me mad, particularly if said person continues to spew this kind of nonsense over and over again.
I prefer to keep that kind of sillyness OOC. Second, if I find something humorous in the context of what someone wrote, because of age and maturity, what I would say just might go over their head, then I have to explain it, and then its not funny anymore and I've done nothing but waste my time and theirs. Then again, I try to RP with people I know/are around my age as much as I can so thankfully, that does not happen too often.
Goofy RP: It might not be so out there, hey, it may even start out serious but someone at some point or another either on purpose or on accident, says or does something totally out of line that may be humorous and it all goes out of whack from there.
Serious RP: Now I don't mean "serious" as in taking it too seriously, I mean in that it has some humor but not to the point of utter ridiculousness. The "accidental goofiness factor" or instigation is politely ignored in this RPs and promptly moves onward, maintaining the same atmosphere as before.
I personally prefer the latter, the serious RP, particularly when RPing with strangers or people I don't RP with often. Why? For me its a matter of age of the person I'm RPing with and them knowing what I find really funny and worth taking a RP into ridiculously unrealistic proportions for the sake of humor and what is not. For me, a character suddenly screaming "Cream, ice sicle horseshoe!" if its some weird catchphrase from some anime or child's TV show is.....probably not going to appeal to me. About the only thing it will probably do is annoy me/make me mad, particularly if said person continues to spew this kind of nonsense over and over again.
I prefer to keep that kind of sillyness OOC. Second, if I find something humorous in the context of what someone wrote, because of age and maturity, what I would say just might go over their head, then I have to explain it, and then its not funny anymore and I've done nothing but waste my time and theirs. Then again, I try to RP with people I know/are around my age as much as I can so thankfully, that does not happen too often.
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Game Discussion / Roleplay: Stay in the same Zip Code, PLEASE.
« on: October 06, 2013, 11:33:52 pm »
Alright so I'm sure we've all bumped into that one guy who REALLY wants to distance his or herself for the start of the RP and even in a one on one RP, that desire can be understood except when it is taken a tad too far.
There have been some RP's where I've arranged to meet someone somewhere to RP and then when they position themselves to start, they run across half the map before settling down and a lot of the time (although not always mind you!) when you try to close the gap, guess what happens? That's right, they adjust and move again. Now I'm all for not starting face-to-face. I hate starting a RP face to face unless said characters already have a well established knowledge of each other and reason for being there, but when its among strangers? Heavens no. Yet I don't see that as a reason to keep yourself out of range, let alone outside my character's zip code just to begin a RP.
Is not the point of RP to let characters of different authors interact? How is my character supposed to interact with someone elses if they either
A. Move away OOCly, thus preventing an IC interaction.
B. Have placed themselves somewhere imaginary that my character cannot access (Lets say, subdued, trapped, or otherwise contained in an imaginary building, cage, whatever)
C. We refer to an old thread about characters with short attention spans who constantly move away ICly and won't focus on the RP at hand.
The worst thing about these types of RPs is that not only are the characters isolated and not interacting but the person who is being the "avoider" as I'll put it is monologuing about things that could be more easily communicated in a bio or as a short summary. If you already told me in the bio where your character came from, you don't need to force me to sit through a painstakingly long series of posts about it, and if you are going to do that, make it actually good and do it in ONE sitting. Don't make me have to post random garbage because you're fragmenting your story into bits. I hate to say it but, RP is for interaction, not story-telling. If you want to tell a long story about your character's origins and you believe it is THAT interesting, then go write a story and someone will read it.
Now I'm not saying this is ALWAYS a bad thing. I've seen some very good introductions of new characters but they're thoughtful, not broken up, not too long, and to the point. It helps me see where said character is coming from when the bio does not and it gives me an insight on where it might be going. But if its just rambly and long about "The fire that killed your entire pack" that we've all heard a THOUSAND times before and I am forced to make extra crud up just to fill in spaces to try to provoke you hurry up, post more, and finish it, that's.......Well you probably see my point by now. I've been in a RP before where the majority of it was the other person monologuing about their character and then FINALLY when mine gets an opportunity and tries to interact, its away-they-go. Worse yet, most of these monologuers send their characters straight BACK into an "unreachable place" or puts them to sleep, which at that point is usually what I end up wanting to do because I'm so horribly bored I mean, come on guys.
*Huffs* Okay. I probably screwed something up in there but I'm too lazy to fix it right now. Anyone else dealt with these people who can't seem to stay in the same zip code when they RP?
There have been some RP's where I've arranged to meet someone somewhere to RP and then when they position themselves to start, they run across half the map before settling down and a lot of the time (although not always mind you!) when you try to close the gap, guess what happens? That's right, they adjust and move again. Now I'm all for not starting face-to-face. I hate starting a RP face to face unless said characters already have a well established knowledge of each other and reason for being there, but when its among strangers? Heavens no. Yet I don't see that as a reason to keep yourself out of range, let alone outside my character's zip code just to begin a RP.
Is not the point of RP to let characters of different authors interact? How is my character supposed to interact with someone elses if they either
A. Move away OOCly, thus preventing an IC interaction.
B. Have placed themselves somewhere imaginary that my character cannot access (Lets say, subdued, trapped, or otherwise contained in an imaginary building, cage, whatever)
C. We refer to an old thread about characters with short attention spans who constantly move away ICly and won't focus on the RP at hand.
The worst thing about these types of RPs is that not only are the characters isolated and not interacting but the person who is being the "avoider" as I'll put it is monologuing about things that could be more easily communicated in a bio or as a short summary. If you already told me in the bio where your character came from, you don't need to force me to sit through a painstakingly long series of posts about it, and if you are going to do that, make it actually good and do it in ONE sitting. Don't make me have to post random garbage because you're fragmenting your story into bits. I hate to say it but, RP is for interaction, not story-telling. If you want to tell a long story about your character's origins and you believe it is THAT interesting, then go write a story and someone will read it.
Now I'm not saying this is ALWAYS a bad thing. I've seen some very good introductions of new characters but they're thoughtful, not broken up, not too long, and to the point. It helps me see where said character is coming from when the bio does not and it gives me an insight on where it might be going. But if its just rambly and long about "The fire that killed your entire pack" that we've all heard a THOUSAND times before and I am forced to make extra crud up just to fill in spaces to try to provoke you hurry up, post more, and finish it, that's.......Well you probably see my point by now. I've been in a RP before where the majority of it was the other person monologuing about their character and then FINALLY when mine gets an opportunity and tries to interact, its away-they-go. Worse yet, most of these monologuers send their characters straight BACK into an "unreachable place" or puts them to sleep, which at that point is usually what I end up wanting to do because I'm so horribly bored I mean, come on guys.
*Huffs* Okay. I probably screwed something up in there but I'm too lazy to fix it right now. Anyone else dealt with these people who can't seem to stay in the same zip code when they RP?
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Game Discussion / Differences in Roleplayer's Perceptions of Maps
« on: September 27, 2013, 01:48:42 pm »
I found this to be an interesting topic because this seems to be a trait unique to Feral-Heart and not often spoken about. When you RP with a friend or even with strangers, how do you perceive the environment of the map you are in? Let me give a few examples:
Some people follow the time at which the game is going.
1. That is to say, if its night in the roleplay when it starts, once the Feral-heart sun has come up, its suddenly daytime.
2.Some people follow this concept closely, others, may only acknowledge an in-game time change once in the RP and stick with that "day" for the entire RP.
3.Some do not acknowledge the time at all and may RP as if it is night time, despite it being broad daylight in the game.
I personally follow the 2nd (and occasionally the 3rd) method because I feel like the days in Feral Heart are too short if you try to RP for more than an hour or so and it makes things a little too fast pace.
Another question is, how do you perceive the ground around you? I noticed this when I RP'd with a few people in Fluorite Plains in between the four little hills in the east (often referred to as the "plus" or "+" by some people) that because it is one of the largest areas containing the "broken sand" texture that they have their characters act as if its a wasteland, desert, outlands, etc. with no food and no water while others (like myself) ignore this entirely.
My characters on the other hand treat this same spot as "just a big dry spot in the grass" so when someone else's character starts moaning and groaning about how there's no food and water, they flat out tell them "Its called you stop being lazy, walk a few feet out into the grass and start hunting or you go up north a few miles to drink water from the river. Not that hard." This had made for some interesting situations because I do not play along with the other person's sudden idea that its a desert or something of that nature (particularly when they have not told me they're going to do that ahead of time. And quite frankly I find this idea dreadfully boring and overdone, hence the number of times I've seen people do it and then try to make me go along with it. To each his own, but I just don't like it.)
Fluorite Plains is a vibrant green series of fields, flowers, and trees with two streams/rivers cutting through it and an ocean around it and fluorite crystals sticking up above the water, so my characters perceive it just like that.
So I guess you could
1. Perceive the map as the environment as it appears
2. Change your character's perception on the environment based on a slight resemblance to something else (like turning the sand patch into a "desert" despite it being on the small side)
3. Completely ignore the map and set the RP in an environment of your choice (That is to say, RPing as if one was in a tundra despite the map sitting in the middle of a savannah)
Besides ground cover and time, weather and other factors could also come into play with this so, how much of the game environment/map do you take into account when you RP with someone?
Some people follow the time at which the game is going.
1. That is to say, if its night in the roleplay when it starts, once the Feral-heart sun has come up, its suddenly daytime.
2.Some people follow this concept closely, others, may only acknowledge an in-game time change once in the RP and stick with that "day" for the entire RP.
3.Some do not acknowledge the time at all and may RP as if it is night time, despite it being broad daylight in the game.
I personally follow the 2nd (and occasionally the 3rd) method because I feel like the days in Feral Heart are too short if you try to RP for more than an hour or so and it makes things a little too fast pace.
Another question is, how do you perceive the ground around you? I noticed this when I RP'd with a few people in Fluorite Plains in between the four little hills in the east (often referred to as the "plus" or "+" by some people) that because it is one of the largest areas containing the "broken sand" texture that they have their characters act as if its a wasteland, desert, outlands, etc. with no food and no water while others (like myself) ignore this entirely.
My characters on the other hand treat this same spot as "just a big dry spot in the grass" so when someone else's character starts moaning and groaning about how there's no food and water, they flat out tell them "Its called you stop being lazy, walk a few feet out into the grass and start hunting or you go up north a few miles to drink water from the river. Not that hard." This had made for some interesting situations because I do not play along with the other person's sudden idea that its a desert or something of that nature (particularly when they have not told me they're going to do that ahead of time. And quite frankly I find this idea dreadfully boring and overdone, hence the number of times I've seen people do it and then try to make me go along with it. To each his own, but I just don't like it.)
Fluorite Plains is a vibrant green series of fields, flowers, and trees with two streams/rivers cutting through it and an ocean around it and fluorite crystals sticking up above the water, so my characters perceive it just like that.
So I guess you could
1. Perceive the map as the environment as it appears
2. Change your character's perception on the environment based on a slight resemblance to something else (like turning the sand patch into a "desert" despite it being on the small side)
3. Completely ignore the map and set the RP in an environment of your choice (That is to say, RPing as if one was in a tundra despite the map sitting in the middle of a savannah)
Besides ground cover and time, weather and other factors could also come into play with this so, how much of the game environment/map do you take into account when you RP with someone?
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Discussion Board / Books, Revising and/or going to attempt to be published
« on: September 17, 2013, 03:14:54 pm »
Anyone else here in the Feral-Heart community in the process of writing a draft, revising and/or editing, or trying to get a story published? I'm just curious because I have been working on something since about a little over a year ago, just got the rough draft done about a month ago and working on revising it. So is there anyone here writing anything with the hope of getting published or doing self publishing? ^.^;
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Game Discussion / Can We Remove Romance/Strength/Leadership from The Equation?
« on: September 17, 2013, 12:17:33 pm »
I really have to wonder... why is it so many roleplay plots, either as a group or individually focus on finding a partner/mate/lovelife as if its the ONLY thing that matters? Okay, okay, I get it, we have a lot of young teenagers in this community, got that. Yet this is something almost everyone seems to be doing regardless of age. The kids do it. The teenage players do it. Even some of the adults do it.
I understand that with realistic animals that getting a mate, mating, having cubs, rinse, wash, repeat is "what makes the world go round" but when you venture into semi-realism or unrealism... why does this "ideal" STILL stick SO much?
Additionally, why is physical strength and leadership so overdone? (Note: I am talking about a character being described in this manner, not necessarily a "person trying to lead a pack/RP" although that can qualify too) I think half the people who write in their bios "He or she is a good/strong leader" probably don't have a grasp as to what either word really means, let alone are not clear about what they're saying. Why not play a /weak/ character for a change? Play a timid character for once. (without overdoing it to the point you annoy your fellow players with your character's skittishness)
Has it ever occurred to anyone that being a leader may not exactly be everyone's forte? In most respects it involves juggling multiple tasks at once that your character's fellow "ordinary members" just have to do one or two of, dealing with the fact realistically people [and animals] don't "follower orders" like blind sheep and instead dont do what theyve been told or shown, having to supervise what their fellow members do rather than just doing it themselves (but still being ABLE to do it themselves).
Its stressful, its confusing, and its hard. Even most overly dominant pet dogs usually stop acting "high and mighty" once they realize their owner is in control. They don't need to stress being aggressive, they know its not "worth fighting to be top dog anymore" But why do animals fuss about position in the hierarchy? Ohwait, lets go back to the first of the three topics because usually its because of, you guessed it, mating rights. Notice how a lot of animals tend to tone down that kind of behavior when they get spayed/neutered? Hm... Wonder why. *Sarcasm* Even so, it does not make gaining or maintaining such a position easy, mating rights just make it "worthwhile" for an animal I suppose.
Now all of that said, I kinda wish that the semi-realistic and unrealistic RPs (for what few still exist out there) could steer away from these elements a little because if you're already adding a human sort of personification to the mix then why can't you add some OTHER aspirations and ambitions to the mix OTHER than getting a partner, or becoming a leader? For most people the former happens by itself and the latter is not everyone's forte because they lack the discipline. As for being the strongest... look at your average "pack" or "clan" or "pride" A good chunk of its members will claim to be "Strong" or "athletic" somehow. Now look at your average human population. Pluck thirty random people off the street without discretion and you would probably be hard pressed to find even half, let alone a quarter of them being athletic.
The reason I bring this up at all is because I feel like the less-than-realistic RPs have a LOT of potential material that they don't use. Quit with the "forbidden" overdone love-life seeking. Quit with the "Im gonna be the strongest warrior/wolf/lion/hyena ever!!!" Or if you DO do that....make it /fail/ for once. Make a break up. Make that "strongest wanna-be hero" end up dying, or live but be clutzy and constantly fall on his face, or never get to be what wants to and end up instead finding his forte is doing something else, even if its something he hates [like being a healer/medic] Sometimes what you would LIKE to be and what you're CAPABLE of is two entirely different things. BE DIFFERENT.
I'll give you an example. I've got a character named Cosette and shes an imaginary species of canine I made up. Through a thought-out series of events, she and many others of her kinds were thrown from wormholes into Feral Heart, and the wormhole sealed up. She has NO idea where anyone else she knows is. Not a clue. Is she hunting around for a mate and moaning about how she doesnt have one? No! She's got more important things to do, like trying to find others of her own kind (and theres a few played by other players) trying to figure out where they are so she can find a means of opening those wormholes back up and go home. Mate-seeking (I think) should not be the sole reason someone makes a character, and if anything should be at the bottom of a character's "to-do list" (or not be there at all, and just let it happen on its own)
Does this character recipie sound familiar?
Cub: Annoying, misbehaved, troublesome child
Teenager: Rebellious, mate-hunter, unhappy about being "lonely"
Adult: Either severely unhappy or "lonely" that he/she lacks a mate, desiring cubs 24/7, wanting to be the leader or IS the leader, or loving all over their "mate" to the point they shut out half or all of what anyone else says.
If it sounds familiar, its probably because its /too/ familiar. People don't usually get up in the morning and go "Gee, am I going to get a boyfriend/girlfriend today?" and then bawl their eyes out at the end of the day when they dont. They just don't. They want to go to soccer practice, take the neices/nephews to daycare, get homework done, or otherwise do more important things and we all know this. They've got more to do. Consequently, most people don't want to put being a leader on TOP of all this because they ALREADY have a lot of things to do, and of course after a long hard day don't want to work out because they're tired and *gasp* sometimes are lazy. (and thats understandable). So if all your character does is mate-seek, never does anything else, has no aspirations past that or "being a leader" but expects it to be handed to them on a silver platter....does any of that make sense? Not really.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is, why do people cling to these "ideals" in semi-realistic or unrealistic RP at all? People keep complaining they get bored when their character's "mate" goes offline because they don't seem to know how to RP their character without them. Or if they're not barking orders at members who follow like obedient sheep, they're bored. Or if their character can't be the strongest, they dont like it and treat being "slight below the bar" as if it makes them helpless.
Long story short: Learn how to give your characters their own ambitions/aspirations (OTHER than being a leader, being the most powerful, or finding a mate!), stop complaining, think outside the box, interact with others from OUTSIDE of your group if you can, learn the nature of other people's characters so you can make a plot that fits and is worth following. What does this translate to? Have some INDIVIDUAL character development!
Maybe I'm going in circles now but perhaps that because the whole thing is kind of like a cycle, a very nonsensical cycle. Anyone else notice any of these things? If this just sounds like a confusing garble, I'm too tired to go back over it right now but if anyone's confused, I might be able to answer questions later. So....anyone notice these trends?
I understand that with realistic animals that getting a mate, mating, having cubs, rinse, wash, repeat is "what makes the world go round" but when you venture into semi-realism or unrealism... why does this "ideal" STILL stick SO much?
Additionally, why is physical strength and leadership so overdone? (Note: I am talking about a character being described in this manner, not necessarily a "person trying to lead a pack/RP" although that can qualify too) I think half the people who write in their bios "He or she is a good/strong leader" probably don't have a grasp as to what either word really means, let alone are not clear about what they're saying. Why not play a /weak/ character for a change? Play a timid character for once. (without overdoing it to the point you annoy your fellow players with your character's skittishness)
Has it ever occurred to anyone that being a leader may not exactly be everyone's forte? In most respects it involves juggling multiple tasks at once that your character's fellow "ordinary members" just have to do one or two of, dealing with the fact realistically people [and animals] don't "follower orders" like blind sheep and instead dont do what theyve been told or shown, having to supervise what their fellow members do rather than just doing it themselves (but still being ABLE to do it themselves).
Its stressful, its confusing, and its hard. Even most overly dominant pet dogs usually stop acting "high and mighty" once they realize their owner is in control. They don't need to stress being aggressive, they know its not "worth fighting to be top dog anymore" But why do animals fuss about position in the hierarchy? Ohwait, lets go back to the first of the three topics because usually its because of, you guessed it, mating rights. Notice how a lot of animals tend to tone down that kind of behavior when they get spayed/neutered? Hm... Wonder why. *Sarcasm* Even so, it does not make gaining or maintaining such a position easy, mating rights just make it "worthwhile" for an animal I suppose.
Now all of that said, I kinda wish that the semi-realistic and unrealistic RPs (for what few still exist out there) could steer away from these elements a little because if you're already adding a human sort of personification to the mix then why can't you add some OTHER aspirations and ambitions to the mix OTHER than getting a partner, or becoming a leader? For most people the former happens by itself and the latter is not everyone's forte because they lack the discipline. As for being the strongest... look at your average "pack" or "clan" or "pride" A good chunk of its members will claim to be "Strong" or "athletic" somehow. Now look at your average human population. Pluck thirty random people off the street without discretion and you would probably be hard pressed to find even half, let alone a quarter of them being athletic.
The reason I bring this up at all is because I feel like the less-than-realistic RPs have a LOT of potential material that they don't use. Quit with the "forbidden" overdone love-life seeking. Quit with the "Im gonna be the strongest warrior/wolf/lion/hyena ever!!!" Or if you DO do that....make it /fail/ for once. Make a break up. Make that "strongest wanna-be hero" end up dying, or live but be clutzy and constantly fall on his face, or never get to be what wants to and end up instead finding his forte is doing something else, even if its something he hates [like being a healer/medic] Sometimes what you would LIKE to be and what you're CAPABLE of is two entirely different things. BE DIFFERENT.
I'll give you an example. I've got a character named Cosette and shes an imaginary species of canine I made up. Through a thought-out series of events, she and many others of her kinds were thrown from wormholes into Feral Heart, and the wormhole sealed up. She has NO idea where anyone else she knows is. Not a clue. Is she hunting around for a mate and moaning about how she doesnt have one? No! She's got more important things to do, like trying to find others of her own kind (and theres a few played by other players) trying to figure out where they are so she can find a means of opening those wormholes back up and go home. Mate-seeking (I think) should not be the sole reason someone makes a character, and if anything should be at the bottom of a character's "to-do list" (or not be there at all, and just let it happen on its own)
Does this character recipie sound familiar?
Cub: Annoying, misbehaved, troublesome child
Teenager: Rebellious, mate-hunter, unhappy about being "lonely"
Adult: Either severely unhappy or "lonely" that he/she lacks a mate, desiring cubs 24/7, wanting to be the leader or IS the leader, or loving all over their "mate" to the point they shut out half or all of what anyone else says.
If it sounds familiar, its probably because its /too/ familiar. People don't usually get up in the morning and go "Gee, am I going to get a boyfriend/girlfriend today?" and then bawl their eyes out at the end of the day when they dont. They just don't. They want to go to soccer practice, take the neices/nephews to daycare, get homework done, or otherwise do more important things and we all know this. They've got more to do. Consequently, most people don't want to put being a leader on TOP of all this because they ALREADY have a lot of things to do, and of course after a long hard day don't want to work out because they're tired and *gasp* sometimes are lazy. (and thats understandable). So if all your character does is mate-seek, never does anything else, has no aspirations past that or "being a leader" but expects it to be handed to them on a silver platter....does any of that make sense? Not really.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is, why do people cling to these "ideals" in semi-realistic or unrealistic RP at all? People keep complaining they get bored when their character's "mate" goes offline because they don't seem to know how to RP their character without them. Or if they're not barking orders at members who follow like obedient sheep, they're bored. Or if their character can't be the strongest, they dont like it and treat being "slight below the bar" as if it makes them helpless.
Long story short: Learn how to give your characters their own ambitions/aspirations (OTHER than being a leader, being the most powerful, or finding a mate!), stop complaining, think outside the box, interact with others from OUTSIDE of your group if you can, learn the nature of other people's characters so you can make a plot that fits and is worth following. What does this translate to? Have some INDIVIDUAL character development!
Maybe I'm going in circles now but perhaps that because the whole thing is kind of like a cycle, a very nonsensical cycle. Anyone else notice any of these things? If this just sounds like a confusing garble, I'm too tired to go back over it right now but if anyone's confused, I might be able to answer questions later. So....anyone notice these trends?
9
Game Discussion / Differences: Fourm Posters and Lurkers VS Those who are ONLY in-game.
« on: September 15, 2013, 07:11:23 pm »
So this is just a little discussion regarding yet another thing I've noticed about members of the Feral-heart community. It seems that the attitude toward various aspects of Feral Heart changes when you turn from talking to people who regularly lurk in or post in the forums versus those who are only on the game. Now before someone gripes, I KNOW that these things are not true for everyone. Don't throw a hissy fit if you don't like or don't fit what I've said below, these are JUST based on my observations of others. If you agree or disagree, feel free to post your own.
Forum Posters/Lurkers tend to....
1. Are more open to downloading maps and presets.
2. If willing to download maps and presets, are often MUCH more picky about which ones they download (often due to a limited amount of space)
3. Know to do slightly more complicated things with the map maker such as linking maps together to take up less space in Cape, retexure or utilize out-of-game meshes in object maker, as well as trouble-shoot their own problems with the game or knowing exactly who or where to ask for help, let alone how to ask for it. [As caps spamming and freaking out usually earns several posts of scolding for every few (or even one or none) post of help.]
4. MORE critical of cliches, lack-of-logic, character types, etc in RP, BUT often (but not always) LESS critical of a person's writing capabilities (in terms of spelling/grammar) and more willing to assist.
NON-Forum lurkers/posters, solely in-game players tend to....
1. Less willing to download maps and presets. I think part of it comes from the fear of getting a virus or having to have "mommy and daddy download something for me for the 20th time."
2. If they are willing to download maps and presets. They're usually not picky. They'll often take a description or none at all when told in-game about a map, rather than bothering to put in a link to see what the map or preset looks like. Often times, they just want the link.
3. Not know how to do more complex things with the map maker, preset maker, object maker etc. They eventually learn but sometimes have to be badgered before looking or asking on the forum for help OR they'll try to learn from another in-game user.
4. Tend to be less critical of logic flaws, character types, etc in RP. However, they may be more critical of a person's spelling/grammar or the way a person roleplays. (Unless its wolfspeak in which case those who post/lurk on the forum tend to attack wolfspeakers while some in-game-only users tend to embrace it or ignore it.)
Now out of all of these I think my biggest pet peeve tends to come from the users who don't EVER go on the forum. Now that said I have some friends who NEVER go on the forum but do not fit ANY of the criteria I listed above. Anyway, I think the quirk I find most annoying comes from the In-game-only users, # 2.
As for the younger players, you mean to tell me these supposedly more tech-savvy generation can't figure it out? Sometimes Ive tried to help these younger users and it is a painstakingly slow and confusing process. Honestly, since when was downloading and installing something on Feral Heart hard? Its easier than it was for Impressive Title and its a matter of downloading, copy and paste. I would think after seeing one's parents do it (and this is admitedly with the assumption parents either are allowing, not caring, or simply supervising the kid downloading it) several times over that they wouldn't EVENTUALLY learn? Thats how I learned how to install computer games from CD's. My dad did it for me for a while, then made me watch and then supervised from afar, and then had me do it for myself when I didn't need him anymore. For the older players, there are tutorials everywhere to learn how to download and install different user-made content for the game. It just takes a few minutes of hunting on the forum or Youtube, or even just asking someone where to find it!
Some folks I have noticed back out of groups or freak out when they find out that the group or pack or pride just got a new downloadable map to RP in. I find that kinda disappointing. Its not THAT difficult to learn how to do and its not going to overload your computer JUST because it didn't come with the game. There are little maps that don't take up as much as space as others. On top of that, if you get from a reliable source,and it won't virus your computer. I don't mean to sound snappy about it, I just don't understand why some cringe at the thought of downloading something past the main game which CANT be updated and yet get bored and want more maps and extra things added when they could just download user-made content themselves.
Forum Posters/Lurkers tend to....
1. Are more open to downloading maps and presets.
2. If willing to download maps and presets, are often MUCH more picky about which ones they download (often due to a limited amount of space)
3. Know to do slightly more complicated things with the map maker such as linking maps together to take up less space in Cape, retexure or utilize out-of-game meshes in object maker, as well as trouble-shoot their own problems with the game or knowing exactly who or where to ask for help, let alone how to ask for it. [As caps spamming and freaking out usually earns several posts of scolding for every few (or even one or none) post of help.]
4. MORE critical of cliches, lack-of-logic, character types, etc in RP, BUT often (but not always) LESS critical of a person's writing capabilities (in terms of spelling/grammar) and more willing to assist.
NON-Forum lurkers/posters, solely in-game players tend to....
1. Less willing to download maps and presets. I think part of it comes from the fear of getting a virus or having to have "mommy and daddy download something for me for the 20th time."
2. If they are willing to download maps and presets. They're usually not picky. They'll often take a description or none at all when told in-game about a map, rather than bothering to put in a link to see what the map or preset looks like. Often times, they just want the link.
3. Not know how to do more complex things with the map maker, preset maker, object maker etc. They eventually learn but sometimes have to be badgered before looking or asking on the forum for help OR they'll try to learn from another in-game user.
4. Tend to be less critical of logic flaws, character types, etc in RP. However, they may be more critical of a person's spelling/grammar or the way a person roleplays. (Unless its wolfspeak in which case those who post/lurk on the forum tend to attack wolfspeakers while some in-game-only users tend to embrace it or ignore it.)
Now out of all of these I think my biggest pet peeve tends to come from the users who don't EVER go on the forum. Now that said I have some friends who NEVER go on the forum but do not fit ANY of the criteria I listed above. Anyway, I think the quirk I find most annoying comes from the In-game-only users, # 2.
As for the younger players, you mean to tell me these supposedly more tech-savvy generation can't figure it out? Sometimes Ive tried to help these younger users and it is a painstakingly slow and confusing process. Honestly, since when was downloading and installing something on Feral Heart hard? Its easier than it was for Impressive Title and its a matter of downloading, copy and paste. I would think after seeing one's parents do it (and this is admitedly with the assumption parents either are allowing, not caring, or simply supervising the kid downloading it) several times over that they wouldn't EVENTUALLY learn? Thats how I learned how to install computer games from CD's. My dad did it for me for a while, then made me watch and then supervised from afar, and then had me do it for myself when I didn't need him anymore. For the older players, there are tutorials everywhere to learn how to download and install different user-made content for the game. It just takes a few minutes of hunting on the forum or Youtube, or even just asking someone where to find it!
Some folks I have noticed back out of groups or freak out when they find out that the group or pack or pride just got a new downloadable map to RP in. I find that kinda disappointing. Its not THAT difficult to learn how to do and its not going to overload your computer JUST because it didn't come with the game. There are little maps that don't take up as much as space as others. On top of that, if you get from a reliable source,and it won't virus your computer. I don't mean to sound snappy about it, I just don't understand why some cringe at the thought of downloading something past the main game which CANT be updated and yet get bored and want more maps and extra things added when they could just download user-made content themselves.
10
Game Discussion / Sob Story Logic Flaws and the Reactions to the Unsympathetic
« on: September 02, 2013, 07:39:21 pm »
So I had this conversation with a friend earlier and its something I'm sure at least some people have noticed at least once. Now, whether good or evil, most people's characters have different amounts of sympathy they are willing to give for another character's "bad circumstances" or "sob stories." But what about those of us who have characters who for one reason or another... can't or won't sympathize?
Heres an example: We have character A, who is'nt cold and stoic or anything, he or she is your average person, but just does not sympathize with people who don't have a work ethic.
We have character B, who is upset because they claim their pack/clan/pride whatever ditched/exiled them for being smaller or not very strong. [And I am NOT by any means saying that everyone who has a character of this set-up or background is intentionally looking for attention or sympathy, just that SOME of them are.]
When character B shares this little tale with character A, and character A does not have any sympathy for B and claims that B obviously didn't work hard enough to meet the standards set before them and it is their fault, the player of character B...sometimes doesn't seem to know how to react when they don't get the "Oh Im sorry to hear that, or I feel so bad for you" response they wanted.
I guess the gist of what I'm trying to say is, when characters who are specifically made to catch sympathy and don't get it, they tend to dance around the subject OR more often, respond with some kind of over-emotional backlash that is void of both response /and/ reason. You're going to attack them? For what? For being honest? What DO you want them to say?
"My parents died when I was young, oh woe is me for the rest of my life!"
...Have you ever met someone who's parents died at a young age or were never around? Most of the ones I've heard from either A. Got over it. B. Didn't really know the parent and therefore didn't care. C. Didn't know/was too innocent at the time to know what was going on and got over it. Now I am not trying to make light of anyone's or anything's death, just trying to make the point that the majority of people after a grieving period, make a healthy move on to the rest of their lives so WHY are there so many characters who are completely "destroyed" by this?
And even IF you have a character going through this prolonged grief for years and years... wouldn't that have had some adverse effect on your character's physical or mental health by now? They won't be "super strong" anymore, not even when hyped on adrenaline.
Unless the events that are causing this grief are varied and /constantly/ on-going...there comes a time when they do need to eventually get over themselves or keep it to themselves. Because the rest of us don't typically want to hear about it. You can tell us once or twice that "Your sisters were brutally mauled by bears" and we'll remember. I don't need constant reminding, whether as a player or as a character just because I'm not sobbing along or coddling the victim in question all of the time. Why is that so hard to understand?
Anyone else encountered this?
Heres an example: We have character A, who is'nt cold and stoic or anything, he or she is your average person, but just does not sympathize with people who don't have a work ethic.
We have character B, who is upset because they claim their pack/clan/pride whatever ditched/exiled them for being smaller or not very strong. [And I am NOT by any means saying that everyone who has a character of this set-up or background is intentionally looking for attention or sympathy, just that SOME of them are.]
When character B shares this little tale with character A, and character A does not have any sympathy for B and claims that B obviously didn't work hard enough to meet the standards set before them and it is their fault, the player of character B...sometimes doesn't seem to know how to react when they don't get the "Oh Im sorry to hear that, or I feel so bad for you" response they wanted.
I guess the gist of what I'm trying to say is, when characters who are specifically made to catch sympathy and don't get it, they tend to dance around the subject OR more often, respond with some kind of over-emotional backlash that is void of both response /and/ reason. You're going to attack them? For what? For being honest? What DO you want them to say?
"My parents died when I was young, oh woe is me for the rest of my life!"
...Have you ever met someone who's parents died at a young age or were never around? Most of the ones I've heard from either A. Got over it. B. Didn't really know the parent and therefore didn't care. C. Didn't know/was too innocent at the time to know what was going on and got over it. Now I am not trying to make light of anyone's or anything's death, just trying to make the point that the majority of people after a grieving period, make a healthy move on to the rest of their lives so WHY are there so many characters who are completely "destroyed" by this?
And even IF you have a character going through this prolonged grief for years and years... wouldn't that have had some adverse effect on your character's physical or mental health by now? They won't be "super strong" anymore, not even when hyped on adrenaline.
Unless the events that are causing this grief are varied and /constantly/ on-going...there comes a time when they do need to eventually get over themselves or keep it to themselves. Because the rest of us don't typically want to hear about it. You can tell us once or twice that "Your sisters were brutally mauled by bears" and we'll remember. I don't need constant reminding, whether as a player or as a character just because I'm not sobbing along or coddling the victim in question all of the time. Why is that so hard to understand?
Anyone else encountered this?