8
« 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?