Role Play - Things are grimm

[Etinfall]

This isn't work. Well, for some it probally feels like it (I am sorry for that). It sounds like you caught someone not Rp'ing that well. Don't come near me then, I do it alot. I try to Rp to the best of my abilities, but sometimes I fall short. What if this persons dog just knocked over the table and was munching on dinner? What if his child somehow logged on and was running around like daddy does. Things happen, we should all try to do our best but remember this is a game for all of us. To practice, learn and have fun rp'ing with others.

Etinfall

[Diamondedge]

I, personally, have done this more than a few times. I do habitually leave the computer to go handle something. And what's wrong with that? I'm not going to log out of Layonara every time I feel hungry, thirsty, distracted, the need to go number 1 or 2, or anything else. If you're getting mad by a vacantly staring dwarf who has inexplicably gone mute and deaf, well, he's a friggin' dwarf, what do you expect, a high attention span? Many people have RPed my absences tastefully with "Oh, he seems to be thinking" or "Oh, the fat old bugger has fallen asleep". I applaude that. I don't think I would react too well to someone that started sending me angry PMs while I was on, unless it was my girlfriend telling me to get my butt back to the computer and RP, etc. And even then...

[Talan Va'lash]

Overlooking the original poster's lack of tact, grammar skills and gratuitous use of punctuation and the caps, I do strongly agree with this point.
 
  Don't log out in the middle of the road unless you have to (like you're interrupted or something.)
 
  I realize interruptions happen, and that sometimes crashes happen but within th last three months I've seen a LOT more of this:
 
  PC: //good night everybody its been fun, I'm off to sleep
  Everybody: //good night, bye, cya, ttyl, blah blah
  PC: //*waves*
  PC: *Logs off in the middle of the road with no RP explanation of the event whatsoever*
 
  Don't do that
 
 

Anomas Analor Kamath - 7/24/2006  1:34 AM
   sometimes people just leave the game screen in the MIDDLE of a roleplay action... thats just plain stupid, so don't, please.
 

[Nibor21]

well some PWs actually give you an AFK widget that gives you an AFK visual. Its just an idea

[darkstorme]

Well, and as valid as the complaint is, Talan, he's speaking of people sitting on a bench in Hlint.  Heck, I've fallen asleep on REAL benches - it's not so unreasonable for someone to nod off while sitting in the sun.  Most of the people I've travelled with recently tend to head off "into the woods" to "make camp" before they log, or into the Surge, or somewhere.

AFK in Hlint, however, I feel as perfectly acceptable - though sitting/lying down is preferable, if at all possible.  And such players can always be RPed around. *grins*

[Anomas Analor Kamath]

If a person was to fall asleep in a bench, i'd notice it in real life, 'cause she'd has her eyes closed and would have her head pending in some direction... what would certainly make me NOT speak with her... I've heard more than a few times people saying 'oh, she likes to daydream'... come on, does everyone have alzheimer in the game? That's not, IMHO, a good excuse whatsoever.

Talan, i hadn't thought of that, but it happened to me too... i mean, find an rp excuse to log off, not just some occ warning someone...

and Diamond, franckly, there's everything wrong with that... put your char somewhere people will probably not find... it's not like you're gonna DIE if you take one or two minutes longer before eating or drinking...

Dorganath, for you, i'm sorry i took this as granted, but you gotta agree with me... someone who is frequently away in the middle of rp actions or crowded areas deserve a warning... it's not someone who takes rp any serious if he doesn't fix this attitude..

[Dorganath]

Actually, I respectfully disagree with you. We're not going to tell people they can't leave their keyboards or log out without warning or reasonable RP excuses for the simple reason that sometimes RL happens at unexpected times and with extreme urgency. We're not going to issue warnings or demerits or threaten people with banning because they step away.  
  Many of us here, myself included, have many things going on around us in real life. If something happens in my house that requires urgent attention, such as one of my children hurting themselves, I'm going to leave the keyboard, and I may not take the time to RP my way behind a building or even go so far as to type // afk. I may just get up and do so suddenly....because in all honesty, my concern is not what you or anyone else in the vicinity may think of my RP as a result. And when I come back, I may just need to log out, depending on the situation. I'm going to say "// sorry all, gotta log out" and then just go...no ceremony, no "oh I think I'll go nap behind the bank," no riding off into the sunset. Sorry...I'm just going to go. And again, if you or anyone else takes offense or exception to that, it's not my concern. I don't need to appease anyone when RL comes a-calling.  
  I'm in no way saying that this is the case all the time and for everyone, but I personally feel it would be unreasonable for us to expect people RP around RL situations just to satisfy some people's opinions on what "good RP" may be. Ask 100 people what their idea of good RP is, and you'll get 100 different answers.
  If you personally see these things as important, then by all means, please do adhere to them in your own conduct. And I do understand how perhaps it can be annoying or frustrating. But I also understand why, at times, people may do just these things that seem to be getting you all worked up.
  Perhaps you can explain to me why a warning should be issued for being afk without "proper" notice or RP? We'll give warnings, even temporary or permanent bannings, to people who are being disruptive, griefing. exploiting, cheating and so forth. But sitting idle in Hlint while people talk around you...that's none of the above. The worst offense there is taking up bench space, and that's not banable.

[Honora]

I'm glad to hear that, Dorganath.  I have a small child and those who know me can remember many times when I /tell "Baby screaming, gotta go" or "Baby hungry, gotta go" or "Baby fell over trying to climb the couch...gotta go!"  or just //AFK...for however long it takes to fix the child's/husbands problem.

RL over RP.  

Boss is screaming, gotta go!

[Philosopher]

Anomas Analor Kamath - 7/25/2006  5:49 PM

If a person was to fall asleep in a bench, i'd notice it in real life, 'cause she'd has her eyes closed and would have her head pending in some direction... what would certainly make me NOT speak with her... I've heard more than a few times people saying 'oh, she likes to daydream'... come on, does everyone have alzheimer in the game? That's not, IMHO, a good excuse whatsoever.

Well, in my view I find this fine. If someone is suddenly AFK on the bench, and you walk along try to talk to the AFK person and the friend says "She's daydreaming" then thats fine - thats a good reason for her lack-of-response!
Is it better to say "Yes, her bottom is glued to the seat and she has tape around her mouth which I cannot reach and she hasn't asked me to remove it anyway, so I'm sat here to comfort her until she can do something about it herself"?
Too confusing

Dorganath, for you, i'm sorry i took this as granted, but you gotta agree with me... someone who is frequently away in the middle of rp actions or crowded areas deserve a warning... it's not someone who takes rp any serious if he doesn't fix this attitude..

Dorganath, I agree with you - I don't have kids at all but I have a persistant mother who likes to ask me to do several things for her to help around the house, or help her move some things about. Sometimes I have to go AFK like ten times maybe in the space of half an hour, or...my mother tends to ask me to "Do one thing for her" which then multiplies into twenty things for her. I don't mind helping her, but I wouldn't like to be banned for something that I couldn't avoid. (I'm a mothers boy hehe, I can't shout or rebel against my mum, it's not me, but if she says something I disagree on my voice is heard)

Hope this helps, and have a think - This is Layo and different, It's not too strict and not too loose, you don't get banned if you sneeze and have to go AFK to get a tissue, finding out you don't have any loo roll so you have to pop to the shops 5 miles away (Alright, a bit too far there hehe)

Edd.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Edd: A persistent mother? Wow. Cool, is that like a mom who's there after every server reset?

Myself, I often "Glance up at the sun" and head off on "business" when RL calls.

[Rowana]

I've been watching this thread and have been swearing off responding, but I can't *not* post at this point.

@OP, I am a heavy duty RPer, but I also have three children, a husband, a dog and a cat. I also have a telephone and a life. Most who have RP'd with Lee will agree with the heavy duty RP statment. However(comma) if my middle son who has O.C.D. is whollping the ... out of one of my other kids because they've pushed him too far, your getting a "// emergency afk" and I am going to be gone untill it's managed. I'm not going to screw around with 'oh, i have to make a run to the tavern and take care of my orphans.' If the kids need lunch and I need an afk for 5 min while I throw some peanut butter sandwiches together: '/t "soandso' gotta go afk for five, keep talking.' If i'm not in the middle of something, I don't have issue with loggin out and saving on bandwidth.

as a heavy duty RPer, I don't mind if suddenly someone has to go for something, i.e. '... i'm late for work' or ' ma needs me to help her with the groceries.' I can finish up any last details in an I.C. PM tag session if needed or somethign like that. Part of being a great RPer in my personal opinion is being able to work with whatever your given, an afk character, 5 afk characters (group ran for a smoke break in a long run through firesteeps), or being surrounded by 10 people all trying to RP with you at once (it happens, ask Acacea!).

I'm getting a sence that this is about quality of RP, and that you are expecting everyone to RP to your standards. Not everyone on this server is an experienced gamer, and they have to learn somewhere. Some people have more hectic RL situations then others. I'm with miltonyorkcastle, RP with those who you like and don't with the ones you don't like their style. No one's twisting your arm to interact with every person on the server. If they didn't RP your ID and you don't like that, don't go back to that person for ID. I honestly don't see what is wrong with *folds her hand in her lap neatly* and then not responding to the person that is being ignored for the rest of the time that person is present. Sends a pretty clear message of being ignored. As to crafting: that stuff flies by in my chat box so fast sometimes, I miss RP, so I just run with it. *sees soandso, jumps and squeeks, dropping her berries on the floor.*

Personally I RP with everyone, even those whom I don't care for their style, because it's a personal challenge to keep up my quallity of RP. I'm far more offended by people who use words like, 'loot, dude, bro, hey man, s'up, yo' and other such commonly used words in a non-RP MMO situation, then I am for someone going afk, not RPing an ID(especially if it's a person who brings me their stuff to ID and it's the same objeect I have ID'd about 10 or 15 times before for them) or heaven forbid missing my RP because they were crafting.

I'm positive there are folks who don't like my sort of RP, Lee's present speaking pattern for one, has gotten me nasty little digging OOC tells from people. I'm not gonna hold it against them for not liking the RP (the nasty tells get the black mark tho!). But, I am going to keep on as I have been because I have been a gamer since I was eight years old (yay folks!) and I'm old and set in my ways. I apologize for the terse tone I'm probably using, but as I said, I find the general tone and implications from the OP offencive and I can't sit idly by and let people who are awesome RPers who do these things that are mentioned, get slammed about because they aren't good enough. I can't imagine I'm the only one getting riled.

[Anomas Analor Kamath]

Personally, I don't plan to play any of this should i get myself three kids and a compromised life, really. This is the kind of time-spending fun which requires a great deal of attention and effort which, for obvious reasons, can't be handled when you're 30, is married, have children and work out. Suddenly, i expected people who don't have much to do with their lives to be playing here, and i stumbled upon a dozen married people, and that scares me, since i don't play to take my life virtual at that age.

At any rate, i respect people's decisions, primarily because i know not what decisions will I make at this age, so I can't blame any of you. All i'm asking now then, is that you plan before playing. What's that? Let's go for an example:

I do have a mother and six mess-with-everything cats, so I do have things to do... so, before sitting here and clicking nwn's icon, i do every single thing i have to before playing, so i won't have to stop in the middle of the rp... I ask my mother what she needs, take care of immediate situations, sit, and screw the world because, if she asks something of me while i'm here, i'm sorry, but i warned her i'd not be avaiable.

Suddenly i think i take this more seriously than most others, but people around me on UO used to do the same. Since they're younger, it's all understandable. So, my present urge is... your kid stuck a knife in it's belly? You dog just got screwed by the electrical fence? That's all right to me, but don't go afk if it isn't something important... and most people *will* agree with me when i say being hungry is NOT an immediate emergency.. you can still finish the rp situation, go away, log out, and eat at peace on your table enjoying some time together with family...

[Honora]

So now we who are married, with children, don't meet with your approval because YOU would not play this game if you had kids?

That tears it.

[orth]

Yah, locked.

[Leanthar]

Anomas Analor Kamath that is quite enough and I do not expect to readany other comments like that or even remotely approaching them. That is uncalled for, rude, mean spirited, and just wrong on many levels. I think it is time you find a different server if you feel that was appropriate.

[orth]

Some Final Thoughts:

Refrain from dictating how others should be leading their complete lives to revolve around your PC's life.  It's a game.
It is a thin line to compare what works in any other community or gameworld to what works for the Layonara community.
Do not ever feel the need to justify what you feel is right for you when it comes to your involvement in the world.  We like to cater to diversity.
Consider your tone when addressing the community through forum posts.

Have fun.