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Author Topic: Sea Elf Page unupdated  (Read 569 times)

Falreign

Sea Elf Page unupdated
« on: September 01, 2009, 08:53:23 pm »
It states that Sea Elf is a playable race here -- LORE: Races of Layonara

From my experience in the passed two months it appears that Sea Elves are unplayable. Not sure if it is a world issue or a Lore issue, I'll let you guys decide.

Thanks.
 
The following users thanked this post: INKachu

INKachu

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2009, 08:55:52 pm »
I wish I was that first sea elf girl submission, who got in as a regular dolphin surfing beautiful beach-babe sea elf, making her days by dating other surfers and didn't have to join the hunt. xD <3

http://forums.layonara.com/character-approvals/101956-seaelf-lessia-cyanathan-guardian-bay.html
 

Script Wrecked

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2009, 11:32:16 pm »
Quote from: Falreign
It states that Sea Elf is a playable race here -- LORE: Races of Layonara

From my experience in the passed two months it appears that Sea Elves are unplayable. Not sure if it is a world issue or a Lore issue, I'll let you guys decide.

Thanks.


I believe you are referring to the length of time required to get your character approved.

Yes, it can be (is) irksome when things drag on and on (six weeks by the count), and the flush of excitement that originally shrouded the idea when it first blossomed has all but evaporated; alas, for the thrill of shiny wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. And perhaps this has been further magnified because this is part of a group submission and there are three of you hanging by tender hooks waiting, waiting for this to go through.

The payout to this cost of multiple iterations is that by the end of it, both you and the GMs will have a much more distinct idea of who these characters are. I often think it is almost a shame when character submissions get approved quickly. From one point of view, it means the character (at least initially) has not tested any boundaries of character-dom.

Another thing to bear in mind is that however good your submission is, however well written it may be, is that not all stories fit Layonara. Layonara is a certain thing; it is a much defined by what it is not as by what it is. Otherwise, it would be just an amorphous blob, with no structure, with no flavour.  This means that there are some things that are not Layonara.

Sea elves are a specific thing to Layonara. As a subrace, they are much more restricted in what they are in order to give them a significant definition, a significant differential to the experience of their base race. Otherwise, they might as well just be blue skinned elves with a penchant for swimming. *shrugs* What's that?

This means that the range of possibilities of what they are is much more restricted. This may mean that the original idea that so inspired you may have to be refined in order to fit; this is what the Character Approvers are working with you to accomplish. However, it is possible that no amount of refinement will make the story fit. Alas, this is unavoidable when there are creative minds about.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Script Wrecked.
 

lonnarin

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2009, 07:14:31 am »
What I don't get is how tridents and knives are allowed as some of the only weapons, but not unarmed monk specialty.  Where are all these trident and knife producing, underwater forges and how are they more rare than unarmed fighting monastic traditions for a race where all alignments are open?

Why are non-elf druids not allowed to pick up bows when absolutely none of the oaths are broken?  What does it matter if a Wemic picks up a greataxe?  Are sea elf babies who wash up near a monastary of Vorax summarily butchered and eaten 100.100.100% of the time?  This is both fantasy and fiction, after all.  Let the kids create.  It won't kill anybody.
 

Rowana

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2009, 11:17:11 am »
Quote from: Script Wrecked
I believe you are referring to the length of time required to get your character approved.

Yes, it can be (is) irksome when things drag on and on (six weeks by the count), and the flush of excitement that originally shrouded the idea when it first blossomed has all but evaporated; alas, for the thrill of shiny wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. And perhaps this has been further magnified because this is part of a group submission and there are three of you hanging by tender hooks waiting, waiting for this to go through.

The payout to this cost of multiple iterations is that by the end of it, both you and the GMs will have a much more distinct idea of who these characters are. I often think it is almost a shame when character submissions get approved quickly. From one point of view, it means the character (at least initially) has not tested any boundaries of character-dom.

Another thing to bear in mind is that however good your submission is, however well written it may be, is that not all stories fit Layonara. Layonara is a certain thing; it is a much defined by what it is not as by what it is. Otherwise, it would be just an amorphous blob, with no structure, with no flavour.  This means that there are some things that are not Layonara.

Sea elves are a specific thing to Layonara. As a subrace, they are much more restricted in what they are in order to give them a significant definition, a significant differential to the experience of their base race. Otherwise, they might as well just be blue skinned elves with a penchant for swimming. *shrugs* What's that?

This means that the range of possibilities of what they are is much more restricted. This may mean that the original idea that so inspired you may have to be refined in order to fit; this is what the Character Approvers are working with you to accomplish. However, it is possible that no amount of refinement will make the story fit. Alas, this is unavoidable when there are creative minds about.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Script Wrecked.

I just wanted to add on to this courteous and wise advice from Script Wrecked, a condition that was also told to you folks (along with the whole server) that our Loremaster as away for several weeks during the time that your submission was in process. There is much of what you submitted that had to be (and still is being) hashed out with the Loremaster.

It is not the habit of the CA team or the GM staff in general to ignore any application for any reason, to lead a player on to some falsely offered future or just lie out right. The Loremaster is catching up bit by bit, but like the rest of the various teams (including the CA staff) he is a volunteer and thus only has so many hours in the day to contribute to the world. He has to wade back through all of his work that piled up over the 3 or so weeks he was gone. I know that he has begun to take a look at these applications with us and we are working through the issues that have been presented by your applications.

Regards,
~row
 

SteveMaurer

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2009, 02:40:34 pm »
Quote from: lonnarin
What I don't get is how tridents and knives are allowed as some of the only weapons, but not unarmed monk specialty.  Where are all these trident and knife producing, underwater forges and how are they more rare than unarmed fighting monastic traditions for a race where all alignments are open?

Why are non-elf druids not allowed to pick up bows when absolutely none of the oaths are broken?  What does it matter if a Wemic picks up a greataxe?  Are sea elf babies who wash up near a monastary of Vorax summarily butchered and eaten 100.100.100% of the time?  This is both fantasy and fiction, after all.  Let the kids create.  It won't kill anybody.

Really there are two types of questions here, one legitimate, one not.

The questions that are legitimate are like this one I've quoted, which center around the clarity and self-consistency of the Lore.   Not every writer enjoys them, but every writer is improved by having an editor, and we must provide that editing function for Ed, making sure he thinks things through.

The questions that aren't legitimate are like the one which started this  thread, which can all be paraphrased as: "why don't you spend more time entertaining me"?

I've been a GM longer than some of the younger (or even not so young) people here have been alive.   And I can tell you pretty authoritatively that if you make GMing not entertaining for the GM, pretty soon you won't have one.   People need balance in their lives, especially since this is a pastime, not a job.   So chill out.
 

EdTheKet

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2009, 03:03:29 pm »
Quote
... but every writer is improved by having an editor...

Indeed!
 

Falreign

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2009, 09:09:08 pm »
Quote from: SteveMaurer
The questions that aren't legitimate are like the one which started this  thread, which can all be paraphrased as: "why don't you spend more time entertaining me"?


I apologize. It was not my insinuation to assume that any of you should entertain me, merely correspond with my language.

From the "entertainment" offered thus far it has been quite enjoyable for neither party to have to be challenged by the ideas which I had assumed were created previously in our Lore. -- Which is why I have posted here (unquestioning as well) to find out if Sea Elves actually do exist in our world. It appears that I have disturbed your soft spots but if you all desire a question for which to answer, please entertain yourselves or not-- which appears to be a fond game for some-- with this one;

"Are Sea Elves intended to be in the Lore while most, if not some, of our game masters do not fully understand or believe in the concepts of their existence as tended to in Layonara?"

For the debate of making it enjoyable for some versus others, once again, I apologize if it has not been as fun as expected for team members but I hope that we can at least feel compelled to make it as harmless as possible for all parties-- This is in regards to the such sentiments as how deep a magical creature (elf) should be allowed to dive into the ocean or whether or not Coral is a plant or other nearly scientific name which is irrelevant to my sense of synonymous phrases. Both of these topics can be taken in account throughout Shindaferio and Boulder's posts with many other things which did not appear essential to submission.

Please do not take offense to my initial post as it was exactly as it says, I am not sure that this race is playable.

Sincerely.
 

Stuuuuu

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2009, 10:42:19 pm »
I really hate to sound hostile here, but Falreign posted a two sentence observation about the playability of a race, he did not attempt to passive aggressively make some kind of statement.

We (the three sea elf submissions) are personal acquaintances and worked on the subs together. Ink and Falreign have experience approving characters and we understand
A) It is done on a volunteer basis by the GM team
B) It takes time, and GMs do not ignore players maliciously
-and-
C) There is work being done on the characters

I'll speak for myself, but when other players make presumptuous observations about what Falreign may or may not be feeling or thinking, it really provokes some irritation.
 

Stuuuuu

Re: Sea Elf Page unupdated
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2009, 10:43:51 pm »
Quote from: SteveMaurer
"why don't you spend more time entertaining me"?


I'm sorry, but we don't appreciate having our minds read.
 

 

anything