Roleplayer's Message Board

[Wildfire]

Grrr... this the third time I've written this..... any way.. SoHee I had planned on using Geco's post. This is what I get for popping in and out of the forum for years, noting has really become solid. The writing style has also changed compared how it was 10 years ago. We are a lot more trusting. That and most of us have grown together. I remeber when Ren. First started. Still as opinionated, as ever he has learned to be more constructive than destructive. Lol I don't know if he picked fights on purpose or what.

*winks to Ren.*

I am proud to be a part of this community even if I think you guys are picking on me....... jk

[Arctic Phoenix]

WF - in Wave you offhandedly pondered why I didn't mention your character in one of my posts (where Arch was scanning the battlefield, noting what was happening to the crew). Firstly, I wasn't writing a cumulative summary of everyones actions - I wrote about a handful of PC's and missed a few others. Secondly, I haven't written with you (that I remember), and do not have a great bead on your personality. I had no idea if you were receptive to a minor action powerplay, or would find it contrary to your intentions. As a result of one, the other or both, I did not mention Tarra. Irregardless, SoHee makes the point that you can always immediately ask for an edit. No one's picking on you, we're just using the situation as a catalyst for a worthwhile conversation.

[Geco]

SoHee - you can use me any time you want ^_^

WF - I've changed my mind, I'm now officially picking on you haha, but I agree with your's and SoHee's points - character development can take place all the time, and just because someone prps your character a little doesn't mean you can't use it as a way to show her inner workings to us a bit more.

As for my own character development, I realized some time ago I probably haven't done much of it. This is due to limited interactions with other players (which FYI I would like to do a lot more of as my attempt in the corridor with Garin and Tarra was supposed to do) and a refusal to use flashbacks. Nothing wrong with them, but I decided I wanted to try to see if I could develop these guys just through the present and interactions with other chars.

[Wildfire]

Careful Geco, I bite * evil grin* So... yeah.... I have idea for the writing on Tarra's arm. I want to run it by you before I post. I think might make things very interesting.

[Arctic Phoenix]

I think might make might things very interesting.

Wha...?

[Zran]

Just letting you all know I'm still here reading, only at the beginning of the tenth page where everyone got split up.

[Drice]

Sorry all family in town and work have kept me busy but I have 3 day weekend starting tomorrow so I will be posting tomorrow evening sometime. Also on a side note I was wondering what everyone's opinion on the 'memories' that I have posted for Drice. I had an idea of telling his last part, the final battle of the war, and then starting a new this time from Cailey's perspective...

[Geco]

A couple things. First, personal news. Got word from the insurance company last night that the witness who saw the car accident stated the other guy ran a red, so now they are pushing for 100% liability on him, so that was great to hear.

DRICE - I have mixed feelings on them. I think it's good writing, and like learning more about Drice and you feel you have a much better understanding of him. On the other hand (and this is why I have avoided flashbacks) I think they easily start dominating posts. I've seen on several occasions where the memory is 80% of the post, and only 20% is dedicated to what's happening now. I think it's your choice at the end of the day, but I personally would love to see more integration with the present. Right now I still look at Drice and Cailey as outsiders or visitors aboard the Dawn who are there for the moment, but aren't really part of the crew. But then again, maybe that's how you wanted it to be.

Lastly, I originally asked if people wanted to try out the quasi DM system for the Caildonia arc. I think I've gotten yes' from SoHee, Shari, Ren and Phoenix. That's 4/7 I believe, so unless someone says otherwise we'll be going forward with the idea and I'll get to work on creating a tantalizing interactive puzzle ^_^

[SoHee]

I like them too, but sometimes it feels like the focus is on their past and not on the present time. To put it shortly and repeat what Geco said :)

[Wildfire]

To be honest Drice....I am bored with them. I don't think I have ever seen you play anybody but them. So in the long run I tend to ignore any past memories and I just concentrate on the present. I like flashbacks, but only so often.

[Darlok]

Personal Opinion, I like the flashbacks. That said, I do agree with the idea that they should be limited to less then half the post MOST of the time with the odd post being more geared towards the past if there is an important revelation to be made about the character.

As for the quasi DMing style, I know I prefer it. Maybe it's just more suited to my style of RPing, or maybe I'm just lazy :P

[Arctic Phoenix]

Well, I agree and disagree with some of the statements thus far.

I think it's ridiculous to try and quantify a percentage of memory before it becomes "too much." It's too much if it is not integrating back into the present. It's all about how you tie everything back to the scene at hand. If the flashback is merely to illustrate some of the characters past, and the segue to the present is little more than a scene transition, it loses its appeal. Basically you're just writing two different stories without the analogies or conversation that ties them together. As readers we see the characters as the lived it, but as RPers we cannot even infer lest there are glimpses to that past through dialog and emotion.

I'm not going to toot my own horn, because I don't know how effectively I've managed to communicate my ideas. But each flashback/memory I've written has been out of sequence with the others and written as a direct analogy to the scene at hand. Struggling through the wild, airship combat, deference to authority. It's all been written with the goal of entertaining the reader and illustrating Archamae's character. I have no illusions that such memories are transparent to the PC's.

That would be my critique of your flashbacks, Drice - tying them back to the present to give them more meaning. Currently I feel like I'm just reading another story. In defense of your memory sequences, however, I enjoy seeing these characters as they once were, and am eager to see how they changed to become the individuals they are now.

WF: From a character standpoint, ignoring flashbacks is appropriate, only because your character shouldn't perceive or be influenced by them. As a reader standpoint, it's kind of offensive to know you dismiss the writing because of it.

An aside for Drice: you posted Cailey as a 12 year old... how old was she during all this violent combat? The same for Drice. I have a hard time grasping a child and teenager accomplishing the tasks you've described. I like the present situation of a pubescent girl acting with an authority well beyond her years - it adds an ephemeral...creepiness? that I enjoy. That may not be what you're trying to convey, but it's how Archamae would perceive logical commands coming from a child. She would see the wisdom, but feel all together awkward.

[Shari Tana]

I put the end of the Kell-Dominian War at 4 years prior to the beginning of the thread. Being the most recent conflict involving Dominia, anything else would have to take place prior to that by at least half a year (realistically, 1 or 2 years). By those numbers, Cailey would have been 8 when the Kell-Dominian War started (Cyradis 24), and around 6 or 7 when Drice's land was annexed, which seems to coincide with the fall of Arlen's homeland. I don't know if they were allies or two provinces belonging to the same kingdom, but either way, that's my math on the situation. Less than 4 years past from the end of the KDW would make it unrealistic for Cyradis to have left Kell.

On a side note: everyone seems to have more than enough time to read and post here... why no IC? I could post something, but my next post will likely involve Ptolemy's defeat, as Cyradis and Kyra are directly engaged with him, and it wouldn't be very progressive to post "Kyra slashes at the corpseified general while Cyradis helps 'n stuff." Likewise, it wouldn't make sense for either of them to disengage from him to fight something else. So, let's get posting :)

[SoHee]

heh, I'm just waiting for others to post before I post again.... :P

[Shari Tana]

well, obviously you're excluded :P Everyone else, 일을빨리! (i need to practice my Hangeul ㅋㅋ)