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Cooperative storytelling rp?

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jimhabegger
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Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Is there any of the kind of storytelling going on in the game, where some characters and their ideas, interests and relationships are evolving in rich story lines? There were half a dozen or more of those when I first started playing SoT, but eventually those stories all died out, and I never saw any new ones. I’m wondering now if any cooperative storytelling like that is happening in the dream now.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
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Tentacle
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Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by Tentacle »

The idea that we schedule or do an "rp" is a misnomer. We should be, all of us, roleplaying 100% of the time we're in the game.

That being said, yes, there are larger story arcs in motion currently. Some fostered by the Koi team, and many being created by player entities.
"She spins her golden web between us and the dream." - The Matron ☼, Soulkeeper
jimhabegger
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Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Tentacle, thank you.

I might not be explaining very well what I mean, but I don't know how to explain it any better. There was something happening a lot in the game when I first started playing, that was my whole reason for wanting to keep playing, but some time later it stopped happening. Sorry I can't explain it any better. Thanks for your answer.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

To try to explain some more, when I first started playing, there were some rich, deep stories happening in the lives of individual characters, that I enjoyed following and being part of, and rich personalities that I enjoyed interacting with. Eventually all that died out, and I'm wondering if there's anything like that in the game now.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
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Tentacle
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Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by Tentacle »

Knowing a bit more about what and who you specifically mean now... Yes. Characters and story-arcs like that still exists and the community is always looking for more! Like real people, not every character in game broadcasts all of the goodies. Keep your eyes open, ask questions, what you're after is there. =D

Also, welcome back.

For those still confused: I believe Farlong is in search of character development like Midnight Sun. For those who played at the end of SoT. The type of activities where players could stand around for hours, sharing story and emotion, speaking on goals and dreams and backstory. And also, how these stories intermingle and affect current events in the city or perhaps future events.
"She spins her golden web between us and the dream." - The Matron ☼, Soulkeeper
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fr3y
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Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by fr3y »

That's the amazing thing about the dream, those kind of experiences are always in reach. We're really only limited by our imagination and there's a community of imaginative individuals patiently waiting to be amazed by our ideas.

Dreamers easily fall into ruts though. I notice some dreamers have the disturbing tendency to piggyback on the accomplishments of others instead of bringing any true evolution. Bring something fresh and new to the dream that you can honestly call your own instead of thinking you're the missing piece to someone else's hard work.
11:11:28: Purple Lace: Frayed logic
11:11:39: You Say: no
11:11:43: You Say: Freyed logic

I don't compete, I'm the prize.
jimhabegger
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Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Frey, sorry I missed seeing this post until now. Thank you.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
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Black Cloud
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Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by Black Cloud »

In a sense every player has their own little story line, and what we see everyday is cooperative storytelling or RPing. Also, if any player has a grande idea, they can approach the Koi team and they assist in integrating the proposed idea in to the overall story arc.

But what I believe you're asking about is players getting together and doing what the GM team has been doing until now, which is coming up with an intricate and well thought out story line that they will manage on their own. THIS i don't believe is really happening as much as it should. The houses are an example of this idea where an established idea gains members which amounts to more support for that RP. I've made this point somewhere else, but a great start would be for players to go out of their way to try to incorporate dreamers who don't naturally fit in to their RP. Everyone does not need to do this, but I would guess that a certain percentage of players (5-10%) who act as catalysts, creating new connections between groups in the City through their own RPs would create a much stronger web of connections where almost every dreamer has SOME connection to it. Or at least that's the idea.
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Black Cloud, I like your ideas for promoting more player-driven storytelling. I'll be trying to learn to do that, myself.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

“Roleplaying” has widely diverging meanings in people’s minds, and I haven’t found anything in the UL documentation pinning it down to one meaning or another. I’ll give two examples. One common meaning of “roleplaying” is acting out stories. Another very different meaning of “roleplaying,” which has been made popular by computer and online rpg’s, is combat/questing/leveling in a storytelling environment, controlling a character with an appearance and stats corresponding to some race and class in those stories, without requiring any effort at all to actually play that role in the story or to act out any story at all. It looks to me now like that’s what “roleplaying” means, and always has meant, to the providers of Underlight and most of its players. It also looks to me like what “true roleplaying” means to the providers is simply that players will try to remember to use the “whisper” key rather than the “talk” key, for their in-game ooc talking. Some of the more conscientious players will also take a little time out from their chatting and game playing now and then to throw in an occasional giggle, chuckle, or other emote. It certainly does *not* mean that most of the players will be putting their hearts into acting out stories of their own, most of the time. It looks to me like the combat, the leveling, and the player-to-player chatting about the combat and leveling, come ahead of acting out stories for most players most of the time, and that the providers have never intended otherwise.

I played for many months without realizing that, because I started playing the game at a time when mostly what I saw was people acting out rich, deep, personal and interpersonal stories with a place in them for me. There was not enough combat or player-to-player chatting, when and where I played, for me to even notice it. I thought that “true roleplaying” in Underlight meant that acting out stories came ahead of everything else in the game, and that players would be putting their hearts into acting out stories of their own.

That kind of roleplaying eventually died out in SoT and Echoes of Chaos, and I’m still not seeing it practiced or promoted here. In fact it looks to me like the mechanics, the incentives, and the entertainment provided by the GM’s and a few other players work against that and distract from it.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m not thinking any more of changes in the game, or the ways people play it, as possible solutions to my problems with it, or anyone else’s. What I’m trying to do now is to see how much fun I can have in the game as it is, and to learn to help make it more fun for everyone. The reason I’m discussing this is because maybe I’m not the only one who fell into the trap I did, and if there are others, this might help them.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
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Tentacle
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Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by Tentacle »

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I have no argument with anything that you have said. Well, not all whispers are OOC, I suppose I could nitpick that =P

Since being welcomed back, I've found hope. It used to be that some of the population would actively be disruptive for sport. When I have gone about interacting with others; presenting new ideas, leading others in activities - they've had a positive response. Players that don't have an interest in the content, simply avoid it as opposed to showing up "to be dicks." Baby steps. We're playing characters that exist in a "city," it's natural that there is going to be diversity in its citizens.

Underlight, OFFERS, immersive roleplaying. It's why I use the term "IORPG" or Immersive Online Roleplaying Game to describe it. The keyword, though, is "offers". You know, that whole "lead a horse to water..." anecdote.

What I would suggest is for those who want the type of content you do to stick with it. There are controllers trying to develop content. There are characters who engage each other with a rich story. I really applaud you for being willing to put your thoughts out there with the hopes of encouraging more involved content.
"She spins her golden web between us and the dream." - The Matron ☼, Soulkeeper
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Thank you. I was going to say that I've lost all hope now of ever finding anyone in this game who is acting out a story of their own, and who will not continually break out of that story for socializing and combat/leveling purposes. It’s been very hard for me to resist the temptation and the social pressure to do that, myself. I think now that my situation, with the illusions that I had about this game, is absolutely unique. I was going to say that I see no reason to think that anyone else who wants to act out stories the way I do, would ever even try to do that in this game.

Then I read some reports in the ic forums, about what’s been happening in the dream, and now I’m not so sure that there is not and never could be anyone playing this game, who is acting out a story of their own, and who will not continually break out of that story for socializing and combat/leveling purposes.

When I mean by “acting out a story of their own” does not exclude combat, leveling or even socializing, and it does not exclude playing into events organized by others. It means a story about the character that continues and evolves over many weeks, and which the player is acting out all the time that they are in the game, without continually breaking out of it for socializing and game-playing purposes.

I might see someone now who is playing that way after all, but I’m not sure, and if they are, I’m not sure that there could be any place in that story for Farlong. I do see a possible place for that character in Farlong’s story. I don’t see how to bring them together for either story.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

I’ve been thinking some more about what people like in this game, that isn’t better in some other games. I thought it might be partly the in-game chat rooms, but people could have those in other mmorpg’s if they wanted to. I don’t think it’s the stories, the graphics, the mechanics, the combat, the questing or the leveling either, or even the possibility of influencing their development. Maybe it’s the feeling of player actions having a direct effect on what happens in the game and in the game environment.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
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Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

A while ago I was reading the kudos thread, and I see that there might be many people acting out stories of their own, without continually breaking out of them. Now I’m regretting my depreciating insinuations about this game and the people playing it. I see a lot to like in the game, in the players, in the GMs, and in the community, regardless of what kind of game they’re playing. I’ve been treated very generously and kindly in the game and in the forum. I’d love to be friends with anyone who would like to be friends with me.

I’d like all the people who have helped me in the game to know all the good they did for me, but I don’t know how to find them all to tell them. Maybe I could PM the character names to someone who could deliver the message to them. Or I could just try to find them in the game and tell them in ooc whispers. :D

I think that I would be spreading myself too thin, trying to play this game.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
Dreamer
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

I'm looking for volunteers to deliver some messages for me to some players that I don't know how to find, or else help me find them.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
Dreamer
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

This game is spreading me too thin, so either I need to quit, or I need to limit my playing to once or twice a week.

Some discussions here have helped clear up some misunderstandings I had about my possibilities in this game. From my experience playing SoT I thought it was all about each player acting out their own individual story in the context of the game lore, and those stories continually evolving and interacting with each other in personal ways. That, and friendships with a few other players, are the only reasons I’ve ever had for playing this game. Now I see that none of the friends I was hoping to see here are playing, and I don’t see any possibility for me to find anyone in the game who is acting out a story of their own without continually breaking out of it. It’s been impossible or almost impossible even for me to do that myself. I see now that the game was never intended to be played that way, and the mechanics and incentives in the game all work against that.

I’ve found other ways to have fun in the game, but that by itself is not reason enough for me to keep playing. I thought for a while that there might be a few others who saw what I saw in SoT and were playing for the same reasons I was, but now I don’t think so.

Maybe I’ll try playing once or twice a week, and see what happens.

I’ll indulge my temptation to comment on the recurring player-vs-player drama. It looks to me like just part of the social and interpersonal dramas going on all the time in all of society, online and offline. My answer to it is to try to help spread love; find little things to do to help make the world better for people around me; be a better friend to each person in my life; and help with the growth and spread of healthier, happier and more loving communities.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
Dreamer
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

Maybe a better way to say it is that when I played SoT I saw stories happening around me that I loved seeing and interacting with, from the very start, and for many weeks after that. I don’t seem to be able to explain the difference between those stories and what I’m seeing now, in a way that anyone can understand. I’ll go through the IC forums, and back through my logs, to see if I can find any news of stories currently being acted out in the game, like the ones I loved seeing and interacting with in SoT.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
jimhabegger
Dreamer
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:11 am
Character Name(s): Farlong

Re: Cooperative storytelling rp?

Post by jimhabegger »

If I keep playing, it will only be once or twice a week. If I play more than that, I’ll be spreading myself too thin. I’ve been trying to decide if I want to keep playing or not, because I wasn’t seeing any possibilities for me here, that aren’t better for me elsewhere. Now that might have changed. Everyone who has commented on my posts has helped me work this out.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone."

- Hal David, Jackie DeShannon, Burt Bacharach
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