Diskwrite

FLEET is home. That's really the best way to put it for me. It's not every day in an RP group you get to roll with a bunch of folks you hope will be lifelong friends, so when you find something like that it's as important as it is special. The group is full of humorous, creative, and compassionate people who enrich the lives of the people around them. And we're also queer af. Which- it's one thing to say you're an LBTQ friendly group. It's another to actually be one. It's one of the things that makes me most proud to be part of this community, to know that people from all walks of life are able to come in and feel safe not only being part of the group, but also in sharing those parts of their lives as they so desire. I love this group, and I love my friends, and I love putting on the DM hat and watching them suffer. It's a hobby.

I mean that's all well and good if you're the sort of person who values realism in combat, but it doesn't mean much for somebody who's trying to emulate 1938 Robin Hood, most of Kung Fu Hustle, or large portions of Final Fantasy cutscene fights. You can see why the latter in particular might be a desired end-goal in this game for some of the playerbase, right? Yeah, I do! The cutscene fights are great, because they're an absolute spectacle; which is the point of those gifs. If you look at those two gifs, you see the first being a very clinical, very direct approach that appeals to one type of audience, and in the second, you see a very flashy, spectacle-oriented approach. My point is that when you go blow-by-blow/hyper-detail-oriented/omg-logic-wars, a lot of the personality of your character comes from their approach and their actions. When you're RPing in a Highest-Roll = win scenario, the characterisation comes from the spectacle and the outcome of the fight itself. It's no longer about how the characters fight, but who wins. If you use a blow-by-blow approach in that scenario, the dice will sometimes (as they aren't influenced by anything) create a situation where both fighters are flailing around with no real gameplan or objective, which can be distracting. EDIT: I guess the best way I can fumble with this is that after the dice have been cast, the suspense is gone, if that makes sense? I admit, it was all wrapped in a cheeky jab, but I just wanted an excuse to use that Anakin vs Obi-Wan gif. Your example is interesting to me because I've watched the fight scenes in, say, A Phantom Menace, with some of my sword nerd friends, and they've talked at length about how great and realistic the fight choreography was. But, that's trivial and distracting from your point. You seem to be conflating two things: 1) What you define as realism in fight RP, and 2) The freeform fighting RP style you prefer. And this is set opposed to another conflation: A) Fight RP that you see as more spectacle and less realism, and B) Settling the outcome of an RP fight with rolls. You've defined these conflations based on what you perceive as their like purpose. For the first, the purpose is to go into a hyper-detailed play by play and lose yourself in the detailed mechanics of the fight. The second, enjoying a bombastic display where you roll, handwave things, and don't care about the nitty gritty. But these things don't necessarily have to be combined. Back in my ye olde freeform fighting RP days, I got into ridiculous logic battles in which we dodged for days and used tactics not true to anatomy or fighting form at all. But we did them anyway because they'd logic us to victory! Realism was not the point, it was trying to win. Today, I focus on realism more. But, I haven't engaged in freeform fighting RP in over a decade. Truth be told, I don't enjoy drawn out fighting RP anymore. I used to do it a whole lot and nowadays I'm bored of it. If a roll helps adjudicate the result and speeds thing along (instead of letting things progress into a half-hour long dodge fest like the last freeform fighting RP I watched), then frankly I'm all for it. It's still very possible to favor realism with rolls, and sometimes it can be a fun narrative challenge to figure out how to explain things from a given random result. It may not be super detailed, but a realistic fight can still be achieved. I think of it in a similar way to a R-rated sex scene versus an explicit one. The sex can still be interesting and realistic even if you don't get down to the nitty gritty detail. (And in fact, depending on your preferences and narrative purposes, you might not want to do the explicit scene at all.) One notable thing about how you described fighting RP: I've seen people who prefer RPing out sex scenes in detail make the same argument- through RPing it out in detail you see more about the characters and how they interact with each other than you might otherwise. I think that's a fine notion, and I've observed similar, but that doesn't make one method better or more realistic than the other. Having a preference- whatever you may prefer- is fine.

Ultimately I find it meaningless to audit other people's preferences. Even if it isn't what you enjoy, it's a big RP community. They will likely find someone who likes to do things the same way they do. As long as they're not hurting themselves or someone else, what does it matter what they choose to do or not? But to address the question more directly: I agree with Verad in that this seems to be more about whether or not you prefer immersive RP. If you like immersive RP, that's great! More power to you! There's plenty of other people who share that preference, so please go forth and enjoy with your fellow players. If you're like me, however, you don't. That's not to say that I don't enjoy organically derived interactions, relationships, or storylines. I certainly do! But I only have so much time, energy, and inclination to RP each week. More and more, I find myself preferring to stick to pre-planned interactions, people I already know, or plots and/or RP communities I'm already part of. Not because I want to exclude people, but because I literally don't have the energy to devote to both my established connections and the sort of immersive interactions these threads have discussed. Immersive RP can take a lot of time, energy, and work to move beyond surface interactions, to build relationships, and to create plots. I've done a lot of it. It was fun then. But now I want different things out of my time. So, if I was looking to put one of my characters into a romantic relationship, I would prefer to pre-plan the interaction and see what happens. Now, I'm not the sort to deliberately look for a romantic relationship for my characters, nor to do any sort of romance RP with strangers. But that's my personal preference, and no one else has to follow it. One approach isn't inherently better than another; they're just different, based on varied wants, needs, and purposes. Finally, Ojene's entire romantic relationship was baked in with my RP partner when we first made the two characters. Her marriage with the guy she's known for over twenty five years. We've been playing this for two years now, and not only has it worked just fine between them, but their interaction is by far the most fulfilling romance RP I've ever done. I can't say my other pre-planned excursions went as well. But- neither have my organic ones. What made this one work where the others did not had nothing to do with planned vs pre-planned, but rather the synergy of the characters; our strong OOC friendship; and our similar approaches, desires, and wants. It all comes down to what we prefer.

She was used to these sort of looks. They didn’t come so often anymore, not as long as she avoided the Shroud. Limsa, after all, had never been racist to her in the way the Wildwoods were. Here, Ojene was an irregularity- a spectacle. But by now a familiar one. And in the days of adventurers, she was no longer the La Noscean rarity she once was. But still, she stood out. As part of the flow, Ojene walked, just another body milling her way through sweeping Limsan bridges. The younger, the faster, the unencumbered passed her, circling by as her cane tapped against wood and stone. So it was, that a Sea Wolf stepped around her. A red bandana splashed over the woman’s deep brown hair, clashing with the ragged jerkin that hung from her shoulders. She shot a glance at Ojene as she passed… and her eyes narrowed. Ojene knew that look. Her hand tensed on the head of her cane. But the Sea Wolf didn’t pause, didn’t stop. With a nose-wrinkling sneer, she whipped away and strode a little faster until she vanished into the crowds. Huh. I wonder if she was from Gloam. It was a reasonable thought, Ojene presumed. The rap of her cane quickened as she changed her direction for a path a little more populated. Rumors flew like birds sometimes, and it seemed like far more people than she’d care to say had caught wind of that ludicrously tall middle-aged Duskwight who’d turned a Maelstrom hearing on its head. Or at least, who’d tried her best to do so. The response wasn’t all great. That was to be expected, when you stepped up to defend an unpopular Commodore from the accusations of adventurers who’d never had to make the sorts of calls he did. But adventurers were capricious creatures. Their hatred would burn and flare, then vanish, puffing out on the wind when the next big thing drifted their way. If they’d ever questioned themselves, Ojene would never know. But their actions too often did not seem like the sort taken by people who put great thought into the greater ramifications to come. If they had, they’d likely have done some things differently. Or perhaps they’d never have sought the Commodore’s blood, for they’d have understood the instability their actions could bring. Commodore Haelstrymm. As she made for the Coral Tower, her eyes lit upon the back of a massive Roegadyn with a bald patch in the back, and for a tremulous flash she wondered if it was him. But when he turned his head, his features were all different- a scarred cheek. A broken nose. And Ojene couldn’t deny the tingle of relief that spread through her bones. The former Commodore would want to talk to her, she suspected. And she would be duty-bound to engage in conversation. To stand before him. To hear what he had to say. Maybe he’d thank her. Commend her. Maybe he wouldn’t. She’d probably find out, in the days to follow. It wasn’t a bad thing. Nay, it was a mark, perhaps, of how far she’d come. But something about the thought sent an unease roiling beneath her skin, one with an origin she couldn’t quite place. Duty. She’d done her duty. That was the important part. And without a moment’s hesitation, she’d do it again. As Ojene stepped into the Maelstrom offices in the Coral Tower, the bookkeeper sitting at the front desk looked up with a smile. The uniformed soldiers standing nearby did too. She was becoming known, it seemed. And here, amongst the Grand Company she’d sworn to defend, the rumors were apparently good. “Miss Suinuet, back again.” “Yes.” She stopped before him, both hands laid atop the head of her cane. “Is Second Commander Holskstymm in?” “Nay, nay.” The bookkeeper pushed back his narrow spectacles with one finger. “He left on business this morn.” “Ah.” Ojene reached into the sturdy pouch at her side. “That’s fine. Just see this delivered to him when he returns.” Out she pulled a sealed letter, the hardened wax seal freshly cooled. The parchment crinkled as the man took it. “I will. Does that mean we’ll be seeing you round here more often?” Ojene paused. And she flashed the bookkeeper a wry smile. Rumors. “Yes,” she said. “I quite expect it does.” It was a peculiar sensation that washed over her as she stepped back out into the Limsan sun. An end of an era, but the beginning of something new. Miss Suinuet she would be no longer. At least not here. Legalman Suinuet, Storm Sergeant to the Maelstrom, now that was a title to say. Shit. She was going to have to practice her salute.

Our stance on Serpent Reavers? 8D

"Ojene!" Ojene turned on a heel- then huffed a laugh. In the middle of the bridge she stopped, not but a couple hundred fulms from stepping into Maelstrom Command proper. “Tetesi. I didn’t know you were back in Limsa.” “Course I were.” The sun-grown freckles sprinkled over Tetesi Tei’s face lost themselves in the grooves of her ocean-worn skin- the breadth of her grin drove deep the wrinkles age and ocean air had wrought in her otherwise smooth Lalafellian face. “Been here, ohhhh, for a good fortnight or so. Figured I’d look yeh up, see what yeh was doin’ these days. Well, turn me sideways an’ roll me up, fancy my surprise when I hear yeh was involved with one particular case.” “Tetesi.” The Lalafell spread her hands wide. “Ojene Suinuet, Raven of fuckin’ Ala Mhigo, defender of weak an’ shiverin’ an’ particularly grimy lookin’ beggars what covered themselves in muck ter lure a few more gil out o’ yeh- defendin’ the fuckin’ Butcher o’ Gloam!” “What.” “Butcher o’ Gloam! Ring to it yes? Yes? No?” Her still-brown eyebrows waggled up and down with a pace to match the sly curl in her smile. Down at her old friend, Ojene glared. With a sharp tsk, she started walking. “Come with me.” “What! What’d I say?” But Ojene said nothing more- she led them away from the heart of Maelstrom Command, across the wooden bridges, and to a particular spot amongst the rise of gleaming limestone paths that overlooked the Mizzenmast. Quiet. Neutral. The Duskwight rested both hands on the head of her cane as she stopped, settling against the cool stone wall behind her. She closed her eyes. “Is it the teasin’? Yeh always did get so uppity bout the teasin’, I suppose I could call ‘im the Half Right Bastard o’ Gloam, but then that implies he were from th’ place, an’ that’s not quite right, mmmm...” “Commodore Haelstrymm is not a good man.” Ojene’s voice snapped through Tetesi’s musing- the Lalafell stopped short, one finger pressed to her chin. “He is sadistic, vengeful, and well known for his brutal punishments. But he is a brilliant strategist- a dutiful commander- and a man of law. I would be remiss if I did not carry out my duty to its fullest extent and give him every chance to demonstrate his potential innocence instead of simply assuming his guilt.” “Ojene-” “No, you’re going to listen. I’m tired of people assuming that because I threw myself into his defense, I obviously overlook the rest of his thrice-damned character. I liked the ruling. He can’t be proven to have done anything wrong, I tried- but it’s indisputable that distance has given him looser reins than might be wise. Take him away from Gloam! Remove him from that place of authority over them! Keep an eye on him so he doesn’t act like a brutal shite! But don’t cast him down in a military hearing simply because he made a call you didn’t like!” Tetesi blinked. The wide smile she wore so often, like a familiar glove, had ripped apart. One stubby hand shoved a lock of white hair from her eyes, but the sea breeze flung it back. “So... it’s a no on th’ Half Right Bastard o’ Gloam, then?” With a grating noise, Ojene pinched the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. “All right, all right, I’m kiddin’! Sheesh. I was jus’ surprised. Yeh know. I’d’ve thought yeh would have been more interested in... questionin’ the Commodore instead o’ givin’ half a courtroom the plank.” Tales had apparently spread. Little surprise. Ojene shifted her hands on the head of her cane, one cheek puckering. “It’s because it was the right thing to do. As I saw it. Most everyone was interested only in seeing the Commodore burn because their personal feelings told them so. Their bias, their impressions, their... characters. I had to make sure a different story was told. I didn’t make anything up, Tetesi. It was all already there. And you interrupted me as I was about to deliver the report I spent all morning writing up on the illegal activities of adventurers and, yes, Maelstrom officers, who had the gall to stand there in a court and accuse the Commodore of wrongdoing without even an onze of the integrity it takes to admit to their own damn crimes.” “...I see. All righ’.” Tetesi nodded. “Suppose I’ll let yeh get back to that. But after. Drinks.” “...If I get a chance.” “Pah! Stick in the mud til the end. I’ll be expectin’ yeh!” ---------------------------------------------------------- This wasn’t a job she enjoyed. Well. There was some pleasure in it. Uncovering lies. Delivering truth. Fighting past obfuscation and deception. Standing up for a cause she believed in. Yes. But as Ojene strode as straightbacked as always into Maelstrom Command and reached into the sturdy sleeve at her side, there was a certain bittersweetness to the folders beneath her fingertips. They were thick. Too thick, too long, heavy with the weight of words and ink, spilled over to record every last bit she could. To ensure these crimes could not be ignored. There were many. And the doers had been eager to fling round blame, turning on people they’d decreed as friends. Perhaps it is what that sort of life wrought. A life of deception. Those tended to be short. The day would be long from here. Reports to deliver. Testimony to provide. But she was prepared. She would stand up and deliver it as long and as well as she could. The fruits of her investigation- as cindered and rotten as they might be. It was her duty, after all. ---------------------------------------------------------- OOC: For the reference of all players involved, what follows is a summary of the crimes or missteps described in Ojene's reports. Any value judgments or first-person statements are written from Ojene’s IC frame of mind. All assertions are backed up with corroborating evidence of some manner. If you have any questions feel free to bug me! (Former) Lieutenant W’chaza Yheli Allowed a romantic relationship with a woman from Gloam (Leanne Delphium), to compromise her. Her own testimony states she pursued what Leanne wanted, instead of considering her own duty as a Maelstrom officer. This includes when former Lieutenant Yheli “forgot” to get her superiors’ approval for the treaty she sought to forment between Limsa and Gloam, until the substance was already in place. Accomplice to the mutiny of the Sultana’s Revenge. Testimony states she did nothing to stop the mutiny, committed by one Leanne Delphium. Not in words, nor action. Additionally, she failed to report the truth of what happened. Not only did she leave out Leanne entirely, but she attempted to drop the blame on Osric Melkire instead… who had tried to prevent the mutiny altogether. Failed to report the murderer of Jenny Hellfist, despite knowing who was responsible for the crime. Instead, she pressured Lieutenant Zanzan Yanzan to report, not for any lawful purpose, but to attempt to clear S’imba Tia’s name. Was aware of S’imba Tia’s alleged plan to summon a primal, but made no attempt to stop or report this plan. In fact, by her own testimony, she went along with it willingly. Leanne Delphuim Led the Sultana’s Revenge in mutiny after Captain Torrael gave the ship to its First Mate Osric Melkire and former Lieutenant W’chaza Yheli, to be brought back to Limsa for decommissioning. Verbally threatened the lives of both Commodore Haelstrymm and myself, before witnesses, after the events of Haelstrymm’s hearing. Failed to report the murderer of Jenny Hellfist, despite knowing who was responsible for the crime. Instead, she pressured Lieutenant Zanzan Yanzan to report, not for any lawful purpose, but to attempt to clear S’imba Tia’s name. Osric Melkire There is little else I have on Osric that hasn’t already been revealed in official documents or during Commodore Haelstrymm’s hearing. He is responsible for the auxiliary fleet at the Battle of Gloam never learning of the Maelstrom’s withdrawal. Whatever reason he may have done it, it is clear he betrayed the very people he’d pretended to protect. Chakha Hotgo Again, there is little else on Chakha that hasn’t already been revealed. She confessed to the murder of Jenny Hellfist, and has been taken into custody of her own volition. Through conversation with Chakha, it is clear she feels no remorse for that murder, or, it seems any murder. Not only did she speak of it without regret, but she offered to kill two more people throughout the course of the conversation, completely unbidden. She is obviously extremely dangerous, and quite likely to murder again if given the chance. Despite complications to her sentencing, neutralizing this threat to innocent civilians is highly recommended. Lieutenant Zanzan Yanzan Failed to report the murderer of Jenny Hellfist, despite knowing who was responsible for the crime. The perpetrator was close to him, so he chose to harbour her. He was clearly aware of her murderous, if not psychopathic disposition, but yet he was desperate to keep her from receiving any meaningful punishment. In fact, he offered to give up the information only if some promise of pardon or protection was granted. This is directly opposed to his duty as a Maelstrom officer. Any subsequent murders committed by Chakha Hotgo could be considered his fault. Was aware of S’imba Tia’s alleged plan to summon a primal, but made no attempt to stop or report this plan. In fact, by his own testimony, he went along with it willingly. Captain Qara Hotgo Failed to report the murderer of Jenny Hellfist, despite knowing who was responsible for the crime. The perpetrator is her sister, so she chose to harbor a known murderer. She was clearly aware of her murderous, if not psychopathic disposition, but yet she did not seem to understand that this sort of behavior should be punished. In fact, she was quite reticent to see her sister receive anything but a pardon. As a Maelstrom Captain, this is absolutely unbecoming and unlawful behavior. Any subsequent murders committed by Chakha Hotgo could be considered her fault. Former Captain Anstarra Silverain A witness report of Anstarra’s attempted murder of Captain Torrael (and the actual murder of the two Maelstrom soldiers who served as her guards) was already provided the night of the incident. Therefore, there is little reason to rehash the event. It is noted, however, that Anstarra professed to be a friend of S’imba Tia. It is clear she was compromised by her involvement with him. It is perhaps a failure of mine that I did not realize how much, even though my contact with her was relatively brief. After committing murder, she did provide the recordings she had in her possession, but only after an offer to protect S’imba was mentioned. Former (?) Captain S’imba Tia While the true murderer of Jenny Hellfist came forward, no dissenting information has yet emerged regarding the two other charges Captain Torrael presented to him on the Sultana’s Revenge. As far as I am aware, he is still guilty of them. Information regarding S’imba Tia’s attempt at summoning a primal came to light during Commodore Haelstrymm’s hearing. Maelstrom officers (Zanzan) present at the hearing disagreed, stating it was simply a ploy. This belies the fact that S’imba Tia admitted to misleading Maelstrom officers about his intentions- he stated that he knew the Maelstrom would never go along with his plan, so he lied about it. Hard evidence to prove one way or the other, however, would be ideal. It shall be noted that in his own testimony, and in the testimonies of others, S’imba Tia was acknowledged to be someone who draws other people’s guilt on himself like a martyr- stating he did things that he did not in fact do in effort to protect others. This means, there is a possibility the Maelstrom officers involved did know of the plan to its full extent. It is therefore my recommendation that this be followed up on, for it has great import not only on the collective crimes of S’imba Tia, but on the actions of our own officers.

Ojene for Shiv Seen That Twist Coming!

Ojene for Styrmm's End!

Ojene will also be there. ;3

Ojene for Hawker's Alley Harmony!

MY FRIENDS I really don't know anything about reptiles, that's ridiculous. HOW COULD YOU. Libel!

I'm keeping an eye out for you lot, but feel free to poke me if you see me first. <3

Yaaaay welcome! I am excited for all the things.

Hey, no problem! Just poke me if you see me around- I'm logged in most evenings. If I'm AFK at the time, I might just be doing something else with the chat window visible to me. Or otherwise, I'll be back with you as soon as I get back.

Amgerd, I am so doing this.