No Longer Exists

*looks at your post count* Yes, yes it was:thumbsup: I actually do believe popularity is being based on post count, and who many people reply to your posts/topics. I have 205, been a member since.....good god. Is that accurate?? And my rep is right around Casden's.....I feel like that argument is invalid. If you break it down mathematically, 205 divided by 18 months is roughly 11 1/2 posts per month. Roughly 3 posts per week as an average. You have 420 since February. That's 140 a month at an average rate of 35 posts per week or 5 posts a day ( DID MATH WRONG ). So you must be more popular than me, even though I've been a member longer?

*looks at your post count* Yes, yes it was:thumbsup: I actually do believe popularity is being based on post count, and who many people reply to your posts/topics. I have 205, been a member since.....good god. Is that accurate?? And my rep is right around Casden's.....I feel like that argument is invalid. If you break it down mathematically, 205 divided by 18 months is roughly 11 1/2 posts per month. Roughly 3 posts per week as an average. You have 420 since February. That's 140 a month at an average rate of 35 posts per week or 7 posts a day. So you must be more popular than me, even though I've been a member longer?

I am skeptical about this topic, given how the rant thread became a colossal waste of time. However, I am yet again the example against the notion that cliques, popularity, etc are worthy of being demonized. As such, I feel I should at least sound off once on this subject. Understand, dear reader, that because of yesterday's nonsense, even I am reluctant to engage in discussions at this point and I LOVE to talk. At any rate, on to the point.

I will no longer be participating in this discussion. Not because I am ignoring the issue, but because I am disappointed with the bend it has now taken. I am ashamed of some of the people who have posted in these last few pages. Honestly ashamed, as an RPer, as a member of this community, and as a human being. You've taken it too far. There is a line between radicalism and pushing your viewpoint on other people. This thread, in my opinion, has escalated so quickly to that level with posts that repeat the exact same mantra, over and over again ad nauseum and it has begun to feel less like constructive criticism and a call to action but more like picketing until we get what we want. Earlier today, I put a thread in "Making Connections" with a silly name that had nothing to do with the topic INTENTIONALLY to see what would happen and if anyone was actually looking. I promised that anyone who posted there would be responded to within 24 hours and RP would happen. The individuals who have been lobbying for "newbie interaction" made no attempt to post in it nor (I would guess) did they look. I received nearly 10 responses from other members of the community though and we've made plans to get together to RP. My Rep is currently 25ish, not very high. My post count is also not very high. My RP attempt in Town Hall was largely observed but ignored. I FEEL that certain individuals in this thread should be ashamed of themselves. That is all.

*Peeks out from under his hat* Actually, the red names indicate members that have DONATED to enhance the RPC website because we love it and appreciate it. It is not payment or subscription at all and grants no grandiose privileges. Everything is illustrated in FreelanceWizard's Patreon page about the donation system. Cheers! -Black Hat

Huh! What a wonderful term! I've never heard it before until this very moment. lol Thanks for clearing that up!

Zhavi, do you mean Critique? cri·tique kriˈtēk/Submit noun 1. a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory. synonyms: analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, appreciation, criticism, review, study, commentary, exposition, exegesis "a critique of North American culture" verb verb: critique; 3rd person present: critiques; past tense: critiqued; past participle: critiqued; gerund or present participle: critiquing 1. evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way. "the authors critique the methods and practices used in the research"

*Peeks out from under the hat....again* While I applaud the bandying of fresh ideas on how to alter the current course, I cannot in good conscience sit back on this particular piece of the discussion either. Doing away with the reputation system, temporarily or not, for any reason would be a monumental step back, in my not so humble opinion. Here's why I think so. 1> The proper use of the reputation system is not in actual jeopardy, a small number has mentioned that they've been given props for being a dick (Oooo, I used a cussword) and we who are not moderators need to keep in mind that this is their perspective on why they received props. The props are given by a third party for that individual's reason and it may say "I'm glad you said that" but whose to say the individual meant to applaud being a dick or the point that was being made? Also, from a statistical standpoint, the rep system is by and large used appropriately so if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Focus. 2> Limiting the usage to IC only would sooner turn the system into a waste of bytes than it would promote IC writing and damage the communities open, transparent ability to appreciate one another. 3> Some folks have been here for a long time, some have made a significant impact on the community in a short period and that is currently obvious with the rep system. Removing it to "level the playing field" is tantamount to stripping all level 50s of their gear in game and mailing everyone on every server i55 gear so no one is better and we're all the same. Those who have made the effort to engage, to inspire, to plan, to implement, and sometimes even to bring a bit of rationale back to an irrational issue, have nothing to show for it. The rep system is not elitism, it's recognition for a job well done and a clear indicator of movers, shakers, and positive members within the community. Doing away with it to placate anyone is, essentially, wrong on a level I cannot even accurately describe without using the term "rude".

As Erik's personal physician, Doc Oak would be remiss if not attending to make certain that he reaches an acceptable level of inebriation that allows for all manner of stories to be told the day after as he hands out cure-alls for subsequent hangovers.

That's perfectly peachy by me, we'll make a stab at meeting up in the next week or so then! Thanks for getting in touch!

It's not so much a "first come, first serve." situation as it is a "Who do I find IG at any given time." lol. Like, I'll be free much of the next few hours and IG so I'll catch whoever happens to be on.

Berrod and Alothia! Good to hear from you guys! Berrod, no worries! Plenty of time to run into each other at GS when he's all better, though Oak's professional advice for recovery will always be "Man Up." Alothia! I'll do my best to catch you sometime soon.

LOL, Poor Kage! Doctor Oak will most definitely make it to the next Grindstone, so I look forward to the two crossing paths either by blood spilled or happenstance.

We shall definitely cross paths!

You got it, good man! I don't advertise alts, lol. Healer talk would be most welcome! Yours and Doomy's posts coincide, so we should brainstorm on a "Medic's night out" type of thing!

This post is in regards to all the concerns posted in the recent complaint/rant/thing here! Call it a social experiment, if you will. Call it "put your money where your mouth is", if you like. If you want to roleplay, it doesn't matter who you are; Big or small, short or tall, shy or outspoken, post here and I give you my solemn word that I will contact you within 24 hours and we will do our best to find a way to RP. It can be as simple as watching people run by on the Ruby Road, beer in hand, saying "Yep" every now and then. I don't care! Choose your form of RP: In Game: IG Town Hall Thread: THT Forum Private Message: FPM (obv!) "But Hatter? Y U DO DIS?" Well, Sherman: (PEABODY REFERENCE, PEOPLE!) I have free time for the next month before my schedule shifts dramatically for the summer and I love all your e-faces, plus it'll be intriguing to see just how much action this post gets. FOR SCIENCE! >.> Sorta. Cheers! -Black Hat

I wanted to post towards this just because I know I am one of the major people who post/spam the Compliment/Ban the person above you thread. I don't want anyone to think such threads are there to add post count. In truth, they are there for me to entertain myself during slow hours at work. I sit and read the forums often but, some posts (which this thread has been about) keep me from posting responses. *rolls off to work now* This part was more in reference to the concern over "popularity" and "cliques", it's no one's fault. Some of us loiter on the forum for fun and we DO generate a high post-count, especially those who participate in these playful convo threads. It -does- create a perception that there are cliques involved though, which lends credence to certain concerns in earlier pages. I'm not saying you should stop. I have no solution to that particular issue. I only mention it because I too made that assumption at first glance.

*Yawns, peeking out from under the hat again* Tis morning, so I greet you all with fresh eyes and a sluggish mind. Let's see if I can keep the word count down this time. (I failed, you've been warned.) I see a lot of "Don't take it personally" statements and that is sadly not good enough. We are complex organisms with an even more complex emotional system embedded in our brains, we will take things personally for a thousand reasons that seem like sheer poppycock (love that word) to others around us. The variable is in the word-spew. Some, like myself, generally do not release the kraken from our minds and find personal ways to resolve whatever is making us feel salty. Others look to outside sources. However, just like none of us have the capacity to control the weather, we cannot control the emotional responses of others. Unless you develop superpowers. So really, statements like "People need thicker skin" and "Don't take it personally" are wasted words. -I- think that better statements would be "People SHOULD take a step back from any altercation and think it through before posting" and "Be respectfully open to the opinions and feelings of others". That's just me. I'm a hat. NEXT! I feel the desire to point out that buzzwords like "toxic" actually damage these conversations. Psychologically, the colors red and green trigger stimuli in our minds that tell us human critters that we're hungry. Neat, right? This happens with words too and more often than not, it is the lynchpin in the lynch mob. Group mentality feeds on buzzwords to take a "temperature" of a situation. So I'd like to suggest that while we discuss the state of affairs here in our beloved forum, we do our utmost to avoid buzzwords. I know, I know. tl;dr. But give it a try, watch the perceived tone of the conversation change. NEXT!! I adore all your little voices (Buzzword, see what I did there? I bet some of you went "Little? .....prick") but in reality, we're all little voices in a large room. Consider that analogy and some of the perceived concerns about cliques might become clear. Some little voices are heard by more, some little voices are drowned out. This is normal, this is natural. Everyone cannot be heard all the time, all we can do is try to listen more acutely. NEXT!!! While the compliment thread and silly threads are cute and funny, they are not team-building or community inspiring. They're like 80 pages long (I may be exaggerating) and when you tl;dr something that long, you skim for points. When skimming reveals six to seven of the same names in a revolving blur over and over and over and over again, a theory is born out of perception. Is anyone at fault? No. Perhaps it might be time to excise the super-old pages? I dunno. I don't post in them because I personally do not feel that they add anything to my experience. NEXT!!!! This is a two-parter about participation. Bear with me. First, I took time and effort to write two fantastically absurd tales about Captain Seishuku and post them to the forum RP section. I labeled it "Open". No one engaged the thread. How did that make me feel? Pretty damn shitty. I was hurt, because I went into it thinking "This should be great for a lark, it's funny, it's absurd, and it'll get my crazy character out there." and I walked out of it going "....what a waste of time. Maybe no one likes my character concept." So I poked around the town hall for other thread RP to get into and as indicated in the above section, I found gobs of long threads that either were labeled "closed" or had weird time period lengths like two months between posts. So I stopped looking at Town Hall. I gave up. Second, I spent at least a month wandering around RP events trying to engage people in RP. With the exception of the one Grindstone event I threw the Captain into, I walked away from that experience thinking "Maybe, it IS my character." And frankly, Warren was the only one at the Grindstone that actually gave the Captain the time of day, Gods bless him. The Arbiter, busy doing event moderation, took time to chat, answer questions, and joke a little bit. Second, part two. I've had Zealous Oak at three Grindstones so far, that's the only RP event other than the masquerade ball that Oak's been in and the masquerade ball was so delightfully cliquey that it actually felt like High School. (High School was 20 years ago for me, people. Just a point of reference.) So much so that I laughed at my screen and spent the next hour participating in the moogle circle instead. The Grindstone, Oak's been part of the healer platoon which allows for sporadic, brief moments of RP between duels. What's most notable about these events though? The first grindstone, Oak was treated like a medbot. HEAL HIM. HEAL HER. OKAY, GO TO YOUR NEXT MATCH, PEOPLE. Which was entertaining, but made me feel less like an RPer and more like a utility. The second Grindstone, some of the healers talked a little bit about their skills and I got to illustrate Oak's devotion to the mythos of Conjury. YAY ME. That felt good. The third Grindstone, Vahl'Sae (Sorry if I butcher the name) actually stopped and complimented Oak's new robe. Awesome! Later, he had a few brief conversations with combatants and took some time out to further heal one's wounds before the next round started. You might be wondering why I'm rambling on about this? Well, I'm illustrating to everyone that involvement isn't instantaneous, it takes time and effort. Unless you're flamboyant like Reddard (Yes, Kudos for being amazingly outlandish), PLEASE be patient and stay involved. Cheers! -Black Hat

*Peeks out from under his hat* I'll make this brief....or as brief as I can. Since the dawn of the MMO scene's "Roleplaying Community", contention has been present. There was once a time more than a decade ago where the community itself would rise up and say "Quit it" and issues would be halted by the sheer desire not to be ostracized for being a "insert your chosen expletive here". Like all good things, this came to an end as MMOs became more widely used. Without getting too political or sociological (and please, read this as evenly as possible) new paradigms have joined in the once sleepy culture of RPers. Most notably, the entitled gamer. I've said my piece on this before in various threads. These are where a lot of opposition stems from, because they personally have a clear-cut view that their opinion is key and anyone not on board is actually assaulting their lifestyle. Okay, so...this isn't going to be brief after all. There is no true and right answer to this condition, because it is a matter of respect and morality which in our current age is murky at best. Many of us just want to have a good time, play and smile and log off. Some live and die by the pixellated sword and become so emotionally invested in it that it becomes who they are and we all know what happens when someone disagrees with the core of a person, group, or established method of thinking. Violent (See: Verbally Abusive) response is the desperate act of a cornered critter and challenging an individual's entire being (in this case, the game that they devote themselves to) is tantamount to murdering their household pet in front of them. I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, just that it is....in their perspective. Others just like to push people, it's enjoyable to them and this is where trolls come from (generally speaking). Some trolls only do it for the, as they put it, lulz and mean no actual ill will beyond being a prat for the sake of laughing at another person's misery. The solution? There isn't one that I can tell, unless we change the way we deal with these behaviors. I have watched this behavior swallow roleplaying chats, forums, and MMOs for at least a decade now and what's left eventually is we resilient few who just keep playing for the sake of RPing surrounded by a horde of bickering trolls and sensitive types, telling a story to each other and logging off. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away, it only removes it from your immediate view. In the words of George Carlin (May he rest in peace): Scientists say they have found a cure for apathy. However, they claim that no one has the slightest interest in it. Cheers -Black Hat

*Peeks out from under the hat curiously* What...is this that you show us? Explain!

Welcome to the RPC, Glad to have you! More often than not, you can find me on either Captain Seishuku or my newest creation; Zealous Oak! Feel free to look me up in player search and say hello!

Hmmmm, this gives me an idea.....I MUST CHECK THE VAULT OF BODIES. (Yes, it's as creepy as it sounds) *Digs through alts*

The Captain is nothing like me, with one exception, we're both capable of being verbose. I wrote him intentionally to be nothing like me, but a way for me to express my aptitude for wordsmithing. Oh, and I suppose we have the same attention span cause once I get bored, He gets bored.

TOO BAD. GET DUNKED ON, SON. Drat! *Spends the next few days coming up with incredibly illogical reasons for not fighting in the Grindstone*