No Longer Exists

I wish I could do more, but this is going to be a first come, first serve thing. First FC that can afford it and responds gets the plot.

Now that the housing argument has settled down some, I've decided to do the unthinkable! Hullo! Black Hat here *Tips said hat* I bought a small personal house, because I could but it's brought me no joy. I decorated it, I ran around it for a while, I tried my hand at gardening and training my chocobo but frankly? That's not what this game is about to me. I sincerely wish I could do this for more folks, especially considering all the disappointment surrounding personal housing. SO, without further ado! Do NOT reply to this thread with discussions about the housing system. Ain't nobody got time for that. DO respond to this thread if you're part of an FC that can afford to buy a plot. FCs only, please. I think I'd like to feel some small joy at giving one of those FCs who wanted a house but couldn't get to the plots fast enough during the patch rush.....a place to call home. Cheers, folks. -Black Hat

Sounds neat! Blackhattery is mine!

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Loving the reference. This looks like fun!

That's amazing, Berrod. I tend to look at personalizing aspects of storylines as "fluff" for the overarching theme. ( I -did- mention that I have a wide scope of view a moment ago. ) I do agree that it's highly rewarding to see your troupe or group of friends just run away with the story. Entertaining, especially. That might be deep water for Hornet to start swimming in though. Regardless, this is sound advice for any aspiring teller of tales. Great post! Now breathe, don't die on us.

Hullo! *Tips Hat* In MMOs, most RPers are reactive players and there are valid reasons for this. A lot of us just want to have fun in the brief hours we can devote to the game and as I was recently made aware by Verad (whom I thank for the enlightening perspective on community), those hours one can spend playing are precious to most of us. I admit to often looking widely at things and therefore miss the details but between that conversation and this post, I'm seeing more clearly what that all means. Some folks have the drive and time to be active RPers, which is an amazing quality. Building a storyline, coordinating, scheduling, etc, takes time and effort on the party of the player. While "active" isn't really the word I'd use (proactive maybe, but that's also kind of a misnomer), it does define the concept well and I thank you for that as well. From many years of experience storytelling (writing, tabletop, MMO, and chat-based, specifically), I find the best way to build a plot is to think about your character. Plot-hooks can be personal or impersonal based on even the tiniest detail that you've built into your character. Seeking a family connection (either by recovery of an heirloom or just searching for clues) can make for a fun story or even something as basic as deciding your adventurer wants to get back to the root of adventuring and starts patrolling the countryside can lead to an inspirational story about highwaymen (and maybe a fun combat scene where she and her friends raid the Corpse Brigade hideout near Little Ala Mihgo) or saving a town from a beast tribe skirmish (the latter takes a lot more personalized involvement). Sometimes, it's even as simple as internalizing a moral struggle (say, for example, She's feeling listless and looking for something to fight for.) will give you the inspiration you're looking for to further develop and bring that zest back. When I transferred Galen to Balmung, I struggled with getting into the RP here. Not because I was reactive, but because I couldn't reason with the basis that Galen knew so many characters on Gilgamesh and now he was just starting out again on Balmung. After almost an entire week of agonizing over it, I found my stroke of brilliance. Galen's personal story now is that he remembers everyone he knew and is struggling with being in a world he knows but is devoid of the thirty some people he associated with. They don't exist here and that's shaken him quite a bit. His home is gone, his free company doesn't exist (so he glomped onto a new one) and all the free company headquarters he used to visit to see his friends have strangers living in them. This influences the way I RP him now. He says odd things about how "it used to be" and he feels sorrow when something reminds him of the people he remembers but don't exist. He's even begun to research the aetherical probability of alternate universe and parallel dimensions just to give himself some peace of mind that he's not insane. A sense of comfort that everything he knows isn't some delusion. It's given the character such a fresh twist that I'm dancing like Snoopy about it. Where once he was a self-assured business mogul and mage, now he's teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown and grasping for shreds of normalcy...all hidden behind his eyes. Back on topic, the best advice is don't sweat the small stuff. Pick something that inspires YOU and talk to your friends about it, then get in there and make it happen. All you need is: An idea you love, a goal, a way to reach that goal. And remember, It's all in good fun! Cheers! -Black Hat

Hullo! Before I go any further in repeating what's already been said, let me say this. You were not and are not wrong. There's nothing inherently bad about choosing a randomly generated name and you did your research to try to understand what the name meant, that's a lot more than some players do. So please don't feel like you've been punished for your choice, that's a path of though that never feels good. I'd also like to applaud you for coming to the forum to talk about it. Great choice!:thumbsup: As to the content of your question, the best answer is the one you've already been given. Faye and Val are absolutely right. So make like a wiseguy and fuhgeddaboutit. Welcome to the game, welcome to the RPC and most importantly, have a great time playing!

Without making a value judgment on the concept, the problem is that there's just no way to enforce that in open consensual RP (well, okay, there are ways, but none that are good). Ultimately, control of your character in a consensual RP environment belongs to you and you alone. The only time you cede any control is when you join a group of other RPers, and even then you can take that right back by leaving. Essentially, yes and no. While as said previously, there's nothing wrong with saying "I do not consent", it comes with its own issues. History being doomed to repeat itself, if you will. There's consent and then there's being wishy-washy. Optimally, if you're committing an open crime visible to the public at large, you're consenting to having the cops called on you. There's no valid precedent for being offended that you got busted for stealing someone's stuff, especially not with your hand in the cookie jar (hypothetically.) It's not about enforcement, but the evolution of roleplaying. The only way to keep it fresh and exciting is to be open to the excitement. Eventually, as evidenced myriad times before, we're all going to turn disillusioned. Really think about that. Some RPers love the random chaos of interacting freely and letting the chips fall where they may. Many do not and if you survey the statistics, it's those who don't that quit out of boredom. Controlling every aspect gets stale. RPing under the same paradigm gets stale. End game content grinds get stale. It's all the same principle. What I mentioned in my brief utopian blurb was more of an offering of inspiration. We're already a community and we're all awesome, why don't we find that middling ground in the form of a community standard and expand rather than isolate ourselves? Course, if the general populace likes the status quo then there's your answer and the discussion is nicely moot. Taking risks with any situation, real or fictional, keeps things invigorating, broadens horizons. That's all. And this is all one Hat's perspective too. I'm humble enough to admit that I may be off the mark, I watch the forums and make these statements based on observations of patterns.

This is the opposite of my utopia and so it shall never come to pass. The crux of my point, Verad. Finding a meaningful compromise takes a backseat for the more personally motivated perspective to be the driver. What would your vision be?

Hello! *Tips Hat* Pardon the intrusion and the possibly flammable statement I'm about to make here. Please don't reply in anger, but give it a good moment or five to ruminate. I mean no ill will to anyone. This thread and the varying opinions of RPers in general is the intrinsic reason why, to use a meme, "we can't have nice things." Functionally, roleplaying can be solo (as we see in fan-fictions and personal stories written about our characters to provide depth) or roleplaying can be multiplayer (exemplified by RP-FCs, groups of friends, tabletop gaming groups and MMORPG <--- It's built into the term. RPG.) However, the individual tends to look at the "RPG" in MMORPG and forget all about the "MMO" or Massively Multiplayer Online. Inherently, you are entering a world, a universe, an entire existence in these games and these existences have something that happily parallels our reality. Rules. Laws. Established Heirarchy. Organizations. There is a standard of Order involved. Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone loves a Billy Badass (pardon my language). The criminal, the scallywag, the obnoxious rogue stealing all the loot that the rest of the party hasn't nailed down. Even that guy who hits first and asks questions later can be great fun. Keyword: can. But, I digress. Wouldn't it be awesome if we had an amorphous entity hovering over our heads during our individual daily lives in the really real world (there ain't no coming back.....we killed you dead, there ain't no coming back...*cough* FOCUS, HATTER!) that piloted us around and when something we didn't like happened or worse, something truly devastating was about to happen to us, that amorphous entity suddenly screamed "STOP! I do not allow this to happen." and your life was spared? Yeah, that would be pretty fantastic! I certainly think so! Does that happen? No. No, it does not. This is where RP communities on MMOs tend to break down. It happened on WoW after its golden age and I'm sure many of you have seen it happen on various other MMORPGs over the years. Have you ever wondered why these communities break down? I have. People quit. (Yep, definitely happens a lot for various reasons) RP stops being interesting and players turn toward the PvE. (Also happens often) Someone or a group of people alienates an individual or a group of individuals. (Common as well) I'm certain there are a lot of reasons for community breakdown but one absolute fact behind each and every one of them (sometimes even those who quit for "RL reasons") is simple: It stops being fun. Now, you can't please everyone and I don't expect anyone reading this to try. I do feel inclined to make this general statement though (Please don't hit me, Freelance). Exerting your own personalized control over a roleplaying environment where you, the individual, are a teensy weensy percentage of the community is what breaks that community down over time. It's a small leak in the dam that eventually creates a flood. Why did these golden ages of RP happen? Everyone involved worked together. To continue the WoW example mentioned previously, everyone conformed (OH NO, the dreaded C word!) to a model standard system. Those who didn't? They kept to themselves. Yes, there were many instances of community drama when one or a group tried to stray from the established paradigm for their own personal enjoyment but on the whole, we had ourselves a massively multiplayer online good time. So what I'm saying here is not "You're all wrong." More like "You're all half-right." If you met someone you thought was the coolest person in the world, loved them for who they were and spent months getting to know them only to have a mugger walk up to the two of you and pop a cap in their head. You'd be traumatized. If that happened and a split second before the trigger was pulled, God (or flying spaghetti monster depending on your preference) bellowed down from above "I DO NOT CONSENT", I think you'd be pretty traumatized too regardless of the joy that your friend is still alive. While that never happens within the awareness of your characters, it does take some of the drama out of the character's development when you're stacking the deck as a player. If the game mechanics and lore (something we've all talked about at great length) determine that your level 2 Archer gets one-shot killed running across Northern Thanalan, it's safe to say that somebody could really mess up your character's day by running down the husting's strip and shin-kicking them for no apparent reason. Part of the thrill of living (especially living as an adventurer) is the sensation that you could die stepping out the Gates of Nald. So why doesn't that apply to RP? Personal preference. And it's a double edged sword. Yes, it sucks when someone named Fartsmasher Pandabutt announces that they drive their sword through your character's skull just to be a douchenozzle. Yes, there are times when you want to be Billy Badass. Why can't Billy Badass be something your character earns rather than something you "control" into an outcome Out of Character? My utopian vision would be a community of RPers (such as this one) that doesn't tell each other "I dictate what happens to my character." Where IC actions have universal IC consequences (like Law Enforcement involvement, cause really.....really? Limsa may be Tortuga, but I still see Yellowjackets all over the streets, people.) and players think "OH crap. I got myself into this situation, now I need to think of an IN CHARACTER way out" instead of "I don't like this. You can't tell me what to do." Naturally, there are some necessary exclusions to this process. I would happily ignore Fartsmasher Pandabutt if he tried to kill Galen, but that's really the extremist situation. I can understand the imposition of environmental alterations (as discussed in another thread about the one group's story where Ul'dah's water supply being poisoned) but on a "I fought the law and told the law's players they couldn't stop me." aspect, it's quite a different animal. Then again, what do I know? I'm a mad Hatter.

Argh! I had a brainfart! Thursday is Guardians of the Galaxy! IF I make it to the tavern night, it'll be way late and probably brief. If not, it'll have to be next week.

Hey Hey You know me from Lukas way back when and while I've created the linkshell for the intellectual consortium (of sorts!), I'm still fiddling with the write-up for what it does and will do and whatnot! As soon as I'm ready, an invite shall be yours but before that; Galen and I will see you and the rest of HoD at the tavern night so I has an IC reason to make that connection! Cheers! -Black Hat

I wish I would've noticed this earlier! What an awesome idea, guys!

Hello Hello! Black Hat Here! I've been thinking about a "Mage Specific" LS along the lines of what Mippa created on Gilgamesh, it was a smashingly great idea and I wonder if it will work for Balmung even better. If you want an idea of what I'm talking about then take a look here I doubt I'd use the same name, but the premise would be the same. An IC linkshell for the aetherical and intellectual (so as not to exclude you alchemists out there) and perhaps even work some events up surrounding the conclave. I know there are a handful of mage-centric FCs, but perhaps this might help bridge those FCs a bit. Course, I have to rekindle my passion for the game in order to do this. I've a bit of the end-game blues now that Galen's i99, but I'm sure it'll clear up quickly. Cheers! -Black Hat

Greetings! Black Hat here with some mildly stormy brain-things! (It's 6:30am, what do you want from me?) Galen, I play as a "sage" and I do this because of the way his progression and his story have come about. Primarily, for PvE, he runs about as a BLM slinging spells but in RP, he's not so fond of dropping PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWAH down on people's heads. It's just rude. However, through RP, he's studied both Conjury and Thaumaturgy. Arcanimae is too much math for his liking (Alas, never an Archmage), BUT! It has caused me to consider this very question before and so I give you my gilded answer! I believe one could have a fundamental understanding of the basic elementals through conjury with some training. One doesn't necessarily need to be a thaumaturge to have aetherical talent, so being "sensitive" would make sense. While the game touts the three DoM classes and four DoM jobs as stand alone (With the exception of Arcanists SCH and SMR), the lore roots aren't that different. And for those wishing to branch out in RP between the two diametrically opposed classes, Galen has learned how to "shift" his aether from one pole to the other. While he doesn't lose his knowledge of all things aetheric in doing so, he loses access to the specific "signatures" of Thaumaturgy when his aether reserve is polarized toward Conjury and vice versa. Thus, I couldn't RP him casting Cure spells with one hand and slinging Flare with the other because that would be silly. Aether-shifting, like any other useful ability, takes time to master and usually takes what I consider a "turn" or 1 action to activate much like Thaumaturgy's Transpose. Also note that it could be said that Arcanimae is the bridge between the two, as evidenced by the cross-class abilities available to us spellslingers. Hope that helps! Cheers! -Black Hat

I play an i99 BLM and I've yet to branch out into Coil at all, I can feasibly be available and would love to get involved. Recently transferred to Balmung from Gilgamesh, so I don't know a lot of folks yet.

Welcome back, Kheda! I think I wandered into Gilgamesh halfway through your absence so also, Hullo! Everything's died down a bit, some folks have left the scene and even the game, but it's also summertime! So I'm sure people will be back eventually. Things have changed, even scattered but its never too late. Last night, the summerford RP gathering went off quite well and it was a lot of fun. Conversations about mad miqo'te women with axes chasing mages named "Kiggles", random dancing interruptions, etc. I, myself, am taking what little time I'll have away from my extended family this weekend (Reunions, what can ya do?) to put some more detailed touches onto a storyline I'm writing for my little FC of RPers. Point being, We're around.... Cheers! -Black Hat

Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm. In the beginning, twas David Tennant whom I envisioned for Galen Aubrey's voice. He has an incredible range of expression from playful to -very- serious. OcZYsQWLFBk But, as time has passed, his voice has been dulled by constant contact with a variety of people. It's turned into a muddied, aristocratic, tone. Therefore, I'd say he sounds more like Kyle Schmid as Robert Morehouse in the BBC show "Copper". Sadly, I couldn't find a decent clip on youtube.

*Swoops out of the sky hanging from an eagle's claws* BY THE POWER INVESTED IN ME BY THIS GIANT, BALD BIRD!.... Wait. That's Epic Rap Battles. *Drops to the ground, adjusts the ole Black Hat* Hi everyone! Black Hat here! Couple real quick points to make before this thread gets locked down! 1> There's no such thing as a "dead server", it's an inanimate object and therefore is neither living nor dead. No matter what quantum state the RP might be in it, it's just a server. The community isn't dead either, cause there's still RP going on! Yay! 2> A lot of folks are taking a summer break, because we like the sun and doing things! I personally am doing a lot of PvE between remodeling the bathroom of my house! It's fun! Zodiac books are annoying, but hey. Looking forward to 2.3 3> There's two points to a small community, everyone can get to know each other moar easily BUT there's more chance to high drama with a small community. Let it roll off your shoulders, folks. Gilgameshians are not broken into "cliques", they're called FCs. They're built into the game mechanics, silly people. 4> Driftwood Coast, rest in peace. 5> There's a thread on here in the Gilgamesh section for FCs to post about their housing for RP purposes, but most Gilgameshians don't worry about the forum. Those who do, feel free to make use of that post Freelancer kindly had stickied or add your FC to the Linkshells roster. Advertising helps get you noticed, the same way that walking up to a group and greeting them does. 6> Some folks are leaving for Balmung and that's awesome! Now Balmung has moar cool RPers! Why is that a bad thing? I'm cheering! Gilgameshians don't mind. 7> I'm making shish-kabobs on my grill tomorrow! This happy message has been brought to you by Black Hat. Cheers!

It's been real. It's been fun. But it ain't been real fun. I'm taking off, for those of you I hadn't gotten to, please keep an eye out for Framboise Zakuro or toss Mippa a message on here and she'll get you squared away with Phoenix Down. For everything else, don't forget to have fun. Cheers! -Black Hat

Hey hey! Totally just noticed this now due to Poe's bump. There's a Gilgamesh Directory in....the Gilgamesh Directory. Heh. Directory-ception! Anywho, the thread was made as a spot for folks to post their housing and hotspots as a compendium so feel free to tack on a synopsis of Blue Moon's info there if you haven't already! Cheers -Black Hat P.S. Galen knocked on the door a bunch of times last night, but alas....it was closed. =P

Welcome to Gilgamesh! There's lots of fun to be had, though it can be difficult to find RP sometimes so if you'd like help getting involved then we can definitely arrange that. I think Einrid will get along smashingly with Galen (my character). He's settled down quite a bit recently, but he spent a lot of time travelling the world ICly and has a special appreciation for nature as well. There is an IC linkshell for magic users that hosts events and opportunities for networking among the conjurer/thaumaturge/arcanist community called Phoenix Down that you and your character might enjoy. To find out more about it, click the Linkshells tab up top and take a look! Hope to see you in game soon! Cheers! -Black Hat

WillO! Very sorry you haven't gotten into any RP just yet, I have a few Linkshells I can see about you getting into to get involved very soon! Keep your chin up! We'll get you in the thick of things ASAP! Cheers! -Black Hat

Welcome to Gilgamesh! Even with your schedule, I hope we get a chance to RP and hang out for awhile! Cheers! -Black Hat