Oli!

I'm interested in this plot-thing, but I'm only just figuring out how this system works, and I also have no idea when this plot would be happening. How / when can I find out more about the timing? I'm already reading up on the roll-system now.

What if we made a Super Happy Friend-Finding Thread?

I haven't read the whole thread, so I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet or not, but one thing that might be worth keeping in mind is that sometimes people are friendly because they're shopping around for a person or a group of people that they want to interact with every day. Once they find what they're looking for, they generally invest their time and conversation in those people, and the rest sort-of fall by the wayside. I know the concept of "friend shopping" might seem like a really awful thing at first glance, but one must understand that people will naturally gravitate to others that have interests and opinions that they can agree with or take part in. It's not that you're a "bad" person and that whomever they've found are "better" people, it's just that they happen to be more suited for that particular person's personal taste, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself. I am sure that, given time, you would be more than likely to find people who are willing to stick with you due to commonalities.

Skipped straight to the femroes I see. We seem to have discovered your preferences. On a more serious note, I would like to add a fifth thing to this checklist: 5.) Ask yourself why you are doing this in the first place. And the reason why I want to add this is because a lot of the time, people don't have an answer beyond "because everyone else is doing it." Although this reason might seem eye-roll worthy and super lame at first glance, there actually is an understandable reason for thinking this way. Although being super-powerful in RP is a bad thing, it can also be reasonably un-fun to be entirely useless in the middle of a group doing something. So when a player (especially one that is new to the game or new to the RP community) comes along and sees everyone picking a job for their characters on an IC level, they'll probably think, "well, I guess I should get one of those too so that I don't fall behind." To quote the Incredibles for the five-billionth time, "when everyone's super, no will be." In a way, I would actually argue that part of the reason why we see so many Jobs in the first place is because we have created an artificial baseline for power in the community that, ultimately, requires a Job to fulfill. It's pretty lame to stand on the sidelines with your Thaumaturge going "oh, well I was going to do a thing, but that Black Mage over there has it handled, I guess," and the easiest solution to stop that from happening in the future, save for asking that Black Mage to stop being a Black Mage (which they won't because why should they listen to you) is to make your character a Black Mage yourself. They're already out there, right? What could go wrong? "But Creativity!" You cry. "There are ways to make things work regardless of what they are!" And although I would not hold that thinking to an absolute, I would be more than willing to concede that there are better ways for a Thaumaturge to make themselves useful in a sea of Black Mages, or something similar. But the problem is that there are still some things that Jobs can do that their base classes can't. Monks can summon their inner power to break rocks in half with their fists. The only thing that that Pugilist over there is going to break is their hand. White Mages can summon a forbidden energy to work medical wonders. Conjurers can do the same, sort-of, though it's stated time and time again that they're not working with the floodgates open like White Mages are. Summoners can whip out Primal Manifestations with the swish of a pen. That Arcanist over there is going to get used to his sparkle-dog-squirrel-fox-thing and he's going to like it. Long story short, Squeenix has, whether we like it or not, given us a world in which artificial power tiers already exist, which I think is part of the reason why this community struggles back and forth when trying to come to terms with Job-related debates and discussions. Combine the built-in power-levels with a community-wide distaste for falling behind in the power-curve, and we end up with messy situations like this. Whether one subscribes to the "no Jobs!" opinion or thinks the "everyone should have any Job all the time!" opinion, or the "some are okay but some can't work" opinion, or something else that I haven't listed here is irrelevant; the problem, at least based on what I'm seeing, is that we're having a lot of trouble figuring out how to make a fair playing-ground out of a clearly unfair one. Oh man, this went so far off-topic from what I originally wanted to say.

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That thing where everything disagrees and we spiral off-topic and the conversation goes nowhere. It is happeningggg. (I'm not trying to be the Thread Police or anything, but we're getting dangerously close to the fires that have consumed previous threads on similar subjects.)

The only thing that I have to say about playing villainous characters is that unless their actions are 100% SOOPER SEEKRIT (more seekret than the fact that Bruce Wayne is actually the Batman), you will probably never be able to casually roleplay this character in a common setting again. Lots of people in many games and many settings make evil characters, and then have them walk into public places in their Flaming Evil Shadow Armor of Supreme Doom and talk about their Evil Doomsday Plan with their Evil Doomsday Buddies in a public location of all places, and then get upset when people realize that yes, they are indeed evil, and even more upset when a tavern's worth of Heroic Crusaders try to arrest them. This sort of scenario tends to go down the tubes pretty quickly, and usually ends with everyone getting upset and multiple parties taking their balls and going home, along with a dash of "stop powergaming!" and a "you're going on the Ignore List!" or two. So, if you're going to be evil, Be Smart too. Think about how an evil person would act in various situations. Would someone who's conspiring with the evil army trying to invade their world talk about their private evil plans with a conspirator in the middle of a bar? No they would not! They would go somewhere quiet and out of the way where no one would hear them. Would someone openly hunted and wanted by the law strut around in the middle of a public square with not a single thing on them that could make for a decent disguise? Absolutely not! That would be like inviting an army to take you on because you feel like you're on top of the world that day. That's not to say that nobody should ever make evil characters ever. Evil is good. Without evil there's nothing for good people to punch, and if there's nothing for good people to punch, then all we get to do is sit around in taverns all day drinking ale and talking about the good old days when there were things to punch for miles and miles. So generally, if you're super set on this, I'd break What I'd Suggest You Do into two options: A.) Keep It Subtle. Shifty and undercover. The entire world does not need to know that you're evil. If you're careful, you can even maintain an honest and innocent civilian life alongside whatever Doom you're brewing on the side. This also allows for other players to try and get on your case, leading to all sorts of intrigue plots and investigative goodness. This option also has the least impact on the social life of your character, assuming that that's something you care about. B.) Go Public but Don't Be Dumb. Everyone likes a well-known, public villain. They're something to overcome, and they can lead to some great character development and plotlines all around. However, one must remember that there is no Off-Switch for Evil. Don't go off slaying the masses and then expect to be welcomed with open arms next time you're in town. If you are evil and everyone knows that you are evil, realize that there are places that you should not publicly go without keeping your head low (or at all), because they are literal death-traps. Cities full of well-trained guards, or taverns full of heavily-armed heroes, for example. Additionally, for both cases, if a character happens to catch you off-guard, try and go along with whatever they're trying as long as it doesn't interfere with whatever larger things you have planned. I'm sure almost everybody on the boards here can tell you a story of someone who was being Evil but utterly refused to face the consequences of their actions in any way, shape, or form. If you're caught by players playing guards, go along with them and get arrested; it's a victory for them and a note in their personal storylines, plus you can always have an Exciting Jailbreak Scene later. If someone gets on your case and manages to track down your evil secret activities and threatens to tell the world, try and talk / bribe / kill your way out of it. And if things are really, really not going the way you want them to, just poke the person OOCly and tell them how they're interfering in your plot, and why you'd rather they not spill the beans / throw you in jail just yet. Communication is key! Not to mention that without players to do evil to, you'd might as well through rocks at a potato and pretend you're stoning someone to death. Oh, how evil. TL;DR: Don't run around shouting about how evil you are, regardless of whether or not you're trying to be subtle or public. If it's public, people will know by your actions. If it's private, then you're doing it wrong. Also try to go with the flow when other people confront you. Part of being the villain is losing to the heroes.

As someone who wants to make their Roegadyn into a Dark Knight THIS MAKES ME INFINITELY SAD.

I think the point that the person that brought this up was making was not that it was silly to say that Dragoons can jump, but that jumping fifty feet in the air might not be the best tactic when fighting things that are smaller, faster, and don't fly.

This really bothered me. RL logic really should be discarded in a fantasy game. I would have left the FC too if people were trashing my RP like that. How is it a silly tactic when every single one of your Dragoon-given skills is a jump or a jump-enhancer? Jump is the iconic dragoon (dragon slayers) skill in the entire Final Fantasy universe. It shouldn't be discredited like that. I would personally chalk this up to a fundamental difference in RP preferences and style. Some people are okay with explaining things with Magic or just taking things as they are, while others would rather explain things with a little more detail using real-world contexts or build upon them in a similar format. Personally I'm a person that enjoys the second camp, but there's nothing particularly wrong with either. Some people prefer to go with what the game gives them, while others take things into their own hands. While there are situations in which the two can (and will) clash, that's part of the reason why it helps to surround yourself with people who think the same way about RP that you do.

Question! Is this for large groups and FCs only, or can independents and the guildless become involved as well?

The opening to the following song is my caption:

Well ain't this a neat topic. Oliwat Kokiwat: He doesn't really care either way. The old Rattlepack adage of "pack only what you need" applies to thoughts and opinions just as well as it does to physical belongings. Generally, there's no real need to consider any differences between the two when you're just traveling around, so Oli tends to treat people of all sorts the same way, more or less, which tends to be in an overly-polite and friendly fashion, unless they're rude back. Raging Sun: Another character for the Don't Care bucket, though that's more because she has a much more basic respect system, mostly focused around strength and confidence. She's met people on both sides of the aisle that she deems respectable due to these traits, so she subscribes to the "have what it takes" mentality rather than any clear gender divide as a result. Adalhaid Rask: Despite having a small selection of females to look up to, as well as being one herself, Adalhaid generally tends to view females in a lesser light due to the fact that her father was hoping to have a male child to train as a strong fighter for the Ala Mhigan resistance. Needless to say, he was somewhat disappointed, and although he was a loving father regardless, his disappointment was often evident. She's internalized it rather than let it go, and now mistakes it as dissatisfaction for females in general. K'Tahni Hakaah: She's all about the Female Supremacy thing as a result of coming from a Seeker tribe. After deciding she'd rather travel than be in a harem for the rest of her life, she visited two of the city-states, Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, and found that female Seekers were dancers in one city and prostitutes in the other, and that made her pretty angry. She headed off to Gridania instead in search of the Keepers and their fabled female-centric society as a result.

(( Thank you! Merely trying my best. Glad folks can get some sort of use from it. ))

Letter from the Editor Welcome again, Wanderers! I'm sure you were all wondering what happened to the Guide! Well, it just so happens that a real whirlwind of happenings happened upon me recently, leaving me with little to no time to write! Rest assured, however, that everything is quite fine at the moment, and that there is absolutely nothing to worry about! As a result, I am particularly pleased to release the much-needed fourth issue of the Guide! What's within? I was hoping you would ask! This month's issue holds the beginnings of the promised information on Limsa Lominsa, the city of the sea. Did you know that the iron and wooden walkways of the city are constructed from the remnants of a single great ship? Did you know that the Arcanists' Guild doubles as a place of learning and a place for record-keeping? Did you know that the set of Windmills known as the Grey Fleet were built out of the wreckage of an actual fleet? No? Well then I'm quite honored to have taught you something new! I can't say for sure where I'll write about next, as it would seem that my travels are not quite proceeding as planned! Wherever I go, however, remain assured that the section on Limsa Lominsa will eventually be finished, and that, if all goes well, Gridania will follow shortly afterwards. To wrap up this little letter, I recently received an interesting open letter in regards to my entry on Ul'dah, which many of you may have read as well. Although I cannot include the information presented within with such fervor as what was presented, if anyone would be kind enough to verify the information on who-owns-what presented in the letter, I would be more than happy to include such things in a slightly more neutral format. Until next time, Travellers! Signed, Oliwat Kokiwat, The Very Last of the Rattlepacks.

Epel, is that you?

Hadn't heard of Bless Online, but I looked it up and it seems uncommonly beautiful. However, that by principle makes me worry about the gameplay quality.

Part of the reason why people are blasting WildStar (and its visual style specifically) is something that often comes with such a visual style: extreme sexual dimorphism. I'm a guy, just to set the record straight, but even I find the waifyness of the female models to be at least just a little bit disturbing. And don't even get me started on the broad-shoulders tiny-wastes of the male models! Despite the fact that I absolutely love the game's aesthetics, I do think that that in particular is a legitimate concern, even though it can also be argued that it is also a staple of pretty much every MMO or video-game ever created in the history of the human race. The other reason why it's drawing people's ire is because it's going for an EVE-style subscription model, which is basically a two-parter: You have the basic Sub-Fee thing going, and then you have an optional system in which you pay for additional game-time with the game's currency. Although this will seem like a nice option to some people (including myself), others don't like it because it presents some sort of odd, somewhat-uncomfortable Pay-Or-Farm mentality when it comes to playing for the game. Your Mileage May Vary on that one. But other than that, I'd say that it's fun enough to at least give a try. The characterization and graphics are quite fun and whimsical, and I love me some whimsy. Not to mention that the game invokes lots of wonderful memories of Ratchet and Clank, which is one of my childhood favorites.

I don't really have anything to contribute at this time other than I may be interested in attending depending on the times when things are happening.

Although these days I am more often than not running around to collect information for the Rattlepack Guide, there's usually a chance that I can RP. So if you see a certain Oliwat Kokiwat running about, feel free to stop me as well!

I've been a bit busy ever since getting back from my trip, but the good news is that work on this has resumed as planned! ...Even though the time that it is being resumed is not quite as planned. Nevertheless, there should be a new update coming in the next few weeks, and then more things after that. Hooray!

No reason why you couldn't make some up! Garlic Heads is my personal favorite.

I'm just an outsider looking in, but that doesn't mean that I can contribute several pictures of fluffy puppies to make you feel better. Feel better.

Oliwat is usually okay with physical contact as long as no one tries to pick him up doll-style. Or sack-style. Sack-style is actually much worse and may result in lala-flailing and/or third-degree burns. He also really likes cheek pinches because Lalas are adorable.

(( That was immensely clever and I love you for it. I must certainly look into some of this and respond after my trip! ))