[Kinkerbell]

The most effort, sure.

I guess I just kind of figured that OOC, maybe the other players would be willing to give me a little room to work with so I could set up the character and then integrate her. I was, apparently, incorrect. But maybe that's just my inexperience at joining a PbP late.

However, as I don't want to face that again and this conversation indicates that I'm going to, since Dolly is more stable but no less damaged than Goodnight, perhaps it is best that she has not linked with the party yet. Scythe, I stand by what I said. I will help Aria get you as far as the party since you've already met Dolly IC with Shahin. But this conversation has soured my fledgling hope that I could continue with this group.

EDIT: Or not. Sorry your defense of my character has exacerbated your issues intrinsic to this game to where it is no longer fun for you. Not my intent, and I do apologize.

I'm sorry my character- both in the RPG and the colloquial senses- has disrupted your enjoyment of the game, and I'm sorry that we come from clashing ideologies that have made this entirely too adversarial.

@Aria, good luck.

@Scythe, hopefully GN and Nitro can link up down the line. I might also be spinning up something in Neo-Tokyo once I have a better idea of what the hell I'm doing. If you want a slot I'll keep it open for you when the time comes.

@All, esp. Aria, if I do spin up a PBP game on here, I cheerfully encourage you all to join. I know a lot of crap is getting thrown around in here, but it is largely contained within this game, and between myself and two other players, one of whom has since left. You've seen me play and write, and if you think you can play in a game where I am the GM, you will of course be welcome.

Best of luck on the rest of your run.

[Jack_Spade]

So basically...

"Here's exactly what my character is like and a whole bunch of stuff you can use as hooks to start interacting with my character"

"Meh, whatever."

*sighs* ya know what? nevermind... I wanted to play this game to have fun with powerful characters with strong opinions and glaring character flaws, ones that wouldn't necessarily get along or even give each other the time of day otherwise... but due to circumstances they need to band together.

But it's now just getting to the point of this shit just ain't fun. And if it ain't fun, it ain't worth the time.

Hooks are good and all, but if you meet someone for the first time and his first comment to you after the greeting is a criticism you set the tone for all further interactions.
The circumstances seem not to be dire enough if you have the time to blow of a stranger you want to work with. This is not a romantic comedy where love sprouts from a first misunderstanding and initial conflict. These are hardened criminals and dangerous mercenaries, many of which would rather shoot someone as a potential threat than give someone a second chance.

Nitro came in as a cocky bastard, but his first instinct was to help repair a car. That was a great way to get acceptance.

@KB

I really don't want to tell you how to play your character. I just want to clear up where in my opinion things went of the rails last time.
Character hooks that encourage conflict are fine - it was really fun to play with GN once we were committed to stay together. But the initial meeting is not the best place to unpack them.
It's a lot like a first date: You want to show your potential partner that you are a high quality candidate. The farting in front of them comes usually quite a bit later.


All I'm asking for is that the new characters don't come in with a bad attitude and expect to be loved for it.

[Kinkerbell]

You know, I had a whole post refuting your point, pointing out the difference between characters not getting along and players not lifting a finger in the name of party integration, and a counter-argument for the inevitable "well you didn't make it any easier" response.

But what's the point?

You clearly think I'm incompetent because I chose to set up my character when I did, and I don't give a single, sad, solitary sunday fuck at this point. You as a player could have talked around the problem with me, or asked questions, or any number of other options, or simply trusted that maybe I know what I'm doing and let me run with it. And this party as a whole could have treated Goodnight as more than window dressing or a child. Either of these things would have probably made her integration run a good deal smoother. I could have shown that I'm a "high quality candidate" if I'd been given even a single opportunity. Its not a first date, its a job meeting. We're in this for money, not love. You don't like the people you have to work with, but even if you don't like them, you still let them do their jobs.

I'm sorry this went pear-shaped, but on the whole, I'm not sorry I'm out, even if I will miss Aria.

[Jack_Spade]

I'm sorry, but that is an attitude that won't solve the problem and my ignorance as to where it comes from.

I am all for everyone having a good time.

And I am interested in improving my play too. I am open for constructive criticism. So lets turn this around:

What exactly would you wish and expect from the reactions of my character to your character?
From my (maybe flawed) perspective, the first thing I did meeting a new character was to introduce myself by name and extend my hand in greeting. The second thing is usually a recap in a few words as well as the general state of affairs.

[adamu]

Yikes (again this week)!

We got more drama off screen than on!

I'll admit there I ways I might prefer things play out, but ultimately, I expect PCs to act irrationally (from my perspective), and sorting that out IC is part of succeeding in the game as much as taking out snipers and elementals.

The problem is when it bleeds into the OOC.

I say, keep it in the ring!

But I'm no saint either.

All I care about now is where we are at.

SORTING THINGS OUT

We definitely have Al, Tobbis, Isaint, Jackhammer, and Frenchman. Happy happy on all fronts. Matrix and combat power. No spells/spirits.

Kinkerbell and gilga have clearly left the game - sad sad on all fronts.

SK - was that you quitting in that post where you said it wasn't fun anymore? Sounded like it, but I'll hold out hope it's not so.

For gilga (if you are still reading this, and how could you not?), any time for an exit scene, or thoughts on an IC explanation for Solo's sudden disappearance?

SK - same regarding Nitro if he really is out of the game...

[ScytheKnight]

Yeah adamu unfortunately I am having to call it quits. This is something that has very little to do with IC actions, and a lot to do with OOC attitudes.

I might try and get a leaving post done... but honestly it might take some time.

[gilga]

Well - we could have the clowns go and take their favor. While we are trying to leave below.
I also don't mind sticking around for a week or so to not leave you hanging - and to write a nice closer.
It is really hard for me to spread my attention to so many things.

With some time perspective and heated emotions cooling I sort of understand some of the things that have gone here, and a pace is sort of thing that should be accepted on. We are a very large group and the entrance of a very serious character dedicated for RP with excellent writing skills sort of fascinated some of us and to a degree hijacked the game. It became all about GN personality and her interactions with the rest of the team. The pace of the game elevated but not everyone got their time to shine.

I am not sure I am the right player for this table and some of the poeple leaving may also not be. We seem to want more commitment, more intensity more just more, and it starts to come on top of the fun of the rest and their interaction opportunities.

There is never a complete separation between IC/OOC.  I totally understand it now there can't be.  I feel happy when my characters succeed sad when something sad happen to them - and hostile when they are treated with hostility. Some characters are just a poor fit to some tables, as well as some players.

 

[adamu]

Well, best to you, then.
Hopefully see you in Tribes!

Personally, I still think this is one of the best games I've ever been in (and I've been in a lot).

Camille Paglia once made an interesting point about the dichotomy between America's economic success and its relatively high crime rates.

She said the only way any country could have such astonishing economic success was by fostering a culture of strong individuality in its populace, so that you got a high proportion of the sort of free spirited go-getters that would be great innovators, entrepreneurs, and inventors that drive the growth.

But she said you can't expect to have that sort of culture without also having a lot of personalities that don't mesh smoothly with one another, creating friction and conflict in the system.

The very elements that have made this an awesome game are integrally tied into the factors that have caused frictions.

I don't know if that helps - just that I really want this game to go on, so been thinking a lot about it lately.

And maybe by being aware of this, we can learn to soldier through the differences and reap the rewards of a great game together.

@gilga - just saw your post - some great points.
Really hope you'll stick with for a bit to make that exit (and maybe that'll make you want to stay...)

[Aria]

@TB
Ok folks, apologies I haven’t managed an IC yet this week!  So far I’ve got the following lists, please correct if I’ve misinterpreted!

1) Tech fetch
Thorn (Orc bouncer)
Al (Just Al!)
Gunther (Changeling alchemist)
Pinion (Human scav)

Note, the terrain is really really bad to Mayday station (details of the smuggler camp can be found in the Dumpshock Datahaven magazine issue 2 which should be available still if you search the Dumpshock), terrain is described in Seattle 2072…mud flats, boiling mud geysers, slippery ash surfaces etc.  I had sort of envisaged a foot crossing with a ‘Mule’ drone transport to carry kit…that is unless you can persuade me that your vehicles are suitably insane offroad worthy…


2) Escort duty
Cog (Dwarf Scout)
Ratchet  (Dwarf wicca)
Scrapheap (Orc enforcer)
Bent (Human adept)

I’ll give you a group vehicle unless you want to use one of your own…?

@CoP
Well I’m sorry we seem to be back here again.  Personality clashes perhaps…?  I sincerely hope those who have decided to leave can be persuaded to stay, and that the rest of you can work with a bit of ‘suspension of disbelief’ so that we can bring them on board…but if we can’t I hope that we can keep the game going as we have all invested a great deal of time in this!

@Gilga: good luck with running your own games, I know how much work it can entail!

[adamu]

Note, the terrain is really really bad to Mayday station (details of the smuggler camp can be found in the Dumpshock Datahaven magazine issue 2 which should be available still if you search the Dumpshock), terrain is described in Seattle 2072…mud flats, boiling mud geysers, slippery ash surfaces etc.  I had sort of envisaged a foot crossing with a ‘Mule’ drone transport to carry kit…that is unless you can persuade me that your vehicles are suitably insane offroad worthy…

Well, my Gaz (Gopher) and Growler are both specifically described as off-road vehicles, with maxed out off-road handling.

But I can see that's just suitably offroad worthy.

I will concede it is not "insane offroad worthy"!!!
(Now if we ever get some downtime in this particular game AND they ever come out with the new Rigger book so I can do my own mods, THEN we will get INSANE offroad worthy - oh yeah, monster truck is definitely in Al's future!)

Al knows Puyallup fairly well and has spent a lot of time scrapping out in the ash wastes.
If you say he thinks hoofing is better than driving on this route, then I am up for it!

I read the Mayday station write-up a while back, but it's been a while. Will have another look!

[Jack_Spade]

I edited my last post in TB to add that information (including a map of mayday station)

[pistolgrip]

So much to *sigh* about.

@SK - are you sticking around in Tribal at least?

@Aria, CoP - might it be prudent at this point to discuss a re-railing of the game? Sort of a wrap-up of the current chapter with a subsequent intro of the next to hand-wave some of the friction we're facing IC with team variance? I feel like with KB dropping, the less frequent posters (myself included) dropping or declaring dedication (looking at you French), and the return of Tobis, albeit slightly new/improved, we're probably reached some kind of stability in players. Deciding where we want to take the game from here in a structured manner, rather than by random IC posting, might be suitable for this particular moment. Am I making any sense?

[adamu]

@pistol - interesting thought.
Thankfully, above my paygrade.

@Jack - if it's no dice with Solo/clowns, Al can call his Clown-groupie friend Requiem. I'd like to assume he knows a way out of here, and he seemed pretty friendly to Al based on our special-friend-of-a-close-contact relationship.

Rather give Solo first crack at it though...if you're up for it, gilga. Be a good chance to IC a parting of the ways, if it has to be that way...

Also think in a minute I'll IC sending a text to "Art." Seems like we're agreed on the deception route with that one....

[ScytheKnight]

@SK - are you sticking around in Tribal at least?

Yeah I'll be around for Tribal Beats.

[Csjarrat]

@Aria, yeah we're ready for the escorts run to begin. Cog has offroad bike so between us we've probably got enough seats to get to the boat. Just need an IC to move the plot on
Edit; cog is now suited and booted, ready to head off for the boat mission