I can already see certain questions coming my way here, like when did Lamoni start talking to gameplayers, the traitor, or why should roleplayers care one way or the other about gameplay, since they just invade roleplay regions, and spread misery by doing it? Well, let me answer those questions. My interest in talking to gameplayers started when United Gordonopia (better known to gameplayers as Kazmr) decided to undertake his own journey into the world of Nationstates gameplay, especially after Greater Dienstad had been raided. I then took advantage of the opportunity that the NS World Fair offered to start talking to various gameplay regions, and became friends with people in various gameplay regions.
These initial talks and friendships would eventually result in being allowed to join the regional off-site message boards of various gameplay regions, as well as their Discord servers. This would lead to certain unexpected, but pleasant discoveries about the gameplay regions with which I am in contact, but I will talk more about those later on. For some time now, I have noticed a lack of understanding among many roleplayers about what gameplay is, and just how much like roleplayers that gameplayers really are. I do not even pretend that this lecture will heal the rifts between roleplayers and gameplayers, but maybe understanding the other side will help to reduce the number of new rifts created between the two groups on Nationstates.
For those of you who don't know how gameplay works, they essentially make use of certain game-side features, most notably those related to regional World Assembly Delegates, as well as regional World Factbook Entries. Like roleplaying, gameplay was created organically by the users of Nationstates, only gameplay evolved as a large and complex meta-game involving regional governments, organizations, and the relations between them. Eventually, what is known as military gameplay would come into being; military gameplay being better known to roleplayers as raiding and defending.
Gameplay is a different type or form of roleplaying, in a sense. It is not the same as that which is in the various roleplaying subforums of Nationstates, but it is roleplaying nonetheless. Given that the only functional roles in a region are those of the region's founder, and that of the World Assembly Delegate; a region's Minister of Foreign Affairs, or Chief Justice are simply roles created by a regional government in order to fit a set of rules that everyone in the region agrees to abide by, frequently called a regional constitution. While regional officers do exist now, they are less important to both raiders and defenders. Citizenship with a given gameplay region (it is also possible to be a citizen of multiple gameplay regions at once) is also important in gameplay, though the requirements vary from region to region.
Of course, individual gameplay regions are as different from each other as an apple is from an orange, or even a cat. Some of them are liberal democracies with regular elections, and others are dictatorships which are held together by a secure and charismatic delegate. There are isolationists who prefer to play amongst themselves, and other regions which seek to impose their will on others through invasions, coups, or other, more subtle means. There are also others who work to prevent such invasions and coups.
It is also common for gameplay regions to have an individual regional theme, which makes it easier to have a regional identity, as well as enhancing the roleplaying aspects. For example, Equilism has a township theme, Osiris has a theme based on ancient Egypt, The Land of Kings and Emperors has a monarchy theme going, Texas has a theme based on the real life state of Texas, and Balder has a Viking theme to it. Other gameplay regions have their own themes going, and it is interesting to see what they all are. The themes that gameplay regions come up with typically become just as complex, just as outlandish, and just as alive as anything that worldbuilding does for roleplayers. This cannot be emphasized enough.
There are also gameplay regions which are known as warzones. Warzones are regions that are designed to be fought over by various raider and defender factions, though there are plenty of raiders who feel that the various warzone regions are not enough to fulfill their desire to raid. Though I have crossed the barrier between roleplay and gameplay, I do still have a latent bias in favor of defenders, and against raiders. That is not to say that I cannot make friends in, or work with the raider community in order to get needed tasks done, but that I prefer defenders.
For the sake of completeness, I should also talk about military gameplay, which as i've mentioned before, roleplayers generally know better as raiding and defending. Both raiding and defending take advantage of the fact that one becomes the delegate of a given region based on the number of endorsements (which can alternatively be called votes) that you can get from World Assembly nations. The person with the largest number of endorsements becomes the region's World Assembly Delegate.
Raiders take advantage of this fact by using World Assembly member nations to invade other regions, and through numbers, take the World Assembly Delegate spot away from the region's native delegate. Most of the time, raiders will simply occupy the WA Delegate position, and change a region's World Factbook Entry, and especially the tags there. This is what is known as a tag raid, and while it is annoying, it need not be fatal to a region. Greater Dienstad was once subject to a tag raid, and we have done just fine since then. It all depends upon the determination of the natives to remove the raiders, and get things back on track, and can even be used as a roleplay event, if done right. While raiders will likely attempt to suppress the little message board on your region's NS page, this will not affect your region's ability to roleplay on either the on-site, or off-site forums. Please remember that the raiders themselves are not roleplaying when they raid your region, and nothing in this lecture should be construed to imply that they are.
Defenders are people who use their World Assembly member nations to help other regions to defend themselves against raiders, whether it be through adding endorsements to the native WA Delegate in order to frustrate raiders, or helping the natives to refound their region. I won't cover all the means that both raiders and defenders use. This is both because I don't know all of them, and because I have no desire to weaken any defenders in their efforts against raiders. I will say that various defender regions have groups of people who will listen when people bring them information about when and where raiders might strike. This is not a great secret, and many of them are called intelligence agencies. It is one of the ways in which defenders try to get a lead on what the raiders are doing, or might do next, and roleplayers can contact them if they come across knowledge of raider activity. One way to contact them is to contact the delegate of a defender region, and asking them if they can point you in the right direction.
Now that we have definitions out of the way, we can get back to my personal observations about NS gameplay, and gameplayers. One thing i've learned about gameplay regions which might surprise roleplayers is that gameplay regions often have roleplays on their regional off-site forums. These are quite like the roleplays that one might find in International Incidents or Portal to the Multiverse, though the quality of the individuals roleplaying on these forums varies, just like it does for residents of roleplay regions. They also conduct regional business, have spam games, have debates on real life issues, and do other things on their off-site forums, just like roleplayers do.
The Discord servers of gameplay regions are just as full of social chatting as their roleplay equivalents are. Indeed, in both the gameplay world and open world roleplay, social cross-pollination between regions is encouraged, unlike in closed world roleplaying regions. I personally am part of twenty-two Nationstates related Discord servers. Of these fourteen of them are related to NS gameplay, with the vast majority of those belonging to various gameplay regions. For those who don't know how Discord works, each Discord Server is like an IRC channel. However, a Discord server can contain multiple different channels, so it is like giving a group a single place to have multiple channels of their own, and you have to be invited into a Discord server by someone who is already in that particular server.
Frankly speaking, there is little real difference in banter between gameplayers, or between roleplayers. Both groups produce shitposts that are just as bad as the other group's shitposts, bad jokes, memes, and all. Both groups like to rag on their members just as much as the other one does. About the only difference between the two groups when it comes to banter is that gameplay regions love their regional bars. Every gameplay region that I have been to has a regional bar or pub on their off-site forums, and quite a few of them even have a channel on their Discord server for their regional bar or pub. Not all gameplay regions have a regional bar or pub, but a fair number of them do.
Though I would never force anyone to cross-pollinate between the roleplay and gameplay worlds, it can be a very rewarding experience, as well as an educational one. There have been many individual roleplayers who have crossed the divide between the roleplay and gameplay worlds, and certain notable individuals stand out. Solm and United Gordonopia/Kazmr have participated in both roleplay as well as gameplay, and they seem to have enjoyed the experience. I have as well, though i've never personally taken part in any gameplay regional government or taken part in any raider/defender actions. Maybe I will do those things someday, but even through just interacting with gameplayers and taking the time to observe gameplay in action, I have learned much about both gameplay and gameplayers.
It is always possible for you as an individual to participate in both roleplay and gameplay, making friends on both sides, and using any experience that you gain from gameplay to help other roleplayers to understand gameplay. Just as United Gordonopia once used his gameplay experience to provide assistance to myself, and many other roleplayers, I am using my gameplay experience to help roleplayers by sharing my observations of the NS gameplay world in order to help smooth over some of the tensions between the two communities. I'll say this again, but I don't expect this lecture to heal the long-standing rifts between the two communities. Maybe it will help to reduce the number of rifts between the two in the future.
While gameplay and roleplay are divided, they do not have to be. Understanding both gameplay and gameplayers is the first step that roleplayers can take in healing the rifts between the two communities. Simply taking the time to learn what gameplaying is, and who gameplayers are, can reduce tensions considerably.
If you are a roleplayer interested in seeing what gameplay and gameplayers are like, here is a short list of gameplay regions which I would recommend. There are certainly more gameplay regions who would welcome roleplayers learning about gameplay into their ranks out there!
* The East Pacific
The East Pacific (otherwise known as TEP) has a large roleplaying community, and is welcoming to those who are new to gameplay.
* Taijitu
A large gameplay region, Taijitu also has an active roleplaying scene on their off-site forums.
* Equilism
Equilism's off-site forums are less active than those of other gameplay regions, but they are still welcoming of those those new to gameplay, and can teach you the ropes. Equilism has an active relationship with Warzone Europe, and held a Star Trek themed celebration with the region The United Federation of Planets.
* The Independent Order
This region has a strong roleplay background, and may appeal to certain roleplayers.
* The Rejected Realms
While there is not a lot of roleplaying in this region, they do have the largest newspaper in all of gameplay, which is an excellent place for writers to take part.
* Albion
Pretty friendly for an imperialist region. Medieval roleplaying theme, for those who might be interested in that.
* The North Pacific
The North Pacific (TNP) also has a roleplay scene on their off-site forums, making it a good choice for roleplayers who are interested in gameplay.
Finally, if your region has been invaded by raiders (or you simply wish to learn more about how to defend your region), the following link has plenty of useful information, and I highly suggest that you read it, as well: Natives and Regional Defense
Thank you.
Lamoni - Today at 6:59 PM
http://s15.zetaboards.com/NSWF6/topic/10373947/1/ Since my lecture will be more of a Q&A/Discussion section, reading the body of my lecture before it starts would be welcome.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:00 PM
begins to read it
I have several questions, if you don't mind.
Lamoni - Today at 7:01 PM
Sure.
For those of you who have not seen my lecture before, I have given it at a different NS event this summer, and I was hoping to give it more exposure here at the fair. One of the many things that i've been working on is how to bring RPers and gameplayers closer together, despite any ill feelings that individuals might have. So I figured that one way of doing so was to share my observations on gameplay with everyone, but especially my fellow RPers. Your experiences with gameplay might be different than mine (and there is no problem with that), but getting the discussion going will do wonders, in my opinion.
And now I wait for your questions.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:06 PM
sorry, kooky RL issue
Let's say I was an RP vet who was kind of bored with RPing or just happened to be in a writer's bloc and could use a change of pace. What would be the best way for me to integrate into gameplay, and vise-versa?
Lamoni - Today at 7:08 PM
One of the best ways to do that, would be to find a gameplay region that has an active RP component, and slowly integrate yourself into gameplay that way. I have placed several suggestions in my lecture, if people don't know where to look.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:09 PM
I did see that. For the gameplayer, which operates mostly on OOC business and gameplay mechanics, what sort of RP(s) would you recommend they join?
Should they be more backstory-heavy, or just jump in the deep end and form their nations as they go?
Lamoni - Today at 7:11 PM
I would recommend that they would start maybe with something more character based. As an RP Mentor, I see a lot of people start RPing with war, thinking that it will be simple, and require no thought. Then they run into a metaphorical brick wall when they start noticing the well written war threads of players with more RP experience. I have often compared writing an RP to having several authors work together toward writing a book, and that is something that takes time and patience to learn.
Another factor in RPing is learning how to work with your fellow RPers, both ICly, and OOCly. OOC communication is highly important for any RP thread.
Swith - Today at 7:13 PM
It depends on your own creative process. Some people prefer to set up all their data first. Others prefer to design their nation through IC interaction... they go in with a very basic premise. They play character-based RP and use "tell me about your nation, ambassador/diplomat" conversations as a creative tool.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:14 PM
War RP's. I often find that those can really frustrate new RP'ers. If I'm a new RPer, how do I avoid the likely scenario that in a war my stuff might get blown up or my pots and pans could be rustled?
*and that would in turn harden me in RPing
Lamoni - Today at 7:15 PM
For that, I would highly recommend talking to RPers with more experience, and especially the mentors. We can give you the benefit of our knowledge and experience, which will make any sort of RP (whether war or not) much less frustrating. In fact, that is what we volunteer to do, help people with their RPing.
Swith - Today at 7:16 PM
I don't recommend war for newbies unless it's a story-telling game. Mechanics games can be brutal. Rule and regs, quarrels over who is the most badass. It happens regardless of the subforum. Like Lamoni said, seek out RPers who are willing to help new players design a nation's stats for military roleplay.(edited)
Or go for storytelling, the "scenes behind the war", if you'd prefer less blowy-up stuff and more poetry.
Lamoni - Today at 7:17 PM
There are also multiple guides on II which can help people.
Swith - Today at 7:17 PM
Yep.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:18 PM
Ah, thank you - war RP's are something I personally shy away from because I've thrown my nation out there but didn't really build on things after that. Gameplay is a lot of R&D, with winners and losers and a lot of OOC stuff that makes folks emotional. But in RPing, I'll likely lose a few wars here and there. It's been my understanding that it's generally better to gracefully lose a war than try to win a war on my own accords. Can you speak to that?
Also, I have a follow-up to that question.
Lamoni - Today at 7:20 PM
As long as the story is good, it doesn't matter much if you win or lose a war, OOCly. For RPers, it is the story that counts, and even losing a war can contribute to other good stories further on down the road. It doesn't have to be the end of your nation.
Swith - Today at 7:20 PM
Flaws flesh out creative work. There's more fun to be had in RP when things are going to shit for the character/faction. It's a good way to build character.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:20 PM
So in RPing, should my goal be to win wars, or develop characters and OOC relationships? Is there a way to do both?
Lamoni - Today at 7:21 PM
If you were to have a goal in RPing, it would be to create good characters and stories, develop good OOC relationships with your fellow RPers, and have fun doing it. There are lots of good people in the RP community, just like there are lots of good people in the gameplay community. Both can be very rewarding.
Swith - Today at 7:22 PM
In my nation RP, I aim to lose wars. I'm asked to serve as the antagonist. However, my individual characters develop over time and during the course of interaction with other players' characters. They love, they hate, they learn... all while the war serves as a backdrop.
Lamoni - Today at 7:23 PM
I know that we are giving Todd a lot of time here, but if anyone else has questions, we will take those, too.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:23 PM
So when I join an ongoing RP or interact with an older RP nation, I likely won't know the backstory of their characters. Is this my fault, or should they do their due diligence and inform me of their character (s) history in terms of documented instances, the likes?
((and yeah, terribly sorry - this is a relevant topic for me because there are some issues I personally have with 'bridging the gap' so to speak. I don't mean to take too much time))
Lamoni - Today at 7:24 PM
It is something that both players should theoretically work on. The older RPer can certainly shed light on their settings, characters, et cetera, but you can also ask them questions. It is how OOC interaction works.
And if the older RPer has a factbook, that can also help.
Swith - Today at 7:25 PM
Todd, let's say I join your GP org as an ambassador. I don't know anything about your org. My purpose in joining is the mutual exchange of information. I learn about your group. You learn about mine through me. It's alright to not know a character/nation/faction's backstory in most RP. The only time you should worry is when the OP requires it.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:26 PM
If I'm a new nation, is there a place I can freely talk to nations OOCly? Or is it mostly forum-based?
Swith - Today at 7:26 PM
Or if the canon conflicts...
(Lamoni's probably all, "Shut up, Swith!")Lamoni - Today at 7:26 PM
No, I won't say that, Swith.
Swith - Today at 7:27 PM
https://discord.gg/Fv9H5vF Is a good place to start. There are other Discord groups (based on tech levels, genre, etc) as well.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:27 PM
Neat
Lamoni - Today at 7:27 PM
I'll second using the Mentor server.
Swith - Today at 7:28 PM
NS does ave a strong N&I Mentor team. They're patient and offer some solid advice. I invite anyone interested in nation RP to look into that server.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:29 PM
That sounds like a good plan, and I recommend anyone who has a lil bit of interest to at least join in and see how the other side(s) of NS operate. That's the beauty of this site - many different ways to play this game
The next question comes from Drac: "How do you prevent cold-wars between RPers where your all just scaling up everythin to stay on top, or is that even a bad thing to happen?"
Swith - Today at 7:30 PM
Short answer: I don't. Sometimes a cold war happens.
Lamoni - Today at 7:31 PM
I would personally avoid the "win at all costs" mentality. Such a mentality has always struck me as the mark of someone who could use more experience in how to work with others. One of the big things in the RP world is to work with the others in an RP to come up with a good story. Like I said earlier, RPing is like working with multiple other authors to put forward a good story. As for a cold war, that does sometimes happen, but one would hope that it is between mature players who put actual thought into it.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:33 PM
This question comes from Escade: so my questions have a lot to do with how to create a fun engaging roleplay, that kind of works for both people who invest a lot of long posts and also those who are more short or like post quick and short things
Lamoni - Today at 7:34 PM
That sort of thing happens all the time in RPs. One of the keys for that is effective OOC communication. While I generally set an unofficial limit of half a page in Word for an RP post minimum, it is something that can be worked out amongst those in the RP.
Swith - Today at 7:35 PM
Banquets! grins
For P2TM, you can run blitz games (short replies rapidly posted) though those might be better in F7 if very spammy. Quite a few RP in P2TM allow their players to get by with 3 lines of text or less.
You can also collaborate posts with other players... you write the scene together on Google docs.
Lamoni - Today at 7:36 PM
II tends to be more text heavy than P2TM, but both forums have their merits.
Swith - Today at 7:36 PM
Yep.
Swith - Today at 7:36 PM
Yep.
A lot of people say they can't write. "Don't have the time" or "don't know how". It's not as hard as it looks, and we have some tricks to help anyone take two lines and turn it into a meaningful paragraph.
Lamoni - Today at 7:38 PM
For those who don't already know, Swith is part of Madhouse, which is another organization that helps people to write/RP.
Swith - Today at 7:39 PM
nods
We're open to all RPers regardless of forum haunt, and we work with gameplayers who want to get away from GP and dabble in RP under hidden names.
Lamoni - Today at 7:40 PM
Though i'm not officially part of Madhouse, they do have my personal unofficial blessing.
Swith - Today at 7:40 PM
Stop by our Booth, or PM me if you have more questions. I don't want to monopolize. http://s15.zetaboards.com/NSWF6/forum/5182385/
Lamoni - Today at 7:40 PM
Does anyone have more questions?
Swith - Today at 7:41 PM
Well, I thought I did, but nope!
And yep... "For Lamoni. Is there a region you can recommend for roleplaying science fiction or one for nations set up for WWII or earlier tech?"
Hold on. I'm searching out the FT one. I don't have the links handy.
https://www.nationstates.net/region=the_local_cluster It's a good place for anyone seeking to learn more about Future Tech (FT) nation RP.
Lamoni - Today at 7:45 PM
I have not come across too many Past Tech regions, but I know that they are out there, somewhere. As for Sci-Fi, there are a fair amount of Future Tech regions, including the one that Swith just mentioned.
Swith - Today at 7:47 PM
Giovenith would like to know, @Todd McCloud Are there any RP habits GP'ers find particularly perplexing?
Lamoni - Today at 7:48 PM
@Todd McCloud
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:48 PM
Thinking
I think the main problem GPers face when 'converting' to Rping is permanence, if that makes sense. In gameplay, we have C&C's, delegates, regional positions, etc. In roleplay, on the surface... on the surface it seems rather nebulous
The thing that helped me bridge the gap, honestly, was coming to the realization that what I did in the game mattered to no one, and instead, what my characters did meant the world. Initially my characters were hard-nosed, ignorant, and couldn't relate to others, which is okay if one wants to RP that way, but I didn't. It wasn't until I read more and understood their backstories that I was able to RP sensibly. And by sensibly I don't mean that my peeps made sense; rather, they made sense in the context of the story. Big difference.
I personally believe RP is less personal and more open than GP, but GP gets the names on the WFE's and in the awards, of which there are now two going on for the year.
It's just different ways of playing this game, a game shared by both sides of the coin. But honestly, and truly I'm being candid in saying this, to really grow as a person in this game, one will do both. Gameplay is for salesmanship, roleplay is for expressing one's ideas.
Swith - Today at 7:54 PM
RP is much less personal. Characters may loathe each other IC, but the players are very close. They work together to paint that IC animosity.(edited)
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:55 PM
Wholeheartedly agree
Lamoni - Today at 7:55 PM
Agreed.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:55 PM
There was a time when many played gameplay ICly. However, when one looks at the topics of previous NSWF's and compares them to now, there's more of an OOC shift to gameplay. That's not extremely bad, but it does change the way in which one plays that facet of the gamr
It just seems... more connected now. If that makes sense.
Swith - Today at 7:56 PM
As a RPer, I find it difficult to wrap my mind around those interactions. I can't tell when something in GP is posted IC or OOC. It makes it difficult to respond, for me.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:57 PM
And that's been a sticking point for gameplay.
Too often things in gameplay are taken personally. If your nation, Swift, goes to war with Vekaiyu, I get that you likely don't have a hard opinion on me, but instead you think it's sensible and perhaps beneficial if our nations go to war
You may provide a means to prevent such altercations, you may not. We'd likely talk OOCly on those implications. Gameplay doesn't have that. I can't joke about couping a region and have that sort of OOC comradely. It's super-serious, and is, personally, why I would much rather RP.
Swith - Today at 7:59 PM
It would take a community effort to make things go smoothly, as far as the parts that stick.
IC play is best when there's OOC communication. If the other player acts like a dick OOC, they'll find that nobody wants to play with them. They'll get a "wall of silence" from the community, be it P2TM or N&I.
Todd McCloud - Today at 7:59 PM
Fire the ignore canons!
Swith - Today at 7:59 PM
Yep.
Lamoni - Today at 8:00 PM
That is how it works.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:00 PM
But in gameplay, I do not have that option
Swith - Today at 8:00 PM
How come?
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:00 PM
if someone who is a dick takes my region over, I can't avoid their repercussions
Swith - Today at 8:02 PM
I think that was a major problem with raider orgs not too long ago. A few have worked to turn that shitty attitude around. I fear there are still those who take it way, waaaay too seriously, and behave like fuckwhistles IC and OOC. But that goes for defenders, too. At the end of the day, we're all people. If we can't separate the player from the game, it's time to step away from the game.
But that's where the sticking point is, I suppose? As a former UDL, I remember the frustrations voiced to me by RPers who lost everything when some raiders pulled dickish moves.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:03 PM
You know where my next question will venture. Did Liberate Haven create irreconcilable differences?
Lamoni - Today at 8:04 PM
That was something that Mall should seriously not have attempted. And you will probably know something of the emotional weight behind my short answer of "yes."
Swith - Today at 8:05 PM
Dunno. I avoid that like the plague. A lot of RPers avoid GP. It's too much toxicity for kids that just want to do some basic political RP between nations.
Lamoni - Today at 8:05 PM
Liberate Haven stirred up many negative emotions in the RP community, and directed them squarely at both Mall, and Gameplay. In short, it was the perfect troll by Mall.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:06 PM
How can we move on from that, if at all? I'm a GCR RPer, and so the effects I had from that was minimal. How can we, as gameplay-centered communities, reach out to those nations?
Lamoni - Today at 8:08 PM
Well, one way of doing so is to join RP regions, and making it clear to them that you are there to RP (and not to stir things up). Give it time, learn how to RP, how the RP social circles work (not too differently from GP circles, once you break the ice), and you can make friendships while RPing.
One of the reasons why I love the NSWF so much is that it provides a platform for putting players from all corners of NS together, in a place where they can meet, mingle, and learn about other parts of NS which they might not have experienced before. Such as the GP/RP divide.(edited)
Swith - Today at 8:09 PM
I think we need to step back as a community and see it from a noob's eyes from time to time. How well are our actions representing our forum? If I'm walking around with my region link in my sig, and I'm behaving badly, how does that reflect upon my region and on gameplay in general?(edited)
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:10 PM
I can say I did that as a member of Gholgoth, but my reception was so cold I became discouraged. Another region, however, Caprecia, was very receptive to my advances. I think, perhaps, it all becomes perception. Sure, I'm a former raider, but I pose no threat to their storylines. Is that correct?
Lamoni - Today at 8:11 PM
As long as you don't actively raid an RP region, you pose no threat to their storylines. There are RPers out there who still don't like gameplay or gameplayers, but most of them don't actually have much experience with gameplayers in general. It will take time and effort to break the ice, but it can be done.
Swith - Today at 8:11 PM
It's far easier for many people to use a RP puppet and not disclose their r/d hobby. Of all the raiders in P2TM, I know of only one that uses his main.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:13 PM
Last Q from me for a while: what if an established RP nation from another region, like Vekaiyu, wanted to take root and colonize / perchance move a portion of their nation to your 'verse. Assuming all things worked out, how can I, say, ensure my leader and my nation are a force to be respected?
Lamoni - Today at 8:14 PM
My region (Greater Dienstad) would certainly welcome gameplayers who have an honest desire to RP. Some of the players might be less trustful of gameplayers than others, but it wouldn't pose any threat.
That depends on the region, Todd. I would start by finding a way to get your nation into the region's IC cannon, and work with others in the region to establish yourself. Then you can go from there.
Swith - Today at 8:15 PM
There's always a way to work around conflicting canon. You can TG the region's officers or founder for clarification before joining. Have them look over your factbook, etc.
Lamoni - Today at 8:16 PM
Any good RP regional leadership will be willing to help.
Swith - Today at 8:16 PM
^ I was just about to post similar.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:16 PM
I see
Swith - Today at 8:17 PM
It's give-and-take. Sometimes something just won't work.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:17 PM
The next question comes from @Giovenith Giovenith - Today at 11:08 PM
Who's the worst person you've kicked from a region?
Lamoni - Today at 8:18 PM
I haven't personally kicked this person from a region, but the worst RPer that i've ever seen anywhere on NS would be either Hataria, or GEIJD. *can already hear the groans from the mention of Hataria, from the direction of RPers*
Swith - Today at 8:18 PM
I've only kicked a few from my regions. Mostly, they were spammers.
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:19 PM
Next Q comes from @Tilt : Tilt - Today at 11:09 PM
How accepting are you of clumsy idiots?
Lamoni - Today at 8:19 PM
Define "clumsy idiots."
Swith - Today at 8:19 PM
^
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:21 PM
Tilt has described this as: Tilt - Today at 11:20 PM
Mistaking regions.
That is, Confusing regions with completely different names for each other.
Lamoni - Today at 8:22 PM
I haven't seen that be too big of an issue.
Swith - Today at 8:22 PM
Everyone does clumsy things when they first join NS. It's only when people refuse to learn that they become a nuisance.
I haven't seen the latter too often.
Todd, here's one from Gio, if you don't mind. "I've seen quite a few conflicts in my time between Gameplayers over group aesthetic and theme, mostly arguments between people over whose theme makes them more "worthy" to do what, for example., a raiding group with a "girly" theme getting a special kind of uproar from people who think it's somehow worse to be raided by them than those with more dark and serious themes like TBR, because it's more of an eyesore or humiliating. I find these quite fascinating. Is this common, or is this just petty dummies will be petty dummies no matter where you go?"
Todd McCloud - Today at 8:23 PM
I mean, personally, it depends on the attitudes and demeanor of the region being attacked.
Any attack that is contrary to that region will come under fire. The more different they are, the more of a rise they will likely receive when the region is kept constant.
Swith - Today at 8:26 PM
I personally hate it when people use a cause as the basis for their org. "I hate Pizza, so my org will be based around pizza hating" or "I support [this political/social cause] so everything will be painted in those hues!"
To explain... If my region is taken over by a raider org touting Black Lives Matter, I will come to loathe the actual BLM movement in time. I'll associate it with how it was (ab)used on NS.(edited)
Lamoni - Today at 8:29 PM
Okay. Might be time for more questions now. From Escade:
Questions: 1. How long do roleplays generally last? Like do some naturally end and others continue on? 2. What kind of roleplays do you prefer character or the other kind? What is the main difference and do you recommend certain types to people based on their writing style?
For question number one... the length of time that an RP can last varies wildly. If you've got a good group with lots of OOC communication, and a particularly good story going, an RP can last for a long time. Other RPs will last for a week or less, while most RPs fall somewhere in between those two. There are lots of factors that determine how long than any individual RP will last.
Swith - Today at 8:33 PM
In P2TM, they can last less than a week, or 5+ years. Sadly, most usually die before completion.
I love character RP. Love it! It allows a player to focus on one character.
Regardless of writing style, the key to RPing is to give enough information for the other players to work off of. Your post can be very brief and still be workable.
Lamoni - Today at 8:33 PM
For question two... I can do either character, or nation RPs. The difference between the two is that character RPs are focused more on the characters, while nation RPs focus more on how the nation as a whole (or even just the government) is reacting to things. There are a lot of nation RPs on II. As for writing style? Some people are better with character RPs, while others are better with nation RPs. If I see someone with an affinity for one or the other, then I would point them towards it, but would never exclude them from the other.
Swith - Today at 8:34 PM
^ that's a good point. Not all players are alike.
Lamoni - Today at 8:35 PM
Every RPer is different, and brings different things to the table.
From Gio: If it's not too touchy, who is the worst player you've ever RP'd with?
Swith - Today at 8:38 PM
I can tell you the worst kind of player... one that behaves poorly OOC and does not accept responsibility for their antics.
Lamoni - Today at 8:38 PM
At one time, I would have said someone like Blackhelm Confederacy. But now, I would say that it is anyone who refuses to learn from their mistakes, or to listen to good advice from others. Just like what Swith said.
Swith - Today at 8:40 PM
Most players can be reasoned with. When in doubt, ask an outsider to help mediate. Find a Mentor. Our team helps with that as part of our jobs.
Lamoni - Today at 8:41 PM
Swith speaks true.
From Cer: "how can an RPer get into GP?"
Swith - Today at 8:42 PM
*resists urge to promote her org*
Lamoni - Today at 8:43 PM
lol. I would suggest starting with joining a gameplay region (I have several listed in my lecture), and getting used to things, then spreading your wings further and further until you are comfortable in the gameplay world.
@Todd McCloud ?
Swith - Today at 8:44 PM
^
Lamoni - Today at 8:46 PM
I do know that there are many gameplay regions who would be willing to help someone get started and find their feet in the gameplay world, including the fair's hosts, right @Rach/Solorni ?
We have about 8 more minutes for any further questions before the next lecture. Keep those questions coming!
Swith - Today at 8:48 PM
Actually, yes, I'd recommend them. Europeia's people are very open and helpful.
Lamoni - Today at 8:51 PM
From Gio: What would AI mascots for each respective group be like?
For this one, I am actually not sure.
Swith - Today at 8:51 PM
Is this PG 13?
Lamoni - Today at 8:51 PM
Go for it, Swith.
Rach/Solorni - Today at 8:52 PM
Europeia is and I am as well. So if anyone needs help or has any questions they can always ask me
Swith - Today at 8:52 PM
I'm not sure either. I suppose it would be a rather placid creature with a broad knowledge base.
Oh, you mean gameplay?
Rach/Solorni - Today at 8:54 PM
yus
Lamoni - Today at 8:54 PM
I think that Gio meant gameplay and RP. Rach is gameplay.
Sanctaria - Today at 8:54 PM
This server is kept PG-13, yes.
Swith - Today at 8:55 PM
(I was kidding, Sanct, no worries.) RP would be a chimera-sort of AI, able to shift direction and thought rapidly in order to accommodate a variety of needs.
Lamoni - Today at 8:56 PM
And with that, it seems we have run out of time. Thank you to everyone who has participated, and now we can let the next lecture start.
Thank you also to everyone who asked questions.
Swith - Today at 8:56 PM
Thanks Lamoni and Todd. It was nice spending time with you both.
Lamoni - Today at 8:57 PM
You're welcome.
