Lore And NPCS

[Angeni]

I have to ask this question because I am, infact, RP officer of Invictus Sanctum and somewhat of a Lore Keeper. We've had many characters use NPCs as distant relatives (cousins, aunts, etc) that I've never really had a problem with because, in the end, it never affected the RP.

But what do you think should be done with someone who uses a MAIN NPC as their parent, when Lore would prove that the birth of the so called child would make it impossible for her to be alive or she's like a toddler.

And I mean that it's on level with, 'I am the son of Thrall and he raised me and when he dies, I will get Doomhammer, and you can never stop me because Thrall's blood runs through my veins, etcetcetc.' (Names and characters changed for sanity of guild affairs)

The officer's have discussed this, and while we do not want to tell anyone how to RP their character, the fact that this person is, in the end, God-moding because they are having powers their class shouldn't have (explaining it as 'blood heritage' power) but we're still unsure how to handle it.

Opinions anyone? It would be greatly appreciated. ^.^

/glomps Vilmah because she still hasn't seen her in game yet.

[Qabian]

Trying to step so whole hog into the canon of major characters is part of the definition of Mary Sue, but if someone wants to play that way? *shrug* I don't usually care until it interferes with me. It is a problem when it comes to relationships with other characters. I would personally just deal with it in character by laughing in their face, which isn't very nice, but thankfully I'm not very nice.

You could just tell them that if they insist on keeping an overpowered character background, the rest of the guild will have to exist in denial of their reality (simple disbelief, or possible shunning) as a result. "You say this is true, but we don't believe it, so we're going to assume you're making things up and your abilities are some form of trickery." I don't know how well that would go over, though.

[Trayanise]

I went a step further than that. I am an NPC. You know, the student that chases the arcane construct around in the Court of the Sun in Silvermoon.

If you read my bio, you'll see that I actually have an RP reason why I can be running around leveling and be in SMC at the same time.

Does this hurt lore? Possibly, but not really. The Trayanise NPC isn't a character of note such as Thrall or Cairne. I originally created this character as a joke, so I could show people and freak them out (yeah, I carry my Trayanise costume on me at all times), but when the school guild started I had to play her.

I have met characters who said they were the daughter of Thrall, son or brother of Illdan, etc. While some of these people are lame, the mass majority of them are just attention starved and want their character to be special. When I see someone who says they are the twin brother of Kael'thas, I assume they mean Kael'thas Smith or Kael'thas Jones, and it doesn't bother me as much.

If they know the lore, and insist that they are Thrall's son George or whatever, I usually just humor them and then ignore it. After all, they are trying to roleplay, which is not a bad thing. And when it comes down to it, they aren't disrupting my game, because if worse comes to worse, I can pretend that they are a good friend that just happens to be suffering from delusions of grandeur.

[Abric]

They are roleplaying, and while that roleplaying may be a bit into the extreme clouds of 'unbelievable,' they are still roleplaying. Usually people who choose to be part of the main storyline is because they love the stories that much, they don't have much RP experience, or... eh, they like the juice. They should be nutured and developed, not restricted and harassed.

Now, with 'special' abilities and the like... this is where the video game kicks in. If you are the son of Illidan and you have the ability to shoot lightning bolts from your eyes and fireballs from your arse - then do it. Go ahead and do it, because I'm standing right here. If they can't do it? Well, then obviously you called their bluff. Abric says he can kill a lot of people; most he can... some he can't. But then, nobody calls his bluff, because THEY don't know if they can beat Abric or not... and so is the roleplay fostered.

You can do a lot of things that aren't in the game mechanics to spice up your RP. Example: Bloodscream travelled to another dimension and ran into a opposite of Abric and Vilmah. Vilmah and I thought this was a pretty awesome idea, and we decided to roll with that - of which I've failed to follow through (like many stories, AbricOOC FAILS!) BUT, we can't actually do that in game. That's something that is reserved only for the stories that amuse us and entertain others.

It is also something that hasn't effected anybody to cause strife. Now, if I would of said Abric used the transporter malfunction to permenantly send candy ass Vilmah away and keep the hardcore one - THEN that could cause some strife.

... I'm rambling now.

Bottomline: If somebody is roleplaying, then there is no problem. If somebody is roleplaying something considered strange, so long as it isn't effecting your own background/character development - you should roll with it, and not hate and/or disagree.

...

Unless they ARE Thrall. Then, well, that's against the ToS baby!

[Mortica]

Yep, I'm with Trayanise.

If it doesn't affect my RP (rogue calls lightning from the sky, the electricity crackles around them, they start giggling "it tickles!"), I'll just humor them.

If it *does* affect me (rogue calls lightning from the sky and I begin sizzling like a giant burnt french fry), then I'm probably going to have a talk with them if it happens more than once.

I should note that I DON'T channel RP much if any, because that's where the most blatant god-modding happens. If it's in a channel, then you'll have to set rules on what can and cannot be done there.

[Lovely]

Bottomline: If somebody is roleplaying, then there is no problem. If somebody is roleplaying something considered strange, so long as it isn't effecting your own background/character development - you should roll with it, and not hate and/or disagree.



Does this include the Goldshire vampires?

Hehe.

[Abric]

Good question, Lovely.

DOES that include the Goldshire vampires? Well, I'd say yes. While there aren't any vampires in this game (ala Bram Stoker, White Wolf, and Dungeons and Dragons) there was vampiric abilities... and it is just as easily explained as being humans possessed by demons with the thrist for blood.

I'd recommend having them all email Raziel and explaining their strife and background stories. Especially if it involves being a half-orc warlock who is the step-son of Blackhand... or the long lost sister of Rend.

[Lovely]

Actually, when I played Alliance, Upae and I encountered these vampires in Goldshire, and were totally caught off guard by the fact that they were somewhat cool. They had a small knit guild, they were structured well, they stayed in character, and they didn't God-Mode if called out on anything. And Upae even called their curse "The Blood Hex" and BS'ed some stuff about it being in troll lore I think.

Neat stuff, and although I like to make fun of them, I had a blast RPing with those people.

[Vilmah]

/glomps Vilmah because she still hasn't seen her in game yet.

Woah!

*glomped*

Hehe..

Personally, I hate it when people make their characters so larger than life that it becomes impossible to associate with them. Making your character immortal, the son of a god (or a supremely powerful NPC), ect. ect...

However, I -did- make Vilmah's parent an NPC. A rather unimportant one, and one overlooked.. but her dad is Gor'mul, the lethargic sad orc dude in Hammerfall that you're doing the raptor eyes and hearts quests for. I chose him because he seemed so pathetic, yet once stood so high, and I figured it made sense that he'd have been so distracted by tradgedy that he doesn't even acknowledge his surviving kids.

[Angeni]

Thanks for the input. It's just getting difficult when this person (of...56 seasons, I believe) attempts to tell the 70s in the guild that 'because of their power and parentage, they can and will defeat us if need be', etcetcetc.

Not to mention that Lore actually makes it impossible for this person to exist considering her 'famous' mother is only in her late 20s herself, and it would generally make said NPC have had birth at like...the age of 9.

And I mean, we have people who have been taken in by Nessa Shadowsong, fought at the battle of Stromgarde, etcetcetc, and we're fine with the 'distancing' RP.

*sigh* Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to make some more -detailed- RP rules so we can avoid this in the future.

/gives punch and pie

[Nicoleta]

Maybe you could circumvent the whole daughter/mother age problem by suggesting a cheesy "time travel" scenario in which the daughter travels back in time. This happens all the time in comics, specifically the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. The most famous instance would be Rachel Summers coming back to warn her parents, Scott Summers and Jean Grey, about the impending mutant apocalypse*.

I just climbed up three heads on the nerd totem pole, but so be it.



* that happened in the late 1980s, true believer -- Smilin' Stan

[Ninorra]

This happens all the time in comics, specifically the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.

My favorite was Kitty Pryde going back in time.. that's a classic.

[Angeni]

Not to mention Cable and Nate Grey and--

*pauses*

And I heard they recently found the Third Summers Brother...I stopped reading after I stopped playing on our X-Men Evo RP board. *was Jubilee*

*blinks*

Guh. I'm a nerd. But a nerd with boobs. So I win.

Note: See Ninorra and Angeni's discussion on Quicksilver. LOL

[Darkblade]

If I had Rammstein's Lightning Bolts, I could call lightning from the sky. :P

Hell, I can go farm Overspark in that stupid gnome place and get the cloth hat that lets you do it. ;)

If someone tries to RP something out of the world, ask them "how" first, and if they don't come up with a good answer ("I can, that's why!"), then the eye roll and assumption of lunacy come in to play.

Regarding time travel RP: I've done it. I've only been the one affected by it, though. At least I try to make it reasonable. I've always loved the thought of time travel though, and therefore <3 the Caverns (even though I -still- need to do Durnholde).

[Fallacy]

I know some people would disagree with me, but I ignore those sorts of people, along with god-modders. It may be RP, but it's bad RP, and there's no way my characters or I would want to be involved in it because that's a lot of conflict I don't want (I also don't like the "I'm related to this person, so I have all their powers!" RP, no one had such abilities without a lot of training).

[Icia]

I'm with Fallacy on that one. I'm a bit of a lore nazi, and I hate when people go outside of established boundaries for their character.

It bothers me enough that so many people have such unlikely characters (complete with estranged parents, a scar down their face, and an unnatural hatred for everything of the opposing faction)

[Raziel]

YOU'RE ALL WRONG!

Thankfully, I'm here to tell you what's right.

First and Foremost: DON'T IGNORE IT. That's pretty much rejecting their RP Whatsoever.

Second and Shouldermost: TREAT IT AS IT COMES IN-GAME. Okay, say you were out at a bar and one of your friends tells you, "Hey, I'm actually an illegitimate son of Prince Charles and heir to the Royal Throne of Wales." In a most serious sudden tone.

What are you going to do? You're going to be a fucking skeptic!

Clearly, these people who claim outrageous heritage and are just plain ignorant must be treated as if they are CLEARLY IN-FUCKING-SANE.

So you treat them exactly how they are, as Delusional Psychotics, and possibly schitzophrenic.

That's how you roleplay with the punches people.

Start treating your "special cases" in-character as "special people."
They'll eventually get the hint that they're doing something fucking retarded and either stop to avoid the total embarrassment and harrassment they're going to be getting from being stupid, or at least get their character some therapy so he can see that he's not, in fact, Orgrim Bourne, and the Horde never had a Project: Treadstone.

[Leoren]

I think this has already mentioned but it's all sort of something that's played by ear.

Being the son of thrall is somewhat different than being his odd, distantly related failure of a peon cousin. I suppose it's based more around on how likely the relationship might be provided what lore is available. I mean, you'd look pretty stupid saying you're Arthas' bastard son when he says something like, "I died... a virgin..." following his death in the new expansion.

I mean, maybe you're character could genuinely believe that they were in fact hero X's immediate family member, but just don't be surprised at the string of /facepalms.

I recall an old guildie once upon a time, he was by all means a great RPer but ... he literally explained that his character was a son of Elune, goddess of the Night Elves. As in he represented her anger and hate manifested into a child. Yeah. Kind of awkward.

[Fallacy]

This may not be true, but I had read that Illidan actually has a son, to be revealed in an upcoming novel (just a rumor, I think, I've found nothing to back it up).

[Vilmah]

..you know, if Arthas' last words really were "I died a virgin", I'd laugh my ass off. Not because there's anything wrong with being a bishounen, but because it would kill off so many illegitimate children and discontinue half of WoW's fanfic base.

[Qabian]

Start treating your "special cases" in-character as "special people."

That's generally what I was getting at. Don't ignore them, or naysay them, but react to them. If your level 57 guildlet says they're perfectly able to overthrow guild leadership because of their history, I'd be reacting them the same way my character would react that guy on the street corner saying he was sent here by aliens to usher in a new era or whatever. I've known a couple people in the hospital rather insistent on being the sons of gods. And just think how many people claim to be related to celebrities in the real world. If they can insist on it, so can anyone else.

If they don't like your reactions, you may have to explain to them why your character isn't going to simply accept their story, but that doesn't mean they have to retract it. They'll just have to realize they look freaking insane.

[Vilmah]

If your level 57 guildlet says they're perfectly able to overthrow guild leadership because of their history, I'd be reacting them the same way my character would react that guy on the street corner saying he was sent here by aliens to usher in a new era or whatever.

*coughSulajincough*

XP

[Malakim]

Just wait till you have the gear and skill to be able to beat most people, then talk all the crap you want.

[Qabian]

*coughSulajincough*

XP

o_o The only thing he ever said to me was, "You're a pig." I reacted by oinking. :D

[Sulajin]

Hey! I never said I'd overthrow your guild leadership because my character has some uber power because he's the son of ragnaros, or any shit like that!

I said I'd do it if you were to vanish, I could probably manipulate, scheme, and otherwise redirect events until I was. THAT is a possibility. If you dissappeared.

Also, I found this really, really neat caterpillar in the alley back here. Want to come see it?

[Ninorra]

It's okay Sul, you know I just like messing with you..

And you also know I hate bugs!!

[Sulajin]

Did I say caterpillar? I meant... umm...

Kitten? Yes. It's a kitten in the alley.

Maybe it'll be odin's friend? You should go ask.

[Ninorra]

Odin has no friends. He is lord of all he sees.

[Sulajin]

Go ask the damn kitten! I think it's a girl. She can be his concubine when he grows up.

And then there will be lots of baby kittens.

[Lovely]

YOU'RE ALL WRONG!

Thankfully, I'm here to tell you what's right.

First and Foremost: DON'T IGNORE IT. That's pretty much rejecting their RP Whatsoever.

Second and Shouldermost: TREAT IT AS IT COMES IN-GAME. Okay, say you were out at a bar and one of your friends tells you, "Hey, I'm actually an illegitimate son of Prince Charles and heir to the Royal Throne of Wales." In a most serious sudden tone.

What are you going to do? You're going to be a fucking skeptic!

Clearly, these people who claim outrageous heritage and are just plain ignorant must be treated as if they are CLEARLY IN-FUCKING-SANE.

So you treat them exactly how they are, as Delusional Psychotics, and possibly schitzophrenic.

That's how you roleplay with the punches people.

Start treating your "special cases" in-character as "special people."
They'll eventually get the hint that they're doing something fucking retarded and either stop to avoid the total embarrassment and harrassment they're going to be getting from being stupid, or at least get their character some therapy so he can see that he's not, in fact, Orgrim Bourne, and the Horde never had a Project: Treadstone.

OMG I totally agree with Enheilraziel.....

First Kaldore, and now him....

*Faints*

:P

Great points, Raz

[Raziel]

Now y'all KNOW Arthas was beatin' 'dem britches...

ain't no doubt to 'dat.

[Darkblade]

Arthas is my baby's daddy.
True story.

[Sulajin]

"Dude, we're all brothers. Embrace your fellow man..."