Why There is Sex in RP

This question keeps coming up, so I'm going to throw my two cents worth in. Why? Because I have a blog, and I am NOT afraid to use it, dammit. 


To me, there is a very simple answer: because, in the real world, people have sex. It's a normal part of relationships - if you are an adult and you have the level of commitment you feel is necessary to warrant sexual involvement (dating, engaged, married, whatever your personal feelings are), you have sex.


Because of this fact, most fiction you see geared to adults (or even teens, in some cases) has an element of sex if romance enters the picture.


I've heard the saying "Star Wars didn't have sex in it!" - well, while there was nothing graphically portrayed, of course there was sex in it. Luke and Leia didn't just show up in a turnip patch. Padme didn't have immaculate conception. 


And you can't tell me that Han and Leia weren't well on their way to doing the horizontal mambo. Seriously. Han is ten kinds of hawtness and yummy.


(And we'll conveniently skip the part where Leia and Luke were smooching.)


Now, if you don't like watching the SLs where there is sex, there is a very simple answer. It's called the "Unfollow" button. There are times when I've made posts about suggestions or my personal preference for RP, but in the end, everyone is in control of what they RP. Some people will like it, and some will hate it. It's okay.


As far as Star Trek - um....I play an Orion. They OOZE sexuality. It's not some chaste character to play (although my three Orion characters are quite different in that aspect). So maybe my perception is different because I see it as a given with my main character.


I dunno.


So my advice is to follow whom you want. Unfollow those you don't like to watch. Live and let live. 

Some RP Guidelines

I know that there are a lot of RP groups out there, and also some people that may want to start up their own RP group.


Please keep in mind that these are just some general guidelines and things that we do for our group. This isn't saying that you have to follow these guidelines if you have a group of your own, it just makes things easier for us.


Our group has three rules:


1. No drama in the public feed. If you have an argument with someone, take it to DMs or somewhere else off the feed. Take it to your blog. Take it to e-mail. Take it to chat. Handle it however you want to, but do not have the drama fest in the feed. Period.

2. No unauthorized jacking - a lot of times when one of our characters signs off, you'll see them say something like "So and so has jacking rights." This is especially true if someone has to leave in the middle of a scene. The reason that we do this is so that the other players are not stuck mid-scene. They can move things along even if they are missing a player.


"Jacking" is short for "hijacking" - one player saying that another player is doing or saying something. 


Jacking another player (unless permission was given) is a definite no-no in our group. If I see it happening, and I have not seen permission given in the feed, I am very quick to send a DM and make sure that prior permission was given between the two parties.
      

There's a reason for this. Several, actually. The first is just that it's common courtesy. The second reason is it can disrupt a person's storyline if they are jacked.  It can disrupt a storyline that is already planned for the future, or it can disrupt a part of the character's back story.


3. Keep it PG-13 in the public feed - I do not have a problem at all if somebody wants to cybersex. I honestly don't. In fact, there are some cyber feeds I enjoy watching.


However, in the public feed (for our group), I ask that everybody keeps things PG-13. 


Why? Well, we do have subscribers for the RSS feed that don't want to see anything over PG-13. They subscribe to the feed for the storylines, and they really just don't want to see anything graphic.


Another reason is because of the fact that anyone can see the public feed - including minors. It just makes me feel a little squicked out to think that minors could be reading stuff that was adult in nature, simply by doing a Twitter search (for something that was sci-fi related, for example).


Still another reason is the fact that we do have some players that are under 18. I can't control what they do if it doesn't involve the RPG, but I can ask that they keep things PG-13 when it comes to RPG activity.


That's pretty much it. We don't have a requirement as far as activity is concerned (although if someone is going to be away for a while, it's nice if they check in every so often). We don't have a requirement as far as clearing storylines with the group leader (as long as the no jacking rule is followed, of course). 


I hope this helps to answer some questions. Feel free to leave comments.

RP Hater on Twitter - Part 8 Bazillion

I used "8 bazillion" this post because, quite frankly, I have lost count with how many times one certain RPer has caused trouble in the RP 'verse.


It amazes me how people can't let things go. Honestly, this person has screenshots from well over a year ago, claiming that they show her being "cyberbullied." 


------ [side rant]


Just as a side note - I really do hate that word, unless it is being used with children. 


Children are bullied. 


Adults are either:

• Discussing
• Debating
• Arguing
• Harassing

It is what used to be called "being an ass."

But, I digress.

-------- [/rant]

This person has truly harassed numerous people in the Star Wars RP 'verse. She has posted the IP addresses of several RPers, among other things.  Do you want to know what the main offense was for this, plus her barrage of insults and cries of betrayal?

Several RPers (myself included) had been sitting around discussing different RP's, and the comment was made that this particular RPer had a recurring theme - getting pregnant and having babies, then trying to kill them in various ways. It seems like every time we turned around, she was pregnant again. And the babies grew up within a matter of weeks.  And she was jumping off of buildings and trying to drown them and stuff. It was truly odd.

We made no attempt to hide the conversation, and we discussed many other aspects of different RP's.  (It was a slow night.) If I remember correctly, some aspects of my own RP were discussed. (My characters tend to have numerous bed partners and also have those bed partners die off rather often. *shrugs*)

She went absolutely ballistic and began what has become more than a year-long tirade against the entire Star Wars 'verse. 

In another incident, she has badgered one RPer to the point where the player was going to shut the account down (but, thankfully, didn't.  This person that she attacked was someone who had never even tweeted on her account before the attacks began.)

Many of the people in the RP community retaliated, defending the people who had been harassed and attacked by this person. Was it the right thing to do? Perhaps, perhaps not. I just find it very difficult to stand by and not say something when I see these kinds of things going on. I try not to have a whole lot of ooc commentary and/or drama in the feed, but I certainly am not opposed to blog posts or other ways of voicing opinions.

I say all of that to give a little bit of history.

Now she is back, once again claiming that she is the one that is being "cyberbullied." She even claims that one RPer who only RTed 2 tweets is cyberbullying her. 

I feel sorry for her. She clearly is disturbed on some deep level. 

I just wanted to say 3 things.

1. If you post information that is easily disproved - and people disprove it - don't get all bent out of shape over it. That is not being cyberbullied.  That is called "being shown to be full of sh*t." Suck it up and deal with it.
2. If Person A comes along and says they've had problems with person after person after person - at some point you have to look at the one who is the common denominator with all of these situations and realize that the problem is not everyone else in the entire RP 'verse. It's Person A. 
3. If you look at different RP groups and you see which ones are growing and which ones are not, that is a good indication of the types of people that are in them. If you see one particular group that is never growing, or it seems to lose members faster than it finds them, or if the group will gain members and then have a falling out soon thereafter - something is wrong. See Point #2. 

I am sure this is not the last post that I'm going to have on this subject, but it's all I have for now.

RL vs RP

The motto of our group is always that RL comes first.  It has to be that way.  RP is fun, but RL is simply more important.


But, if someone has a conflict or an issue that needs attention (work, family stuff, etc.), I always ask that they give me a heads up if possible.


So, I wanted to give everyone a heads up about what's going on with me, and let you know that I may not be on  as much as I usually am.


I won't be talking about this much (if at all) ooc on the RP feed because I don't feel like it's something I want to discuss.  I'd rather have RP be my "happy place."  If you want to ask me about it or chat about it, DM me or talk to me on my RL account: @Shara_ 


Or you can comment here.


Anyway......


My grandmother had surgery last week.  Breast cancer.  They took some lymph nodes, too.


She got the test results today.  It's a rare form of cancer.  It's not aggressive, but they didn't find it quickly.  It has spread.  


She'll need more surgery, chemo and radiation.  She is in her eighties.  They don't think she can handle the chemo.


So if I'm not on a lot, I'm either helping with her, or I have work stuff going on.


Just letting everyone know.  


Edit - updated 1/31/12:


My grandmother had a bout of treatment. The treatment was horrible - side effects are hell - but she's now cancer free. She is still very weak from the aftermath of her treatments, but she's doing well otherwise. 

Mooooooooooooooommmm! You're embarrassing me!

**Disclaimer:  No preteens were harmed in the making of this blog post.  Only their pride was wounded. 

*happy sigh*  Nothing does my heart good like embarrassing my kids.  I figure it’s nice payback for a total of 2 weeks of labor while bringing them into this world.   (Long and painful story, don’t ask.)

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When I see them squirm and check to make sure none of their friends are nearby, I know I’ve done a good job.  It’s all I can do not to give a fist pump and shout “YESSS!”  Hehe

How does this relate to role playing?  Glad you asked!

I went to the local bookstore to do some research for RPing. (Translation:  buy some Star Trek books.)  While talking to the sales associate, I casually mentioned that I am part of an online role playing group on Twitter.  (Okay, it was more like:  ”Guess what?!  I RP on Twitter and it’s so much fun and we have a ST/SW/Firefly crossover RP and we have a blast you should join us!”  The aforementioned conversation is done with the words quickly blurted out and has the appropriately excited and animated hand gestures to accompany it.)

THEN the clerk mentioned she was rather fond of Star Trek, as well.  (Translation:  ”OMG!  No way!  I LOVE Star Trek!  That sounds so cool!  Do you guys have a website or anything?!?”  Again, hand gestures and a look of rapture accompany this declaration of geeky joy.)

At this point – the epitome of our Trekkie Nirvana – up walks my daughter.

I wish I could have had a camera in order to capture the look on her face.  A mixture of horror and……….well, actually, horror pretty much covers it.

BUT WAIT!  IT GETS BETTER!

You see, my lovely daughter had come seeking me out so she could get money from me.  (*insert evil grin here*)  It is quite amazing the things that children will suffer through to get money at the Mall, especially female children.

So, being the wonderful mother I am, decided to torture her further.  (*insert diabolical laugh here*)

Instead of letting her slink off and come back to ask for money when my Trekkiefest was over, I grinned and said, “Oh look!  There’s my daughter!” and proceeded to put an arm around her as I talked to my fellow Trekkie.  She actually hid her face. (“Moooooom!  You’re embarrassing me!”)  She quickly asked for her money and left.

It was awesome.  I figure it’s good payback for her making me listen to Adam Lambert songs all the time.

Flaws in your Role Playing Character

When creating a character for role-playing, you probably don’t think too much about what flaws your character will have.  You usually are more concerned about the character’s strengths and abilities.

However, a character with no flaws is not only unrealistic, but boring.

Flaws are what make us unique and genuine.  The same is true of your RP character.

My main character – Shara - has a lot of flaws:

• She is terrified of sleeping alone.
• She is flighty.
• She can be selfish.
• She has a nasty temper.
• She is a flirt.
• She has a tendency to go from bed to bed, if you get my drift.

But she also has numerous strengths:

• She is intelligent.
• She is ambitious.
• She is loyal.
• She has a soft heart and loves to help people.
• She is (usually) cheerful and very affectionate.
• She is bouncy and exuberant.
• She is a flirt.
• She is trusting (almost to a fault).

While Shara (and I, as her player) often takes a lot of flak for her flaws, she has fiercely loyal fans.  Enough so that I think she is a likable character overall.

Handling Conflicts in your RPG

Role-playing groups are a lot of fun. You get to RP together, plan out storylines, and usually get to know a little about each other in real life.  RPG’s are especially fun if you get writers to join – it’s like having your storytelling walk, talk and breathe.

Once you start to RP on Twitter, you’ll inevitably draw others in the to RP with you (if your RP is interesting and others can tell that you have fun doing it, of course).  This is one of the great things about RPing on Twitter – building a group.

But having multiple people in a group inevitably means there will be conflict in that group – and the larger the group, the more potential for conflict.  Why?  Different personalities, different beliefs and different approaches to RP – all combined with the relative anonymity of the Internet – make conflict unavoidable.  (There can also be conflict between 2 or more RPGs. )

Preparing in advance to handle conflicts in your RPG is like preparing for Hurricane Season in Florida: you hope you don’t need to use it, but you know you will eventually – and to be unprepared is going to bring disaster.

Here are a few guidelines to consider:

Guideline #1 – ALL Conflicts Are to Be Handled in Private

Let’s give an example of why.

Susie Q and Johnny B are having a spat.  You have 20 people in your group, and when Susie and Johnny start going at each other, everyone takes sides and jumps in.  Now you have 20 people arguing where only 2 people should be – and often these 18 other people start arguments that take on a life on their own and can even be worse than the original spat.

In addition, what about the followers?  Followers follow RPers so that they can read original sci fi fiction (or other genre) – they don’t want to see a bunch of squabbling on the feed.  It’s a huge turnoff.

Finally – what about those trying to RP?  It’s hard to focus on what you’re doing when there is a heated argument going on in the feed.  Not only that, but RPers don’t want their storylines ruined by a dramafest – followers will skim over the whole thing and could miss an excellent SL amidst all of the clamor.  Other RPers just signing on only to see a conflict in full force will often not even attempt to RP – they’ll simply leave for the night.

Contrast this with a spat handled in private – via DMs, email or chat – between the two parties.  It stays (for the most part) between the two parties; and if they need a mediator, that’s what the group leader is for.  No drama, no cluttering up the feed, and the conflict is addressed.  No one else is discouraged or bothered by it.

In my opinion, this is the main rule.  If someone doesn’t want to abide by it, then they obviously love the drama and they will poison your RPG if allowed to stay in it.

Guideline #2 – Don’t Get Involved on the Feed in Other People’s Fights

This is a hard one.  You see a friend and fellow RPer getting attacked or accused, so you want to jump in and defend this person.

But – think for just a minute – why do you want to jump in and defend him or her?  Is it because you want to argue, or is it because you want to the person to know he or she has your support?

More than likely, it’s because you want the person to know you support him.  This can be handled by sending a private message/DM and telling him you support him, and to encourage him to either handle the conflict privately (“Take it to DMs” is my mantra) or to ignore/block the person who is arguing with him (if the argument truly is pointless or simply too mean-spirited).

Another option is to use your personal blog in order to voice your opinion or your support.

The main thing is to keep the drama that is occurring off of the feed.

Guideline #3 – Stay Professional

You would be very surprised who is looking at the tweets of RPers – and subscribing to their RSS feeds and blogs.   There are people looking for the next “big” writer on Twitter – and if you don’t believe me, that’s your loss.

Also, I’ve never met a serious RPer that didn’t want people to enjoy their portrayal of their character.

While we’re not “professionals” in the sense of being paid, we do need to maintain a sense of professionalism during RP.  Yes, we can kid around and such, but drama simply has no place in front of all of the followers.   It detracts from your character portrayal.

This doesn't mean that you don't mention it at all - just that getting into an all-out drama fest in front of the followers isn't a good idea.

Guideline #4 – If You Can’t – or Won’t – Follow the Guidelines, You Need to RP with Another Group

Kind of self-explanatory.  If someone can’t or won’t settle issues in a quiet, non-dramatic way, they are either too immature, thrive on drama, or are unstable.  They need to go.

The Bottom Line

Role-playing groups can be a lot of fun – but also can be a huge headache if the inevitable conflicts aren’t handled with a minimum of fuss and drama.  Take steps to insure you are prepared in advance to handle them.

Choosing the Right Avatar for your Character

This whole situation made me laugh, so I’m sharing it.  (It’s also a good lesson.)

A while back I was in an RPG and we needed a character for the plot.  The character actually needed to die off quickly for the plot to work.

The character (Jared Stone) was a cute, hotshot, skirt-chasing, foul-mouthed-yet-endearing pilot.  He was critically injured and needed to die after a few days to make way for another character to take his spot.

Because of this, we (as a group) chose this avatar:

Cute, yes?  XD

But then……something happened.

Because of the other player dropping out, we needed Jared to miraculously pull through and live.

O.o

The character became a main character, and the avatar was ridiculed mercilessly.

(My favorite one was comparing him to Kahn Singh:

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!

And my favorite nickname was “Mr. Booby Chest.”  XD)

So, finally, he chose a new avatar….but the nicknames, I am told, will remain.

So remember, kids….when choosing an avatar, choose wisely. The pic should reflect the nature of your character, and…plan ahead.

What is Role Playing?

What is role playing?

Chances are, you’ve done role playing before.  Most kids pretend to be something they’re not – a policeman, fireman,  astronaut, etc.  It’s fun!

Role playing is the same for an adult – you pretend to be something you’re not.

Online role-playing is a quick, easy way to do this.  You can RP in a variety of formats, with 2 being my faves:

• Twitter
• Forums

I prefer Twitter for roleplaying because it’s fast and interactive, but forums can be enjoyable, too.

Getting started with Online Role Playing on Twitter:

Online role playing with Twitter is simple.

• Start an account at Twitter – it’s free!
• Pick a character you want to be – or make up your own!
• Follow the steps to create the account and then find a picture to use.
• Find other RPers and follow them.  (Another Twitter term)
• Start interacting.

Need help?  Our role playing rpg is very willing to help newbies!  Go to http://navaarstwitterfic.wordpress.com or contact

• Shara at sharatheorion {at} hotmail {dot} com or http://twitter.com/SharatheOrion

You can also post questions as comments. 

RP Haters on Twitter

If you RP in a public forum long enough, you’re going to have a hater.

I, personally, have just acquired a new one.  ((WOO HOOO!  LOL XD))

Not everyone is going to like the way you RP.  They won’t like your character, your storylines or your grammar.  Something.

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Once someone realizes that they don’t like how you RP, most people would simply ignore what you RP at that point.

But – for some, strange reason – some people are not content to quietly unfollow you or to not look at the RP threads you post in.

No, they have to attack you.

That, my friends, is when you have a hater.

Why Haters Hate

Now, before I start my little rant, please understand that there are some people that I simply cannot stand to watch RP.  Seriously – there are things they do that just make me go “ick.”

But you know what?  I’m not the end-all, be-all of RP judging, so I quietly unfollow them and that’s the end of it.  No big deal.  They have fun and I don’t have to watch it.  Everyone’s happy.  ( And, most of the time, they have a good number of followers, so my opinion is obviously in the minority. *shrugs* I’m cool with that. )

But haters are different.  They aren’t happy with ignoring you.  Because of some deep-rooted issue, they have to let everyone know – including you – that they dislike the way you RP.

Why?

I have a few theories:

• Jealousy
• Pettiness
• Psychological issues
• No life
• And a few others I’ll keep to myself

So then you are faced with a choice.

Live and Let Live

I have seen some truly spectacular fights over RP.  Stunning ones.  Devastating ones.

But – at the end of the day – it’s just RPing.  It’s not worth getting that upset over.  (Now, if it’s an argument IRL with someone you RP with, that’s another story.  Not what I’m talking about.)

If someone has an issue with the way you RP and simply wants to be a jerk about it, ignore it.

Honestly, don’t lose sleep over it.  Don’t fight over it.  That’s what the hater WANTS you to do.

Just unfollow, block and ignore.

And that’s all I have to say about that.  :D