[Paragon Chat] Roleplaying!

[Vr2Lrose]

im fine with it haveing never been shut down,  my character was prittymuch over in mishigan (champ online) most of the time, and icly she had access to interdimentional travel I followed one of my coalition buddies.  so weather it closed  or not weather CO is same universe or not its pritty easy to
glaze over those details.

Though i think its still fun to blame zero for lack of powers. and generally some sort of "storm" or threat of a "storm"  be it magical or mundane is a good reason why a lot of random people would move  physically or dimentionally all at one timeish, Typically some stay behind to help with general repairs.

its possible some people got timelocked without the entire city being frozen like if they had been in ouraburus. it was such chaos im sure a lot of characters and civilians didnt know what was going on icly

[gammagirl]

I think maybe we need to make a list of issues we need to agree on and then knock them out one by one... like...

1. Did time stop or go on as normal?
2. Have people vanished or we just pretend they're still there?
3. Have our powers vanished or we just pretend they're still there?
Etc...

[FloatingFatMan]

I think maybe we need to make a list of issues we need to agree on and then knock them out one by one... like...

1. Did time stop or go on as normal?
2. Have people vanished or we just pretend they're still there?
3. Have our powers vanished or we just pretend they're still there?
Etc...

Well, for me it's simple.

1.  No
2.  No
3.  No. Still godlike. :p

[Nyx Nought Nothing]

Well, for me it's simple.

1.  No
2.  No
3.  No. Still godlike. :p

So your answer is...
Did time stop? No
Go on? No
People vanished? No
Still there? No
Powers gone? No
Still there? No (Still godlike.)
Basically...

[Captain Electric]

LOL

I took the opposite tactic when people around CO, TSW or DCUO would make claims about how the shutdown had affected their fictional characters--a non-fictional event, mind you, which had nothing to do with lore the writing team at Paragon Studios had planned. Still, people can do anything they like with their own character lore. And telling people they shouldn't talk about years of their characters lives around me sounded a bit too Big Brother for my tastes and so I will never do that to you. Many of my characters are likely to express unbridled curiosity and ask lots and lots of questions about what did happen to yours. So no offense, Fatman, but if anyone ever replies with "I bet you're fun at parties"... I warned you!

So my answer was "yes". Every time.

Whatever you say happened, yes, it happened. I believe you. Somehow, owing to some complicated techno-babble that I can't possibly [be bothered to] explain [without god modding you like an arrogant rascal], everybody's right about their characters, albeit not necessarily right about mine or anyone else's. Which isn't so different from how we've always had to roleplay in super hero MMOs. In this grand--and let's admit it, bat$#&@ crazy--tapestry, it wouldn't be the first time that the steering wheel was yanked in ten different directions at once.

Now, I would encourage a Unionite thread where they can try to hash out some agreements. But afterward, unless they do a lot of ignoring, they will still all find themselves in a wider, wilder world, with jarring differences. Embrace these internal inconsistencies, for they might as well be the pillars that give our world consistency. If that sounds like crazy talk, welcome to Primal Earth--all Googolplex of them.

I'm not even going to get into what happened or didn't happen with my characters; there were hundreds of thousands of players over the years, over a dozen shards, each with lore that contained multiverses and probably millions of characters altogether. Somewhere within that tapestry existed my roster--like a speck.

Also,

One of things i miss most is my whimsically named PB, general incompetence. With his battlecry of "I know what I'm doing!" he only achieved 30 levels of making villains look bad before the shutdown.
NPC: "I heard the Council museum heist was foiled by general incompetence!"

lol'd at your signature.

[LaughingAlex]

LOL

I took the opposite tactic when people around CO, TSW or DCUO would make claims about how the shutdown had affected their fictional characters--a non-fictional event, mind you, which had nothing to do with lore the writing team at Paragon Studios had planned. Still, people can do anything they like with their own character lore. And telling people they shouldn't talk about years of their characters lives around me sounded a bit too Big Brother for my tastes and so I will never do that to you. Many of my characters are likely to express unbridled curiosity and ask lots and lots of questions about what did happen to yours. So no offense, Fatman, but if anyone ever replies with "I bet you're fun at parties"... I warned you!

So my answer was "yes". Every time.

Whatever you say happened, yes, it happened. I believe you. Somehow, owing to some complicated techno-babble that I can't possibly [be bothered to] explain [without god modding you like an arrogant rascal], everybody's right about their characters, albeit not necessarily right about mine or anyone else's. Which isn't so different from how we've always had to roleplay in super hero MMOs. In this grand--and let's admit it, bat$#&@ crazy--tapestry, it wouldn't be the first time that the steering wheel was yanked in ten different directions at once.

Now, I would encourage a Unionite thread where they can try to hash out some agreements. But afterward, unless they do a lot of ignoring, they will still all find themselves in a wider, wilder world, with jarring differences. Embrace these internal inconsistencies, for they might as well be the pillars that give our world consistency. If that sounds like crazy talk, welcome to Primal Earth--all Googolplex of them.

I'm not even going to get into what happened or didn't happen with my characters; there were hundreds of thousands of players over the years, over a dozen shards, each with lore that contained multiverses and probably millions of characters altogether. Somewhere within that tapestry existed my roster--like a speck.

Also,

lol'd at your signature.

^This.

It all boils down to perspective of things, one could say that different characters have differing perspectives even.  Hell, I sometimes even have characters of my own call my other characters liars behind their backs.....or just disprove some things some characters say.  Like for example, one character of mine will claim victories that are not possible within reason, another will flat out say that while said character did win, it was far from perfect.

[Vr2Lrose]

Exactly characters can SAY anything they want they may even believe what they say doesnt mean its what actually happened. I also often have my characters  conflict with eachother. its fun.

[AudreyWinter]

I apologize if this sounds snarky, but it's time I spoke up.

I don't think calling for a unified backstory is going to work. There will always be some people who don't agree with the fundamental premise of your shared narrative. For example, I choose to incorporate the shutdown as a major continuity event for all my characters. Universal and multiversal mega-events are common enough in comics that I see no reason that I should have to pretend nothing happened. If other people want to say nothing changed and ignore the past 2.5 years, that's their prerogative, but as for me and mine, this section of the multiverse collapsed because of a combination of factors and now something has happened to restabilize it, but with all the different Paragon Cities combined into one.

What you could do is get together a bunch of folks who do like the shared narrative, develop the continuity and give it a name. Those who want to use it could put a tag in their profiles that says, "This character uses the XYZ Continuity for roleplay purposes." Then those who choose to use the narrative can easily find others who do as well. The rest of us can cheerfully ignore it.

[FloatingFatMan]

^ And this is why I suggested that, in the interests of fostering amity and not godmodding folks, that we just don't mention the closedown, which was meta anyway, in public places.

It's the route that generates least number of problems.

[AudreyWinter]

^ And this is why I suggested that, in the interests of fostering amity and not godmodding folks, that we just don't mention the closedown, which was meta anyway, in public places.

It's the route that generates least number of problems.

Except it doesn't. It creates a problem for people like me who choose not to ignore the shutdown, for example, who would have to censor themselves in public because they wouldn't know who was around. That's only easier for people who wish to ignore the event, not for everyone. I'm certainly not saying you have to acknowledge the event if you don't wish to, far from. But my characters aren't going to stop talking about it, because for them, it happened.

I apologize if I'm coming off as hostile. I really don't intend to be. I just don't think that plan is at all viable. I would really recommend doing something that's opt-in rather than opt-out; setting up a shared continuity that folks can join in and use could be a heck of a lot of fun, and it doesn't try to silence people like me who prefer something else.

[FloatingFatMan]

In a public area such as Pocket D, it's not really possible for people to have different shared timelines.  It's either everyone agrees on one thing, or you get a jumble of things happening.

Hence why I suggest to just not really talk about it unless there are mostly like minded folks around. People are free, obviously, to do as they wish though.

[Captain Electric]

In a public area such as Pocket D, it's not really possible for people to have different shared timelines.

I respectfully disagree. And normally I'd leave it at that (or more likely not comment at all--I've already posted what I think), except that...

It's either everyone agrees on one thing, or you get a jumble of things happening.

...In your very next breath, you admit that a jumble of things happening (and of course having happened) is possible, though presumably not the outcome you prefer. Now let me tell you something about people and what you can expect from their characters...

Hence why I suggest to just not really talk about it unless there are mostly like minded folks around. People are free, obviously, to do as they wish though.

It's a shame that you mention that emboldened part last and with resignation. Because after 2.5 years, you can expect people to want to share their different experiences with each other and remark on their disparity--and accept their disparity, thus granting each other legitimacy and acceptance, with or within earshot of your roster and your sensibilities. It is up to you, or you and any like-minded players, how to resolve whatever conflict that this presents you with. But ultimately it is a conflict of your own making, and the classic POV that, "What I hear offends me, and is thus offensive, and is thus better muted," will not go over well in this community unless it is something truly despicable. Players playing their characters does not fit that description, most notably in a world where many heroes and villains played with causality daily.

People will want to tell their stories. Including over a beer. In Pocket D. I hope you can find a way to feel happy, not resigned, to see them doing so. For some of them it might be downright therapy. In any case, in a big community all on one server, an issue like this will never get resolved by the telling of one story. The only way to do that is with your own server and your own continuity or rules. I admire what Unionverse accomplished, and your roster's POV and mine have enough similarity that I would put characters there. But Paragon Chat and future projects will have the less-nuanced goal of bringing fifteen servers of players together.

[FloatingFatMan]

You're awfully good at reading a load of non-existent subtext into a short sentence. Do you practice or does it come naturally?

Or to put it another way if you don't get what I mean. Put words into your OWN mouth, not mine. I have no subtext in my post.

All I'm suggesting is that people try to avoid causing conflict in a public area. If you don't want to do that, that's your choice.  People can either ignore the disparity, presume the person is from another dimension, or is a nutbar like one guy last night (or many other options, obviously).

[AudreyWinter]

Whoa, easy there, CE. Step back, take a breath. Let's not assume malice here. I don't agree with FFM's proposal either, but we spent a good time chatting in the D last night and nothing blew up. He's (-checks -- crap, not yet-) -- er, he will be on my friends list as soon as I remember to do so. Just because we disagree rather fundamentally on the issue of what, exactly, happened and what characters should be doing/saying about it is no reason to start pointing fingers. We can all get through this without any blood being drawn.

[FloatingFatMan]

Exactly. It was just a suggestion, nothing more. If people don't want to do it, that's absolutely fine, it was just a suggestion after all.  I'm not going to go cry into my beer over it, I'm not going to have a tantrum over it, and I'm not going to have a go at people for saying things they're not saying, over it.

My posts say what they say, nothing more. I don't hide things in subtexts and resent when people try to put words into my mouth. If something bears saying, I say it.

[Shadowe]

Exactly. It was just a suggestion, nothing more. If people don't want to do it, that's absolutely fine, it was just a suggestion after all.  I'm not going to go cry into my beer over it, I'm not going to have a tantrum over it, and I'm not going to have a go at people for saying things they're not saying, over it.

My posts say what they say, nothing more. I don't hide things in subtexts and resent when people try to put words into my mouth. If something bears saying, I say it.

To others: I've known FFM for 9 years, and I consider him a friend. He really doesn't do subtext. If he sees bull, he'll call bull. He can be overbearing, opinionated, and forthright, but he is never one to shy away from what he wants to say. Whether you choose to accept what he says is up to you, and he will also never hold your opinions against you (though he might try to persuade you of how wrong you are).

To FFM: Unfortunately I think you're onto a losing battle. I think the best bet is to go with "something happened", which for some people means there's missing time, and for others time carried on, and deal with character interactions case-by-case. Yep, it'll suck for people whose characters like to "fix" things, but it'll be less wearing on the nerves - and you and I are both old enough to not want to get wound up more than we absolutely have to.

[cat4hurricane]

How do you join this server, the only one I have is the one with everyone on it.

[Shadeknight]

There's no seperate server. o_O

We're all on the saaame one.

[FloatingFatMan]

To FFM: Unfortunately I think you're onto a losing battle. I think the best bet is to go with "something happened", which for some people means there's missing time, and for others time carried on, and deal with character interactions case-by-case. Yep, it'll suck for people whose characters like to "fix" things, but it'll be less wearing on the nerves - and you and I are both old enough to not want to get wound up more than we absolutely have to.

Already have, mate.  It's not something I feel strongly enough about to dig my heels in over.

[FloatingFatMan]

I'll tell you what IS really annoying about RPing with our American friends though...

The bloody time difference!!