Keeping realistic immersion (one small observation)

[Galadorn]

Hello wonderful players of ALFA.

I do hope this is not taken the wrong way, but alas, comments, even suggestions that are trying to 'help'... usually are.

I only hope to make a suggestion based upon my observations only on a few weeks being back.

I also tend to be a little sarcarstic, since I truly am trying to help, so from my point of view I hope my sarcarsm is taken with a grain of salt. Not trying to pass off i'm better than anyone else. Just saying this is a real (minor) issue for me, but it does break immersion /for/ me, so in as contructive as I can be, here's what I would like to say:

It just seems to me that low level characters and even low-mid-level characters...well, adventurers or not, "chosen ones", whoever, whatever... just got too much gumption.

I thought I read somewhere that it was suggested by the ALFA team that people try to RP their PC's experience... even just a little. Like... a level 1 PC who is attacked by WALKING DEAD (skeleton, zombie, etc), should really ...show some FEAR.

I know the PCs are the stars of the show.

I know Clerics/Paladins quite possibly have some training involving undead, or other truly horrific things.

I know part of your PC's background even proabbly states your family has dealt with undead/monsters before.

I know you might even be a gruff barbarian from the harsh hills, plagued by monsters etc.

I know we're RPing a magical world where people can blast fireballs from their fingertips, heal broken bones with a quiet word, or even summon creatures from other planes to fight for us.

I know you might "want" your PC to be "that someone truly unique" who fears nothing, blah, blah.


To be honest it just makes me cringe when a young, level 1 PC, fresh off the bus, confronts undead without even a shudder..... ...could just be me.

Some of the most refreshing PC reactions came form very experienced PCs acting realistically shocked at things like this, or even things even less horrific.

I personally tend to over-do the fear factor when i'm traveling with other PCs and we encounter such truly horrific scenes as bodies strewn throughout a ravaged battle scene where shuffling undead minions wander, groaning, eating body parts, horrific stench of rotting bodies, etc, etc...... but... who can truly believe even seasoned warriors could just dismiss that without any show of distress, or even straight up fear of what has happened there...
...what ends up is, my PC looks like a sniveling, scared, inexperienced youngster, even when in the compnay of less experienced PCs(!)...When I believe i'm RPing as closely as I can natural reactions to such horrible scenes.

It only takes a few emotes, or if you really wanna look realistic, it wouldn't hurt to back away, turn around, and *vomit*.
*shrugs*
Seems way more realistic than firing off a *smirk* as if watching recently dead people being eaten is just another day at the ranch for you....

Anyway. Just an observation. As you were!

[oldgrayrogue]

I suppose the appropriate reaction to such a thing can depend on quite a few factors Galadorn. If you are a follower of Cyric or Velsharoon you may be positively delighted. =) My advice to you is that when you see reactions of other PCs that do not seem IC to you under the circumstances, try to use it as an opportunity for more RP. For example when your toon sees all the dead people being eaten by the zombies and reacts with horror, but others are smirking or perhaps not reacting to the scene with fear etc., try reacting to the other PCs IC. Like with "What's the matter with you people!" or "How can you just stand by smiling while the dead devour them!" or something like that. By doing this, you are improving immersion for everyone and providing other players an opportunity to RP the scene further. As to RPing your level, while a level 1 is a "fresh off the farm" adventurer, some may choose to RP their characters as stoic, or brave, or callous towards the suffering of others. A show of "bravado" may be going on as well. I doubt many warriors, level 1 or not, would want their adventuring companions to know they are pissing their britches when they see a zombie eating someone's brain. Bad for the reputation =) My point is that by engaging the other PC's IC as to what you believe is their lack of a reaction to the scene, you may come to learn what motivates those your toon adventures with, or if their is a lack of immersive RP creeping in to your party, by doing so you can get the player behind the toon thinking about their IC reactions more and adding depth to their RP. Just a suggestion.

[lakhena]

Come group with me. Kisindri will puke all over you whenever you want.

Jesting aside, I've seen mixed reactions to having PCs act nervous, wimpy, afraid, etc. across different servers. Some people enjoy the extra flavor it provides and some people get annoyed if someone is not clicking as quickly as the rest of the team because zomg, buffs are going to run out!

I've found that other players tend to be more indulgent of rping fear, etc, when you're not in the middle of a dungeon. As stated above, maybe it was bravado. Maybe they were numb to the situation as it was happening (the whole shock factor)... Or maybe they're the shady sort you should be keeping your eye on and your sword close at hand for...


As for the too much gumption part, one of the most interesting PCs I have seen was one who was rped purposefully that way... and failed at a lot of things. It was interesting to watch the inevitable train wreck.

[dergon darkhelm]

My good friend Walter, with whom I've been playing tabletop D&D for 30 years would have for you a standard resonse:


"Don't be playing my guy!"



Seriously though --point taken, but I think most ALFAns play their character the way they mean to be playing their characters.

[NESchampion]

I know my rather experienced wizard has shown a lot of fear lately, albeit not in a way that's blatant at all times. He isn't the sort to flinch in the heat of a fight, but afterwards... well let's just say he was a wreck after coming into contact with some less savory denizens of the underground. The same sort of thing holds true for other girrzled adventurers I've come across; though I can appreciate the point about new adventurers being more pronounced in their reactions.

[Zelknolf]

You forgot healers in your list of things that makes people jaded. There's a group of people who; if told that any part of your body is broken, mangled, infected, and leaking an unidentifiable fluid; will a) ask to see the offending piece of anatomy, no matter what it is and b) make note of the color, consistency, and viscosity of said fluid.


Also, if things are happening that give Kisindri cause to barf, I'd totally follow along. Barfing elves beats tavern conversation any day.

"Hey," "Hey." "Reading anything good?" "Just stuff. You do anything interesting?" "Murdered more things because they don't look like me." "Green things?" "No, scaly things this time."
vs.
*opens door* *barfs* *opens another door* *dry heaves* *opens another door* *passes out*

[Keryn]

Zelk don't forget those who meta the HP bar and instinctively know you are deeply wounded or your arm was cut off.

Its actually a situation where in dire need I think no one will argue its good to receive the help of a healer in the middle of a battle where you cant RP, anyway I assume the other guys see we are being slashed into pieces by the bad guys. But after it... i think its up to the wounded to RP its wound so that the healer can then act accordingly, ignoring or healing them. Just another of those things...

"Ey you look wounded... can I take a look at that arm?"

"Sure... but he guy chopped my leg, if you wish look at that too O_o"

[Swift]

But after it... i think its up to the wounded to RP its wound so that the healer can then act accordingly, ignoring or healing them. Just another of those things...

Metaing the health bar only goes so far. "Injured" people in our world tend to get injured by swords and arrows, rather than because they fell over, so certain levels of injuries would not be able to escape notice, even if the player doesn't RP it.

Of course, nobody likes the healer that rushes up to anyone even a fraction below Uninjured that starts casting as though he or she will win a prize for "Most Heals Cast".

[danielmn]

Zelk don't forget those who meta the HP bar and instinctively know you are deeply wounded or your arm was cut off.


"Ey you look wounded... can I take a look at that arm?"

"Sure... but he guy chopped my leg, if you wish look at that too O_o"

Sometimes healers HAVE to instinctively know, otherwise PC's would la-dee-da skip along until they bleed to death, showing no signs they are injured at all because they are bad mo-fos or some such nonsense. There's usually a reason healers don't wait for the rp...because often times it never comes. Of coarse, I suppose the healing population could just hold out and not heal UNTIL someone rp's being injured...or not heal at all...

[Mick]

There's usually a reason healers don't wait for the rp...because often times it never comes.

Too true. I would prefer that folks just roll with the healer's RP, rather than providing conflicting wound RP after the fact.

[JaydeMoon]

I think Keryn means to let the guy who's injured tell you WHERE, instead of informing him where he is injured.

Yes, we see you are hurt, but take you cues from the hurt guy as to what seems to be the problem instead of forcing your diagnosis on him.

[Mick]

I understand that and that is the way it should be. Frequently nothing is offered up though. That's all I'm saying.

[Zelknolf]

That's totally not what I was talking about. At all.

Healers see horrible things regularly, and those who can't simply can't study medicine with medieval technology. Healers, thus, have good excuse to not be squeamish. Because the thread was about level 1s not being squeamish and/or skittish when Galadorn thinks they should be.

Epic derail.

[danielmn]

So, reduced to breaking down classes vrs. squeemishness...

Those that might be less squeemish...
Ranger whose favored enemy is something that regularly feasts on bipedals.
Mage whose focus is Necromancy.
Fighter who has been a part of a war (yes, there are level 1's that have wars in the backpath)
Barb who regularly skins, guts and eats his prey raw
preist of (insert evil diety here)
yadda blah yaddah blah. Yakka yakka smacka smack.
anywho....

Back on topic at least.

[Galadorn]

It's not that 'some' classes/races should never RP being 'affected' by fear/horrific scenes. I just think it would be more realistic if more low levels would is all. Low level healers, and even some mid level, very well (and usually most likely) should not have seen some of the horrors that appear early on in an adventuring career that appear when they head out /for/ an adventuring career. Especially PCs who are also either urban, sophisticated, and/or well educated, etc.

I am all for finding out through further RP why in all cases, but, I just observe that I hardly see much reactions is all. And I feel it would be more immersive to see /some/ vulnerability sometimes ... heck, even in non-horrific situations! Like my dude is a big, strong, agile, healthy and very wise fella, from the wilds and is also a healer subclass... but he fumbles sling stones sometimes, trips up when distracted, gets shaken in combat, /over/-self-heals at times (inexperience! ) tries to talk others out of going to far in the wilds, and even full on backs out of potentially dangerous situations. Granted he's from a small barbarian tribe that was isolated for generations from other human tribes in the region he comes from, and his back story includes no frequent warring etc.

I think he'd take a while becoming accustomed to some of the things he's seen even shortly after arriving at Silverymoon.

Again, I agree, and already know about how good the players are around ehre, and that of course I cannot read the players' minds or the PCs' minds either! and most of us want our toon to rise and be noticed and or has some back story that could certainly support it.... I just think it will not be looked badly upon even IC if /more/ reacted a little /more/ affected by somethings that are even beyond anyone's in real life even remote comprehension within the realm of horror... and now I wrote too much.

go team!