Thoughts on this please

[lilme]

I haven't been playing GS that long...about a year and half two at the most now. Not too long ago ..I rolled a halfing..she's very sweet..and naive and has a bit of a speech problem..she is trying to learn common..but finds her native tongue more comfortable..it was the only language she heard growing up..she was kept out at her family's farm..never allowed into town till she was of age...now..here's my problem..While in town the other night..(Ice Mule) she was "teaching" another halfling how to play his piccalo...Anyway..here is an excerpt of the conv that took place..I got a bit upsett..because..well because..I am not sure what this person meant..and it seemed a bit ooc..she was of course just being herself..that's who she is..but maybe I was wrong..Is there something wrong with her being who she is or how she is?

New little Halfling says in Halfling, "i hunting rats"
>
You grin at Norith.
>
Mean old Halfling says in Halfling, "You two might want to master spoken language, before you worry about spells"

(um we were speaking)

New Guy asks in Halfling, "spoken language?"

(insert blah blah..and a couple glances)

Meanie says in Halfling, "I am surprised"
>
>Meanie exclaims in Halfling, "An intelligable sentence!"

You sweetly say in Halfling, "Always ams intelligents..jest nae arrogant"
You wave your hand in a dismissive gesture.
>
Meanie says in Halfling, "Arrogance is allowing yourself to continue portraying a stereotype that does our race no good"

Not only was my character confused..at portraying something sterotypical..but I as the player was insulted..I don't rp her because of stereo types..but as how I see her..am I wrong here? Or did the person say something totally uncalled for?

Grumpy me

[Caels]

Well, while his opinions are indeed his to have, I don't think he should have complained openly.

Stereotypes exist because somewhere along the lines, majority of the stereotypically inclined *were* being stereotypical. Obviously, he felt he was apart from the stereotype, and he doesn't approve of those who would confirm it.

My words of wisdom being thus, screw him. You can play a character in just about any manner you wish. If he doesn't have the decency to keep his mouth shut and let you be as you are, then perhaps he should stop being the stereotypical asshole.

The world, in game and out, would be a better place if smoe people would learn simple courtesy.

[Scott]

He was just being rude..... Maybe that's his character type. I know some of my characters might insult you as well. I would just ignore it, forget about him, and go on with what you were doing.

[Ilvane]

I wouldn't take it personally. My halfling would have acted the same way towards you, though she wouldn't have worded it the same way as "Meanie" did.

A lot of people talk like children as halflings. I always really imagined halflings more along the lines of the Lord of the Rings type of halfling. So some people in GS seem to portray halflings as small squeaky tart eaters..and that is probably frustrating to someone who is trying to take the halfling race as a proud and strong race.

I personally don't think "Meanie" went about what he was trying to get across well, but I really wouldn't be bothered with it if I were you. It's just not getting worked up over.

-A

[longshot]

I honestly think he was being in character about it.

Sounds all good to me.

You have to thicken up the skin a bit maybe.

[Miss X]

That was totally uncalled for, Personally I think I know which charecter you play lilme, and from what I've seen shes one of the best RPd charecters in game, and is deffinatly not stereotypical. Some people just have attitude problems, I wouldnt worry about what 1 moron said, I think you'l find a lot of people love how you RP her.

[Bevan]

There needn't have been an ulterior motive, some master agenda, or much of anything else. Sometimes people are jerks just to be jerks. I recommend treating them as such.

[Sweets]

Misinterrpretation. Maybe on both sides.
He may of assumed ooc that you were playing a childlike halfling instead of one just learning common. Or he could have meant 'Learn common before trying anything else'. It's hard to get his real meaning from the brief encounter. Either way, I would just keep doing what you're doing. React incharacter and move on. It's your show.

[Bestatte]

What a lot of the more serious-minded players of halfling characters fail to accept, is that Simutronics *supports* the "tart-muncher cutsie-pie" type halfling in their code.

You have tarts, you have documentation saying halflings like tarts. You have jam-spattered tart satchels, you have a town RUN BY HALFLINGS filled with fun little cutsie-type things (your tongue getting stuck to an ice sculpture, thus promoting people actually trying to lick it in the first place - which is damned silly if you ask me).

You have shops with all kinds of neato toys that portray halflings as silly little hobbitz cutsie-poos, and you have GMs who show up as their NPC character merchants and event character halflings behaving in a cutsie manner.

And then, you have documentation saying that halflings can make fierce adversaries who are deadly with wizardly spells, yada yada yada.

So what's a player to do, other than fit into the stereotype the game creators support and promote from the code on out to their own RP?

It definitely doesn't jibe with the docs about their skills and heritage, but it seems those things fall to the wayside and end up being simply something a halfling does, while the halfling is being who and what he is.

There's nothing wrong with silly. Silly is a lot of fun. Even if you're not portraying it as such intentionally.

But the whole speech thing..yes, your halfling has trouble with the common. But why then does she have trouble with her own language?

"I ams intelligents?"

You didn't say that in common, you said that in your character's native tongue. And yes, it -is- silly. Again though, that doesn't mean it's wrong. Simu supports it and encourages it, so rather than it being a stereotype, it's instead the expected norm.

And from that perspective, you portrayed your character perfectly fine and normal given the scope of the race you're playing.

[Ilvane]

I don't particularly think that Simu supports people playing halflings speaking like children and eating tarts. Tarts are one part of the cuisine, but certainly not all.

In fact, Bestatte, many of the GM's who were trying to move halflings in the direction of the fierce and mighty, proud race, are not encouraging that halflings are just bouncy or sweet. In fact, in the past few years, it's been the exact opposite.

People are bound to play sterotypes every so often, but doesn't mean everyone has to like it.

When they released the hot spicy food in Icemule, as opposed to the sweets, the people in town all ate it, and had a difficult time breathing..heh. The halfling cuisine is not just pastry. The race documents don't indicate that they have a history of sitting around playing with toys and eating creme puffs either.;)

I still wouldn't take what the man said personally. I mean, he has a right to think what he thinks, you have a right to play into the sterotype, and you can just avoid him.

-A

[Weedmage Princess]

My opinion, and you can take it for what it's worth, is you didn't do anything wrong. If you feel like playing your halfling to be a tart loving, cute-sie type, then fine. If you want to play your halfling as some powerhungry, dark natured cannibal, that's fine, too. It's just a matter of choice, and not bad roleplay. This particular person who spoke to you, I think, did nothing wrong either; just you the player may have taken it personally, which I don't think was intended. Kinda like, if you're a happy, cheerful person who is always smiling, and a grumpy person says "Bah, why are you so happy, life sucks!" ...are you wrong? No, that's just you and your personality. Same thing I think.

I'll tell you what *I* consider bad roleplaying though in regards to the personality issue. There was this high priestess Dhe'nar who served Sheru devotedly, yet her personality completely contradicted her religion. In my opinion, that was pretty lame.

[Kurili]

Who was the Dhe'nari?

[Taernath]

That halfling is Neco, if I'm not mistaken. He 'retired' a year ago and is now back for some reason. He's always been an abrasive personality and it's hard to tell if he's roleplaying an asshole or if he just is one.

You can use names on these boards by the way, it's one of the reasons they were created.

[Edited on 7/19/03 by Taernath]

[Warriorbird]

He's just crabby. IC and OOC. I think he's back now, actually.

[Bestatte]

Dhe'nar consider themselves to be equal to or better than the arkati? Wow, things really HAVE changed since I last played.

When I played a Dhe'nari priestess, the arkati were considered the "mentors" to the Dhe'nar. A group of entities the Dhe'nar aspired to, believing themselves capable of succeeding in becoming equals to them, unlike the lower-bred humanoid sentients who dwell in the world, who are obviously inferior and would never reach such lofty heights.

But no, we didn't consider ourselves equal to the arkati. Only that we felt we were capable of such, which was why we strived to educate ourselves to that end (in matters arcane/magic and physical abilities, in addition to more general knowledge, which we equated with power).

[peam]

Being the resident halfling expert, I'm going with the conclusion that there was confusion on both ends.

"Meanie" probably did interpret you as being a bubblegum halfling, and took offense.

Death to bubblegum halflings.

[Skaster]

I just think there's some miscommunication about the Dhe'nar. I don't believe that they worship any particular Arkati (I've seen some attempt at Fash'lo'nae, but it was more of respect than worship), but I don't believe that they think themselves equal to or better than the Arkati. Sure, they strive to get to that point, but right now, they're not *that* arrogant.

[CrystalTears]

Bestatte, they haven't changed that way. As Skaster said, they may feel they are above some things and may not worship any specific arkati, but that doesn't mean they feel they are equal to or above arkati. If someone is playing a Dhe'nar that way, it was their choice and has nothing to do with the way the race is played... just one, overzealous dark elf. :P

In any case, to get back on topic, the only part of that scenario that would have rubbed me the wrong way was...


Meanie says in Halfling, "Arrogance is allowing yourself to continue portraying a stereotype that does our race no good"

Who goes around telling people that they are being a stereotype in a race? I felt that was said in a rather OOC way and unnecessary to prove their point. If they don't like the childness of your actions, that's their problem and should keep their comments to themselves. I really cannot tolerate people who insist on telling other people how to roleplay. No one is ever going to play to everyone's liking, so you take the bad roleplay with the good and deal with it. As far as that character is concerned, I wouldn't take what they say with any seriousness since they have to be this petty in a game.

My only advice to you is that if you're going to play a halfling that doesn't know common well, speak common any way you wish, but in halfling at least speak it very well. There's no excuse to sound as bad in your native tongue as the foreign one, which may be what that person meant in the beginning.

[Edited on 7/19/2003 by CrystalTears]

[Caels]

My view of a halfling is taken from the DragonLance books.

They tend to be very inquisitive, naive creatures who accidentally "find" other peoples things just laying around carelessly.

Usually very cheerful and never afraid of anything, they love to explore and often get themselves in lots of trouble.

[Bobmuhthol]

Originally posted by CrystalTears
My only advice to you is that if you're going to play a halfling that doesn't know common well, speak common any way you wish, but in halfling at least speak it very well. There's no excuse to sound as bad in your native tongue as the foreign one, which may be what that person meant in the beginning.

[Edited on 7/19/2003 by CrystalTears]

Why can't more people realize this? Is it that hard?

[lilme]

Oh..as far as her speach goes..she speaks Halfling the same way she always has..she has a speach impediment..her mother and father were both hearing impaired..and their speach wasn't necessarily the best if you know what I mean..she's working on speaking correctly..but these things don't happen over night do they?

[CrystalTears]

No offense to you if that's how you want to play your character, but personally, I'm really sick of the speech impediment excuse to talk like that. Is it so hard to just speak normally? Please do me a favor and pick ONE mode of speaking, either common or halfling, because you're never going to master either one at that rate.

Just out of curiosity, why do people feel the need to play characters with such horrible backgrounds? Deaf parents, dead parents, raised by kobolds, village burned down, really a man trapped in a woman's body... I mean it's getting really absurd sometimes. At this point, regular and normal people are the minority in this game, and hearing someone speak of their nasty childhood makes me roll my eyes.

[Edited on 7/20/2003 by CrystalTears]

[Red Devil]

So be an exotic retard, YOULL BE FAMOUS!!!

[Bobmuhthol]

I think we should move to the Red Devil Sucks thread. Because Red Devil really, really sucks.

[lilme]

Never said her background was horrible..she had a very wonderful childhood..loving parents..but they were hearing impaired..not saying she didnt have a happy childhood..she did!

[CrystalTears]

What I'm saying is that no one is truly original anymore. The tragedies are mostly the same thing... dead parents, village pillaged and they had to escape, parents were raped (this is by far the most popular so that people can get away with the half-dark elf/halfing/dwarf/pig/wolf). What's fun about playing a disturbed character with mental problems? Maybe I just don't find those type of characters fun to play and would like some perspective.

Most of the time I find that people who give their characters these neurosis is merely to serve as an excuse for their unusual roleplay. I met one halfling who said he was burned so severely at birth that he doesn't have any hair on him anywhere, including his feet, so of course the scratching of the feet syntax made no sense. The infamous I was raised by kobolds/hobgoblins/roltons so I am one characters. And of course the ever popular I'm really a fish/flower/wolf/bird/bug but a wizard turned me into a human and/or elf which is why I have a moving tail/wings blah blah blah. And yes, sorry to say, saying you were raised by deaf parents so that you can type like a child, is rather ridiculous to me and won't find any interest with playing with the character.

I'd never say anything to these people in the game because that would be interferring with their roleplay and that's not my style. But you can bet that I think they're insane and won't roleplay with them. And if that makes me an elitist, so be it.

I will say, however, that the characters I've enjoyed most in the game did not have any of these emotional and tramatic pasts. Normal characters who came to the lands through normal means and developed, both good and bad, through the game's events. Then again, I'm the sort of person who gets frustrated with people in their 30's and over who still use their childhood as their excuse to not get on with their life.

[Edited on 7/20/2003 by CrystalTears]

[Captain Amby]

Was that last part directed as a real life observation?

<<Then again, I'm the sort of person who gets frustrated with people in their 30's and over who still use their childhood as their excuse to not get on with their life.>>

[CrystalTears]

Yep. I'm a heartless bitch because people who use their oh-so-not-so-happy childhood as their excuse to be bums when they're past their 30's make me nuts.

[Tendarian]

Originally posted by CrystalTears
Yep. I'm a heartless bitch because people who use their oh-so-not-so-happy childhood as their excuse to be bums when they're past their 30's make me nuts.

Wow im glad im only 28,ive got two more years of being a bum without backlash.

[CrystalTears]

Don't misunderstand me. There are situations that are unavoidable. I'm speaking of those who refuseto progress with their life soley with the excuse that their childhood was a mess. Most people's childhood was a mess, but we all move on in life, and I figure that by 30 you should have gotten your shit together by then, at least mentally enough to do something useful with yourself. Heh, that's what I get for expressing myself. :P

[Tendarian]

No i was just happy i havent crossed the thresh hold of being extremely pathetic yet . I was mostly being a pain i admit.

Anyway back on topic,if lilme is who i think she is i dont mind her,i just wish i would never hear the words wee woos again hehe.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Normal is back on the turnip farm. This is a town (game/location/whatever) of adventurers.

[CrystalTears]

Yeah, and I guess I just can't buy into the notion that about a third of the adventurers came to Elanthia because their parents are dead or were born because their mother was raped. I just want some originality damnit! :P

[Neco]

I'd hate to get yelled at for grave digging, but I'm pretty bored and the thread was about me after all (I vaguely remember having this exchange).


I'm not a bad guy, really, I just want to be loved... *sniff*.

I just hope the poster has gotten a feel for things as a player now, and not to take things so personally. Neco is an extremely prejudiced individual, and his reaction was certainly in character.

A stereotype is just that. Whether encouraged by various official docs (which did not exist when Neco was created) or players themselves. Stereotypes are just molds that people believe about something, and can be positive or negative. It's completely IC for him to see those he feels look like bumbling fools as a negative stereotype for the Halfling race.

That being said, it's 2009.. I'm back for a short stint. The last time I was around was probably 2007 or 2008 for a brief period, and I really mellowed him out for the most part.. It's kind of sad really, because he used to be very well understood in Icemule in particular, whether you loved him or hated him. But I've found as those people have moved on, and I take longer and longer breaks, coming back to an alien town population makes it too damn difficult to maintain the original character personality. Too many are too quick to judge and assume I/he is just a griefer. Which is a shame, I guess..

[Warriorbird]

I'd hate to get yelled at for grave digging, but I'm pretty bored and the thread was about me after all (I vaguely remember having this exchange).


I'm not a bad guy, really, I just want to be loved... *sniff*.

I just hope the poster has gotten a feel for things as a player now, and not to take things so personally. Neco is an extremely prejudiced individual, and his reaction was certainly in character.

A stereotype is just that. Whether encouraged by various official docs (which did not exist when Neco was created) or players themselves. Stereotypes are just molds that people believe about something, and can be positive or negative. It's completely IC for him to see those he feels look like bumbling fools as a negative stereotype for the Halfling race.

That being said, it's 2009.. I'm back for a short stint. The last time I was around was probably 2007 or 2008 for a brief period, and I really mellowed him out for the most part.. It's kind of sad really, because he used to be very well understood in Icemule in particular, whether you loved him or hated him. But I've found as those people have moved on, and I take longer and longer breaks, coming back to an alien town population makes it too damn difficult to maintain the original character personality. Too many are too quick to judge and assume I/he is just a griefer. Which is a shame, I guess..

Introducing: NECROMANCERS!
Posted on 12/13/2009 9:40:45 PM by the Webstaff

The Necromancer Guild, or more precisely the organization of the Philosophers of the Knife, began accepting students (in all instances simultaneously) at 6 PM CST Friday the 11th of December.

The Necromancer Guild is releasing with 20 spells, 19 of them on preview (and will stay that way for about one week). The 20th spell, Spiteful Rebirth, can't be previewed anyway due to how it works, so it was left out.

I'm not really going to spend any time talking about mechanics or anything in this post, there'll be plenty of time for that later. To all the rest of the hopefuls, I want to say: happy searching, and I hope you enjoy what you ultimately find! It was a labor of love for a lot of us, and despite a bit of playful sadism in the guild itself it was certainly made so that you, the players, would have fun with it.

Much discussion going on here!

[Neco]

I am totally into raising the dead..


By the way if anyone doubts my narcissism, I found the post because I was googling myself, :club:

[Warriorbird]

Yeah. I'd like Monks out... but Necromancers in DR works.

[Sean of the Thread]

My thoughts.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t85/indythehoosier/poop.jpg