It's All About Location: Beggar's Haunt

As anyone knows, scenery and location helps make any scene, whether it be in a movie, book, or roleplay event, all the more memorable. It is in this installment of It's All About Location that I will feature an area for both Alliance and Horde that help set the mood and make a profound impact during character interactions. I'll start off with one of my favorites...

Beggar's Haunt: An Overview

Ahhh, one of World of Warcraft's best kept secrets (at least when zones are involved). I've known many a person, some of which have been playing for years, that didn't know Beggar's Haunt existed or just recently stumbled upon it.

Tucked away in the northeastern corners of Duskwood, this charmingly eerie area is better suited for Alliance, but it is so remote and out of the way of any major settlements that Horde players can visit it with relative ease. Why, there's even a Forsaken outpost tower near the border of Deadwind Pass.

How to Get There

As previously mentioned, Beggar's Haunt is in Duskwood, which means that is in Alliance territory. However, the Apothecary Outpost near the road is Horde-alligned and is home to two level 40 PvP-flagged NPCs. So...caution for lower levels is advised around the tower.

For Allies: You can either enter from the west, from Westfall, and make your way to the east towards Darkshire via the main road. Or you can go east through Elwynn to Redridge Mountains and head south from the Three Corners into Duskwood. Or if you are feeling daring, you can brave taking a more...rustic shortcut through the woods (I'd advise against this if you're low level. The local worgen will find you to be very tasty).

Once in Darkshire, you head east towards Deadwind Pass and hang a left in a secluded pathway with a forgotten stone arch nestled into the hills. You just follow this winding dirt path up closer to the mountains and you're there.

For Horde: There is a little more footwork involved for Horde players since there are no major cities for this faction in the southern parts of the Eastern Kingdoms. The best way to get there is to take a zeppelin, either from Undercity or Orgrimmar, to Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale. From there, you follow the dirt, torch-lined, path to the east until you hit the main road. From there, you head north and take a right at the fork (going left will take you to the Alliance camp, and that will be painful to stumble into) and head over the bridge into southern Duskwood.

From here, you would want to follow the path to the main road and take a right. Be mindful of the Human outpost on the right corner. Human watchers patrol the roads as well, so be mindful of your surroundings. If you are on a PvP/RP-PvP server, and you are of a decent level, I'd recommend cutting through the woods to remain out of sight. Head east towards Deadwind Pass and stop when you get to the borders of Darkshire. Skirt around the town by going right, hugging the hills, until you end up back on paved road east of it.

From that point, the point of entry into the secluded area of Beggar's Haunt is the same as it is for Alliance. If you pass the Forsaken Outpost, you've gone too far.

Addendum: The closest flightpoint, aside from Grom'gol, is in Stonard in the Swamp of Sorrows. To get there, follow the road into Deadwind Pass (And for the love of pete, don't go south. Thar be hungry vultures.) and go east into the Swamp. Keep on the road until you reach the orc encampment.

WARNING: To those who would come, both Alliance and Horde, via the main road from Westfall or from Stranglethorn Vale would find it wise to keep their eyes open for Stitches. This hulking mass of meat and entrails is a very fast, angry, and vicious elite for any lower level character that gets in his way. Generally you will hear the Darkshire town crier shout out if he is approaching. So if you see that red text in your chat window, be careful...

He generally approaches through the woods from northeastern Raven Hill and then follows the road to Darkshire. If you are not a high level and he aggros on you, you will probably not survive.

Basic Description

Upon your arrival, you should see a secluded pond and waterfall. If you look to your left, following the water, you will see a fallen tree lying over another waterfall that empties out into the main river separating Duskwood from Elwynn Forest and Redridge. If you look to your right, you will see a much more ominous site--An unmarked grave surrounded by benches, trellises, and two very tall statues with glowing eyes.

Why Is It Here?

No one really knows... There is no mention in the lore about the grave area of Beggar's Haunt, but whoever it was...they were certainly important enough to warrant those giant glowing-eyed statues. More than likely it was an area that did not get fleshed out, but many speculate that it was based off of Knight's Hollow.

How Safe Is It?

There are no mobs, hostile or otherwise, in that area whatsoever. So you will be safe from random beasties aggroing onto you during roleplay. In terms of PvP, it is far out of the way and it is not frequented by people very often unless they are going for the exploration achievement. Possibilities of gankage is low.

Moonbiter's Closing Words

Beggar's Haunt has been a favorite location of mine for years. It is a great place for shady dealings between rogues, cutthroats, and mercenaries. Or a place to engage in quiet meditation as you try to unlock the mystery behind the unmarked grave. For Horde, I know of a Forsaken couple that was married there. The possibilities are endless!

Location Overall Grades

Accessability (Alliance): 9 out of 10. Easy travel due to Ally friendly zones, roads, and flight points. Though it is still a haul if you are going on foot.
Accessability (Horde): 5 out of 10. Lots of travel time. No real convenient flight points.
On-Site Safety (PvE - Alliance): 9 out of 10. There are no mobs in Beggar's Haunt, but don't go introducing yourself to the Apothecaries over at the outpost...
On-Site Safety (PvP - Alliance): 10 out of 10. Ultra safe... Most Horde gankers go to Raven Hill or Darkshire, bypassing the Haunt without much thought.
On-Site Safety (PvE - Horde): 10 out of 10. No mobs with a Horde friendly outpost nearby.
On-Site Safety (PvP - Horde): 9 out of 10. Lower than the Ally's grade for the sole fact of being in an Alliance-favored territory. However, the remoteness of the location and no quest objectives in the area doesn't attract much attention from Allies.

Continue reading 'It's All About Location: Beggar's Haunt'

Cross Playing Revisited: A Public Questionaire

Ever since I posted one of my more recent articles on playing a character of the opposite gender, I got to thinking about how most people feel about it currently. I've had little issue with people giving me guff about playing a male character as of late, all that namely came from Latu's server, and I've really only had curious questions from other girl gamers as to why I rolled a male avatar.

It is in this that I wanted to do a general consensus as to what people think about others playing characters not only of an opposite sex, but of a sexual orientation that is different than their own.

Here are the places I have questioned:

Blog Azeroth, the Thorium Brotherhood Downtime Forums, World of Warcraft @ LJ, and WoW_Ladies @ LJ.

(Feel free to peruse each of the links above for all the wonderful comments that were offered to me in light of this follow-up post. Thanks again, everyone!)

I stayed away from the official forums because I'm...certain you all could guess how well that would have went. However, after a day passed, I received many comments on this subject and all of them gave me great insight into what a handful of the WoW population feels about this matter. Granted this is a small polling in the grand scheme of things and not very anonymous, but thankfully most readers who answered appeared to be quite genuine on the matter.

Here are the results...

- - - - - - -

Generally, most people responded that they do not care what gender a person plays as long as:

a) That their characters do not embrace and portray negative stereotypes (or stereotypes in general, really).
b) That their characters are not created for the sole purpose of cyber sex.
c) That the person behind the characters does not claim that they are actually a guy/girl in real life when they are not.

Here are some quotes on the matter:

"i think it's a liberating experience. you can choose not to tell the other party your real gender and that gives the RPer in question a sense of peace. men who play female characters are as welcome to me as women who play men. i, myself, like to RP men; it gives me a chance to peek into the male brain and lifestyle. it might be the same for men." - From WoW_Ladies @ LJ

"There should at all times exist a firm divide between OOC and IC. To that end, your character's gender and orientation ICly (if you RP) are only relevant as they relate to canon - and Blizz has remained fairly mum on the subject of orientation in canon. I've got a visual hang-up on the male characters, so I don't enjoy playing them, but as an RPer, I think I should be allowed to play whatever I damn well please (as long as it remains plausible within the setting)." - From Worldofwarcraft @ LJ

However, there were a few people that did mention that they were bothered by the thought of some types of gender swapping.

"The most common reason I hear for guys playing the other sex is "if I'm going to stare at an ass for hours on end I want it to be an ass I enjoy looking at." They subsequently make their characters as hot as they possibly can and frequently dress them up in scanty outfits whenever possible. This leads me to the conclusion that, at some point, there is a faint possibility that they have fapped while looking at their character. THESE ARE THINGS I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW. I understand that, statistically speaking, one of my characters has been in the vicinity of another character who was being controlled by a player that was only playing with one hand but I do whatever I can to keep myself in the 'fap free bubble'." - From Worldofwarcraft @ LJ

"I don't like it. A) Because I still find it creepy (had some bad experience as a kid with a guy pretending to be a girl in a chat) and B) Because I have yet to seen it done well. Seriously, normally you can tell after a minute of RP what gender is behind the screen and often the character is so full of stereotypes that it squashes any attempt at real roleplay. If someone does it for a laugh, that is a different matter, but I find that often the novelty value runs out really fast and you're left with a character you can't roleplay seriously with. I should also point out that I don't mind it at all, if it is a transsexual who is playing whatever gender her would like to become physically." - From WoW_Ladies @ LJ

Out of the given responses, very few people voiced their distaste for the idea of gender swapping unless they had a bad personal experience regarding it. Which is, of course, not surprising... I myself have dealt with a person who had everyone believe he was a girl for about a year (staying off of Ventrilo and everything) until finally admitting he was not. It wasn't very fun to deal with, let me tell you...

When the subject of playing characters of a sexual orientation that is different than your own was mentioned, the general consensus of most of the commentators was much of the criteria listed a few paragraphs above this one.

"Whatever floats your boat. I'm bi IRL myself, and my RP characters run the gamut from absolutely completely straight (Rayen, Amria), absolutely lesbian (Mirembe), to Everything That Moves And Isn't Dead (Meadhbh), and everything in between. What I do have a problem with is a man pretending to be a lesbian woman just for the singular purpose of getting lesbian cybersex and don't plan to actually roleplay with them or do anything other than...well...use them as masturbatory objects. But then, I have a problem with anyone who thinks cybersex is the sole element of good RP and don't try to develop their characters otherwise." - From TBDF

"I've met plenty of men who can roleplay women very well - and they are invariably roleplaying a person who is also female. Not someone who is a freakish and strange alien who they could never hope to understand. I've met plenty of men who roleplay women shockingly badly because they absolutely must signify femaleness with stereotypes at every opportunity (giggling, pretending incompetence and so forth). When the latter intersects with someone trying to get sexual thrills ('Yes, I'm a lesbian, and oh no, my halter top broke and I'm NAKED who wants to lick off the icecream?') it's not even weird to me any more. I just roll my eyes and understand they've never had a date.

Same is vice versa, for women roleplaying men. I feel similarly about straight people roleplaying queer folk, and vice versa. None of it hits my 'you are disturbed/stupid/annoying' button until I run across some gigantic stereotype ten feet tall. No one wants their whole life to be reduced to a stereotype that often demeans them." - From WoW_Ladies @ LJ

- - - - - - -

Overall, at least in forums and blogs that are not swimming with trolls (IE: the WoW Official Forums), people seem to be more than accepting for anyone's choice of character provided it is played in a believable manner.

Also, on a sidenote, there is an interesting link (Thanks for the site reminder, Illynilly) for further reading: The Daedalus Project. While it is a little old, it still has many articles relevant to this topic, complete with charts and graphs.

Once again, to all the awesome people that helped contribute to this, I thank you! Continue reading 'Cross Playing Revisited: A Public Questionaire'

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying: Erotic Roleplay

Ah... the topic every roleplay blogger dreads to discuss (myself included). This has been sitting on the virtual backburner for me for about a year now... Erotic Roleplay, or ERP, is generally very commonplace within the roleplaying scene, however it is quite often ridiculed by other RPers or many try to pretend that it doesn't happen. Because of this three-letter acronym, roleplayers have been given an extremely bad reputation in the the World of Warcraft (and beyond) because the non-RPers tends to paint us all as a bunch of horny, mouth-breathing, cheetoh powder-encrusted lowlifes. This is, of course, vastly untrue (though there are always the extreme exceptions) and it is over-hyped thanks to incidents like Abhorrent Taboo and the Deeprun Tram (The latter was proven to be staged, but it didn't really matter much since the impression was made. The picture to the right is from the aforementioned tram "encounter", by the way).

Though I do understand why ERP happens. Just like in any story, whether it be in a novel, video game, movie, and what not... Love scenes happen. Plus, sex is a part of the natural way of things in real life, so we naturally do what we know in stories of various kinds. I am far from telling people to never engage in ERP if that is their wish... However, I WILL say this:

Have respect for your fellow WoW players and keep it private.

• THOU SHALT NOT publicly emote your sex-capades in /say or /emote. No one wants to be forced to see your kink. Ever. And you will likely be griefed and ridiculed by others around you. You can also be reported for abusing the channels.
• THOU SHALT keep any sensual interludes within private channels, whispers, party chat, or even raid chat. This also includes foreplay and other actions beyond a PG-13 setting.
• THOU SHALT NOT get it on in the middle of the AH/Bank/Main Square or any other obviously public area while buck naked.
• THOU SHALT try to maintain the integrity of the roleplay server and its inhabitants.

And here's two rather big ones from a IC-standpoint.

• THOU SHALT keep in-character feelings separate from out-of-character ones. Just because someone else's character loves yours does not mean that their player loves you.
• THOU SHALT NOT let ERP be the constant focal point of any character interaction with another.

There is no faster way to make an amazing story of love against all odds go sour than the two "commandments" above... Doubly so for the last one. Just think about it from the perspective of reading a brand-new novel, fresh from the bookstore...

Your two characters go on amazing adventures together. There is action, drama, humor, occasional awkward moments of budding romance, and so much more. This book is great! Then it comes to the moment of when your characters' relationship goes past the point of no return... Eyes lock, trembling lips meet, and the two consummate their love oh-so-passionately.

Then, out of the blue, this amazing novel you were reading moments ago, becomes some stale and emotionless porn fest that would even make the most poorly-written Harlequin romance novel weep tears of blood. That will be what will happen to your characters and their story if you do not put a leash on their libido.

If your characters must get it on like rabbits, fade to black or space those times out. Keep things interesting and do something else, ya know? Having your characters' only interactions be sexually based will get absolutely boring and it will most likely ruin all the character plot you have worked for. There is more to relationships, fictitious or not, than sex. Continue reading 'The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying: Erotic Roleplay'

Cross Playing: The Tribulations of RPing the Opposite Gender

Hello. My name is Moonbiter and I am a girl gamer. Ever since I was a wee lil' Moonnibbler and I was introduced to the Nintendo Entertainment System, I've been hooked on gaming. World of Warcraft is my first MMORPG and while I still consider myself to be very much a console gamer, I have been playing WoW since January 2005. My very first foray into WoW RP was somewhere back in Summer of 2006 when I rolled a character on Argent Dawn. The rest is history...

I am also the player of not only one, but five, male WoW characters. This might seem odd to some readers because why oh why would a girl ever want to ever play as a guy? Well... why not?

Being I like to roleplay (or at the very least I create backstories for my characters), the story I come up with dictates what race, gender, and class I feel suits the character. Take my death knight, and current main, Kiryl, for example... He is kind of an "old country" guy at heart, despite his current role as a Forsaken interrogator, and I honestly have a hard time ever picturing him as a female. Kiryl is, no matter what, a male character. My muse has spoken and she isn't all that keen on changing her mind.

A Space Goat Was Born

My first seriously played male toon was Latu, a Draenei shaman that was created the moment I installed the Burning Crusade. First of all, when TBC was nearing its release date, everyone I knew was going to make a female Draenei. In a combination of daring to be different and my love for the male Draenei model (I love their /dance and /silly), I vowed to make my shaman a guy. Secondly, I never really had a main character that was a guy. Sure I had a level 20-something Forsaken rogue and a level 30 Troll shaman that were men... But I never stuck with them. Latu, on the other hand, I leveled to up to cap--twice.

The guild I was with, at the time, was a rather free-spirited one, so the idea of a girl playing a guy character wasn't a big deal to them at all. However, when they eventually jumped ship and went to WAR during a hiatus of mine, I found myself in need of a new guild... So I transferred Latu over to another realm and joined up with friend's RP guild.

I remember having to explain myself many times to people (namely guild mates who have obviously heard me over Ventrilo) on why Latu is not a female. Even though there is a pretty good amount of females that play WoW around, many of which I have known to have at least ONE male toon in their character list, it is still treated as such an anomaly by most I encounter. The reactions varied from a guildmate joking that I was "denying the world more breasts" by playing a guy to having my sexuality questioned. Why, I even had fellow female guildmates who were boggled by the idea and I got a lot of half-joking flak for playing a guy--And it only increased when my secondary character was a male Human warlock (again, the character concept I had in mind did not seem like it would be suitable to a female).

There also was a time when a guildmate invited me to an instance run and the initial convo went like this (writing styles preserved)...

Warrior: hey guys, this is my guildy, Latu. hes a girl irl. lol
Party Member #2: Cool
Party Member #3: sup
Me: Um... Haha. Hi?

It just sorta boggled my mind that this guy felt the need to instantly announce (I wish I was kidding. It really was the first thing said when I joined group.) the fact that I am indeed a female player. Though I will admit... when certain people did find out that I was indeed a girl in real life, it was pretty funny to see their reactions. Even so, I still find it odd that it's strange to begin with.

Why Is Playing the Opposite Gender Such a Big Deal?

There seems to be a double standard of playing a character that isn't your gender in real life. It's perfectly normal for guys to play as female avatars, but girls playing as male toons generally brings up a lot of confusion. There are many reasons as to why men play as females, the two most popular that I've seen are "I don't want to stare at a dude's ass all the time" and "I like the attention and special treatment I get". Plus, as the popular internet meme goes, "There are no girls on the internet".

The last statement above is, of course, not true at all. However, in the gaming world, it is still traditionally "a man's domain" in the eyes of many. Though with new generations, the girl gamer isn't at all the oddity it used to be when I was back in high school. I've been on various RP realms and the reception of being a female who plays a guy character ranges from it being commonplace to others finding it incredibly strange. I remember one former guildmate used to joke with me by suggesting that I make Latu into a girl shortly after character re-customization was unveiled. I didn't mind it at first...until he started mentioning it nearly every time I saw him in-game. The same person also told me that he couldn't take women who roleplayed male characters seriously... He found it "too weird" and he apparently had difficulty reconciling the fact that "this dude was really a chick".

Virtual Life Lessons

It's not always hard for women roleplaying a man, though... I've had many guys tell me their horror stories of playing a female toon. Sure, they liked being treated a little nicer, given stuff, and what not (That's another post for another day, I'd imagine). Then the stalkers start showing up... Those sorts of people that won't take a hint despite the other saying "Dude, I'm a guy, IRL" and simply found that they were "playing hard to get". Though I heard more of those recounts in the earlier days of WoW, not so much anymore (But on the flipside, I've heard plenty of girls harassing guys to have their RP characters get in each other's pants as of late...). However, I'm rather certain that these sorts of goings-on still take place.

Other girl gamers who played a male toon, namely for a "social experiment", were rather shocked at how differently they were treated. Cussed out for small mistakes, talking to them impersonally, general aloofness, etc... Not all that surprising since most people assume the character played is the person's gender IRL. Though I honestly just assume everyone's a guy until proven otherwise...

In Summation

It's just a game and we are simply players out to have fun... People shouldn't be given grief for their character's gender, no matter if they are man or woman, if that is what they want to roleplay (or not).

Though roleplaying is just that--It's acting out a story. While some people do live vicariously through their characters, most simply want to tell a tale and see what unfolds for them. If a man wants to roleplay a demure and meek woman, then more power to him. If a woman wants to play as some muscular orcish guy? Go right ahead. Roleplay servers are our canvas and other people shouldn't tell you what paint to use. Continue reading 'Cross Playing: The Tribulations of RPing the Opposite Gender'

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - Roleplay Elitism & Exclusion

This one really needs no introduction...

• Roleplay Elitism •

First, let me explain the difference between a "Roleplay Enthusiast" and a "Roleplay Elitist"...

A Roleplay Enthusiast has been around roleplaying in some fashion, whether it's been through World of Warcraft, MUDs, LARPs, or whatever. They know the lore, study the story vehicle's background, make well-developed characters, and strive to preserve and encourage the RP community. Overall, they are generally warm to newcomers and if they need "tutoring" they are more than happy to oblige in a gentle informative manner.

And now for the Elitist (aka: "RP Nazi" in some circles). It doesn't matter if you're new to the roleplaying scene or if you have been participating in the fun for years... You will always meet someone who thinks the way they roleplay is perfect and EVERYONE should follow their example. If they do not, they automatically shoot your stories, scenarios, and characters down. And the funny part is, the Elitist might not even be a very good roleplayer themselves.

Thankfully, the Elitist, if not in a position of authority within a guild, is generally disliked by the members over time. Not only do they stir up trouble with their dictating "this should be this way and that should be that way" attitude, some actually have the gall to actually call the RP of others "crap" right to their faces (though I will admit that certain cases do deserve it). Either the hardcore RP elitists are eventually ousted by guildmates or they leave on their own accord to found their own guild under their own rules.

There are of course other shades of elitism in roleplay and that brings me to the next subject...

• Exclusion •

Roleplay in the World of Warcraft can be trying for the average RPer. While Blizzard encourages and embraces the roleplay aspect of their game, they have no real way to enforce it within the general populace. This can unfortunately jade a lot of people over time...

Say you've been in the roleplay scene for a couple years now and over time you've developed a very small tolerance for RP newbies or the blissfully-ignorant. You try to include them at first, not knowing how "horrible" they are, but once you get a good taste of what their RP and characters are like, you quietly shun them and try not to include them in any of your future group RP.

While I do understand that it's a person's own prerogative to build their stories around who they deem fit, it doesn't hurt to be inclusive. If someone hits a few faux-pas in roleplaying, gently offer to give them guidance in improving their RP. That's if they are willing, of course, because there are some who do get offended if you inform them that they are godmodding or something. If they don't want to improve, then there's not much you can do. Eventually someone else will call them out on it or they'll notice their folly through some other means (hopefully).

So in closing, there will always be people that will rub you the wrong way or people that don't quite know RP etiquette. But it is always important to embrace the ideals of RP and practice tolerance and understanding. Help those who are willing to learn, be inclusive, and try not to push other RPers away unless they really are that insufferable. If you practice being a good roleplayer, and most imporantly a good PERSON, the roleplaying environment will flourish.

Continue reading 'The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - Roleplay Elitism & Exclusion'

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - The Lesser Evils

Being that I've already covered two big roleplaying don'ts, Godmodding and the Mary Sue, I felt the need to talk about some of the lesser evils of RP. They might not be as bad as others, but they're still called "lesser evils" for a reason.

• The Love Child •

A thing you don't see very often, thankfully, are characters who are the bastard children of some of WoW's prominant canon lore figures. Though when you do, your eyes will roll right out your skull in disbelief. If you have any inclinations to ever make your toon the child of Illidan & Tyrande, Thrall & Garona (etc), then just stop... Stop right now. Your character will not, no matter how much you might want it to, ever alter the Warcraft canon lore. If there's an illegitamate child of Kael'thas and Jaina out there... leave it to Blizzard to reveal it.

Another RP no-no that's close to "The Love Child" is "The Mentor". If your character is a teacher of Malfurion and Illidan, then you might want to rethink things...

• The Slippery Fish •

The Slippery Fish is a sort of godmodder. But one that takes a loooong time at going about it. A good example of a Fish (one that I have unfortunately experienced first hand), is that someone is being pursued by a group of somebodies and, no matter what the circumstance, will not let themselves get caught (even if the odds are tremendously against their favor. IE: More people, mounted pursuers, etc...) until they deem fit. If you DO manage to catch the Fish, they will stay around for a while before making their "grand escape" and make the chase begin anew.

The Fish I dealt with took such a route...

Fish detained in Darkshire --> Fish escorted to Stormwind --> Fish ESCAPES captors and runs away --> Fish cornered and captured (again) in Stormwind --> Fish makes escape and flees to another part of Stormwind --> Captured and finally detained --> Fish still tries to make a break for it! But fails... --> A long two hours later, the Fish is ultimately transported to a "safe house" in Kalimdor to await further questioning.

And just when you thought it was done...!

Fish springs the coop and flees from Teldrasil to Auberdine --> Fish takes the boat to Menethil --> Fish flies to Light's Hope Chapel in the Plaguelands --> A search team assembles in LHC and proceeds to look for the missing Fish --> Search team catches glimpses of the Fish running around the Plaguelands, but are "unable" to catch it --> After a final confrontation, and lengthy three hours of lol!drama and needless chasing, the Fish slips out of its pursuers' hands yet again and escapes into Stratholme despite the fact that all odds were overwhelmingly against it...

So there you have it... The chase can be exciting, but NOT when it takes a total of 5+ hours to do. But when it gets that out of hand, who's actually to blame? The Slippery Fish or the people chasing it? ~_~

Continue reading 'The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - The Lesser Evils'

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - The Mary Sue

In light of my previous post on "Godmodding", I can't in good conscience leave another heavyweight RP sin to sculk in the shadows. At least, not while I'm awake and on a blogging roll. ;)

• The Mary Sue •

Ahhh... The Mary Sue. Quite possibly the most reviled thing in all literature. Most people who are familiar with the term think that Mary Sues only exist in the realm of fan fiction. But they are sorely mistaken... You see, the Sue can be in ANY form of fiction, whether it's fan-based or original. Here is the "textbook" definition of what a Mary Sue is:

"Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to "Sue", is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character who plays a major role in the plot on such a scale that suspension of disbelief fails due to the character's traits, skills and abilities being tenuously or inadequately justified. Such a character is particularly characterized by overly idealized and clichéd mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors." (Taken from Wikipedia - Mary Sue)

Simply put, Mary Sues are an embodiment of what its author/player wishes they were like. A great example of an original fiction Mary Sue is Anita Blake of the self-named series by Laurel K. Hamilton.

Now before you get too scared... Let me say that there is nothing wrong with putting a little piece of yourself in your characters. It helps you relate to them and find passion in writing out their exploits. However, there's a point where it gets out of hand...

Mary Sues come in all shapes and sizes, but here's a list of some of the more common traits.

• Perfect
• Popular
• Beautiful
• Tragic (not always though)
• Misunderstood
  
• People are strangely attracted to her.
• Sole savior of the planet.
• Has some sort of hidden power (or twelve) that emerges at JUST the right time.
• Has mysterious/soulful/sorrowful eyes. Usually in the crimson, violet, emerald, and sapphire hues.
• Has no visible faults or flaws. Aside from being perfect and beautiful, of course.
  

One other variety is called an "Anti Sue". Basically the polar opposite of what a Mary Sue is. An Anti Sue is so ugly/mentally insane/disliked/oh-so-tragic that it gets to the point of being laughable. I suppose you can say they're the extreme version of an Anti Hero.

If you have fallen prey to making a Mary Sue, don't feel bad. It's an EXTREMELY common thing for all budding writers to do and I admit to making a Sue or two within my life. The big thing is to know of what a Mary Sue is and make one anyway despite of it all (*coughLaurelHamiltoncough*). If you're concerned if your new, or existing, character might be a Mary Sue, there are many reliable litmus tests to see if you're standing on the precipice of Sue-dom (or falling right into the abyss, for that matter).

• The World of Warcraft Mary Sue Litmus Test: This test is tailor-made for WoW roleplayers. Give it a whirl!
• The Original Mary Sue Litmus Test: The one that started them all.
  

Continue reading 'The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - The Mary Sue'

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - Godmodding

Okay. I'll admit it. I'm a roleplayer and have been for a little more than three years ever since I set foot on my first RP realm, Argent Dawn. That being said, making sure I have a well-rounded character background story is very important to me and others of like mind. But where to start off...?

There are many dos and don'ts when it comes to RP on WoW. Here's a big one to avoid doing.

• Godmodding •

While it's all well and good that you want your character(s) to be powerful and oh-so-awesome, there is a thin line between your toon being powerful and God Almighty. If your warrior can stop meteors with his face and still be alive and well, you're godmodding. If your mage is all-powerful and can lay waste to all he sees before him with a flick of a finger, you're godmodding. Get the picture?

There is no faster way to piss off other roleplayers than being a godmodder. For example; "Joe Bob the Warrior swings his mighty metal-clad fist and clobbers Dave the Mage square in the jaw". That's a big no-no. You cannot automatically assume how the other RPer would react towards a big fist flying at him and you're not really giving them a chance to participate. The correct way to write your emote is "Joe Bob the Warrior swings his mighty metal-clad fist towards Dave the Mage". Leave it to Dave's player to decide if he dodges nimbly to the side or if he gets a big bite of knuckle sandwich. Do that or politely ask Dave's player OOCly if Joe Bob can smash his face in.

On another note, if YOUR character is being physically accosted, take a few hits now and then. It's more realistic and adds dynamic to one's RP session.

Continue reading 'The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying - Godmodding'