(no subject)
I've contemplated this post quite a bit over the past few days. It seems that once again the HP role play world has been overcome with a wave of drama. The who and why is not important, because I have seen this before, and I doubt this will be the last time there is an incident like this. But there is something I have noticed, and it seems that no matter the fandom, the same problems seem to cycle. These are just my observations, and they are by no means complete.
1.There Are No Original Ideas - I started Roleplaying in the dark ages, back before Livejournal and even before boards and Yahoo groups. Back when we used majordomo servers and play by e-mail was the norm, there were copycat games, games that were similar by accident and spin offs. When I moved to MUDs? Same thing. Fandom is like the product that produces it - Hollywood. There are no original ideas. The sooner you accept this fact, the less stress you will have creating a game. Now, if someone comes in and steals your code, your graphics, your actual text? Yes, you do have a reason to complain. But if you open a game based on everyone is a tree, and someone else opens a game where everyone is a flower? Let it go. Just let it go.
2.Rules Are Not Just Suggestions or The Curse of Favoritism - Rules should apply to everyone. I will admit, I have bent the rules before on activity for people. It is hard to lose good players when their lives go to pot and they don't have time to keep up. But, if I am going to bend the rules for one person, I have to be willing to do the same for anyone else. Even if it never was meant to look like favoritism, sometimes people can perceive it as such, and that can be a poison to a game. It's a struggle to find balance, and if a complaint is lodged, it should always be taken seriously.
3.Cliques Happen (And Aren't Always Bad) - I think cliques are the biggest complaint I see in RP vent communities. I understand the frustration of joining a game and feeling like everyone is already friends and you don't quite fit in. While those situations can be awkward and difficult to break sometimes, if you put forth a bit of effort, most games will be welcoming. I have found that without my “clique,” most games I have been in would not have gotten off the ground. The most powerful tool for recruiting into your game is word of mouth. It's another fine line as a mod you have to walk. You want to foster a sense of community, but at the same time you want to make sure that your game is open to new people.
4.The Number One Job Of A Mod - I asked this question to a few of my fellow mods, and got some interesting answers. Most revolved around rules and mechanics of the game, but as someone who has been an RP mod for almost fifteen years, I have learned there is one golden rule. The number one job of a mod is to make sure your players are having fun. I think so many times as mods we get so wrapped up in the little details of running a comm they forget the bigger picture. We are here to make sure our players are having fun. Players who are having fun are happy players, and happy players lead to drama free games. I've been incredibly fortunate that my main game, Gilded Court, has been not only fun, but low drama. In my experiences, when the mods lose sight of making things fun, that is when games start falling apart.
5.Remember “Game” is the Most Important Word - Our hobby is Role Playing GAMES. Games are about having fun. Why yes, there are moments of stress and frustration, just like any hobby, we should NEVER lose focus on the fact that at the end of the day most of us RP because we love the community, love the creativity and just want to escape reality.
Problems happen any time you get people together, and even more so when you introduce highly creative people. I have been as guilty as the next person about getting upset and having drama in my gaming life. While I am not proud of those moments, I have tried to learn and grow from them. I hope that we all can learn from the latest wave of insanity and grow as an RP community. I think the biggest lesson I have learned is simply this.
Sometimes, it's better just to let go.
1.There Are No Original Ideas - I started Roleplaying in the dark ages, back before Livejournal and even before boards and Yahoo groups. Back when we used majordomo servers and play by e-mail was the norm, there were copycat games, games that were similar by accident and spin offs. When I moved to MUDs? Same thing. Fandom is like the product that produces it - Hollywood. There are no original ideas. The sooner you accept this fact, the less stress you will have creating a game. Now, if someone comes in and steals your code, your graphics, your actual text? Yes, you do have a reason to complain. But if you open a game based on everyone is a tree, and someone else opens a game where everyone is a flower? Let it go. Just let it go.
2.Rules Are Not Just Suggestions or The Curse of Favoritism - Rules should apply to everyone. I will admit, I have bent the rules before on activity for people. It is hard to lose good players when their lives go to pot and they don't have time to keep up. But, if I am going to bend the rules for one person, I have to be willing to do the same for anyone else. Even if it never was meant to look like favoritism, sometimes people can perceive it as such, and that can be a poison to a game. It's a struggle to find balance, and if a complaint is lodged, it should always be taken seriously.
3.Cliques Happen (And Aren't Always Bad) - I think cliques are the biggest complaint I see in RP vent communities. I understand the frustration of joining a game and feeling like everyone is already friends and you don't quite fit in. While those situations can be awkward and difficult to break sometimes, if you put forth a bit of effort, most games will be welcoming. I have found that without my “clique,” most games I have been in would not have gotten off the ground. The most powerful tool for recruiting into your game is word of mouth. It's another fine line as a mod you have to walk. You want to foster a sense of community, but at the same time you want to make sure that your game is open to new people.
4.The Number One Job Of A Mod - I asked this question to a few of my fellow mods, and got some interesting answers. Most revolved around rules and mechanics of the game, but as someone who has been an RP mod for almost fifteen years, I have learned there is one golden rule. The number one job of a mod is to make sure your players are having fun. I think so many times as mods we get so wrapped up in the little details of running a comm they forget the bigger picture. We are here to make sure our players are having fun. Players who are having fun are happy players, and happy players lead to drama free games. I've been incredibly fortunate that my main game, Gilded Court, has been not only fun, but low drama. In my experiences, when the mods lose sight of making things fun, that is when games start falling apart.
5.Remember “Game” is the Most Important Word - Our hobby is Role Playing GAMES. Games are about having fun. Why yes, there are moments of stress and frustration, just like any hobby, we should NEVER lose focus on the fact that at the end of the day most of us RP because we love the community, love the creativity and just want to escape reality.
Problems happen any time you get people together, and even more so when you introduce highly creative people. I have been as guilty as the next person about getting upset and having drama in my gaming life. While I am not proud of those moments, I have tried to learn and grow from them. I hope that we all can learn from the latest wave of insanity and grow as an RP community. I think the biggest lesson I have learned is simply this.
Sometimes, it's better just to let go.