Post by Nohiki on Jan 30, 2013 15:34:46 GMT -5
Copying this directly from another site. Forgive the refferences to other RPs, but it get's the message along. I might localize it if i ever get the will power necessary xD
Friar Tuck’s Guide to Common Sense in BZPRPG
I’m sure you heard the phrase “not-so-common sense”? Well, its true in all counts, the Bzprpg included. Here I attempt to shed light on the conundrums and proper etiquettes of the Bzprpg in a humorous and tactful manner, since many of the below topics can be hot-button ones indeed. While not a set of rules in which if you break I will come and break a finger, leg, or other body part, these guidelines are the lines between the lines, what makes this game authentic and realistic, keeping fun for everyone… so follow them well or I’ll slap you silly So without further to do-
Common Sense dictates that:
- You are not infinitely superior to NPCs
We start with a sticker-shock; Surprise! While having many superior qualities over a common NPC, you indeed are much closer to its level than you think. The argument to this is “Hey, but I have super-powers! Robbing banks are a walk in the park.” Very true. But may I point out that in this world the bar is raised, and in fact almost everyone in this realm has super powers as well. You are indeed unique… just like everyone else. Cliché, but true. You may be a icegun-wielding, impact-vision savvy Skakdi, but those pair of Toa guards have their own set of cool powers, and probably have just as much experience OR MORE than you do, since it’s their job to prevent people just like you from breaking and entering. From this point of view, the playing field is actually very even, and in fact you only have a few advantages over the common NPC, which brings us to our second point in our NPC discussion-
Common Sense dictates that:
- Killable does NOT equal “easy target”
Are guards in real life standing sacks of meat with a note taped to their forehead “Kill me!”? No. They are highly-trained, alert people who are formidable opponents, getting tougher the more important object they guard. You are (more or less) immortal, something your NPC friend is not; but when did that mean that you can walk all over him? When was the last time you witnessed a swordsman run into the Smithsonian, and in a matter of moments decapitate all the guards and deactivate the security system? Only in movies, and that is simply for entertainment sake, not when interaction with others. NPCs are generally highly-trained protectors or soldiers who could more than match wits and powers with you. The largest difference is that you have a human conscience at all times; they do not. Tossing them aside as if they are dolls is just not realistic. And remember: since everyone is super-powered, no one is.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Fortresses and/or Lairs are tough nuts to crack
Your home is your castle, or so the saying goes. Not here! Welcome to the Bzprpg, where the word “Fortress” actually means “sitting duck”. In this game forts, Koro, lairs, even hidden and sealed compartments are a big open houses, to which any Joe Shmo has free access and reign, without the hindrances of having to deal with location, defenders, or other defensive mechanisms. Did I also mention that there is also always a map prominently placed so that the infiltrators know the location of every important circuit in the place?
Ah… no.
When was the last time you saw even an attempt at Fort Knox? Believe me, in this game there are places even sealed up tighter than that. People cannot simply walk into a secure location without a very good explanation, and unfortunately, that is a rarity. Seriously, it is. Usually a place like that has more tricks and traps than a professional magician, and that is not counting the NPC defenders (see above).
Even “open” locations are not easy targets; in fact, it can be argued its actually more difficult in some respects. Case in point: which would be more difficult to sneak a weapon into? A warehouse complex that is locked, with one or two night guards, or an open building with only one or two entrances, with several alert security guards and a metal detector on the other side?
Common Sense dictates that:
- Teleportation powers do NOT equal a free pass!
A personal favorite of many, and a personal gripe for everyone else. This makes the Top Five easily. It’s one thing to move quickly from one location to another, or shot jaunts between buildings, or even messing with the head of an opponent during battle. This however DOES NOT give you the right to hit and run secure locations. Is it fair that one person (probably staff), who has spent a lot of time, effort, and time working on this, when all it takes is one person who can teleport a squad of crazies to go “Let’s blow something up!” *zap* “Oooohh! Look! Main control center! Mines! Guns! Grenades! Explosives! C4! Grandma’s Fruit Cake!” *bing bang boom* “Uh-oh! It’s gonna collapse! Bye! *zap*
This goes in conjunction with lair invasions above. How in the world did you know where the main controls were anyway? Armory? Database? Kitchen for snacks on the way out? Are you aware that you also disregarded everything that has been previously discussed including the victim’s privacy? This leads to the next point-
Common Sense dictates that:
- There is NO such thing as instantaneous and omniscient intel
Unless you have taken the grand tour, or have managed to steal a current blueprint of a building, how to you know that the room isn’t a wall? Or a vat of toxic liquid verses a laboratory? Perhaps it’s the vicious animal pen than the armory? How do you know you’re gonna appear in the library? You could just as well imprison yourself in the brig for all you know.
Common Sense dictates that:
- You are NOT made of Teflon, or any other impervious substance
Unless you have some power over reality that we have yet to know about, things stick to you. Like injuries. Disks. Arrows. Flying pieces of debris. Stickers. Plasma grenades. While you may have armor, the rest of you is soft, mushy, and susceptible to physical damage. In fact, armor does indeed bend, get punctured, ripped apart even! Yes! It can be damaged too. Which means you cannot be fighting your arc-foe and when he decides to set off pre-placed explosives that can rip apart reinforced metal and concrete structures, stand unscathed. Somewhere between the concussion blast, heat, and the raining debris, you will most likely have more bruises, burns, and otherwise puncture wounds than your aunt’s pincushion. Generally you are bleeding profusely, half-crushed under a ceiling section, and not mentally sound due to the high-decibel event. When you get shot at, you get hit; you are not intangible and your pursuers are not terrible shots. When you get slashed at, you generally don’t feel too hot. If this were real, hospitals would cease to exist due to the mysterious, chronic, and suspicious lack of bodily injuries.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Insta-Items DON’T exist
Sorry, but bottomless pockets don't exist, nor can you conjure up any item or amount of money you need; endless Mary Poppins bag for small objects do not exist! I’m not talking about a procuring a disk launcher, gukko harness, or those new drapes; stuff like that can be purchased at your local trader or black market stand. I’m talking about endless ammo clips, always seeming to have a lock-pick, or that sword you lost last week with your fight with your arch-foe magically back inside it's sheath. You simply cannot carry everything with you, nor can you prepare for everything... so that means you must either do without, buy it, or try to find a substitute.
Common Sense dictates that:
- The laws of Logic, Physics, and Thermodynamics apply to EVERYONE
Yes they do! It’s what makes the world go round, and YOU, my friend, are part of that world; THEREFORE, they must apply to you. Welcome to Logic 101, a place that allows one to think critically, solve problems, and make sense of the world around him. While this is indeed a large and umbrella statement, it needs to be said, and said again. There are rules that govern movements, both physically and energetically, to which breaching those is considered “bad”… not to mention the universal consequences. So the next time you jump off a high building, get caught in an explosion, mastermind a plot, or just pull off a fantastic feat in battle, just ask yourself:
Is this Logically or Physically impossible?
Also, as a side note, you can be bested in a battle of brains! Yes, if someone has superior logic, they tend to win despite all your powerful brawny prowess. A well-thought plan can usually defeat any opponent, even those that are ten times stronger or have ten times the troops. The most important muscle in the body is the brain; it can be very useful.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Plans are NOT perfect!
The second extension of the Physics/Logic conundrum. While plans are good, they cannot possibly predict every possible outcome, especially if you’re matching wits against an equal. There comes a time in battle where your “prediction” or how you wormed out of something hits the Ridiculous Factor. I mean, its one thing to come prepared to fight a necromancer that has a fascination with zombies; shotgun, crowbar, and a few friends with a workable strategy will win out almost every time. Its another to come prepared for that necromancer who secretly took over a circus, and now you has demented clowns coming after you, their baggy clothing making most of your weapons useless, but aha! I have Zombie Clown Repellent… in a bottle. Never leave home without it. Seriously folks, did you happen to lean back and read it as objectively as possible, or did you decide to disregard whether or not this was getting rather over the top? Sometime while clever, it elicits an “Aww, come on! LAAAAME!”; Ridiculousness 1, Brainpower 0.
Finally-
Common Sense dictates that:
- It’s ok and natural not to win
There are winners, and there are losers, but you are never, or rarely, either one all the time. You don’t have to always win the battles to win the war, and “sometimes cowards live”, to quote a famous Decepticon. There is ALWAYS someone better than you out there, so take your defeat like a man and swallow some of that over-sized ego and pride you have been lugging around. There are just some things you can’t do, places you can’t go, people you can’t influence or talk to; it’s a fact. You can get captured, you can’t always escape, but sometimes you pull one out from under your opponent for the epic win. So take a chill pill, take hold of your limits, and realize that there are just some things out of reach. After all, we’re only human.
Appendix
Right, this is where I add things that I think very useful in regards for common sense, or other useful tools for keeping your characters and actions believable, and generally they will be links to other places. Below you will find a lots of more useful advice and tools:
Appendix #1: G-Modding Expansion Set
Godmoding is a collection of numerous offenses that all deal with unrealistic roleplaying. With an open-ended sandbox RPG like this one, it's very easy to find yourself falling into godmod trap with your character. This, however, is most certainly not allowed and can ruin the RPG for everyone else. While it should be obvious which rules are broken in each instance, when godmod happens it might be so blatant. There are indeed many forms of godmodding, but we have listed here only the top three types:
o Invincibility: Your character and another player's character are fighting. If your character is either not taking hits or taking hits and having them not affect your character are both prime examples of invincibility and is the most well-known form of godmode (see Teflon and Logic sections above). This is not allowed under any circumstances as it is definitely not realistic role-playing.
o Puppet master: Alright, same example as above. However, in your posts, you are taking control of your opponent's character and forcing them to take hits they might have dodged or perhaps act in a way that is out of character for them. This is "puppeteering" or acting as a "puppet master". This is godmodding and it happens quite a bit. Obtain permission from your opponent if you are going to do something like this.
o Going super-saiyan: You are fighting an opponent that is vastly stronger and more experienced than you. He is beating the living daylights out of you. So what do you do? Rather than taking your defeat like a man or beating a retreat, you pull some sort of super-power-beam out of your butt. This is frowned upon though not outright banned if PERMISSION IS GRANTED FROM BOTH THE OPPONENT AND A GM. In some forms, yes, it is god-modding but if there you obtain permission and there is a price to be paid, go for it.
Appendix #2: Metagaming
In simple terms, using out-of-game information, or resources, to affect one's in-game decisions.
-Also known as: "Breaking the fourth wall"
The above sentence sums it up perfectly; it’s a term often used to describe players' use of assumed characteristics of the game. In particular, metagaming often refers to having a character act on knowledge that only the player has access to (for example: tricking a medusa to stare at a mirror when the character has never even heard of medusas and should not be aware of their petrifying stare). For instance, a player might adjust his character's actions if the player has some foreknowledge of future events. Another one would be knowing names, abilities, powers, or locations without actually meeting someone, fighting that person, or having been at that location. Metegaming happens when players input information that they know into the game when their character has neither the right nor ability to know it. Sometimes it subtle, sometimes blatant, but this is why we have “IC” and “OOC” in RPing posts; to distinguish between player knowledge/speaking, and character knowledge/speaking. Such playing should be avoided at all costs, since it is both unrealistic and unfair.
Friar Tuck’s Guide to Common Sense in BZPRPG
I’m sure you heard the phrase “not-so-common sense”? Well, its true in all counts, the Bzprpg included. Here I attempt to shed light on the conundrums and proper etiquettes of the Bzprpg in a humorous and tactful manner, since many of the below topics can be hot-button ones indeed. While not a set of rules in which if you break I will come and break a finger, leg, or other body part, these guidelines are the lines between the lines, what makes this game authentic and realistic, keeping fun for everyone… so follow them well or I’ll slap you silly So without further to do-
Common Sense dictates that:
- You are not infinitely superior to NPCs
We start with a sticker-shock; Surprise! While having many superior qualities over a common NPC, you indeed are much closer to its level than you think. The argument to this is “Hey, but I have super-powers! Robbing banks are a walk in the park.” Very true. But may I point out that in this world the bar is raised, and in fact almost everyone in this realm has super powers as well. You are indeed unique… just like everyone else. Cliché, but true. You may be a icegun-wielding, impact-vision savvy Skakdi, but those pair of Toa guards have their own set of cool powers, and probably have just as much experience OR MORE than you do, since it’s their job to prevent people just like you from breaking and entering. From this point of view, the playing field is actually very even, and in fact you only have a few advantages over the common NPC, which brings us to our second point in our NPC discussion-
Common Sense dictates that:
- Killable does NOT equal “easy target”
Are guards in real life standing sacks of meat with a note taped to their forehead “Kill me!”? No. They are highly-trained, alert people who are formidable opponents, getting tougher the more important object they guard. You are (more or less) immortal, something your NPC friend is not; but when did that mean that you can walk all over him? When was the last time you witnessed a swordsman run into the Smithsonian, and in a matter of moments decapitate all the guards and deactivate the security system? Only in movies, and that is simply for entertainment sake, not when interaction with others. NPCs are generally highly-trained protectors or soldiers who could more than match wits and powers with you. The largest difference is that you have a human conscience at all times; they do not. Tossing them aside as if they are dolls is just not realistic. And remember: since everyone is super-powered, no one is.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Fortresses and/or Lairs are tough nuts to crack
Your home is your castle, or so the saying goes. Not here! Welcome to the Bzprpg, where the word “Fortress” actually means “sitting duck”. In this game forts, Koro, lairs, even hidden and sealed compartments are a big open houses, to which any Joe Shmo has free access and reign, without the hindrances of having to deal with location, defenders, or other defensive mechanisms. Did I also mention that there is also always a map prominently placed so that the infiltrators know the location of every important circuit in the place?
Ah… no.
When was the last time you saw even an attempt at Fort Knox? Believe me, in this game there are places even sealed up tighter than that. People cannot simply walk into a secure location without a very good explanation, and unfortunately, that is a rarity. Seriously, it is. Usually a place like that has more tricks and traps than a professional magician, and that is not counting the NPC defenders (see above).
Even “open” locations are not easy targets; in fact, it can be argued its actually more difficult in some respects. Case in point: which would be more difficult to sneak a weapon into? A warehouse complex that is locked, with one or two night guards, or an open building with only one or two entrances, with several alert security guards and a metal detector on the other side?
Common Sense dictates that:
- Teleportation powers do NOT equal a free pass!
A personal favorite of many, and a personal gripe for everyone else. This makes the Top Five easily. It’s one thing to move quickly from one location to another, or shot jaunts between buildings, or even messing with the head of an opponent during battle. This however DOES NOT give you the right to hit and run secure locations. Is it fair that one person (probably staff), who has spent a lot of time, effort, and time working on this, when all it takes is one person who can teleport a squad of crazies to go “Let’s blow something up!” *zap* “Oooohh! Look! Main control center! Mines! Guns! Grenades! Explosives! C4! Grandma’s Fruit Cake!” *bing bang boom* “Uh-oh! It’s gonna collapse! Bye! *zap*
This goes in conjunction with lair invasions above. How in the world did you know where the main controls were anyway? Armory? Database? Kitchen for snacks on the way out? Are you aware that you also disregarded everything that has been previously discussed including the victim’s privacy? This leads to the next point-
Common Sense dictates that:
- There is NO such thing as instantaneous and omniscient intel
Unless you have taken the grand tour, or have managed to steal a current blueprint of a building, how to you know that the room isn’t a wall? Or a vat of toxic liquid verses a laboratory? Perhaps it’s the vicious animal pen than the armory? How do you know you’re gonna appear in the library? You could just as well imprison yourself in the brig for all you know.
Common Sense dictates that:
- You are NOT made of Teflon, or any other impervious substance
Unless you have some power over reality that we have yet to know about, things stick to you. Like injuries. Disks. Arrows. Flying pieces of debris. Stickers. Plasma grenades. While you may have armor, the rest of you is soft, mushy, and susceptible to physical damage. In fact, armor does indeed bend, get punctured, ripped apart even! Yes! It can be damaged too. Which means you cannot be fighting your arc-foe and when he decides to set off pre-placed explosives that can rip apart reinforced metal and concrete structures, stand unscathed. Somewhere between the concussion blast, heat, and the raining debris, you will most likely have more bruises, burns, and otherwise puncture wounds than your aunt’s pincushion. Generally you are bleeding profusely, half-crushed under a ceiling section, and not mentally sound due to the high-decibel event. When you get shot at, you get hit; you are not intangible and your pursuers are not terrible shots. When you get slashed at, you generally don’t feel too hot. If this were real, hospitals would cease to exist due to the mysterious, chronic, and suspicious lack of bodily injuries.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Insta-Items DON’T exist
Sorry, but bottomless pockets don't exist, nor can you conjure up any item or amount of money you need; endless Mary Poppins bag for small objects do not exist! I’m not talking about a procuring a disk launcher, gukko harness, or those new drapes; stuff like that can be purchased at your local trader or black market stand. I’m talking about endless ammo clips, always seeming to have a lock-pick, or that sword you lost last week with your fight with your arch-foe magically back inside it's sheath. You simply cannot carry everything with you, nor can you prepare for everything... so that means you must either do without, buy it, or try to find a substitute.
Common Sense dictates that:
- The laws of Logic, Physics, and Thermodynamics apply to EVERYONE
Yes they do! It’s what makes the world go round, and YOU, my friend, are part of that world; THEREFORE, they must apply to you. Welcome to Logic 101, a place that allows one to think critically, solve problems, and make sense of the world around him. While this is indeed a large and umbrella statement, it needs to be said, and said again. There are rules that govern movements, both physically and energetically, to which breaching those is considered “bad”… not to mention the universal consequences. So the next time you jump off a high building, get caught in an explosion, mastermind a plot, or just pull off a fantastic feat in battle, just ask yourself:
Is this Logically or Physically impossible?
Also, as a side note, you can be bested in a battle of brains! Yes, if someone has superior logic, they tend to win despite all your powerful brawny prowess. A well-thought plan can usually defeat any opponent, even those that are ten times stronger or have ten times the troops. The most important muscle in the body is the brain; it can be very useful.
Common Sense dictates that:
- Plans are NOT perfect!
The second extension of the Physics/Logic conundrum. While plans are good, they cannot possibly predict every possible outcome, especially if you’re matching wits against an equal. There comes a time in battle where your “prediction” or how you wormed out of something hits the Ridiculous Factor. I mean, its one thing to come prepared to fight a necromancer that has a fascination with zombies; shotgun, crowbar, and a few friends with a workable strategy will win out almost every time. Its another to come prepared for that necromancer who secretly took over a circus, and now you has demented clowns coming after you, their baggy clothing making most of your weapons useless, but aha! I have Zombie Clown Repellent… in a bottle. Never leave home without it. Seriously folks, did you happen to lean back and read it as objectively as possible, or did you decide to disregard whether or not this was getting rather over the top? Sometime while clever, it elicits an “Aww, come on! LAAAAME!”; Ridiculousness 1, Brainpower 0.
Finally-
Common Sense dictates that:
- It’s ok and natural not to win
There are winners, and there are losers, but you are never, or rarely, either one all the time. You don’t have to always win the battles to win the war, and “sometimes cowards live”, to quote a famous Decepticon. There is ALWAYS someone better than you out there, so take your defeat like a man and swallow some of that over-sized ego and pride you have been lugging around. There are just some things you can’t do, places you can’t go, people you can’t influence or talk to; it’s a fact. You can get captured, you can’t always escape, but sometimes you pull one out from under your opponent for the epic win. So take a chill pill, take hold of your limits, and realize that there are just some things out of reach. After all, we’re only human.
Appendix
Right, this is where I add things that I think very useful in regards for common sense, or other useful tools for keeping your characters and actions believable, and generally they will be links to other places. Below you will find a lots of more useful advice and tools:
Appendix #1: G-Modding Expansion Set
Godmoding is a collection of numerous offenses that all deal with unrealistic roleplaying. With an open-ended sandbox RPG like this one, it's very easy to find yourself falling into godmod trap with your character. This, however, is most certainly not allowed and can ruin the RPG for everyone else. While it should be obvious which rules are broken in each instance, when godmod happens it might be so blatant. There are indeed many forms of godmodding, but we have listed here only the top three types:
o Invincibility: Your character and another player's character are fighting. If your character is either not taking hits or taking hits and having them not affect your character are both prime examples of invincibility and is the most well-known form of godmode (see Teflon and Logic sections above). This is not allowed under any circumstances as it is definitely not realistic role-playing.
o Puppet master: Alright, same example as above. However, in your posts, you are taking control of your opponent's character and forcing them to take hits they might have dodged or perhaps act in a way that is out of character for them. This is "puppeteering" or acting as a "puppet master". This is godmodding and it happens quite a bit. Obtain permission from your opponent if you are going to do something like this.
o Going super-saiyan: You are fighting an opponent that is vastly stronger and more experienced than you. He is beating the living daylights out of you. So what do you do? Rather than taking your defeat like a man or beating a retreat, you pull some sort of super-power-beam out of your butt. This is frowned upon though not outright banned if PERMISSION IS GRANTED FROM BOTH THE OPPONENT AND A GM. In some forms, yes, it is god-modding but if there you obtain permission and there is a price to be paid, go for it.
Appendix #2: Metagaming
In simple terms, using out-of-game information, or resources, to affect one's in-game decisions.
-Also known as: "Breaking the fourth wall"
The above sentence sums it up perfectly; it’s a term often used to describe players' use of assumed characteristics of the game. In particular, metagaming often refers to having a character act on knowledge that only the player has access to (for example: tricking a medusa to stare at a mirror when the character has never even heard of medusas and should not be aware of their petrifying stare). For instance, a player might adjust his character's actions if the player has some foreknowledge of future events. Another one would be knowing names, abilities, powers, or locations without actually meeting someone, fighting that person, or having been at that location. Metegaming happens when players input information that they know into the game when their character has neither the right nor ability to know it. Sometimes it subtle, sometimes blatant, but this is why we have “IC” and “OOC” in RPing posts; to distinguish between player knowledge/speaking, and character knowledge/speaking. Such playing should be avoided at all costs, since it is both unrealistic and unfair.