Backstage - OOC Forums
Welcome! => Reception => Topic started by: Namkhai Sin on 14 Aug 2012, 11:59
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Hi there!
I'm a player returning to Eve after having dabbled in the game for a few months here and there over the last four years or so. I stumbled across this board quite by accident, and I was really impressed with how mature, grounded, well-educated, and interesting the regulars here are. As an (undergraduate) student of cultural anthropology and linguistics, I've been delighted to find so many people with overlapping interests working to flesh out the Eve setting.
I joined up here principally because I'm in the middle of the same semi-crisis I've had every time I've picked up a pilot's license over the last few years: the decision to fly as Minmatar or Amarr is one I find exceptionally difficult. The trial character I'm working with at the moment is Amarr, but I've been having pangs of conscience recently over giving assent to slavery. :P I suppose the decision will ultimately rely on which race, in practice, would be more fun.
I know that if I play a Minmatar character, there will be options available to me as far as playing the role I would like and flying in a like-minded corporation. I can only really imagine my Amarr character as being somewhat estranged from the common loyalist sympathies (he's a Khanid zealot) and potentially Tetrimon-sympathetic. If I could find like-minded Amarr pilots, however, that would be a significant push toward the Empire in my book. Not that I feel entitled to your responses, but I am certainly not opposed to folks on the board plugging for their own race, corporation, or alliance. ;)
If you'd rather I bring this question to another board, please let me know. Thanks for having me!
NS
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Hi, and welcome aboard!
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Welcome!
I'm currently working on creating an Amarr corporation that's a slightly different cut from the usual and may play into your interests. However, as the idea is not fully fleshed out yet, I'd prefer to talk with you about it and get some feedback, ideas and responses from you regarding it.
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Well hello there!
I stumbled across this board quite by accident, and I was really impressed with how mature, grounded, ...
You have not yet seen the bitter. You will learn, in time. :P
I'm joining up here principally because I'm in the middle of the same semi-crisis I have every time I've picked up a pilot's license over the last few years: the decision to fly as Minmatar or Amarr is one I find exceptionally difficult.
This is something a lot of people go through. Don't worry, it's not just you.
I know that if I play a Minmatar character, there will be options available to me as far as playing the role I would like and flying in a like-minded corporation. I can only really imagine my Amarr character as being somewhat estranged from the common loyalist sympathies (he's a Khanid zealot) and potentially Tetrimon-sympathetic. If I could find like-minded Amarr pilots, however, that would be a significant push for the Empire in my book.
Finding other explicitly Tetrimon-sympathetic Amarr is unlikely given that openly displaying such sympathies is a good way to get your whole family enslaved in the Empire.
Amarr with goals that could be seen to coincide with your character's, however, could be found. In fact, you rather interest me - throw me a line ingame for a chat.
EDIT: Azdan got their first, I see - talk to him as well if you're looking for Amarr stuffs to possibly work with.
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Thanks for the quick responses! :)
Welcome!
I'm currently working on creating an Amarr corporation that's a slightly different cut from the usual and may play into your interests. However, as the idea is not fully fleshed out yet, I'd prefer to talk with you about it and get some feedback, ideas and responses from you regarding it.
Most definitely! Would you like me to shoot you a PM here or try and reach you in-game?
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You can send an in-game mail to me and I'll contact you through it so we can arrange an actual conversation, I find it works a little better.
Character name is Azdan Amith.
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You can send an in-game mail to me and I'll contact you through it so we can arrange an actual conversation, I find it works a little better.
Character name is Azdan Amith.
Sounds good. My wifi is broken at the moment, so I'm patching the game client using my cell phone as a wifi hotspot. Might take me a while to get on. If you want to shoot me a message in advance, my character name is the same as my username.
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I'd recommend speaking with Esna actually. He's been playing far longer than me and has proven to be far more consistent.
At this present juncture, it would be unfair of me to try and persuade you to cast your lot in with me.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do though!
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I've added you both as contacts - I'd love to engage with as many people in RP circles as I can, so if either of you would like to talk about where we stand, I'm game.
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I am still available for conversation any time you want.
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I am still available for conversation any time you want.
I'm afraid my mouse is broken, and I can't find a way to send you mail in-game without right clicking, but I've added you as a contact and I'm online now.
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I would also really like to hear from Minmatar players and corporations about what that experience is like. :)
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Playing a Minmatar is probably a lot like playing any other race, but with far more cool tattoos, and shouting. Lots of shouting.
But seriously, as a long term Minmatar player, I would say that it opens up options for some really tight knit groups, but at the same time can end up being rather cliquey, and with lots of disgruntled parties all wondering why those other Minmatar are so weird :P
If you can find a groups of Minmatar RPers, that you really really enjoy being involved with, I'd say it's some of the most fun you can have in eve RP. On the other handfinding said group can be a right pain in the arse.
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Playing a Minmatar is probably a lot like playing any other race, but with far more cool tattoos, and shouting. Lots of shouting.
But seriously, as a long term Minmatar player, I would say that it opens up options for some really tight knit groups, but at the same time can end up being rather cliquey, and with lots of disgruntled parties all wondering why those other Minmatar are so weird :P
If you can find a groups of Minmatar RPers, that you really really enjoy being involved with, I'd say it's some of the most fun you can have in eve RP. On the other handfinding said group can be a right pain in the arse.
Thanks for your reply! :)
Do you mind if I ask a bit about how Minmatar characters tend to be developed? What are some generally-accepted cliches to avoid? What are the outlooks of some of the significant corps and alliances, in terms of politics?
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I used to be in Re-Awakened Technologies, which was at the time a part of Electus Matari, one of the bigger RP alliances. Back then, it took a fairly steady "build the Republic up through industry" approach, but that was getting on at least two years ago; don't take my word for it being the same now.
As for clichés, there are lots of ex-slave characters. Whether this is a good or bad thing I leave to you, though.
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I can only really imagine my Amarr character as being somewhat estranged from the common loyalist sympathies (he's a Khanid zealot) and potentially Tetrimon-sympathetic. If I could find like-minded Amarr pilots, however, that would be a significant push toward the Empire in my book.
A manu dei e tet rimon!
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I can only really imagine my Amarr character as being somewhat estranged from the common loyalist sympathies (he's a Khanid zealot) and potentially Tetrimon-sympathetic. If I could find like-minded Amarr pilots, however, that would be a significant push toward the Empire in my book.
A manu dei e tet rimon!
Can I take that as an indication of similar sympathies?
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Playing a Minmatar is probably a lot like playing any other race, but with far more cool tattoos, and shouting. Lots of shouting.
But seriously, as a long term Minmatar player, I would say that it opens up options for some really tight knit groups, but at the same time can end up being rather cliquey, and with lots of disgruntled parties all wondering why those other Minmatar are so weird :P
If you can find a groups of Minmatar RPers, that you really really enjoy being involved with, I'd say it's some of the most fun you can have in eve RP. On the other handfinding said group can be a right pain in the arse.
Thanks for your reply! :)
Do you mind if I ask a bit about how Minmatar characters tend to be developed? What are some generally-accepted cliches to avoid? What are the outlooks of some of the significant corps and alliances, in terms of politics?
Political outlooks can be split into two main factions; hawks and doves, with the hawks asking for all out war with the Amarr, and the doves wanting to drop it and get on with fixing the gaping holes in the post-empyrean age republic.
These factions can be further split into tribalists and republicans, but there is some overlap (e.g. Republican hawks, tribalists doves. The most 'stereotypical' types are Republican doves and Tribalist hawks). Tribalists want to go back into related but independent tribal societies like the pre-republic Minmatar, while the republicans want to build and expand on the current political system.
Player entities that encompass these outlooks would have Ushra'Khan and Defient Legacy as tribalists and hawks, while Electus Matari and to some extent RE-AW would probably count as Republican Doves. However, several EM members will probably shoot me for saying that as some of them are quite definitely hawks and/or tribalists.
(Note: Hawks and Doves are not the normal names used IC, I'm just calling them that for ease of understanding. The nearest equivalent would probably be 'shakorite' and 'midularite', but these have Tribal and Republican connotations as well as aggressive/pacifist ones.)
As for general stereotypes to avoid.. Well, as Kyber said 'ex-slave' characters do seem to be the norm, or at lest very common, but that doesn't make them bad. People will probably have no problems with an ex-slave as long as they're done in a fairly original way.
One thing I would say to avoid is getting your character heavily involved in a 'My master touched me and had my mother/sister/aunt/etc locked in a breeding center!' kind of backstory. While this can have it's place, it does tend to lead to quite a lot of eye rolling.
This turned into a really long post for me o.0 Hope it helps :)
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I enjoyed Kala's summary. There are blends of themes across the usual lines, and the Midularite/Shakorite tension has been diminished now that Shakor is in power and has (apparently) failed to deliver any noticeable change, but you get that in politics. I do sometimes miss the subtle tensions over tribal and Republican politics. Mata has worded some of her internal statements very carefully. :)
Some more common themes in Minmatar roleplay:
The Sword and the Shield: focus on freeing those still in slavery vs focus on making a good place and society for those living in freedom.
The Pure and the Wise: using only Matari gear vs using whatever does the job best/is to hand (AKA Khumaak philosophy) (this dichotomy gets right up some people's noses, by the way, for suggesting that the other way is impure or unwise).
The Returned and the Freeborn: an oversimplification.
Clanfolk and Unattached
Marked and Unmarked
Republic Fleet vs RSS: yep, that used to be a meme, and some of us have backgrounds coloured by it.
I'd throw in a bunch of stuff about neoTrads, Galmatar, Amarrish-speaking God-worshippers, and the general weirdness you get when a bunch of often quite damaged people try to set up a society and state from scratch.
Some cliches (apply only with thought and care):
Bad mark
Extreme anger or brokenness, without redeeming features to make others care
Inclusive neopagan shamans
Klingon Brutor
Vulcan Sebiestor
"Pregnant by aliens again, huh?", which is shorthand for "You like your RP with an extra side of :drama:, don't you?"
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I'm more than willing to defer to anything Mata says, as she's far better at this kind of thing than I am ;)
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That was actually an informal and very personal list, and not by any means delivered ex cathedra. :P
I'd like to pull some of this stuff together into a guide to Minmatar, though. Most of our immersion is about doing the things we do--combat, industry, diplomacy, alliance politics--in character, and sometimes it is nice to layer in things from the history and all the many subtle differences.
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Sounds like a good idea, and I'd be more than happy to help once I get back from New Zealand (Saturday).
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Sounds like a good idea, and I'd be more than happy to help once I get back from New Zealand (Saturday).
You're in Auckland?
:| So close, and yet an eight-hour drive or 1.25-hour flight away.
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I know :( I would have loved to come visit you guys, but my grandparents are in their eighties and this is likely the last time I'll get to see them both, so I've been staying in the area. I've been able to visit some of the nearby places like Bethel's beach and the Waitakeres(sp) though, so I've been able to get a reasonable idea of life in New Zealand :)
Thread hijacking!! Whoo!
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Oh well. Priorities are clear.
Auckland's my hometown (although much changed since I left it). I'm glad you've had the chance to see some of it and its surroundings.
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Vulcan Sebiestor
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Oh dear. Looked at in a certain light I might have fallen into this one. :D
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<snip>
Vulcan Sebiestor
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Oh dear. Looked at in a certain light I might have fallen into this one. :D
I identified it when I found myself doing it. It has its place...
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You could try playing a Minmatar exile with a bad Voluval mark!