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[Silas Vitalia]

When Istvaan Shogaatsu is seen in New Eden, he always seems to be treated as a being who has transcended beyond simple capsuleership. He seems to be accept the role and acts accordingly. Those who are of lesser resourcefulness and tied to more mundane squabbles, tend not to challenge him as this could mean making enemies they are not prepared to face. It may get lonely up there but isn't it a part of being godlike? Isn't the boredom of gods one of the classical motivations for their interference in mortal affairs?

I think the game mechanics is working pretty well here and what is especially cool is that with fame and ability you can make people to play along, whether they are role-players or not.

If a powerful being approaches a random capsuleer, to ease the boredom, and asks what does he want, he will tell he wants to blow up those who smacked them in local, kill all their associates, kill everyone who comes after them and destroy everything in their possession. There's a strong motivation, good direction, practical implementation and built-in narrative ready. The situation will no doubt play out differently if the capsuleer being approached is not just some random pilot but someone role-playing an average joe who prioritizes friendship over personal pride or ideals.

I've always found it both fascinating and maddening, what we can actually accomplish through the engine and our in game friends.

There's a wild and unruly triangulation we all deal with between in game resources the veteran can bring to bear, the relative power of the target, time, energy, and effort, and possible results. I'm saying this to the point that there are very very few actual RPer 'god' types around. 

In other words plenty of us are old bitter vets that can bring a lot of expensive hardware onto the fiel, but only under the right conditions. I can almost guarantee none of our vet friends are interested in permacamping and smacking around small 5 member RP corps 4 regions away for 2 weeks for getting uppity with us on the IGS. 

So how much power do any of us really have?

The 'power' dynamic is always a difficult line to walk, as it intersects RPers in strange ways. 

[Bastian Valoron]

Perhaps the issues then, are on the methods of 'antagonizing' if you will, the way I am trying to create some RP is by creating a mutual understanding OOC before creating IC shenanigans, so instead of just declaring war and being a doosh on the IGS, talking to your opponent first and saying "Hey look, would you be up for (idea)?" so there is less but-hurt when suddenly you rain on their parade.

As for breaking the mold of group mentality, being able to perhaps find a mutual ground and reasonable elements to break the casing, if you will.

As for being part of a faction, that shouldn't be a deterant for RP, if the person is at least decent and most people here on backstage are then again, being able to find something to work together on isn't impossible even if your IC views are totally opposite, if your issue is an OOC one then sorry its probably not worth looking in that area for RP anyway.

So essentially what I am saying is that the bar seems to be the unwillingness for people to talk, OOC/IC whatever and come to a common ground to collaboratively create things so I again reiterate my view of the problem being US.

A year ago there was a thread where it was asked whether it's a good idea to contact people OOC or just keep everything IC. The overwhelming response was that the more IC, the better. Would people today like IC developments to be orchestrated OOC? Would it be good to send out OOC reminders that it's all fictional and what is IC is really IC? Should one try to convince people OOC that you are a nice person in reality before starting to role-play? Should those who accept, or don't accept old-fashioned non-consensual RP mention it in their bio or character sheet so that there won't be misunderstandings?

Out of curiosity, how do you actually perform the OOC contacting in practice? Do you use the in-game OOC channel or do you send eve mails, open private convos or use the pm posting option on backstage? Do you remind people that it's just RP every time you disagree with them, or blow up their boat? Should this be done every time or just the first time it happens?

[Merdaneth]

So how much power do any of us really have?

The 'power' dynamic is always a difficult line to walk, as it intersects RPers in strange ways.

If one's opponents are immortal, have unexhaustible means of replenishing their hardware and they can choose to avoid your attentions if they so desire, then the power struggle must be fought in other arena's. The strategy of choice in EVE seems to be 'denying the opponent fun', whereas most tactics are designed to inflict a maximum of emotional agony on the player, rather than trying to affect the capsuleer.

I wouldn't know how anyone that Merdaneth would insulted would be able to 'defeat' him unless I provided them with a set of victory conditions myself.

Which, incidentally, would probably be an interesting idea to have people actually post their victory or defeat conditions. It would make them uniquely vulnerable, although many would probably be hesitant to do so. I remember Star Fraction doing so once, but the PR aftermath of that probably gave them second thoughts about doing it again.

Ah, here it is: http://www.eve-search.com/thread/1229001

 However, such a thing did help to drive conflict.

[Ulphus]

A year ago there was a thread where it was asked whether it's a good idea to contact people OOC or just keep everything IC. The overwhelming response was that the more IC, the better. Would people today like IC developments to be orchestrated OOC?

Doing it all IC is still my strong preference. But I'm aware that even in my own corp there are people who don't seem to be able to get on board with the "They're evil pirates, but they aren't necessarily scumbags IRL" and they can hold OOC grudges for some time over pirate corps that once shot at us. (Ok, so most of the pirate corps who shoot at us aren't "Roleplayers" exactly, but even so...)

I think that trying to sort it out OOC might prevent some of that, but I have no experience for how that might actually go.

[Bastian Valoron]

I can almost guarantee none of our vet friends are interested in permacamping and smacking around small 5 member RP corps 4 regions away for 2 weeks for getting uppity with us on the IGS.

This kind of thing happens + if you don't want to do it yourself, you can always hand over a coin to someone who is more into this kind of stuff. And even when the mouthpiece of the potential receiving end estimates the real threat level to be low, for the reason quoted, there will be people in the same organization who have a lower tolerance for risks and who will take care of the smacking part, internally. All this does create a bias to stay out of RP which is not in your league.

[BloodBird]

I've war-decced a 25+ members corporation with a single-man corp utilizing cruisers, two BC's and one T1-named fitted BS for having one Sani-sabik member being dumb on the IGS. If a corp of high-SP high-asset 5-year player and his corp of 2 guys want to deck a 5-man RP corp for flapping their gums, IC or OOC, it may very well happen. They hold the power to inconvenience and/or blow up those 5 guys for weeks because one or more said something that, in hind-sight, was a bad idea.

If they bother to go through with it or just leave them be is another matter however. They still have the power to do it, if they please.

[Silas Vitalia]

My comments are generally referring to groups with vastly different 'power' levels, not groups that are remotely evenly matched or that can provide even 'good kills' to the older players. The more closely matched they are the more likely there will be in-space consequences.

IE an FC for a large null sec alliance that happens to be an RPer is going to really have to stretch his credibility and his credit with his alliance fleetmates to drag them 4 regions to camp a station looking for 3 one-year old Rpers in cruisers, follow? You can't ass 30 people to do that kind of thing very easily for long without a mutiny.

[Creep]

Istvaan: Do it.

Go onto IGS, find someone who's post bothers you just barely, work your GHSC magic and when you post that gloriously smug announcement that you've ripped them off, stole half their corp's members, set up all of their deaths for the past three months and managed to scam them out of most of their personal wallet, just link to their post as the reason why. [EDIT: Yes, I know you sort of did this when Shigsy called you guys Irrelevant that one time, but Shigsy/his people didn't feel any pain over it.]

It's not a planet, but then, who cares about planets? I sure don't live on one.


...And then, the next time someone saves a planet from the Sansha, blow up it's largest population center.

I want to see less words-only squabbles on IGS. I want to see more IGS posters responding to a slight or slander by OBLITERATING THE POPULATION OF A PLANET.

Aritcio Kor-Azor tried doing just that.   It didn't end well for him.

I welcome the arrival of the capsuleer who can have me re-executed a bajillion times via resurrection Meatgrinder.

[Graelyn]

[Aldrith Shutaq]

I welcome the arrival of the capsuleer who can have me re-executed a bajillion times via resurrection Meatgrinder.

o/ Right here buddy.

[Ava Starfire]

Frankly, the I-am-untouchable-god is one of the biggest turnoffs of eve for me. You're an untouchable god? Really? Youre 1000 bajillion times smarter, richer, and more powerful than everyone else?

Then whats the point of RPing with you?

[Lyn Farel]

My comments are generally referring to groups with vastly different 'power' levels, not groups that are remotely evenly matched or that can provide even 'good kills' to the older players. The more closely matched they are the more likely there will be in-space consequences.

IE an FC for a large null sec alliance that happens to be an RPer is going to really have to stretch his credibility and his credit with his alliance fleetmates to drag them 4 regions to camp a station looking for 3 one-year old Rpers in cruisers, follow? You can't ass 30 people to do that kind of thing very easily for long without a mutiny.

You will probably laugh but I did that with AM 4 years ago, we went all the way from Providence to Solitude to war dec a gallente loyalist corp, one of the remnants of Acheron Federation. They were totally overwhelmed, noobs at pvp, and we managed to lose quite dramatically due to logistics, organisation, and most of all, all our new members that were noobs too that gave them enough kills to turn the balance of the war. In the end, that was our war dec that actually made their corp live again and gave them incentives to continue playing...

[Casiella]

Frankly, the I-am-untouchable-god is one of the biggest turnoffs of eve for me. You're an untouchable god? Really? Youre 1000 bajillion times smarter, richer, and more powerful than everyone else?

Then whats the point of RPing with you?

Because it's relative: we play gods compared to the normals, but we all play gods.

[Morwen Lagann]

Frankly, the I-am-untouchable-god is one of the biggest turnoffs of eve for me. You're an untouchable god? Really? Youre 1000 bajillion times smarter, richer, and more powerful than everyone else?

Then whats the point of RPing with you?

Because it's relative: we play gods compared to the normals, but we all play gods.

Important point to take note: compared to normals. NPCs, not players.

I'm pretty sure Ava was referring to players posturing in front of other players; because the posturing tool is likely just as smart/rich/powerful as any of his/her audience (if not less due to the need to be posturing in the first place), most are going to tire of it quickly.

Especially if it's someone new to the community, or a new alt.

[Malcolm Khross]

+1 to MorLag