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[Makkal]

I was in the OOC the other day when Arthas Romanov tracked down Diana Kim, cut off her ear, broke her kneecap, stabbed her and left her to bleed to death. I expected someone to take Kim up on her 'offer,' but I was surprised when the player noted that Arthas had skipped his 'antipsychotics.'

People in the real world can certainly do horrific things to those they see as an enemy without mental illness and Arthas has a history of violence.

It got me thinking about capsuleer dementia. I originally assumed that this was a phrase RPer had come up to explain the words and behaviors of non-RPers. When Makkal interacts with someone who says they're really a engineer from Milwakee who's playing a game, she assumes that they're suffering from some type of delusion.

Then characters refer to any overly violent or amoral viewpoint as capsuleer dementia. I've even had character suggest that Amarrian milita members are suffering from capsuleer dementia because... they're evil slavers.

It's hard for me to distinguish IC from OOC viewpoints for a specific character, but when I see a dozen different characters from different cultures engage in 'he so crazy,' I can't help but feel it's a rather troubling OOC stereotype leaking through. 

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable with the way mental illness is often handled?

[Esna Pitoojee]

With regard to the Arthas thing in specific: Are you sure that comment wasn't in jest?


Anyhow, while as I understood it "capsuleer dementia" was exactly as you had described it (a tool to excuse the legions of players who treat the game as a game and nothing more), I think some degree of IC "he so crazy" is inevitable as well. Simple IC denigration of your opponent by suggesting mental illness is a common tactic, as it dehumanizes them and excuses what might otherwise be perceived as over-the-top or to hard.

At the same time, I agree that it's not necessarily beneficial in the cooperative environment that RP is, especially when applied across the board to all political opponents (one particular one I've been seeing a lot lately that bugs me a great deal is "Oh, you believe in any religion/faith/spiritualism at all? Must obviously have a mental issue.").

[Svetlana Scarlet]

Just because someone says you're crazy doesn't mean they're right, or that they aren't simply an asshole.

[Sofia Roseburn]

Just because someone says you're crazy doesn't mean they're right, or that they aren't simply an asshole.

Sometimes they are right, but you'd hope that they could also use that knowledge to not go over the top on descriptors.

[Andreus Ixiris]

See, I was considering whether or not to actually do anything regarding that offer. Guess I waited too long to decide.

[Ché Biko]

Let's just say that I have great admiration for those that can play characters with mental illness with subtlety. The scariest crazies are the ones that you don't notice 'till it's too late.

[Makkal]

Let's just say that I have great admiration for those that can play characters with mental illness with subtlety. The scariest crazies are the ones that you don't notice 'till it's too late.

Yeah, this is actually the viewpoint I dislike. The assumption that mental illness equals 'scary and dangerous.'

I'd say I have the most admiration for people who can play out the difficulties of being mentally ill without suggesting that this makes their character evil or amoral or whatever.

[Svetlana Scarlet]

It is frustrating to me that the only form of mental illness that CCP seems to think would be prevalent among capsuleers is murderous psychopathy...I suspect you'd see a lot more fucked up PTSD and survivor's guilt from people who had literally died dozens or hundreds or thousands of times than you would sudden out-of-touch psychopaths who think they will live forever (especially since the oldest PCs in Eve have only been "immortal" for a decade, which makes it seem a little premature to start proclaiming the start of a posthuman revolution).

[Katrina Oniseki]

I'd say I have the most admiration for people who can play out the difficulties of being mentally ill without suggesting that this makes their character evil or amoral or whatever.

I try to play Katrina that way.

She is (or was) an emotional train wreck after Simca's death. Those close to her can attest to her being wildly unpredictable and generally unstable. She's gotten better since then, but at no time did I have her mental illness cause her to be some sort of 'edgy' crazy person.

[Samira Kernher]

People using mental illness as an insult is nothing new. As long as it's being done IC, I see nothing wrong with people doing that. It might be an OOC stereotype leaking in, but well, it's not the only one.

As far as assumptions or whatever go, people can assume all they want. That type of insanity does exist, it's just far from being the only or even the most common type. If people want to assume that is what constitutes insanity, then oh well. Just means they'll miss the more subtle types.

For my part, I find playing mentally damaged characters very intriguing. I'd like to think I do it well. I don't care much for the crazy psychopathic ax-murderer type, I find that rather dull compared to the more subtle, pervasive issues.

[Ché Biko]

Let's just say that I have great admiration for those that can play characters with mental illness with subtlety. The scariest crazies are the ones that you don't notice 'till it's too late.

Yeah, this is actually the viewpoint I dislike. The assumption that mental illness equals 'scary and dangerous.'

I'd say I have the most admiration for people who can play out the difficulties of being mentally ill without suggesting that this makes their character evil or amoral or whatever.

I don't really disagree. Perhaps I should have included the word nuance in there somewhere. But in my experience, mental illness can indeed be scary and/or dangerous, wether the afflicted is benevolent or malevolent, especially if it goes unnoticed.

For example: what if you based your actions on the testimony of someone suffering from halucinations/paranoia etc? What if the lynchpin of your 5-year plan is someone who is suicidal?

I guess it's sort of natural to go for the illnesses that provide more drama, as things like bibliomania (sidenote: even bibliomania can be scary and dangerous, in my opinion) are a bit harder to incorporate into your everyday RP.

Edit: sidenote

[Safai]

Let's just say that I have great admiration for those that can play characters with mental illness with subtlety. The scariest crazies are the ones that you don't notice 'till it's too late.

Yeah, this is actually the viewpoint I dislike. The assumption that mental illness equals 'scary and dangerous.'

I'd say I have the most admiration for people who can play out the difficulties of being mentally ill without suggesting that this makes their character evil or amoral or whatever.

As an individual with a family member who suffers from schizophrenia, thank you.

Is it scary? Yes, sometimes it absolutely can be. But to answer the initial question ...

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable with the way mental illness is often handled?

Yeah, I really often do, given the tendency for it to be an ill-conceived character trait with little to add other than 'watch out, I'm twisted and deranged!' There are exceptions, of course, but not a lot.

If I had the wherewithal I would elaborate but that's sort of what it is. I'm hearing ya on this, Makkal.

[Nicoletta Mithra]

As someone suffering from psychic illness, I can only agree with what Safai said.

[Saede Riordan]

Let's just say that I have great admiration for those that can play characters with mental illness with subtlety. The scariest crazies are the ones that you don't notice 'till it's too late.

Yeah, this is actually the viewpoint I dislike. The assumption that mental illness equals 'scary and dangerous.'

I'd say I have the most admiration for people who can play out the difficulties of being mentally ill without suggesting that this makes their character evil or amoral or whatever.

This is one of the reason's I like Scherezad's character a lot.

[Makkal]

Yeah, I have to give a big +1 that.