Synasthima 58 Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2021 Disclaimer: Spoiler Wrote this mainly for new players like myself so maybe itll help idk. Sorry if this is hardly legible cuz I made this while suffering from insomnia get clickbaited n e r d Expectations v. Reality or why nobody cares about you or your dumb character Foreword My goal in writing this short post is simple. I hope to not only rant about some things I've seen from my first few days on the server but also maybe share a lesson that I've learned not only from MCRP but from TTRPGs in general. I'm probably just preaching to the choir but, hey, hopefully someone somewhere can take something useful from this. Here goes nothing. Expectations I think when many people join this server they already have a few expectations brewing in their mind. It's hard not to have any. I personally believe that new players expect one of two things when they first check out the website. Either A) some sort of high fantasy literary adventure like Eragon, Assassin's Apprentice, Septimus Heap. Stuff like that. Or B) an RPG game à la Skyrim but with a heavy sandbox focus. While not entirely wrong, these expectations can cause more harm then good. One, in particular, can kill interest like nothing else. This expectation stems from the idea that something big will happen to your character. They'll come across an Elder Dragon running rampant within a fallen city. They'll then be charged with finding Ash's Bane, the last Khoros Blade forged from the heart of an ancient abyssal lord. Forced to reforge the blade, they'll have to travel to the warped peak of Mount Kruz'nash to rekindle the essence of the blade. All the while escaping the clutches of the great... You get my point. I recognize how much of a blanket statement I've made. Not everyone comes in with that type of mindset. But I also believe it covers a pretty common line of thought from newer players like myself. The issue that I take with these preconceived notions comes not from how 'wrong' they are but how limiting they can be when referring to the Lord of the Craft or even TTRPGs. It's a similar issue in games like DnD. Many view the game as nothing more than a medium for rolling dice, killing monsters, and getting filthy, mindbogglingly rich. And that's one thousand percent fine. People are allowed to and should enjoy games in whichever style that they want. But in a massive collaborative scene, I can't help but hate how detrimental that line of thinking can and will eventually become. I'm pretty bad at translating my weird thoughts into words so I recommend that you watch the video 'Why Minecraft Roleplay Is The Best Thing You've Never Heard Of'. It was what got me interested in this server in the first place and it was also a wonderful primer. In summary, the idea of LOTC as a 'collective story' [really a bunch of smaller stories that crisscross and branch into each other and make a weird malformed human centipede of a story] is the best way to come at it without having your expectations crushed. And trust me, they will be. That's because... RealityThere isn't an antagonistic Elder Dragon. There isn't a lost Khoros Blade that only your character is capable of wielding. Nothing. That story doesn't exist because your character doesn't matter and, more importantly, nobody cares about you. And... That's okay. It's important to remember that the onus is on you. You're the one that has to go out there and create fun, interesting, meaningful RP. There won't be an antagonistic Elder Dragon until you make or find or however the hell that stuff works on this server happens. Same goes for the Khorkoa Blade. But, at the end of the day, the effort must come from you. Nothing will fall in your lap, no quest marker will appear, nothin' like that. And that's one of the major strengths of this server. You have to distance yourself from expectations to realize the stupid amount of freedom that it comes with. At the end of the day, bunk expectations. Go out there and do **** WITHOUT bothering people. Breathe, take it easy, and have fun. or do what you want i dunno im new here dont hurt me 40 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narthok 9213 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Don't worry random anon... I care about you also I am the antagonistic Elder Dragon please do not meta 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rukio 8909 Share Posted May 30, 2021 I am literally the main protag what are you talking about? Narthok is the main antag.... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronin_champloo 5951 Share Posted May 30, 2021 youre kinda based bro, agree with what you say tho. hope you go far on here 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScreamingDingo 16791 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Fantastic post, there's alot more benefit to the collective story that this server offers than the one person protagonist run. Your story matters to those that interact with you and the characters you impact with your characters. There are chances for impactful characters, but they must be truly leaders and "heroes" that are earned through gradual RP and progression. It's something that's very hard to explain to people who are on this server, but you've captured the first step to embracing this server. Everyone matters equally, no-one is special and that's the beauty of this multi-threaded narrative experience. 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treshure 5579 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Appreciate the kind words, man. There's a strange beauty on Lord of the Craft that's hard to capture with words. Most games feel like a product that's made to be experienced. LotC, on the other hand, is fundamentally chaotic - you are one person in a sea of thousands over a decade. But once you've gotten over the fact that you're not the destined protagonist, you discover something that far surpasses a programmed plot. You poke the world of Lord of the Craft and it pokes back. You're a nobody in the beginning, but time allows you to truly interact with the world in a way that no game allows. And sooner or later, you might find your name written in the history books. People aren't used to this kind of freedom. They aren't used to being able to create an incredibly detailed character only to fully interact with other characters - to live through the world others have made, and to create adventures of their own. We're a tiny corner of the roleplay niche, but it's hard to find what we have elsewhere. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valannor 6344 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Very based take. Much approval. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evonpire 1814 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Really interesting post and take tbh. Glad you decided to write this. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slorbin 1771 Share Posted May 30, 2021 dont care gonna become main protag anyway 😎 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eryane 3629 Share Posted May 30, 2021 awesome take @Synasthima, hope more people take a read of this 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurferDurfer1 2584 Share Posted May 30, 2021 I'm an NPC quest giver 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telanir 6432 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Mediocrity is our salt and failure is our bread—together they form the crown jewels of LotC. That laidback attitude is what really unlocks LotC. The courage to play an illiterate peasant, a carefree halfling, or some otherwise average lad. Defeat isn't an option in triple-A titles and RPGs. We grow accustomed to living in the centre of it all without realizing what we lose in the process—the luxury of a real, dynamic story. It's funny how the desire to be in the limelight really is just a shackle. Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy the ride. When you realize it's not all about you and when you allow the story to flow around you—you can cherish the many "Elder Dragons" hidden everywhere in common roleplay. Love the post. You've already got 5 years wisdom for a week worth of play…something tells me this may not be your first RP-rodeo. Maybe you're new here but you did capture the essence of why we play LotC. Cheers! :) also haha @Treshure your vid got a shoutout 😁 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kholibrii 978 Share Posted May 30, 2021 I really love this post and the take, but I want to put forth another perspective that I’ve seen while working with now players, and just playing myself. There are main characters in certain areas, you just don’t start out as a “main character” in some big group, you earn it through dedication both IRP and OOC. The people who tend to be in the forefront of events and RP taking place are usually people who have dedicated years to the server and earned the trust of people to reach that position. And even with these people being “in the forefront”, not all the RP revolves around them. Let’s say for example, you play a human maid in the Augustine Palace(“royal” palace of Oren, one of the biggest nations). You might not feel like the main character because the people playing Princes and Princesses are getting more attention, but that attention is earned, and you are still getting RP as well, you just aren’t the center of the RP. Not everyone needs to be the “main character” or antagonist, and most new players learn that after a few months. A lot of times being the person who isn’t noticed in a room can actually provide a much more interesting outlook on RP and lead to amazing chances for development. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fie 2519 Share Posted May 31, 2021 wdym im not lotcs collective protagonist and everyone has to rp around me and the way i want?!?!?!?! outrageous!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rukio 8909 Share Posted May 31, 2021 3 minutes ago, Fie said: wdym im not lotcs collective protagonist and everyone has to rp around me and the way i want?!?!?!?! outrageous!!! Yeah sorry pal its me, cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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