Category Role-Playing (53)
Topic Thoughts on Role-Playing (4)
Message Re: Questions of the Confused (773)
By UBERWENCH@PLAY.NET (Lylia)
On Jan 31, 2000 at 19:00
Two of the most useful expressions I know for use with act commands are "seems to be" and "as if." Putting a few of those in leaves room for other people's reactions and lets them in on whatever you're trying to accomplish. For example:
(Lylia sticks out her foot and trips you.)
(Lylia sticks out her foot as if trying to trip you.)
In the first example, I've told someone else what has happened to his character, which is something I consider a no-no. In the second, I've shown that person Lylia's intent and let him decide if he wants to be tripped or step deftly away from her obtrusive foot. It has the same "flavor" to it, it gets the same point across, but it gives other people a choice in the matter.
As Lylia is not a mind-reader, I don't know what to make of actions using thoughts, such as (Soandso finds your words offensive.) or (Soandso thinks that dress is flashy.) I tend to just ignore them, as Lylia doesn't know what's actually being thought. If you want a thought going on in your character's head to be perceived by others, you might let that thought show in his or her expression or actions:
Soandso says, "Ahh, all you pointy-ears make me sick up my ale!"
(Lylia stares coldly at Soandso, clearly offended by his words.)
Soandso says, "Like my new dress?"
(Lylia can't seem to suppress a chuckle, but quickly disguises it as a cough.)
Lylia says, "It's certainly...unusual. Yes, quite remarkable indeed."
I'm beginning to think that "Show, Don't Tell" will be carved on my tombstone as I've said it so often here, but it's true. The more you can reveal your character's thoughts, feelings, and motivations without having to resort to telling someone how you're feeling---or worse yet, how *they're* feeling---the better. In my opinion, it leaves others room for their own actions and reactions; there's a lot more open interpretation, more give and take.
------Lauren, Lylia's player
Category Role-Playing (4)
Topic Conflict! (2) Message
Re: Lycanthrope? (4608)
By OBSESSION@PLAY.NET (Danay)
On Aug 12, 2000 at 11:27
That particular one forces people to think that they just saw you morph into a wolf. Using ACT gives them an option of believing or not, and choosing whether to interact with you as someone who morphs or not. -Andraste
I'm not sure if I'm reading you right, but the way I understood the above, I would have to argue. It seems that you are saying you can get away with more by using the act command than the smile command. I understand your point about how smile LOOKS on the screen, but to me that is an extremely minor point. (A bigger point to a GM I am sure.) But from the viewpoint of a player, it's not which one is used, it's WHAT is done.
If I log in for the Tribe meeting tonight and Katt uses the act command to come riding in on her war horse like a knight, the fact that she used act and not smile is irrelevant. What's important is that she did something she can't do under current game mechanics. There is no horse there, she can't own one. (She could SAY she owns a horse and talk about her horse, but never actually show it "onscreen".) Or what if I use the act command to show Leya blessing me as her chosen one during the meeting?
It's the CONTENT that is important, not which command. And this is why. If I do an act command that shows Leya doing something special to Danay, the IC response from other characters can't be to think Danay is crazy. It doesn't fit. There is no actual IC response possible until the PLAYER makes a decision. The player has to choose to believe what just came up on the screen or not and have their character act accordingly. This causes dissonance if some players choose to have their characters "see" it and other players think that I just really screwed up and so have their characters act is if they saw nothing.
I'm not sure I am stating this clearly. When an act command is done that affects the physical world, it's NOT the same thing as a character who acts like a rolton and your character can treat them like a crazy halfling. Instead it's a situation of the players witnessessing the act having to choose if their characters even saw it or not. If the act is something the player doesn't believe is possible, they are left in the awkward position of pretending that the act was never done. It's even more awkward if other players react to it.
I play the game that anything done with the act command is exactly equivalent to using a game verb. If it's on my screen, it happened. That's what the act command is for, to do things beyond the constraints of simple verbs to add more color to the world and to be more creative in character portrayal. But when the act done is physically impossible, then I am forced to ignore something that under normal circumstance is real.
Maybe I will try another way, because I am trying to not only talk about the act command, but the statement made about others believing the character or not. Here's the difference:
Danay says, "Leya appeared to me last night. I was bathed in a holy glow and she told me that I am now her high priestess, her representative to her followers in the world."
vs.
(Danay is bathed in a white light and you hear Leya's voice, seeming to come from all around you. "Danay you have served me well and I am pleased. From this day forth you are my chosen one. You alone shall be called my High Priestess." The voice fades away.)
In the first example other characters have a choice about how they can respond. They can be all excited for Danay, be skeptical but willing to hear more or rightfully think Danay lost all her marbles and is suffering from delusions of grandeur.
In the second example there are only two choices, the players of the other characters can decide if their characters saw that or didn't see it. They do not have the option to see it and think Danay is crazy because it was done as an actual physical event. Just like morphing would be. The responsible RPers would have their characters NOT see that act command and then ask me in a whisper what the hell am I doing?! Saying crazy stuff or portraying a character who claims the impossible can be worked around. Using the act command to portray untruth or the impossible is flat out wrong because there isn't a way to deal with it IC properly.
Robin
Category Role-Playing (4)
Topic RP: Tips, Slips, And Near Misses (6)
Message Re: Overuse of ACT (1471)
By ZILAL@PLAY.NET (Insert nickname here)
On Jun 16, 2001 at 14:36
Perfectly good post. And I'm pleased to see Briars around again. :)
Someone once told me "The ACT command is like salt. A little goes a long way." It's a thing that stands out and calls attention to itself by nature. I try to use it sparingly unless I'm in a certain type of situation I'll get to in a moment.
Whether you meant to or not, when you use an ACT command, you're calling attention to yourself. Intent isn't always what matters. And beyond the attention-grabbing, there's the consideration of flow. Seeing someone use an ACT every three lines in a conversation disrupts the flow.
The exception would be if your character is working on a specific task... building a sandcastle, say, or measuring another character for a suit of clothes. But if the ACTs are just atmospheric or to add depth to the character, keep 'em rare and lean.
Z
Re: I'm begging.. please.. · on 5/11/2005 7:13:23 AM
Good rules of thumb for the ACT and SMILE verbs are:
1. Never touch another person unless you are sure they are receptive to your roleplay.
2. Never manipulate items that you do not actually possess, or in a manner that is not logically sound.
3. Never grant specialized powers or abilities to yourself, your environment, or your items.
4. Never force any response (physically or emotionally) out of any character unless everyone present is receptive to your roleplay.
5. Never use ACT or SMILE to circumvent Mechanics of any sort; to include Combat, Demeanor, or Justice.
Anyone care to add to the list?
Evarin and his Mis'ri