In case I haven't been clear about it, the snark and righteousness I've seen here over the last decade have had a chilling effect on play, on game creation, on new players and old leaving contact with the whole of posters here (and now elsewhere as well), or the hobby.

For me, it's always been the people willing to be terrible because they are angry. It's like abusive addicts, you don't want to be near them when they go off again, and nothing positive they do can ever make up for it. They are no longer trustworthy.

The person posting as @Corruption here passed away late last year.

It can be easy to lose track of people online, with venue changes and name changes, and I wanted to note this absence.

Corruptions Played List

As applies to this online RP hobby, no. No you aren't entitled to anything. You stay and play because you enjoy the venue and what it is designed to offer. That itself may include the chance to contribute some or a great deal.

Your popularity as an RPer doesn't matter.
Your popularity as a player-ST doesn't matter.

Yes, you can leave. You can point out what impairs your ability to enjoy or create and contribute. You may even end the game.

The creators do not owe you that venue.
You do not have any right to threaten anyone.

You aren't paying for it, and you are free to go create your own such place. Then you can be the person making the offering and listening to someone bitch about how its not what they would do were they in charge.

@tyche @admiral Are either of you seriously suggesting that what someone sings about, or how many people they date has bearing on whether they were sexually assaulted or not?

I read something saying that some folks don't have the same sense of decay of the value or intensity of a friendship over time. That's how I feel, whether it's mixed, negative or positive.

Maybe more people who make friends online are like this, or maybe they stand out more over time.

You're saying you have a bad feeling about this?

I like plot, but I like subsequent consequences even more. A plot is fodder for scenes. Results are fodder for thinking and getting in tune with the actual goals of the game.

@silverfox maybe this will meet your needs.

This is Darth Cinna.
(I hung a shirt over the back of a chair, he pulled it down and crawled inside)

A wiki to store the same old fight summaries, played by lists, MU* lists.

A link off any advertisement to a thread where people can go wild. I'd like to be able to find both the ad content and updates with ease, and make it easy to find the discussion about the given ad poster or place.

A reminder that phrasing things in the form of accusations, and not questions pretty much guarantees that your discussion is going no where.

@Wizz
Two years and being essential is enough time to prove that this job will never get close to repaying your efforts. Whether they can get someone else to do it, or they are greedy, or don't have the money, or just don't see your situation, its not going to change.

Unless there is something else about the location or situation, GET OUT.

Maybe this should be a sticky.

These is a brief list of goals I have as a ST:

Help the characters be

• Resourceful
• Determined
• Competent
• Smart

Keep scenes

• Narrative-first
• Open-Ended

Be on the lookout for a chance for things to be:

• Cool
• Interesting
• Dramatic

My very little experience talking to people using AI to write
(one author chgecking their work for issues, one GM having AI write up descriptions and events that aren't /intended/ to impact play unless a player runs with them, and a player trying to see if the AI can provide enjoyable responses or a cohesively written summary of the scene)

none of them have tried to have the AI correctly produce exact context that would make information meaningful. That is in part due to the length limits they work with for prompts and the AI's memory. I know that mnore resources could be made available and rules abnout what to never for get could be put in, but I've not seen it.

Can an AI suggest that an NPC is proud, and put in 2-3 details in a scene the players could play on that without being explicit? Even if prompted to do so?

I dont know.

I think I would be more accepting of a ST using AI to help produce content details and well phrased poses. On one hand, more, organized, content would help the STs. On the other it might eat at the unstated and often unconcious bias that if a ST says it, it has weight, especially if they are a staff ST. Like the results will impact the setting more. It might undermine that sense of value even if it didnt alter the actual weight.

@Ghost propbably the impression that you have someone eleses attention, for at least as long as it takes to read a pose.

If you want to focus on the sexual element, I'd say keep an eye on the porrn industry, and see if AI generated material takes over. The point being that RP and sexual fantasy are exactly that, and sometimes an idea that throws it off basically ruins it.

For example, if a ST writes something maybe it's a cue or clue to the potential of the scene. If an AI writes it, it has no intent.

I'm sure that the generatiion born now will be much more comfortable with the idea, and their children will think its as typical as the current youth think of their own culture with smartphones and mental health being more open and public.

Its an easy path, but humans never take the easy path, right?

I'd be okay with using AI to analyse ones own writing or maybe the final scene, especially if it might point out story structure and hooks etc with suggestions on how to make them work better.

Utter side note:

A D&D group I know had a GM lean into images and text and even story tidbits to flesh out their new small setting so the GM coulod focus on what happens next etc.

So lots of NPCs with described personalities and relationships, items with stories and local history flavor all made this way.

Best way to quit is to take a week or two break.
See how you feel then.

If you still arent sure you want to stay, look for other places and take breaks of days to weeks.

Repeat until you decide.
Probably good to keep up with any necessary administrative stuff if you have responsibilities to other players along the way.

No one needs to know a thing until you go away, and even then only if there are questions etc that really need you to answer.

Literally staff and your fellow players can write you out as they need without you.

Mine is unpleasent.

When whatever version of WORA came up that I joined, a woman had just been mauled to death by two dogs whose owners didnt like her life.

I found it biiterly funny that they were charged with ...
"Keeping mischievous dogs"

So I was going to be "Mischievous dogs" as a reminder of how shitty people can be, and how most of life just goes on. Apprpriate when dealing with some parts of the MU* community.

I happened across the term "death by misadventure" and it:

1. seemed nicer
2. acknowledged that I expected to get rolled by participating (and I was not disappointed)
3. a family name is Chance which is sort usualy part of misadventure

And for a while there was the moment when people were gendering up their user names, and Miss Adventure was right there.

This is something we discuss and aim for at my company, and maybe it offers something for online RP. And for online forums. Each builds on the previous. It can be found online.

Four levels of psychological safety

Belonging - feel part of the group, welcome

Learner Safety - able to admit not knowing, or making mistakes

Contributor Safety - to use their talents and interests to add in to the whole, suggest new things

Challanger Safety - able to critique or question why something is done the way it is

@Ghost
Its been said that the human brain cannot distinguish between imagination and reality. Seems fair, given that everything is in the brain, and we can fool ourselves or be fooled for a long long time.

If you believe that people can have strong personal reactions for public images, or characters in a book or film, stands to reason it would be fairly common for there to be bleed. In a way, that IS the point, to have investment, sympathy.

It's a question of self awareness, and managing that bleed.

I'd like to suggest that even if a player is completely separate from a character, as we imagine an author or tactical player might be, there is still the reward of collaboration, and the ease of familiarity, which is still an in to a players emotions.

Be aware, and manage it.

@Ghost
Know, learn or guess what your personally vulnerable roleplay topics are.
Don't do RP thats personally vulnerable.
Dont' give out personal details like names, locations, job title.
Don't share any social media, it's a network of places for you and others to make security mistakes.

If there are questions about people you RP wiith, ask them. Ask others. You dont have the believe anyone and you need to remember both manipulative intent, and personal bias.

Remember that these are people, with all the human traits, good and bad.
Remember that you are worthwhile.
Look up manipulation techniques, such as framing everything as what you owe others. Resist them. Discuss what you feel and walk away from those who are repeat offenders.
In game events do not justify bad behavior as a player.
If you are connecting romantically, sexually, or as companionship, it comes with all the risks of using an app to find someone for the same. Stalkers, grifters, users, abusers galore, entitled, jaded, etc
You don't owe anyone your time.
You don't owe anyone anything other than basic good citizenship.
You'll be lucky to finnd some great friends you can suspend all this with.
If you must use other media like discord, ideally create accounts per game.
Do not go on camera.
Do not expect staff to be more trustworthy. Being staff just means they get something done.

They say that nicotine addiction after a certain point is about relieving the withdrawal. If someones "friendship" feels like you are in trouble and then when you do the right thing, it feels better, get away.

Still make friends and delight in how awesome a lot of people are.