Sexual themes in roleplay

[Arkandel]

@Ganymede said:

I hope you can admit that appearances are not always indicative of behavior. If so, I think you'll see why some of us are struggling with what you originally wrote.

I suppose I do. Perhaps I assumed my reasoning for picking PBs is more universal - pick them to emphasize some aspect of the PCs' demeanor rather than 'this is what he'd look like without clothes' if being unclothed wasn't an important part of the overall character - but I'm certainly not offended by what people pick. Perhaps puzzled, though.

[7Wonders]

It's not so much a stumbling block and more just a thing that I've encountered, find weird, and was putting out there for discussion. It could also be that English is my second language so some of the stuff I'm wondering about gets lost in translation from within as I'm attempting to make things coherent.

It seems that I am not so good at this at times based on the reactions I get but I mostly take this to mean that I could be wrong and/or my attempted expression of it is bad.

I was rather strident about the rape stuff because that subject for me is difficult generally but most of the time my mentioning of things on here is really more meant as 'that's weird, so what's that about?' Doesn't mean people won't still yell at me though

[FirePuff]

@Arkandel said:

@Ganymede said:

I hope you can admit that appearances are not always indicative of behavior. If so, I think you'll see why some of us are struggling with what you originally wrote.

I suppose I do. Perhaps I assumed my reasoning for picking PBs is more universal - pick them to emphasize some aspect of the PCs' demeanor rather than 'this is what he'd look like without clothes' if being unclothed wasn't an important part of the overall character - but I'm certainly not offended by what people pick. Perhaps puzzled, though.

I would agree here. I tend to pick PB poses/clothes based similarly of what my character would wear. I'd want it to be a representation of the character, both in body and personality. If your character is a prude and you wanted to point out physique, there might be a more appropriate PB than a naked one. Swimsuits and workout clothes can go a long way.

I see wikis as a mirror of the character. If you portray your character in one light on the wiki, without specifically stating otherwise, I'd anticipate the same in-game. NFSW wiki profile, I will assume NSFW character.

But then again, I'm a fan of PG-13 wiki pages with some statement RP hooks and styles, and leave the R/X-rated details to the game itself (or appropriately labelled logs). Leave a little present for them to unwrap, so to speak.

[Derp]

@7Wonders said:

Re: PBs.

I will never understand the wikis with multiple pics of a PB (usually female) that are intended to be sexual. By that I mean, sexualized topless shots or that old gem of thumbs hooked into the g-string as if to say 'teehee! I'm about to whip these off!'

The wiki goes on to say that the PC loves to nail anything with a pulse in game but the out of game information goes on for several paragraphs how they don't TS so don't ask and don't try and don't even look at my PC like that.

Don't want TS? That's cool, a lot of people aren't that into it. Playing a PC whose sexual exploits are all FTB, offscreen fun times? No problem here! But why then would you make this way sexualized wiki with soft core (or sometimes hard core) skin shots only to vehemently and often combatively make it known that you refuse TS on a blanket level? Wouldn't telling people on your PC wiki page that your PC likes to love their fellow man a lot without all the over the top visual aids just uh, be enough?

I think part of this is the culture of TS-shaming that tends to happen. Liking on screen sexitimes -and being ok with admitting that openly- gets people to stare down their noses at you. I don't understand how or why it works like that, but it's like... private promiscuity is cool and open promiscuity is not.

We're all adults. Why can't we just say we like sex?

[Thisnameistaken]

I keep my wikis pg13, myself, but it's been my experience that most people do. I've seen a lot of scantily clad pictures, but nothing I'd say was outright NSFW on a main wiki page. I have, however, seen some folks who make a link that redirects to a second wiki with NSFW content, which is cool (and I generally click for scientific reasons). That said, I've only played on a handful of mushes.

I also get the 'use pictures that fit the char' argument. If I'm playing a grizzled homeless man, I'm not going to use pictures of my PB while he's clean-shaven and wearing a suit. If I play a character who is conservative 90% of the time but a wild, promiscuous character the other 10%, I will likely use conservative pictures simply because that's what the majority see/what the general first impression will be.

That said, there have been a few times that /logs/ have surprised me. Reading through, catching up on some metaplot stuff, and suddenly boom, oral sex. That does make me a bit uncomfortable. I have nothing against TS (I partake every now and then myself) but I do not really want to read other peoples' when I'm skimming through logs specifically connected to a metaplot.

[calm]

This post is deleted!

[ThatGuyThere]

Also look at modern tv and movies. You might notice most characters of either gender tend to be put in situations to show off hotness weather or not it fits the character. And the mechanic who is a hot chick is a totally common trope. to use that specific example someone mentioned. This also happen frequently in novels., comics, video games etc, why would mushes be any different?
After all the main purpose of Wiki's is rp plumage, through hooks and other character connections but lets not pretend looks do not matter to humans numerous studies have shown that people respond in different ways to people based on looks and I am sure we could all cite a ton of anecdotal evidence to that as well.

[Nikodin]

Calm def. has a point. WoD is typically an adults only game, behaving like an adult includes reacting to mature themes and images.

And it does say more about the observer. I think my reactions say that I like to see what I like to see specifics and peculiarities that closer define my tastes:

Personally it's a huge turnoff for me to see the usual skank/bikini clad hoe. Why? Cuz it's so REGULAR, so usual, so expected. The whole photoshopped tons of makeup chick model sprawled out with the puss to the sun? It's not hot for me, that's just Cosmo.

Alternative beauty on the other hand, punky or rowdy or rebel, half clothed or not, is always interesting. Just.... something outside the cosmo element Otherwise = Bored by your predictable standard of 'beauty.' Also scars. Can someone photoshop some scars?

Same with dudes. I don't know if complete fags are playing dudes, but what's with all the 'I'm lifting my own shirt up look at me i'm sexy' pics. Those make me vomit a little in my mouth, even if I like dudes, I develop a kind of repulsion to that particular character. And the types of dudes are your typical cosmo clad bastards too.

I'm all for representation of character first, hotness second, though it doesn't bother me looking at those things, other than that I will judge the player/character by them. I say that Wikis should have freedom of Images/Content, just leave the judgement bit up to everyone individually because... well, all it does is show us your tastes, we will like them or not :P.

Here is my character page. http://profiles.newprospectmush.com/index.php/Nikodin

As you can see on the bottom I do have a totally random topless link that's drawn (not photography), but it fits to how I view this char, and he is very often topless when performing, so, why the f not? He is a very passionate character, so if there were more pics I'd proly put them up there. Just a preference. All I'm saying is MY preference is better than most cosmo bullshit (And that's how we find RP partners... people who are more like us!) Ban that, ban freedom of speech/images, it's tougher to find RP partners, and tougher to judge people by their tastes, but will still happen :

P.S. Took me like a week to find this char pic, its a guy from a band from 2-3 decades ago.

[Anonymous]

What is it with all this shit about rape RP? Who the fuck wants to roleplay that? I don't get it

[Jeshin]

You would be very surprised. In a thread on the specific topic of rape roleplay, some claimed they'd rather RP out rape than torture or death because to them they were more bothered about being killed than the sexual assault.

[Bobotron]

People be weird, yo. I mean, some communities out there enjoy RPing cannibalism, so...

shrug

[Tempest]

@Bobotron Why does this cannibalism thing keep coming up? lol

[Bobotron]

@Tempest
Mostly just using it as an anecdote of weird RP likes.

[Derp]

@Jeshin

Well, that's at least somewhat sensible. I mean, rape while unpleasant is not an ultimate and maiming end to the character. Having your arm cut off, or your throat slit, that's an end to the story. So in a hierarchy of bad things, I could see that being a thing.

And it also really depends on what your definition of 'Rape RP' is, in the long run @Anonymous ,. Some people view mental coercion and such as Rape RP, some people view it strictly as violent assault. Just like in the real world, there are huge gray areas and varied opinions, and it's quite the trigger topic for lots of folks. Even in games of personal horror where especially heinous and violent shit is supposed to happen to characters on a regular basis, disembowelment is cool, but rape is not. It's just one of those no-touchy subjects that's best to keep a minimum safe distance on, if possible.

[Tempest]

I can't figure out the spoiler tag. Oh well. Enjoy a giant picture.

[Misadventure]

Spoiler The spoiler tag doesn't work.

[Tyche]

@Anonymous said:

What is it with all this shit about rape RP? Who the fuck wants to roleplay that? I don't get it

@Jeshin said:

You would be very surprised. In a thread on the specific topic of rape roleplay, some claimed they'd rather RP out rape than torture or death because to them they were more bothered about being killed than the sexual assault.

@Tempest said:

@Bobotron Why does this cannibalism thing keep coming up? lol

Rape, torture, cannibalism... This needs to be automated like combat. Let the code determine your fate!

[Jeshin]

@Tyche

Actually... There is a game which had rape codified.

HavenRPG has a coded sex command and as part of that command there is a rape function. There is a lengthy explanation which is on their forums and I am not fully understanding of for why these exist but they are part of the game for a reason. I just don't feel comfortable stating why because I probably wouldn't do it justice.

Cannibals are easy though! Kill them with coded combat then cook them with a skill check and type eat "leg of man" and enjoy!

[Misadventure]

Required reference to FATAL RPG.

[HelloRaptor]

@Anonymous said:

What is it with all this shit about rape RP? Who the fuck wants to roleplay that? I don't get it

One of these days somebody can make a thread and everybody can submit things to it to compile a list of all the types of roleplay that someone, somewhere, finds pointless/useless/offensive/unnecessary/etc.

I'm about 90% sure that the compiled list would pretty much cover everything people roleplay. Everything.