Best posts made by Auspice

Real Life sucks, have more cats:

I like sex.
My characters like sex.

oh no, IC/OOC crossover.

As of this past weekend, I am done with school.
Graduation is next weekend (couldn't afford the time off / travel, so no ceremony or anything for me).

Got an email today from my instructor asking if my portfolio website (the big final thing we had to do) could be used to showcase in a blog the school is putting together as an example of good site design. I did not expect that.

I feel kind of weird just...... post-school. Like do I celebrate? Or what?
All I have from my family is my father giving a pretty much 'about time' and 'you're lucky you're still the first of your siblings to get a degree, since you waited so long.'

@Derp

Ok, look.
I get along with you on a lot of things, but dude.
This wasn't about 'whine whine why doesn't a staffer step in'
This was: what do people think a player's role is as the third party

So you need to shut up in this regard.
Jesus fucking christ.

Because this is the exact sort of behavior that makes people afraid to speak up.

Because mother.
fucker.

I have, as the third party, spoken up to Staff before.

And you know what I've been told?
Repeatedly?

'Since you weren't the targeted party, I can't/won't do anything.'

So fuck off.

ETA:
Seriously, this is just vexing me. ANY TIME I've gone to Staff with 'I witnessed this sort of creeping, it made me uncomfortable' the response I've gotten is essentially 'So? It wasn't being done to you, why do you care? If the person they were targeting reports it, we'll do something.'

The topic of this conversation isn't 'oh no I'm being creeped on, what do I do.' Obviously you report it. The topic is: I'm WITNESSING someone being creepy, what do I do.

Because Staffers pull this shit. 'Well I can't do anything unless-'
Right.
You WON'T do anything.

So I've been mulling replying here.
My thoughts on this get disregarded pretty often, which is vexing, but w/e.

I grew up in a very fundie Christian household.
My parents were abusive (mostly emotionally, but not just). My father is a developer. He did often log things I was doing. And used it for mockery and also to 'prove' I was allowing demons into the house. It was never a 'protectionary' measure in the sense that one might hope.

In my case, yes, it was a very negative thing.

However.

I spent years working in children's forums and games as an administrator and moderator.
I have witnessed grooming, predators, and the ways that kids, unfortunately, do not know how to protect themselves. I also worked in a community at one time wherein LGBT conversation was not allowed because of a very, very bad incident once and where I got special permission to take a conversation off-site to talk with some of our older users about it (because they were understandably upset).

The incident had been wherein a 9-year-old user had asked what a lesbian was. And a group of older girls began bullying her across the site. To a point her mother sued the site.

Now, when I was able to sit down and explain this to these kids, they understood. And they stopped harassing the moderators (because I explained: look, we aren't homophobic, I hate that we can't let you guys discuss this, but please understand that many users here don't understand sexuality at all yet! and we want them to find a healthy outlet for it) and instead became champions for other kids going to school counselors, pastors, their parents, etc., while sending campaign letters to the site's ownership (vs angry emails to us).

Eventually the ban was lifted and these same kids continued to help us keep an eye out for similar behavior. It was heartwarming to see. But it took a long time....... and it took me having to out a coworker as homophobic, sadly.

ANYWAY.

Working on that site and others is why, when I was married and had a stepson, I was keenly aware of his online activities (he was under 10 while I was married). Why I would be if I have kids again.

We had a guy on that one forum known as 'dan.' 'dan' was as pervasive as our troll here. And he was constantly trying to get these kids to engage in cybersex with him. Share their RL locations with him. And he'd masquerade as a teenager.

On other sites, I saw kids gladly share their phone numbers, discuss meetups, etc., within their very first conversation with someone.

And many of them? When caught? Would create a new account and show up to share sites that were adult in nature to 'continue' things.

No, we don't want to stymie kids from exploring their sexuality, identity, etc., but the problem is that so many aren't doing so safely. There is a balance to be struck. If they're openly sharing very personal details right out of the gate or going to unsafe sites: that's a bad thing. That is not safely exploring sexual/identity. That's putting themselves at risk.

We have people here (@Pandora, @mietze) who understand how to educate their kids on how to be safe, how to construct a safe home environment, to where they can monitor their kid's online activities to the right extent while also making their kid feel safe enough to approach them if worried, concerned, scared, etc.

I 100% think parents need to be aware of what their kids are doing online. Do you want to be keylogging or anything? No. But you don't want to just set them up with a personal laptop behind a locked door and never ask any questions.

My parents were abusive, but it went far, far beyond their stalking my online activities. Their inability to make me feel safe began before we had internet access in the home. They never observed my online behavior out of a care about me. They did it out of a desire of control. The two are wildly different.

@wretched

Black kitties are the best.

@tek said in The Dark Side of online Role-Playing:

@buttercup absolutely.

I, 100%, would want to know if there is a potential pedophile on my site so I could get rid of them. I would not want that risk on my server. EVER. Because it's not just on them if something happens. I could be held liable, too (since servers have logs, after all).

3rd interview for poss. job was today.

They're deciding between me and one other person. I feel really good about it. They found out I'm into board games and one of the interviewers (and I think the primary decision-maker, at that) got really excited and began asking me my favorite board games, etc... even went into TT RPGs for a bit (they do a beer & game night every other week). I def. charmed them on the social front. I know that's not the only important thing, but if it comes down to being equatable with the other person on the skills front... them deciding they'd enjoy working with me more could be the deciding factor.

Fingers crossed.

@Arkandel said in PB 'realism':

For example if you're playing a thuggish fighter type but your model is a slender more delicate looking person, or it's a figure skater as depicted by Chris Hemsworth, etc... is that okay? Not okay? Do you notice when people do that?

I 100% notice.
I'm not gonna call people out on it, but if someone is a strength 5 MMA fighter (without being, say, supernaturally enhanced) but they're using some really thin, reedy sort of PB... It throws me off a lot.

Being able to buy enough groceries to have a full freezer and pantry is like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.

It's your game, your decision.
Someone threatening to post on MSB if you don't allow them on your game is a reason to not allow them on your game IMO.

Dental work is stupid and expensive and terrible and I hate everything

Ohfine.

Teagan:

Ephrath:

I pick PBs largely at random and have played people across the board.

But I'mma be honest:
Almost every time I've seen someone brag about using non-white PBs, it has given me uncomfortable fetishism vibes.

Make the character. Pick a PB to fit who you're playing. Don't force something to fit a PB (esp. if it comes out a stereotype) and then brag about it. Please.

@Derp said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

@Pacha said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

You should be an expert in art, fashion and design, an expert cook and have perfect hair/skin/teeth/abs and whatever else.

This.

Like -- dudes. I shop at Wal-Mart. I don't know shit about fashion. Or makeup. I don't know which wedding dress looks perfect on you. I missed that day in orientation, alright?

Unfortunately, the bisexual orientation got cancelled due to lack of funding and outside interest.

One of the people I interact with on Twitter is Chet Faliszek. He wrote Left4Dead and was a writer on Portal and Half Life. He left Valve a couple years ago to start his own company.

I decided fuck it today and emailed my portfolio to him because why not?

He, at the very least, was kind enough to send me a personalized reply explaining that he appreciated me doing so but he doesn't have a need for any writers right now since he has been building his team for a while. And hey, I didn't expect a miracle but y'know what? I appreciate the personalized, candid response.

I blame Bridgerton but also Emma.. I've been on a Regency kick lately and I think a MU could be pretty fun (and laid back since no ermgbigevilmetaplot to deal with on anyone's part).

If I did this, I would want to lean into the more comedic, satire, and modern-inspired (such as with racial casting, etc.) things like The Great, Bridgerton, Emma. and so on. I know some people know a great deal about the Regency era, but a fair number more of us don't. Plus, the more satirical spins on things are more fun IMO.

A few thoughts so far:

• Set in London
• Game starts at the beginning of the social season
• A full roster to ensure populated houses and not a dozen instances of a single individual per house (would also help people have built-in RP)
• Regular events would be things like balls, picnics, hunting, salons, etc.

Is this something people would play?

And of those who would be interested:
Would anyone be interested in helping me draft up a grid and/or writing some of the houses and their rosters (Ares, so p basic and honestly, I'd just be asking for demographics: I can do sheets no prob)? (This may or may not extend into an invitation to Staff on the game... I am traditionally picky about who I staff with (a) and it's not a game concept that needs many to run it (b).)

This is not a set-in-stone idea. I start a new job next week and may find I am simply too overwhelmed to even think of running a game. But right now I am in the camp of 'gosh this would be fun to RP' and by the rules of 'if you want it, make it' I may do just that.