Posts made by Auspice

@Ganymede said in The ethics of IC romance, TS, etc:

Vast deviations from canon are not only acceptable, but encouraged. To-wit: (1) Mr. Freeze's reincarnation under Dini and Timm; (2) the invention of Harley Quinn; (3) Gotham's Oswald Cobblepot; etc.

2 is invalid. It's a new character.

1 & 3 however, in many ways, the core of the character remained very much the same. In Gotham we were witnessing (I only saw the first two seasons, but even so) the characters in their nascent. And I very much saw Cobblepot coming together as we see him later on in comics and the like. A man trying to build an empire (an empire he has in comics). Dini & Timm's Freeze still has a lot of similar motivations and personality.

In the books I own re: comic writing (specifically for Marvel & DC) and in what I studied in school: that's what's important. It's not the canon (how many reboots and lines and all are there anyway?), it's the structure and motivations. This is why people on comic games balk when someone comes in and goes 'I really just want the name'
esp. when there are versions/types of the character that would fit it.
'I wanna be a female Spider-man.'
'so like Spiderwoman?'
'No.'
'What about Spidergwen?'
'No.'
'I just wanna be a female Spider-woman named Sue who grew up in the Bronx and she has four brothers and- <absolutely nothing remotely in common with Spider-man at all other than using the name.>'

What's even the point? Unless the game is FC-only, why not make it an OC? The whole deal with Spider-Man (if we're talking Peter) is that he is a man surrounded by loss, but constantly maintains hope in spite of it. That he is one of the best quippers. That he juggles way too much in life and usually fails, losing the person he loves because of it (if you want him to be gay in this scenario? cool! go for it). If we're talking Miles, he's a guy who inherited the mask and he's trying to balance family and school and taking on the mantle from this legend and it is more weight than a teenager should honestly deal with and it can be a really great coming of age story (tho should prob be altered cuz playing teenagers is hand-wiggle).

Aaaaaaaaanyway. This is part of the rant I stopped myself from because this isn't TS/Relationship related.

@Alamias said in The ethics of IC romance, TS, etc:

@Auspice said in The ethics of IC romance, TS, etc:

@Arkandel said in The ethics of IC romance, TS, etc:

Is it okay to create couples out of characters who are canonically with other people? Can (adult) Peter Parker date Captain Marvel?

KIND OF A MANHO

Is it weird that I play someone who is supposed to be kind of a manho (Luke Cage), but I don't flirt or do much of anything in that regard because I feel weird OOCly that if I RP those elements of him I am afraid I will be labeled as just trolling for TS?

Is it doubly weird that this is coming from the guy that played Kaleb (If you know, you know) where I didn't care if that is how I might have been labeled?

This is, tho!
I think you can RP being a manho without being a manho. NPCs are great for that!

@Arkandel said in The ethics of IC romance, TS, etc:

Is it okay to create couples out of characters who are canonically with other people? Can (adult) Peter Parker date Captain Marvel?

100% yes. Because even in-canon many of these characters dated a wide, broad spread of people. The issue you might sometimes run into is people preferring one pairing getting upset if they don't get it.
I'm a big fan, for example, of NightwingxZatanna (Young Justice ftw). I got to play this with someone on a game a few years ago. Now, Nightwing is KIND OF A MANHO and has been with a number of women over the years and the Starfire on that game was p. convinced from the day my friend made Nightwing (because he and I both like the YJ pairing!) that he was HERS.

This is where this can be a problem. People have their own OTPs. I have a friend who likes to play Green Arrow. On a game, he was already engaged in a relationship IC when someone apped in Black Canary and OTHER PLAYERS began trying to shove her at him, OOC.

Is it okay to change sexual orientations in any way?

I, personally, am not a fan of it. I feel for some of these characters, their sexuality is so baked in (is Tony Stark Tony Stark if he's not a playboy?) that it'd be weird. However, I'm not gonna harsh someone else's fun if they play it that way.

THAT SAID, if anyone else comes up to me and tries to force me to play a certain way? Fuck them. If I ever have someone come along and go 'Hey I really wish <character I'm playing> was <certain sexuality>' and starts pressuring me? They're in the wrong, full stop.

After any of this happens and a character changes hands is it okay to revert them to the defaults in the same game?

This is always up to the game. Some games expect continuity. The character has to stay the same player-to-player. Some do a clean slate. Some let the next player decide.

This is where people tend to get upset over gender-bending and sexuality changes. Because if continuity is required and someone picks up Superman, makes it Superwoman (without it being, say, the actual canonical Superwoman: just a legit genderbent Kal-El, Clara Kent or whatever they'd call her)... what if they walk away? Not a lot of people want to play that. Then you're out two characters because now the Lois-Lane-Superwoman can't be played (the 'Superwoman' name is already taken after all).

Ahem, I wrote a ton more after this, realized I went way off target, but getting back on it:
continuity needs to be fluid on comic games for a number of reasons. The above is one. It's always up to the game creator, but I think the best option is 'let the next player decide if they're gonna keep the current version or make their own.'

@hedgehog
Gosh give us more than a couple hours to reply.

The Shondes - Nothing More Whole Than a Broken Heart

@RightMeow said in Buying Shit:

@Auspice

Figure out the socks and then try to get a book in theme to them?

Not everyone participates in the sock exchange and not everyone participates in the book exchange. Some people only do one or the other (I DON'T KNOW WHY).

And it's all white elephant style so I dunno that it'd make a lot of sense.

Other facets of today may have sucked but my mom sent me a video of my kitty (my now 14 year old cat that I left with her in SC when I moved west cause she's too much an old lady for big moves and my mom loves having a lap cat around).

@saosmash said in Staff’s Job?:

I dunno. I recognize not wanting somebody who is overeager for "power" over other players in a staff position, but enthusiasm for the work is different from enthusiasm for the position. If you don't want to staff, though, for god's sake don't staff.

This. This is what I meant, @mietze , by feeling the point lay somewhere in the middle.

You want enthusiasm for the game, not for the position. It's not just 'hiring the right person' (which is very important, I wholeheartedly agree!), but also being aware of the right type of person as well.

How many times did (man I hate invoking her name, BUT) VASpider get hired for the enthusiasm for the work when she shouldn't have been due to her enthusiasm for the power? That's where, I think, Arkandel's reasoning factors in.

@mietze said in Staff’s Job?:

Why would I want someone who doesnt want the job to take that role? Why would reluctance to do the job qualify someone to take on that role?

I'm not sure it's reluctance so much as...

I think the answer might lie somewhere in the middle.

I love running SGM because I have stories to tell there and it's a game I've wanted to see for a while. It's been fun to experiment, to learn even more what's under the hood with Ares, etc.

But I recall something I often ran into when I was considering a Magicians game:
I had a few people come to me expressing an interest in Staffing. They really really wanted to Staff!

And my first question was always: 'Will you ST? At least once a month? Staffing (approving apps, answering +jobs, etc.) is pretty easy on Ares. Unless the game gets really big, it can reasonably be done by a single person (as Faraday has proven). What I really need are STs.'

Every single person, to the last, ducked out.

What that told me was: they wanted to staff for the sake of staffing more than actively contributing to the needs of the game.

And I think that may be where Arkandel is coming from. And I get it, 100%. I want people who are enthusiastic for the game and what it needs... not people who are enthusiastic just for the staff title. The latter often end up hanging out just to hang out and don't even do the busy work, causing the rest of staff to end up shouldering the burden anyway.

Now, does every game need all Staff to ST? Heck no. WoD games, for example, need job monkeys, app staff, etc. (ETA: and again, unless the person coming in cares about what they're hired to do, they often just sit around. I see a lot of 'job monkey' people who will touch a couple jobs a month but spend the rest of their time just hanging out in the staff lounge chatting).

My game concept didn't need 'job monkeys;' most Ares games start out a lot smaller than WoD games.

@Roz said in General Video Game Thread:

the new pokemon is real cute

I still haven't decided which one I want (also just got Death Stranding with the gift card from OpenCare* so I am gonna wait until after the new year anyway prob).

I know other than like, the legendary they are often functionally the same but aaaaaaaaagh.

*it is a site where if you use it to find a dentist they will send you a gift card. Usually $75 but sometimes they will do specials of like, $115 or so. If you need to find a new dentist I 100% recommend. I mean a) I actually found a decent dentist and b) heeeeeeey money.

@Tinuviel said in RL Anger:

@Auspice said in RL Anger:

now I do wanna mope.

Of course. It is you we're talking about.

it's my party and I'll cry if I want to

OK.
I just sort of shook off the car thing but now I do wanna mope.

Had a last minute meeting come up at work; one I had to be at. But it was scheduled right over top my therapy appointment. So I had to cancel it.

Cancellation fee for cancelling with less than 24 hours notice? $60. $60 I honestly don't have (I was gonna scrape it together for the therapy appt cause it's important but y'know). I mean I GET it but I'm just gonna grouch and sulk and mutter about it because ugh.

I think I need to put therapy on hold until this whole crunch time at work is done because this was the third time I'd rescheduled due to meetings ANYWAY (the others at least with enough warning not to get a fee).

Nerds.

@Alamias said in RL Anger:

@Auspice said in RL Anger:

flask was moved and is still full of whiskey.

Laws in Texas (I think that is where you said you are now, right?) are surly more lax than they are in So Cal. I would get busted for open container laws if I had a flask full of whiskey in the car...lol

Sorry people went through your shit. =(

...oh I probably would too if I got pulled over and they caught me with it. But some days you just need car whiskey okay >.>

.....posting public short essays?

What is this? Elementary school?

@RightMeow said in Buying Shit:

@Auspice I'm more interested in the socks. What socks did you get? Also I want to go to this. Will they send me the socks and books I mean... >.>

I haven't picked out the socks yet. Last year I got these for the exchange.

Dunno what I'll bring this year! Maybe some cute slipper socks? Hmmmm.

And sorry you gotta be present for the presents!

So! Every year I go to the local geek lady's Christmas party and we do a book! and a sock! exchange. I'm usually p stellar at finding good socks, but I'm mulling over book ideas for this year.

Leave suggestions below! I've got a ton of ideas, but I'd love to hear some from y'all (plus, who knows: it might expand your shopping lists for the geek gals in YOUR life).

@RightMeow said in RL Anger:

@Auspice

Someone with chapped lips?

USED.
CHAPSTICK.

it's just so ew

@JinShei said in RL Anger:

@Auspice said in RL Anger:

I guess I left my car unlocked after chores on the weekend. Someone went through my shit.

Argh, I'm sorry, love.

When someone broke into my car, they took the stereo and left my CD that had been in it. Insult to injury...

I'm still like WHO STEALS CHAPSTICK?!?!?

I guess I left my car unlocked after chores on the weekend. Someone went through my shit.

But what they took is so goddamn stupid. They took my pens. My chapstick (who steals chapstick?!?!). A pair of $12 Bluetooth headphones (but not the better pair in the pocket of the passenger seat I use when hiking).

And the case my owner's manual and registration are in.

I'm mostly upset about the last since it's the one that's most difficult to replace.

I know it was a kid because they left behind a whole book of stamps as well. And a young kid at that because my flask was moved and is still full of whiskey.

Just...goddamnit. Stupid start to the week.

@Otrere
It is the first rule. It's just a game! I'm thrilled people are enjoying it.

The only reason I hesitate for people to bend the rules is I often see it done to get a reply in 'fast' and we have to remember: some folks are gonna get to the thread later. I think it'd be better to wait a few hours for a song title that fits the rules (and give other players a chance!) than to bend the rules just to reply within 5 minutes.