Posts made by Derp

@silverfox

So happy for you!

There's an assumption being made here that the only people who would need such a position are somehow "bad staffers." That's hardly the case, though.

Nobody is perfect. We all have biases and blind spots and flaws in our logic that could hamper and impede us. And it's always good to have another set of eyes-or-whatever on an issue to make sure that we aren't missing something on it.

We've also somehow gotten into an idea that "good staff" are somehow capable of filling almost every role and interpersonal skill needed on a game. That is certainly not the case. I've staffed with some of you. Some of you are brilliant storytellers and coders and administrators. Some of you are downright jerks that could use some polish on your people skills. The overlap of those two circles is bigger than you might imagine, and I'm not saying I don't fall into the same trap. Doesn't make you bad staffers, though.

I think we're stumbling on the idea that 'bad staff will just ignore these guys anyway'. I mean -- yeah. They might. But bad staff aren't the only ones who could use people like this.

Just a thought.

@il-volpe said in Player Omsbudsman?:

To me it seems to violate "more product, less process" principles -- are you sittin' around thinking up steps and 'proper channels' to deal with a problem and makin' flow-charts when you could just deal with the problem?

This only applies if you assume that the channel itself isn't the problem, though. If you're genuinely attempting to empower an outside opinion, then you will give them actual power.

@mietze said in Player Omsbudsman?:

It sets up a subtle and unintentional confirmation thar staff is something players need to be protected from.

You say this like that isn't the default that most of us in this culture come from. If people didn't need to be protected from people with staff powers, we'd just give everyone staff powers, and places like this wouldn't exist.

Anyone with contemporary western educations are told to be suspicious of those in power, so I'm not sure that 'this will make people suspicious of staff' is a good reason not to set up alternative channels of dispute resolution.

Really, anything you can do to keep the peace and ensure a good experience for players should be embraced.

I don't know. I've been a longtime fan of player relations staffers, personally.

Like, I have a select group of people that I would be completely comfortable empowering to do that. You just tell players:

I am human, and while I might think that my solutions are brilliant and elegant and without flaw as a divine entity, I also realize that I can be biased and closed-minded and susceptible to all the other perils of this weak mortal meat.

Therefore, I empower @Devrex to call me on all my bullshit. If you think I'm being a total jerkass, tell Devrex, and if Devrex agrees we'll work it out.

ETA: Which of course necessitates you being willing to, you know. Actually do that and not just dig your heels in.

@testament said in RL things I love:

So, I finally proposed to my girlfriend of three years two weeks ago.

Holy crap, gratz!

@silverfox

The white one! I want the white one!

@il-volpe said in Good TV:

@ganymede Huh, I'm late. What's the show with the interesting non-Sheldon autistic character, or was that just a for-instance?

Seems like the last (and maybe only) really good one was Will Graham, in spite of Bryan Fuller denying it.

I believe that she is referring to Entrapta from She-Ra.

For me, I've tried to let PCs run spheres before. I was a very big advocate of players having a say in things.

And then I saw the way that usually went down. The behind-the-scenes backstabbing and vitriol that comes with getting and holding those positions, the OOC politics that go along with it, and the general inactivity and resentment that it breeds.

Never again. I know players will hate it, they want to aspire to the pinnacles of everything, but it's my solid and firm belief that PCs being in positions to actually control other PCs with nobody above them to oversee those actions leads to misery all around, and most of them don't even do the job once their ass in on their respective throne. If they do try to do the job the other PCs just ignore them anyway.

Best to keep the highest echelons to an NPC. Tyrannical? Sure. But also practical.

@too-old-for-this

Saaaame.

I take in like, charts and graphs and stuff with me. It's like 'ok so here is myfitnesspal and literally everything I eat in a day calculated by grams, no I'm not cheating, yes that's everything, inlcuding water consumption. Here is my activity levels from my smartwatch, walking several miles a day for work, and here is the workout that I do three times a week to supplement, so sure, tell me it's because I don't eat right or move enough'.

Nobody seems to believe that maybe, just maybe, there might be another explanation.

@too-old-for-this said in Good TV:

I eat well, I exercise, and I'm still fat.

Same.

Can we also throat punch the 'eat less, move more' and 'calories in, calories out is all that matters' people?

@greenflashlight said in Good TV:

I support you in your throat-punching.

Seconded. More problems would be solved more quickly with a more liberal application of throat punches.

@ganymede said in Good TV:

I think that not liking a show because of its visual style says something to me. Not liking a visual style is a different message entirely. And refusing to watch a show that means something emotionally significant based on a visual style sends another message.

I can see where you're coming from here, and that's a valid take. But at the same time, it's a message being conveyed through a largely visual medium. I'm not sure that you can entirely separate those two things when it comes to animated series, or television in general. If the medium by which a message is transmitted is jarring or discordant enough, it does have a significant impact on the perception of the message, just like any other piece of art. Picasso painted some truly beloved pictures during some truly dark times that have an emotional resonance with people. I still don't like them. They don't appeal to me, regardless of whatever emotional content they might have for others.

@pyrephox said in Good TV:

I have to catch up.

YES YOU DO!

@dvoraen said in Good TV:

@wretched said in Good TV:

I am really loving season 2 of Evil.

I'm jealous because I can't watch it. (Don't have Paramount+.) I have to wait for Netflix to get it.

Paramount+ is one of the best investments I have made. Between Evil, Lower Decks, and Star Trek Discovery, it's more than paid for itself, and it's the cheapest one that I have at like ... what, six bucks a month or something. Quiet place 2 I think is on there now. Well worth it.

@wretched said in Good TV:

I am really loving season 2 of Evil.

It's so good. It's everything I was hoping it would be so far. Moving at a good enough pace to keep the story going with the built-up momentum but not just dumping it all on you at once as the world adjusts in all these little ways.

@seraphim73 said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

Thanks, I like being a freak, a weirdo, and abnormal -- actually I'm an introvert, but I've still been known to do all of these things.

@icanbeyourmuse said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

Do you walk up to some stranger and go 'I was abused as a child. Has anything like that happened to you?' in RL?

Somewhere, out there, Jill the Guest has heard your siren call and prepares another round of questions about the school nurse...

@de-villefort said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

World of Darkness is even worse because you are literally trained ICly to see everyone as a potential enemy who isn't in your click.

I mean, that's only half true. You're also trained to see them as a potential valuable resource and a way to get a leg up on things for a nominal price, so it actually does foster social RP. Just -- people never do it.

@silverfox said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

One friend replied "Leave early!" to my concern and it took everything in me to go, "My quadraplegic brother is at the mercy of his caretakers with young children and literally ~can't~ leave earlier. He can leave when his caretakers get him up, my father arrives, and he gets packed. A 2+ hour detour means they arrive around midnight, and blocked roads in both directions means not only my brother but possibly my father might miss my sister's wedding."

Is the venue limited to a specific time? If not, could they see about moving the start time back a bit to account for the fact that weather conditions are making the current plans a pain?

It's not necessarily ideal but it might be an option.