A history of RP

So, as I'm pretty sure I've made clear by now to all that know me, I'm a roleplayer.
a largepart of why I'm in SL, immersive RP I could never find in other MMOs.

I started out with Shadowrun, instead of most RP geeks that start with DnD, then played RIFTS for awhile, then DnD (around 3rd and 3.5 edition). I've played DnD 4th edition, but to be frank, in their attempt to streamline it, they've dumbed it down, alot, all classes feel the same, more of a focus on encounters (I like combat, but really prefer a balance), spells are bland and don't stand out, any non-combat skill is virtually useless, and there's less feel of being a party of adventurers in a fantastic world, and more of a feel that you're doing a raid in WoW, but in tabletop form.  I will admit the boardgames are fun, and the rules work well for them, but a boardgame, i'm not expecting much immersion.  I haven't yet played Pathfinder, but I'v been eying it, it looks like what I enjoyed about 3rd edition DnD.  Currently in RL, I'm in a Rogue Trader/Dark Heresy campaign, I always liked the setting of Warhammer 40k, and an RPG in that setting was something I couldn't pass up.

I got into MMO around Everquest, shortly after high school.  where I plaed a dark elf necromancer, and was in a pretty decent RP guild for a time, dark elf themed (they took alot from the forgotten realms dark elves). I played it about up to the point where it suddenly was updated, to be impossible to run on my old HP.
Then I moved on to WoW, after playing a friend's beta.  I got my hunter as high as 50, before I got irritated by the fact every expansion required me to be 20+ levels higher, just to see most the new stuff, plus, as I have a life, I couldn't play 2/7, and as a sub based MMO, every time I wasn't playing, it felt like I was wasting money, plus there really was no RP, even on the RP servers, I was in a RP guild of a friend's for a short time, but the RP was sparse.  I looked into SL about this time, but when all I could find was bad looking buildings, malls, dance clubs, casinos, and sex sims, I got bored with it fast.
I then got into EvE Online, (wich I still go back to on occasion), it's spaceships, I don't really expect much RP, but it's still fun.
I returned to SL around 2008 or 2009, first joining CoLA, where the original Grendel Footman, was a crazed phsycic with white eyes.  It was interesting, combat was fast with the meter (when the whole sim wasn't impossibly laggy), some of the stories were interesting, others were just dumb, and there were too many vampires wanting to 'turn' me, eventually I left. I joined Ravenscraig roughly about the time I first found babbage.  I don't really play there that often now, but I would point to it as one of the better run RP sims (despite being mistaken for a GM once by the sim owner, we had the same first name), it usd meter, but managed to balance out combat with RP, had their rules (some of them stupid, but not totally irritating) but were flexible, and had an interesting story, good builds, and great people. I was a necromancer named Abraxxus who worked for one of the noblewomen, secretly a succubus, I raided ghosts for her (I had left before we worked out a way for corpses to be raised).
 Then I found Babbage, and steampunk always having been something I was into in RL, (plus I was in a DnD campaing at the time and getting tired of pseudo-european fantasy), joined. despite the wierd bi-polar attitude towards RP, I knew from the beginning it was optional, but had no idea how vehemently they try to shove it down throats at times.   I rented a place in the row houses, and had some small RP mostly in my own newly formed RP group.
THen moved to an airship in Palisades, where I organized things with another avi I knew, and started my first open to anyone, city wide RP, the loose velociraptor, wich got a good amount involved, Arwen said she had some interesting RP from it herself, and ended in a fight between the dinosaur, myself, a female jaeger, and another person, again, small numbers, but not bad.
Then I moved to the first Footman Industries site in Babbage Square admisdt th Dr. O takeover, that caused so much angst for the anti-RP crowd, and was about when I first realized how bi-polar the town can be over it.  Ideas about meters, shouted down, OOC tags if you're not interested in RP, shouted down, lots of gnashing of teeth and cries of "THey don't get how we do things here!" when there was no real clear 'how we do things here', and comments from one of the merchants how RP chases away business, despite the fact most her business was probably from roleplayers.  It eventually cooled down after "RP is 100% optional!!" being regurgitated from half the avis, those of us who enjoy RP were mostly quiet and just kept our RP under cover for a time.  But this was about when I set up the first FI, the power plant.  with damage on, no flight, and RP in mind. the damage was because of Babbage's anti-meter stance, (I don't think they all fully understand meters much), to allow fights, without the argument I ran into during the Dr. O takeover with a pirate rabbit, who apparantly could Neo away bullets when we just text-RP a gunfight.  I had plenty of space for people to move and RP, and tred to make it an interesting area, with what prims I could (the graveyard was what really seemed to attract people).  THere had been an attempt before at a total RP area in Babbage, Sparowwood, but it failed and went away (noone really would go there, and I suspect I was the only one donating to it)   the plant was the same idea as SW but on a smaller scale (one building rather than a city block), and there's been some good RP, implemented by myself and others, the zombie plauge started there, brain surgery a few times, experimenting on my secretary, the fire, haunting, ghost machine, possessed pengi, urchins stealing eels, slenderman. the dissappearance was a flop, the interest was there, but noone really bothered with the clues.  I had let it go after the holidays when I found i had 1 day left on it, and no money I could spend fr a week.  So, since I still wanted to support RP in Babbage (wich I will always do until I am banned), and didn't want to see the graveyard replaced by a mall (I hate how a landmark that had been there for awhile, can just mysteriously dissappear, it kills immersion, so, I blew up the plant), I offered to give it to whoever will keep it RP friendly, and keep some form of cemetary there.  After one woman came to see it, then proceeded to lecture me about how other people would want to see their visions, I found just the right person, he didn't just keep the graveyard, he improved it, alot.

I made my alt, Dr. Dinosaur, during this time, and with a couple linden got airspace for him, the idea was a villian, mad scientist yes, but kind of an idiot as well, he doesn't think things through basically.
So trying to establish him as a new villian in Babbage, I created the doom clock RP, getting permission from people to rezz doomsday devices on their land, had set it all up, had clues as to how to stop them, and was anticipating something like a confrontation on top the airship.  Instead I had one returned by an individual who didn't even own the land it was on, and despite my having said to IM me if there's an issue, everyone instead ran to whine t the sim owner about the ticking, and I had him tell me to quiet them or he'd return them all.  So chalked it up to another failed RP, but as I wasn't just going to let it fade away, had worked something out with another, where his horse character had been going around smashing them all (they were unsmashable, but since he's a type of demon horse, was eas to fudge).  After that I pretty much figured it was much easier to get an RP going, if I have my own land and can tell naysayers to suck it.

So after a few months of mostly solo adventures, exploring new areas or sims and coming up with an IC story to it (similar to a friend of mine rom Caledon), I got a plot in wheatstone and built my new factory.  So far not much RP there yet, (but it's pretty damn LOUD at times, as it should be).  Aside from some solo blog rumblings about Footman's experiments.  But I haven't had many visitors either, this one's more enclosed than my old plant, so it is possible people may not realize they can enter and look around, and RP.  I may open a wall, maybe have an out of control automoton smash through a wall.
Eitherway, I did my second attempt at Dr. D being a villian, the Clockhaven Plant takeover, wich was semi more successful, (again, I was half expecting someone to come into the plant and confront Dr. D, but the person I thought might possibly try to stop him inworld, ran into technical issues, otherwise at least people reacted, and the fires at the end weren't ignored ).

And now I've found a Warhammer 40k themed RP sim that I may be dividing my time between that and the steamlands.  I had looked when I first came back to SL for a good warhammer themed sim, but all the ones I found tossed RP out the window in favor of running around what looked like a lazer tag arena shooting each other and yelling LOLZ (wich I can get from any number of MMO), were all cartoon foxes in space marine armor (I'm fine with furries, just not when they're shohorned into a setting they're not from, or trying to be a species they aren't) or space marines with giant smiley faces and coyboyhats (or afros), this sim so far though seems to be more into the RP aspect, (based moreso on Dark Heresy) aside from some issues with the cannon (female marines, female orks) and the fact they go with Angron's magic gun theory (ork tech only work because orks beleive it does, wich is not the case at all and makes no sense!)

The one other RP sim I always sort of hoped to find, but never did was a Transformers RP sim, maybe based on Cybertron, there's a ton of TF avi's, some even transform, but no real tf RP

the Babbage Cycle

the usual routine in Babbage:

1. come up with a new idea, RP, or concept

2. make a thread on the website about it, or mention it in group chat

3. see comments devolve into "I don't like it, so noone should do it"

4. whatch 'I don't like..." cmments pile up, and either

4a. begrudging acceptance

4b. originator of idea shy's away from negative "I don't like" comments

5. rinse repeat


The thread on 'what do we do to get more people and keep them' is continuing, with the only the occasional snipes against RP now, and naturally, any new ideas presented, are quickly met by 'I don't like' comments
the bobbies idea, has been met by one so far declaring how 'he doesn't like it and would leave if that happened' (personally the idea sounds dumb for what they want it for, only plus I see is the immersion, but I'm not about to go declaring how I dislike something, so it should never be iplemented).  And then the discussion goes towards Facebook, to be met with "I don't like it.".
When someone in Babbage says 'I don't like it" they mean "I don't like it, so it should never be brought up again. "  with so much negative comments to pretty much any new idea for the sims, it's a wonder they get anywhere really.

Most the time, when the chorus of "I don't like it..." starts, then the idea is pretty much dead ended and won't go further (case in point, meters for RP fights, OOC tags for those not wanting to RP, magic based characters, wich still flops back and forth), there's been some rare times, when dispite "I don't like it" opposition, a new idea or concept manages to get through, the existence of Cuffs admidst all the cries of "I don't like combat" (I'm not too sure how often they get action there however, but still, the fact it's there and all).
Personally, as long as I have land in Babbage, and I'm not breaking the sim rules (no rule saying 'Don't do what they don't like" that I know of anyway), I've just given up bringing it up on the site, or asking opionions in chat, and just done it.  turning damage on in my factory, turning off flight, having had gunfights in the past, making an OOC tag in my RP group and setting it anytime I actually am OOC, possibly the fact I am almost always RPing, despite Babbage's frequent moods of 'I don't like RP".

I have had ideas and plans I really hadn't worked on though either, trying to make my warmechs metered to fight, using somethng similar to ICS, I'm not really a scripter, and when making the mistake of asking in group if anyone could point me to a good script to pull off what's essentially a wearable ironside, I got met wit snark, some people onl replying 'I'm allergic to combat'  not helpful.

I'm mostly speculating, but I suspect alot of the 'Don't like' crowd had had experience with a sim that did something similar to the idea they're against, and did it poorly.  maybe they logged into a sim just to shop, and got 20 rules NC's immediatly, maybe they made a mistake of going to a dedicated RP sim and ran afoul of the 'IC zone", maybe they went to a sim with an IC police force that wasn't controlled very well.  And so they retreat, and in their mind, because that one sim handeled the concept wrong, than the idea itself must be bad and so should stay out of the grey RP sim that is Babbage (yeah I went there).
I half expect if one of them had a bad experience with 7seas, that they'd flip out and declare 7seas as a sim killer and keep it out of Babbage.

There's alot of things I don't like, I don't like refering to everything, attachment, structure, vehicle, as a build, I don't like referring to the real me as 'my typist', I'm not a big fan of dances, though I go mostly to be social, and also support whoever's having the dance.  Not once have I ever responded to anyone using these terms or hosting a dance with "I don't like" in that way they do.

Heck, if I owned the whole Babbage sim, I'm pretty sure most of them would say "I don't like.." then leave after I told them "and I don't care."  the very fact I'd be more supportive of the RPers, and make it more a grey RP, steampunk version of Ravenscraig (wich I need to go back and check out sometime, it strikes me as one of the best run RP sims I've seen, I've just gotten out of pseudo-european fantasy lately, so haven't been active)

The facebook page, I've already liked, on my FB account, Grendel Marsh, and plan on being supportive, if the bobbies idea does get through, despite the fact I think it's sort of a waste to set them all up to be bumblers and tour guides, I'd support that as well. (of course there's nothing stopping anyone from making their own group, bow street runners or something, not nessicerily official or anything, but they try and solve crimes).
I'll also continue to be supportive of dances and balls, even though they're not my thing

one step forward, two steps back

just as I was starting to think people were relaxing a bit and accepting the fact that no, roleplay is not a 4 letter word, and a few of us actually enjoy it, we go back to RP being the doom of us all.
 after a couple comments on the babbage site, reguarding RP itself being what killed rivet town, rp is drama, noone likes drama, and someone else deciding an idea that didn't work in one sim, doesn't work in ANY sims and must be avoided, looks like it's back to square 1 on the anti-roleplay, ah well, Babbage's wierd bi-polar relationship with RP continues.

at least there was some aknowledgement that you can't rely on merchants to keep renting from you.


eitherway, for something completely different:
I've been toying around off and on with Opensim, no I'm not planning on leaving SL and NB anytime soon (at  least until they make it a rule 'you will not rp at all while in our sim', then i'll go), but it's more curiosity.
Opensim right now isn't much to look at, though the builds look a bit better than they did when I first looked at it a couple years ago, but it basically follows how SL's seemed to develop (busted search and viewer 2 aside) just somewhat behind by a year or two.  When I first came to SL, I tried it for a few months, then lost interest, the buildings were fugly, everything was clunky, and all i could find was malls, clubs, and sex shops.
gave it a break for a couple years, came back, and was more impressed with the platform of SL, and found some RP sims and communities (CoLA was my first, for all the lagg DCS caused).
So far open sim seems to be going the same way, albeit somewhat after SL.
I honestly think, SL had alot of potential, that's been primarily ignored, Opensim, being how it's not all run by 1 company, may manage to push the potential further, if SL ever falls.  it's sort of like the early days of the internet (I didn't get into computers and internet until the late '90's in high school, so I'm talking 1990's as the early days here) when it was mostly through something like USA data net, and everything was dial up, that's SL when it started, then wifi was developed, other services for internet, and now ou can get websites on your phone.  I could see Opensim being what develops a grid for general open use, virtual worlds 2.0, getting it on your phone, having a sim tied into a web page, even shopping (much as I hate in world sl shopping) turning into, you go to Amazon.com's sim, browse their store, order a book inworld, and either get it on your RL doorstep, or downloaded to your kindle.
As it is, I'm also looking into running an open sim off a USB stick, i've had an idea for one of the pocketwatch flash drives I make in rl, taking one, and basically filling it with a full 4 sim steampunk city, literally a world in a pocketwatch.  Considering you can save files from Opensim, builds, etc, wich SL will not let you do, uploading textures is free, where SL it charges 10L each, it does have a couple benifits.



On the SL front, I have a place in a new steam sim, Cala Mondrago, I haven't done alot there yet, but did open up Footman Imports (wich needs a sign I keep forgetting) with some of my items i maybe sell, and a temporary lab for 'studying djinn' .  no clue how long I'll keep it, half of it is more to support Cala Mondrago, as it's also been marketed as an RP friendly place, (while still following a grey style of RP similar to Babbage, they seem more supportive of RP and you get less of an impression they look down on it).  for now, I've talked to Gizzy about her possibly being the IC caretaker of it, since she's still kind of only semi back, and been saying she sort of wanted a change of pace, plus she was the model for the steamscorpion afterall, and looks good in harem girl wear.



Dr. D's 2nd attempt to actually be a villian went over slightly better than the doom clocks, mostly just reacted to by comments through the website, primarily Mournington turning up the power on his tardis and miss falcon in antarctica, no real in world reactions though, it was largely ignored in world until the ending, with the fires.
so I'd call it lukewarm rather than the cold level of the doom clocks
it's lead up to platform 11 now being fully operational, once i figure out what to have it do.
right now though, there's the RP with the snake going on, and dr O painting the town purple (unfortunatly connected with RFL, wich it's that time of year people are obsessed with it, hopefully it stays as low key as last year) so likely will hold off on having Dr. D do to much, though he's somehow aquired a desert drider companion.