Elite roleplay: Q&A and OOC

08 May 2021, 5:06pm

Knightwolf 1785
BestSecretaryEver
Knightwolf 1785Nope.

Then why not make your character a human?

Because I wanted to stretch my imagination!

Nah. I think you and Synthia have the same misconception here. You wanted to be special and unique in a universe that doesn't give a damn.

The very nature of Elite's universe is that you are nobody. You're one soul amongst trillions. And the way you become somebody in this universe is through earning your right to be known, through deed and actions. And even then, you could accomplish feats of amazing skill and effort and people still don't know who you are.

I can understand why people want to be special and known for something. Most games put you in the role of the gifted hero, but not Elite. And I'm willing to bet that this is where you get hung up on it.

Sorry, but that's not how Elite works. Your story is one of trillions. Prepare accordingly.

Knightwolf 1785

08 May 2021, 5:15pm

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No one is looking past what she looks like at all! She is nothing special or gifted. She's the only one of her kind and isn't known to the whole galaxy. She's just wanting to make a living and explore to find out where she's from? That is all! She even tries to hide her looks in most places with a hologram to look human! It is not prefect but it helps with her explaining her tails and ears away as "Just something I like."

Stillgar777

08 May 2021, 5:15pm

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Isaiah Evanson

Nah. I think you and Synthia have the same misconception here. You wanted to be special and unique in a universe that doesn't give a damn.

The very nature of Elite's universe is that you are nobody. You're one soul amongst trillions. And the way you become somebody in this universe is through earning your right to be known, through deed and actions. And even then, you could accomplish feats of amazing skill and effort and people still don't know who you are.

I can understand why people want to be special and known for something. Most games put you in the role of the gifted hero, but not Elite. And I'm willing to bet that this is where you get hung up on it.

Sorry, but that's not how Elite works. Your story is one of trillions. Prepare accordingly.

I can see your point, but, NOTHING about this game is explained well or easily in game or otherwise.. One has to be creative to even be bound by the constraints of this universe..

I have to agree with Knightwolf on this. The creative aspect of this, so called, "role-play" is extremely suppressed, unfortunately. Inara looks like a database and less like a message board I want to spend time on. Sadly, I won't be spending much more time in the discussion section. As the verdict of the incumbents is clear..

Nice meeting you.. see you in the black.. maybe.

o7

Last edit: 08 May 2021, 5:22pm

M. Lehman

08 May 2021, 5:17pm

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This:

Knightwolf 1785 She's the only one of her kind and isn't known to the whole galaxy.

Is why no no one is buying this:

Knightwolf 1785She is nothing special or gifted.

Sakashiro

08 May 2021, 5:20pm

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I'm somewhat torn between the two positions here. On the one hand, I agree that members of an alien species showing up in a bar make absolutely no sense. For this to happen, the said species would have to have been discovered a long time ago and undergone a process of cultural assimilation, starting with language. And even then, the bar would have to accommodate the alien species by providing special beverages compatible with that species' digestive system and acquired tastes, etc. There is only one contemporary alien species known in Elite lore, and it's as alien as one could possibly imagine. None of us could roleplay a Thargoid, even if we wanted to.

On the other hand, I think roleplayers should not be required to buy books and tabletop RPGs to figure out Elite lore. There is the game itself, there is the GalNet archive, and there are wikis (Fandom, Canonn Research, etc.). These are available free of charge to everyone, so we can reasonably expect people to consult them before creating their characters. However, writers should not be restrained by what other writers have written before them. I haven't read any of Drew Wagar's novels, so I don't care if something he wrote conflicts with what I'm writing now. Those who do care are welcome to extend the aforementioned wikis.

My own character is somewhat outside the lore, too. In my logbook, Imperial slavery is not the benign social safety net that the Empire claims it is, but slavery in the true sense of the word. I respect that people disagree with this interpretation, and that is why I don't roleplay here any more.

M. Lehman

08 May 2021, 5:25pm

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SakashiroIn my logbook, Imperial slavery is not the benign social safety net that the Empire claims it is, but slavery in the true sense of the word. I respect that people disagree with this interpretation, and that is why I don't roleplay here any more.

Actually... that would be perfectly acceptable, IMO (depending on the details). Reality falling short of ideals or official guidelines is eminently realistic, as is systemic corruption.

Artie

08 May 2021, 5:28pm

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Sakashiro
On the other hand, I think roleplayers should not be required to buy books and tabletop RPGs to figure out Elite lore. There is the game itself, there is the GalNet archive, and there are wikis (Fandom, Canonn Research, etc.). These are available free of charge to everyone, so we can reasonably expect people to consult them before creating their characters. However, writers should not be restrained by what other writers have written before them. I haven't read any of Drew Wagar's novels, so I don't care if something he wrote conflicts with what I'm writing now. Those who do care are welcome to extend the aforementioned wikis.

That's certainly not a requirement. For example, I know the game, I know the Galnet, I know some of the past things from the previous games, etc. or I can find the stuff over the internet, but that's all. Nobody is expected to know everything. When in doubts, there are always people who I can ask for a clarification and get some enlightenment. When even then in doubts or they don't know, it's a time to use the best judgment and logical assumptions and double-check it won't break anything existing (or play it safe and abandon some disputable ideas). I think that's the general principle that should be applied.

Stillgar777

08 May 2021, 5:30pm

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M. LehmanThis:

Knightwolf 1785 She's the only one of her kind and isn't known to the whole galaxy.

Is why no no one is buying this:

Knightwolf 1785She is nothing special or gifted.

Fair point.. bit of a contradiction.. catch 22.. oxymoron.. um paradox.. ya ya thats the ticket...

N.B. I haven't actually been able to play the damn game yet today because of this damn forum... grrrr

Stillgar777

08 May 2021, 5:36pm

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Rebecca Hail

That is a lot, but hardly creative.

Don't get me wrong, there are creative crossovers en masse, but simply taking x elements from x franchises and throwing them into a shared world isn't it.

Being creative also means that you can work around boundaries and within established frameworks, without them limiting you.

Still, credit where its due.. I got a kick out of that post BECAUSE it was comical! Well written and made his point. It was creative and I got a chuckle.. even if it was a montage of universes.. that was the beauty of it. I disagree.. it WAS creative.

Sappho

08 May 2021, 5:39pm

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Expanding on 1 of your points, I think it telling that E:D would be extremely difficult to play, & certainly next to impossible if the players didn't have 3rd-party sites, none of which are official, upon which to rely.

That E:D supplies few details other than the very basic, & even those depend on knowing just where to look & how to find them.

I can speak from personal experience, still being a relative newb to the game, having only heard of it <2 years ago & only started even playing it not much >1 year ago. I felt overwhelmed & utterly clueless... no idea how to do nearly everything.

Until I stumbled upon Inara, with all the tips, clues, & many helpful other players.

BUT, the point is, the E:D FDevs started a game back in 1984, a very basic wireframe model, which (I'm surmising) didn't need much more than the basics of pew-pewing in that edition of the game.

The support & official tutorials & references haven't progressed much beyond that to this day. Without 3rd-party sites, the game would be nearly unplayable except for perhaps the dedicated OCD few & the "learning cliff" so steep that it would drive all but the most determined elsewhere. That cliff remains very steep...

Thank goodness for all of the 3rd-party sites... if not for them, I think that my purchasing the game would be one I regretted.

But, that relative lack of support extends also to, IMO, the relative lack of lore. That some would find so much opportunity for creative writing there gives me the impression that creative writing beyond those relatively narrow confines would exceed their capabilities.

'Until I escaped the confines of a ping-pong ball, I thought it huge & encompassing the entire universe, & my mind boggled with the endless possibilities.'

I can't & won't argue what exists of E:D lore; I regret that there's so little beyond it & all the limitations of opportunities to be creative within that.

E:D is, basically, a combat-oriented game with 2 sub-sets, trade & exploration, & yet the game ranking as it's expressed on Inara & the game itself reflects a focus on combat ranking. There's the CQC, right? Is there any equivalent to that for trade & exploration? Nope. E:D remains little more than pew-pew in an undisputably complex & detailed space-sim.

E:D, & Inara as a reflection of it, is no place for creative writing beyond the narrow confines of what exists of E:D lore.

Artie, in his wisdom, has created a place for writing RP to explore beyond those boundaries. I'd suggest, those who would continue to belittle those with the creative inspiration to go beyond those confines are candidates for being Ignored as they have demonstrated themselves as offering no redeeming qualities; not to mention, it is fully possible for them to 'Unsubscribe' from that particular section if what they find is that disagreeable.

Or, simply, as an alternative, write elsewhere & provide a link for those that wish to take it upon themselves the responsibility for clicking on them.

Isaiah Evanson

08 May 2021, 5:48pm

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Genuine question then, why are you still here if it's such an awful game?

Sappho

08 May 2021, 5:54pm

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Isaiah EvansonGenuine question then, why are you still here if it's such an awful game?

It's the closest thing I've found where I can get to experience a dream since I've had as a little girl, born just about the time that humans first ventured into space, & ever since I learned to read, picking up the newspaper & borrowing books on the topic, both fiction & non-fiction... I've always wanted to go into space. I know that I'll never get that chance & it's a fervent wish that I live long enough to see humans land on Mars.

That's why. I didn't buy the game for pew-pew... it's there for those who want it, & thankfully, the FDevs have provided opportunities for things not combat-focused.

Knightwolf 1785

08 May 2021, 5:56pm

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Same for me as it is for Sappho. That is why I got the game.

Isaiah Evanson

08 May 2021, 5:58pm

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So why throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to the story?

Sappho

08 May 2021, 5:59pm

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Wow, JB Threepwood! That was fantastic, what you wrote in the Alternate Reality section! Huge kudos!