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BattleMaster => BM General Discussion => Topic started by: Vita` on October 03, 2015, 03:14:12 AM

Title: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Vita` on October 03, 2015, 03:14:12 AM
This seemed rather relevant to our community.

http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/37103/what-is-my-guy-syndrome-and-how-do-i-handle-it
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: GundamMerc on October 03, 2015, 05:51:36 AM
Hit the nail right on the head with that one. Can't tell you how many times I've had to deal with that in this game. *glares at Atamara*
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Indirik on October 03, 2015, 08:20:23 PM
This is a good point. But it's also possible to go too far the other way, doing whatever the hell you want, and foregoing all sense of continuity and consistency. And that makes people angry, too.

I think it's important to walk somewhere in the middle. You need to keep in mind both what's good for the game, and what makes sense to do.

Overall, though, a good read.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Vita` on October 03, 2015, 08:38:53 PM
I think the key point I draw from it, in how to maintain a moderate approach, is to not divorce the responsibility for your character's actions from yourself to such an extent that you're saying 'but its what he would've done/it was the IC thing' even when it hurts the realm, island, or game atmosphere. And yeah, Atamara is a classic example.

Quote
Separate your character's thoughts from your own thoughts, but don't forget who is in control of both personalities. The division between your personality and that of your character only goes so far as it helps the game; once it begins becoming a disruption, a player has a responsibility to alter his or her character's decisions in the interest of the group. In the end, your relationships with the people you are sitting in someone's living room with are more important than your character's internal consistency.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: GundamMerc on October 03, 2015, 08:42:53 PM
This is a good point. But it's also possible to go too far the other way, doing whatever the hell you want, and foregoing all sense of continuity and consistency. And that makes people angry, too.

I think it's important to walk somewhere in the middle. You need to keep in mind both what's good for the game, and what makes sense to do.

Overall, though, a good read.

Honestly at this point the game could do with people breaking continuity. I mean, continuity is what got us here. People with the "My Guy Syndrome" are always quick to caution about staying true to the character. My response is that you should find any excuse, any line of reasoning that would make your character choose to take an action that you as a player would want to take, and run with it. Otherwise what we get are white knight characters that have no depth and are completely predictable in the actions they take.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Vita` on October 03, 2015, 08:50:18 PM
One example given was...

First, background setup. They were going to land on an enemy ship, confront enemy, battle, engage, interact etc. But one guy just wanted to blow the ship up.

So a suggestion was that instead of giving into 'my guy' and the ship getting blow up 'because its what he would've done', you self-sabotage OOCly. Let your guy *attempt* to blow up the ship, but then provide a reason why it failed. Example here, was he wanted to place explosive under exhaust shaft and the failure reason was that there was too much surveillance, were too many sensors, and was too risky. So, this way, one can allow 'their guy' to attempt what they would've naturally done, but as a player also intervene in why that failed.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Sacha on October 03, 2015, 08:57:47 PM
If people with My Guy Syndrome refuse to break stagnation because it would 'break character', just tell them their characters have no character. They're just a bunch of slothful, unambitious cowards :)
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Zakilevo on October 03, 2015, 09:40:44 PM
For me it is fun>my character RP.

Usually I want to keep my character RP going but if there is something fun then screw RP.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Indirik on October 04, 2015, 04:40:11 PM
Keeping true to your character's concept doesn't mean that your character can't change to adapt to new situations. If things aren't going the way you as a player think provides the most fun for everyone, then the challenge is to find a way for your character to change and evolve and then react in a way that allows for a more appropriate course of action. You can change while making it something your gut would do.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Vita` on October 04, 2015, 06:56:18 PM
You can change while making it something your gut would do.

Yet another option for the 'rp excuse' used to make a character change is religious inspiration. Divine experience with your faith's gods? Meditation under the bloodstars? Great opportunity for 'spiritual growth' as your character learns to conduct themselves in a manner more healthy for the game than their singular interests.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Miriam Ics on October 23, 2015, 03:40:49 PM
Good text, Ethan.

I can see some people doing this, but I can see people also so attached to old characters and stories that keep the game boring, always doing same things, always fighting same battles.
We must keep our minds open to new ideas and to change our chars when its possible so the game stay interesting for everyone.
I must to say I admire Lorgan and Fingolfin for that kind of attitude. There are others players with same behaviour and this is what keeps the game healthy.
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: daviceroy on October 28, 2015, 05:21:12 PM
I'll give an example of what I'm doing in Atamarra to change things up.  This is no endorsement of my characters or the situation or even myself.  It's just my 2 cents.

Some players in Atamarra have been working on a plan to reshape the major 4 realms (Talerium, Tara, CE, and Strombran).  A lot of the people are comfortable and it requires changes within the characters to some degrees.  Susan (former PM and current Judge of CE) has held honor as a key component of her character.  I have had to find a reason for her to want to break things apart.  The reasoning that is being formed in her mind is how CE has fallen from the honorable realm that it once was to a realm who will just bully a neighbor because it can.  This has led to her sowing the seeds of trying to split portions off from CE into a more honorable realm.

From an OOC perspective, I think it'll be more fun for a facelift for the realms to happen.  It'll give people a chance to figure out a new future and for new battles.  It'll break up the federations and alliances of old.  Give new interesting options to players to interact.  I'm hoping that it can still work to bring back some of the fun to Atamarra.

As I've said to others on this topic though, we can't just sit back and say we are doing anything.  Find a good motivation.  When a character looks crazy, people will treat it that way.  Sometimes that can be quite fun to be the crazy duke. ;)
Title: Re: My Guy Syndrome
Post by: Miriam Ics on October 30, 2015, 06:01:48 PM
I see the new limits as a chance for everyone to change their characters a bit, and to think on good rps, to move all second chars somewhere else. It would be a great move.