Terminal

Preferred Narrative Fallthrough

So hey, the following segue involves a description of an argument regarding practical and philosophical differences in roleplaying and writing in general, as a collaborative effort. It's sort of long and probably not of interest to anybody who doesn't care too much about literary theory or in managing interaction between thread participants. Also it's probably sort of divisive. I put it here because after pondering over what happened, I am genuinely curious regarding what other posters might think/feel regarding the positions expressed by the parties in the argument.

This is Kind of Long

A while ago - approximately a month and a half or so - I was participating in a roleplay and happened to be witness to an intense disagreement between two posters concerning what one or the other was or was not permitted to do, and eventually required GM intervention in order to resolve the matter before it generated further problems. For the sake of keeping things civil, the RP in question, as well as the posters involved, will be kept anonymous. If you participated in that particular RP or know of the incident in question, your discretion is appreciated.

The basic problem boiled down to the fact that one poster (henceforth Poster A) did not want to interact with another poster IC. Seems straightforward enough. However, the second poster (Poster B) argued that Poster A's position in the RP was such that it made evading interaction IC highly improbable and implausible, and that they could not force their characters to not take specific actions in response to events or actions executed by the characters of Poster A. Poster B further argued that, by insisting they did not want to interact, Poster A was knowingly acting in a manner which invalidated the 'contextual reality' of the RP, and that their actions could be constituted as metagaming.

When asked specifically why they did not want to interact with Poster B, Poster A said that it was because interaction in that circumstance with Poster B would influence a particular plotline Poster A was running with their own characters in a way they did not want the plotline to progress. When asked if they would consider interaction with any other poster and characters that might possibly influence the aforementioned plotline, Poster A did not give a firm answer but implied they would prefer to not permit any other posters to influence that particular plot and had no desire to accommodate for any such potential influence.

When asked why they could not force their characters to act in such a way as to accommodate Poster A's preference, Poster B said that it as because the way Poster A's characters and the actions they were taking were, within the context of the RP, impossible (or at least highly improbably) for Poster B's characters to ignore, destroying the 'contextual reality' of the RP. They also indicated that they could not force their own characters' actions, but rather as a narrator merely 'reported' what actions their characters took, as though Poster B's characters were independent agents with free will. As such, Poster B argued that they had no ability to accommodate Poster A even had they not cared about the 'contextual reality' of the RP.

Eventually Poster B accused Poster A of 'metagaming', couching the term as the utilization of OOC knowledge and behavior in order to facilitate IC events and actions which would normally be considered unacceptable.

After that, the GM was called in to intervene. I will not describe their decision or how they reached it here, since it was a (semi) private affair, with only the other members including of the RP including myself serving as witnesses.

The basic argument between Poster A and Poster B sparked a brief discussion amongst the other posters present however, whereupon the following opinions were expressed. I would like to reiterate that these were observations made by the proverbial peanut gallery and are not being construed as fact.

- Poster A's desire to not permit any kind of outside influence or interference with their own personal plotline, in an inherently collaborative setting, was both disruptive and detrimental to the RP as a whole and the IC setting. Posters should enter into RPs expecting to have to play to others. If they were so caught up in their own personal plots, they could just write a book or short story on their own without having to interfere with the roleplay. By expressing a 'preference' to not have to interact with other posters based on possible interference with their own creative ideas, Poster A was being supremely selfish.

- Poster B was being incredibly silly by not respecting Poster A's explicit desire to not have to interact with Poster B. Arguing that the narrative consistency of a fictional setting was more important than a real, actual person's request to another poster was both rude and immature. Their insistence that Poster A be forced to interact with Poster B is a shameless instance of powergaming, and their accusation of Metagaming against Poster A was mere bullying and intimidation.

A number of participants in that particular conversation brought up specific instances where both observations were true. One poster indicated that, in Free and Casual NRPs (as an example) it had been extremely common at one point for people to power trip, joining roleplays simply to cruise around with random nonsensical death armies and auto-stomp the posters with the weakest militaries just because they could, and as such they were sympathetic to the request itself. They indicated that such a request, while potentially extremely inconvenient within the IC setting, was not unreasonable for a poster to make in instances where they felt they were being singled out as victims of blatant powergaming. Another poster indicated that the foremost concern of an Advanced writer was to create an interesting story and that concerns such as 'winning' were immature conditions best left to the Free and Casual subforums, and so all posters had an obligation to work with one another even in situations where their own personal plots and ideas might be influence by those of others.

Everybody in the end was able to agree that, all things being equal, no single event or action of significance IC occurring between two or more posters and their characters/concepts should occur without all parties involved being able to reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

Compromise proved to be impossible due to reasons which I cannot fully provide here without spoiling anonymity. Considerable efforts were made by a number of other posters and the GM to reason with both Posters A and B to see if there was some or any way in which to arrange the situation to their mutual satisfaction, or at least in a way in which they could both continue to participate in the RP. Both Posters were adamant in their stances however, both feeling that their positions were reasonable and that the others' position was unreasonable.

The conflict ended when one of the posters, feeling as though it were impossible for them to proceed any further within the RP itself, willingly withdrew from their RP of their own volition and without any prompting from the GM.

And so I am left wondering.

I would like to hear any and all thoughts or comments all of you might have on the positions/ideas being described above. What do you think was right?

Please keep any commentary constructive and try to be as objective as possible. I did not make this topic to start a flame war. I made it because I am interested in seeing what other members of the RPG community think about the situation and related problems, and also as to what reasoning others might have as to the validity of the positions/ideas described. I'll try to answer any questions posed to help clarify the exact situation, but please bear in mind that I was a fly on the wall, that the incident was a month and a half ago, and that I would like to preserve the anonymity of everyone involved. As such, there is not much more information I feel I can provide beyond what I have already laid out above.

You know. Assuming anybody even read through that whole thing and then actually wants to comment or ask questions.

The Twelve Labours: General Discussion

As a general announcement ahead of time, I would like to state that the Secret Bonus Challenges will not be returning for TTL#2. While I admit I had more than a small amount of fun coming up with punny names and conditions for each award, ultimately the number of entries and the obscure nature of the bonus challenges makes them somewhat pointless.

Instead, Bonus Challenges will be replaced by Challenge Accolades. While I will not fully elaborate upon the nature of Accolades right this moment, I will say they will be rewarded to any poster who goes above and beyond the parameters of the challenge in their submissions. A way to reward extra effort, rather than to randomly reward the odd entry that fulfilled the Labour in a highly specific way.

That is all. As you were.

The Vanguard : A Superhero RP

Just off the Coast

The Cargo Ship Mountebank sat dead in the water, viscous tendrils of inky pitch spreading through the churning ocean around it - though it was not an oil tanker and had no breaches in its hull. Directly above, the storm had started to force itself forward towards the city, the clouds arranging themselves into the shape of an arrowhead. The ship did not move, save to bob and shift slightly in the turbulent waves around it.

Yet, despite its stillness, the lights of Fortitude City drew closer. The sea in front of the vessel seemed to boil and steam as it rushed, as though some great Chthonic beast stirred the depths.

In the darkness of the ship's interior, several dimly lit figures gathered. The dimly lit environs smelled of blood and rotten vegetation. Standing between all the figures stood a statue, a figure of a kneeling woman, made entirely of salt.

"Sacred envoy, we have done as you asked. Even as we speak, a fire rages in the warehouse district. Law enforcement and emergency services will be distracted. I think we can expect at least fifteen minutes before they will be able to react to us."

A sallow figure clad in robes spoke. His voice, though soft and low, had an unnatural depth to it. "You have done well. But forces beyond our knowing have discerned our whereabouts. Genevieve gave her life so that I might waylay them, but a number of...other forces are converging. Lesser in number than the law, but great in power. I ask of you all. Who here, might give their life to stand firm against these hazards? I will not force you."

With a rustling of cloth, every darkened figure save for the sallow man in robes knelt, mirroring the pose of the statue.

"...Your sacrifices will not be in vain. Roderick, stand. You shall be my instrument in the coming conflict." The sallow man approached one of the knelt figures, who rose and stood expectantly.

"I now anoint you with the seal of Sathanas." The sallow figure spoke, his hands moving to probe and touch the figure's chest and brow. "All listen and take heed. Here is what you must do..."

Fortitude City
The Docks

The woman flying through the sky did not have to go far before she saw the source of the sky's turmoil.

A large cargo ship, listing dangerously towards its starboard side with its prow somehow impossibly facing more than ninety degrees off the course of its motion as it drew closer, approached the dockside on a collision course. The waters around it were dark, seeming to seethe and boil with vehement force akin to a rogue wave. The harbor this close in was nowhere near deep enough to accommodate the cargo ship's hull, but the ocean apparently cared little for such trivial concerns. The cargo ship drew inexorably closer, the wave of broiling water sweeping before it upturning several vessels moored at smaller docks tilting dangerously on the sides just before the cargo ship smashed headlong into them. With tremendous force and deafening noise, the cargo ship's starboard hull tore through wood and concrete piers, metal rending and shredding as rock was torn apart and obliterated. Refusing to slow down, the monstrous vessel dragged itself further towards land, its side crumpling inward and flooding even as it advanced as an irresistible wall of force. Raising a cloud of thrown up rocks and dust, the cargo ship was finally rammed across its side directly into the dockside. Dozens of ships capsized while more splintered and shattered to pieces as the cargo ship rolled over them, while screams tore through the air only to mingle and be lost in the sound of crumbling cement.

Finally, the massive vessel's motion shuddered to a halt. Immediately, in the massive haze of smoke and debris floating in the air, dozens of darkened figures wearing pitch robes rushed out from the now condemned hull, spreading out and heading in different directions away from the docks.

All the while, fire burned in the distance.

Stellvia [Always Accepting] (Hey, these things in parentheses are hip, right?)

Damn it people, hire GNT more~!

@Kimiyosis

Sorry, did you say Serve GNT more?

Cause I've got some cookin' for the neighborhood barbecue right now.

Stellvia [Always Accepting] (Hey, these things in parentheses are hip, right?)

Enned System
Letona's Gaze

"Captain, we have a large problem over here." The Sensor Officer's voice was calm as he spoke into his headseat, although the frenetic and rapid manner in which his index finger was repeatedly hammering on his console's alert button told a different story. "A large vessel of unknown configuration has just exited FTL, in orbit over Enned at five hundred kilometers. No weapons, but sensors are having trouble penetrating the hull."

Rising from their sleep in their quarters, the Surveyor's captain swore their way to consciousness, groping clumsily in the darkness as they grasped for their communicator. Seconds later, a shipwide alert was initiated, orange lights blaring while a calm feminine voice spoke over the intercom.

"Alert. Proximity intrusion by an unrecognized vessel, configuration unknown. All personnel stand by for possible acceleration. All personnel stand by for possible emergency FTL Jump."

The captain found their communicator and made contact with the bridge. "Herne, get in contact with the GNT forces on the ground immediately and have them stand by to intercept any landing craft. Issue orders to apprehend any intruders on the planet the instant they set foot on the ground. AFTER you have done that, issue a cold contact C&D to the intruding ship. Rolland, get all the walkers out working on the breach inside, don't get hung up about leaving equipment adrift." He thought for a moment, and then remembered that there were two carriers in-system. "And send a request to the Federation carrier for Strike-Craft screening. Even if that thing doesn't have weapons, better safe than scrapped."

The Watchman's Eye

Jia-Jio's neurological implant, already alerting her to the presence of the dozen or so ships buzzing uselessly around the planet, abruptly alerted her of an incoming tightwave transmission from the one loitering near the Ennedi Starbase. The message being relayed included a visual emblem of the Straylight Institute's banner, and was written in Baceran - an old language the Straylight Institute used to initiate contact with every new species it encountered. While the Straylight Institute had made contact with Anuku some time ago, there was no guarantee that The Watchman's Eye had it on record. Or that Jia-Jio would even care about having one more alert to ignore.

Straylight Message

Unrecognized vessel, you are trespassing in a secure planetary zone! Planet Enned is under the provisionary authority of the E.R.C. as described by the Beta-Aquila Convention. If you attempt to make planetfall, your personnel will be apprehended. If you initiate hostilities, you will be destroyed. Withdraw from Planet Enned's orbit to a minimum distance of five million kilometers immediately, or E.R.C. enforcement will board and seize your vessel.

F.S.S Mars

Aboard the Federation Carrier's bridge, the communications officer received a communique direct from Letona's Gaze half a minute after the unrecognized ship had materialized above Enned.

Letona's Gaze Message

F.S.S. Mars, an unrecognized vessel of unknown configuration has appeared in orbit above planet Enned at a distance of five hundred kilometers. Please send a small force of drones to provide screening for our vessel, as we do not have any defensive systems of our own.

We have issued a C&D message to the vessel along with a statement of our legal authority in this system under the Beta-Aquila Convention. Your forces are permitted to board and seize the vessel if it does not immediately begin to withdraw to a minimum distance of five million kilometers from Enned. GNT forces are standing by on the planet to apprehend any unauthorized landing parties, and you are permitted to engage the vessel directly if it should instigate hostilities.

Planet Enned
Alien Industrial District
Seven Kilometers from GNT Basecamp

Down on the ground, what should have been a harmless milk-run devolved into a tactical nightmare made reality.

Why the Ennedi of old had decided every intersection needed an array of turrets was a mystery, and unfortunately for the Seventh Division Infantry Teams, they found themselves surrounded on all sides, caught in the middle of a kill-box with no immediate cover. The turrets lifted from their cradles in eerie silence, the vacuum of the planet's surface completely masking both the smooth whirring noise of the motors guiding their movement as well as the tell-tale hum of imminent energy discharges. Each turret's construction consisted of a long, metallic rod easily wider and longer than most vehicle railguns attached to the end of wide parabolic dish, connected at the back to a ball-mount - each device looked sturdy and unworn despite their eighty million year long sleep.

Thankfully, however intact they appeared on the outside did not extend to their inner workings. One of the turrets failed to stop orienting, continuing to spin in circles while its projection dish wobbled up and down erratically. Another turret simply appeared to have suffered a mechanical jam, oscillating back and forth in its cradle as it attempted to orient on the intruders. Beyond that, more still tracked individuals in the infantry team and simply failed to fire.

The ones that stilled worked made themselves noticed. With a brief burst of ultraviolet light, they began to fire invisible EMR Lasers at the infantry, each ray capable of passing straight through their armor and cooking them inside their suits by liquefying their flesh.

The soldier who had activated the capacitor was located in a niche tucked away in a wall several meters to the side of the massive intersection, and so was hidden from turrets - but the alcove entrance, rimmed by a metal lip, had suddenly filled behind him with a faint but just barely visible wall of shimmering evanescent light, its purpose unknown yet not too hard to guess at.

The Vanguard : A Superhero RP

Ok, I will be putting up a post tonight concerning the Cargo Ship. Be prepared.

The Vanguard : A Superhero RP

Set is weak to knives or anything else that is sharp. Although she is wearing ballistic armor, Charis is still vulnerable to bullets and bludgeoning, and shock force will still affect her as well. Werrill has no superhuman defenses and so is susceptible to anything that might kill a regular unarmored human.

The Vanguard : A Superhero RP

If anybody else wants to post, throw it out here and let me know. Otherwise, I'd like to move the Night forward so we can start to catch up with the day before Retroactive Plot Causticity begins to seep in.

Stellvia [Always Accepting] (Hey, these things in parentheses are hip, right?)

Enned System
Present Day

When the survey vessel that had rediscovered the Ennedi home system twelve days ago had departed, they left two redundant signal buoys behind, so that the system could be visited again later. The ship in question had been commissioned and operated by the Straylight Institution, an international xenoarcheology organization with the stated goal of preserving Galactic History throughout the ages. An old organization, but a modest one making a meager living as it established itself amongst the spacefaring nations of note who would accept them. Their members were constituted of many different species, and their archive of historical events was said to extend as far into the past as two hundred thousand or more Human years. A remarkable accomplishment, considering the Institution itself was much younger.

When the Institute had learned of the rediscovery of the Ennedi Home System, they had immediately scrambled to gather as many assets and allies as they could, in order to be the first force to occupy, secure, and survey the system. They had known that had they taken too long, unwanted elements would have undoubtedly discovered the information, and the system would have been plundered by innumerable scavengers.

Straylight had moved to gain funding, manpower and backing from two nations. The Federation of Sol and The Ryukyu Empire, two rising powers who had yet to establish contact brought together by the Institution. The Seventh Division of the GNT was recruited in order to help ensure the system was kept secure and to 'promote' bipartisonship between the two factions. Together, the joined forces formed the E.R.C. - The Ennedi Restoration Committee. Today, their efforts would begin.

Approximately five million kilometers from the surface of the dead Ennedi home world, space bubbled and bloomed as the Straylight survey vessel Letona's Gaze emerged from a wormhole terminus. Aboard, a large group of scientists and researchers crowded around an extremely aggravated Captain on the ship's bridge, where they watched with bated breath as sensor readings began to flood across the central viewscreen. The captain preemptively signaled the sensors officer to voice a report in order to head off any of the pests from bombarding him with questions.

"As expected, the system is arranged in a binary configuration with one supergiant and one dwarf star. Three planets in-system, two showing signs of intense surface compression indicating they were until recently gas giants. Planet Enned appears to lack an atmosphere but retains a magnetosphere. High levels of ionizing radiation and cosmic ray exposure. Multiple complex, artificial structures detected in the form of a surface spanning infrastructure. Minimal debris and surface perturbations. No vital or biometric signs of any kind. All structures appear inert, and there are no patterned frequencies or artificial signatures emanating from the planet."

"What about the Starbase? Have you scanned it yet?" One of the researchers asked, just as the entire crowd leapt on the brief pause in order to expel a hundred and one questions. The Captain ground their teeth together in aggravation. "Yes, the report said the Starbase had several exterior rings and pylons. Do you see any evidence of-" "-gars or exterior entrances of any kind, alternatively do you see any cables or extensions th-" "-osite alloys in the makeup of its frame..."

"Quiet on the bridge!" The Captain spoke in a loud tone, not quite a yell but not intended for use indoors. "Officer, proceed with your report."

"The Starbase shows signs of surface ablation and degradation along the exterior rings and on portions of the main hull. Laser-carbon stream places the structure's age at approximately eighty million Human years in age. Overall structure appears to be largely uniform and seamless where there is no damage, contrary to its appearance. Hull material does not appear to be a conventional alloy, it is highly conductive with an ordered crystalline structure. It also appears to be somewhat porous and brittle. There are no readily apparent points of entry, no frequencies or transmissions, no power sources or emission sources. The Starbase is inert and cold."

"Ok then, this is your show Professor Shiru. How are we going to proceed?" The Captain asked, turning to a figure standing at the rear of the crowd - a Human female, the first of her species' kind to head a major Xenoarcheology expedition within the confines of the Straylight Institute.

She adapted a thoughtful stance for a moment, staring hard at the back of another scientist's shirt for several moments before speaking. "Alright everyone. Here is what we are going to do..."

888888888888

Several minutes later, the Federation delegation arrived, their ships arriving in a flash of infrared light as their negative mass drives powered down. When they had heard about the discovery of the Ennedi home system, they had been quick to offer their assistance...and had also been quick to make it abundantly clear that they would operate in whatever manner they deemed fit - and that they would be establishing their own expeditions alongside that of the ERC. The response had not been one the Straylight Institute was entirely appreciative about, but it had been too late to backpedal.

At the very least, the Federation had been generous with their funding and had sent quite a few assets. An entire carrier ship with a full compliment of fighter drones, two frigate escorts, and an entire convoy of cargo vessels being used to haul equipment and supplies. At least the expedition sites would be secure and readily supplied, because of them.

Next to arrive was a GNT Assault Carrier. When the Federation had revealed that it was not beyond pursuing its own agenda, the Institute had used a portion of their generous funding to enlist the aid of the Sekos' seventh military division in order to 'encourage' a proper bipartisan relationship with the Federation. They would help to provide much of the manpower needed for the duration of the extensive mapping surveys that would take place in the Ennedi cities and the starbase interior once it had been breached.

Several minutes passed before the late third arrival appeared, the Ryukyu delegation's destroyer and frigate both appearing more than fifteen million kilometers away from the agreed upon rendezvous point. This was due in part to the relatively inaccurate and troublesome nature of the Ryuan gravity drive, which was not renowned for its reliability. Once the late party had sent affirmations to Letona's Gaze, the Straylight Surveyor sent a dispatch transmission to all three of the forces.

E.R.C. Agenda

Welcome to the Enned system. We are about to engage in an expedition of unrivaled import and significance. The rediscovery of the Ennedi homesystem represents the greatest historical find in over two-hundred thousand years, especially considering the good condition of the remnant structures. By the end of the expedition, all of us will have made history.

As a general reminder to all parties however, please be aware that the structures on Enned itself, as well as the Starbase, are over eighty million years old. We are not even sure how they have managed to survive this long without any kind of apparent maintenance, but if Ennedi ruins elsewhere in the galaxy are anything to go by time has probably not treated these places well. Please proceed with utmost caution and care while you are here. Nobody wants history to remember them as the one who ruined the greatest historical find in the galaxy in two hundred thousand years.

Also note that this expedition was mounted under the assumed tenants of transparency, good will, and cooperation. It is strongly encouraged that all parties present share information on all surveys, sites of note, recovered artifacts, and technological finds. The Straylight Institute will hold itself to these basic tenants, and it is expected of the rest of you as well.

Some of you present are not familiar with each other, hailing from different regions of the galaxy and not having made prior contact with each other. Included as an attachment to this message are indices for the most commonly used languages amongst all of our respective parties, for the intended purpose of facilitating cooperation and willing communication.

The Expedition Agenda will proceed as outlined:

The Starbase does not have any apparent means of entry. The Straylight vessel [Letona's Gaze] will spend the next few days preparing a controlled breach in its hull that may be sealed and permit for entry. The Straylight staff and the crew of the vessel in question all possess extensive experience in accessing vulnerable space-structures in the described manner, and other parties are encouraged to refrain from interacting with the starbase in order to prevent accidents or loss of valuable archeological data. However, as there is a recognized need for security, scheduled patrols of strike-craft within its immediate vicinity are acceptable. Please be sure to file all relevant flight-plans with each other in order to prevent conflicts in patrol schedules and routes.

The GNT Seventh Division will send a force planetside in order to establish a staging area for our mutual use. It is highly recommended you wait for the staging ground to be established and for your own respective groups to be issued clearance to make planetfall. Once the Expedition basecamp has been established, mapping surveys will commence using aerial drones and strike-craft, followed by urban surveying on foot by squads from the Seventh division, Straylight personnel, and anybody who may wish to accompany them.

Once the Starbased has been breached and an entry point established, the GNT Seventh Division will enter and clear a Staging Area within its confines for our use. All entry to the Starbase must occur through the specific point of entry, which may take considerable time to arrange for all personnel who wish to work within its confines. The Seventh Division will survey the interior on foot by squad, again with attending Straylight personnel and accompaniment by other parties.

During all surveys, items of interest, artifacts, and technology samples must be appropriately noted, documented, cataloged, and secured before they can be transported. For this reason, do not disturb such items upon the initial find. Map their location and leave behind notes for a collection team.

It goes without saying that theft or illegal seizure of any items is a criminal offense. In the interest of diplomatic courtesy, individuals caught with stolen items will be remanded to the custody of their parent party. While we cannot force anybody to prosecute, any known thieves will be summarily barred and ejected from all expedition sites.

With all that tedious policy out of the way, let the Expedition begin. We will be the first beings to set foot on this world in eighty million years. Treasure the moment. Take the time to discuss proceedings and contact protocols with each other. Let's all make history.

The Letona's Gaze then turned and broke off, making a slow and cautious approach to the Ennedi starbase.

Schedules -- Your Inputs Here!

As individuals not taking part in TTL, we would logically have as little time between RPGCs as possible. They aren't really related to each other, so logic would dictate that they do not need to follow each others' schedules. However, with considerable overlap between the managers of the two, that cannot be avoided completely.

@Ellri

Technically speaking, I could manage and operate TTL on my own. The assistance of volunteer judges is extremely helpful and appreciated, both for the purposes of dividing a potentially large workload and in order to bypass the biases of a single unchanging judge. However, I have considered refreshing the Judge tally for each new challenge. The judges of the previous challenge would be allowed to volunteer again, although new volunteers might be chosen preferentially in order to keep the roster fresh. While this is unfair to the judges themselves, I had been hoping it would be more fair to the contestants that way.

So there may or may not be overlap between the contest staffs for any particular challenge. If the predominant concern in your decision is for permitting the staffs to have a clear schedule, then the arrangements for our respective staffs can be pre-arranged to avoid conflict.