IMM Poll: Backgrounds and Background Checks

I really like this idea, simply because it gives an encentive to having a well thought out character background. If you want a restring or a quest class, then it would be easier for the imms to see where your character is coming from, and not have to guess why your character is a cliched murderer.

I voted no, because I don't see any real positives or negatives for this idea. I doubt it would discourage many people, but on the other hand, it's just another writing project. With this idea, if I'm playing a qrace applicant who wants to be caballed, it's somewhat difficult to send you a cohesive quest app without sounding redundant or ICly assuming you magically knew about my upbringing. And for the cabal, I would probably be twice as redundant, since I want the non-imms to know these important things about my character. The idea just seems silly to me, not to mention completely OOC. A description can be seen, an app must be written, but a background? Even an immortal needs to get his information from somewhere, so where is this coming from?

i voted no. no good reason to implement it, and its just another thing i got to write just to play a character. if the imms need to find out a character's back ground or motives, the best thing to do is find out the old fashioned way - roleplay with him/her. none of this lazy 'let me look up our OOC file on this character and decide if his actions fit with his background'. take over a mob to strike up conversation, or just interact with him as a god. plenty of good, in game ways to find this stuff out without having to code in more rules and writing projects for players to comply with.

Not sure this will discourage roll play because once it's done it's done. It's more like a gateway requirement than a real restriction on behavior in-game. It might, however, discourage people from casually trying out new classes, the attempts at which sometimes develop into excellently RP'd characters.

If you do end up implementing it, make it readable by all players instead of just immortals.

If you do end up implementing it' date=' make it readable by all players instead of just immortals.[/quote']

That's the worst idea of all. How would other characters have access to that kind of information? All this does is discourage RP interactions between players.

If I have to spend time coming up with a story, I'd like people to be able to read it. They would have access to it because everyone in the lands is a person of fame and rumors about them are on the mouth of every citizen.

Yes, make it readable by anyone.... so then anyone can find a reason why you should NOT attack him.

I'm not for it. But, if it is implemented, I don't want to have to read someone elses background. Hell, if I have to read a description that I have to hit enter even once, I get slightly annoyed. And yes, I feel you DO have to read descriptions. Why? Enhance RP. If you're spending a week hunting in The Emerald Forests are you not going to notice the tattoo of the goose being mounted by a flame elemental that your tank has on his forehead?

But, as for backgrounds/histories... I don't want it if everyone has to do it. If you want something extra, a qrace or class? Yeah, make it mandatory. If you want a cabal? Well, if cabals are changed so they are not required to survive (and compete) at the higher ranks, and are used more as tools of RP than skills of awesomeness, then yes. If they stay the same, nope.

And the first time some elitist PC decides that I need to die because I haven't heard about him conquering that bully on the school yards when he was six... because, I mean, everyone else heard about it... I'm gonna get miffed.

I dunno. As long as it isn't mandatory and players can't read it, I'm fine with it. More than fine, I want it. But if players can read it and then decide, "Oh, I knew that at this age he learned to have a fear of spiders, I'm going to use it on him." It's ooc and bull. But if that player learns about my character's arachnophobia through RP? Then my background was worth it.

a-g

A_g is just saying that to be devils advocate. He really wants to read them.

Interesting range of opinions.

a_g loves reading descriptions...

I still think that if only IMMs can read it, it is almost the same as the app system we have now. I talk about my background in my apps to cabals anyways...like Anon said.

If players can read it, I need to make it vague and leave out anything incriminating (making it boring to read and write)

So, I voted no...

I still think that if only IMMs can read it' date=' it is almost the same as the app system we have now. I talk about my background in my apps to cabals anyways...[/quote']

That's exactly the reason I don't like the suggestion, you ALREADY do that in qrace/qclass/restring applications and with cabal applications to some extend.

Since certain people are posting again to make sure their displeasure/disagreement is known, I will take the liberty to answer some issues.

Issue: "I don't want other players reading this! They shouldn't know my history! They are just going to use it as a cheap reason to pick fights"

Answer: Read my original post. Only Immortals would be able to read it. We currently have a system where you can make your history known to the playerbase - The Heralds and The Heraldic Tomes.

Issue: "This is silly and OOC! How would they know about my past!"

Answer: How is it OOC at all? A God should be at the bare minimum semi-omniscient and semi-omnipotent. There are many ways they could know about your past - if they believed a hero was destined for greatness, do you not think they would watch said character from child birth? Think about the story of any hero from Greek Mythology.

Issue: "I already write this stuff in my applications!"

Answer: One, I do not imagine that this would be long at all. Maybe two paragraphs. Unlike descriptions and applications: I would not care about your spelling - and to a lesser degree, I would not care about your grammar. Two, unlike applications, this would be written in the third person (Jack was born in the village of..). It would include things about your past and maybe things that are going on currently. Maybe your character is a pathological liar - their application would be written full of lies - the background would not. Maybe your character is insane - the application would make no sense or be all over the place- the background would be written by a (hopefully) sane person. There are things that you cannot fully get through an application, the background allows for this. Three, an application does not always have to contain a background. An application can be a poem. An application can be about what you plan to do. An application can be a journal. An application in its most basic form tells us why you think you are fit to receive what you are that which you are asking. A background would be more direct and less fluffy or verbose. Four, feel free to borrow from your background when you write your applications. Better redundant and consistent, than original and disingenuous.

Issue: "I like to roleplay on the go! I dont want to have to stick to this!"

Answer: I fully endorse having a character mature and go through changes. You may have started as a follower of greed that hated faeries, but then your character interacted with a certain faerie over a period of years that made you grow out of your irrational hatred and being a miser. Nothing about your background would prevent this from happening. However, roleplaying on the go does not mean that your characters roleplay changes every time you log on. One day you are a rude person, the next day you are this loveable rapscallion, the next day you are a bloodthirsty killer.

Issue: "This is just being lazy."

Answer: I am not sure how to even dignify that with an answer.

Issue: "I dont like to write."

Answer: This is a text based game. Writing is pretty much a pre-requisite.

Issue: "This should be optional! And it should give bonuses"

Answer: Maybe - that is not a bad suggestion at all. I still believe that those who want something that are above the normal will be required to have it. Qraces/classes and cabals are supposed to be role models of RolePlaying and PlayerKilling. You may think this will make attaining one harder, but it will actually make it easier.

I had my reservations, but I think that post settles my opinion. I am all for it, and I can see how it would help make attaining cabal, qrace and qclass spots 'easier'.

IMO the option should be there for -any- player to use it if they so wish, and it can be viewed like when you type 'desc' - obviously not by other players, but by yourself. Naturally, most types will only ever use it when applying for cabals/qrace/qclasses but it could also allow other players a place to put up some character info, even if it's only going to be them and Imms that see it.

Dey

And if you want the whole playerbase to know, track down a Herald and beat/pay/threaten/ask them into sending it as a tome. I believe they have a special category in the tomes.

I would like the option of putting in a background/history. But I am highly against it being a displayable requirement.

If imms can see a background/etc, it would make it easier for them to RP with said person (the RP would be more... epic, so to speak). The reward is there. If its a requirement, everyone has one and it isn't quite as special anymore.

Just to further Malch's point about how this is similiar to the existing app system, an application is not the same as your background. I can't recall the last application I sent that mentioned more than a tiny snippet of my character's background or history. If the point is that you WANT to put your background in your application, and having it both in your 'background' and 'application' would be redundant, then I'm not so sure.

Dey

I think other people should be able to read it. Call it OOC, but you can find out what perk somebody chose and their handedness just by using the bio command.