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Veteran RPer Perspective on 42

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Noctis Ryder

Noctis Ryder

Posts: 1,086 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Hello, friends. Some of you may know me better as Noctis Ryder, Auron Ryder, Brady . I started roleplaying on this game around 2011 when I was in high school and have since not only dropped out of the community, but also quit the game for the most part, logging in only briefly to say hello to some friends I'm still in touch with.

The reason I'm posting this thread now is that after seeing the gradual decay of the community, I think it's important to reflect on the things that brought it to this point. It's been a couple of years since I was active, stopping rping altogether around the 2014-15 time frame. At this point, I think it's safe to assume that I have achieved a sort of "outside looking in" approach when I look back on why exactly I left in the first place. Perhaps this will turn into a shitpost, perhaps not. I do think, however, that it's something of a closure thing for me personally before I completely lay this bed to rest.

I used to love rping on W42. The server and everyone that comprised the community was a source of escape for me while I was going through crippling depression during my later high school years. I was rather good at avoiding the OOC drama that plagued the server for the most part, but still, good friends of mine seemed to be caught in the thick of it enough that it began to affect my attitude and overall enjoyment of rping.

The toxicity was astonishing in how much it was allowed to fester. New rpers were criticized heavily and even bullied when they rped in the taverns, namely Falador. Emphasis was put on wars over pixels of land over taking care of the needs of the players that comprised the various clans. IC alliances turned into OOC cliques, making progression for any new players or those that fell outside of the clique non-existent.

It became clear that the W42 community was no longer a community. It was the lion's den where you had to change the person you are to achieve imaginary gains ingame.
Lord Commander of House Ryder
I
the Fallen One
I
Lover of Gingers


#HeilZaros

17-Sep-2018 07:37:42

Noctis Ryder

Noctis Ryder

Posts: 1,086 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
A player in a community should not have to feel under duress when they rp. Roleplaying is a hobby. It's an escape. Why do you think it is people ran for the hills? There are kids (and some adults) who face these struggles every single god damned day. Why would they want to experience that same ridicule or inhumane treatment in a environment that's meant to be fun? Sounds a bit masochistic to me.

I'm honestly deeply saddened for the state of the game. Not everything is the community's fault, as Jagex has had its own share of piss poor business practices that have utterly destroyed an otherwise fun game. However, the nature of the community itself is a direct product of its past.

You've now reaped what you sowed. For years, people warned that if things did not change, the community was going to die out. For years, many did not listen. Well here we are folks. The taverns are empty. Freelance rp is gone. The very heart and soul of what made W42 is gone.

I truly wish for nothing but the best as I'm not one to linger on negativity. I WANT things to improve. Hell, I want to be the positive change that also promotes others to do the same. I would be a poor human being otherwise. But seeing W42 in the state it's in right now... Really makes me wish for the good old days before we turned on each other like entitled children.

To those of you that were good friends of mine back in the day, I hope you guys are still finding some fun to be had. Hit me up on this thread if you wish to get into contact with me. I'm pretty active on ESO and FF14 RP if either of those interest you.
Lord Commander of House Ryder
I
the Fallen One
I
Lover of Gingers


#HeilZaros

17-Sep-2018 07:37:51 - Last edited on 17-Sep-2018 07:49:37 by Noctis Ryder

CoronaThymeU

CoronaThymeU

Posts: 298 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
W31, July 2008, Jona's Wks-Current.

I've roleplayed on Runescape for the past decade, RPHaven, Swtor, and Discord. Communities far and wide, their differences and similarities noted. Runescape's Roleplay Community is the only one where I've been that has promoted such Toxicity, Cliques, and causes many to flee. I've always accepted the fact that as a Roleplayer, my own mind and body must be different to others seeing as we are not the normal bunch out of the populace. We enjoy to enact our fantasies, and that play only grows more entertaining when the Rper finds that they're acting of their Character's Accord.

There is no love for Roleplay's sake in Runescape RP, and I've acknowledged that, our system of combat promotes a Heavy Combat based style of Roleplay, which naturally detracts from different scenarios a Roleplay can take. You've seen as I have that most Roleplays in Runescape have revolved around a Bar, or a Spar. Combat was and still is most prevalent in every major RSRP plot rather than non-combat RP which in a mass is the minority of all our Roleplays. In the end, Combat and the drive to War-driven Roleplays will remain, and it has caused a burden, chaos and distraught for many who wish dice to become a thing. If dice become a thing then that will end the heavy focus on combat once and for all.


As for the Community, we've all bickered and fought with one another as the community is too small to remain hidden or remain out of each other's hairs. I can't consider removing people, or blacklisting players, its not good for Roleplay and everyone should be able to interact with one another. Its the incessant amount of "Watch me wreck this guy" and combat-focused Roleplay that turns many off to RSRP, it isn't all about fighting and who's character is the strongest or who can win a fight, Roleplay was intended to be an escape from reality, if we were going to compare and belittle other characters and Roleplayers, then we've doomed ourselves to a vicious --

18-Sep-2018 00:02:54

CoronaThymeU

CoronaThymeU

Posts: 298 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
--Pissing Contest. I wish our members could change, but its the same people for the same amount of time. Combat, Power with lack of creative content other than another monster or slayer to kill has been hashed out many-a-time. Rather, Roleplays that take Jagex's lore and expands upon it, within it like that of food being consumed and expanding the tummy without burst. This is needed, I know it's needed to expand our community's base because it is proven to work. We need a deviation from the Old Combat System into a more Roleplayer-esqe one that thrives on Rolls and Spreadsheets. Of course the older system could be kept, but Events and varying circumstances that require importance or seriousness need a rolling system to keep everything under a fair deciding factor.

We're in Roleplay and not competition with one another, our characters may be in competition with one another, but we don't have to be. Our comradery as a unique set of individuals who enjoy using their pastime to create should have been to the point where in the last 10 years I see the community as a family, and those in it my brothers and sisters. This is no such thing, we've all bickered and grown angry over who can fight the best, who controls the most land, who owns what and who we hate, who do we target next, who do we blacklist, who do we take out? Its come to that, and it truly is repulsive, no other Roleplay Communities have mainstreamed what we have, and that is the perpetuation of Toxicity.

The saddest fact of the matter? We'll continue for another decade, and another, and another with the same individuals. I won't leave, I'm too damn attached. I've experienced the Sewer and grown accustomed to the smell, it don't bother me, but I still wish to not live in a Sewer, respectfully that's my sentiment for the community. To combat, the winner of the rat race is still a rat: you want to prove yourself the best rper in combat, do it, don't fight about it and don't say you don't because we all do.--

18-Sep-2018 00:11:32

CoronaThymeU

CoronaThymeU

Posts: 298 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
--And I'll end this here with a warning. To all those that seek to roleplay for their own ego-centric gains, who have no power in reality like most of us, but seek to gain it in Roleplay from an OOC and not IC character perspective, your time is up, days numbered and separation check written up. I got it, we love the strong heroes and villains, got it, I'm guilty myself of taking characters and blowing them into stronger ones when numbers mightn't add up. Here I refer to all of you that wish to belittle, berate and take down others with your awesome impenetrable character. Again, this is where I hammer on the rolling system because a certain level of fairness would be associated. This is me speaking as a daft Rp Combatant, I'm absolute trash at imagining moves and projecting them, it doesn't matter how strong my character is, would be or has trained to be. If I suck at RP Combat, then my character will fail. The Rolling system is my preference, to leave any type of hitting or accepting of strokes among the community would be acceptable if the community wasn't filled with Toxicity and actual combat could be agreed on rather than OOCly arguing.

Thank you Brady for those words, its good to have you speak on this topic. We need to change, and we need to do it quick.

18-Sep-2018 00:25:25

Aurelia I
Aug Member 2021

Aurelia I

Posts: 911 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
There is a period in medicine that begins when a sick person's health deteriorates to an irreversible state. Their physician will converse with the ill person's family and let them know that there is nothing more to be done for them. After this conversation the family is usually advised of choices available to them. Discontinuing all treatments, or "pulling the plug" as it is so cruelly referred to sometimes, is sometimes the quickest way to end their loved one's suffering. It can also be quite painful to watch. Continuing an ill person on life support is also an option. Some will opt wait for a miracle in the face of all odds. Another option available is palliative care. The person will receive pain management and be made as comfortable as possible with the aid of narcotics and sedatives until they expire.

In my opinion, this small, once bright community is now at the end stage of its life. I do not expect it to exist in any organized form for another three years without a minor miracle. With that in mind there comes a time to consider what options we as roleplayers have in regards to our sick and struggling community. We can "put it on life support", hosting plot after plot in the hope of reviving the community some day. This will take a lot of effort on the part of many people and there is no guarantee it will work. We can leave, pulling our creative interests and our efforts away from RuneScape and placing them somewhere else. Or we can make this slow death as pleasant as possible by enjoying what time we have left together on world 42.

I will be opting for a middle ground. For what little time I intend to remain here as a roleplayer, I will do my best to offer a few enjoyable experiences to anyone who wishes to roleplay. In two or three months when I've had my fun and the Dragon Wars plot is over, I will be done, and leave 42 for a much more vibrant gaming community filled with players who have never even heard of roleplay. All that for a pile of bricks.

18-Sep-2018 18:30:37 - Last edited on 18-Sep-2018 18:31:01 by Aurelia I

Aurelia I
Aug Member 2021

Aurelia I

Posts: 911 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Only my closest friends know where I am going. If I have not told you already, then the end of the Dragon Wars will be when we say goodbye. I have enjoyed my time with each of you, but that time is approaching its end. Thank you for several years of enjoyment. It is time for each of you to consider what you will do when the last roleplays begin to dry up, whether that be in six months or two years.

Thank you for posting this, Noctis, and good luck to you on ESO. All that for a pile of bricks.

18-Sep-2018 18:30:41 - Last edited on 18-Sep-2018 18:34:33 by Aurelia I

Gersty

Gersty

Posts: 312 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Well I'm not the philosophical type, so I'm glad to see that aspect has already been covered.

Much as I'm tryina get my life together, I do enjoy this and it's a damn shame how, in the light of all this, there's still prominent members of the community who blatantly and blindly continue leading cliques even when preaching about this state of decay we're in and their hopes we can come out of it.

Sucks most people in this world can't see their own contributions to issues, because that's what really spurs said problems to persist; lack of owership.
"When the Lord made me, He made a ramblin' man..."

"... An Arizona Ranger, wouldn't be too long in town."

18-Sep-2018 19:13:51 - Last edited on 18-Sep-2018 19:14:08 by Gersty

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