Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
- 6.2K All Categories
- 3.1K Everything Achaea
- 1.5K North of Thera
- 26 Archives of the Terraformer
- 257 The Matsuhama Arena
- 885 The Golden Dais of Creation
- 299 The Scarlattan Theatre
- 149 The Blank Canvas
- 2K Getting Help
- 412 General Questions
- 258 Quick Class Questions
- 1.3K Tech Support
- 313 Client Help
- 486 Curing Systems and Scripts
- 841 Off-Topic
- 255 The Wander Inn
- 586 The Universal Membrane
- 298 Class Discussions
- 298 Individual Class Sections
- 20 Alchemist
- 9 Apostate
- 30 Blademaster
- 9 Depthswalker
- 14 Druid
- 4 Infernal
- 20 Jester
- 19 Magi
- 34 Monk
- 11 Occultist
- 8 Paladin
- 7 Priest
- 29 Runewarden
- 18 Sentinel
- 26 Serpent
- 20 Shaman
- 9 Sylvan
Comments
My typing got slower because of Achaea, though.
Album of Bluef during her time in Achaea
After they all trickled back to the states I took off to Europe and went to a cultural studies school and ventured off the the Middle East. I ended up pretty transient for the next ten or so years. I would say I certainy think my sense of wonder in meeting strangers and experiencing different cultures has enhanced my gaming far more than conventional education did.
Also it's had an impact in how I approach the poetry board (and that I even feel comfortable writing poetry).
I think I get what the OP is trying to ask... but I think the question's kind of flawed, tbh. If you've gone to college, and going to college has at all shaped the way you approach and interact with the world, then sort of by definition it will impact how you play Achaea. Similarly, if you haven't gone to college, there will be other things that impact the way you play. I think a better question to ask would be "what formative experiences most shape the way you approach and/or play Achaea?"
I've mentioned before that I've been frustrated before by the fact I can't do anything IC that I can't do OOC. I don't know what a word means, but my character should? Guess what, I don't.
Yes, I'll look it up later. But if I look it up right away, that's me not paying attention to the conversation right then. I don't feel that this is okay.
Edit: I am way too used to having to italicise in plain text.
Achaea was mostly a college pastime for me. Now that I'm away from that routine my hobbies have broadened and take me away from the computer more often.
In short, playing Achaea helped me to learn about people, myself, and the world, while developing some practical skills that helped me succeed in school both socially and academically all the way up to the Doctorate level. What's more, Achaea is one of those special teachers, imparting to me the most important lessons: pursue your dreams, use your imagination, and have fun!
Edit: Realized I didn't answer the question. No, I don't think academics has had a major impact on how I play Achaea or how well I play Achaea. However, playing Achaea has undoubtedly had a major impact on both how I live my life and how well I live my life, academically and otherwise.
(Blades of Valour): Draekar says: "Synbios if sunbeams sparkle off that I'll kill you where you stand."
(Party) Halos says, "Disbar?"
(Party) Draekar says, "You know here we have disbar."
(Party) Draekar says, "And over there we have datbar."
So...yes but more like it sets parameters on my gameplay. Maybe someday I'll see @Kasya and @Rohai again
On the other hand, like a two edged sword, I have noticed attributes in Achaea that have actually assisted and prepared me for classes. I suppose that comes with scribing so many different help files, posts, rituals, sermons, and so on.
I don't think it's just educational level, but different influences as well, such as what type of books an individual is currently reading.
[ SnB PvP Guide | Link ]
(Blades of Valour): Draekar says: "Synbios if sunbeams sparkle off that I'll kill you where you stand."
(Party) Halos says, "Disbar?"
(Party) Draekar says, "You know here we have disbar."
(Party) Draekar says, "And over there we have datbar."
In simpler terms, RACE SPECIALIZE AS PRETENTIOUS KNOWITALL rather than RACE SPECIALIZE AS BREEZY POETIC.
I also have an associate's degree in East Asian studies(which was basically given to me for completing my university's Chinese language and culture program) and a TESOL license for dat job security, since my postgrad plans are to teach abroad (having been influenced by teaching English in China for the summer of 2012).
I feel like this has influenced my playstyle a lot since the halcyon 2006 days of Dor the Personalityless priest, Kibas the Cold, Aloof, and Hollow Shaman, and the utterly cringeworthy Kairuto the monk who swore up and down that he'd become the Overseer of Ashtan, believe it! I hesitate to list any that are more modern than Kairuto because I fear that they may be remembered by some. After Kairuto came my first "serious" character; that is, the first of many that can still be looked up in HONOURS to this day.
I really hope these characters have been forgotten because my adolescence was not happy and Achaea was my horribly bungled escape for a while. I remember who all of my characters were from way back when since anytime I'd make a new one they'd find a place in my world-spanning Epic Achaean Fanfiction that I was writing at the time. (Characters who went from "main" to "alt" generally found themselves getting killed off and supplanted.) Since I didn't have consistent Internet access then, I'd just make Sapience on my own if I couldn't play in it.
I'd like to think that my characters are no longer cookie-cutter, level-grinding gimmick-toters and instead are characters who have interesting quirks, believable backstories and feel more genuine. The East Asian influence shone through the most in Katsuragi, my current character(s) are a bit less...ethnic.
Perhaps the greatest contribution that my literature studies have made to my Achaean playing is that I now know that "[Your] fate and fame shall be/An echo and a light unto eternity." was lifted directly from this poem. There are actually quite a few literature references tossed around in Achaea; it comes as no surprise, really.
Additionally, in a world where violence and murder is so commonplace, it makes perfect sense for Targossas to not care about the murder of neutral denizens. In fact, many/most real world cultures did not care about the murder of outsiders! Add to that that Targossas makes no claim to being 'moral' and the argument against them becomes thinner.
This applies to all the major aligned factions, really. They are bizarre to our culture and society, but Achaea is not our culture and society. Mhaldor in other forms has already existed in fascism and co., Eleusis is pretty clearly realistic in ideology. The only one that's kind of hard to relate to is Ashtan, because 'mad cultists' is a trope that rarely has much development. That said, Babel's nihilism thing did add some depth to it that even has parallels to real world philosophies.
The real reason 'because x said so' is the go-to is two-fold: some people don't want to go into it, and the ones that do realize that when all disagreement was humored, it led to divided factions that couldn't do anything and that was not 'fun' roleplay, but constant headaches.
A lot of this stems from not really knowing much about opposing factions and making assumptions that flat out kill the nuances of others' theology.
For instance, in Targossas, it's not 'okay' to kill neutrals- you're supposed to have a reason for killing them. Some people don't really bother, and just bash places cuz it's easier textp. Similarly, the 'cuz X said so' argument is pretty much in the same vein. It's just lazy reasoning and bad roleplay (the best players in each faction actually have -reasons- for doing things); judge factions by the best in their camp, not the worst (and seek out the best, as well!).
edit: sorry, necro