Original RP vs RP from books and movies

I am a big believer in originality, but I wonder what everyone else thinks? 

Do you think RP that takes entire themes from popular books and other media is great, good or something else?
«1

Comments

  • Let me see, like, Game of Thrones is huge right now and set in about the right time period, one could RP being the last Targaryen and recruit a bunch of followers like Daenerys Targaryen, and march from city to city. And while that would may be fun, it doesn't compare to planning something from the ground up, which adds to the game, in my opinion.

    On the other hand, RPing hating embroidery and running off to practice fencing is more of a trope that one could build on that I'd find interesting, as it probably was more universal than just happening to Arya Stark. But if you did it with your direwolf and met an assassin who taught you what word to say, then it would be a bit more.

    So, something more than a trope or an aesthetic.
  • I completely agree with Madelyne with this. Out of my eight plus years of playing, the reason I keep coming back from random hiatuses is because of the originality and its not following set RP patterns (characters that have to act a certain way, plot lines that require set dialogue and no creativity in the matter [like Harry Potter roleplay sites, or even Star Wars, or Star Trek, GoT, etc]). 

    Even if I could add my own flair and give it that Achaean twist... it's still someone else's idea and theme.

    Take the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones, for example. (I finally was able to watch that episode last night after moving past my Shawn Bean addiction [I refused to watch the series after that certain part. Same with LotR until I remembered that he is still alive and happy outside of the movies/series]. The feels, man, THE FEELS.) At first, I thought it would be an interesting concept to incorporate into a wedding idea in Achaea (avoiding bloodshed in some cases is unavoidable, especially if a God demands that blood be spilt [I'm lookin' at you @Sartan, you Suffering devil, you.]) and in this case, it'd be between the Kindfires and the Van Helsings (then @Draqoom ruined it with his ally status post. Jerk.) Then.. I realised I don't want to take George R. R. Martin's idea because, well, its silly to do that. With a little creativity and originality, I could do so much more than that. 

    I can also understand using said events in books/movies as inspiration, however taking them completely and utilizing the ENTIRE idea into your roleplay.. is practically just stealing the author's/screen writers entire time trying to come up with that particular scene. 

  • Inspired is fine, I think.

    There are just some things that are so unique that they scream THIS ENTIRE THING IS A PLOT FROM DR WHO! or whatever. 

  • In that case, a better question might be to ask yourself what your own limits are and whether or not you're still willing to roleplay with someone like that. If you aren't willing, you can usually find ways to limit your interaction with him or her. 

    "Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that [everlasting] life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man." 

  • edited September 2014
    I had hoped, instead of focusing on me, this could generate some discussion about what other people thought, what they liked, where they got their inspiration, etc.


  • Trey said:
    To be more constructive, I think inspiration is fine, but when you start ripping things verbatim from RL stuff it gets obnoxious. I did it once with part of Amsterdam's prayer from Gangs of New York, but even though nobody recognized it and I'd altered it slightly, I still stopped after a while because it felt cheap. It'd be like taking the distinctive last name of your favorite video game character, or using a wedding to get your 'allies' into place to slaughter them, or walking around in a brown pinstriped suit as a quirky guy with a hand-sized elemental staff.
    One of the old PKers (Geraint?) used to macro the Boondock Saints prayer after killing someone. That was so lame.

  • Sartan said:
    @Ayleth‌  Now now. Who said I require bloodshed at weddings? Now report to Mhaldor where you will be exsanguinated and then drawn and quartered. 

    *Stoning beforehand available on certain days.

    I meant in general, not at weddings. :) I know where if you say, "Go raid Ashtan," or something.. Everyone generally... goes and raids Ashtan or whatever city/person/organisation you want to Suffer.. :>

    And as much as I would enjoy that, quite hard when I don't play!

  • AodfionnAodfionn Seattle, WA
    The Litany of Fear. I truly, truly wish I could just whip that shit out any time the occasion called for it.

    Stuff I steal from: More non-fiction than other fictional realms. A lot of the backstories and personal things for my character were blended together from bits of native Hawaiian and Gaelic history and lore, beyond just the name (which, in retrospect, is the perfect name for a preacher).

    These days, I find there's a lot of interesting material to be had from looking at Ayatollah Khamenei (misspelled his name in an earlier thread) and stuff from the Inquisition-era Catholic Church. 


    Aurora says, "Are you drunk, Aodfionn?"
  • Taraus said:
    Ulrike said:
    One of the old PKers (Geraint?) used to macro the Boondock Saints prayer after killing someone. That was so lame.
    I remember that. I also wound up with part of that system, and was unaware that came built in. I'd not seen the movie, so didn't know what the hell it was from, and thought hey "Oh hey neat, some flavour".
    I cannot count the times when, while enjoying some book or movie or video game for the first time, I encountered a unique name that someone I knew from a MUD had. Drives me nuts or cracks me up, or both.

    On that note, I always loved "Gaillardia Aristata". I wonder if the flower meant something special to his player, or if he just thought the name sounded cool (it does); either way, it's a fun reimagining that took on a life of its own.

  • HalosHalos The Reaches
    Aodfionn said:
    The Litany of Fear. I truly, truly wish I could just whip that shit out any time the occasion called for it.

    +1 for the dune reference. 

    Enough with the siren mudsexors at Minia stereotype. Why can't a group of sirens found an oceanic/desert all-women bene gesserit-like cult dedicated to breeding/training/controlling/buying artefacts for a Jhui-like Kwisatz Haderach superman? Start a -new- tradition. "Boobs? What are boobs. We wear hijab, aba robes, and artefact veils."

    Granted, any real Dune fan will spot it instantly if suck at it, but here's tons of potential there. Idk. You could change all the names, switch up the flavour, give it your own customs and Achaea-specific traditions and really work to base it on Achaea lore. Cherry pick stuff, make it unrecognizable from source material, then totally claim that shit as your own. Worship those sandworms Dala'myrr, man.


    A frenzied cleric screams, "Like more than one halo!"
  • AodfionnAodfionn Seattle, WA
    Halos said:

    Enough with the siren mudsexors at Minia stereotype. Why can't a group of sirens found an oceanic/desert all-women bene gesserit-like cult dedicated to breeding/training/controlling/buying artefacts for a Jhui-like Kwisatz Haderach superman? Start a -new- tradition. "Boobs? What are boobs. We wear hijab, aba robes, and artefact veils."

    Granted, any real Dune fan will spot it instantly if suck at it, but here's tons of potential there. Idk. You could change all the names, switch up the flavour, give it your own customs and Achaea-specific traditions and really work to base it on Achaea lore. Cherry pick stuff, make it unrecognizable from source material, then totally claim that shit as your own. Worship those sandworms Dala'myrr, man.



    Oh man, this. 

    So much this. 

    Aurora says, "Are you drunk, Aodfionn?"
  • Reciting OOC song lyrics, poems, movie lines etc verbatim is terrible imho. however, taking them as a structure and modifying it to be more Achaean can work very well in some instances.

    (Party): Mezghar says, "Stop."
  • Trey said:
    To be more constructive, I think inspiration is fine, but when you start ripping things verbatim from RL stuff it gets obnoxious. I did it once with part of Amsterdam's prayer from Gangs of New York, but even though nobody recognized it and I'd altered it slightly, I still stopped after a while because it felt cheap. It'd be like taking the distinctive last Sith name of your favorite video game book character, or using a wedding to get your 'allies' into place to slaughter them, or walking around in a brown pinstriped suit as a quirky guy with a hand-sized elemental staff.
    :(
    image
  • I've always wanted to borrow from Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series, because the characters and themes in it are so cool, but nothing really fits in Achaea. I find it much easier to be original and borrow from the already rich Achaean lore when I need inspiration, while I wait in vain for an IRE Shadows of the Apt MUD.

  • JurixeJurixe Where you least expect it
    Awesome'd because you're the only other person I know who has read those stories!
    If you like my stories, you can find them here:
    Stories by Jurixe and Stories by Jurixe 2 

    Interested in joining a Discord about Achaean RP? Want to comment on RP topics or have RP questions? Check the Achaean RP Resource out here: https://discord.gg/Vbb9Zfs


  • MishgulMishgul Trondheim, Norway
    Carmain as a Knight, when I'm putting the effort in, is mostly based on a character from Soldier, Ask Not by Gordon R. Dickson.  

    -

    One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important

    As drawn by Shayde
    hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrere vitae
  • edited September 2014
    Trey said:
    Talysin said:
    I'm inspired by drag queens and glam rock. Always a way to spin these things into something new, though.
    I didn't realize 'inspired' meant 'I regurgitate Iggy Azalea lyrics verbatim IC'.
    Fair enough! I did that once for shits and giggles before I decided to start playing again seriously. Sorry if I offended you.

    Also, Talysin's death songs are getting pretty fun! http://forums.achaea.com/discussion/comment/198656/#Comment_198656
Sign In or Register to comment.