how do you handle the illogical?

edited February 2016 in The Scarlattan Theatre
One thing I am struggling with is how to justify certain things ICly that don't make any sense but are a result of necessary game mechanics. Example - the constant refilling of places like Manara or Great Rock. Are they just very, very prolific breeders that then grow and mature at a much greater rate? Or the lack of anything to do. Again, in Manara there's a few slaves I've discovered you can help but most of them you can't. It's a little annoying playing a character who would be moved to do something being forced to just be "oh there's a woman shackled to the floor clearly being raped repeatedly tralalalala just gonna ignore that" (I might be missing something - maybe you can help and I just haven't figured it out yet)

The best I can come up with is you can "put them out of their misery" but even that just makes the slave population hostile towards you. It would be nice if those elements like those denizens that are clearly added for atmosphere and flavor went full circle. There should be a slave rebellion quest in Manara. At the very least you should be able to do something, even if it's as simple as the nice touch of being able to help feed the Mingruk with bits of root you can find in the burrow. 

But I know there's probably a whole whack of issues with what I'm saying so just on the day to day how do you guys ICly discuss things that technically make no sense? 

Comments

  • Selective amnesia.
  • There is a certain amount of suspension of disbelief that goes into several things, like hunting specifically. 

    Sure you can try to justify it by saying thoth lets them all come back or they have a large amount of numbers that needs culling, this that or the other. 

    In general though, I think of it more like a specific campaign against a group of people. Maybe you went to Manara because you wanted to free some slaves and killed some gnolls in the process. Maybe you took a group out and for the glory of Mhaldor you just killed a bunch cause why not.

    Same things goes for wars or extended conflict in my mind. I have been to many battles and suffered many terrible wounds, and fought against the many denizens of the world. But I'd hardly say that I've killed " Denizen Slain    : 61323 ", That's pretty much nearing the genocide of a city, plus I don't really think any person could single handedly do that even with a lot of time. 

    As a character, you go to battles, gain experience from said battles, live a bit longer, and carry on with life. 
    Replies the scorpion: "It's my nature..."
  • Suspension of disbelief, for sure. Although with denizens respawning, I use the 'visited Lord Thoth' argument.

    Things like not being able to free slaves because there's no mechanical way of going about it, though, suspension of disbelief for sure. I like the way Aepas described it - and don't see why you couldn't RP out your own little freeing of a selective few slaves (not mechanically, just, you know, yourself), just assuming you don't have the power to entirely stop the slavery industrial complex so the gnolls keep enslaving.

    Generally in Achaea the response to not being able to change terrible situations through mechanics is 'put them out of their misery' - it makes for a good excuse to hunt a whole host of things.
  • Denizens are just non-played characters, couldn't they theoretically just embrace death and get another chance like we do when we die?
  • I've seen the embrace death (though it was still pray for salvation through Maya at the time) used once in a storyline. Bunch of Cyrenian denizens were murdered and a denizen mentioned waiting to see if they'd return from Maya's halls.
  • I might be misremembering, but way back in the day I think part of the Vertani event involved Sarapis or somebody actively bestowing adventurer resurrection on the Vertani, which would imply that, like adventurers being "special" (since they always have something Thoth thinks is incomplete), it isn't a benefit/gift everything possesses.

    For the most part, I just file it under suspension of disbelief.
    - (Eleusis): Ellodin says, "The Fissure of Echoes is Sarathai's happy place."
    - With sharp, crackling tones, Kyrra tells you, "The ladies must love you immensely."
    - (Eleusian Ranger Techs): Savira says, "Most of the hard stuff seem to have this built in code like: If adventurer_hitting_me = "Sarathai" then send("terminate and selfdestruct")."
    - Makarios says, "Serve well and perish."
    - Xaden says, "Xaden confirmed scrub 2017."



  • I believe it was implied the Vertani didn't have that, but everyone else on Sapience, adventurer or not, did.
  • SkyeSkye The Duchess Bellatere
    Yeah. The Vertani being not from Sapience didn't have the benefit of passing though the halls, which is why they made it such a big damn deal when their people got killed in the days leading up to the war.

    It was only after everything was said and done that the remaining Vertani (who were seeking amnesty) were granted the same gift and set up a village.


  • i partly ignore these illogicallities  wholesale, and partly philosophize on my own about what it could mean as a resident of Sapience. But I don't think i've ever come up with something worth repeating.
    image
  • ShirszaeShirszae Santo Domingo
    I tend to ignore most denizens are named and all. Shirsz being shirsz, it tends to feel more like rampaging and killing faceless, nameless denizens that just happened to be near, anyway.

    As for returning from Thoth, while adventurers tend to assume they will always get another chance, it is in no way a warranted feeling, at least from an in-character perspective. Thoth could get up any day and say screw you, either to a denizen (Like those from the Fat Lady ship and those who die in most events) or to an adventurer (though we know this wont happen mechanically.

    And you won't understand the cause of your grief...


    ...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

  • ShirszaeShirszae Santo Domingo
    On one side, that's a pretty interesting ready. On the other, the rate at which most things get bashed (if not the fact that things get bashed in itself) is one of the things I prefer to ignore. It gets a little ridiculous otherwise, from an in-character perspective.

    And you won't understand the cause of your grief...


    ...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

  • I figure Astrika's just cracked. Super nice, tra-la-la freedom on the outside, but on the inside she's like KILL ALL THE THINGS.
    (Party): Kondar says, "Anyone else a little terrified of Astrika right now?"
    (Party): Volan says, "No groin strikes please."

    Ryldagh falls in a blaze of silver to Astrika, Acolyte of Cruelty's sword, Dark Gorillas.
    (Cyrene): Ahmet says, "Buahahaha."
    (Cyrene): Jayden says, "Hehehehe."
    (Cyrene): Ahmet says, "I am the evil Astrika, warrior of Mhaldor! Bow to my vicious blade, Dark Gorillas!"
  • Inb4 spongebobsquarepantsmagic.jpeg

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  • I like to think that an evacuation occurs, saving the lion's share of victims from the adventurer's hands.
  • AhmetAhmet Wherever I wanna be
    Topic of illogical and immersion issues

    #GuildWebsites

    #nuffsaid
    Huh. Neat.
  • So many guilds had websites in the early 2000s, do any of the houses have them now?
  • Any time something illogical happens: a wizard did it!
  • Elowin said:
    I like to think that an evacuation occurs, saving the lion's share of victims from the adventurer's hands.
    Think of the XP bonus they'd give. :anguished:
    - (Eleusis): Ellodin says, "The Fissure of Echoes is Sarathai's happy place."
    - With sharp, crackling tones, Kyrra tells you, "The ladies must love you immensely."
    - (Eleusian Ranger Techs): Savira says, "Most of the hard stuff seem to have this built in code like: If adventurer_hitting_me = "Sarathai" then send("terminate and selfdestruct")."
    - Makarios says, "Serve well and perish."
    - Xaden says, "Xaden confirmed scrub 2017."




  • All is not as it seems...
    Murad exclaims, "I give you Questing Cats!"
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