Armageddon Rules And Violations – A Serious Critique

First, direct quotes from some section of Arm/GDB/helpfiles/etc:

“Role-playing…is not considered an option by the creators of the world, it is a strict requirement. If you do not want to role-play, please go elsewhere.”

“…it is expected that you will play your character consistently…”

“Although it is just a game, try to imagine yourself as your character, and act as your character while in the game.”

“…try not to let your own desires get in the way of role-playing your character…”

Second, my complaint based on this:

“…My character, Evalyn, was named “formally” as “assistant to Lord Oash”.

Privately, she was assured she was now “Aide/Concubine”.  Player of Iancu Oash apparently found out Evalyn (character) was played by me (male) when, after HE requested it, I registered for the Oash GDM forum…

“His response (PUPPY EDIT: see below) makes clear, to me, that his intent is to ignore/phase out my character, or simply avoid her until – without the intimate roleplay connection she had for four days straight with a Lord, including being told intimate secrets/shown around his estate/being promised-offered anything I basically wanted in shops…etc… gone – she inevitably gets killed or just fades away until such time that he can use his OOC distaste to “legitimately” alter his IC play enough to dismiss her.

Suspending his character basically would give him what he wants – I would die or fade away, problem solved.  So I’m hoping there’s some way you can tell him, basically: roleplay your character as your character, without (potential) homophobia creeping into it, without using OOC feelings to (not so subtly, or) subtly alter your play until it’s seen as “acceptable” IC to dismiss someone you basically gazed at with doe-eyes until you found out OOC info.

Third, quotes from Iancu’s player:

“…I would be more comfortable toning down the more intimate aspects of the character relationship, honestly.”

Puppy Translation: You’re a guy?  I gotta cut you loose…I’ll find out some way to do it “IC”, cuz I’m a ten year vet and know how to abuse the system.

“It should be easy enough to make the decision ICly.  I was already sort of hedging my bet with what role would be best for Evalyn in the clan you – might have noticed…”

Puppy Commentary: Complete lie.  See evaluation, part four, below.

“Hopefully it’s not too awkward or upsetting to Evalyn if other aspects seem to cool down.”

Puppy Translation: I hope you don’t mind me using OOC info to alter my IC behavior.  Hopefully it won’t be TOO annoying to you, cuz I’m gonna do it, one way or another.

I mean, this guy’s running slipshod over the rules.  OH!

Fourth, summary of Inky situation:

Well basically, it Orinoco blows.  But here’s more detail:

It’s supposed to be, as empirically proven by their own discussion board, website, rules, constant arguments on the subject…a ROLEPLAYING mud.

So…I made a female character.  Because I liked the character idea.  Not to seduce some poor unsuspecting male into MUDsex.  Evalyn, based on Evelyn from ‘The Mummy’. 

I watched the flippin movie like 6 times in 3 days just to get EVERY mannerism down:  how she smiles, WHEN she smiles, how she talks, what words she uses, what words she avoids, how she walks, how she sits, how she talks to herself…EVERYTHING.  Why?  Cuz I like to ROLEPLAY well on a ROLEPLAYING mud.

So I’m playing the female character, not once saying “Hi. I’m a female player.”  Why?  Because it’s a ROLEPLAYING mud, not a play-your-own-sex MUD.

In fact, nowhere (I looked) in the: helpfiles, website, discussion board, all going back OVER A DECADE does it ever once, in any way, explicitly or implicitly say (or suggest) that you should play your own gender.

Ok, so I roleplay Evie AS Evie.  Cuz, you know…ROLEPLAY.  And I meet this other character…let’s call him Mr. I. 

(Although his real name is this: Iancu Oash, Lord of a Noble House, the stocky, spade-bearded man, tiny penis (that last one is pure conjecture))…

…Played by someone who’s been playing Armageddon for TEN YEARS…so…you’d expect they’d know how to/want to ROLEPLAY. And they’d know the rules about NOT USING OOC KNOWLEDGE IC.  Huh?

And there’s HOURS and HOURS and HOURS of roleplay, eventually, between myself and Mr. I.  EVERY time he sees me, he seeks a way to RP…and vice versa, cuz that’s…IN CHARACTER (see “ROLEPLAY”) since our CHARACTERS really like each other/work closely together.

He says how much he adores me, how wonderful I am, how in 20 years he’s never blah blah blah but with me blah blah blah, how he very much (in slightly subtle terms) wants to sleep with me, how he wants to take care of me forever, how he wants me to never touch another man, how he’s “willing to go as slow as I need” (Puppy translation: I wanna fck you so bad that I’ll wait for the MudSex until you’re good and ready, just PLEASE don’t fck anyone else cuz I’m like, sensitive!).  I mean, he ASKED me to be his concubine.  FLAT OUT.

Then, after he finds out PLAYER is male (because he ASKED ME PERSONALLY to request access to a board which ASKED ME to give my GDB name, which SAYS my gender…not like I said “haha I’m a guy!”), I send him two messages.  Both to the effect of:  I realize that now that you know player is male, you may feel uncomfortable with certain aspects of roleplay, I would be HAPPY to change (WITHIN REASON) as long as it’s IC if you are uncomfortable, please write back I just want to keep playing…all very polite, respectful…respecting PLAYER as a person.

And what do I get?  No response, even though he got my message (at least the first one the same day…)

And CHARACTER suddenly, for no adequately explored reason, goes from “COMPLETE DEVOTION” to “casual business relationship”???.  NO in character reason…at least, that’s what he suggested in his (eventual) reply.

*After I spend HOURS rearranging his barracks with him gone for male-playing-female avoidance reasons…”Let’s let the newb do the grunt work before we ditch her/him”*

Ummm…this is one of our VETERANS, Armageddon?

I mean, I’m not saying that anyone’s homophobic, but let me quote Kurt Cobain:

“I am not gay.  But I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes.”

A ten-year-vet NEWB.  SAD.

Oh, on a side note:

Orin, who appeared as soon as I logged on (Day two, A.I. (After Iancu)) and seemed to be trying to annoy ummm…my CHARACTER…and who was, out of four applicants, the only one selected to join Iancu’s House):
Date Player Registered: December 15, 2002

Player Of Iancu:
Date Registered: December 19, 2002

WELL GOLLY GEE WHAT A CO-IN-KEE-DUNK!

“Why, that’s the exact amount I just gave Mr. Scroggins!”
“Well ain’t that a coincidunce!”

“All I want is what your MUD claims to be: IC handled IC.  If he doesn’t like it, and thinks it’s “unfair” to have to RP with a male player…well, to quote one of Armageddon’s rules…tough.  Live
with it or not.”

“I mean, I’d say just ask him.  Ask him if we RPd very intimate scenes, he told me a secret that would get him killed, he offered to buy me anything I wanted, he said “You are my Aide and Concubine”…and if he’s slimy enough to lie, I guess I get screwed.  Because he did all those things, and now he’s trying to say “well, I actually wasn’t even sure what role she would have…”.  Because he found out I’m male.  OOC info, used IC.  It’s as simple as that.”

“It’s about the fact that he told me he would radically alter his IC roleplay based on OOC information.”

Sad.

I’d like to point out, any opinions expressed are all my SUBJECTIVE OPINI ONS, for purposes of CRITICAL ANALYSIS.  I COULD be wrong…I mean…yeah…but I COULD.

-Puppy >.< Yip!