I am the lore
There’s been a lot of talk over at Warhammer Alliance, some of it nasty, about roleplaying and, in particular, how true one must stay to the lore. I wrote a comment (well I’ve written many actually) just recently with my view on the subject. If you can’t be bothered reading the entire post, here’s my spin on things.
At the risk of being shouted down, ridiculed, ostracized, or just plain disliked I wanted to again touch on this lore v creativity debate that has been the topic of hot discussion, and I use that word loosely, of late. Personally, I would prefer hugs over any nastiness, so if you have spare hugs, throw one my way.
There seems to be some disagreement in what is right and what is wrong. You have one side of the fence who believe everyone should stick to the letter of the lore, that stepping outside of the lore is wrong, unfair on others, and ruins their immersion. On the other side there are those who say “To hell with the lore, it stifles my creativity”. They believe that if it’s roleplayed well, then the lore shouldn’t factor into it. And then there’s those somewhere in the middle, which is where I fall and I’d hazard a guess the majority of the roleplayers, who believe the lore is a guideline with which to work your character in and around. Sometimes we hover in those grey areas, while other times we step outside of them.
I’ll move away from Warhammer for just a moment and into the Forgotten Realms. When R.A. Salvatore created his famous character, Drizzt, do we think the publishers at Wizards of the Coast cried “NO! This goes against the lore. A drow that hates Dark Elves, loves humans, and fights alongside Dwarves.” They didn’t, and we have one of the most famous and best love characters of that world. Of course, having said that, the last thing I would want to see is 1,000 Drizzt like characters populating the server.
But can we have a Warrior Priest who is an atheist? Well, probably not. A Warrior Priest in the Warhammer world who denied Sigmar would at best be stripped of his priestly title and more than likely burned for heresy. Can we have a Warrior Priest who questions his faith? Absolutely. And can we have a villager, gifted in the art of healing, who’s village is destroyed by the forces of Destruction? Can this villager come across the rusting armour of a fallen priest, don it, pick up his hammer, and join the army of Order hell-bent on revenge. Why not?
It comes down to respecting your fellow roleplayer. We can’t have characters that are so outlandish and so outside the lore that no amount of backstory can really explain or justify them. But at the same time, do we want 1,000 generic Witch Elves, celibate and married to Khaine? Does staying that true to the lore make for interesting roleplay? In my opinion, and that’s all this is, I’d say it doesn’t.
Despite some of the best efforts by some people and contrary to what you might think, Phoenix Throne is a server full of wonderful roleplayers and friendly, helpful gamers. Respect your fellow roleplayer and have fun. That’s why we’re playing after all.
Don’t forget the hugs.
Thoughts?
Comments
Comment from Ainilome
Time: November 9, 2008, 2:18 am
I think it all depends on how far over the line each individual goes. I’ve seen RP that was technically out of the bounds of established lore that totally kicked butt, was believable and really fun. The problem I think comes with the fact that most people who step out of the lines of lore are unlikely to do it well. And I think that’s where a lot of the vehement proponents of strict lore lines draw their standing from. God, how many times I’ve met the estranged love children of major leaders, or a night elf who was mysteriously transported to another world in another body. (seen it!)
Some bending is fine and necessary in an MMO, especially this one. The classes that Mythic chose for a us are very, very, very strict. Strictly speaking, none of the females in our guild would have lovers, much less husbands. In game? That’s boring. So things get bent to enhance the fun. As long as we realize that we’re bending rules and have good, believable reasons aside from “We’re just all going to pretend that rule doesn’t exist” I see no problem with it. Once you start bending the established rules of the universe willy nilly you start to see conflicting RP. And in that case, who is the right? I’ll use my sorceress as an example. In a guild filled with Sorceresses who have all bent the rule about marriage and sex, my character’s storyline is effectly thrown out the window. If my Sorceress who lives in terror of being caught with her lover is in the right, then all the girls who took husbands without blinking have to throw themselves out a window now. That’s why rules exist, to be certain we all work together in the same world. It’s a question of what’s bent and how far.
What annoys me more than bending lore, is not knowing that you’re bending it because you haven’t taken the time to get a feel for the rules of the universe you’re currently living in. Intelligent bending is fine, ignorant bending tends to urk the hell out of me.
Roleplayers are vastly different people, and rifts and disagreements are bound to pop up between us all. And sadly, paired with the fact that we’re on the internet here means a lot more mud flinging and a lot less hugs.
Comment from Kyrana
Time: November 8, 2008, 10:48 am
Well, Cal, you know me well enough by now to guess that I’m on the same page you are. I replied to one of those topics myself and expressed similar sentiments. My character was even used as an example of how to be creative with the lore and how you can step outside it slightly if you do it well. *blush* I, too, believe the lore is a framework. It is possible to step too far outside the lines and make it impossible to create believable characters and roleplay. But it’s also possible to dance around in that grey area, as you put it, and have fantastic and memorable characters and interactions.
What’s bothered me most about these threads is the lack of civility and the absolute unwillingness to even entertain a different viewpoint. It’s possible to agree to disagree and have a nice, thought-provoking discourse. Unfortunately, the folks who are the loudest are the ones who won’t budge in their opinion or listen to anyone elses.
I’ve seen this happen again and again on rp servers. The rp community has a knack for tearing itself apart, and I think it’s why you see so many factions and splits happen. It’s unfortunate and it weakens the rp community as a whole.
Oh..btw..*hugs*