Author Topic: Why I lurk, and rarely give input.  (Read 1070 times)

Varyell

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Why I lurk, and rarely give input.
« on: December 03, 2012, 03:59:55 PM »
Keep in mind, as you read this, I have participated in the server for years now. I enjoyed the times with old DMs like Dark Fey and xXull (or Xully as I called her), the times I'd pal around with Harlee and Tarth on grand adventures on my character's evolution from a light and cheerful bard to a grizzled and hardened loremeister. I've had time here, I have chatted up Knas way back when I first joined so I could understand how the server worked on a mechanical level - and how I could properly structure my roleplay around it. So, enough with the veteran merit badge, on to my point, though keep that fact in mind, please.

I lurk, and yet I give no input. What few times I have was when I really wished to try and contribute more than a player-count number for the server. Time to time I could come across as offensive when I am worked up over the matter, or when I have a personal stake in it. Though every time it'd seem I am taken out of context in one form or another, vilified whether in chats over Skype/MSN or in private messages on this forum. Of course, when you take one line out of a message, quote it, and then use it as a reason to temporarily ban someone who's otherwise trying to offer sound advice? You're strangling creative people who honestly want to see the server made better, and lets face it, Neverwinter Nights as a game is no longer drawing new minds.

Major Tom, who's much like myself (though he lacks the ability to tone it down when he really gets into a subject matter), seems to be having the same syndrome I've seen exhibited towards people who want to offer what is constructive criticism. What is wrong with that? I know Tom did come across as coarse in some statements, though when someone has their words chopped up and used against them - it is damned annoying, practically trolling them to get a even more aggravated response in order to place punishments. Not that I'm trying to polarize myself as some white knight, I will stir up trouble now and then because we're all human, it's what we do, we want to play what we enjoy with who we enjoy it with - not get put into a meat grinder.

On a slightly off-topic tangent, I came across a DM event where a vampire labled "Lucretia" appeared with four 'Elite Vampiress' NPCs. Of course, we're all level ten, maybe a couple lower than ten at that moment. We were only a four person group in that crypt, and so we were taking the 'lets talk it out' route. I enjoyed that, it turned a dungeon that was borderline hack and slash into a legitimate "Time to break the rust off your talking abilities". The three of us who weren't deserving punishment (apparently), were told to leave or be killed off. So we did, after having a moment's time to grouchily agree we had no chance to win there. So, after we had made it out and were walking back south, my cleric chose to stop and turn about to face his greatest fear - vampires. In doing so it was a moment I legitimately did not mind being killed for, or tortured, or worse! I fought with the decision to go back inside, and once I steeled my out-of-character nerves with my in-character resolve, I clicked the hidden doorway to transition to go back in. Upon entering, I saw I wasn't mince-meat, so I quickly and out-of-character said "One moment, I need to type this right!", and I put in an appropriate entrance for a cleric who's shaking like a leaf and has his sword and shield out. Oh, did I mention my character tripped through the door? Wasn't a bone of badass in him then, just someone facing legitimate fear. After a bit of conversation, a rather strange exit by the man she had almost killed, and a small speech on her part and on my character's part; I was allowed to leave.

That was how I liked seeing a dungeon that already exists, and is pretty much mostly hack and slash, getting turned into a place I'll never forget. A crowning moment for my cleric, as he's never the one to leap towards danger. Hell, that dungeon is one I've practically labelled as "Done, had my character changing moment here, and never need to quest in there again!" Because that is what makes a dungeon crawl epic, when a DM can inject their own suspense and uncertainty into it, and they didn't even need to force us to fight high level monsters.

If that's to be my input on a Feedback section, it's the best I can provide. It's something recent and fun that made me rekindle hope into putting more of my free time into the server.

The fact that I just saw Major Tom get banned (temporarily possibly), for attempting to offer constructive criticism blights that enjoyment. When a moderator for the forum, who is a DM for the server no less, comes in to offer only chopped up versions of a person's original post while practically baiting them into replying with something that can be used as ammunition for singling them out. Certainly, they're rocking the boat, but it's that rocking that can lead to new and interesting ideas for new areas and new DM events. Such as which can happen and has happened, and I'd like to see happen more often.

Could we just see less of putting a ban-stamp on someone who's trying to offer such advice though? Because Tom's a guy like me, we've been Dungeons & Dragons people since 2nd Ed. While not saying he or I would know better, I would like to say it merely means we've been around and enjoyed plenty of what various settings have to offer, and we're trying to offer what might entice more players to play more often, as well as attract players who might otherwise not find the current experience of Ravenloft appealing.

To expound on what I've said, I relate back to my second year in college, in my elevated studies for drafting and design. I had to sit at least once a week, and show a class of almost one hundred students my work, what I'd done that week, whether it was something private for myself or a project for the course. I learned to sit and take criticism in all forms, from how I do my shading to what subject matter I choose to draw and paint about. Before then, I was like some people who do not seem capable of taking criticism here. Though from a fellow who's walked a mile like that, I can only say you must learn to see where you must improve your perspective and sometimes change your style in order to gain new fans. That's all I would really want to see happen for a server I've enjoyed for almost seven years.

Now I thoroughly expect to be banned.
"With all due respect, sir, I was sent here to perish at the vanguard of this inevitable conflict. I simply refuse to participate on their terms or yours."

Bluebomber4evr

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Re: Why I lurk, and rarely give input.
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2012, 04:02:04 PM »
Tom's criticism is not constructive. It is laden with insults both implied and direct, and he is unable to take any criticism himself without getting defensive. And I've already told you not to make public posts about moderation issues, consider this your final warning on the topic.

Thread locked.

Bluebomber4evr: The Justice, not you, since 2002