Content Writing and Perspectives of Role-Playing

[Inanna]

In another thread (under Storytellers) I inadvertently ran afoul of my fellow writers' aversion to role-playing (RP), as well as their concern over preserving Cyan's copyrighted canon. I have defended myself there, but felt that in my journal I should make a full statement about how I see RP, the creative process, and how a writer might connect a new story to the one written by Cyan.

Yes, it is true that the writing team now creating La Casa was formed out of avatars in the Friends of the Fissure (FoF) bevin. At the time this was my means of presenting a story idea to other players and finding those who wanted to dedicate time to creating the story. As things have developed, including the imminent closure of the cavern, this was totally the right move. I have found another writer who can RP with the best of us and an artist who does not RP but likes the story idea. But the age we are writing is not about RP except as needed to create the characters who inhabit the story.

This is no different from what Rand Miller and co. have done throughout MYST's history. Rand himself played Atrus and Achenar, his brother Sirrus, in the first game released. Rand continued to play Achenar throughout the games. Brad Douriff and David Ogden-Stiers were brought in to play their parts in Exile and URU respectively. Throughout the year that we lived in MOUL we saw a number of characters and interacted with them. Nick White flirted with me during a visit to my bevin and in that incident we were both RP, certainly because I am neither as young, as pretty or as slim as my avatar that evening.

I realize that most of the ages we visit do not have "personalities" attached. There are no computer-generated characters in Minkata or in Tsogal. I suppose that most of you are creating ages in the hopes that Cyan can fit them into a future release of MOUL and for that you have to depend on the backstory that Cyan has provided.

What we are doing with La Casa is a little different. We are creating a surface based age full of characters we have written. Each of those characters has some little piece of information for The Traveler to learn and the story will unfold over time as new pages are added. When we have gotten some skills with Blender we will be ready to develop a "real age" called Refuge. To link to this age The Traveler will have to figure out where the book is while exploring La Casa. Yes, it involves the woman named KoHama and yes, it has something to do with her relationship with Elias Zandi. Some folks have taken offense that I have dared to include a romance for Elias with KoHama. Believe me, it is not an OTL fantasy, but rather a logical conclusion that a man exploring a barren desert area might find himself attracted to a local woman of his own age and inclination. Is it sexual? I do not know. KoHama is a bit shy about that sort of thing and does not discuss her private life. I only know that it was a very intense, deeply intimate relationship, sufficient that she was devastated when Elias died.

This relationship is necessary, even if only hinted at, because something must drive KoHama to leave her lifelong home at La Casa and take up residence for over a decade in Refuge. It is a matter of building logical motivations -- no different than Atrus considering what to do about his imprisoned sons in Revelations. Would we have cared so much if Atrus had not asked us to help him? We had "history" with him and his sons. All I am doing is creating "history" between one of my characters and one of Cyan's.

So I hope I have explained this better than I did before, and have put your fears and ill-will to rest.

[BAD]

I don't recall any ill will, only concern that you may meet with a cease and desist from Cyan if you distributed an age that had a back story dealing directly with one of their core characters for Uru.

At this point you can do whatever you want with any character or piece of Uru. This site is undergoing a priority change, and almost everything is up in the air.

So for now, don't worry about your storyline acceptance. If Cyan feels your story steps on their IP, that is there business, and we have no right to say anything about how you conduct your group.

Personally,

I don't RP. I don't mind RP as long as it doesn't get in my way. Your story sounds really interesting, and I think it would make a really cool age.

[pappou]

First, on the Nature of GoW Help:

It is interesting how our memories of your early encounter with GoW differ. My sense of it is that there was a certain energy to the cautions you were given. You took them uncomfortably as a rejection – i think as a rejective attitude in general (judging from what i read above). I rather saw those several messages as well-meaning caveats from people who were taking the time to introduce you to the realities of life under the shadow of Cyan.

It is this energy, i believe, that you and i interpret differently. Perhaps, being energetic, it should have been couched better. I have seen many truly well intended help-messages which could have had the edges buffed down. But alas, a certain crudity often is the result from people who have too much on their plate, who fail to take the time to rewrite, yet who insist upon trying to help newbies like myself.

Since your feelings over the caveats offered back then have been strong enough for you to bring to your journal, i believe i am in line in telling you these things – in telling you how differently i saw that help and those energies. Of course, my view was from the sidelines. Yet, even if my interpretation is entirely wrong, i am convinced that it will not help you (in getting involved with the work of the GoW) to worry about those old caveats. It is just not an encouraging response to the body of people who are trying to pull the GoW and all its many parts, together.

Second, there is this thing of OOC and IC:

The history of the arguments over role playing in the cavern is, i suspect, well known to you. It is variously more 'in ' or more 'out ' of favor at different times. I know i was surprised to find that RP was ever in question. Yet, when i thought about it, i have often played the game rather mercilessly and pragmatically to simply get to the other side. Before UU, i did not really think about it.

Now, when one does think about it, surely there can be no good argument defended against RP. Surely, in theory (at least) RP must be there and under pin all that we do. It is just that one is not in character all the time. And indeed, there are those extra curricular demands placed upon us – like what will Cyan do next week.

In short, i thoroughly believe your arguments for IC attitudes should be brought out. Perhaps, a lusty dialog could develop. This is an on going problem which is far more important than the etiquette of message writing – which is not to say that the etiquette is unimportant. But it IS to say that ruffled feathers ought not be let fly in this stew, of which we all are partaking.

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I do have this PS: I feel that the small changes in tack, or direction, you have embarked upon in your current version of La Casa amounts to a very solid course. I admire its potential and feel certain this slightly new heading is better than the old one.