Post by Morreion on Nov 26, 2010 9:43:39 GMT -5
Player Perspectives (Archived): Cult of (Multiple) Personality
MMORPG.com's Jaime Skelton uses her Player Perspectives column this week to talk about the darker side of the role-playing sub-culture in MMOs.
"Like many elitists, hardcore role-players tend to sneer at the casuals as people beneath their worth of attention. People who aren't always in character when playing are "not really role-players." Players who don't know or follow the lore of a game 100% get labeled "idiots" or "lazy." Players who make a very stereotypical character become "Mary Sues," a not so endearing term indicating the player is incapable of creating an interesting or inventive character - or, on the opposite side of the coin, that they're too inventive and creative with the process."
"Let's also not forget one thing: role-players are incredibly cliquish. Often, players who want to get involved in another's (publicly done, mind you) role-playing are spurned, ignored, or outright lambasted with insults that would make a sailor's mother cover her son's ears. Many times, guilds only role-play with themselves in haughty disdain for the rest of the people on the server, all in the ideal they are trying to, "rescue role-playing" on the server. In reality, they're doing quite the opposite, turning away others to feel better about themselves."
I've enjoyed author Jaime Skelton's game blogging, she has written many perceptive articles. This article stands out as being quite damning to roleplayers. She has a point in that everything she mentions has occurred- I have seen and experienced much of what she says- but it seems she paints with a very broad brush, without a sense of proportion.
A couple comments about the article:
"Too much paranoia and generalization to take this opinion piece very seriously. Sure, we've all seen some degree of this stuff but this level of analysis borders dangerously on the negligent and prejudicial side of things."
"Someone got burnt reacently...Not that I can argue with most of the article. It's fairly accurate. Still, there's usually no reason to post articles like this unless its fresh and still stinging. Time heals all wounds, even those caused by RPers."
It did seem personal.
MMORPG.com's Jaime Skelton uses her Player Perspectives column this week to talk about the darker side of the role-playing sub-culture in MMOs.
"Like many elitists, hardcore role-players tend to sneer at the casuals as people beneath their worth of attention. People who aren't always in character when playing are "not really role-players." Players who don't know or follow the lore of a game 100% get labeled "idiots" or "lazy." Players who make a very stereotypical character become "Mary Sues," a not so endearing term indicating the player is incapable of creating an interesting or inventive character - or, on the opposite side of the coin, that they're too inventive and creative with the process."
"Let's also not forget one thing: role-players are incredibly cliquish. Often, players who want to get involved in another's (publicly done, mind you) role-playing are spurned, ignored, or outright lambasted with insults that would make a sailor's mother cover her son's ears. Many times, guilds only role-play with themselves in haughty disdain for the rest of the people on the server, all in the ideal they are trying to, "rescue role-playing" on the server. In reality, they're doing quite the opposite, turning away others to feel better about themselves."
I've enjoyed author Jaime Skelton's game blogging, she has written many perceptive articles. This article stands out as being quite damning to roleplayers. She has a point in that everything she mentions has occurred- I have seen and experienced much of what she says- but it seems she paints with a very broad brush, without a sense of proportion.
A couple comments about the article:
"Too much paranoia and generalization to take this opinion piece very seriously. Sure, we've all seen some degree of this stuff but this level of analysis borders dangerously on the negligent and prejudicial side of things."
"Someone got burnt reacently...Not that I can argue with most of the article. It's fairly accurate. Still, there's usually no reason to post articles like this unless its fresh and still stinging. Time heals all wounds, even those caused by RPers."
It did seem personal.
