Best-laid Plans

I forget the whole quote. "The best-laid plans oft go awry," something like that. Another way of saying Chyna's trip to Dragon*Con may be out the window. I know, I know...Lex, Ram, Slade...Marcus from Babylon-5, Hercules, the always-incredible Tony Todd...all the scifi & fantasy eye candy a girl's heart could desire. Some things we control. Others we don't. I'll keep you posted.
--Chyna

Game Decency

A player of an online text based role-playing game of the sort we play has a responsibility, to make the game playable for all the players of the game.
This means that the players of the game need to work together, even if this means telling the other players their plans, and in so ruining the surprise. Other players once agreeing to help a player to do what they would like to in game, should out of decency and game-play help the player do what they agreed upon, and not hold up that person's game play.

Game decency, means that each player follows the written and unwritten rules of game play which means that they RESPECT the other players and if agreeing upon a plan stick to it, this does not mean that we lose all the surprises in the game, (all the fun) as long as the surprise, say come at the end of the plan, and does not harm the other players because they agreed to the plan. For example the planers character, which the plan was to his benefit, suddenly is killed, in a way that does not harm the other players.

Game decency also includes playing with other players, which makes this a multi-player game and not a one-player. This means that in an unplanned situation, another player suddenly appears and "crashes the party" they except it and follow the new path, of course they can also ask the player to delete his post (That day or the following…, next time they are online, not weeks, or months later). But this also means that if it is clear that a player is aiming for a certain direction, you don't "crash the party".

Game playing, is all about Game Decency, which is more important then the reality of the game or anything else, if one scene takes a long time because their players are not online often, and yet others are fast-paced and days or even weeks ahead game-time for the playability of the game we let them slide.

For a while in the game, some of thought that trying to make the game "real" is important, and it is, we will not have vampires and supermen in the game, but even more important, is having a playable game, and this is dependent upon Game decency.

Culture--yes or no?

The question's been asked: does our KTDARPG game-world have a "culture" of it's own? Or are we just recycling Old World?

Well, let's see...

First, define culture: (a) a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices; as well as (b) enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training.

Do the characters in our game share attitudes? values? goals? practices? Yeah, sort of. In the aftermath of the Virus, kids had to find a way to cooperate to survive. Attitudes about the future & goals seem to be global--that there BE a future, that life continue. Values and practices...well...hmm. What we've seen of game-world suggests life has value, even if that value is monetary & decided on the auction block where slaves are sold. (Not many slaves around at the moment, but we hear that may not be the case outside Fort River.) Deaths are mourned; people are willing to fight for their right to survive. It's probably in practices that characters are most widely divergent. Not necessarily a bad thing--some characters practice the back-to-nature way of life that us 21st Century players are familiar with. Others practice an agricultural life style, and still others hold to urban settings. (We've even had city elections for those who will try to govern Fort River.) In that, game-world isn't too different from real-world.

Have we created a unique culture that's more futuristic in nature & less familiar? No.

Then there's definition (b) that focuses on enlightenment & more aesthetic culture. From what currently exists in game, that's probably the area we're weakest in, creatively. Let's see, Fort River has (and continues to have) a media of sorts in the "Fort River after dark" newspaper. But there isn't really a written tradition among our characters. No books, mostly because there's no way to publish them. The tradition of oral history has made a comeback; we have our version of "bards" or "tellers" that preserve & disseminate current events/recent histories across populations. There's music & other forms of entertainment, but that's pretty standard (including the world's "oldest profession"). KTDARPG has singers (popular culture, or what was "popular" when the world we knew ended). We've reached back to the gladiator tradition; the game has seen "cage matches" & other types of fighting to settle disputes or show off prowess. Fort River has had it's Solstice Celebration (parades, fireworks, competitions, trading booths, etc.) & even a traveling carnival.

But do we have schools? Or a formal way of teaching, training & passing on knowledge & learning? Well, there's been talk in game about something that would resemble old-world guilds, but otherwise... No.

Probably everything I've pointed out is just a part of our game's evolutionary process. We've spent 4 seasons trying to get a handle on characters, relationships & "pecking orders." We've spent just as much time trying to figure out geography, climate, game history & the parameters of play.

The evidence shows that the seeds of a true human culture are there. We just have to see where it takes us.

--Chyna [thanks, Dana Z., for asking!]

You guys do good work!

KTDARPG players have the normal spectrum of weaknesses, but in one endeavor they excel: creating unique, interesting Characters. That trait was always a strength in "The Tribe." Our rpg carries on that tradition nicely.

Examples are in order.

A great character created in the 1st days of the game (almost 2 years ago!), who's held true to her roots & evolved into a very capable young woman, is Arianna. This girl began as they all did--disenfranchised by The Virus, alone & lost, trying to find friends & build a life. Over the course of 4 seasons, our Arianna has become the strong leader of the tribe The Misfits. She found a way to bring power to the tribe's home (using solar cells), has an electrified fence to protect them, has a huge stash of supplies (with which she's generous to those in need), and is very capable of protecting herself (they don't call her "Samurai Ari" for nothing!). Arianna has loved & lost. Her man Judge was killed in the last AK war, just when she found out she was pregnant with his baby. But Ari never gives up. We know she'll make it through--and drag with her the collection of strays & friends she's surrounded by.

A new character who hasn't been with us very long is Scarecrow. We're still learning about this guy, who showed up near the end of Season-3 walking into the middle of a gang war & has since hooked up with the Misfits. We don't know a lot about Scarecrow in game just yet, but what we do know is positive & intriguing--he's not afraid to mix it up if a fight's in order; he appreciates help when it's offered & tends to return generosity in kind; he has a tender soul & seems to be drawn to the underdog. If we go by what we know in the "character history" (which every player supplies for a new character), we know his old tribe tried to kill him, another tribe helped him & healed him, and now Scarecrow is mostly interested in helping people & building our new post-Virus world. As time goes on, I think we're gonna like this guy. (But he has a little difficulty ahead of him in-game right now...of the woman variety. haha!)

Another strong KTDARPG character is Krystal. Krystal joined us in Season-2 and is a member of the River Rats tribe. Our Krystal isn't larger than life; she just...is. Krystal is her tribe's healer (her mom & dad were both doctors pre-Virus). She's given a lot of herself to the health of our city Fort River, dealing with the aftermath of every major war the city kids have fought (and believe me, there have been some big ones). She's followed her calling with fortitude, sensitivity & caring. She may not be a fighter but she fights like hell to save a life! Krystal's scenario has gotten more interesting lately. She has a love interest (another River Rat named Jason), and the two of them are slowly building a life together. Since we've had very few game-relationships that weren't...well, difficult in some way...I'm looking forward to how this one develops. Who knows? We just might see our first in-game wedding!

As the tv show did so well, our players have crafted characters that you can care about & empathize with. Probably part of the reason KTDARPG has lasted so long--we're all constantly waiting to see what happens next!

--Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Friends

It occurs to me, as I watch old "Tribe" eps & then read our game-posts, that something important is missing.

Friendships. Real, true friendships.

Sure, we've had 1 or 2 occasions where the friend-bond was tight & could withstand anything. But when I compare our game to our inspiration? Our game seems to come out a poor second.

Ok, sure, it could be the fact that the episodes were written/produced under the direction of The Creator; he could make sure that important bond was always there. Whereas our game is written by individual players who are VERY remote from each other & rarely have a real-life friendship to base character relationships on. (And, yeah, we're a bit lax when it comes to continuity...and when a player gets pissed off in-game, it tends to show up in whatever characters are involved.)

Still I miss what "The Tribe" had. It would be nice to see more of it in our game.

In "The Tribe," there was a deep-seated bond among characters that was probably based on the shared experience of surviving the virus. That bond extended beyond individual tribes. And that bond was hard to break. Example--the Mall Rats. Once a Mall Rat, always a Mall Rat. Even when Lex got drunk & attacked Salene & was tossed out of the mall, eventually they took him back & didn't hold anything against him. Another example--Ebony. There were PLENTY of reasons nobody should like or trust Ebony, and she always seemed to let the bad part of her nature rule her. But--and this is a big "but"--she always seemed to get a 2nd chance. That bond...hard to beat it.

In our game? It just isn't there.

Example--"Brena." There are PLENTY of reasons nobody should like or trust her, but she's trying hard to live down her past & make amends. She has connections to the River Rats (our version of the Mall Rats)--was even accepted into the tribe. But in our game, very few characters/players are even willing to give Brena a chance & see if this change is for real. (Believe me, they won't budge one inch!) The first chance they had, the River Rats voted her out of the tribe. So much for 2nd chances & friendships. Another example--"Xeno" (RIP). Sure he had a nasty, wicked past & always seemed on the verge of insanity. Few trusted him or wanted anything to do with him. Just one character gave him a chance...and in the end, he redeemed himself & repaid that trust & faith. But if not for that one character, Xeno would never have achieved his potential & had such a positive impact on the game.

Maybe the problem lies with our Game Master, who continues to insist our game-play be as close to real-life as possible. If you look back at "The Tribe," reality wasn't exactly their concern. It was the story, the characters, the plot. Maybe if we weren't so worried about getting it right & real--or if we didn't have to worry about trusting our fellow players?--we could focus more on developing the character-relationships that distinguished "The Tribe."

Maybe it's just me. The reason I was drawn to "The Tribe" in the first place was because of its positive messages in the midst of chaos--that this crazy tribe we call the Human Race might actually have some things that make us worth preserving & keeping around.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Sorry for the confusion, guys!

Some people let me know they tried to go click on the links (at right) to KTDARPG & read the game digests to see what our story is. But they couldn't get to the digests to read them.

Sorry.

Yes, you have to be a member of KTDARPG to read any of the files. But joining is easy (you can join at the site or just click the button at the top of the page). You don't have to commit to anything or do anything or even agree to much of anything. Joining just lets you read files & databases & polls & other stuff like that...to see what we're all about.

You don't have to be a member to read the game posts. Anybody can get to those & read along as the story develops.

Try us out--you might like what you see. :)

-Chyna

More on "evil"

I've been thinking a lot about what our Illustrious Game Master had to say about "evil" - evil characters, specifically. In his view (aside from the fact he doesn't believe in "evil" per se), the characters we tag as evil are just strong characters pursuing courses they see as right & proper & appropriate to them. Not inherently evil, but evil as perceived by other characters or players in the game.

He may be on to something, if you look back at the tv show. Season-1's Zoot? Yeah, we usually consider him as evil incarnate--his actions seemed to be more for his personal good than the good of his tribe. But was that true? Look closer. The results of his actions were usually to strengthen others. Ebony was certainly stronger for her relationship with him. His tribe the Locos survived where many others either failed or barely hung on. And remember the scene in S-1, Zoot with his daughter in his arms? That look on his face was not evil--it was love, pride, caring. Who knows what Zoot might have been had he lived?

Then there was Season-2's Guardian. OK, granted, the guy was whacked. He literally worshipped Zoot & wanted to see Zoot's Kingdom realized on earth. But evil? I'm thinking...no. He believed he was leading his followers to something better. His motives were actually kinda pure. The Guardian had tons of opportunities to take for himself--opportunities presented to him first by Trudy, then Taisan. But he followed his own tenets & tried to do what he thought was right.

Season-4 brought us Ram & his Technos. OK, Ram was out there. His obsession with cleanliness was just one example. But what he wanted to do with technology was take the city out of the dark ages & bring them back to civilization. He restored water & electricity. His rule was kinda fair--if you wanted to play, you had to work--that makes sense. What he did that was so wrong was simply take it as a right that he should rule. That he was better than the rest, above the rest. Y'know? He was. He may have run rough-shod over the city, but he improved their quality of life. Evil? I don't think so.

Other characters who might be perceived as evil...well, they weren't. Not really. Ebony was strong & bull-headed & devious, but she genuinely loved Bray & Java. Siva was one that you loved to hate, but love was in her too--love for Ram.

Ultimately, I don't believe that evil existed in the tv show & probably not even in KTDARPG to date. It would be hard to make a case for it, now that I think about it. There are always motives & perceptions...shades of gray. So maybe our Game Master has a point, at least with regard to Tribe & the game.

Does evil exist? Ah, that debate will rage on. But as far as our game is concerned, I think the answer is "no." Would be interesting if someone could come up with a character that would prove me wrong. --Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

WTF

This blog entry is a personal rant. I don't do it often...I try to keep on point...KTDARPG came up in a different kinda conversation tonight & I need to get this being pissed-off outa my system. You might want to pass on this one...

I just spent 2 hours listening to somone who's suppose to love me read me an oh-so-superior riot act, right up to the point where I experienced a WTF-moment (if you don't know what that means, I'm not gonna spell it out).

The topic? My computer...the Internet...KTDARPG. The point? Apparently, the point he was trying to make is that my time on my comp actually equals escapism, and that the rpg is pure fantasy that I tend to choose over reality.

Ok, back the bus up. I'm a writer by profession. I have a job I go to every weekday. They provide me with a very hot comp system & actually pay me to do what I love & I'm good at, which is write.

Yeah, I'm on the comp a lot. It's a tool of my trade. And when I'm not writing for work, I'm writing for me. Since I was a kid, writing is how I figure out the world. I can test ideas & see where they lead me. If I got a problem & can't figure it out, I work it out on the keyboard. (I can hear AHA! coming from my fellow rpg-ers about now. C'mon, you knew that's how I played the game, right?) The comp is my info source (a lot more accurate than the local news media). I also have friends here, and family I can keep in touch with a lot easier than trying to catch them by phone or (horrors!) write them a letter.

I have a life--a damn good life!--off the keyboard, and it's very precious to me. So as you can imagine, the 2-hour sermon got on my nerves...right up to the moment where WTF hit me. Then I understood. Then I got pissed.

Had nothing to do with the comp. Had a lot to do with hacking my KTDARPG files & not understanding what he was reading.

So his 2-hour sermon was followed by my 20 minutes of making somebody feel small without using any 4-letter words (I'm good at that...large vocabulary). The short version: I'm over 21--I'm allowed to play games & have fun without explaining that to anybody--I take the concept of "privacy" rather seriously--he could kiss my ass on his way out the door.

Damn.

Ah, well...life leads us down strange paths. There have been times when the game actually has been a point of sanity among the chaos. When I need to leave it alone, I do. And I defy anyone to try & dictate what I can & cannot do. That's a game I won't play.

Sorry, guys. Next entry, promise, back to our regular programming.
-Chyna

Photo source: Webshots

Keep the dream alive

Keep the dream alive.

That's the point. Not giving up, not giving in. So many times our Tribe & game characters have been about as low as you can get. Somehow they found reasons. They found faith. They found something inside that refused to lay down & die.

As much as anything else, I think it was that quality--that optimistic view of the world even in the worst of situations--that drew me to both the television show & the game. A saying that I've been known to quote is: "Every day above ground is a good day."

I wish I knew how they did it. Is it just the optimism of youth? If the Tribe-scenario had been reversed, if all the children had died & the adults had lived, would it have been the same?

Doesn't really matter.

First things first: find a dream. Then hold on tight & pursue it relentlessly. That's how our game characters survive all the crazies & horrors we throw at them.

Maybe that's not bad advice for us players as well. -Chyna

Photo Source: Webshots

Who can replace "Bray"? LEX!

"The Girls of 4218 have been busy at work since the cancellation of Dwayne Cameron. We are so very excited to welcome back Caleb Ross! He appeared at the first ever US Tribal Gathering and is very excited to be back." -from the Tribal Gathering website

Last week, word came down that Dwayne Cameron had to cancel his appearance at Dragon*Con because of a sudden opportunity he couldn't pass up. There were hints another Tribe-star was approached about coming on such short notice.

If the above is true (and we'll wait to see it confirmed on the D*C website)...well, let's just say that Chyna won't cry about missing Bray. Lex will do just fine, thank you very much!

-Chyna

Photo source: http://www.m00nwalk.com/caleb/index.php?caleb

random thoughts

late night...can't sleep...tired of watching world news on tv...tired of trying to understand...

the game usually helps, but not tonight.

i finished a big scene yesterday. a death scene. challenging as hell...but the unintended result was that it sorta stayed with me. how fragile life is, even in a game. we create these characters, breathe life into them, set them on a road & then decide when they're no longer useful. or when it's death that will be most useful of all.

nobody around to talk to on IM & just kinda shake the blues, so i'm looking for alternatives. not too many. that's why this blog is rambling. sorry 'bout that.

anyway...

-Chyna

Photo source: entwagon.com

In between

It's sort of an in-between time for KTDARPG right now.

Our players either have too much or too little to do.

It's August, which means some are still vacationing. Others are hard at work with summer jobs. And others are finishing school exams and looking forward to a break next month. A few of us (like me) are into the summer routine of work; all day at the office & then summer play into the wee hours...

As you can imagine, our game-play is sporadic at best.

"Doldrums" is a good word.

This too shall pass.

Probably after Labor Day (the first Monday of September for us here in the U.S.). And since that weekend is the date for Dragon*Con, I'm sure our players who're going will get jazzed up meeting "Tribe" actors & playing 24/7 for a long weekend. Which promises some interesting twists in the game once we're all back in it.

Game's not exactly boring now, just slow. People only have so much time, and so much to pack into these longer summer days.

As I said, this too shall pass. Been here before...actually, we've got an anniversary coming up in October. KTDARPG will celebrate 2 years of wicked clever gaming & a lot of new players with new ideas & new twists in the tale.

So...what can I say? Happy summer. -Chyna