omera

I've been told by Kelly (no I'm not trying to make her look bad) that I should play something 'normal' because 1. A good aligned orc too farfetched, and 2. an illithid bard named Cthu'lhu is both unoriginal and and farfetched. If you all tell me what I should RP, than I'll just tell you to screw off. It's not your right to tell me what to RP. If you have a problem with my RP, keep it to yourself. I play strange characters because I enjoy it. I thought things were going well with people and Cthu, but apparently not.
I'll keep playing the character like I planned to.

Gwen Irima

And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. This is your character, it is your money that you spend on the game so you it is your right to do this the way you like it. Yes indeed your characters are a bit ... weird... takes some time to get used too and i hope like me other people will just accept and rp with you. But do forgive people who will struggle a bit with how to act or be or talk to you, they are their characters and their characters have their own thoughts and ideas about the other people and creatures they meet. Also be ready that from these characters point of views (like an orc becoming a paladin ... ) certain things may not be possible for your characters. And if someone doesnt want to rp with you because you choose to play your characters the way you want too... pff their loss You play this game not for others but for your own fun

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omera

Thank you Gwen

Rabid Bogling

You're welcome to play those characters. Just don't expect to be welcomed with open arms by one and all. And I personally think that you should at least consider the experience of others before plowing ahead with your own ideas. The simple fact is, many people don't want to encounter a musically gifted squid-man unless it holds some relevance to the "world" they're roleplaying in. That seems to be all Kelly meant.

Regarding IC interaction, Gwen's pretty much got it right. Don't take it personally if people try to lynch Cthulhu or Grukthar. They're simply playing their characters, just as you're playing yours. If your characters aren't compatible, find another niche, and don't hold grudge.

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We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area - British Military Spokesman, Major Mike Shearer

Van Cocidius

I've never onced told you to not play your characters, but when you wanted to turn your Orc human.. what was the point? If you want to play a human character, make a whole knew one.. the story is just too, erm, wierd.

Your characters are brilliant ideas, not faulting them, but Europa is a tight-knit community that's had the same conservative ideas over it's time that Orcs are evil and anything that isn't human/elf is also evil. Bringing in a whole new race and making it work is hard and will take time, but it's possible. Just stick at it.

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Adammair Walker

Please note that this is not advice -- more like an observation, based 100% on my own opinion and too many years' experience playing on a couple of different shards.

One of Europa's great strengths as a shard is how many of the players there have chosen to create "ordinary" people. There is a strong preference among the player base for characters who are believable types in a medieval world. Although Alraune and I came late to the party, we have had a tremendous time playing in the context of "normality" that is Europa.

The shard we moved from, Catskills, has a vastly higher tolerance for fantastic characters. It's really the difference between "high fantasy" and "low fantasy," if you're familiar with those genres of literature. On Catskills, there are characters who are combinations of werewolves/fae/drow/vampires/demons/pirates, and the player base favors that type of RP.

Personally, I much prefer the Europa version. It requires a much more subtle approach to making your character interesting and stories tend to arise from human interaction, rather than from the fantastic elements. This style suits my preference better than the wide-open Catskills style of RP.

As Gwen says, you play to suit yourself. Since we had previously encountered your Illithid ancestor, I think it's kinda neat that you made another one, and I have no problem interacting with Cthulhu.

All that said, you probably need to anticipate some negative reactions because the characters you are choosing to play clash with the shard's "culture," which has been established over a decade of play.

All virtual worlds are a kind of consensus reality -- we agree, either through an RP "association" or in the reactions we give each other in game -- to establish limits for what's believable. If you push those limits, some people are bound to object.

Bottom line, suit yourself by doing what makes fun for you, but anticipate some push-back from folks who feel like you are straining their limits of believability.

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Sally Buttons

Asking what's wrong with your chars and in the same breath telling everyone they can screw off if they don't like it, is a bit contradictory.
Rabid, Gwen, Van and Adammair are absolutely right. You can play any character you like, but expect that not everyone will be willing to interact with that character.
What we see when we spot another character is a standard paperdoll of the male or female, human or elf variety. If the other person hasn't read your profile fast enough to know that they are being confronted with a half daemon/half three-toed sloth or whatever, type of character, then they are going to get it wrong, so you will need to be prepared for that as well. Which reminds me of a great old quote from Saragon, along the lines of, "I don't want to have to read 50 profiles just to know how many heads the guy in front of me has!"

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callumf

I think most of the high fantasy role players left UO a fair time ago.

And who can remember Breed the sea creature? [My own creation and a character who I hope gave a lot of players a lot of fun]

My advice is to play it with consistency, thought and consideration for others.

Look at all those Vampires [not the stupid Hammer Horror types] we used to have? Not to mention the Drow of Naeloth?

High fantasy characters are perfectly fine as long as you dont over play them and make them ridiculous.

Who recalls Muldran Skully? Arguably the greatest role played mage in Sosaria - hardly "normal" - but "accepted" in Yew and everywhere he went.

Its about playing your character well! And making them believable!

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sigged by Firebird of Stratics! Thanks!

Raiden

You should indeed RP whatever type of character you wish. It is you paying your subscription and if you believe in your character who is anyone else to tell you otherwise.

However the nature of the characters you are playing makes them hard to fit into much of the community in terms of being part of a guild.

Wanting to RP a good aligned orc guardsman in Cove simply isn't going to work as orcs are a Covian's mortal enemy and good aligned or not an orc isn't going to last long two seconds in a region that orcs have ravaged for generations, whether they have been zapped by a mage and are now good hearted or not.

Likewise it's hard to imagine such a creature taking up the virtues to train and lead the life of a paladin.

With regards to Cthu'lhu the ilithid, many RP guilds try not to add members with names taken directly from literature or films etc. Now this isnt always possible as of course many everyday names or names relevant to the era we are RPing in are often used in literature but rarely are names as unique as Cthu'lhu, so again you are really narrowing the niche within the community in which your characters could fit.

I actually did RP with your character in the Rose last week and have no complaints as to your RP it's just that the nature of your characters does make it hard for them to fit into the remaining guilds in our community due to their level of fantasy and also the names you have chosen.

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Vierna

Let me concur with what others have said above…you play your characters the way you want to, that is your prerogative. However, just as I cannot get my head round “fluffy” drow, I cannot get my head round a non-malignant barding Illythid. That is my opinion but do not let that put you off playing how you want to play.

However, and this is a point you should keep in mind, neither myself nor my drow will break character and not “see” Cthu’lhu for what it is…a malignant mind-flayer to be either avoided or destroyed. Unlike other races, drow know exactly what Illythids are and will react the only way their psyche will allow them to. So carry on playing it as you wish, just do not expect the drow to see it a some sort of “special case”.

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Escaflowne/Drew

*Runs and hides in a corner*

I think Illythids are cool, i love a mix of low and high fantasy, this game is a fantasy game, theres lots of weird and wonderful magical beasts out there that low fantasy guilds kill alot on hunts etc, so whats wrong with a char playing one? The thing is like everyone else said, you will not fit in with all the guilds etc. Vesper are a bit low fantasy and a bit high fantasy with their mages and magic etc, but evil aligned and primitive humanoid etc races are banned from the city. In my view Illythids are meant to be evil gathering of the experience i had with them on NeverWinter Nights (Great series). They are evil squid like creatures that use mind powers to enslave people etc.

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Sineal Walker

Very well put. And what an extremely well chosen character surname!

As in all these things there's no objectively right or wrong way of RPing, but personally i've always found low fantasy to be far more satisfying. It's been relatively well catered for on Europa whilst it seems to be neglected in most contexts, which is why i've stayed on UO all these years. Therefore i'm always wary of any high fantasy incursions.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be allowed to RP whatever character you want though, as long as you don't expect our characters to change their world view to accomodate them. If your Illithid comes to our tavern it will probably be regarded as the fruit of an unnatural union between an octopus and a human, but in any case would be targetted for burning. Moreover any attempt to use telepathy wouldn't be welcome - it would be viewed as blatant god moding regardless of what high fantasy literature says about their abilities.

I also don't really see the need to play a 'good' version of an 'evil' race. Sure it's interesting if there's lots of other people playing the race in the way it's traditionally been portrayed, but it's just cliche if you're pretty much the only person playing the race anyway.

Henry Winter

Hey Sineal can i join up to the guards with my 12 armed, 5 legged half dwarf, half golem character?

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Crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women!

Escaflowne/Drew

How was my message flaming? Well i can't remember what i wrote now but im pretty sure it didn't have the intention of flaming

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Van Cocidius

You're hot Esca <3

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