Another ‘not my typical’ blog post, post. I’m not trying to start a huge debate here, but it was something that occurred last night that has had me thinking about it every since. Since my main is ‘complete’ for me, I decided that perhaps I’d look into getting involved with the roleplay community on Antonia Bayle. This community is HUGE. There are events pretty much every single day of the week not to mention numerous channels you can join, and random encounters on the streets of Norrath.
Since the destruction in Freeport on Wednesday it has been exceptionally interesting to me to watch how each one of these roleplay guilds reacts to the situation. Especially those who follow Lucan D’Lere. In channels guilds are bonding together to heal the wounded, they’re taking in those who have been hurt by the debris. Some very prominent rp people have been killed (presumably) crushed beneath the buildings. Some were there at the time of the wreck, and give their description to others. It’s great.
Anyhow, that’s besides the point. Typically I really enjoy rp. I always have. I love the story telling, I love how involved people get. I’ve found over time that there’s nothing roleplayers like better then to talk about themselves and get themselves lost in their own stories – which is good and bad. Good because it can be very interesting especially if you’re a part of those stories – but also bad because you can easily leave out every onlooker (like myself) who is not a physical part of that story from the beginning. I don’t have a history with these people, and so I typically act as an observer, and then write about their stories later, keeping mine to myself.
Last night myself and a guild mate decided to head to one such event. I was really excited, it had been some time since I had done any serious roleplaying. Not since the Festival of Discord in early November. I (wrongly) assumed that this event was going to be a tavern setting, with perhaps songs and poems and what not. As the event started, that’s exactly what it was. It was great. There were over thirty people around, and there were stories from every which way. Having heard none of them before, I observed. I mingled a little, met some new people. I loved watching their stories unfold.
Then the actual ‘event’ started – and I am sad to say but for the first time ever I actually had to LEAVE. What I had assumed was a casual tavern setting, was actually a strip show. Graphic, dancing on stage, some times with candy canes show. With over thirty people around, I was actually embarrassed to be there. Now. I am not above sexuality in a video game. I’m not easily embarrassed, and I can be quite crude, especially in game. This was too much for me. Blatant sex sells, I realize. But when the ‘dancers’ on stage started advertising that they could be ‘hired for private parties’ afterward, I just couldn’t stick around any more. When women started talking about their ‘secret treasures’ and doing full frontal (pixel at that) I just wanted to stare at the floor and go away. This had nothing to do with the fact that they were female characters (a few men got up there too) or anything like that, in real life none of that bothers me in the least bit. In fact strip clubs in general don’t even bother me. At least there I know what I’m getting. For some reason having it in a video game did bother me. Especially when I was expecting some amazing poetry or some other artistic showing. Maybe there was some afterward, but I didn’t stick around to find out.
I guess my main issue is that while sex DOES sell, I don’t want to be in a room with 30 other characters ‘listening’ to someone emote sexual dance moves on a stage. It doesn’t do anything at all for me. Give me a good story, an interesting conversation, and something that requires some thought instead of just mind numbing sexual gratuity. I find that a LOT of people resort to turning rp into nothing but sex, and that’s just not what I’m looking for. Sex is simple. Anyone can do it. If there’s nothing more to it, it’s just plain boring. Watching everyone vie for someone else’ attention by means of sexual innuendos just gets dull after a while. Try something else!
The hour before the performances was great. There were stories everywhere, and I loved listening. As soon as it turned into the strip show the evening just went downhill. Thankfully Frostfell is in game, and I spent the majority of my evening doing that afterward. Sorry for ranting in this post, but I’ll get back to my regular scheduled program next!
It has gotten to the point where the E-RPers outnumber those who just RP. I get asked all the time about ERPing with others like they expect me to be like that. I don’t do that kind of thing. And it is slowly grating on my nerves. If they want to ERP so badly they should just hit up Second Life, where the game mechanics actually ALLOW them to do what they’re acting out.
Not to mention that ERP is now being taken out of private residences but into public places so we can all enjoy people’s weird past-times and feel uncomfortable around them.
What have we become?
It’s not the one you’re thinking of Elladron, it was advertised in the /RM channel, and there was nothing stating that it included these actions.
In a (slght) defense of the event, if it is the one that I think in Maj D’ul, it is promoted on RPEVENTS channel as a strip club with no attempt to conceal the fact. I’m guessing you don’t tune in to that channel and perhaps heard of this by word of mouth, which didn’t provide enough details.
In future, keep an eye on that channel or RPLFG for announcements of events. There are plenty of events you would probably enjoy but you need to be tuned in to hear about them. As a bonus, on RPLFG you’ll find group requests to help people out with epic updates and the like, which are usually short, pleasant groups to spend an hour or two helping somebody. I find the people in RP groups to be generally more pleasant and fun to be around than the general population.
Sad to see it has went down that far. I was a RPer for a year are so on AB a few years ago. And it was great. We had people that hit on each othere, but that was as far as it went. Every guild I was in, RP or not (well not counting my PVP time) was family rated. I have and would still go to a club like that in the offline world, But like you said, That is something you know what you are getting into. and I can see AoG having it, Just like GTA has things like that. the game or MMO was built around a lore like that. EQ2 is not built like that. And even with me not playing it right now, I pray that this will not be a new trend that will catch on.
There are very few taverns that have the open cyber dancing setting. I only know of one of them, I’m trying to think if there are any others. And yes, it would have made me uncomfortable also so I sympathize. If you want a good listing of the events happening on AB, try both Town Square on guildportal and Raven Mythic as both keep calendars of events. And those listings will tell you if they have “adult” themes to them.
Most open taverns do not allow cyber to happen in them. They want to maintain a family friendly setting.
Where was this? And is it happening again tonight? (j/k)
Yea, this has happened in a lot of games, and especially Age of Conan…yet, it belonged in Conan. The cities you build even start to attract NPC prostitutes who you can purchase “special” moments with, and even have a chance of giving you a disease (yup…Saddle Itch was the worst…uh, at least I heard).
BUT, that is what Age of Conan is. EQ2 is NOT that.
With the colorful and cheerful visuals, happy music in certain zones, and an air of Heroic Fantasy and not Low Fantasy…it does not fit.
I would leave also. Good call.
Cheers