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Winning in RP, and how it's fun to lose.

blargtheawesome

... is very scientifical.
Events Staff
Lore Staff
Staff
Let me preface this thread by saying that I'm not directing this at any person or group, I've just had the idea for this thread on my mind for awhile now, and it just so happened that the stars aligned just right for me to post it today.

Officially starting the thread off with the obvious, we all like winning. Don't really need expansion on that point. But in a similar vein, if you play regularly on this server, you probably like RPing, too. It's natural to want to win in RP, as one does with just about every game they pick up.

'Cept, it's more fun to lose most of the time. If you're playing because you love your character, as I think most of us do, your character would get very boring if they won all of the time. Or their losses were preordained, done deals. It's much more fun, much more rewarding, to not expect to win. Not, OOCly, try to win. Not to get preachy, but my only direct sources I have are from my own RP, but my character Nwalme has frequently come to find himself injured and maimed. I find it to be, and hope this is a shared experience in others, much more fun to RP out a weakened Nwalme in a plot arc to heal than a fully healed Nwalme trouncing others.

Does any of that make sense? Tl;dr losing is fun try it some time.
 

Ced

Mountain Bum
Merchant
Retired Staff
MossyMorel
MossyMorel
Merchant
Let me preface this thread by saying that I'm not directing this at any person or group, I've just had the idea for this thread on my mind for awhile now, and it just so happened that the stars aligned just right for me to post it today.

Officially starting the thread off with the obvious, we all like winning. Don't really need expansion on that point. But in a similar vein, if you play regularly on this server, you probably like RPing, too. It's natural to want to win in RP, as one does with just about every game they pick up.

'Cept, it's more fun to lose most of the time. If you're playing because you love your character, as I think most of us do, your character would get very boring if they won all of the time. Or their losses were preordained, done deals. It's much more fun, much more rewarding, to not expect to win. Not, OOCly, try to win. Not to get preachy, but my only direct sources I have are from my own RP, but my character Nwalme has frequently come to find himself injured and maimed. I find it to be, and hope this is a shared experience in others, much more fun to RP out a weakened Nwalme in a plot arc to heal than a fully healed Nwalme trouncing others.

Does any of that make sense? Tl;dr losing is fun try it some time.
While I share the sentiment and agree with you on all fronts, you haven't taken into account that others quite simply do not enjoy losing, at anything, regardless of anything. We've all come across these people in real life and they're fairly infuriating, just as they are in-game.

It's great that you enjoy variety in your character development; it's one of the many things that make you an excellent person to role-play with. It tends to be an opinion shared by the best and most experienced role-players on the server, too. But some people just want to win, no matter what. There are no doubt various reasons as to why this is, but to my mind, they must not want to contribute to a rich and in-depth server saga. Perhaps instead, they do it for the mis-placed sense of success or masculinity that victory through gratuitous violence gives them. Or maybe I'm full of shit, who knows!

It's not 100% relevant, but to quote Pratchett:
At the gate was a large, heavy-set man, who was eyeing the queue with the smug look of minor power-wielders everywhere.
 
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blargtheawesome

... is very scientifical.
Events Staff
Lore Staff
Staff
Yee, suppose some people are just, hmm, silly. But hopefully something spurs them on to change that mindset- doubt I could.
 

Friosis

Lord of Altera
Pronouns
She/Her
Good thread and good point, I agree. I think there are ways for people to change their mindset when it comes to winning, losing, and otherwise having their character in conflicts.
 

Ratchat620

Lord of Altera
I totally agree with you on all fronts, this definitly happens alot. For example: During the event thingy with Rahas and Silas and going to the nether and stuff we ended up in a battle with three withers. As i usually do, I rolled a d20 for my luck to see if i got hit or something. (I do this all the time in risky situations) As Jax would have it I rolled a 2 (or something like that) and as a result I let Meridian's leg get partially blown up. The thing is...I was the only character that got injured in that fight. (Not 100% sure this is true and even if it is true i don't want anyone who was in that fight to feel like i hate them now or something, this was just to make a point.) So yeah.... most people really don't like losing or just forget that it's possible :p
 

Valonyx

Lord of Altera
Ye, I agree with blarg. Before becoming the most powerful man on Altera, and wielding the dankest of ripped arms, I ran into several defeats. It's all part of the game frienderinoes!
 

MaelstromPuddle

Lord of Altera
Legend
Auralein
Auralein
Legend
Nwalme and Fulgrim fighting, Nwalme and I had agreed on Fulgrim dying but we agreed that it would be better for Fulgrim (Who is a massive narcissist) to survive but be horrendously disfigured, losing doesn't always end in death, you can provide counter-measures... disabilities can be good to RP out!
 

Firegirl

Lord of Altera
When I was fighting with Scardrac I agreed to losing because Scardrac has been fighting for longer, is pychically stronger than Rose, among a bunch of other stuff. I like to look at what the character is like before I make any choise on character death or not.

@Scardrac
 

Scardrac

Felsummer
Losing sucks when you're in the moment. Once you get that sore feeling out of the way, you realize how it effects that dynamic timeline that is your character.
 

Ddaug

Lord of Altera
Let me preface this thread by saying that I'm not directing this at any person or group, I've just had the idea for this thread on my mind for awhile now, and it just so happened that the stars aligned just right for me to post it today.

Officially starting the thread off with the obvious, we all like winning. Don't really need expansion on that point. But in a similar vein, if you play regularly on this server, you probably like RPing, too. It's natural to want to win in RP, as one does with just about every game they pick up.

'Cept, it's more fun to lose most of the time. If you're playing because you love your character, as I think most of us do, your character would get very boring if they won all of the time. Or their losses were preordained, done deals. It's much more fun, much more rewarding, to not expect to win. Not, OOCly, try to win. Not to get preachy, but my only direct sources I have are from my own RP, but my character Nwalme has frequently come to find himself injured and maimed. I find it to be, and hope this is a shared experience in others, much more fun to RP out a weakened Nwalme in a plot arc to heal than a fully healed Nwalme trouncing others.

Does any of that make sense? Tl;dr losing is fun try it some time.
Coming from the guy that has kicked my characters ass on far too many occasions. ;)

Edit:
But yes, great point and great thread.
 
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The Courier

Lord of Altera
I personally love winning and my char has developed as he has from actually 'winning' his fights. Only times I've lost lead to death, so there's not exactly an initiative to make me want to lose. As well, to character, Sif and Courier both fight to win and be victorious. I won't hinder my char just because I think it's a good story.
 

blargtheawesome

... is very scientifical.
Events Staff
Lore Staff
Staff
I personally love winning and my char has developed as he has from actually 'winning' his fights. Only times I've lost lead to death, so there's not exactly an initiative to make me want to lose. As well, to character, Sif and Courier both fight to win and be victorious. I won't hinder my char just because I think it's a good story.
Can appreciate not wanting to artificially hinder your characters, which I think is what you're saying, and that's not quite what I meant. What I meant to say in the OP is that folk shouldn't get so caught up in the concept of winning (which I don't think you do), that they become toxic to be around and actually RPing becomes second to the satisfaction of a 'win.'

As for incentive to lose, it's fun, I'd think. Losing a fight can have a ripple effect on a person, and go so far as to change them fundamentally- not that everything has to be as dramatic as that, obviously. I think the reason that most people RP is that they like to develop a character into something interesting. If that's not for you, then my RPing equivalent of "eat your brussels sprouts, it's more rewarding" isn't directed at you. :p

Edit: ... Can also see why all of your losses leading to death would stay your hand where accepting a loss is concerned. That's not something I've experienced, myself.
 

Friosis

Lord of Altera
Pronouns
She/Her
I personally love winning and my char has developed as he has from actually 'winning' his fights. Only times I've lost lead to death, so there's not exactly an initiative to make me want to lose. As well, to character, Sif and Courier both fight to win and be victorious. I won't hinder my char just because I think it's a good story.
Why not hinder your character for a good story? The RP this server represents is supposed to be a collaborative fantasy story, not a realistic documentary of medieval times. Sometimes having your character be on a off or bad day, or perhaps have flaws that can be exploited in combat is a good thing. Every good character has both physical and mental flaws and limits after all, which can (and should) lead to their "loss" from time to time. Even if a character desires to win that doesn't mean they always should, especially when your alternative is better character development. If you personally only love winning and only want character development through victory, I honestly suggest that you look over your character and contrast your interests for Role-Playing with others.
 
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