Stupid Gamer Geek Tricks

[walbourn]

I have to say that I'm probably a bit too amused with the interactive multi-person storytelling taking part in one of the RPGA campaign's in-character chat lists. Because I tend to play with the same group of people over the past few years whenever I play Living Force, we've developed a fun chemistry and a bit of history together. Through a series of events, the guy who runs many of these games ended up getting my character to date an NPC nearly a year ago.

Now, I'm not a fan of live-action roleplaying and while I tend to play "gender-bender" characters I try to avoid both the stereo-types associated with males pretending to be females in such games or letting the game get to really be about 'gender issues'. A lot of gender-bender players tend to make two-dimensional females, and more often than not end up playing "guys with breasts". It's been both a challenge and a lot of fun to try to be true to her character rather than allowing it to become a caricature. Now this works pretty well for a Star Wars cinematic setting since characters in the movies might have love-lives but never have sex or even go to the bathroom on-screen. As jeliza can attest, despite my musical predilictions I don't really have a femme bone in my body.

It has been particularly intestesting since because we predominately play through online chat, I've noticed many male players treating my character more as as a 'woman' than they would in real life seeing a guy sitting in a chair. Even going so far as to be 'protective' of her, despite the fact that the character is a strong, go-getter female. Perhaps because she is an idealist, a compassionate believer. Perhaps just because they see their characters as people with a "Knight in Shining Armor" complex. For whatever the reason, it is defintely a much stronger trend when playing remotely rather than face-to-face.

So we have this dynamic going lately where the various players involved are nudging the story in different directions, playing off one another, and nobody is quite sure where things are going to end up. It's kind of like the original trilogy: huge space battles, powerful fights to bring lost souls back from the clutches of the Darkside, and awkward intersections of attempts to date and lead normal lives "off-screen".

Anyhow, the current thread of story is happening in a chat-list with probably 30-40 different characters taking part. At this point, my character and another woman's character are in the process of flirting with two characters being played by our regular judge. I'm amused at seeing how he has to juggling this mix of in-character dynamic.

To me this is what the gaming hobby is at its best: group multi-author storytelling. So much of the RPGA gaming has become a wargame, an exercise in character statistics and dice rolling, it is hard to describe how much fun the old-school style of roleplaying really is to people who don't have any real experience with it.

Here's just a sample of a few in-character list posts where everyone tries to describe the action in sort of novel-like style:

"The uniform looks fine, Denny, stop fiddling with it," Sara says sounding slight exasperated, "we are going go to be late for the parade."

Continuing to frown at himself in the mirror, the strongly built human attempts to straighten each ribbon, medal, and crease into perfect order. "Sara dear, unlike most of the Cularin rabble around here, I've actually been in military dress before. As much as I hate it, there are standards to be maintained."

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Sara pushes herself up from the chair by the door and moving up behind him, looking in the mirror herself and smiling at . "Okay okay. Take your time."

"It's ok. I'm finished." Turning to face her, Dennis Michaels takes a moment to straighten the medal pinned to Sara's blouse. "Too bad you don't have a uniform. I think the medal would look better on it than on these civies."

Sara glances uncomfortably at herself in the mirror, blushing slightly, "I'd rather be wearing my armor, but all those cadets at the parade will expect their former instructors to look the part."

A smirk forming on his face, Dennis gives her a quick hug adding, "You look great. Let's go."

Gathering up a few things, the couple head out the door. From a distance the sounds of the roar of a crowd drift in, cut off as the door slides shut again.

Ril and Jewel Stendan return from a run to Oluna Biqua just in time to hear about the planned Banner Days Parade. The morning of the parade sees them walking to the parade route from their parked landspeeder, both dressed casually but wearing their Order of Cularin medals (rather uncomfortably). They are followed by two droids - Fret, Ril's astromech R2, and Shmouse, Jewel's mouse droid. The two droids are whistling and beeping together in excitement, Ril or Jewel occasionally interjecting a calming comment.

Spotting Sara and Dennis, Ril waves, and the foursome makes their way through the crowd to the couple. Jewel grins at Denny. "Impressive - very impressive."

"I would hope it is, Jewel, given how long he took on it!" Sara jumps in with a teasing grin before Denny can get his chest too puffed out in pride.

Michaels smiles in his usual easy manner, "And what of little Miss Ives here. It took a lot of work to convince her to leave the grease-monkey suit and field kit at home in exchange for a dress. Hours of it in fact," as he gives her a slight slap to the rump.

Which naturally elicits the blushing and glare from Sara he intended, although clearly with no real menace. Sara glances over at Ril who is looking a little too closely at a sight he's likely never seen: Sara Ives in dress, and a formal one at that, although she was obviously not quite able to let go of the Tarasin jewelry or take on any truly daring foot-wear. Sara catches Ril eye for a moment, and he looks casually back towards his wife with a equally easy grin on his face to mirror Denny's.

"Ril dear, " Sara says with forced coolness, "do you remember a certain incident with flying crates? I might not have a blaster hidden anywhere in this get-up, but remember I'm still a dangerous woman.

::Ril grins:: "Oh, I remember. You do look good, though. From a purely platonic standpoint, of course."

::He slips his hand around Jewel's, as they maneuver through the crowd.::

Sara breathes deeply to center herself in her embarrassment and turns back to Denny. "Alright, dear, I surrender. The uniform is lovely, and it suits you. Can we move on? I think Lu and Ennia are already there and likely through half the cotton-candy for sale by now despite any protesting from Da'Iana."

A little while later, Denny excuses himself. "Well, looks like it's my unit's turn to go wave and smile. What's left of it, that is." He shakes his head a bit as if to clear of the negative thoughts, and kisses Sara. "Wait for me right here, 'k?" he whispers.

Turning to go, he nods to Ril, "Keep an eye on her." Then he slaps the other man on the back, "But just one."

I think the part I love most is the ease with which all this dialogue and interaction comes to us. Like any well-loved character in a novel or series, the image is so clear in your mind that you know them like an old friend. It is rewarding both from a creative sense and in the emotional connection with these characters, and getting to see them grow, change, challenge, and overcome brings you along for the ride.

Now, I realize it is a little strange and perhaps a bit sad to have my gaming character leading a more full personal life than I am, but in a way I think it's fun. Everyone needs heroes, and in a way it is reassuring to help create a fiction where nice girl heroes get the guy in the end and while they might not all live happily ever after--there is something inherently tragic in playing a Star Wars story set at the fall of the Old Republic--, they are true to their feelings, each other, and their ideals even in the face of terrible struggle.