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Post by memodrix on Jun 30, 2006 2:10:57 GMT -5
Alright kiddies, this is my 1.3 cents worth on the matter of good roleplay.
and if you don't wanna hear a rant, look at the bottom bit where i sum it all up in a much shorter rant.
Have you ever seen an exceptionally wordy post by someone who acts all high and mighty because they used big words?
Take a closer look at that post. When it is broken down, you will learn a new term: Much ado, about nothing.
What does it mean? well, it is quite simple.
trying to make your post more fluid, like a fine writer would, is the goal of everyone who writes, whether it be roleplay, or simply writing for the fun of it.
However, Tolstoy you ain't. Do not think that you can make an action that is so trivial, so useless to the roleplay (or in some cases, simply makes no sense within the roleplay) seem meaningful.
I have seen a couple of duels where the person who won did so on sheer words. the action they represented broke down to 'steps aside and is not hit, then smashes the other guy in the head.'
So why did they win? good roleplay? Nope. Were that character real they could have gotten their butts kicked by anyone or anything. What they did was this sneaky little thing where they used nice big three or four syllable words to dress up the action.
It was still an unrealistic god-mod of a post, but it was so incomprehensible that it seemed like they had to know what they were doing.
my point, after all that rant is this: If you want to make your posts better, by all means, do. However, don't cover up meaningless drivel with multiple syllable synonyms to make it seem like you did something meaningful. It's deceitful and only makes you look like an arse. ;D then again, some of us don't need any help do we?
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Balcaam
n00blet
I am what keeps you up at night. I am the dark that haunts the corner of your mind. I am your fear.
Posts: 4
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Post by Balcaam on Sept 2, 2006 1:16:52 GMT -5
Memodrix... you deserve a pat on the back and a lollipop. I've been trying to stress this to judges ever since I learned what dueling was. My posts, I use big words where they are necessary. Break mine down, and it'll be about 3/4 of the length of what I type (which could still be bad, but at least I try.) I've lost death duels for that very reason. *clears throat* And at this time, I would like to congradulate all of the judges that I made it through to, and those who had the common sense to know it. Otherwise, learn from the "Man Behind the Balcaam." Judge by the overall action and realism stated by the post, not just the word, "preincoherently" or whatever whatnot.
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Post by Olivius on Sept 10, 2006 4:20:00 GMT -5
Vocab is, and will always be a part of judged dueling.. I have seen it used excessively before, in those cases I agree.. But, if you took two people had them write out the same defense/attack nine times out of ten the person who displays a larger vocabulary will also display the better post.
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Post by Casus on Sept 12, 2006 18:04:42 GMT -5
I have to disagree with you on that one, Olivius. Sophistication with vocabulary is nice, at times, and thats not a very common trend, when it comes to RP/dueling. What counts, in anything RP, is the flow, not the style. I've seen a ton of styles, and even more duels. Yet, sadly, I always see the judges going strictly for the ones who use the extensive vocabulary, to those who actually work on making their post more tangible. If, like you say, two people to write the same thing, one was to use a more extensive vocab than the other, while the other simply worked on what his character was truly doing: the latter would be the easiest to the eyes. Who cares of the other went out of his way to pry deeply into a dictionary to find another word, when you could simply have used something else. You can still describe in depth, of course, the way he moved, spoke, and was breathing; which is definately the way I think everything should be written. But, when you just go for flashiness, it becomes something entirely more worthless, it requires others to think on that post, and it gets annoying. Its nice, and all. But, it still isn't necessary.
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teladrin
n00blet
Spectacular writers make not spectacular players.
Posts: 2
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Post by teladrin on Sept 13, 2006 11:59:05 GMT -5
What I find the most amusing is that even deliberately writing a certain character as, quite blatantly, being far weaker than the opponent, I still managed to win on one occasion. Simply because I layered actions that spoke only of failure beneath a flatulent aversion of paraphrasing. It was pretty much deliberate manipulation, so I had to reimburse the lass afterwards for her bid stake. Still, one of the reasons I avoid duels for the most these days. What glorious fight lasts under five minutes, real time, and holds such gravity? Other than Celebrity Deathmatch.
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Post by Deilakrion on Sept 13, 2006 18:08:35 GMT -5
Catfights?
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Post by Casus on Sept 21, 2006 0:20:58 GMT -5
But when is a duel ever fair? As you said, Teladrin, the one with the merit will win. But what if the other is a better fighter? Does that ever tally in? No, sadly it doesn't. Out of the hundreds of duels I've seen, nothing like that has ever happened. Thats probably the reason why you'll never catch me doing a duel. I'll brawl, here and there; a tavern fight or something. But nothing else. Its just an annoyance, to me. And in my opinion should somehow be revamped. If thats possible. Of course you'll never catch Casus fighting. I have fun having a pansy for a character. Its rather enjoyable. But yeah, I'm done.
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Post by Terra on Jul 17, 2007 3:08:37 GMT -5
I realize I am hopelessly late to putting in my negative cents to this, but I am going to do it anyway in hopes that some of you will read it.
Now, I agree with Memodrix. Sure, some words that are large and about 15 letters long are pretty and often make the post beautiful, but that's all it is, pretty writing. I think when it comes down to dueling there needs to be more ... clarity to the posts instead of the words in it. You can write a 1000 word post, have half of those be large words that only a few people understand without the help of a dictionary, and it'll still be crap, in my humble opinon. Focus on the content of the post, on what you're trying to say. I don't want to read a paragraph-long rant filled with words longer than my finger is tall where all the character does is sit down and look. Honestly, it doesn't require all that. There's more to RP than showing that you're capable of squeezing in large, unnessecary words. I promise you. Look over half of my posts; half of them are short-winded, and they don't have flashy words. I don't need them to make me feel sophisticated, or to make me look better. Don't even need them to win duels. If I don't, I'm sure half of you don't either.
Anyhow, yea. I'm done. Most of the people that contributed to this haven't logged in since last year. XD
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