Things that annoy or puzzle you about Cantr

[computaertist]

[...] Because believe me, if we start going that route I'll start reporting the crap out of every single OOC thing I see, until Cantrians all speak and act like the spore-spewing aliens they were always meant to be.

Please do; it might lead to actual clearer player expectations and maybe even a more mechanics-driven game world.

Personally I don't care one way or the other which side if any wins.

[sanchez]

Where is the line? That's not something we as players can define, I don't think.

Of course we can. The question to ask yourself is: In using this name, am I expecting other players to understand something more about this char or place than they could otherwise know in game?

[LittleSoul]

Where is the line? That's not something we as players can define, I don't think.

Of course you can. The question to ask yourself is: In using this name, am I expecting other players to understand something more about this char or place than they could otherwise know in game?

That's subjective from person to person which is precisely why it can't be determined by players. It should be determined by the GM, if at all, in a clear set of rules. Since we don't have that, there's nothing to do, or rather, nothing should be done about it. It's just an irritating thing, it's not something I think someone should even be punished for, really. Just told to change it.
The way you put it it's like you're supposed to ask that question as the person doing the naming.. obviously they don't care.

What I wonder is what should be done, and who decides that, after that action has already been taken. That's why I said it can't be the players. It has to be PD or the GM.. like computaertist said.
Player expectations. They aren't very clear. That's part of why things are difficult to regulate for PD and frustrating to players because there are blurred lines that aren't even defined for us. What's okay and what's not okay. There are some hard fast rules in the capital rule.. but mostly it's subjective and dealt with on a case by case basis.

Anyway this discussion just turned into something way broader that I don't feel like getting into.

[Marian]

Of course we can. The question to ask yourself is: In using this name, am I expecting other players to understand something more about this char or place than they could otherwise know in game?

So, by your example, if someone had a name obviously recognizable as being Spanish, they'd be giving a deliberately misleading impression to other players that they'd spawned as a Spanish speaker. Same goes for any other language group.

If someone RPed a character intended to remind one of a Native American, or someone from an African or Aborigine tribe, same thing? Or a Scottish tribe?

If someone named their char or otherwise took obvious inspiration after an animal or object that either didn't exist in the game, or wasn't in the location they'd spawned. Or called their leaders an empress, or a king or queen and their guards knights, or rangers. Or mayor or governor or anything similar. Either way, they're trying to bring implications about RL governments to the player's mind.

If they were a short person with a beard and a kilt and carried an axe, they're obviously pretending to be a fantasy style dwarf which shouldn't exist in Cantr. Or talking like a robot or an alien, same thing? Sailors or pirates who speak like RL sailors or pirates would also obviously be disallowed under this.

Naming your char after a country, city, river, mountain, state, historical or mythological figure, or anime character should be right out too I'd imagine.

[sanchez]

Of course we can. The question to ask yourself is: In using this name, am I expecting other players to understand something more about this char or place than they could otherwise know in game?

So, by your example, if someone had a name obviously recognizable as being Spanish, they'd be giving a deliberately misleading impression to other players that they'd spawned as a Spanish speaker. Same goes for any other language group.

If someone RPed a character intended to remind one of a Native American, or someone from an African or Aborigine tribe, same thing? Or a Scottish tribe?

If someone named their char or otherwise took obvious inspiration after an animal or object that either didn't exist in the game, or wasn't in the location they'd spawned. Or called their leaders an empress, or a king or queen and their guards knights, or rangers. Or mayor or governor or anything similar. Either way, they're trying to bring implications about RL governments to the player's mind.

If they were a short person with a beard and a kilt and carried an axe, they're obviously pretending to be a fantasy style dwarf which shouldn't exist in Cantr. Or talking like a robot or an alien, same thing? Sailors or pirates who speak like RL sailors or pirates would also obviously be disallowed under this.

Naming your char after a country, city, river, mountain, state, historical or mythological figure, or anime character should be right out too I'd imagine.

Eh? These are not my examples. Creating unique names can be difficult. It’s whether the char is unique that’s the difference.

Axe-carrying dwarves are pretty sad for Cantr. But you certainly cross the line in importing a whole char, with backstory, traits, and descriptions, especially that you didn’t create yourself, into the game. It doesn’t fit. And CR is about creating everything in game, from the perspective of your char:

http://wiki.cantr.net/index.php/Game_Rules

The spirit of the Capital Rule is that roleplay should be immersive. When you play your characters, imagine diving into their skin, and think from their perspective. None of the actions of your characters should be on the basis of your Out Of Character (OOC) knowledge as a player… That is, you as a player must develop your character solely within the game environment. Play your character from his or her in-game experiences, with his or her in-game knowledge, and taking his or her in-game personality and interests in mind.

PD will decide if your effort to influence other players with ooc references is successful enough to be moderated.

[Kyriel]

Technically, that rule is referring to not having what other characters know or what you might have read out of game influence a character's actions. Such as acting on radio messages a character didn't hear, or things said in a town they weren't in, or maps they don't have access to.

[Marian]

Technically, that rule is referring to not having what other characters know or what you might have read out of game influence a character's actions. Such as acting on radio messages a character didn't hear, or things said in a town they weren't in, or maps they don't have access to.

Thanks, I was just fixing to point that out. It's not that hard to keep your characters in character, people.

[Marian]

And sorry for the double post, but one more thing. Texas is bad, but San d'Oria is okay?

I realize I can only speak for myself, but I'd rather see a town named after a real life state any day, over one that comes from a kingdom in a freaking Final Fantasy game. A town with knights, at that. It's -inducing but it's never once occurred to me to report or complain about it, because it doesn't effect my characters any more than any of the other weird names on the island do.

(except now I've been given the perfect opportunity to complain about it, so finally, finally I get to, thanks guys )

[LittleSoul]

And sorry for the double post, but one more thing. Texas is bad, but San d'Oria is okay?

I realize I can only speak for myself, but I'd rather see a town named after a real life state any day, over one that comes from a kingdom in a freaking Final Fantasy game.

I had no idea that was taken from Final Fantasy, and now that I know, it's just as annoying.

[Axiom]

I think it's a little harsh to call it trolling, LittleSoul. I'm sure they just picked that name because they thought it was funny and harmless.

I get the impression that a lot of the disagreement boils down to different ways that people play the game. Some people want to use Cantr as a medium for telling serious stories, and other people want to shoot the shit, hang out, and have fun. Texas doesn't bother me because I think it's funny and I don't really find this game very immersive in the first place (sorry), but I can see how it's crossing a line for people who do. Can't we respect that some people want different things out of the game, though? If you don't like Texas, just call it by its old name and don't visit.

Plus, yeah, it's not like it's named after a FF11 town. That's just silly!

(tl;dr it's okay to make RL allusions if Axiom thinks they're funny)

[SumBum]

Can't we respect that some people want different things out of the game, though?

I think a lot of people forget this. Often. Either that or they aren't willing to accept any other play-style but their own opinion.

[*Wiro]

I do think that when you're making a horse ranch and calling it Texas you're relying on OOC ideas. It'd be like starting a musician character called Grace Jones. I wouldn't go so far as to demand they change it, but I feel comfortable saying it's poor form.

Parodies are fun, and if they had called it Taxes or Saxet it would've been great. Texas, doesn't work for me. I imagine everyone has a different opinion and that's fine.

[Axiom]

I actually agree with that, Wiro, but I feel like calling it Taxes or Saxet instead of Texas is sort of splitting hairs. It's effectively the same thing as just using the real name at that point. I would've preferred more obliqueness, but I don't really see it being a problem the way it is either.

[LittleSoul]

I think it's a little harsh to call it trolling, LittleSoul. I'm sure they just picked that name because they thought it was funny and harmless.

I wasn't calling it trolling. I said it feels like trolling, not that they're actually trolls. Just the action itself feels like mockery.
Non-deliberately. I don't think it was intended that way, of course.

[Swingerzetta]

I can't say I'm annoyed or puzzled by cantr towns borrowing real-world place names, although I'm occasionally amused by the ones on Fu. (They're usually the only Fu towns I can actually remember)

I do remember being slightly annoyed by how influential a character Austin Powers turned out to be. As far as I can tell, the name could have been coincidental from the lack of resemblance to the real world fictional character of the same name, but when one first reads it in the (otherwise completely serious) historical documents... In the end, the name became more associated in my mind with the cantr character, so now I think of Cantr history whenever someone mentions or quotes the movie.