Project Having sex

[Marian]

Surely if babies are the only way to spawn players will wise up to the fact that if they ever want characters again they need to look after the babies and convince others to do the same?

Ack...I sure hope babies aren't going to be the only way to have a new character. There's still going to be spawning to, right? Because if nothing else there's probably going to be way more people wanting to start new characters than there are couples having babies. So what, is there going to be a three month waiting period now before you can even create a char? That'll be a good way to keep new players around.

And I don't know whether players are going to play their own babies or someone else will, since I can see just as many problems with either one. The first one changes up a few things in Cantr, and the second one means lots of parents are going to be stuck with expensive, hard to produce babies that they invest years of time in only to find that they're either suicidal or sleepers or just really really annoying.

(Any of my chars babies that can't type are gonna get stuffed in the closet....)

[N-Aldwitch]

I've read all this and the player RPing the child is out of the question!
Who choses whether the mother or the father RP's it? Unfair!
Is it shared? Stupid!
What happens when the baby hits adulthood? CRB!
Do they have to split up, as in the new 20 year old child, and parents? Unrealistic RP and removing the point of babies!
So why are we still even discussing this particular section of this idea? Notsure

So, how about this guys.
There is a project for a child. It takes 1 day for the mother and father to attempt, it may or may not fail depending on certain variables. Then, once that is done, a compulsary, but abortable, project is begun by the mother, spanning 14 days (close enough to the Cantr-equivalent of 9 months). The mother cannot move (unless dragged) and cannot work on projects during this period (which is RP-safe and RP-fair).

In the meantime, players who've played for over 200 days (so they could potentially have a character in their thirties at the least) can click a button that is next to Create Character, it reads Opt for Child, or something similar.
The players that click this button are put in a compiled list.
When a woman's project for a child is complete, this 'compiled list' is referred to, and a player is picked at random.
The mother sets a name that is unchangable for the child, and the child is born.
Time passes much faster for a child. It takes 3-5 Cantr years to become a man in his twenties (otherwise it would get severely boring).
The child cannot speak until he/she is 3 years old. During this period, the child is also dependant upon the mother for food, as the child cannot harvest food or work on projects (of course!! hehe). The child can hold up to 2,000 grams of anything though, and also cannot move from birth till three years old. The child can only drop things. (as some random ass could just give the child 2,000 grams of sand when born!!! which equals no food ) They also have a maximum of 30% health. They are seen as exactly what the mother names them. This can only be changed by the mother.

During the final two years of a child's life, the child can talk, can hold up to 8,000 grams of anything and can pick up and drop things. They have dynamic naming so you now see 'A child' rather than the preset name by the mother. They have a maximum of 70% health now. They can, at last, move around, enter buildings, and leave locations. However, they walk very slowly.

This entire idea would be hard to implement, but of course it's a major task and hence it comes at no surprise that the immensity of this idea will take some time.

[Phalynx]

(Any of my chars babies that can't type are gonna get stuffed in the closet....)

Lol prob your real kids too...

[Marian]

Who choses whether the mother or the father RP's it? Unfair!

you should read Sociologists thread in General - The idea everyone's been discussing there is that it's supposed to be random; either the mom or the day or a small chance of someone else. And the baby is very likely going to be a high maintentance object until its in its early teens or so, because of the 'boring' part you mentioned.

So why are we still even discussing this particular section of this idea? Notsure Wink

Because nobody knows for sure how babies are going to work and you're not the one who gets to decide when a discussion is over?

[Solfius]

I've read all this and the player RPing the child is out of the question!
Who choses whether the mother or the father RP's it? Unfair!
Is it shared? Stupid!

Randomly selects either the mother or father. Neither unfair nor stupid.
Also, having one of the parents play the child prevents something like this:

(Any of my chars babies that can't type are gonna get stuffed in the closet....)

which would be quite common I believe.

What happens when the baby hits adulthood? CRB!
Do they have to split up, as in the new 20 year old child, and parents?

The CR was created to serve a purpose: to stop something the game designers felt unacceptable. If, by implementing this idea, they change what is acceptable, then they are within their rights to change the CR to reflect this.

There is a project for a child. It takes 1 day for the mother and father to attempt, it may or may not fail depending on certain variables. Then, once that is done, a compulsary, but abortable, project is begun by the mother, spanning 14 days (close enough to the Cantr-equivalent of 9 months). The mother cannot move (unless dragged) and cannot work on projects during this period (which is RP-safe and RP-fair).

It is quite realistic for the mother to continue to do light work whilst pregnant, and even beneficial. Prenatal exercise is important for both mother and child.

In the meantime, players who've played for over 200 days (so they could potentially have a character in their thirties at the least) can click a button that is next to Create Character, it reads Opt for Child, or something similar.
The players that click this button are put in a compiled list.
When a woman's project for a child is complete, this 'compiled list' is referred to, and a player is picked at random.
The mother sets a name that is unchangable for the child, and the child is born.

Why the mother? Surely it is better for the child to have a dynamic name, or simply no name, just be treated as an object called "a baby"

Time passes much faster for a child. It takes 3-5 Cantr years to become a man in his twenties (otherwise it would get severely boring).

So a man in his twenties isn't actually twenty years old? To avoid such confusing temporal dilemmas, and the boredom you mentioned, babies should be objects until they reach 10 (after which they can perhaps be considered totally mature).

This entire idea would be hard to implement, but of course it's a major task and hence it comes at no surprise that the immensity of this idea will take some time.

I think there are better ways of implementing this, and I think The Sociologist can lay claim to the best so far.

[the_antisocial_hermit]

Surely if babies are the only way to spawn players will wise up to the fact that if they ever want characters again they need to look after the babies and convince others to do the same?

I'm thinking if that were to ever be the case, many, many players would quit. I know I would once my adult characters were dead. I might try playing a child once or twice, but I certainly wouldn't want to do it every time I wanted a new character to fill an old slot. Playing a child should be optional if children are ever put in, and I think that's been a fairly consistent point most have agreed on in these discussions. Forcing players to play children would make Cantr consist even less of the "Any role you can imagine" possibility stated on the front page. You can't do that if the role of a child is forced upon you.

[Solfius]

I don't think that would be a problem if player control took over when the child was nearly matured, so not majorly inhibited, simply not quite as capable as an adult for a year or two. That wouldn't stop you taking on any role you wished

[Cookie]

..like the sims! Plus, you could make a baby caryable and...stuff.

[Phalynx]

I was against this but the minute something makes people threaten to leave I'm afraid on principle I find myself leaning towards supporting it... Blackmail is a dirty thing!

What cleaner slate could you have than being an infant, perhaps in the period of childhood people coul train to actually develop skills according the the character they RP?

[Mykey]

It agree, it is a remarkable phrase

[Spillages]

I think the funniest part of this suggestion is if they actually implement this what skill would affect this process.

[fishfin]

I am still against it.

I think the funniest part of this suggestion is if they actually implement this what skill would affect this process.

carpentry...

[the_antisocial_hermit]

Surely if babies are the only way to spawn players will wise up to the fact that if they ever want characters again they need to look after the babies and convince others to do the same?

I'm thinking if that were to ever be the case, many, many players would quit. I know I would once my adult characters were dead. I might try playing a child once or twice, but I certainly wouldn't want to do it every time I wanted a new character to fill an old slot. Playing a child should be optional if children are ever put in, and I think that's been a fairly consistent point most have agreed on in these discussions. Forcing players to play children would make Cantr consist even less of the "Any role you can imagine" possibility stated on the front page. You can't do that if the role of a child is forced upon you.

Just because your given a "role" doesn`t necessarily mean you have to follow it. I think it`d only be as constricting as you decided it to be. I know I`m in the minority but materializing into a location is pretty magical to me, and thats something I play totally different games for.
I think the whole concept makes sense. Parents in general are good at forcing a "role" on an individual. Some, but not all reject that role either in part or entirety, once they are able to do so. I would love to have some kind of history when I start, to follow and develop or rebel against. It gets deep I know. But I think it would be worth it. It would allow for a much deeper and lasting history with deeper emotional boonds imo.
And while I`m spitting out crap. I hate RP`d sex. It`s rarely imaginative and pretty vulgar.And the fact I could be getting my characters Ass grabbed by Pie disturbs me to say the least. I much would prefer A project with a function. If you must use this game for erotic fantasies at least do it well.*sighs*

You're right in that you should be able to do what you can with the role you're given. However, Cantr's never seemed that sort of game, where you had to take the role you were given and play it out until you can be 'free' of it. The only role ever really assigned in Cantr has been starting out as a man/woman in their twenties so I don't believe players should be forced to spawn as a child in their teens or pre-teens (right, what's it matter how you spawn?). I still believe it should be a challenge left to those that care to challenge it not forced on people. I come to the game to play adults, not children. I don't come to the game to relive my childhood in a 100 various ways.

If I feel like playing a child, then I'll take it if it's an option. But 90% of the time, I won't feel like playing a child. Which for me, it might not be such a problem if I timed things right, spawning and all so that I still had mostly adult characters to play while a new one was growing up, but for the people that lose their accounts/quit for awhile and then get new ones or the ones that are just starting for the first time? Why should they be forced to play all their characters as children from the start?

I will admit, when I was a child, playing 'house' with my sister, I wanted to play the brat of a kid once in awhile and sometimes my sister did. Though we usually just both played adults and used dolls as children. Or we played the adults and the children... and 10 other things besides.

I don't particularly think children fit in Cantr because it's gone so long without, but if it's done well, then I'm fine with it. But I am against being forced to play them.

[Marian]

I don't think we're going to be forced to play kids. Like I said, it's just not possible. I'm assuming babies are going to be rare because of being hard to make and care for, but even if they weren't there are still going to be way more players wanting to spawn characters every day then there would ever be couples with babies. If they tried to force it it would kill the game...having to wait days for your account to be activated is bad enough, then you would have to wait even longer to make your first char? So hardly anymore news players, and then add in the older players that would quit, and it's not much of a game left...

[Mykey]

Rather valuable idea