Can we add something to the rules?

[Mykey]

What words... super, excellent idea

[Marian]

You see? Once we open this particular can of worms, I'm quite capable of forcefeeding said worms down the throats of just about anyone else around here. But I don't want to go there. Capice?

Come on now, that's just nitpicking and you know it...I think we've made it pretty clear here and in the discussion in the 'rants' thread that it's not the occasional typo or grammatical error we have a problem with. Everyone does that. The difference is that not everyone does it every single time their character opens their mouth, without making even the slightest effort to improve. Nixit used capital letters and commas and periods, and that's all I ask. (Heck, I could even live without the commas, as long as the other two were there.)

And it is a big problem in Cantr. Every single one of my chars (except the ones who are travelling) have to interact with someone who types like the example in the original post or worse, every single day. (Most of these people also talk OOC a lot, don't even bother with emotes, and do stupid things like clog up firepits with wood in a region that has no wood on a regular basis.)

[Mafia Salad]

What makes you think that lzy typ and poor RP go hand in hand. I think you might be taking some prejudices into the game with you.

Also how have your character reacted to it? Searching for a scientific reason or labeling a mental disorder, even declaring the people religiously unclean and worthy of death seem like decent RP reactions to "hy luk @ me I r0xer @ cuting wud" and would be a lot more fun than (OOC: Learn how to type, that’s really annoying)

Look at it as an opportunity to role play instead of something to gripe about on the forums and it won’t bug you so bad. Or at least you will enjoy the sacred language cleaning ritual you character need to perform to cleanse the town .

[Solfius]

What's wrong with being elitist?

If this question is not an answer in itself. You have my sympathy

I agree with Phalynx, and more so with The Sociologist. Everyone is a damn Fascist. Half of those idiots and, bad spellers are part of the fun, for my characters.

Just be a bitch about it IC. Maybe those retards will
unite and, come for you.

I was just challenging the underlying cultural value system in his post.

2000 years of Christinity has resulted in a culture that values the underdog and questions those with power. Hence the question, can you give a rational and reasoned arguement why elitism is bad?

[Phalynx]

Yes. Jos is trying to recruit more players so more people will view the adverts and he will have the money to continue paying for the server etc.

Therefore we need more players to allow Cantr to continue....

That's a good reason not to be elitist...

[west]

But we don't want mouth-breathers. We want good RPers who can type. If you can type well, you're assumed to be able to think well, whereas conversely if you can't type people will think you're an idiot even if you're not.

@Solfius: My sense of social justice tells me all people are equal, to mistrust those in authority, and cheer for the little guy.

My ego says, Hey, I'm way cooler than most of these jokers, authority would be nice if I had it, and screw the little guy; I'm 6'4".

So. Some sort of balance must be maintained

[formerly known as hf]

I have seen, a number of times, people who begin playing Cantr using the typological structure criticised here - including the use of 'lol' and smilies.

I agree that that form of typology is not suited to Cantr's style - places like EVE and WoW might accept it, but it's hugely immersion-breaking for Cantr.

What we must remember, though, is that form of 'lazy' typing - loss of vowels, lack of capitalisation, smilies and the like, is almost the accepted, universal form of communication amongst teenagers (and some adults) who use the internet. It's seen just as much on Cantr IRC.

The development of such a typology style is, at least for me, particularly interesting. Save for going into a lengthy discussion on the topic, the basis of such a form of typing style is chat-rooms and IM. Such a typing style did not really exist in the days of BBS and later forums - that develop 1337 as a specific response to certain mechanisms (which has been subsequently, and ironically (whether conscioucly so or not) adapted by some contemporary young people). Chat-rooms and IM systems required exceptionally fast typing - try holding a conversation in a chat-room whilst being gramatically correct and with full spelling - the conversation moves on before you get your words out...

It is possible to critique this development - as un-interpretable, lazy and disrespectful of the 'laws' of grammar - but it simply shows adaption and development - and what do languages do, if not adapt, change and develop constantly?

EVE, WoW and the like have similar reasons for this typings style to pass over - they both employ chat/IM type messaging systems - thus, it is not surprising that a new player may expect the same to be true when playing Cantr.

New players have no idea of what Cantr RP is like - their first 'events page' has nothing on it, so they do not know what to expect.

I have seen many players start off by using the 'chat room' style of typing, to very quickly adapt once they see what Cantr is about - that it is not instant-communication, so there is time to give to communication - and that it is a deep-immersion RP experience, unlike the popular, commercial variants of MMORPGs.

An Italian in France would not criticise you for speaking French to them when you met, unless you continued to do so after realising they were Italian, and were a fluent Italian speaker. Do not do the same in Cantr - give new players time to adapt - Cantr may seem second nature to you, but please remember that it is an entirely different experience to the commercial, popular variants, which will be the expectations of many new players.




We should not be discouraging new players in this manner. We all made dumb mistakes when we first started playing, and if I was on the recieving end of these types of complaints against new players, I would think twice about hanging around.

The initial mistakes may be immersion-breaking for older players, but those dumb new players were once yourselves, making similar dumb mistakes, similarly pissing off the older players when you first joined.

We should encourage them in a friendly manner, help them to get used to the game, and we will find ourselves soon enough with good players who add a lot to the game.

Or we can have a go at them, and they will leave, and Cantr will not grow, but fade.

[formerly known as hf]

And if you're really annoyed by new players doing this - add something to the wiki - On 'Your First Cantr Day' or 'Rules of Thumb' - and maybe players will see that first.

Or just shut up whinging.

[Phalynx]

Oh bugger HF I agree with you....

As we are on the same topic I RP a character with what I intend to be eastenders style 'cockerny' which I see as no different to mock scots/gaelic (a la MacGregors) but I have also seen people criticised OOC for teenpseak like 'wicked' 'man' 'cool' as being similarly 'immersion-breaking ' (I like that term).

So is there a place for dialect and slang ..... I so wish other locations could develop a dialect...

[Valsum]

For once, I agree with HF

[the_antisocial_hermit]

Very well put, HF.

[Hellzon]

And if you're really annoyed by new players doing this - add something to the wiki - On 'Your First Cantr Day' or 'Rules of Thumb' - and maybe players will see that first.

Or just shut up whinging.

Done. And I agree with the post, despite thinking that "chat-speak" is bloody annoying.

[Crosshair]

Thankyou!

[Marian]

Thanks Hellzon, that's exactly what I've been asking for all along.

Though I'm still hoping someone will put it in the actual newbie guide, since I'm not sure how seriously new players are going to take an unofficial wiki that can be edited by just anyone...(not that the problem is just confined to new players anyway, I know of 30 year old chars who talk like that)

[formerly known as hf]

Unless it's changed recently, last time I saw, the on-site newbie guide was well outta date and needs a re-vamp.