Fandom Pokemon: Worlds Unfurled

[D. Rex]

Sorry I disappointed you King. I'm not perfect.
As for Sakura not listening to Geoffrey, I wrote at the end of my post that once she was finished speaking that she left the group in peace to find her own way. Did I leave any indication that she would stick around to listen to Geoffrey if he decided to speak to her again? I don't think so. If I were in Sakura's shoes, I wouldn't stick around to listen to the words of someone who hated me and misunderstood me and the intentions of my words. But if you would stick around then power to you. But Sakura didn't stick around so Geoffrey was talking to the air when he made his speech. She was already gone. If anything Geoffrey would look rather silly making a speech to thin air like that.


Regardless, I said you guys would find Sakura in that tunnel. I never said it would lead you out did I? One of the perks of being the GM is I decide the course and pace of the RP and what pathways lead to where in such instances as these caves.


But go ahead and wander to your heart's content. Sakura will find daylight on my next post later this evening and she'll wish you all well, including Geoffrey even though he hates her. How long you decide to remain in the cave is up to you, but I have no time skips planned right now.

It was what you implied by asking for a response to it after continuing the argument. Not to mention she had two other people there trying to be nice to her. Whom also got ignored.


It may be a perk for you, but it has left us behind since I can't think of any logical reason why they should turn around and follow her after that. They have no knowledge of where the cave leads, and she made it feel like she just wanted to go it alone. You haven't left us much choice but to either waste the next week or so in the same place and bog down your story, or break character and follow her from the start despite little IC inclination to do so. Your perks worked in your favor by making Jeffy look silly, but not in that of the players who are stuck in the middle of it. That it is the wrong way is not a problem, it was the delivery of it. It feels like it got a little personal.


I am been a loyal player of your's since I found your RP's, and all I am trying to do is encourage a smooth-over of this affair to keep things running. I don't want to see your game bog or slow down, since I got big plans for the future. Is there nothing we can do to put things back on track?

 

[TerraBooma]

At this point, (I WILL REMEMBER THE THIN I THOUGHT OF DAMNIT.)


tempted to time skip Paul to Mt. Moon

 

[Kyero]

It was what you implied by asking for a response to it after continuing the argument. Not to mention she had two other people there trying to be nice to her. Whom also got ignored.
It may be a perk for you, but it has left us behind since I can't think of any logical reason why they should turn around and follow her after that. They have no knowledge of where the cave leads, and she made it feel like she just wanted to go it alone. You haven't left us much choice but to either waste the next week or so in the same place and bog down your story, or break character and follow her from the start despite little IC inclination to do so. Your perks worked in your favor by making Jeffy look silly, but not in that of the players who are stuck in the middle of it. That it is the wrong way is not a problem, it was the delivery of it. It feels like it got a little personal.


I am been a loyal player of your's since I found your RP's, and all I am trying to do is encourage a smooth-over of this affair to keep things running. I don't want to see your game bog or slow down, since I got big plans for the future. Is there nothing we can do to put things back on track?

I asked everyone to wait so Sophileon would be able to reply since Geoffrey was the most directly affected by what she said. It was only natural to let them have the first word.


Anyway, I'm not going to worry about this anymore King. Your path is yours to take, as is the purpose of this adventure RP. Sakura has chosen to go a different route, and I am telling you IC that it's the one you'll want to take eventually. You won't be wasting anyone's time by continuing in the caves. The whole purpose of the RP is for you all to enjoy your own adventures, and since Sakura left you all can go back to posting for your group as normal.


If you see continuing in Mt. Moon a waste of time, consider this: Is a journey like this ever supposed to be worked out ahead of time, or does it just happen?


Right now you seem to be thinking of it as a more traditional RP with a set plan and timeline to follow. Real journeys have no plans or timelines except to take what comes in stride and make the most of it. Sakura's departure and my telling you that she's about to find her way out should not negatively influence how you proceed or how you view your continued path.


Sakura is a tool for me to use to relay information about what happens in the world which is why her journey is more closely monitored and more finely worked out than yours needs to be. Other than that, do as you will.


As I said, I'm not going to worry about what you guys do at this point. Sakura's about to find her way out so it's up to you what you want to do now, as is the purpose of the RP in the first place.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

I agree with King. Him, Soph, and myself have been talking directly to Sakura ever since we ran into her and you haven't really given us enough straight answers for the one's we've been giving you. And we have absolutely no reason, like King said, to follow an entire stranger. So you have basically just set us back a week or so. That is not a perk of being a GM in my opinion.


We've all spent time writing our posts, just so Sakura can walk away and not even listen to a word of it? Harlow spoke to her very up close, talking about the Gible, Ricky did all the guffaws that aren't very easy to miss. We thought long and hard about which path we would choose to run into Sakura and I don't want to turn my back on the people that we have been travelling with and there's no real reason to follow her. If you are trying to nudge us towards her, there could be a better way to do this.


I'm not saying I have anything against how Sakura reacted to that. If I were you, my character would've probably gotten up and left as well. It's a touchy subject. But not before another player's speech even began.


I kind of like the idea of a timeskip now. If you're really going to stick with that the path we're in being a dead end, then yeah. Timeskip, please.

 

[Kyero]

I have no plans for a time skip Cloudy. It's not necessary at this point in time.


If you all don't like what's been going on or how I've handled Sakura's bombardment of information from all sides given her state of mind and physical exhaustion, then you're free to take over for me if you think you can handle it better.


My life is getting rather complicated as it is and it's getting harder to keep up with the information that comes from all of you IC given what I have to do to keep up with my schoolwork, internship, social life, and work as a martial arts teacher. If you think you can write for Sakura better than I can and keep things in the RP flowing more smoothly than I can, then please someone say they want to take over.


Remember this RP was not designed for everyone to group up and stay that way, so I don't know why this is being made such a big fuss of. Sakura is human. As such she is not perfect and she's not going to make everyone happy. It's almost as if you expect her, in her condition, to be able to shift her focus to every direction and talk to all of you as if she were perfectly healthy and fit to do so. In her current state, that wasn't going to happen. If she chooses to leave and ignore you, then your job as a role-player is to roll with it and move on in the best way you see fit. Either your character responds to her or you do what King did and have your character stay put and roll with what happened, make an opinion about it, and have your character forget about her and move on.


If you all think what I've done is too disappointing for your taste as role-players, and if you think that my handling of Sakura's condition and circumstances regarding being spoken to by a large group in said condition are too disappointing and upsetting, then you're free to leave and find another RP and another GM who won't disappoint you.


Thank you.

 

[D. Rex]

I am not berrating you, Kyero. You should know me better than that. I am discussing a matter that feels rough. And trying to come up with a mutually satisfactory way of smoothing it out. The feel of the matter being my only complaint.


I don't mind going the wrong way, lol I actually feel obligated to take the wrong way so I am not metagaming. And grinding is what makes champions I don't see any of it as a waste of time. I got an onix to train and Harlow and Jeff to poke around in all the right spots. I got ways of keeping things interesting.


Don't you worry guys, Ricky-boy has got this. If you're lucky, maybe the bet will fall through and Ricky will got to walk through the rest of the mountain without any pants.


By timeskip, I was not meaning to refer to a straight skip to Cerulean City. That is too big of a chunk to skip over. I loath those kind of skips -.- I was referring to the hours/day kind of thing. The small step kind, so more details and reactions can be given, but at the same time comes directional progress.


Btw, Ricky totally would have punched Jeff if he were in her shoes (:3)

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

I wasn't thinking a huge timeskip either, King. Those aren't really worth it.


I guess I will go write a post.

 

[D. Rex]

I have no plans for a time skip Cloudy. It's not necessary at this point in time.
If you all don't like what's been going on or how I've handled Sakura's bombardment of information from all sides given her state of mind and physical exhaustion, then you're free to take over for me if you think you can handle it better.


My life is getting rather complicated as it is and it's getting harder to keep up with the information that comes from all of you IC given what I have to do to keep up with my schoolwork, internship, social life, and work as a martial arts teacher. If you think you can write for Sakura better than I can and keep things in the RP flowing more smoothly than I can, then please someone say they want to take over.


Remember this RP was not designed for everyone to group up and stay that way, so I don't know why this is being made such a big fuss of. Sakura is human. As such she is not perfect and she's not going to make everyone happy. It's almost as if you expect her, in her condition, to be able to shift her focus to every direction and talk to all of you as if she were perfectly healthy and fit to do so. In her current state, that wasn't going to happen. If she chooses to leave and ignore you, then your job as a role-player is to roll with it and move on in the best way you see fit. Either your character responds to her or you do what King did and have your character stay put and roll with what happened, make an opinion about it, and have your character forget about her and move on.


If you all think what I've done is too disappointing for your taste as role-players, and if you think that my handling of Sakura's condition and circumstances regarding being spoken to by a large group in said condition are too disappointing and upsetting, then you're free to leave and find another RP and another GM who won't disappoint you.


Thank you.

Kyero, we have been with you this far, and we have been supportive of you and your world. There was no need in saying that last part. As a player, I got a duty to the RP as much as you do. I love seeing RP's that I am in flourish and prosper. Yours is no exception. Now if life is getting hectic, which it always seems to do, then let us help you out some. Any one of us would pitch in to make things easier. Whether it is playing Sakura or just sending you status summaries, or anything for that matter. We're all in it together, after all. And we all want the same thing.

 

[Sophileon]

I'm not going to remark about how disappointed I am in the way everything was handled; that has already been addressed.


What I am going to ask for a better understanding of is this: If your argument for how you handled things is because you have such a busy schedule, Kyero, then why did you act so harshly against @theunderwolf when he still had time to post?


You told everyone we had until a set Saturday and that if we didn't post by then, you would kick us out. Wolf had said he was going to post by that Saturday, which wasn't officially over yet, but you had already kicked him out. It makes no sense to me that you would completely dismiss an argument you started with our characters and then say you did so because you are busy juggling a bunch of other real world activities, but wouldn't give Wolf the chance to post on the day you had given us as a deadline. That feels like such poor form as a GM to me. Alienating the people that have helped this RP become what is it today is not the way to keep people in it and keep it going.

 

[Kyero]

I'm not going to remark about how disappointed I am in the way everything was handled; that has already been addressed.
What I am going to ask for a better understanding of is this: If your argument for how you handled things is because you have such a busy schedule, Kyero, then why did you act so harshly against @theunderwolf when he still had time to post?


You told everyone we had until a set Saturday and that if we didn't post by then, you would kick us out. Wolf had said he was going to post by that Saturday, which wasn't officially over yet, but you had already kicked him out. It makes no sense to me that you would completely dismiss an argument you started with our characters and then say you did so because you are busy juggling a bunch of other real world activities, but wouldn't give Wolf the chance to post on the day you had given us as a deadline. That feels like such poor form as a GM to me. Alienating the people that have helped this RP become what is it today is not the way to keep people in it and keep it going.

Theunderwolf did not still have time to post Sophileon, nor I did alienate him. You have absolutely no right to accuse me of such an action.


I gave everyone, theunderwolf included, until 12pm, Pacific Standard Time on that Saturday to post. That means you all had until noon to post, not just Saturday as an entire day. You all made that deadline. Theunderwolf failed to meet that deadline and was thus ejected from the RP as per the terms of the ultimatum. It is as simple as that. That is not alienation, Sophileon, and I utterly resent the fact that you would accuse me of such an action.


To alienate someone is to make them feel like they are unwanted or do not belong, and that is not what I did to theunderwolf.


If I had ejected him from the RP before the deadline had passed and attacked him as an individual with the purpose of making him feel like he didn't belong here, that would be alienation. All I did was give him a deadline which he failed to meet, and I even said that I was not happy about having to follow the protocol I set and remove him from the RP in such a manner. Saying that I'm not happy about his removal implies that I enjoyed his presence, and that I was sad to have to make him leave. What more do you want from me?


I strongly suggest you take back that accusation Sophileon, as I will not tolerate it being aimed at me so haphazardly.


If you think so little of me to believe that I would alienate someone like that so easily, then why are you even still here? If I were that kind of person, you would not have joined this RP in the first place would you?


Moving on to a more thorough explanation of theunderwolf's removal:


Speaking from an objective and real world point of view, theunderwolf's claim of having misread the deadline is no excuse when it was spelled out in black and white. Do you think in the real world with a job or a career that you'll be allowed to "misread" deadlines? No. You will get fired for not meeting deadlines or turning in projects and important documentation on time in the real world. While this RP is casual and meant to be fun, I decided with that ultimatum to give everyone who was slowing it down a proper and bitter taste of reality. Theunderwolf failed to meet the deadline and was ejected from the RP. There was no ill will or ill intent behind that deadline, only a dose of reality.


Theunderwolf left quietly and didn't leave me any hateful or resentful message, so why is it that you seem to be doing so in his place? Has he been talking to you behind my back about how angry he is that I made him leave or something? If so, then that's more an example of bad form than anything I've done up until this point.


At 12:01pm Pacific Standard Time, the first minute after the deadline had passed, I made good on my promise by going through the profile list and deleting the profiles of those who either told me they had dropped, or those who had failed to post. Theunderwolf wrote in a few hours after the deadline had passed that he was ready, and I did not accept his late proposal to remain involved. As a GM, once I make a rule, I must follow it or I become a hypocrite and set a bad example for my role-players and prove to them that I can't follow my own rules. That too, would have been more bad form than anything I've done up until now.


If writing in "I'm ready now!" hours after a deadline has passed is acceptable to you, then that's on you. If giving a deadline and following it is poor form in your eyes, then I'd hate to see what "good form" is. I now believe, given all of these facts and the way you phrased your accusations to me, that your version of good form means going back on my word for the sake of one role-player who simply failed to meet the deadline to post.


I will accept no responsibility or blame for theunderwolf's failure to meet that deadline or his ejection from the RP given that the terms could not have been made more clear. If you want to be disappointed in me and accuse me of alienating theunderwolf based on how I handled their ejection from the RP, then you are free to leave this RP to find a GM who will not disappoint you and who will not "alienate" anyone.


If I am presenting bad form as a GM in your eyes, Sophileon, then another thing I can do very easily for everyone is shift gears. As a GM who has been role-playing for 16+ years, I know how to operate on both sides of the spectrum. I know how to be a casual and friendly GM who lets things slide, and I know how to be a proper, more rigid GM who demands rules and guidelines be followed to the letter. A GM who follows proper form would not let all of the mistakes that you and the others have all been making IC since the start of the RP slide. Small details matter, and many of you have been overlooking small details left and right in your responses to one another IC. A GM who follows proper form would come down on you for such mistakes and demand you fix them.


If you want me to shift gears and behave more like a proper GM would and start coming down on everyone for all of their mistakes IC, I can do that.


Is that what you want from me? Or would you prefer I remain casual and let you continue the way you have been thus far? To me it makes little difference. Whether I am your friend who lets you play as you please, or the GM you tolerate because you like the RP itself even though the GM points out your every single mistake every single post, it makes no difference to me at this point in time given the way I'm being treated and singled out right now.


Does it seem fair to you that I overlook nearly all of your collected mistakes since the beginning of the RP, yet in your eyes I make one mistake and suddenly I'm the bad guy everyone is disappointed in and openly criticizing OOC?


That doesn't seem fair to me.


However I will not tolerate such backlash as this for a simple IC post any further, so now I offer what will be my final response to everyone regarding this recent issue with how I've handled things IC with Sakura.


If you all read this part of my response and are still confused or disappointed in me for the way I handled her leaving the group, then you obviously never knew me or paid proper attention to who I am as a GM and a role-player.




Let me spell out in black and white why Sakura did what she did and put an end to this pathetic excuse of a back and forth about being disappointed in me and how I wrote her removal from the group:


1) Sakura is not you!


Sakura is an individual, and every individual is different and handles things differently (or did you all forget that fact?). Once Sakura felt she made her point, she decided to leave. Geoffrey made his point with "you will invite unnecessary danger" and made it abundantly clear he didn't want her around. There is no stronger point than that and no greater reason to leave when someone so obviously and unjustifiably hates you. Sakura responded to that statement against her, and left. Why it's becoming such a big deal is beyond me, as Sakura is not any of you and doesn't handle things as you would.


If anything, it just gives her yet another character flaw to overcome which you all should be overjoyed to see. How is she going to change and apologize for this? How is she going to make it up to them? How is she going to change herself and become a better person after this exchange and premature departure?


You need to all remember that these characters are just that: characters. They are all going to be written for differently than if someone else was in control of them. Regardless of my busy schedule, this is how I wanted Sakura to respond from the beginning once I saw "you will invite unnecessary danger." All of this played out in my head including Geoffrey's rather predictable "you think you're better than me?" response. Whatever other misunderstandings or projected expectations you had of me and Sakura going into that exchange are on you, and I will accept no responsibility for hurt feelings or such feelings as disappointment. If you're disappointed in how I handled things, then keep reading.


2) Sakura's physical condition - Sakura is physically exhausted to the point where she can barely stand on her own. If any of you have ever been even close to that condition in real life, you'd know how hard it is to remain focused on a task unless it is literally the only task in front of you. With three people talking to her at once, Sakura's brain has to pick and choose who she's focusing on, and during the final moments of the conversation she was focused on Geoffrey. His words were the last ones to enter her ear canal, strike her eardrums, and send the audio signals to her brain to be interpreted as words. Since those were the last she heard, they were the only ones she responded to. It's all her brain could focus on at the given moment given her weakened condition.


3) Sakura's mental condition - Jumping off the first indication that Sakura reacted normally, in such a weakened physical condition and in such an unbalanced emotional state, Sakura's mentality and focus are unstable.


First, after being shot at, what do you think a 17 year old is going to be like in a normal situation, much less in such a weakened physical and mental condition? Do you honestly believe a 17 year old, someone who's not even an adult yet and who has yet to truly live through the worst life has to offer on any front, can remain poised given such a sudden and unnecessary personal attack as "you will invite unnecessary danger?" Take even one basic human psychology course and you'll know that the answer is a solid "No."


Teenagers, with their raging hormones and ever shifting personalities, are prone to acts of self defense, be they verbal or physical. When you were a teenager (or if you still are in real life) and someone you didn't like came over to your circle of friends and starts talking and casually bad mouthing you thinking it's funny to joke about you at your expense, what did (do) you do? My guess is at the very least you try and protect yourself by either countering what they have to say with snarky remarks about what's wrong with them, or you outright got in their face and told them to back off. In either case, you responded negatively and the way normal teenagers do. What's so different about Sakura's response?


Second. If any of you actually bothered to read and pay attention to Sakura's profile, you'd know that Sakura grew up as the resident "mother" of her household since her real mother moved to Saffron City early on in her life. Given that fact, she was relied upon by her family, especially her younger siblings, for almost everything. She was considered important, and that kind of attention leaves a mark on those who are young and impressionable. Her Pokemon might not all like her just yet, but Blaze does and she considers him family and she knows that he relies on her just as much as she relies on him. In her mind, she's important to him. When you're used to being considered important, and suddenly you're "inviting unnecessary danger," what do you think the response will be? Do you think she's not going to take it personally and respond by trying to prove that she's not a danger and that she is important in some way (even if she's implying her importance is to others and not Geoffrey and crew)? Did you think she'd just take that remark and brush it off given everything you've read thus far about what's going on with her physically and mentally?


4) At the end of my post, I wrote that once Sakura was finished speaking that she left the group.


What part of the phrase "With that, Sakura and Blaze began walking back without any further words towards the open cave system to take a different path so as not to disturb this group any further," was too hard for you all to understand?


Was there anything about "without any further words" that left you thinking that she intended to respond if Geoffrey said anything further to her?


If that phrase did leave the impression on you all that she was going to wait for a response and say something back, then the only one who has a right to be disappointed here is me.


It's true I said I was looking forward to Geoffrey's response OOC, but that was me OOC, saying I was looking forward to reading his response. However, does that OOC excitement on my part truly imply that Sakura wants to continue the exchange? Am I Sakura? Or am I portraying a character in a different context and fantasy world whose name is Sakura?


Are you all perhaps projecting what you believe you would have done into this situation, such as make one last response before having your character leave, and then going on to say that it's somehow my fault for not having Sakura do what you would have done?


In all honesty, it doesn't seem fair that you're now attacking me and saying I disappointed you just because I didn't have Sakura do what you were expecting either you or me to do in that situation. Neither myself nor Sakura are you or would respond to the situation as you would. We are separate, and we are individuals. I have my excitement and eagerness to see posts and responses, and Sakura as a character has her own method of dealing with what comes her way and it is entirely separate from what I myself would do in that situation.


It's time you understood that fact and accept that I, as an individual and a role-player myself, will not do what you expect me to do all the time with regards to my character(s). I will deviate from the norm, as is my normal and personal methodology as a role-player. You should be used to that much from me by now.




With all of that said, I now feel like I'm in an OOC debate with children given how easily you all seem to single out the larger details you want to see and ignore the smaller details that really matter given the circumstances, especially those which are spelled out in black and white right in front of your eyes.


I usually don't swear in OOC conversation like this as I think it's typically unwarranted and juvenile, but this situation does in fact warrant a few honest words without me holding back: It's high time you all began to pay some fucking attention to the smaller details and learned to think about things from a realistic and objective standpoint rather than thinking "what would I have done with my character in that situation as opposed to what I just read from this player and their character?"


Neither I nor my character are you or your characters. We will do things differently, and whatever Sakura does IC is what she will do IC. Why that disappoints you is beyond me. It's a casual role-play, so start treating it like one and learn to roll with it. If you don't like what she did, then you don't have to like what she did. But why am I being attacked for writing something surprising for her to have done?


To be fair, I am more disappointed with all of you than you are with me right now.


How many times have you heard the phrase "it's the small details that often matter the most?"


That phrase is no less relevant within the context of what goes on in this RP than it is in real life.


As a GM and a role-player, I constantly pay attention to the smaller details IC. I read every word and don't take the lazy way out by skimming, sometimes going back to reread to make sure I understand what's just happened. I take the dialogue of other characters into account, their physical actions, and their apparent mental states into account as well before making a response. I then judge how my character would interpret such words and actions based on how I constructed them, and then craft my response. When writing for my own characters, I take realistic psychology and physical condition with regards to a character's age into account when writing my own character's dialogue and physical actions. I structure the grammar, words, and actions of my characters based on their given stats such as their height, weight, age, and physical appearance.


That said, recently I have paid more attention to the most immediate post regarding Sakura being addressed by another player character, as per the parameters surrounding her physical and mental state. That would be Geoffrey's response to her arrival. I responded in a way I felt Sakura would have, heeding his wish for her to leave while making a final statement before her banishment from the group. All the while I was heeding her physical and mental condition as well as realistic human psychology based on the details of her life leading up to this point.


If this kind of attention to detail and regard to realistic expectation of the words and actions of a character given all that we know about them and their current personal condition and IC situation makes you all disappointed in me, then why are any of you even here?


This is how I've always been. Why did you even join the RP knowing that this is how I role-play and that this is who I am? For those who didn't know me before this RP, you've obviously had plenty of time to become familiar with me and the way I role-play since this RP started, so why does this recent development suddenly shock and disappoint you? Knowing now all the details that went into Sakura's response and self removal from the group, how is it different than anything else I've done thus far? Taking details into account and crafting a response via cause and effect is how I have always operated, and it's not fair to me now after all the leeway I've given all of you to suddenly start criticizing me for doing what I always have done just because the actions of my character IC seemed a bit off to you.


If anything, I'm more disappointed that all of you have been so immature and taken Sakura's actions so personally OOC, rather than keeping the disappointment and confusion IC with your characters as you're supposed to. When I shot Sakura, none of you batted an eyelash or said that was disturbing or disappointing. So why, when Sakura leaves the group without paying any further attention to the group, does everyone suddenly attack me like this?


However, as I said to King, I am now finished talking about this issue.


I am going to move forward with Sakura in the RP and that's that. You can all either drop it and move forward with me, or find another RP and GM who won't disappoint you. As I said before, it makes little to no difference to me at this point given how I'm being treated.


Right now my patience with you is on a very thin thread, and I'm close to snapping and running this RP like a more traditional GM and start disconnecting myself from all of you OOC unless I have something to say about what you post IC.


I'd rather not go that route, but I know who I am as a human being and I know that's where I'm heading right now. So if you don't want me going that route either, my suggestion is you learn to accept what Sakura did as a character and move on while giving me the time and space I need to calm down and move forward OOC like my old self again.


 
So then, @KingHink, @CloudyBlueDay, @Sophileon, I have only one question for all three of you:


If you've read my rather lengthy explanation of my recent actions above from beginning to end without skipping anything, what will you do now?


If you've read it all and still don't believe that I am justified in what I did both OOC and IC, then I don't know what else to say to you. I know that King seems to have moved on, but what about you two? Will you move forward, or will you tell me to shove it and leave? If you wish to leave, I will not stop you. But if you leave I will ask that you do me one final courtesy and delete your own profile from the Character Sign-Up page. If you wish to stay, say that you would like to stay and let that be the end of it.


We will move on together if you are ready to do so.

 

[Sophileon]

I'm still weighing my choices. In the meantime, I will make posts so the story can progress ( I'm not going to be discourteous in that regards ) but during that time I will be thinking of whether I truly wish to stay or not.


Also, I am not a child. I have role played as long as you, if not longer than you have Kyero. I have a degree in psychology and fully understand the human mind probably better than most typical role players. I never attacked you personally. I never said you were a bad person. I never cursed during the entire time. All I did was question your GM abilities because we both, clearly, have differing ideas of how a GM should interact with their players.

 

[Kyero]

I'm still weighing my choices. In the meantime, I will make posts so the story can progress ( I'm not going to be discourteous in that regards ) but during that time I will be thinking of whether I truly wish to stay or not.
Also, I am not a child. I have role played as long as you, if not longer than you have Kyero. I have a degree in psychology and fully understand the human mind probably better than most typical role players. I never attacked you personally. I never said you were a bad person. I never cursed during the entire time. All I did was question your GM abilities because we both, clearly, have differing ideas of how a GM should interact with their players.

Very well Sophileon. Then let's put a final end to this right now in as calm and amicable a way as possible, shall we?


I said "I feel like I'm in an OOC debate with children." While the implication that I found EVERYONE'S accusations and disappointment in my choice childish is there, I did not directly call you or anyone else a child.


To summarize my reasoning for Sakura's words and sudden departure: Emotional and mental immaturity due to being young and having raging hormones. Physical weakness reducing her focus and ability to properly interpret what's going on around her and respond in an adult manner. The fact that she's still recovering mentally from being shot and almost losing Blaze in the process. The fact that she was relied upon and felt important most of her life playing a part in her defensiveness and need to validate her existence and presence.


To me, all of these details are clear and obvious, and should come as no surprise that they resulted in her leaving the way she did.


The simple fact why she spoke like that to him and left is this: She didn't care to hear what he had to say, as in her mind everything he wanted to say had been said. It doesn't matter how many words he uses to describe why he wants her to leave. He wants her to leave. It's as simple as that, and she fulfilled his wish and left.


Sakura showed bad form by not waiting to listen to his response, and that's a character flaw and a poor human choice which I chose consciously to put there for the exact reason for pushing Geoffrey's anger towards her further.


It should be clear to everyone by now that I love conflict IC. Anything I can do to push IC conflict further and create more tension so that the resolution later is that much more meaningful and that much more emotional for all of us both OOC and IC should be so obvious that it's almost painful!


However, after taking the last day to distance myself from the computer and relax, I have come to the realization that it is my fault and I blame myself for not communicating the above facts leading up to my choice directly OOC before just posting Sakura's sudden departure. But by this time I know King and Cloudy well enough that both of them understand that part of my desire as a GM, to push conflict. They know I enjoy IC conflict and resolution. They've helped me create it in other RP's for crying out loud! The fact that the two of them were shocked and disappointed in me is outright insulting given this fact, and is where my disappointment in them lies.


You, Sophileon, don't know me as well as they do, so I can understand, to an extent, your disappointment. Again I now believe that your disappointment is more a result of my failure to directly communicate that it was my intention to make Sakura do something to anger your characters up front and less about the fact that it happened.


To conclude this conversation... I will end with a question: Can you forgive my lack of proper communication and stay in the RP if I promise never to presume that everyone knows what I'm going for and promise to always post OOC ahead of time when I plan on Sakura or another character I may create in the future doing something that might upset your character(s) IC?


Before you answer, I want you to know that I consider you accusing me of alienating theunderwolf, or anyone for that matter, a personal attack on my character. As I explained, I didn't alienate anyone. I gave you all a very specific deadline about when to post and remain a part of the RP because you were all in groups and the RP was slowing down. In order to protect it from death, I had to make the choice to force those who could remain to get involved by giving them a deadline, and he did not meet it. I felt bad for ejecting him, telling him as much when I had to make him leave. But that's about as far from alienation as you can get, and that you would call that alienation hurts me.


So now, finally, I leave you to your choice.


If you are ready to stop questioning me and the choices I make regarding the words and actions of my own character (on the grounds that from now on I make it abundantly clear OOC ahead of time what I intend to do and why, and stop presuming that everyone understands without an explanation), then we can move forward amicably. If you still believe that I, as the GM, am not worth staying, that the RP itself, which is innocent of this back and forth, isn't worthy staying, and that King and Cloudy aren't worth staying, then say your goodbyes and kindly leave the RP.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

I will stay for now. I'm still considering my options as well but I guess I will continue to post for the time being.


I'm really unhappy with the way you handled this situation. I understand completely where you're going with for Sakura - the whole mental/physical condition and the age. But the way you wrote it out made it seem like Harlow and Ricky weren't there at all. And then on top of that you decided it was necessary to swear and tell us 'that you felt like you were in an OOC debate with children'. If you want to rule that off as who you are or the fact that you like conflict IC, go ahead. You don't need to post OOC ahead of time for Sakura. What would be nice is if you were to acknowledge that our characters are their when they are specifically talking to you.

 

[Kyero]

I will stay for now. I'm still considering my options as well but I guess I will continue to post for the time being.
I'm really unhappy with the way you handled this situation. I understand completely where you're going with for Sakura - the whole mental/physical condition and the age. But the way you wrote it out made it seem like Harlow and Ricky weren't there at all. And then on top of that you decided it was necessary to swear and tell us 'that you felt like you were in an OOC debate with children'. If you want to rule that off as who you are or the fact that you like conflict IC, go ahead. You don't need to post OOC ahead of time for Sakura. What would be nice is if you were to acknowledge that our characters are their when they are specifically talking to you.

Very well Cloudy.


However, at this point, I don't see any good reason to continue any farther. Obviously I have failed you all as a GM over this issue, and after sleeping on it last night I now believe that no matter what we say or do this RP will never be the same, nor will we ever be as role-players OOC.


So now, I am making what for me is a difficult decision and closing the RP.


If you feel you have to weigh your options at this point as to whether or not you want to stay, then it's already not worth staying. By this point you shouldn't have to weigh your options. You should have made your choice. You know why I did what I did, and if that's not good enough then there's no legitimate reason for you or Sophileon to force yourselves to be here any longer, much less to force another post in an RP you're not certain about.


I have acknowledged that this is my failure, so I am relieving you both of the need to make a choice about this and am making it for you.


If this RP is just me and King on two separate journeys that are not likely to intersect unless we force it, then it defeats the purpose of what the RP has started to become. I will try this RP again soon, perhaps on another website. But this RP on this website is dead, and I will not ask you to force yourselves to stay here any longer.


Good-bye @CloudyBlueDay, @Sophileon.


King has opted to join another RP I just started, so I needn't say good-bye to him. But as neither of you are in RP's I'm continuing with or currently running, this is good-bye. I wish you both the best in all your future RP endeavors.

 

[Sophileon]

I had actually intended to stay after you explained it a little further. I just haven't had the chance to post about it yet.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

I was leaning towards staying as well, but it's your decision.

 

[Kyero]

"I was leaning towards staying," does not tell me that it was a guarantee or that there was any real forgiveness involved Cloudy. Just tolerance. If you can only tolerate me, then there's no reason to continue this. As a role-player, I don't stay in role-plays where I only tolerate the GM. I have to like them to remain involved.


After all of this, it's obvious that our relationship as role-players has rapidly deteriorated. There's no reason to continue like that.

 

[D. Rex]

Kyero, on my phone right now, so i can not type well. But if we can wait until later this evening, when i get on my computer, I would like to submit a last plea/negotiation/suggestion attempt to keep the rp alive. As well as maybe offer an alternative if that fails.

 

[Kyero]

If you'd like me to wait King, I will.


But as neither Cloudy nor Sophileon tried to talk me out of it, that shows me they ultimately don't care about the outcome. An RP they don't care about and don't believe is worth fighting for is not an RP worth keeping around. Honestly, I feel the same.


If this RP was brought down like this so easily by one misunderstanding and miscommunication OOC, then it has no further reason to exist. RP's like this need to be strong, and people need to want to be involved.


If you're the only one among us who actually seems to want to offer any kind of resistance to it being closed, I don't see the point in waiting.


But I will wait and hear what you have to say when you're ready before marking it as "closed."

 

[D. Rex]

I would like to start by saying, that I disagree with you Kyero, on that this RP would never be the same. But I happen to be a hopeful sort. What we are going through now, is troubling, yes. But it would take much worse to destroy an RP. For an RP to die, the IDEA has to die. And I am willing to bet, that none of us is willing to give up on the idea. Should the worse occur, and we close down, I would see to it that the idea continues. By making a similar RP and continuing from where we left, with whoever would join me. However, that is not the route I desire to take. I have invested a lot in my character, Ricky. He is one of my favorites. I created him under you, at Roleplay Gateway. We didn't get very far, the site kept crashing, but I had played long enough to be attached to him and appreciate your style, intimidating as it had seemed to be at the time. It had pained me, as it does when any RP dies. I was not willing to give up though, and followed you here for a second chance to keep the idea alive. I changed him, though still the same concept, it was at a vastly different point in his life. It was hard, but I was pleased with the outcome. I was pleased with the direction we went, I was pleased with how far we have gotten. It is because of how far we have gotten, and how much work and hope went into this, that pains me even more to see this happening. Soph, Cloudy. I am sure you both feel the same as me.


I believe their is reason to continue, because we all invested in this RP. We put our heart and soul into it. Kyero has created and given us an elaborate and detailed open world, and a plot to bring it down, giving us the IC power to forge our own adventure within it. And we, as players, helped to bring it to life and to give meaning to his work and use IC to push him to further his work. The symbiotic relationship between GM and players. Both have duty to the RP. I have always believed an RP to be a collab effort rather than work of a singular figure. This brings into a play, a problem that happens when any number of competent minds get together. The risk of having a friction of ideals.


This situation is unique in RP because of the sandbox nature of the game. As players, we have been conditioned into a sense of linearity, to some extent. This recent affair is evidence as such, how we perceived his actions despite the fact that IC it didn't really matter. We felt ourselves led into a direction, rather than leading ourselves, and expecting a preset or structured outcome. It is easy here to put fault on a person rather than expectations and rationalize blame into whatever direction. It is human nature. This is were the friction of ideals come in. What we expected conflicted with that of what Kyero expected. This happens in reality as much as RP. And much as in reality, it can be overcome.


Perceptions and communication play a major role in what we do. By saying we are busy or brain farting, we can help others understand why a post might be missing things that would normally be there otherwise. This alone can change the perception of that post to "she's ignoring me!" to "no worries, she's just busy, she will get around to it". Like's and some minor form of ackowledgement can go a long ways to further alleviate matters. This also includes OOC communication. Bluntness and 'call it as you see it' can both be admirable in getting a point out, but typing does not easily convey emotions as much as voice. Many times, as Cloudy has seen, the way a character of mine speaks is often percieved as yelling, despite that in my head he isn't. The fault there is mine for not anticipating how it might be perceived by others. This is an IC example that I am using to emphasize the importance of such matters OOC. Between us, we four strong and skilled minds. This complicates matters because of us have our own ideals and experience in ways that we are used to. At the same time, each of us knows the others in different ways. For example, I would know how to understand Soph better than Kyero or Cloudy. This further increases the importance of communication so we can better understand each other and more efficiently work together.


As I had explained to Kyero, given how everything stacked up as they did, that I believe we have been a victim of bad circumstance. We all got angry, we all got frustrated, we all got insulted. But right now we are in a position of calmer minds than we were back then, and can look at the matter more objectively. I do not at all blame Soph and Cloudy for their desire to think about staying or leaving. This was a harsh time. But the fact that they are only considering it is a sign that hope is not gone. The time it takes for emotions to simmer down vary from person to person. As for tolerance, well, I am the epitome of tolerance. Figuratively speaking. It is not a poor thing when it is leaning to your favor, because it gives the chance that it can become acceptance. Tolerance gives time for understanding and reasoning to take effect.


Anyway, I have been in many RP's. Their rise and fall is a natural cycle. Every one will hit a pitfall every once in a while. The ones that last, the kind that go on for years, are the ones that pick themselves back up and fill in the pitfall so no one falls in it again. I run an RP that is five years running. It has been bumped and bruised and broken, we have argued and rejected, we have always come back figured out how to forgive and make things right. The desire and work of a single player can spread into others and convince them. Like a support group.


This RP has every reason to exist, because it is an idea that we all latched on to up until this one single point. And this one single point is a hurdle to overcome, and it SHOWS us what we can do to make it BETTER. And that even should this RP end, we are in a position to learn what we could have done so it doesn't happen as easily again. This RP that we enjoyed and invested in, became the RP of the Month. This RP, singled out from every other RP on the site. That also is a reason that we have something good here.


Cloudy and Soph, I know they both have believed in and enjoy everything we have done up until now. I, personally, see no reason why that has to end. I have faith that everything here can be worked out.


As for me, I am willing to stay. And I can do so in a way that Sakura and Ricky don't have to be forced together. I am nothing if not adaptable. My niche in gaming is that of a support player, and I have confidence that I can make it happen should the verdict come negative for them, and if they leave, I will follow Cloudy and Soph, to continue where I left off. I have no problem playing two Ricky's. Alternate realities can be fun. I will find a way to continue Ricky's adventure,because he is a character that I love. Should the verdict be to close the RP, I ask that I be allowed to continue upon your work and extend an invite for you to join as a player. I do not take any side but my own. And I have no desire to burn bridges.


I apologize that I ended on a weak note, but I got to go for the time being. I will be back.

 

[TerraBooma]

If I ever get around to thinking up the rest of this post, I'd be down for the Adventures of Ricky and Paul

 

[Kyero]

I apologize that I ended on a weak note, but I got to go for the time being. I will be back.

It sounds like you have more to say King, so if there is more I will wait until you are finished.


But allow me to say something while I still have some free time to do so tonight:


My philosophy on role-playing is that if an RP is unwanted or uncared for by enough of its members, then the RP has no reason to exist. It's meaning, as you put it, becomes lost at that point when enough people just don't care about it anymore. Right now it seems to be roughly 50/50 for those who want it to stay and those who either want to leave or don't care what else happens.


My choice to post about closing the RP in the first place was a test to see whether Cloudy and Sophileon really wanted to remain, or if they no longer cared.


I received one answer, and will await a possible further explanation from the second.


Sphileon seemed to want to stick around after I explained myself and asked him to forgive my lack of communication, and I'll give him the fact that he needs more time to access the comp to post about these things. If you too have more to say about saving the RP, Sophileon, I will hear you out as well and wait patiently for you to find the time to post all that is on your mind about this matter.


According to my observation of Cloudy's response to the post about closing the RP, Cloudy basically said "Ok, whatever." There was no fight or resistance at all from Cloudy about keeping the RP going whatsoever. No evidence of being upset about their character being discarded. No evidence of wanting to stick around and interact with any of us. Nothing. Such willingness to just accept the post about closing the RP tells me Cloudy doesn't care anymore, and that's not what this RP needs if it's going to continue.


Unless I hear from at least one of the two that they actually want the RP to continue because both this RP and their characters mean something to them, I will close the RP.


This RP means more to me than it will ever mean to any of you. My desire to see this RP continue is strong enough that even if Cloudy and Sphileon both tell me to shove it, and I close it down here, I'll keep trying with the RP until I find the right group of people to see it through to the end regardless of how long it takes me to do so. I will see it through to the end, but unless everyone who is currently involved says that they are willing to share that same commitment and want to see it through, then I feel the RP is not worth keeping right now, and that I'll have to find others like King to help me finish it somewhere else.


That is all I have to say for now. I will now wait patiently for everyone else's feelings about keeping the RP alive, or whether they believe that closing it really doesn't matter to them anymore.

 

[D. Rex]

I normally can think of more to say. My statement contains the majority of my points in summary. I have little more to add to it beyond extensions and details.


I may not share all of your philosophy, but i do understand. Including the strong feelings for your own RP. All of us have been GMs at one point or another and can empathize. Anyhow, I still believe this RP can work out. That is has life left in it, even if only two or three players remain, as long as an OPEN status remains, the chance of growth is present. This is a temporary problem and can be treated as such.


I have little more to add at the time being, without the risk of ranting and rambling. Though this is an opportune time to expirement with a few RP revival techniques I am suggesting in an article on the topic

 

[Sophileon]

After having a few days to wind down, relax, and get away from the virtual world, I have been able to officially come to the conclusion that all this was blown beyond what it should have been. I tend to take things for granted that people know what I am trying to say, and how I am trying to say it, but as Hink said, written word is difficult to truly convey how something is being said. My tones are not easily conveyed via just words alone.


So, that being said, I can understand how you feel and what you mean by taking it for granted that we knew what you were going to do, or how you were going to do it. As you mentioned, I do not know you that well, Kyero. As Hink said, he can easily understand my inflections and my tones and my humor even in written word simply because we have know each other for eighteen years. Knowing each other and playing off each other is what he and I do best.


Now, if you stay true to your word about how you will steer Sakura a certain way, in spite of how we might expect her to go, and let us know via OOC, then I do not see any reason why this RP can not continue and we can start back having fun because that's what this RP has done for me thus far. It has given me something to enjoy. Something to look forward to when I get off work late at night and get the chance to get into Geoffrey's mind and have some fun. I have bonded with Geoffrey and his quirkiness has truly grown on me. I would hate for him to go poof. I would hate it so much that if this RP did shut down, I would hope someone else would have another Pokemon RP I could join just so I could re-create him and get to know him better and grow with him as a player.


I have a deep love for both Pokemon and role playing, and when the two combined together it allowed me to help create and shape a world I have loved since Pokemon first aired. So, that is what I have to say. If you keep the RP open, I would happily let bygones be bygones and let the water under the bridge flow away.

 

[Kyero]

After having a few days to wind down, relax, and get away from the virtual world, I have been able to officially come to the conclusion that all this was blown beyond what it should have been. I tend to take things for granted that people know what I am trying to say, and how I am trying to say it, but as Hink said, written word is difficult to truly convey how something is being said. My tones are not easily conveyed via just words alone.
So, that being said, I can understand how you feel and what you mean by taking it for granted that we knew what you were going to do, or how you were going to do it. As you mentioned, I do not know you that well, Kyero. As Hink said, he can easily understand my inflections and my tones and my humor even in written word simply because we have know each other for eighteen years. Knowing each other and playing off each other is what he and I do best.


Now, if you stay true to your word about how you will steer Sakura a certain way, in spite of how we might expect her to go, and let us know via OOC, then I do not see any reason why this RP can not continue and we can start back having fun because that's what this RP has done for me thus far. It has given me something to enjoy. Something to look forward to when I get off work late at night and get the chance to get into Geoffrey's mind and have some fun. I have bonded with Geoffrey and his quirkiness has truly grown on me. I would hate for him to go poof. I would hate it so much that if this RP did shut down, I would hope someone else would have another Pokemon RP I could join just so I could re-create him and get to know him better and grow with him as a player.


I have a deep love for both Pokemon and role playing, and when the two combined together it allowed me to help create and shape a world I have loved since Pokemon first aired. So, that is what I have to say. If you keep the RP open, I would happily let bygones be bygones and let the water under the bridge flow away.

Very well Sophileon.


This RP has been a lot of fun for me as well, and I don't wish to close it if I can help it. Since you would like to stay as long as things are given their proper place and time to be said and done, I will not close the RP. You, myself, and King are more than enough to continue, and Terra as well once we manage to get them involved. If Cloudy comes back and says they'd like to continue as well, then that's fine with me and a welcome bit of information.


Either way, I think we're good to continue if you're all ready for it. Sakura is still passed out along the bank of the stream about half an hour from the exit of the cave, and will stay that way for several hours so if you'd like to do a small skip forward to help yourselves figure out that the path was a dead end and backtrack to take a different route, be my guest.