Post by Nettleglum on Mar 31, 2013 12:24:28 GMT -5
Good evening, dears. It has come to my attention in recent days that there is a degree of covert activity that takes place on our little muck. No, I am not referring to that incident in the hospital morgue. I apologized to that intern and we all shared a good laugh in the cardiac ward afterwards.
No, in this case, I refer to alts, alternate characters that players create to explore various personality types and story ideas. All well and good, and a staple of almost every role-playing forum out there. Yet as innocent as this seems, it is a constant source of concern for some ponies behind the scenes. I have fielded endless pages and private messages over the months asking me 'is this character really so-and-so' or 'is this one of what's his name's alts'? They want to know, Who am I really RPing with?
Who are you really RPing with?
Some players do not like the RP style of others. Some players prefer to avoid others due to OOC issues. They worry, perhaps, that they are not RPing with the 'right pony'. So they ask. They ask it a lot, it seems. My policy is and always has been to keep mum on what I may know, but sometimes even a denial can carry information.
I don't intend to change that policy. Some players are very open with their alts, they post them for all to see and make no attempts at secrecy. Others wish to conceal their varied masks for their own reasons. Neither choice is precisely right nor wrong; both carry with them advantages and drawbacks.
But, speaking personally, I've decided to make sure ponies know who they are RPing with when they speak to me, and to that end, allow me to introduce myself.
I am Nettleglum von Grimdark, the cobweb-draped and creaking, the terror that flaps in the night, the only pony with an interest-bearing account at the local bloodbank.
I am Merryweather, the Pinkie-Pie-in-the-Sky, blurry amalgam of two-thirds hummingbird and one-half genius weather planner, and a pony who adds up to over 100% can always break the fourth wall in search of candy.
I am Shutterbug, insecure and foalish, the awkward young unicorn colt searching for himself in all the wrong places, making the embarrassing decisions today that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
I am pleased to meet you.
Some ponies on the muck have known of my alts prior to this, others may have guessed, but at this point I will simply confirm them. Yes, I hold them very separate, and in part, they reflect moods I may be in at the time. When you speak to Merryweather, you will not receive the same replies as you would Nettleglum, even OOC'ly. I would prefer not to be asked to 'log in' a particular alt when I am using one or the other; I choose them based upon personal reasons at the time. While I can't ask that other ponies step forward into the light, and there will always be 'secret' alts, I hope that other ponies-- those who haven't already been public with their alts, of course-- might consider being more open with their identities. I hope so. In any event, I can only act for myself and thank ponies for their continued support, which I have found to be quite generous where concerns all of the characters I have created.
Thank you, my dears, and goodnight for now.
No, in this case, I refer to alts, alternate characters that players create to explore various personality types and story ideas. All well and good, and a staple of almost every role-playing forum out there. Yet as innocent as this seems, it is a constant source of concern for some ponies behind the scenes. I have fielded endless pages and private messages over the months asking me 'is this character really so-and-so' or 'is this one of what's his name's alts'? They want to know, Who am I really RPing with?
Who are you really RPing with?
Some players do not like the RP style of others. Some players prefer to avoid others due to OOC issues. They worry, perhaps, that they are not RPing with the 'right pony'. So they ask. They ask it a lot, it seems. My policy is and always has been to keep mum on what I may know, but sometimes even a denial can carry information.
I don't intend to change that policy. Some players are very open with their alts, they post them for all to see and make no attempts at secrecy. Others wish to conceal their varied masks for their own reasons. Neither choice is precisely right nor wrong; both carry with them advantages and drawbacks.
But, speaking personally, I've decided to make sure ponies know who they are RPing with when they speak to me, and to that end, allow me to introduce myself.
I am Nettleglum von Grimdark, the cobweb-draped and creaking, the terror that flaps in the night, the only pony with an interest-bearing account at the local bloodbank.
I am Merryweather, the Pinkie-Pie-in-the-Sky, blurry amalgam of two-thirds hummingbird and one-half genius weather planner, and a pony who adds up to over 100% can always break the fourth wall in search of candy.
I am Shutterbug, insecure and foalish, the awkward young unicorn colt searching for himself in all the wrong places, making the embarrassing decisions today that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
I am pleased to meet you.
Some ponies on the muck have known of my alts prior to this, others may have guessed, but at this point I will simply confirm them. Yes, I hold them very separate, and in part, they reflect moods I may be in at the time. When you speak to Merryweather, you will not receive the same replies as you would Nettleglum, even OOC'ly. I would prefer not to be asked to 'log in' a particular alt when I am using one or the other; I choose them based upon personal reasons at the time. While I can't ask that other ponies step forward into the light, and there will always be 'secret' alts, I hope that other ponies-- those who haven't already been public with their alts, of course-- might consider being more open with their identities. I hope so. In any event, I can only act for myself and thank ponies for their continued support, which I have found to be quite generous where concerns all of the characters I have created.
Thank you, my dears, and goodnight for now.
*brain asplodes*
