Tuesday 21 April 2009

Drottningholm Palace



I paid a visit to this 18th Century roleplaying sim, very nicely conceived and carefully built, with considerable effort put into its construction and gameplay. They are welcoming though expect a high level of historical accuracy in behaviour, which I respect. I met a young lady in front of the palace who adopted me as her junior brother returned from study in Paris, who then demanded I change my appearance (taller, stronger, handsomer, manlier) and became impatient when I did not achieve an immediate transformation to her liking. When she was ultimately satisfied, she became just too interested in my personal life. Perhaps it is my advanced age, but if I am to roleplay, I prefer to do so at my leisure and in privacy. This is a beautiful build and the other players deserve as much thought given to my appearance and character as they have given to theirs. I might return but perhaps not as Young Geoffrion, and not as a pup. I wish the young lady all the best fortune and happiness, and sincerely hope we shall meet again, though she may not recognize me when we do.

4 comments:

HeadBurro Antfarm said...

Ahhh, I've never heard of the place but it looks great. I have some questions about RP in SL, if I may...

I tend to think of RP in terms of paper & dice games I played as a kid - they were exciting and followed a story arc. Does the same hold for RP in SL In paper RP, there are NPCs to populate the world and fill in the story - but I can't see how NPCs would work in SL as everyone wants to be a star, not an extra.

Is SL RP more about stepping into a role for social interactions, or is there an over-arching and driving storyline (lines) that you become part of?

And how is the RP 'policed' to make sure people don't power- or ego-play and ruin the storyline?

Questions questions questions :)

Young Geoffrion said...

Funny, HBA, you recommended me to the editor of the magazine that just ran a fourteen page feature on it!

I am an RP noobie. Except that I always thought we were always engaged in roleplay just by donning an avatar.

At Drottningholm, its seems the play comes from being both auteur and audience. It's like painting within a frame, except the frame is all the other stories being told. Part of the challenge is discovering those stories, the other is carving out a place for yourself.

I'm not sure how it is policed or to what degree it is policed. I turned my brief experience into an excuse to make a whole pile of new clothes, stayed up all night, then felt so ridiculous about it that I have not yet gone back.

HeadBurro Antfarm said...

Oooom *that Drottingholm Palace*... /me looks shifty and admits he never read that peice. I'll go back and do so! And you should so write for them - I'd read your stuff - scout's honour!

RPing just by donning an avatar... Hmmm, I can see your point but will have to, in my case alone for I can not speak for others, disagree. HBA is me except when I'm in the show or writing some of his history. In those times I'm acting or RPing, but at all others he is me but with horns and better pecs.

I *would* RP, but even with that RP av I'd revert back to OOC & being me. I can't help it. I've tried. I just can't sustain RP for extended periods.

I still hope to find a 1940s gumshoe RP somewhere for poor old Ryne (the av I created for RP but never found a home for him). Even if I do, I've no idea how it would work - Marlowe novels need so many extras that it boggles me as to how a case would work in SL RP. I fear it would just descend into people using blogs and the like to write & tell their own story within the realm of that RP sim. Caledon being a case in point.

Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all. I'm just not 100% sure it is enough for me at the moment. I want to feel part of a bigger story rather than have to create & manage another one of my own.

Bots and puppet NPCs could help, but the work in setting them up sounds huge. As does the work in then managing a whole city to ensure story arcs develop and run.

SL *could* do it, but you'd need a team of people behind the scenes constantly writing, making, organising, communicating. A lot to ask for a volunteer and to pay for it would, I fear, simply not be an option players would adopt.

p.s. You must show us all these clothes! The way you, Enjah & Os just make stuff is, to go all surfer for a sec, awesome!

Nish Mip said...

There that wasn't so hard Nish was it :) I just wondered In your pics if the guards with the muskets were dedicated RP's or just statues When I tried RP at Harry Potter theme sims, everyone seemed to be making up there own story lines it was very confusing. I was never sure what was going on a bit like real life :) . . Maybe the guards just standing there for hours on end is how strict RP should be adhered to. Thats about the only sort of part I could play well, but I would love to dress up in those costumes and just wander around the grounds sometime.