If I post my support for anything, it'll just be a condemnation of the person I support considering my recent foray into this discussion. Henceforth I shall let a far more tuned mind speak in my stead.
My agenda? Sure.
We've all one, after all.
' Wrote:[font=Courier New]You're all aware that nothing out-of-the-ordinary in terms of special requests can be done until after said special request is approved, right?
Rhetorical question, but let me make clear that the emphasis is on that lovely little word 'after'.
Point being whether screw-ups were done or not, he could, in theory, RP this and that and whatnot out of his character like a slow and gradual infection or whatnot, for example acting strange after a while inside of the game.
Now I'm not saying he can't do that without that thruster.
I'm saying chances with that flashy purple thruster are much higher for him to have, well, success in terms of interactivity rather than being written off as Joe Average McCrazy right off the bat, since uh, Joe Random Encounter will go: 'Oh a Nomad thruster!'
'Wait, maybe that guy is special?'
'Maybe he has a special RolePlay and some unique story?'
'Maybe he's like totally doing something awesome and I got a chance here for some new RP?'
Instead of the, by my own personal experience, usual reaction that must go somewhat like: 'Meh, anoter wannabe Squidman/Psychowhatever/Lunatic/Dudewhowantstobefancy. Let's reduce him and his RP to his ID-attached clich? and ignore whatever attempts at off-the-norm RP there are because nothing really makes him more different than all the other Farmers or whatever and because I bloody can.'
Things that differ from the norm tend to attract people in a way.
And I mean things, not words. Words can do too, but it's much easier to display onself as a possibly-infected dude with an infected-ish ship of sorts if one of the pieces of kit aboard reads Nomad ThisOrThat.
The reaction wouldn't be: 'OH ANOTHER ANGRY FARMER!'
But maybe would be more like: 'OH GOD HE'S INFECTED!'
Rather drastic difference, isn't it.
It's not that you've to write junk in order to get anything off-the-norm.
Sure, I want a Guardian with an Outcast ID, I've to write my Special Request and I've to be able to back it up with RP, ingame, on the forums, and so on.
Fair do's, if you already did your drastic shift and can't move on without it, you've to do.
Difference lies in that McNeo's request wouldn't be because he'd like to, well, 'move on' because he can't do it without it.
It's more of a 'I'm requesting to keep this little thruster so I can have a much easier time roleplaying into a direction which differs largely from the usual clih?s associated with my character's ID.'
In short, it's about letting him have a shot at something out of the ordinary, knowing he can have his attempt at without having to face severe repercussions (Bitching, flames, too many annoying people, a sanction or two.) just for trying it.
Frankly that's trash, because whether you like it or not, it's discouraging to go out, try to do your off-the-norm RP over and over and over, but be ignored and treated like some ID-attached living stereotype just 'cause you ain't got anything fancy to show off.
And it's discouraging all the same to try it and only get flames / bitching / crying / moaning in return over and over again, because you did something DIFFERENT than the usual, but lack some godforsaken approval which becomes mandatory in the eyes of someone who plain and simple doesn't like what you do or holds a grudge against you, even though said approval is NOT necessary to do something out of the norm in the first place.
In other words, the Special Request Blah Blah isn't stifling RP, but it's making it pretty hard for people to do some, not all, kinds of 'off the norm' stuff. Stuff that could be good fun, unique, entertaining, you get the idea.
But wait, there is a way he can actually try it the EASIER way, with that piece of kit!
There is a way he will NOT get as much bitching and flames and blatant ignorance when he tries!
He can write a godforsaken essay in hopes of getting that piece of kit before he tries without it.
[color=#009900]As for trying to stifle PvP-loadouts, yes, that's being done. Mostly.
Sometimes the only thing being done is the denial of good chances and making life unneccessarily harder for people.
Because 'we' can't get over 'ourselves' and give things a try on terms of good will if there wasn't a truckload of work beforehand.
Because everything different gives people a PvP-advantage too, right? /sarcasm
Who you are, what you did, whether you only did good, didn't screw up hard, whether you're a good RolePlayer or not, it doesn't matter. You can do it over and over and over again, you can be a 'good kid' all the time, but nothing is ever good enough to save you from either the abundance of frustration awaiting you if you try something different right off the bat, or the enormous workload you've to do if you want to have a good time trying out something different when you do right away.
Easier to say 'no' than to say 'yes', ain' it?
And even much easier to do a knee-jerk reaction once certain particular words I won't say here are mentioned. [font=Fixedsys]On another note, the 'There are no ex-Phantoms.' -thing is whole and utter nonsense.
I know three off the top of my head:
[color=#FFCCFF]Margarita [color=#FF99FF]'Dark Blossom' Cruz.
Georgia 'Luxuria' Brown.
Viktor 'Gloom' LaCroix.
And as far as I can remember, everyone was fine with those, really. I mean hey, if 'they' weren't... why'd some of those fabulous Special Requests get approved in the first place? Can't say it was because of the people, no. I mean, that would've been then like... oh my god! Totally biased decisions?
