Downtime OOC

[SuperCommando]

For UNSC Infantry. Also, this is a full Secondary Mission, not a Side RP. I only posted it here due to maintenance. Once that is done, it will be moved back into the RPG board.

(EDIT: This RP has officially become the Main Mission and has been accordingly moved.)

Before the Main Mission starts, you guys have the option of participating in this pre-mission RP. It is highly encouraged that everybody joins in, as it will offer players both new and veteran alike a chance to get back into the swing of things and develop your characters a bit.

In this RP, you will go through a series of training exercises (both figuratively and IC) designed to help improve RP skills and practice RP for the Main Mission. Basically the RPG characters have been sent to Reach to await your next deployment, and have been divided into groups to perform a training mission that emphasizes teamwork. As such, you will have no NPCs with you for this RP (it can be assumed that they are off in another training group). Both IC and OOC, you will practice working together and interacting. Each exercise will have a corresponding RP lesson which I will detail when you get there.

Again, this is for infantry (ground) PCs, including players from any branch.

Any questions, feel free to ask here. Have fun guys!

[Spartan 999]

Is there going to be something like this for everybody else?

[Dufflepud]

If you werent' planning on making one for everyone else, then if you could fill me in a bit on exactly how one would set something like this up, I would be happy to do it for covie players, atleast.

[Jakob]

It's like making a side RP but you need staff approval.

[Dufflepud]

Ok, what kind of staff?

[nex]

I'm ONI, can I play? Technically, it's Naval Intelligence.... :/

[SuperCommando]

Jul 31, 2011 9:25:19 GMT -6 @nex said:

I'm ONI, can I play? Technically, it's Naval Intelligence.... :/

Hmm. Good point...

Okay, let's do this... I've revised the requirements to be 'UNSC Infantry'. This means you can join in Nex, and so too can Army people. We'll say this is a cross-service training exercise. The more, the merrier! The only infantry who wouldn't be included is SPARTANs - they're too busy to play with normal people.

[nex]

Well, none of the army was on Lethe. It was just marines, ODSTs and Spec Ops.

[spartan129]

I wasn't on Lethe at all, I joined the site post-m2. Does that mean I can't participate?

[nex]

Ah, my mistake, tis for everyone. I hadn't read all the post, just the intro for the mission.

[SuperCommando]

Jul 31, 2011 9:32:11 GMT -6 @nex said:

Well, none of the army was on Lethe. It was just marines, ODSTs and Spec Ops.

Yes, but IC this training isn't just for veterans of Lethe, it just happens to include some who are, which makes them stand out. Besides, not all PCs will have been on Lethe, either. This way, as many people can participate as possible.

EDIT: Looks like Shiloh's got this covered for me already! Way to be on the ball ;D

[Dutch]

This looks fun, we're joining!

Er, Jakob? We don't remember you saving Fisher.

[Daenerys Targaryen]

So, I can post in there with my accepted sniper?

[Jakob]

Jul 31, 2011 11:27:58 GMT -6 Dutch said:

This looks fun, we're joining!

Er, Jakob? We don't remember you saving Fisher.

Woops, I thought he was Mackenzie. Editing post.

[nex]

Yes. Yes you can.

[mrkaizer]

Will I be able to join with Dr. Sinclair?

[nex]

See above.

[SuperCommando]

Recently I was approached by Jakob with a respectful difference of opinion regarding the RP. Specifically…

you know the military does not do that right… they normally do not ask you to do a hundred push ups or talk to vets like that

Obviously, I must think otherwise and/or have some sort of reason to the contrary, or else I would not have posted as I did. And as it turns out, the timing here is actually quite perfect, because it ties in with one of the most important things about RP, so this will make an excellent first lesson.


RP LESSON 01: TOLERANCE

One of the things that are the same for RPGs of any format is that they are all fictional. In our case with Halo, it is a fiction of a fiction. So naturally, it is inevitable that people will have different opinions of “what is right” and what is wrong” about Halo, and thus about the universe we create based on it. Odds are that at some point, you will run across something another player is doing that might annoy you because you think it is wrong. You might be tempted to call them out on it. But the best thing to do, in fact, is nothing. Ignore it. Leave it alone.

You see, when you think about the big picture, what is the point of RP in the first place? It is simply to have fun, to be creative, to pretend you are someone else and make a fun story about it. Other people are bound to have different imaginations then you, but they just want the same thing, too. What happens when you start accusing other people of being “wrong” about something, it turns into an argument. Not only does that detract from the RP, but arguing has the potential to offend someone and make them get defensive, then they will stop listening to reason because they are frustrated and upset. In extreme cases, such arguments have even caused some people to ragequit the site.

This is why in a creative environment like an RP, it is extremely important that you be as flexible and open to other people’s ideas as possible. I’d say about 95% of the time, the things people argue about are little details that don’t really matter. So instead of stopping the RP to argue about changing something, instead try to go with the flow and MAKE it work.

For example, (sorry Saber, but I’m gonna pick on you), when Saber first joined the site in M2 and made an ODST character, he apparently “got bored” or something, so he had his character leave his unit, climb up some random cliff away from everyone else, and took a nap up there. Needless to say, that was kinda (meaning “very”) unprofessional, and likely would have never ever happened in a real-life military. But instead of everyone freaking out about it, yelling “OMG Saber, that’s wrong, you can’t do that!”, and starting up a tiresome argument about it, we just let him go do his thing and the other players ignored it. Best way to go.

So again, when (I say when because it’s bound to happen eventually) you encounter something in the RP that annoys you, you think is “wrong”, or that you disagree with, just shrug it off. It’s almost never likely to be worth making a fuss about, and unless it’s some kind of majorly absurd contradiction with the rest of the story, it’s not even worth bringing up. Fussing over little details is pointless. In fact, extreme focus on tiny details is a primary cause for why the old M3 went to hell - constant arguing and redoing things that were "not right" = No progress.

One final point on this: If for some reason you absolutely cannot get over your difference of opinion, you can do one of two things. One is to bring attention to it in a polite, gentle way so as to mitigate the negative effects of argument stated above, or two, use this mindset…

“This is a fictional world. Even if I think (insert difference of opinion here) is total bullcrap and would not happen for real, perhaps this is the way it works in this fictional world.”

Point to remember: The best RPers are the ones who are flexible and open to ideas different than their own, and who can tolerate that which they personally disagree with for the sake of the RP.

[Deleted]

I was just getting annoyed at everyone treating this as crap fest.

[mrkaizer]

Crap fest? How?

[laughingman]

I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but I have to say that the Drill Instructor in this situation is in the wrong.

The only person a Drill Instructor would talk to like that would be E-1's. Recruits. That's their job to talk like that, in fact.

Fact of the matter is that this doesn't happen outside of recruit training. A Drill Instructor doesn't just tell people to do push-ups for no apparent reason, so in this case the Drill Instructor has issued an unlawful order, which can be ignored, or brought up the Chain of Command if there is any complaint from either side.

The fact that there are veterans and NCOs, in the room, the Drill Instructor would have rendered proper respect.

I've only been in the military for just shy of two years(by two months), but I can say for a fact that nobody acts like that outside of recruit training.

[Deleted]

Agreed.

[Jakob]

I realized that and was not sure how to act. Post edited.

[nex]

I wouldn't call any of the troops 'Vets'. They've been on one, or maybe two missions (for some of the older characters) - One of which only took a couple of days/weeks. Most of them have been in the military well under two years, and have only seen the two operations, if that. Maybe by today's standards, they might be verging on that status. But this is set in the 2530s, and the average tour of duty is a fair bit longer. Hence, they are a far cry from 'Vets'.

And since we're all there, under direct orders from HighCom, for re-training and assessement, and the Drill Instructer is placed there by, and acting under, their direct orders, means we do as he says, regardless of individual rank. I'm sure he could ask us each indivually, according us the proper respect due to our rank. But that's a little time consuming, and not as interesting to RP.

I mean, disagree all you want, feel free to chase it up the chain of command, but odds are, you'll end up on a disciplinary charge for questioning orders.

And as SC pointed out. This is an RP. We do take liberties in the pursuit of a storyline.

[SuperCommando]

*Applauds and high-fives Nex and Jakob*

Yes! People get it! ;D Nex just nailed it on the head, and Jakob, I am proud of you because you made the right choice with your RP post just now.

You see everyone, remember the whole point of this thread is to learn to RP, and this specific first lesson is about tolerance. Kobold, what you said about DIs is absolutely correct – they wouldn’t do that with no reason. GySgt Malone has a reason – he is testing you.

I don’t know what branch of the military you are in (btw, my respect for you just went up for letting me know that!), so I’ll use the President as an example because he’s the Commander in Chief. If the President were to walk up to you and say “I am testing you. Your test is to put up with this asshole drill instructor and do what he says,” would you do it? That is exactly what is happening here. You (the players) don’t know it, but you’re being evaluated by Command to determine if they will send you on a particular assignment, aka M3. I shouldn’t have to say that outright, but if I wasn’t clear earlier about this being a test then I’m sorry, that was my bad. Then again, others (such as Nex) were able to figure that out all by themselves.

Another thing: Being in the military yourself, then you would know the reason drill instructors act like that in the first place… they try to degrade you, yell at you, anything they can to make you lose your cool. This is to see if you can retain your composure under duress, to see if you are mentally disciplined and confident enough in yourself rise above all that and let it roll off your back. This is why Malone is acting this way now – if recruits can do it, then surely so can battle-hardened soldiers.

On top of it all, you say “you know for a fact that nobody acts like that outside of recruit training”? Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re not. It does not matter. Because in this situation, in this RP, in this fictional world, somebody DOES act like that, and I have given you the reason. This is where the whole point of the lesson comes in. Even if you don’t agree with it, just play along anyway.

So please, everyone, demonstrate you understand the concept of tolerance and just do what Malone says so that we can get to the next drill. It’ll be a lot more fun than this, trust me.

[Deleted]

I was just getting pissed that everyone treated this like a joke, so I figured I'd throw in my two cents.

[dementedspartan]

Well I didn't burst out laughing, or jump to question him. I did what I was told like real cannon fodder should.

[SuperCommando]

New drill, new lesson.

RP LESSON 02: DIRECTIONS AND KEEPING UP TO SPEED

How you conduct yourself during RP, as we learned in the last lesson, is very important. Of equal importance is following all directions given during the RP so that the story stays on track. One of many people’s biggest pet peeves are people whose actions side-track the RP because they are confused or don’t know what they’re doing. Then progress in the RP must slow or stop so that the wayward PC can be corrected. To keep the RP going, it is best to just avoid that nuisance as much as possible by keeping yourself up-to-date on what you’re supposed to be doing at all times. In order to know what you are supposed to do, you need to keep up to speed with the RP’s progress.

I’m not just talking about posting a request for a summary in the OOC thread, either. Sometimes you can get away with that, but the only real way to make 100% sure you know exactly what is going on is just to read the RP thread yourself. Depending on how often you check in, that could mean a few posts or closer to a whole page. However much it is, just read it all please. It’s never really as long as it looks sometimes, and it is disrespectful to everyone who worked hard on their post if people just skim over it. Also, be sure to read not just the IC thread, but the OOC thread, too. Important discussion might be happening there that is not apparent IC.

When you know what’s going on, you will be aware of any specific directions you are tasked with. Again, to keep the RP flowing happily along, you need to be extra sure you are following all such directions. For example, Malone’s first orders to you were to do your push-ups and line up outside. Many of you just did the push-ups, but forgot to go outside until reminded to do so. For this next exercise to work, you must make sure you follow all directions carefully, or else you will disrupt the RP.

Point to remember: Keep up to speed with the events of the RP and keep it on track by knowing and following all directions.

[SuperCommando]

Sorry for the wait, that was intentional. I could have posted sooner, but the next RP lesson I wanted to share with you guys is…


RP LESSON 03: PATIENCE

We’ve all been there before – waiting around for days or longer for an RP to continue. This happens naturally because in a forum environment like ours, people in different time zones or even different countries all with different lifestyles obviously can’t all be online at the same time. That is, in fact, the beauty of text-based RP… we don’t HAVE to all be together in order to RP, people have the freedom to post whenever is best for them. However, it is this exact same reason that sometimes causes problems.

The reasons are diverse, and I’ve heard everything from people simply being lazy to IRL crises such as death of friends or family. But regardless of the excuse, it simply cannot be helped if delays occur. When this happens, the worst possible thing to do is to start spamming complaints. It’s annoying and doesn’t help at all. Instead, please just be patient and trust that things will eventually move along. Usually the ones who complain the most are site noobs who have not been around long enough to get a feel for the site’s ebb and flow. This is understandable. Also, since there hasn’t been a real solid Main Mission for quite some time, other people who may not be new may feel impatient when things slow down as well. Please understand that this is simply natural and unavoidable.

Typically what happens when an RP starts is people post like crazy because they’re excited. Similar to what happened with this very RP, it is possible for a whole thread page to fill up in only a day or two. DO NOT confuse this to be the actual pace for the whole RP. After just a few days (around a week I’d say), that initial excitement already wears off. This doesn’t mean people aren’t still interested, it is just a sign that things are settling down to a more steady pace. Sometimes people confuse this with the thread dying, but rest assured it is not. An RP’s health can be (generally) estimated by weekly increments. With dedicated players participating, there should be at least 2-4 posts during the course of one week. Of course there will be times when things slow down, or times with little explosions of activity. But ultimately, the whole point anyone does this is just for fun, so it shouldn’t be taken too seriously if someone doesn’t post for a while. Just relax, be patient, and go with the flow.

Point to remember: It is inevitable for there to be times when an RP slows down, so just be patient and ride them out.



Now then, it looks like that’s it for the cadence. I was kinda hoping for better results, but oh well, whatever. Moving on.


RP LESSON 04: FREEWRITE AND PACING

Okay, now that we got the etiquette parts of RP out of the way, time to dive into the real meat of the game! In other words, literally how to RP.

The biggest thing to keep in mind about how the Main Mission works is this – THERE IS NO GM. This RP style does not utilize GMs in the standard, D&D way people probably expect. There will not be a staff member to hold your hand and explain every little detail about everything around you at all times, so if that’s what you have in your head, please drop that mindset right now.

Instead, what happens is a staff member will give you a scenario, only including details where needed. From there, it is up to the players to make up what happens next. This is the basic principle behind what I call “freewrite”. (Not an official term, but one that myself and others have used before).

One tool that the staff likes to use are NPCs. They might make up a character, like how I made GySgt. Malone, as a tool to help guide the players through the plot of the RP. However, this is merely a way to avoid making boring, omniscient narrator-style posts, so do not confuse this with the staff being one. Again, they only present the scenario to you. It is YOUR job to pick up from there and move the story along. In this sense, our RP is more like group storytelling/improv then hardcore D&D-style RPGs.

Like I said, your focus is to move the story forward. You do this by writing every post you make with the goal of “move the story forward a little” in mind. Don’t just summarize events going on around you when you post, make sure your character does something, even a tiny something, to keep the RP rolling along. If everybody does that, it helps the RP to avoid stalls and dead periods. That said, you must strive to keep a realistic amount of time in each post. For example: dropping from orbit, landing on the battlefield, storming an enemy base, blowing it up, and returning to the ship DOES move the story forward, but it is WAY too much to fit into one post. Just the drop from orbit would be more appropriate. How much or how little you do in your posts makes the story take more or less time. This is referred to as “pacing”, and it takes practice to find that happy medium between too much or too little.

For this exercise, practice pacing by taking AT LEAST 2 POSTS to complete the obstacle course, maybe more if you’re working with a partner. (They’re long courses, so it should not be completed in one simple post, and it always takes more posts when interacting with other players because you have to react to what they do.) There are three courses because this way hopefully most of you get a chance to make up some of the obstacles you cross (or fail) instead of just copying others. Then again, if you are working with someone else, you probably will feed off each other’s posts, which is great RP practice.

Point to remember: You need to improvise with whatever scenario the staff provides, at a reasonable pace, in order to keep the RP moving forward.

[Jakob]

I figured I would give Kaizer some RP and to try to advance everyone else's as well. I am ready to take one for the team.

Dmitri is still ready to nearly kill him self though.