Does anyone actually care about the story or roleplaying?

[sidusar]

I take on Aelvana's personality when I play -- very close to mine, but a little different -- therefore I roleplay. This is the natural RP that we all do, whether we think we RP or not. I'll also yell things like "karavan dogs!" when we players are having fun killing each other, say. Why did I choose Kami? Because classically, when I play games or read stories, I like nature spirits better than technology. They're often opposing. This is roleplaying ... is it not?

I don't agree we all RP whether we think we do or not. Way I see it, there's roughly three groups of people here. Firstly there's those who don't RP at all, whose character is only a tool to interact with the gameworld. They have no IC, only OOC. Always act like this is all a game they're playing.
Secondly there's those that RP as themself. IC a person from this group acts as he would act himself if he were his character, and if Atys were really the world he lived in. This group includes you (I think) and myself.
Thirdly there's those who also create a personality for their character that's different from their own. IC they then act like their character would, even if they themself would act differently in that situation. From what I've seen, Zumwalt would be a member of this group (at least, I hope he is.)
Note that within the last two groups there can still be huge differences in how serious one takes his RPing, how easy one switches between IC and OOC, etc.

"hardcore" RP? No. I came to play an open public video game -- a player killing MUD -- not to remain permanently in character in a role I didn't create, as actors on movie sets might.

I don't think even a "hardcore" RPer would want to play a character that they didn't create themself. They may take it all more seriously (study the world history, write a complete bio etc) but they still do it to have fun. Being forced into a role is never fun.

[zumwalt]

Thirdly there's those who also create a personality for their character that's different from their own. IC they then act like their character would, even if they themself would act differently in that situation. From what I've seen, Zumwalt would be a member of this group (at least, I hope he is.)

You are correct.

Edit:
Blame it on years of RP'ing Vampire the Masquarade as a Malchavian 3'rd Gen.
Inherited Rage when presented with confrentation and the ability to go berserk.

[kaetemi]

My way of roleplaying is: not helping the matis in their invasion.

The enemy links in the game are:

fyros-matis
fyros: kami friend, friend of tryker
matis: karavan friend, friend of zorai

and tryker-zorai:
tryker: karavan friend, friend of fyros
zorai: kami friend, friend of matis

[lootking]

fyros-matis
fyros: kami friend, friend of tryker
matis: karavan friend, friend of zorai

and tryker-zorai:
tryker: karavan friend, friend of fyros
zorai: kami friend, friend of matis[/QUOTE]



huh i always thought matis and tryker were allied. and fyros and zorai were

[zumwalt]

Current in game ally's are Matis and Tryker, then Zoria and Fyros.
I have no clue what he is talking about in the above mention on how he sees the 4 races.

[sidusar]

My way of roleplaying is: not helping the matis in their invasion.

The enemy links in the game are:

fyros-matis
fyros: kami friend, friend of tryker
matis: karavan friend, friend of zorai

and tryker-zorai:
tryker: karavan friend, friend of fyros
zorai: kami friend, friend of matis

I believe he means to say which races dislike eachother most. Firstly he says the Fyros are most hostile to the Matis, and viceversa, because the Fyros worship the Kami and get along better with the Tryker, while the Matis worship the Karavan and get along better with the Zorai. Secondly the Tryker are most hostile towards the Zorai, and viceversa, because the Tryker worship the Karavan and get along better with the Fyros, while the Zorai worship the Kami and get along better with the Matis.
So basicly, draw a square, put Fyros on the topleft corner, Tryker on the topright, Matis on the bottomright, Zorai on the bottomleft. Then each race hates the one opposite to it and gets along reasonably with the two directly next to it.

I think it's a reasonably accurate picture overall. The Fyros and Zorai share their worship of the Kami, the Zorai and Matis share their nature-loving ways and their striving for prefection, the Matis and the Tryker share their worship of the Karavan, the Tryker and the Fyros share their more pragmatic worldview. The Matis and the Fyros have been enemies for hundreds of years in the old-world, while the Tryker and Fyros used to be allies. The Tryker dislike the Zorai for allowing slavery, and the Zorai view the Tryker as not enlightened enough.
The alliances are based purely on religion; worship of the Kami or the Karavan (though the Tryker and Fyros don't worship them so much as follow them). But if you look at ideals and ways of life, I believe the Fyros are much more compatible with the Tryker than with the Zorai, and the Matis fit much better with the Zorai than with the Tryker.

[zumwalt]

First time I have seen it described in that way, now that makes perfect sense to me.

Actually better than reading the history of the races, you summed it up very very well.

Would be a good addition to the 101 of races and reasons for factions.