|
|
|
Heroic Knight
 
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Saturday, October 04, 2008 5:20 PM
Posts: 132,
Visits: 254
|
|
Loads of us use the term PC for Player-Character, but should we keep those two concepts apart?
Although the player is (usually) the only person who portrays a character is it an unhelpful term, would it be useful in LRP culture to help players divorce their own actual personality and desires from the character so they can escape their own headspace and get into that of the character?
In my own personal experience the Player is usually the dominant force when measured against the Character, I've seen loads of people who'se 'characters' seem to just be themselves in a costume, indeed I've done it myself at times. Its easily done, especially during 'those quiet moments'.
What if instead of PC and NPC we have:
-FC: Free characters, those that are portrayed by a player who is free do portray them as they please (... erm within reason)
-DC: Directed characters portrayed by crew etc, whose behavior is in some way controlled by the writers
More widely what can we do to help players get out of themselves and into their characters, those of you who believe their characters are actually a stronger force than them as a player, how do you reach that state?
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Stick around!"
-Governor of California throwing a hunting knife into a man's chest
|
|
|
|
|
Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:30 AM
Posts: 68,
Visits: 2,578
|
|
| The term NPC is so old and ingrained in Roleplaying language and culture (dating right back to tabletop pen and paper games but now used in computer rpg's and LRP as well) that I doubt you'll ever change it. PC less so, I guess, but still a useful and widely understood distinction from NPC. Personally I tend to use 'Character', rather than 'Player Character', but that's just me 
Maelstrom - Thomas Blunt, Archon of the Apple Cartel (Until I can con someone else into doing it  )
|
|
|
|
|
Champion
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Friday, November 07, 2008 11:08 AM
Posts: 350,
Visits: 1,612
|
|
| Saying that you cann't change an ingrained term is nonsense. Anything can be renamed *if* the renaming makes sense, or if social convention shifts. I agree with Smitt, I think that there would be an improvement if the terms were seperated rather than lumped together.
|
|
|
|
|
Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:30 AM
Posts: 68,
Visits: 2,578
|
|
| The name for a thing can change over time, by a sort of natural evolution, yes, but you're very unlikely to change it deliberately. About all you can realistically do is start using your prefered term and hope it catches on, while living with the fact that the majority of people won't have a clue what you're talking about at first and will probably keep correcting you back to the existing term when they do figure out what you mean.
Maelstrom - Thomas Blunt, Archon of the Apple Cartel (Until I can con someone else into doing it )
|
|
|
|
|
Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Monday, August 18, 2008 4:45 PM
Posts: 195,
Visits: 224
|
|
| Yes, when referring to the difference between Player and Character. No, when defining a Player Character from a Non Player Character.
_____________________________
Maelstrom - Carl Whitesnake
Scavenger LRP - Organiser
|
|
|
|
|
Prodigal
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:36 AM
Posts: 861,
Visits: 2,456
|
|
DC: Directed characters The term 'DPC' already exists, as a halfway house between PCs and NPCs.
------ <insert really amusing sig here>
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Friday, November 21, 2008 7:33 PM
Posts: 1,456,
Visits: 2,020
|
|
Nath (7/8/2008)
The term 'DPC' already exists, as a halfway house between PCs and NPCs.
Personally I think DPCs are a monstrous evil that should be lined up against walls and shot, preferably one bullet each, and buried in a mass LRP grave. Whereas I don't have a problem with PCs or NPCs. It's easy to view DPCs as a half-way house between the two concepts but I don't think it's true. It's a bastard hybrid that is neither one nor the other, but something entirely new, like the way you can cross a tulip with Alan Griffith and get a triffid. What you have is a terrible evil that must be destroyed not something half way between a pleasant house plant and the inventor of jet engines.
History is an important source for LRP. Along with other works of fiction.
|
|
|
|
|
Prodigal
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:36 AM
Posts: 861,
Visits: 2,456
|
|
| I didn't say it was a good thing. Some use DPC to distinguish between the old style of NPC ('you are an orc, go hit the players') and the newer style of NPC ('you are an orc. This is your motivation in this scene.')
------ <insert really amusing sig here>
|
|
|
|
|
Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 7:20 PM
Posts: 155,
Visits: 1,643
|
|
| Personally, I don't really care either way, as the labels PC, NPC, DPC etc. only exist OOC, so when I'm larping I don't consider it at all. I do agree that having 'player character' and 'non-player character' can sometimes create a false dichotomy or an 'us' vs 'them' mentality, but to be honest, I think that if that's what you want to remove, then it'll take a lot more than simply re-naming them
|
|
| |