Sonza
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Am I "playing it wrong"?Okay. There have been several instances where other eidolons have said stuff to me IC expressing surprise at my reactions to things etc. The implication is that eidolons are not supposed to have emotions, at least not in the same way as mortals. There is nothing in the background sheet to say that this is the case, but I am aware that players establish a 'correct' way of playing stuff over time that builds and expands on the background sheets. The same is true of, for example, Flambard - many 'traditions' etc have been invented since the start of the system that a new player would have no way of knowing about.
I feel a little bit like this is some kind of secret club or clique and I don't understand the etiquette. I'm not sure I'm capable of playing an entirely emotionless character, and if I were I don't think I'd enjoy it. I'm considering quitting altogether.
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littlefeltfangs
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That suprises me, as most of the eidolons that spring immediately to my mind I'd describe as emo-tastic, rather than emotionless. I'm certainly playing an emoting eidolon (specifically a different set of emotions and personality for each form). I know at least one eidolon is specifically playing with emotion as the basis of their concept.
There is an argument for our emotions being different from mortals, but I don't think even this is a requirement, so much as making a certain amount of sense for an eternal being.
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Samahazai
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Re: Am I "playing it wrong"?What?
I haven't had that much to do with Dreambird, but she seems great to me. She definitely seems to have a purpose in the world - there need to be some of us bringing light to the darkness with a smile rather than a sword.
Don't feel you have to fit into some narrow stereotype, as long as you are staying true to the PD briefing material.
From your posts on rule7 it sounds like you had a lot of fun at the event, which suggests to me you are Doing It Right, whatever anyone thinks.
Certainly the way I play Samahazai it's supposed to be very clear he does have emotions, he just tends to try to conceal them.
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Sonza
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Thanks for your support, guys, that does help. It's just that playing an eidolon has been difficult to get into. I am an experienced roleplayer, but I'd have to say this is the most challenging thing I've ever done and I've been feeling a bit uncertain about it all. The rules are complicated, some fo the backgroundy stuff is a bit unclear, and some players have interpreted things or added bits that everyone is accepting as a given but that aren't in the rules, and I feel like I don't know what I'm doing.
I've had a bit of a blow to my confidence, and I was beginning to think I might not be cut out to play an eidolon. If what you guys are saying is true, thought it may be an IC issue rather than an OOC one, in which case it's workable.
I was just worried that I was somehow not 'getting' the whole eidolon concept and was not gelling with the rest of the loyals group. This is why it'd be useful to have an event to meet up in between Maelstrom events, I suppose - even if it's just an OOC eidolon moot or something. It's always tricky playing with a new group of people, and the problem with eidolons is they aren't a group as such, and don't necessarily get to spend much time together (they're all far too busy!).
I don't want to come off as really needy here (IC or OOC!) and I'm not asking for someone to be holding my hand all the time, but I'd really appreciate some help OOC in getting to grips with things and becoming a part of things. Thanks to those who have already done so a bit (mainly IC) - it has helped.
I'll have to have a think, I suppose, and not make any rash decisions.
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Aziraphel
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I'm aware that Aziraphel has expressed this opinion to you in some fashion.
This is because Azzi is frankly fucking terrified of being an emotional entitiy for a number of reasons that are FOIP.
On an OC level, I'm a huge fan of dreambird and she makes my game siginficantly more awesome. Please for the love of all that's holy don't retire her.
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Sulavan
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It might be worth going back to the player(s) on an OOC level privately to talk through their comments. I'll lay good odds on what they said being an IC comment based on IC motives - for example, Sul expressed quite a degree of disaproval towards some Eidolon characters at the last event, but that is entirely because he and they are like chalk and cheese. Nothing at all to do with one "doing it right" and the other not. Hell, I'd be mortified if I thought their players took it as OOC disaproval for even a second.
imo. the only hard and fast rule about role playing is, as long as you are within the published material and IC, then there is no such thing as "doing it wrong". And anyone that says otherwise is wrong, OK? 
If people make up traditions and customs not in the published material, and claim it as fact in the world, you are actually within your rights (as far as I am concerned) to ignore them and if it causes a problem point them at the refs to go deal with it. Basically, if it was such a well known tradition and so set in stone, it'd be in the source material for all the players. If its not, its small time, regional, clan based or just plain rubbish.
I think its a great thing for players to add matertial to a system that creates depth and greater feel for the world around, but it has to be done carefully otherwise it becomes a barrier to new players getting into the system. If that happens, its the creative players who have made the mistake, not the new players.
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Aziraphel
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| Sulavan wrote: |
imo. the only hard and fast rule about role playing is, as long as you are within the published material and IC, then there is no such thing as "doing it wrong". And anyone that says otherwise is wrong, OK? |
This. A thousand times this.
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Illithidbix
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Nope, dreambird is made off adorable awesome and doing it right.
There is alot of room for interpretation within the eidolon brief over alot of matters and it's cool to see where everyone has run with it.
There are plenty of gaps that (myself) and others are filling in ourselves and getting guidance from PD over and I'll try and keep you upto date with them if you want to ask or ask PD directly.
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Sonza
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You guys!   
Seriously, thanks very much for your lovely comments. Wibble averted.
Azzi - yes, this was partly due to that IC conversation, but that was just one of many things. I did suspect it was an IC thing, but it happened to coincide with a bit of a confidence-low point (it happens periodically) and it was the last in a list of IC and OOC things that stacked up to initiate Sonza-wibble-mode. I got myself out of it eventually and told myself not to be silly, but all the same, your reassurance in this is appreciated and is, I'm slightly embarrased to admit, more of a relief than I thought it would be (I like to kid myself that I'm a tough cookie and don't care what anyone thinks).
Wibble aside, it is still good to know I'm not breaching anyone's idea of what is the 'right' way to play an Eidolon. Yes, you can say that what's in the background sheets is all that matters, but the fact is that a system like this one develops organically. The players fill in the gaps and bring the thing to life - that's one of the best things about it. I love the little customs and things that players bring in - it's one of the things that makes it seem more real and not just a flat, 2-dimensional setting that's written down on paper. And yes, you can play an exception and do things differently from other players, but if I'm going to do that I always like to know what the 'norm' is to begin with!
And I still want an OOC eidolon moot. Anyone live near Birmingham? And I'm still gonna push for an IC event too.
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Illithidbix
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It's true to some degree but fundementally although it is player convention that the Fidelians speak with a pseudo-russian accent, not all fidelian characters have said russian accent, indeed in the promotional-video the heirophant doesn't have any sort of accent bar dramatic-LARPer-speaking-slowly.
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Bacon
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In addition to what has been said above:
Some Eidolons have been played without emotion. I played Lies-Angelique with as little as I could get away with. Aziraphael appears to be going down the same route. Clearly something about being a hunter-killer Eidolon causes you to become Emotionally Repressed . This is entirely a personal choice, and there is no reason why you should play your character any other way than the way you like to. My character would probably have sneered at any Eidolon who showed emotion as being weak, but this is purely an IC opinion, and not an OOC fact
As to not gelling with the other Eidolons, this is a good thing! I Never Ever 'gelled' with any of the other Eidolons. We did not get along, or do things together, and I was nicknamed 'The Bitch' for a darn good reason. There isn't anything in the briefing material that says eidolons of different faiths are supposed to be one big happy family, and several common interpretations of the tenets of the Gods that suggest that they aren't supposed to. Other Eidolons are not your friends IC, they are your competition OOC of course they are made of lovely!
The great thing about playing an Eidolon is that OOC you have a big support group who all understand what the other players do not; that playing an Eidolon is THE most challenging role you can have in a larp game. Every other player seems to be judging your performance 100% of the time, and because of this it can be easy to feel disheartened.
Play your character the way you want to, and you will soon silence the critics. People told me I was doing it wrong, and I made them eat those words. As long as you are true to your character, you are doing it right, and don't let anything convince you otherwise.
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