Idea to improve "quality" -- counting "faux pas"

[DaveShack]

Here is another semi-random idea to improve the game. One of the reasons we've seen lower participation over the last several games is a loss of direction on why we have a Democracy Game at all. Getting back to the original premise, we're simulating a government for the in-game citizens where we are their "elected leaders". In the early, some say glorious, days the game was mostly played in character, with the real-world people talking as though they were inside the game. Over the years, the number of people who do that has diminished, and the number of Civ-gurus has increased.

I think we should go back to our roots, of playing in character. Make the government and citizens forums character oriented, and have a non-character place where game play mechanics can be discussed separately. To help everyone stay in character we could have a friendly competition where we tally the number of times each player speaks out of character inappropriately. Have an appointed / volunteer office to keep a tally, and any citizen can point out any inappropriate out of character posts. At the end, the player(s) with the fewest faux pas (false steps) would be given a "best roleplay" award or somesuch.

 

[Stuck_as_a_Mac]

I agree with this.
We also need to have some sort of time out center for when people start taking this too seriously. I know it sounds bizzare, but we need some way to make people see this as solely a game. Be this a corner, a cool off period or a dunce cone, we need something to keep people from taking this darn thing as if it were real politics.

Make the entire game a RPG. Make elections between two officials that aren't us, the person at the keyboard. Let Og fight Bog in a mud-battle royal for peoples votes (first thing to come to mind)

Just put the fun back in it, okay?

:Sigh:
Where's EA when you really really need him?

 

[Black_Hole]

good idea, but it would be hard for someone to count the number of times people talk out of character incorrectly

 

[DaveShack]

I know it sounds bizzare, but we need some way to make people see this as solely a game. Be this a corner, a cool off period or a dunce cone, we need something to keep people from taking this darn thing as if it were real politics.

Our friendly mods can handle things when it gets personal. When forum rules are being followed it seems the only way to deal with people going overboard is to ignore their rantings and move on.

 

[GenMarshall]

It would be hard to indicate that were talking in character since I also frequent the OT and Other Games.

good idea, but it would be hard for someone to count the number of times people talk out of character incorrectly

I agree since there are some of us who frequent other parts of the forum where talking in character is frowned uppon. I know this since I outgrew playing incharacter two years ago. That has gotten myself introuble and been a target of many of flames. I now no longer do anything RPG related here in CFC and in other forums (Except in desginated threads).

We also need to have some sort of time out center for when people start taking this too seriously. I know it sounds bizzare, but we need some way to make people see this as solely a game. Be this a corner, a cool off period or a dunce cone, we need something to keep people from taking this darn thing as if it were real politics.

I disagree. I dont beleve we should get into extrimes and punish people who take the Demogame too seriously. We do need people who take the demogame at least serious enough that it does not lead to rambuncious sillyness. I do admit that I take this game seriously because I have the feeling that I am constantly being judged and watched in this game that if I do any slip ups that it would cost me my government career. But that is just one example.

Make the entire game a RPG. Make elections between two officials that aren't us, the person at the keyboard. Let Og fight Bog in a mud-battle royal for peoples votes (first thing to come to mind)

Just put the fun back in it, okay?

So long as it does not lead to rambuncious immature sillyness. I do want to be in a forum that has a mature atmosphere (IE: people acting at least close to their ages, though we all have our bad days here and there)

 

[Nobody]

ok i think this is great but two things:we dont need use to different name, and i don't like the idea of a ooc forum. because then it will be inforced to much. I can just see someone telling me "no you can't say we should have a trade embargo here you have to say that in the ooc forum, you just broke section 2, 4 & 11 of the constitution yayayayaya" so just have the same forums we have right now but we will act as if we were real people in a real nation.

 

[DaveShack]

Right now this is just an idea.

In-game doesn't necessarily mean using a fictitious character and remembering when to talk as the character and when not to. It means you can't talk about shields, ring city placement, culture points per turn, and other artificial game constructs.

 

[GenMarshall]

Right now this is just an idea.

In-game doesn't necessarily mean using a fictitious character and remembering when to talk as the character and when not to. It means you can't talk about shields, ring city placement, culture points per turn, and other artificial game constructs.

Unless youre playing as a character who is very mathmaticly inclinde (like say Perfection )

 

[Kentharu]

i think it's a sweet idea, though Nobody has a point (thats all i will say for now

 

[Eklektikos]

Right now this is just an idea.

In-game doesn't necessarily mean using a fictitious character and remembering when to talk as the character and when not to. It means you can't talk about shields, ring city placement, culture points per turn, and other artificial game constructs.

Although your intent is certainly laudable I think that segregation of role-play and civ-play is not necessarily the way forward. In many ways I think it's what brought the current state of affairs about in the first place.