The Players Corner Archive

In character knowledge?

I play lots of tabletops, and there's something that I and other GMs/storytellers fret about. In character knowledge. Would you character really know that the prince is plotting against you? Would your character know that a +3 club is better than an assault rifle? I believe this carries directly into Gemstone.

Think about it for a moment. Does your character know where kobolds are? Does your character know to seek out the old warrior to get into voln? Does your character know the way to Icemule, or does a script do it for you?

I'm not saying that I've ever attempted to create a character that stayed completely IC when it came to knowledge, but I don't think that it's ever been done well. Just a thought.

-Skaster's player reg

I guess it would depend on the characters and the player behind them on how they would know such things.

As for knowing about what weapons are better, my characters ask. I as a player have little idea what is better than what anyway so that makes it easier to roleplay.

I don't enter Voln or the other thing unless they just happen to be in the same room with her and tell her about it. However some of my characters come already with the knowledge about them, but makes her decision from what they say to her.

I believe it is possible to roleplay that your character was told about certain things in the game before they even arrived, either through rumor or common knowledge, or passed down maps from generation to generation.

As long as its played out I don't see the problem in how they knew some things other than whispering something like "I've been playing for x years" or "this is my Xnth character".

Then again, how many times are you truly asked "how did you know where to find such-and-such?"? But you do bring up a good point to keep in mind when making characters. reg

Some things I think can be "assumed" knowledge.

For instance, if I RP a character who was born and raised in the general Wenheimer's Landing vicinity, she would be aware of the area surrounding it and would not need to look for Kobold Village.

We need to remember that our characters aren't "born" in an alley at age 20-something. They show up in Elanthia as adults, and we have to assume they lived somewhere for the past 2 decades.

Our characters shouldn't show up being completely ignorant of life as though they were infants, since they're not infants.

That's why it's important to read the official documents of the game before playing for the first time.

R
reg

Here is some assumed knowledge that can be kinda screwy. How do I know the names of everyone, considering I've only met a handful? How can I tell it's them with a cloak over thier head, or even how old the are? I know is a MUD, and you can't visibily recognize anyone, that is the reason it's this way, but it is still kinda strange. Oh, and even if they have their profession turned on, how do I know their profession, or wether they are a lord or high lord, or ladys? This is something I wouldn't get visually either. I know there's more, I just need to get bored enough to think of some more. reg
The answer: your character *doesn't* magically know the names and professions of anyone they haven't met and been introduced to.

You, the player, do know them, because you're reading it right there on your computer screen. In many games, it's acceptable to carry this OOC knowledge into the game. In other games, it isn't. In some games, you actually don't "read" names or professions until you are given that information by that character or someone else talking about that character (in character). At that point, you can use a flag to change "a tall human" into "Joe the Human Warrior."

reg

Yeah, I know, and the way this game is setup, being a text based game, you have to have the names listed in the rooms, and I've seen it roled played as if people don't know who they are, and cudos for that. I know why it is the way it is, I just like to think of strange senrios that don't make sense. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I enjoy that stuff, I go to movies just to catch something out of place, that shouldn't be, and I make a mental statement of "Caught cha"
lol reg
Oh! Well in that case ::giggle:: Yeah I find it wierd too.

There used to be a bug, might never have been fixed for all I know...

If you have something in your hand and SHOW it to one of the bots floating around, like the kitten or Alfred at Hearthstone Manor (the doorman), everyone sees:

>Soandso shows . to the doorman.

reg