NationStates Jolt Archive

Whenever I get involved in a thread, it always seems to get bogged down in stats and numbers, and the discussion of the previous. What I propose, however, is a light role-play which does not rely on the numbers or stats as much. I acknowledge that the complete elimination of those is impossible, but the excess to which it is taken becomes more than necessary for role-plays and often detracts from it. Yes I need to know the size of your fleet, how many aircraft you have on that carrier et cetera, but do I really need to know the exact dimensions of it? Do I need to know that the nuclear reactor generates exactly 120 MW of power? No! These details are unnecessary and take away from any quality role-playing. I could post stat blocks and numbers, but would that be worthy it? I could post about my specific military units, but does it make a difference whether I talk about a Ford-class aircraft carrier, an Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier or just generically a supercarrier? Since any modern (or, as these two examples are, post-modern) object of the same class (in our example – supercarrier) will be roughly equivalent does the definition matter. Yes you could just use the stat-line for a named object using a basic set of stats or you could easily use your own version that conforms to your militaries doctrine and tactics. You can do whatever you want since the ability to design these ships wouldn’t be limited to a small group of obsessive compulsives! :-P

So anyway, if anyone wants to try this sort of idea out with me, I’m more than willing to listen to ideas, though I will advise you that the quality and quantity of my posts cannot be guaranteed. I would make my best efforts to try and make good posts as often as possible. Anyway, this isn’t me saying I think you should stop making designs or stop having stat heavy role-plays, just that I personally thing they detract from the fun. This is not a place for arguing with me, it’s a place for helping me provide a better basis for light stat role-playing or for trying to start one with me. I will now proceed to post this and I have a feeling it will probably be ignored and in 24 hours time, this will no longer appear on the topics listing.

Actually, a lot of us (read: me) don't rely on stats too much, except when we want to export our weapons and military equipment. For instance, I've never written a RP post that reads anything like "The DI-372 fighters used their 4D hydrogen-and-carbon-monoxide-gas-based thrust nozzles to maneuver 42 degrees to the right and fire off eight of their long range AAMs, which ran on deuterium nuclear fusion engines at velocities of Mach 20 for the first stage, which then detached to reveal an air breathing SCRAMjet, which in turn propelled the missile towards its target. Once it hit the target it would expel flammable thermobaric gases, which would then ignite and crush the target as well as removing all the oxygen from the surrounding area; meanwhile, the missile skin would fragment, sending shards of tungsten-aluminum-vanadium-titanium composite ricocheting through whatever was left.", and I'm not sure I would RP with someone who did that, either.

The main problem with no stats is that it allows people to do implausible and godmoddish things that otherwise they couldn't do (for instance, a poster invents a plane that travels Mach 20. What kind of engine does it use? The poster angrily huffs "I'm not a statwanker!" and marches off. Another example could be a kind of gun that never misfires no matter what, due to this UBER SAFETY MECHANISM that the poster conveniently lost the statblock for, so he can claim it does just about anything). Like most people, I prefer a balance: we know some basic things about how our equipment works, but we don't go into way too much detail and end up making our posts unreadable as a result.

I would be intrested. I really get tired of having to make 27 pages of engin details, only to have someone say "Oh your engin is 1 pt too strong!" I mean of course you need to justify, but sheesh, everyone bogs you down with stats stats and more stats, it's a wonder how anyone makes weapons of their own! You have any ideas, other than war though? Because I'm already in a war, I really don't need another.

I know, why don't you roleplay pen pals? They don't usually talk about stats, and it's a great way to develop your national identity! Is it possible to try that?

In all RP, I personally avoid mentioning stats in a pronounced way. My designs are very elaborate, but I prefer to just put a link to elaborate description, or, if absolutely necessary, mention the detail by the way.

As for stats in regard to battle groups (orbats), I also don't mention them directly and separately. Just spread the necessary detail among the characters' speech. For instance, in the last Iragian thread I well imagine and can describe the detail of ships used and CVBG formations, but just mentioned in character speech there's a dozen of them in the area. That's the sufficient minimum. I would suggest others to keep to this minimum as well, and post more only if disagreements arise - and preferably in the OOC thread.

I find that, when a post is very detailed, they usually concentrate on character development. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had a huge problem with being bogged down by stats.

I have, however, seen RPs get destroyed by posts that lack all detail, are "tell, not show", or concentrate entirely on quantity and location and lack characters (i.e. "this many ships/troops went here, this many went here, this many went here, they fought, and there was much suffering")

To: Catalasia
Well, I know that there would be people who try and godmode using a lack of stats, but people do it with tons of stats aswell – something along the lines of “my stats are better than yours so I win taking practically no casualties” which is ridiculous. I would expect some use of logic and keeping things based on real-life.

To: Kanami
If you don’t want a full-blown war, we could do a skirmish. Someone’s military makes an accidental incursion into the others’ territory and a skirmish takes place. Other than that, I’m not sure what we could do… Maybe some combat training, or a state visit with military hardware… Not really sure if we did anything else that stats would be necessary, so we’re kind of limited to military based-based role-plays.

To:Havvy
That sounds like more of a nationstates forum role-play if you ask me, besides the fact that I don’t get to blow as much up… I’m sure I could still blow some stuff up, but less than a military role-play.

To: Vault 10
Okay, so the stats don’t make it into the actual speech of the role-play as much, but they are still running the mechanics of it to a greater degree. On the OOC thread there has been much arguing about the vulnerability of super-dreadnoughts and this has caused the IC thread to stagnate.

To: Ghost Tigers Rise
You’re right, posts can be ruined by a lack of detail. However, my proposal would probably increase the detail of posts due to the fact that people wouldn’t just utilise stats for detail – making incredibly boring posts. And you’re right; it’s hard to right a detailed post without good characters. With characters we can provide examples of what the soldiers are doing and thinking. Without them it would be more difficult – I’m, not saying impossible as it can be done.

I know, why don't you roleplay pen pals? They don't usually talk about stats, and it's a great way to develop your national identity! Is it possible to try that?

That's actually a really fucking COOL IDEA. I have to do that sometime.

Hmm. I'm not bogged down by stats because I understand them - if I don't, I'll do a quick google search or wiki or globalsecurity, or ask someone in IRC; if I don't get a response from any of those I'll ask. I tend to take a long time in posting (heh...) but I generally like to do the following:
1.) IF I have the equipment I'm using stated out, I'll provide links to it.
2.) I'll mention anything neccessary; the training level of the crew/pilots/soldiers, their morale, their weapons, etc, to a level I can provide interesting detail in (not endless statistics) and link everything else in the OOC thread.

I don't really mind endless stat-wanking because it doesn't affect me as I don't mind taking the time to learn what it is - I'm not some kind of LOL, ADJECTIV WANKRE. I quite honestly find it irritating that some people won't go through a simple google search when presented with a weapon, or won't ask OOC for a brief, simple rundown on how it works so they'd know realistically how to counter it. That said, I understand some people are on a tight time scale.

Intreasting theory, hoggy, but I don’t feel it counters what I was talking about. I wasn’t complayining about not understanding what the stats are (I am a wiki geek). It’s just I feel excessive use of stats is just too much. I mean, that’s a great naval cannon, but do I really need to know the escape velocity of the different shells? Is it too much to ask to keep it to number and size – say?

Oh, btw, I've always wanted to do a role-play about headbangers in Krendakov. If either of you (Havvy or Questers) want to try something to do with that, I'm in!

Umm..., sure, I guess I could try that, but could I possibly get the definition of 'headbangers' first, because all I get is this: :headbang:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headbanger
headbangers = metalheads... well, the definition of a headbanger is slightly less specific that metalhead, as it includes hard rock aswell.