Experimentation Forum

[The Boom King]

Now, I was going to save this until I started my necromancer concept, because I'm a selfish bastard, but I've changed my mind, partially because I hope this will be implemented by the time I get started, and partially because I may have noticed a few similiar concepts that I wouldn't mind having a head start, as it would improve my own.
 
The suggestion is simple:
 
We have an IC forum on Experimentation- This could apply for IC studies regarding golems, necromancy, magical stuff, etc.
 
The reason for this is that many experiments that you do IG could be so trivial that no DM would really want to be present for one- and so the players could simply post their experiments in a private forum, and the DMs could answer what happens.
 
Allow me to give an example:
 
Valtorix Evilgrave casts a negative energy ray on a rat's corpse to see if it causes any sign of life, however slight.
 
The DMs can state whether it's ineffective, or what exactly happens. If the experiment would actually be very eventful, the DM could say, "Do this IG." And then the player would catch a DM IG.

[AllMYBudgies]

In a sense, you could use the Personal character notes sub forum for this kind of thing, and simply assume that you found nothing of use from your experiment unless a DM responds to you in some way.

[Paha]

Those stuff are nicely done sometimes with asking a DM oversee, on top of also using your own personal OOC journal. Keep record of  such experiments you keep conducting and pursuing in game with other players.

You don't especially need forum for it, since it already excists in the form of OOC personal character journals.

[The Boom King]

I thought of that- but after reading the instructions regarding the personal character notes, it's more for OOC notification of your PCs activities, and the DMs have expressed a desire not to post a response on those forums at all; if you want feedback, you get a DM on IRC. You have to remember, everyone of us have several personal character notes, (In all likelyhood,) and those things aren't really deleted after your character is dead and gone. It'd be too much work to keep track of, and it may be better just to have a forum for it.

[Paha]

Alright, I see what you're after. A feedback, so this is how I feel about the ideal on that.

I am afraid that it is worthy on certain rarer cases of studying, or experimenting on matters that you cannot get results on your own, or determine anything big without a DM, however in these case I think they are few enough for one to call DM to oversee them. I have and they were few in times.

Otherwise in experimenting I have relied on personal OOC character journals, which in my opinion are easy to keep up with, as they are for that particular character. If that character is known for experimenting and working for certain results, it is bound to also be at times followed by DM's just as well.

Issue with this kind experimentation forum is that people will result a lot on forum RP, massive emotes, writing and shizzle, simply hoping for a DM response in return - not to mention that it leaves people knowing OOC what you've been doing. That may not be wished in some occasions if one hopes to uphold the illusion and mystery behind the characters true achievements for IC purposes.

I humbly believe we are best of by working, roleplaying and seeking these opportunities in game with others players, and as we are active about it, write some of those times up to the personal journal. These experiments, their wondered results and such, can then one day actually gain true answers as a DM comes to follow up on your doings, as it should be.

I do understand it would be wonderful to see responses to every small experiment, but those are things that in itself can be used as unique and creative RP content, which anyone can use and season with a bit of imagination. The bigger stuff when you wish to see actual real effects is a spot for DM involvement, but you can always seek one for it.

[The Boom King]

I don't think you read my original post extensively- as I am not a necromancer or golem engineer in real life, I have no idea what kind of results these small experiments would have.
 
In order to make this easier to read, I'll make a list of the reasons why I believe this is a good idea, and even include the cons, which is to say, why this has been perceived as a poor idea.
 
"Why This is a Good Idea" list:
 
1.) It would be fun to do simple flavorful experimentation IG, but DMs have other things to attend to, such as PvP, events, people needing help out of bugs, etc.
 
2.) These tiny experiments are all likely to be part of a bigger picture, (or experiment that will take place IG) that will involve more people in the long run.
 
3.) It turns out that a lot of these DMs aren't arcane experimenters either, and they might not know this information off-hand. Forum posts gives them a chance to figure out the results without being put on the spot.
 
"Why This Suggestion is Perceived as a Poor Idea" List:
 
 
 
1.) That it will waste the DM's time.
 
2.) That other people will be able to see the forum, (this is an easy fix, simply make the forum posts private, which I was going to suggest but seem to have forgotten to.)
 
3.) The assumption that people will spend more time emoting on the forums than IG.
 
4.) I don't fully understand the last couple of paragraphs, but as near as I can tell, it's saying, If the DMs notice you doing these experiments IG, or by means of your personal character notes, then one day they may answer the question of your experiment... I can't see how I'd RP that; "Yeah guys, just finished the experiment. You'd think we'd get the result now, but we aren't. We're going to go off and do our own thing and hopefully we'll magically know what the result is in a few days, if we're lucky."
 
My Conclusion: A compromise that I anticipated should be made shortly after I posted this, because I knew there'd be a few people that would shoot this idea down, simply because that seems to be the cool thing to do. I would be worried that someone would be offended by this comment, but since the person in question hasn't bothered reading the entirety of my posts thus far, I'm almost certain he won't notice it.
 
The Compromise:
 
We post these experiments in a private forum, along with our plans on the ultimate experiment so the DM will be able to answer the question in the right context. After the DM has answered, the player will do the experiment IG, with his lab assistants or whatever. This way we can all still have fun, and the role of the experimenting arcanist can finally be played without having a DM hold our hand every step of the way.
 
That said, I wonder what the DMs think of this, because honestly, it's their decision.

[Serial Numbers]

Or simply skip those small experiments. Instead of say, casting a negative energy ray on a dead rat, go kill this or that undead to collect some of its essence/ectoplasm/knuckle/what have you, even if no such item drops; of course, always bring people along to make things more interesting.

If you are a golemcrafter or a necromancer, you would already know the effect or result of those small experiments, you don't need to proceed to repeat them. What you want is to do something bigger, that is where you need a DM.

[The Boom King]

Wow. That last post was entirely unhelpful and pretty much said that this idea is stupid because it's not based on killing shit. I really hope someone follows AllMYBudgies example and posts something helpful, rather than post baseless elitist BS.

[The Crimson Magician]

This would be pretty cool I think, but I'm not certain how it would work. Because there really is almost an infinite number of tasks you could do with an experiment.

Ex: I cast negative energy ray on a rat, a dead militiaman, and Francisco de Olid! I also cast combust on some wood, rocks, water, Tobar, and your mother.

Could you tell me what all those do?

Although that's a horrible example seeing as most would do the same thing, it could go like that. [For example, casting magic onto a different magical item]



In essence, an issue I can see is a huge clogging of these forums fort he DMs.

[Howlando]

I'm not really interested in having another forum to read/post on. We have Alchemy/Herbalism, if you want to have fun with experimenting then surely this can provide.

For more major experiments, I'll do those if I have time and feel like doing it and if the character catches my eye and seems to be doing interesting things.