The comic effect of EFU

[RuinedDesires]

Recently, I have come to notice an ever growing trend In character on EFU. It seems to me, that it is becoming common practice for numerous characters to make poorly thought of jokes during serious situations.

When I first arrived on EFU, I was impressed by the level of fear and infamy a PC could hold, let alone a characters. Within the first year of playing I dont think anyone dared make a witty comment in person to a truly terrifying PC without fear of brutal consequences.

The server had a certain level of respect, not only to the character, but too the player and what they had achieved.

At some point this changed, and characters who have spent months growing into something truly incredible are subject too some of the poorest excuses of roleplay I have seen.

I understand, it can be fun to create a character for such a purpose. Unfortunately, the comedy effect somewhat loses its effect when you notice an abundance of it occurring on a daily basis.

I think, the thing that truly irks me about this, is that it has now moved from PC's onto the NPC's. When you stand looking at the warden, after he has just butchered a pretty well known and terrifyingly strong PC, the moment is somewhat cheapened when an abundance of characters start too make jokes.

Maybe its just me, but I feel this is disrespectful too the DM team and the player base.

If at all possible, could we please tone it down a bit?

[Divine Intervention]

This is annoying most of the time, making random snarky comments and stupid puns constantly throughout big events is probably the most immersion breaking thing I ever see.  If you really feel the need to do it, just go on IRC or something, seems to stem mostly out of the fact that people know they won't get a retaliation from being a jackass.  Agree with OP.

[WanderingVengeance]

I will concur to a degree. Comic relief can be a great part of EfU, but my own personal take of this is that it's not very classy to see snide comments/jokes flood out whenever there is some sort of hickup during a DM event.

Mistakes can happen, because there are many variables and things that need to be handled at once by our DMs and sometimes NWN just doesn't play along. What really breaks my immersion in these situations though is when everyone insists on pointing them out.

Not to be too grumpy or anything, but we're playing an imaginative game and overlooking these things for the sake of the story isn't that hard.

[Blue41]

I dis-

[hide=MY IMMERSION][/hide]

[Howlando]

I endorse this post and fully agree that semi-OOC snark during more "serious moments" is tasteless and highly irritating.

[Howlando]

The nature of major events is that it's very easy for us to completely miss PC dialogue. So, after the event, I'd encourage players to let me know about comments from PCs that seemed to be immersion breaking and I can take an opportunity to speak with the offending player privately and politely request they lower the snark next time.

[xXCrystal_Rose]

Gloomwarden for King of Ymph. I miss him :(

[Yalta]

Agreed. Comedy is extremely tough to get right and is best avoided.

[Pentaxius]

I couldn't agree more.

[Ryan]

I tend to save lightheartedness for lighthearted events/BoM quests.

[Doctor Mambo]

I'm guilty of this from time to time, though my last PC was dead serious.  I just try to remind myself that the majority of attempts at comic relief make me associate the perpetrators with Jar-Jar Binks.

[Corrigo]

On some characters (gnomes, ehehe) I engage in comic relief, but I never do it at the expense of badass PCs or NPCs.

If you want to generate comedy, do it at the expense of your own PC. Your PC making a bumbling boob of himself is perfectly alright, so long as you are willing to deal with the IC backlash that stems from it.

As far as dumb snarky comments goes - some players are saying it is disrespectful and people are taking advantage of there being no retaliation.

So take away the circumstance that they're taking advantage of. Someone makes a stupid joke about warlord Gadyw? Punch him in the face and put him in the stockade for a while for being disrespectful. Someone makes a dumb joke about the big bad your group is facing? Kick him out of the party for not taking the mortal peril he and his companions are in seriously.

If people are bringing stuff that is funny OOC but ridiculous IC, then ICly deal with the characters for being ridiculous IC.

[Dillusionist]

Agreed. Comedy is extremely tough to get right and is best avoided.

I vehemently disagree with that. There's a place for it even on a grim-dark server like EFU. Maybe not when you're marching on H'bala's tower or captured by drow slavers, but the occasional silly detour is harly detrimental so long as it doesn't detract from the gravity of the main storylines.

[Pup]

Super hate this.  I see it all the time.  If they were actually funny, it works.

Most people are not funny.

[Paha]

There's the proper IC manner of being funny and creative in ways that fit the character. Then there are the OOC and RL hinting jokes that make you either laugh, or grimace and sigh deeply, taking the next five to 10 minutes to get back into the moment after being shaken by such cheapshot.

I do endorse that even if it's a game to have fun in, for people playing the fun is to be somewhat "serious" - roleplaying that character.