#the vulnerability makes the stakes higher and the actions more meaningful to me

[halikyon]

So I've been pulled into some Mechwarrior shenanigans and I truly forgot how much I liked the concept of 'its a fancy walking tank and it's unwieldy but can take a hit and is incredibly effective in the hands of a good pilot' over the 'i get in and become superman' style. Both are good, I just like one better. Also probably why I enjoyed the MSG: The 8th MS Team more than a lot of other MSG's...also early Code Geass fights

[langernameohnebedeutung]

ok so i'm mid-episode-7 right now and I'll just try to take a little break and wrap my head around all of this a little and collect my thoughts before I move on (spoilers!)

So far, episode 6 and Amenadiel's storyline is my favourite because it had actual emotional impact for me. I actually wish they had started this plot in the very first episode of the season so that we could spend more time on the problem.

Overall, I feel like the show really lacks the established structure it had since the beginning. Which were the murders and solve them. Most episodes were contained by one case with two sides: The actual police work which is where Chloe had her time to shine and then Lucifer dealing with whatever issues he is tackling in that episode, doing his projecting thing and maybe undergoing some personal growth. So we get a fully story per episode while the stakes of the season arc become higher and higher in the background. With Chloe and Lucifer no longer solving cases, this structure is gone. It feels like we're just spending time with some characters going this way or that at random, moving from plot-point to plot-point with very little pay-off. Everything just...blurs.

The stakes aren't really getting higher at all so far, there is no rising action as far as I can tell?

Like, in season 5 everything hit the fan constantly - Lucifer is actually Michael! Chloe gets abducted! Big battle at the precinct and God is there! Mojo switch! God is retiring! Vulnerability is gone! Lucifer is goign to become God! Dan dies! -- it was actually too much for me, towards the end, to the point where everything felt meaningless because the stakes were high beyond the frame of comprehension the show gives us, but this time...it's just seemingly not moving towards a climax.

In fact, they seem to be going down.

Rory is introduced as this big, bad mysterious figure who really, really wants Lucifer dead - and now it feels like she's just been an emo teen hanging out with him and Chloe for weeks? months? doing random stuff - until she remembers that she's pissed at Lucifer again and stomps off and it kinda f eels like it's been going on for ages. Which is okay, I actually like her but it kind of falls flat from her original introduction.

I could live with that if they gave me something to actually worry about. Show me Rory actually getting used to the world around her, finding out things about the people she thinks she knows - or thinks she knows. Going back in time, that's a gigantic premise! I actually really loved seeing her talk about Trixie and knowing immediately where she would hide her chocolate - I would love more stuff like this. I would love to see more stuff about what it was like for her to grow up knowing her father is/was the devil! About growing up as a half-angel. About Charlie who is also a half-angel but actually has a father. Stuff like that.

Then we have the "becoming God"/"becoming Queen of Hell" thing that the entire last season build up to, the biggest fattest finale they ever had- that was a really huge deal. But now both Maze and Lucifer just kinda decided they'd rather not do that and found reasons to hang around. And when a frog started coming from heaven and Ella says she can't feel god anymore and Lucifer runs to Linda so that she can teach him how to care- I thought things are building up now and we're going to have some WandaVision style reality collapse at our hands, I was hyped for that - buuuut nah, they're just all kind of hanging around.

Actually, pay-off in general seems to be kind of a problem. For example, Rory not calling Maze 'aunt' and not knowing Amenadiel appeare to set off an exciting little mystery - and considering that we're now no longer solving crimes, I would love if they really delved into the celestial side of mysterious. I would have loved to figure out some time-travel sheningans - buuuuut it was a joke.

See, I love Dan but honestly I'm kind of at odds with how to deal with his characterisation rn? Because he's been in hell for a thousand years, hanging out with demons and stuff and it's been a thousand years down there, that is torture even without the torture and I would have expected a bit more anything. The same thing with Chloe and the blade, tbh, I feel like this could have been so much bigger?

Overall, I feel like there are missing so many opportunities that I think the show would not only not have missed in seasons 1 or 2, but would have actively used:

The whole thing was always Lucifer projecting his problems on the cases and (maybe) learning something about himself on a good day. Now, let's take the Jimmy Barnes episode. I loved when Chloe looked at the throne and was like: "It looks so lonely" and Lucifer says "it was" - that was such a great moment. - because so far, Chloe doesn't know hell. She doesn't know the reality of hell or what it meant for Lucifer to rule over this place and it seemed like a great set-up for her to finally see his world and to understand what it meant for him to leave this place - but also to be sent back down there again and again. And also for Lucifer to actually see one of his most painful experiences acknowledged by the woman he loves and to actually...talk to her about that. After all, this is the big reversal: So far, Lucifer was the consultant on Chloe's cases, and now Chloe became the consultant and helping Lucifer tackle his celestial issues. So to see her go to hell and actually learn about the place seemed like a really cool start - and then we learn that Jimmy Barnes' backstory is about a son left behind by a parent! And Chloe even talks about how horrible and alone he must have felt! And let's not forget Chloe's own backstory - her father didn't leave, she lost him because he was killed, but she also once sat at home and realised her Dad wouldn't come home and then she got a phone call and realised he would never come home - but for entirely different reasons than Lucifer who was cast out or Jimmy Barnes who got left behind. It seemed like exactly the kind of threads that this show would bring together and have the character discuss and reflect on at the end of the episode. But they didn't. They...rarely do that, this season and it just feels like something is missing from the format - and its emotional impact.

Sometimes I actually used to feel like the show had a tendency of spelling out too much, being too direct - but this season around it's not like they're less subtle. It's just not really acknowledged and it doesn't feel organic.

Another example is in the episode where Lucifer seeks out his old lovers to find out whether they're Rory's mothers.

This obviously gave me vibes right from Stewardess Interruptus which is one of my all-time favourite episodes.

Stewardess Interruptus is one of my favourite episodes because it told us so much about our characters. Also, our characters learn about each other and themselves here: Along with Chloe, we learn Lucifer isn't just a person who really likes having a lot of sex, but that he actually has a pretty dysfunctional relationship with sexuality. We also learn how much Chloe, while actually trying to date Lucifer, struggles with the sex-life he has because for her its symptomatic of their very different lifestyles and it makes her wonder how compatible they are. We go from Chloe asking Lucifer's ex-partners whether he "basically used you for sex and then moved on" to realising that actually...it's kinda the other way around. Lucifer is the one who's letting himself be used because he doesn't know how else to connect with people. That was a good episode - - - now that we went on a similar journey in the season 6 episode, I was actually very interested! Especially now that Lucifer is in a proper relationship and I would have loved to see that brought up - for example if Chloe had been presented with the "meaningless"-thing again and we actually had a moment where Lucifer and her talk about what it means to have a "meaningful" relationship. Like, Chloe tells him that it's okay if he had a relationship before her or loved one of these women - which yes! of course it is! - actually, it would have been interesting to see them discuss what it means that he didn't have that kind of connection before despite being almost old as time.

I was especially interested in Esther as a character - who says she became a Rabbi because of Lucifer which is...something really, really interesting. For one, because this show has such a long history of acting like Christianity is the only religion in the world or at least as if the Christian take on the devil is universal (Amenadiel even says in the first season that "every religion has its version of the devil" and that he's always a "rebellious son" which...no. That's not true. At all.) when really, it's not. (I actually remember reading a really good fic once about Lucifer meeting a Rabbi and discussing the different ideas of evil but that's a whole different matter.)

In this episode, Lucifer is now confronted with someone who didn't find the encounter she had with him meaningless at all - she literally changed her life because of it. Also, when she says she became a Rabbi because of him and he's like "oh yeah guess I got that from your desires..." - much like in the Jimmy Barnes episode, I prepared myself for the classic twist at the end of the episode that the show would usually have had. The moment where Lucifer's immediate assumptions would be challenged. I was expecting that by the end of the episode, she would say something: "Hey, it was not actually your mojo, but ---" and we would learn something about her and have Lucifer reconsider his assumptions - For example her saying he seemed lost and that it inspired her to take on a role where she could offer people guidance. Or it would have been interesting if, like Father Frank, she actually realised at some point that he's really the devil and that made her think more deeply about her faith. That could have been really interesting. Like...I feel like in the first seasons of the show, this would definitely have lead to some emotional twist and impact, even in one of the weaker episodes. Some revelation or insight. Something memorable. But here...it's not.

In a similar vein, that kind of emotional twist is something I would have loved to see in Lucifer's interactions with Rory.

One of my favourite moments in the show was when Maze gave Linda that blanket for Charlie - and says that she got him something that she wished she had as a child.

That was so simple! So effective! Strong story-telling! We understood and learnt so much about what made Maze into Maze in just a few lines of dialogue! It's heart-wrenching! It was amazing. - and honestly, it would be so simple to give Lucifer and Rory a similar moment. Again and again we hear Lucifer insist that it cannot be true, he would never abandon his child but it's very "tell" and not much "show" - when Lucifer tries so desperately to find something that he can give Rory it would have been a really strong moment between Christmas-es and driving lessons and parties, if we had a scene where Lucifer tries to do something similar to what Maze did for Charlie:

Have him actually talk to Rory about what he felt like being abandoned by his father and try to give her something that he would have wanted or say something the would have wanted to hear. We would have learnt more about Lucifer, we would have more of an emotional impact beyond him just saying over and over again that he wouldn't abandon his child, we would actually see some development in the relationship between Lucifer and Rory, Rory might actually get a similar opportunity to shine when she reacts to that - giving her more depth and illustrating her pain in a new way rather than just the same thing over and over again. Their relationship has been seemingly stagnant for ages now. It would have been good.

Another example: Adam kidnaps Linda, Maze and Eve work together to get their hands on Adam because they have no idea what he did to her - and then get a really, really long scene discussion their wedding and relationship and stuff. And then, right at the end of the scene they're like: "oh uh btw we have to find Linda"- that one was...almost funny, because it was so bad and weirdly paced. This is Maze we're talking about! Maze who throws hands with everyone who even looks at her friends funny! And who just recently learnt what it felt like to lose a friend!

I feel like there is a similar tell vs. show problem with Eve and Maze and her family. I really, really liked the dinner-scene in the first episode of the season where Linda keeps asking Eve about what she was going to do in hell, about what her role would be, how she sees hell - and Eve keeps being really light-hearted and seemingly naive about it.

Because Eve's entire character flaw (by which I don't mean that it's "bad" or "evil" - but that it's actually something that causes Eve a lot of pain and holds her back) is that she always 100% adjusts herself to her current partner. That she wants to back them completely and be perfect for them. That is what made her so great in season 4: She was neither "the mean new woman ruining things between Chloe and Lucifer >:( " nor was she someone dangled over Chloe as "here is how you are a really good girlfriend to Lucifer" - no, the reason why she was seemingly perfect for Lucifer was was because she was making herself be perfect for him - to the point of self-negation where he cannot get her to break up with him, because she keeps and keeps and keeps adjusting to him. That is why their relationship was dysfunctional and eventually toxic. When she says in season 4 that Lucifer and her will simply go to hell and keep the party going there - that was the pinnacle of her self-deceit, that was the shining moment where we could tell just how desperate she is for love and acknowledgement and companionship that she's literally willing to go to HELL if that's what it takes.

When the dinner scene in 6.1 started, I was very excited to see this issue build up and then be resolved between Maze and her. I was looking forward to see Maze realise what Eve's actual issue is and to come to some clever solution over the course of the season, but so far...that's not really happening.

And yes, Eve wants to get to know Maze's siblings while Maze keeps saying that no, demons are evil - which would also be a super interesting conflict but it's again lacking the emotional impact because we know so little about the demons on the show and what the world-building is. It's much like with God and the fam in the last season: Up to that point, they were really, really wrapped in huge mystery but that's really why it falls kind of flat. But whereas God and especially the angels fell flat for me because I had them build up in this big, uncanny celestial mystery and they couldn't live up to that once they appeared in the flesh, here it's the opposite. I know so little about the actual horrors of hell that I struggle to sympathise with Maze's fears. If I knew literally any demons' thoughts on Maze being the new queen or having a human royal consort or anything, there would be real stakes. But this way, they can just shake anything out of their sleeves and that's it.

[keneerike]

Floyd, Chauvin, and Race in America: Where Do We Go from Here?

[My audio commentary here:

https://soundcloud.com/user-31492767/floyd-chauvin-race-relations-where-do-we-go-from-here-jttg-may-2021]

This article employs race relations as the backdrop for tackling some universal challenges we all face.

It's less about politics than it is about exploring two skills that serve well in all walks:

1) A knack for asking the right questions. 

2) The ability to get others aligned with your way of thinking.

Through that prism, it's an intriguing read for anyone.

I've fielded some questions about the Floyd/Chauvin case, now that the verdict has been handed down:

Where do we go from here? What are some of the implications surrounding race relations, public and personal accountability, and activism?

A few thoughts:

1) There are (visible) cracks in the Blue Wall.

John 3:20: "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light."

Exposure to natural light dries up the conditions that allow bacteria to flourish.

Ditto for bad actors.

Public pressure, however misguided, is leading to important questions that are holding municipal departments accountable. It's increasingly-difficult for police unions to sweep criminal malfeasance under the rug.

You'd like to see the public do more of this in other arenas, like public and private education, but independent, critical thinking is seldom found in the middle of a herd.

2) Will More Conversations About Race Lead to (Significant) Change?

Doubtful.

Setting aside the question of what the specific goal is for some of these movements, how often does "talk" actually lead to change?

Intentional, thoughtful action is what gets things done.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement will struggle to produce meaningful, positive change for reasons I've outlined in the past:

Two problems facing the protest community:

1) Inability to Create Change

2) Sullied Reputation: “Protesters are Thugs.”

“They only have one question: What’s in it for them?

Why should they invest the time and effort to help you, beyond offering empty gestures and lip service? It could be an emotional reason or a financial one. 

It could be to create tranquility inside their own minds. You have to give people a reason to get off the sidelines. 

Article: Freddie Gray, Dirty Cops, & The Problem With (Peaceful) Protests

As we've seen with many would-be revolutionaries of the past, how the spoils of early victories are divided reveals much about BLM's long-term viability. Integrity of leadership is one of the canaries in the coal mine for spotting movements that can stand the test of time. Unchecked spending from BLM organizers has brought increased scrutiny over how donations are being managed.

BLM leadership putting winning Monopoly strategy to good use.

Most campaigns sputter because they ignore one---or more---of the following tenets:

Three Steps to Producing Effective Community Organizing Campaigns:

1) Provide clear information on the problem, including reasons why people need to join the cause. Use incentives.

2) Present specific actions for participation that further the cause, including easy access to donation links and support for policies that actually move political and economic levers.

3) Routinely examine strategy and tactics, assessing how much progress has been made and whether the current course of action is appropriate for the scope of the problem. Adjust accordingly.

Article: Slacktivism: The Problem With Social Media Movements

Shaming people, especially when your own hands aren't clean, isn't going to get anything beyond nominal concessions. 

Most of the old boy network---or, "The Man", to put it more humorously---knows this. That's why they can get on board most any cause, with little fear of any real loss. They know standards for change agents worth supporting have plummeted, so companies are happy to capitalize, picking up market share and goodwill in exchange for token displays of support.

The biggest sports leagues in the world have gotten in on the act, hopping onto the protest bandwagon that first picked up steam a few years ago. A few commercials and planned anthem demonstrations are hollow gestures that will ultimately do nothing to help minority communities advance.

(Although the dollars that have been pledged to aid communities could do some good---if used properly.)

3) How do we avoid being killed by the police? 

Stay out of the line of fire.

Looking for a "safe" stance on police-related incidents that won't get you “cancelled”?

Me neither. :)

But hey, this site doesn't shy away from controversy.

If you live in an impoverished community, you're more likely to have interactions with the police. When they're not setting up speed traps to meet monthly quotas, they're patrolling high-crime areas where illegal activity is fiercest.

The cops have mandates to hit areas where their efforts can register the biggest impact. Those tend to be areas with higher concentrations of minorities.

You're much more likely to be hassled by police in East St. Louis than you are in East Hampton.

Although ongoing calls for change may lead to negative unintended consequences for those inner-city zones.

You can only campaign for reduced police presence so long before politicians start to listen. People respond to incentives: Shifts in policy come when jobs get threatened. Pushes to defund the police---an ill-conceived response to relatively-rare high-profile incidents---will lead to an increase in crime. Remove deterrents to crime---police presence, policies that punish quality-of-life infractions---and you'll see anti-social behavior spike.

But if you're paying attention, you already knew that.

That's something to think about in the most vulnerable communities, where per capita income leaves residents least capable of defending themselves when the wolves are at the door.

City life without cops.

So, how do we avoid fatal encounters with the police?

What’s the lesson here?

The onus is on the public to recognize that the police are human, subject to the same fears and frailties that we are. You’ve got to minimize your exposure to danger as much as you can.

Article: What We Learned from Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Ferguson 

Do not resist arrest.

You may have been profiled or detained unlawfully---fair enough. If you're still alive, you will have a chance to fight your case later.

We've got a lot of agency, ability to influence the world around us.

It's up to you whether your run-in with the cops ends in a conversation, a citation, or a trip to the hospital.  

And, unfortunately, nowadays one has to define what "resisting arrest" means:

Yelling at the police, attempting to wriggle out of handcuffs, running away, brandishing a knife---these are no-nos that could get you killed.

This is common sense and goes without saying among older generations. They understand you can be respectful without being obsequious. 

But in a society where subtle messaging and normative cues are fed to individuals less-practiced in critical thinking, population manipulation is easier to achieve. 

Be careful whom you accept marching orders from. 

The media has no stake in your individual well-being, so they'll tell you whatever they think will get you agitated and ready to do what they want you to do: 

Support the right interests and buy products and services.

Emotional thinkers make great consumers.

I love feedback, so do share your thoughts.

[bellamygateoldblog]

rate best to worst parental figures of the 100

worst → best (I tend to ramble throughout this, sorry!)

19 — Nia : I mean I don’t think an explanation is needed here lol. She burned Echo’s parents alive, it’s implied she then renamed her Ash, before forcing her into the identity of another child and filling her life with assassination and espionage. Mother Of The Year?

18 — Aurora : so firstly we have Octavia- who’s existence shouldn’t be. It was so incredibly irresponsible and selfish to subject her child to this life. If the ark hadn’t been dying and Octavia never caught, would she had been expected to grow old and die under the floor? Would Bellamy have spent his life, even after Aurora was long dead, being nothing more than his sister’s keeper?

And Bellamy- to manipulate your six year old son into believing it’s his responsbility to protect and care for his sister, so engrained into his mind and sense of self that he still lives by this mantra well into his 20s, to treat Bellamy being Octavia’s whole world as normal, having him go through his life with this small girl attached to him, entirely dependent on him, placing such a heavy weight onto a child- it’s UGH. No words, just a grunt.

He gave up his education and his personal life and he became a father when he was six years old. She took his life away.

This early family dynamic is at the root of ALL of Octavia and Bellamy’s major character traits, struggles and flaws, it drives them still, it’s effects are still felt and reinforced. BOO.

17 — Raven’s unnamed mother : And here is where I go off on a rant criticising the writing more than the actual mother. Just like Octavia, Raven was raised by another child, except in this case her mother is emotionally absent and said child is the same age as her (or younger) and thus i expect their experience and maturity levels are matched through their lives. Could this have bourne some co-dependency? Perhaps, but it’s never talked about i think because Raven’s backstory is practically a Schrödinger’s cat scenario with all the retconning that goes on. Like here- we recieved some more information in season six that directly contradicts what was already established of their mother-daughter relationship: “she never used me.”

*deadpan narrator voice* She did, however, use her.

That’s if we choose to accept this one as canon and not that one, god this writing is atrocious. Raven’s mother was neglectful, so much so that the only way she ate is through a boy sharing his own rations with her. Raven believes “she only had [her] so she could trade [Raven’s] rations for moonshine.” SHE DID USE HER DAUGHTER.

Furthermore, in season one she defended her mother (context: when a remark was made about selling sex in exchange for supplies), she tells her not to “dare talk about [her] mother that way��� and i get the impression she at least respected her, but in season six she straight up calls her “a drunk who sold herself for booze.” In fact in season six she goes from being deluded one second- “she never used me”- to being scarily desensitised by a harsh reality the next, the same way she was in early seasons, speaking casually of her mother’s alcoholism. WHAT IS THE TRUTH? None of what we know of Raven’s family and backstory can coexist and yet here we are, talking about Raven’s family and backstory as if the writers ever cared enough to make it actually coherent.

16 — Murphy’s unnamed mother : did love him once, very much so, but let her grief poison her and turn her against her son. Another alcoholic/addict mother to add to the collection. We don’t have a lot of details about her, but the knowledge that she blamed her vulnerable little boy who had no control over his own health for the death of her husband who made his own conscious choice is enough for me to place her down here. The source of Murphy’s lack of self worth, *implied* intrusive thoughts, and difficulty connecting with others, and just in general sometimes being a total jackass. Yeah, it’s all her fault.

15 —  Clarke : like mother, like daughter. She electrocuted her child,  but what I find to be remarkably horrific about this is the simple fact  the device is the same one used to torture her in the  beginning of the season, the same one used by the so-called ‘villains’. She felt and endured the pain herself, and then decided subjecting her own daughter to that same treatment was an acceptable and necessary choice-  before leaving that decision completely redundant later by switching allegiance  and having Madi lead the army afterall. Madi was dependent on Clarke, the silent agreement is trust and respect, and this one singular  action showed Clarke violating everything it means to be a guardian and  protector. Also, she never apologised to Madi for this, nor did their relationship experience strain as a result when both of those  things absolutely should’ve happened. That’s my main gripe with the  relationship, the other being that it’s bourne of the same strain of  co-dependancy as the Blakes.

Something about Madi wanting to go to  school and be a regular child and Clarke responding to that with an ultimatum doesn’t sit right with me. At this point nobody cares about the Commander. Nobody- literally every single grounder is asleep- and, as her mother, Clarke has the right and the power to have Madi take out that damn flame to preserve her safety and youth and she doesn’t. She continues to let Gaia train her 12 year old for a dead position. Clarke is just as much culpable for the Sheidheda fiasco as Spacekru are for putting the flame into Madi’s head in the first place. That thing should’ve been removed as soon as it was no longer necessary. Clarke’s young, she had a child practically sprung upon her, and i want to give her the benefit of the doubt- but I won’t.

14 — Abby : I had no idea where to put Abby on this list and I think i’m being too generous but she’s a tricky one because I don’t think she’s necessarily a bad mother, not compared to the others on this list anyway, but the harsher aspects of her personality along with the high-stakes environment leads to the natural break down of her relationship with her daughter. I got the impression they were once close; Clarke is seen reaching out for her mother for comfort and validation multiple times during the first couple of seasons and she’s devastated and betrayed at the knowledge of what was Abby’s culpability in Jake’s death. Over time this falls apart. Abby never harms her biological daughter, but does have a very weird rival-like relationship with her, imo this being because they’re so similar. I can see so much Abby in Clarke and vice-versa. And they clash because of it, and Abby just doesn’t have any authority over Clarke, and over time their relationship distances to a point it lacks emotional value and other characteristics that make mother-daughter dynamics unique and meaningful. They love each other, no doubt about that, Abby’s been prepared to throw others to the wolves for her daughter a few times, just as Clarke does later in life. But the relationship between Abby and her daughter is strained from the beginning of the series, which makes her position as Clarke’s mother complicated.

Upon meeting Abby, Raven instantly viewed her through an almost idolistic lens- “relax, it’s a compliment, Abby’s a badass”- making me believe she latched onto this idea of The Mother She Never Had, and Abby’s first thoughts when encountering Raven were literally that she reminded her of her own daughter- “reminds me of someone.” This dynamic is absolutely intended as mother-daughter. While a mother-figure to Raven, though, Abby has directly and intentionally caused her harm. She’s electrocuted her, she;s then tried to avoid acknowledging her wrongness for that action- Raven in this moment of torture is as betrayed as Madi was by Clarke- she’s also hit her and while in a systematically higher position than her no less. These instances automatically make me wince away from the relationship because in no way does it come across as comfortable and safe for Raven. On the other hand, they’ve had a bunch of heartfelt moments even though they’re disguised as harsh jabs taken at one another. They’ve expressed the hard truth when nobody else will in times of the other’s vulnerability.

There is a stark contrast though between how she treats Clarke and how she treats Raven and the lack of biological relation, i think, is a buffer for Abby. IMHO i think her care for Raven is conditional, but unconditional for Clarke.

I don’t know what i should be feeling about her motherly-ness.

13 — Kane : I didn’t pay much attention to Kane’s dynamics, honestly, because I just didn’t like him, but as far as I’m aware he tried to do well by Octavia, Bellamy and Clarke, somewhat self-righteously and blaming, but trying is trying and he is always framed as in the right and morally superior so I guess that’s gotta count for something. This was all ruined during season five, though, with him attempting to have every one of them killed among other things. He didn’t appear concerned or reluctant- or anything about any of them.

12 —  Hannah : I think it’s safe to assume Monty had a good relationship with both of his parents pre-show. Hannah came across as misguided and manipulative towards Monty often, though, which i think came from both a place of love and desire to protect, but also, at points of most controlling, from a place of desperation and fear having already lost her husband. Honestly all I remember is not liking her very much so i’m placing her here in the middle/neutral area with Indra and Jaha.

11 — Indra : I place her here because we don’t actually have a lot of information about her relationship with Gaia. And I view her relationship with Octavia as mentor-mentee and eventually friends. They’ve had some sweet heart-to-heart moments, but i’ve always struggled to see the maternal connection. Octavia might be the daughter Gaia never was to Indra (I think Gaia might’ve even said this in the actual show?) but such a fond and pronounced memory of Aurora still exists within Octavia and with her very narrow-minded vision I don’t see her prepared to replace her or at the very least share that position with other people in her life. Indra is a stoic character, but it’s almost as if her emotional expression is reserved for Octavia. This speaks something of the closeness of their bond, but also tells us the climate between her and Gaia is more distant and troubled. There’s love there though- she was, afterall, planning to die so Gaia could live. Is this the only intended motherly sacrifice we’ve seen on the show?

The Blodreina of it all, while on one hand strengthened one dynamic, shattered the other. Indra is someone Octavia respected, trusted and listened to. I have to believe she was in the position to guide and advice her through the entireity of the time jump, but instead we saw her stand by and let Octavia slip further and further into her own darkness before turning on her in the most critical moment. And she might’ve tried and nothing worked, but really? You want me to try to make sense of this myself? The writers were on a quest to villainise Octavia and the fall of this relationship was a product rather than an intention.

10 — Jaha : he created a treasure, i’ll give him that. Admittedly we don’t know an awful lot about Wells or about his relationship with his father, but we do know he risked his own life to take care of Clarke, similar to Bellamy and to Raven who both also came to Earth to protect someone they loved. Both of those examples had terrible parents, so Wells’ goodness doesn’t necessarily mean we can credit Jaha, and as far as i can remember Wells never actually defended his father against the angry delinquents. Does him choosing to follow Clarke over staying with his father in space mean he must really love Clarke, or could it ellude to a certain father-son relationship not being as comfortable as it could be? When Jaha’s handed another child later on, he stops Kane giving him extra food because of something along the lines of: ‘he needs to learn the world’ so I think his parenting style may be more of the tough love and respect type. Wells is practical and strives to maintain order and squash rebelliousness thus his butting heads with the rest of the delinquents, but he has people’s best interests at heart (letting Clarke hate him rather than Abby, for example) and those are very Jaha characteristics i can see he inherited/observed and imitated.

9 — Monty and Harper : we only have a handful of information on this. Jordan has fond memories of them, but so does Octavia and Bellamy about their mother and we all know the truth about that one. Jordan is a backwards Octavia. Monty and Harper were all he had growing up, he wasn’t forced into hiding, but I can’t imagine it was a fun existence for him to grow up in isolation- watching the faces of other children behind the glass and never being able to wake them up to play. BUT his childhood is different to Octavia’s in a few ways that make a big difference and land them further up the list: 1) he’s clearly educated, 2) he has two loving parents even if they are all he has, 3) he has knowledge about the Earth, it’s story and the people from it so has a much stronger and more complex understanding of morality, meaning he’s less judgemental, and he’s also better prepared to interact with others by the time this oppurtunity arises.

They get points for leaving him in Bellamy’s hands, but are automatically relegated a few places for making Clarke his god mother.

8 — Bellamy : yes Bellamy is on this list because yes he is Octavia’s father and nothing you say matters. So every child he’s ever ‘adopted’ has died, but he tries his best to think of these children when nobody else was ever doing that. Octavia’s damaged and her more toxic traits have a tendancy to become amplified in times of high emotion, especially in the vicinity of her brother, but he was just as much a victim in all of this as she was and Aurora is entirely to blame for the disaster that is the Blake sibling relationship (I mean neither of them even had a frame of reference of what siblings look like, how were they to know how to relate to one another?).

He tries. He’s more equipped to and committed than most on this show to helping vulnerable people, he’s proven time and time again he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect and love his sister, he gets it wrong sometimes, his efforts can be misguided and recieved differently than he might’ve intended them to be. But the facts are: he understands what it means to be a parent, he knows what it’s like to lose their child, he knows what it’s like to pour himself into someone else and hope for the best of them.

7 — Luna : she founded a clan and those people were, in a sense, her children. She kept them safe for years, it was peaceful, life was simple and fulfilling. Clarke observed her interactions with the actual children that lived there and they loved her, she was good with them. Her people respected her.

6 — Monty’s father : yet another heroic father to add to this fucking collectio-

5 —  Ginger dad : in one of the most heartbreaking scenes on this show to date, he does the David Miller thing, or i guess David Miller does The Ginger Dad Thing, and sacrifices his own life to pump more air into his child’s lungs.

4 — Murphy’s unnamed father : in a place you’ll be executed for petty crime, risking it all and stealing something as valuable as medicine just to give your son a chance at more life is commendable. He loved his son (literally) to death. It’s his memory and his sacrifice, like with Raven and Clarke, that pushes him to survive.

3 — Jake :  I think the show has demonstrated quite nicely that Clarke is a daddy’s girl. Jake The Good Engineer, Jake The Good Father, Jake The Hero. He inspires Clarke so much she goes to prison for it. And, like Sinclair-Raven, Clarke’s consciousness dreams him up whenever she’s in an intensely stressful situation and/or feeling hopeless about life and void of direction in general. This was a comfortable and secure bond, and his death marked the beginnings of Clarke’s entire story.

2 — David : easily one of the best fathers on the show, i mean he gave up the oppurtunity of claiming a spot in the bunker just so he could give his son better odds of surviving, he gave up the possibility of being in the bunker with his son. Another fatherly sacrifice for the collection. He loves Miller unconditionally, even when Miller himself feels like a disappointment.

1 — Sinclair : this was an obvious retcon, but still good as long as I don’t think about it. A cute father-figure, the mentor that took a chance on her, the first (or second) person to pick her. Everything about this relationship is sweet and healthy, a nice diversion from the usually exhaustingly complex dynamics. Their relationship was so meaningful, in fact, that it was him who Raven’s dying mind manifested to encourage her to go on living. 10/10.

(and don’t think i don’t peep that bad/cruel mothers, good/heroic fathers pattern here. These writers WACK…)

[ncmagroup]

   James Meincke

Sales teams see a lot of ebb and flow. You’ve probably had high points where almost everyone on your team is motivated and hitting their numbers. And you’ve undoubtedly experienced your fair share of low periods when nothing seems to be working well.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to keep your sales reps performing through the highs and the lows. And that could mean you need to get creative.

We asked sales and startup experts for their best tips for motivating sales teams, and here are some of the best responses:

1. Give your team more autonomy.

“Building relationships with my clients is vital to my sales performance, so I encourage my sales team members to take total autonomy over their sales leads. It gets them more invested, more comfortable and all-in-all, more successful with their sales.”

  – Erin Westover, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development Manager, Spacebase.

  2. Visualize real-time progress.

“As found in the Progress Principle, 95 percent of managers misidentify the top employee motivator. Sense of progress ranks ahead of pay and recognition as the #1 driver of employee motivation – across every profession. For sales professionals, you need to put their progress toward goal, progress over past performance, and progress towards reward (promotion, commission, bonus, etc) right in front of them every day. The more real-time the numbers, the better.”

– Brian Trautschold, COO, Ambition.

  3. Invest in training and education.

“With the democratization of and increase access to information and technology, there are countless resources you can use to provide free training to your reps on a regular basis. When your reps can see that you truly care about their career growth, it goes a long way.”

  – Brandon Redlinger, Director of Growth, Engagio.

  4. Conduct regular personal development interviews.

“I hold regular Personal Development Interviews with my executives and managers where I review their personal, family, business, and financial goals with them. Someone with a goal doesn’t need to be motivated; someone without a goal can’t be motivated.”

  – Tony O’Dierno, SVP Zone Manager, Combined Insurance.

  5. Create a collaborative team environment.

“When a salesperson feels part of something larger (ie not just a lone wolf) there is additional motivation to succeed. If you are part of a team/company that you’re proud of, it makes you want to seek success for that team as well as yourself. Some great ways to do this are holding culture building events (game nights, happy hours, etc). Also, having regular team meetings where everyone is involved and has to speak about their successes and failures. It creates a kind of solidarity similar to the way a support group would. It enforces the idea that your efforts and success is part of a greater good, which tends to motivate and energize more than simply self interest would.”

  – Brian McFadden, Rentals Manager, TripleMint.

  6. Give your employees a purpose.

“People want to believe their work is meaningful, that what they do is something constructive that will ultimately produce a positive outcome. Communicate the importance of what your employees do, and give them ownership of their responsibilities. By giving them control over their specific area of expertise, you nurture your employees’ commitment and believe in the company and motivate them to be successful.”

  – Vladimir Gentleman, Founder & CEO, Company Folders.

  7. Care about your salespeople.

“Understand that your salespeople are individuals and have different motivators. Understand why it is important to them to be successful and what they need, individually, to be successful. Then you can reference those goals and needs, and have a deeper conversation inspiring them to take action to be successful. Make sure that your salespeople feel that you want to be them successful, not just to meet the company’s goals, but to meet their own personal goals.”

  – Joan Kagan, Sales Manager, TripleMint.

  8. Offer non-financial perks.

“While money is a great motivator, sometimes mixing in a little fun during work hours is even better. When your sales team reaches their goals, try offering perks like leaving work early or going to a happy hour. For larger goals, try offering a trip to an exotic destination for team members who reach their goals or win a sales competition. You’ll be surprised at how hard your sales team will work for you when they have extracurricular incentives at stake.”

  – Brandon Schroth, Digital Sales Analyst for seoWorks.

  9. Create a culture of helping.

“What has worked well for our team is to first create a positive culture where the salespeople will help one another and there is a collaborative sharing of ideas. Secondly, teams seem to come together well when they are competing against outside groups of salespeople. Your top salespeople are inherently competitive and they don’t like to lose. When you can create a team-based atmosphere, what I find is that nobody wants to be the weak link, and everyone pushes harder toward a shared goal.”

  – Travis Biggert, Chief Sales Officer, HUB International.

  10. Offer more equity.

“We offer shares in return for meeting performance goals. First the company did a share split to divide the staff from the corporate ownership, and that is where the sales team shares are cut from. We found that with having the idea of “the sky’s the limit” for progress within the company, our sales team really knocked it out of the park.”

  – Don Halbert, CEO, The Real Estate SEO.

  11. Publish individual performance.

“I still see many sales teams that only show basic information for individuals within the group (IE, volume over time). We share close rate, # of leads, time to engage leads, average length of engagement, average value, etc, in addition to total volume. It flattens out excuses that often are used by under performers or those struggling to perform.”

  – Jordan Brannon, Director of Digital Strategy, Coalition Technologies.

  12. Reward rejection.

“My best sales tip for motivation is rewarding no’s. In my company, the salesperson with the most no’s at the end of the week gets a $500 gift card. Every no is a way to get closer to a yes. Every salesperson knows the reward for a yes – aka a commission – is much higher than the $500 a week so they still work to close deals. However, this competition lets them know they are rewarded for just doing their job. It’s a good way to keep motivation high and keep sales going.”

  – Russab Ali, Founder, SMC Digital Marketing.

  13. Treat your team as family.

“The best tip I have for sales managers is this: Treat your employees as family. Respect them and be flexible with them. They will do their best, and as long as you are understanding, you will get the best possible results.”

  – AJ Saleem, Founder, Suprex Learning.

  14. Offer extra bonuses.

“We offer regular reward incentives, particularly bonuses, to our sales team. If a regular client drops out of using us, we give a sizable bonus to the account manager who secures their business with us again. Much of it is based on gross profit; we set targets, and those who exceed their base target by a noticeable amount of sales will receive a reward at the end of the month.”

  – Darren Green, Founder and CEO of Poles Direct.

  15. Focus on small, individual goals.

“It’s important, especially during the early stages of the company, to set small, individual goals. Yes, you need be aware of the bigger picture but remember you’re still new to the market and those first few weeks/months can be tough for your team – these smaller wins can have a huge impact on keeping them motivated.”

  – Victor Sanchez, Director of Inside Sales, ForceManager.

  16. Be a career coach.

“A coach looks at every part of an athlete’s game and works with them to help improve that particular part, to get greater overall performance results. So many Sales leaders are willing to sign up to bring in an additional 10% revenue next quarter, but how many sales managers would be willing to ‘carry a quota’ on helping each individual rep on their team to do 10% better in the next quarter?”

  – Steve Benson, Founder and CEO, Badger Maps.

  17. Get your team personally invested.

“We often use money as the singular motivator, but nothing motivates people more than going to work at a place where they are passionate about the work they are doing as a team. Too often sales environments are adversarial, designed to be overly competitive and unless you are at the top performer you may hate going to work. When instead, we create an environment where people are invested in the success of the team, people will be eager to come early and stay late to make sure they achieve together.”

  – Tim Evanchick, District Manager and Corporate Sales Trainer, Yogibo.

  18. Promote transparency and vulnerability.

“Outside of the corporate world, the power of vulnerability is well known. It’s the basis for trust. The thinking goes: If he’s willing to open up and be vulnerable, then he must trust me, in which case it’s safe for me to open up and share something in return. When we allow ourselves to be seen—really seen—we create the potential for emotional connection. Research shows that self-disclosure is a common feature of healthy relationships.

Research also points to an instinctive response to vulnerability— the desire to reciprocate. In a business environment, vulnerability is taken for weakness. But in many cases, selling something to someone requires the buyer to more or less admit that change is necessary – to admit that everything isn’t good to show that vulnerability. This is particularly true when the sale involves something that is new to the buyer.”

  – Michael Bosworth and Ben Zoldan are the cofounders of Story Leaders.

  19. Give your reps creative freedom.

“My best tip for motivating a sales team is to hire entrepreneurial people and then let them be as weird and creative as they want. I have found that my team is most motivated when they feel autonomy. Autonomy to go off script, to innovate, and to have fun.”

  – Kelli Lampkin, Social Selling Expert, NetSuite Oracle.

  20. Focus your team on solving the customer’s problem.

“Too many sales teams are focused on the volume of touchpoints, not enhancing the value of each interaction. Most of the problems salespeople face can be traced to not adding value when they interface with the customer. By focusing your sales team on solving the customer’s problem not only results in a higher morale for your team, but also results in better customers and a more consistent pipeline.”

  – Donald Pettit, Revenue and Partner Manager, SalesWarp.

  21. Manage via behavioral KPIs.

“Rather than monetary KPIs (i.e.. reach $10,000 a month), create behavioral goals for your team (such as attend four networking events month, host 2 1-on-1s a week, ask for 10 referrals, etc). That way, you can determine whether they’re doing the work, even if they aren’t hitting the numbers, and where there’s room for improvement/who needs training in what areas.”

  – Chris Lipper, CEO, The Alternative Board.

  22. Make it OK to make a mistake.

“I did all I could to overcome their fear of failure, their fear of giving their best and proving to themselves, to me, and to those around them that they did not have the potential they all wanted to believe they had. I also realized that I could never help them overcome their fear of failure unless I could first overcome my own: if I were afraid of failure, they would be also afraid. They learned to review every call, every day, every week and every month, always asking themselves what they could have done better. But after absorbing the lesson, they learned to absolve themselves—leaving the mistakes behind—and move on to the next call.”

  – Barry Maher, Barry Maher & Associates.

  Have another sales team motivation tip you’d like to add? Let us know in the comments!

Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

20+ Expert Tips for Motivating Sales Teams  James Meincke Sales teams see a lot of ebb and flow. You’ve probably had high points where almost everyone on your team is motivated and hitting their numbers.

[bernardhillerstudio]

What You Need To Create an Unforgettable Performance

What You Need To Create an Unforgettable Performance

“The Better The Technique, The Better The Actor.”

Find An Emotional Objective!

The reason a scene starts is because you have two strong needs that have to be satisfied, NOW, by the other person. The other person, in the scene, is very important to you in some way. You enter the scene with a hunger that needs to be urgently resolved by the other person, Right Now! There is something very specific that you NEED the other person to DO (physically) and specifically, you NEED the other person to SAY (exact words). The needs you choose must make you EMOTIONAL if you did or did not get them. BE SPECIFIC!

Ask yourself, “Is what I need from the other person so important that it’s making me vulnerable?” You must only go after primal instincts, such as LOVE, SEX, MONEY or POWER. People are willing to die for these things. Now, the more difficult it is for you to attain these needs, the better the scene. ALL SCENES ARE LIKE EMERGENCY MOMENTS – PLAYED OUT CALMLY! 

Imagine you’re running into an emergency room because someone you love is there. When you called the hospital, to get information, and asked what’s going on, they wouldn’t give any information. So, you go to the hospital and up to the doctor, and you say, “Doctor? What’s going on?”, but underneath your heart is pounding, you’re confused, you’re terrified. That emotional, physical, and psychological state you’re in – is perfect for acting. Uncertainty, fear, loss of control, and the gravity of the situation drive the best scenes.

The Moment Right Before

Where are you coming from? The character has had a life up to this point. You can’t just start from nothing? All scenes start in the middle. You must come into every scene loaded, with a physical, emotional, and verbal need.

Obstacles – Yours and Theirs

Know that when you enter the scene – the other person feels and thinks totally opposite from you. That’s your outer or external obstacle. You have to convince them, in every way possible, to give you what you need. The situation must feel like it’s never happened before. The greater the obstacle, the better the performance.

You must also have an internal or personal obstacle as well. Such as a feeling of loss and confusion. You should feel as if you never know what to do or say. A powerful acting choice is not being as good at the task or role people are expecting you to play. For example A lover, lawyer, doctor, teacher, mother – any role you can think of, and you’re just not any good at it. But, of course, you’re hiding the fact that you’re not competent with a sense of over-confidence. Those inner struggles are captivating to watch.

The other person is not interested, in any way, in giving you what you want or need. You want them to love you and say loving things to you, but they don’t like you at all. Without inner or outer obstacles, there is no scene. Always ask yourself, “Where is the conflict in the scene?” “What am I trying to overcome?”

Tactics

These are different ways in which you are trying to get what you want in a scene. What are your ways? Are you using sex, intellect, humor, sadness, anger? Are you a manipulator or trying to guilt others?

Observe a teenager trying to borrow the car from his parents, and you will learn all about tactics. The more interesting the tactics, the more compelling your performance will be. Tactics keep changing all the time.

The WHY

You must know why you need what you need in the scene, but never the how. Don’t ever plan on how you’re going to do it. If you plan the how, you will give a superficial performance. Find your emotional why, and it will be exciting to watch because you don’t know what you’re going to do and how you’re going get it done. Your WHY is the burning desire to do something. The WHY must engage your heart, never your head. Having an emotional why makes you give an unforgettable performance!

The Stakes

So, what you have to lose motivates the scene. When the stakes are very high, every moment means something. You must be able to lose big, to win big. The higher the stakes, the more interest the audience has in your scene. The loss must be very personal to you. High stakes give excitement to any scene. If the scene is not so exciting, it is because the stakes are not high enough.

Personalize

Personalize your emotional objective and the scene. It must be something you can understand or be able to relate to. The more personal you make it, the more meaningful it will be to others.

Words Are Not The Truth

What you say is never the whole truth. Find the true meaning of your lines. Such as, “I never want to see you again?” could mean, “I cannot live without you.” Getting to the fifth level of truth will reveal what is really going on. Be sure to read that section. 

I always tell my actors, “Never play the scene that’s written. Play the scene the writer should have written but didn’t. Remember, the plot plays itself.” It’s important to remember, that what your partner is saying is 25% true. This way they are affecting you.  We only argue and fight for something because it’s meaningful and truthful to us.

History

Remember, you’re playing a human being, not a character. Find your historical and emotional connection to every word you say. Create a history. Why are you saying or acting this way now? What is the history of you and of the other person in the scene? Did you answer the 25 questions in the previous chapter? If so, then just BE that person. You don’t have to ACT anymore. Audiences are dying for the real thing, which can only happen when you are in the state of being.

The Arc

Where is the ARC in the scene? You must start in one place emotionally and end somewhere else. There are also physical arcs as well. Perhaps, you start off tense, and then you become calm. For this to work, you must flow from one thing to another, seamlessly, to keep the scene interesting. 

The Event

You must figure out, “What is the event?” What is happening in the scene that has never happened before or never quite like this? Find the uniqueness of this moment, and we won’t be able to stop watching.

Inside – Outside Acting

On the outside, you show one thing, but on the inside, you feel totally different.

Like a pressure cooker or a volcano, calm on the outside and boiling on the inside. The inside wants to express itself, but it doesn’t. That is what people do every day. They learn to hide their true feelings and emotions, and our job is to act like people, not actors.

Instincts

React with your instincts! Your body is a beacon of responses. Let your gut lead you, and don’t be logical because no one ever is. Instincts create accidental moments in a scene, that are the most remembered moments, in film history.

Point of View

It’s very important that you promote your character’s point of view. You accept and understand what your character wants, acts and believes in. You never judge your character because every person in the world always thinks that what they are doing is “right” at the moment they are doing it. Your job is to promote their point of view in the most positive way possible. You must actually fall in love with your character’s needs and wishes. 

Activity

You must physicalize what your feeling at all times. Actors must also be in action. What are you doing when that person enters your space? What would you be doing if that person didn’t come into your room? Activities reveal to the audience how you are really feeling and thinking because the body never lies!

Acting Is Reacting

Everything you do is a reaction to the other person – what they say and do. Take your partner’s behavior and dialogue extremely personally. When you’re just concerned about your own performance or what you are saying – you’re disconnected from the scene. Also, find the trigger words in the scene – these are the words that set you off. React to everything you can. Uta Hagen said, “What will help you’re reactions is to expect the other person to say and do the opposite of what they actually doing. You react strongly in life when someone says or does something you didn’t expect.” Stella Adler – “Listen with your blood!” 

Not Knowing What To Say

You always have two thoughts, that the character is thinking, come at you at the same time. For example, someone says to you “You want to go out?” and your thinking “Yes!” and “No…”, and at the last moment you choose one. When you’re lost and unsure how you’re going to answer, that creates interest and tension. 

Winning

How are you trying to win in the scene? We love to watch winners, not victims.   The better actor is also the one that drives the scene and tries to achieve his goals, even under the most impossible of circumstances.

I  always tell my actors:

“There is power in silence. Some of the most impactful moments, in our lives, are in the silence.”

Acting actually happens when you’re not talking.

“Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence!”

To learn more tips like this and to practice them with other actors join our online acting classes.

The post What You Need To Create an Unforgettable Performance appeared first on Bernard Hiller.

[swipestream]

Role Playing Group Styles

Everyone is excited about their wand and tiara props! When players are a good fit with one another it is easier to have a good time! Understanding what you want from a game group is an important first step towards having a good experience.

Since 2007 I have been an organizer for the Denver RPG group, a Meetup.com group of over 2,200 role players across the Colorado Front Range. When each member joins, they are asked a seemingly simple question: Why do you want to join our group?

It took me years to be able to articulate what I want from a game group. In the end it has very little to do with what game we play, and far more to do with how we approach role playing as a group.

The most frequent response to this question is some form of “I want to play D&D.” Over the last decade I’ve seen this response more than a thousand times. But I suspect the reason a person plays role playing games is about more than the rules framework or setting from one game. What is it that people really want from role playing games? Misunderstood desires or expectations can leave people dissatisfied , and can even result in people leaving the hobby because the first group or game system they happened upon did not give them the experience they wanted.

It took me years to be able to articulate what I wanted from a game group. In the end it has very little to do with what game we play, and far more to do with how we approach role playing as a group. Presented here are some tools that can help start the discussion about the group style or group culture that will help the participants to get the most out of their gaming experience.

The table below describes the combinations I see based on the intensity of the rules (relaxed or focused rules) and the story (light or deep story). I have purposefully not associated settings or systems because this is meant to speak to the style of the group. The majority of rules systems or settings can be adapted to create the experience the facilitator and players want. If a certain framework absolutely doesn’t fit, the group will be able to figure that out pretty quickly by assessing whether or not they are having fun.

These are not value judgments – one style is not “better” or “right” and the other is not “worse” or “wrong.” The goal is to help players find a game group that is the right fit, which will lead to more enjoyment and fulfillment for everyone. If everyone is enjoying their RPG experience, mission accomplished!

  Group Style Relaxed Rules Rules Focused Light Story Casual Gaming Crunchy Combat Deep Story Intense and Immersive Campaign Stories*

*A potential evolution of one of the other group styles.

Casual Gaming

Relaxed rules, light story: This game style provides a great reason to get together with your friends and enjoy each other’s company while slinging some dice. Expect combat regularly interspersed with role play and a fair amount of out-of-game conversation about life, work, and pop culture references, aka “table talk.” The GM is excited for players to try unexpected and over-the-top actions and probably uses the improvisational “yes, and” or “yes, but” tools. The core experience is getting to spend time with your friends. (This style of gaming is sometimes referred to as “Beer and Pretzels”, however literal beer and pretzels are not required.)

Crunchy Combat

Rules focused, light story: Sometimes the fun in a game is from optimizing character stats to create a superhuman avatar or otherwise pushing the system to its limits (Peasant Railgun, I’m looking at you). Feeling effective in game is an integral part of the role playing experience. Feeling like you got the absolute maximum level of capability from your character can make the game especially fun. Dice rolling and combat are likely to be the core component of this group’s game style with the players following through on plot hooks with a combination of problem solving, destruction, and looting at the other end. The GM may take on a direct adversarial role to the players. Experience points, leveling up, and accumulating powerful gear will be important to participants in this game culture. The core experience is pushing the rules and your character to the breaking point and winning the day by defeating your opponents.

The goal is to help players find a game group that is the right fit, which will lead to a higher degree of satisfaction for all of the participants. If everyone is enjoying their RPG experience, mission accomplished!

Intense and Immersive

Relaxed rules, deep story: In this style of gaming group the story, tone, and emotions elicited are the fundamental experience. The rules system or setting provides a framework for the shared experience, but knowing the rules inside-out probably won’t enhance the participant’s enjoyment of the game session. This group style attracts players who trust their group and are interested in having a high degree of vulnerability at the table. The players may share the narrative authority, blurring the line between game master and player. In these games the drama of failure may serve the story better (and be more satisfying) than success. Role playing is the core experience with combat interspersed if desired, winning is telling a memorable story.

Campaign Stories

Rules focused, deep story: This group culture takes time to build and likely evolves from a different style that the players used to initially get to know one another. It can work well with a dedicated group with a deep knowledge of the rules system. Game play vacillates between meaningful role play and intense combat. The stakes are high and threat of character death is real. Simulationist style mechanics are embraced as a way to immerse the players in a combat that feels as true to life as possible without leaving the gaming table. Extensive player and GM knowledge of rules means that the group isn’t bogged down by having to research how to do something in the heat of the moment. Getting the rules right is as important to the participants as keeping the tension high. The core experience is character and story development that take place at the game table over months or years.

Conclusion

I have multiple role playing groups, each with a slightly different group style. Since I know what I want from each group my expectations of what constitutes a satisfying session shifts. For me, finding gamers that thrive together as a team by embracing the same game style is far more important than the system or setting we play in.

What style of play do you seek out most frequently? Has your style of play changed over time? What other group styles have you seen?

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