Posts from Expedition: general discussions. Auto-translated

So, the position of a “spoiled egoist with an inflated sense of self-importance”...

You should only do this in discussions, not here.

Of course, “in discussions,” since this “issue” concerns not only your experience but also everyone else, starting with the obelisks. So, let’s get started.

A year before the obelisk quest, I asked what the expansion was about and what its essence was. I never received a clear answer, and all I understood at that time was that you “create a character and play.” Okay. I quickly realized that everyone here is obsessed with sex just by looking at the female NPCs in the last few expansions. Well, I thought, it's a matter of taste; to each their own, as they say. And I will play with a different character…

I created a witch botanist named Erika, who is "cute and shy," with a clear plan for the game: master magic, learn what I need, and then adapt to the situation. “Romantic relationships” – a firm “no,” maximum “friendly,” and after achieving certain successes, options may become possible. But “options” are not about having sex with the first person I meet; it’s something else... I was ready to deal with random events related to magic.

Then came the conversation with the protector regarding work... It was completely illogical, incomprehensible, and explainable only through humor. I already talked about this, and I won’t repeat myself. This was the first blow to my desire to play.

Then there was that guy at the university. But he didn’t cause any negativity in principle, although Erika didn’t look like someone who would be interested in him, nor did she give any reason for such a “conversation.” Nevertheless, I looked past it. After all, you can encounter anyone on your path...

And then came the thugs... That's when I really got angry... I already talked about this too, and I won’t repeat myself. It was here that I concluded that they wanted to force me into something. No. You won’t! I made this clear immediately: I will not tolerate trolling based on "gender relations" under any circumstances. And that is exactly what it was. They could have given Locana and his companion a simple task – just find a house belonging to some random character, and that would have been enough. But no, they had to specifically make fun of me. For no reason…

I mentioned somewhere that I intended to explore the obelisks and accepted the underwater quest for that reason as well. I didn’t even know yet that it was the main quest. At the very least, I planned to visit the fire obelisk. As soon as I finished reading the remaining books and completed my training and mastered all schools of magic, I would do so immediately. I even mentioned to the mushroom that we would be traveling soon. In principle, Tanne could have met Erika at the obelisk and told her everything. I would have calmly taken on this quest. But Revan ruined it by closing off Erika’s prologue and ultimately “gave” the quest to Heroist. What the hell – I still don’t understand...

The tournament... Well, there has already been much said about this... I specifically clarified regarding the “mortality of GM characters.” I can accept that Ginza is an asshole who sent everyone into the pit because he's an asshole (although even if he is an asshole, why wasn’t Locana hanged – this question remains open). But only if the GM is willing to allow the possibility of revenge against him. I considered the option of tracking him down on the shore and attacking from the sea, killing him, and sailing away as if nothing had happened. In response, I heard… I don’t remember exactly what, but the meaning was that "a GM character is a GM character in order to f*** you over, and you just deal with it." That’s when I got angry for the second time. Even then, I wanted to quit, but through incredible efforts, I continued playing.

And then came the waterproof case... Revan, if you didn’t anticipate such a mechanic, then why didn’t you say that the inventory was waterproof when I specifically asked??? I don’t know what you were “thinking,” but it looked like another instance of trolling and mockery. This made me furious for the third time. And I decided: either I get a bag, or I quit.

The finale turned out to be in the category of "Now I'll show who's boss in this expansion..." Did I? Well done, "here's your cookie"... I decided to kill Jingo. And once again, I asked if there was any point in continuing. Based on the answers, I understood that there wasn’t. This made me furious for the fourth time, and finally, I quit.

In the “underground” part, there wasn’t blatant trolling. I didn’t like that I couldn’t really play as I wanted. And that damn shadow too. But that’s just “bullshit.” There wasn’t outright trolling… I already discussed the situation with the dog. I will describe this moment separately below.

Regarding Alex’s experience, I can say... The moment at the beginning was unpleasant for me. Here, one could also thank Nebok, who vividly described how Voldemar would be masturbating next to a couple of relatives of the old woman. You, Nebok, troll Yaschur more about “this topic,” and then wonder why he is “paranoid” here. In the end, the situation resolved itself; Voldemar settled in the tavern for a reasonable price, not for 500 rem, which he didn’t have. Although initially, I thought that they would try to troll me "on this topic," even though I said that it was unacceptable and doing so was simply disrespectful to me.

There was an unpleasant moment when I had to go into the basement without preparation. But this is just an unpleasant moment, not trolling that makes you want to quit. Everything was logical here; I missed the witch, and delaying was risky. The burgomaster’s decision was understandable and logical. Overall, I have no complaints about Alex.

And finally… Astral, you went against the mechanics. You personally screwed over Aristarkh. This was obvious trolling, which I perceived as another instance of trolling "on this topic" (what kind of relationship is there without sex? It's wrong!). Perhaps I was mistaken, and you acted based on other considerations. But first, there is too much sex in your expansions. Secondly, Nebok’s post finished me off completely. Thirdly, I do not tolerate lawlessness, and this was exactly lawlessness. If you decided “food = RP,” then food = RP. I specifically asked you about the effect. I politely suggested returning the ODhi and leaving the “RP stuff.” But like Revan, you demonstratively showed “who is boss in the expansion.” And a separate thank you to Nebok for that. For the “photoshop,” for the “Voldemar masturbation,” for the “untouchable one,” for the “incels,” and for everything else along those lines. I hope you enjoyed it...

To summarize what I said above, I can accept a “disagreeable moment in the game.” Some unpleasantness from NPCs is also acceptable if there’s an opportunity to punish the offender. But outright trolling, bullying, and lawlessness – no.

It wasn't me who destroyed the obelisks; it was Revan who ruined my game with his trolling. Erika could have easily completed them from start to finish. And everything could have been fine for Aristarkh and Zaya. But alas… You can divide the reward for the quest “Kill the desire to play expansions in Yashur” among the three of you without any worries.

And finally, here’s a question. Here, NPCs can pull all sorts of crap: give you “fruit,” rob you, stab you in the back, “rape” you, and so on… And after all this, is Yashur paranoid because he treats everything in the world suspiciously?This relates to the issue of tea, dogs, and similar things…

Something like that. Those who understood what I wanted to convey – well done. Those who didn't… oh well…

What naiveté. To believe that it’s possible to coexist with Yashur in expeditions. No, it isn’t!

Yes, apparently that’s how it is… We have too different views on expeditions (with everyone, and not just you or Reven).

Yashchur could have taken the easy route with banal questions and suggestions.

No problem, damn it… Here’s my position:

1. My characters will not engage in random sexual encounters. I am generally willing to play even impotent characters if you cannot come up with another way to avoid rape and seduction. In principle, I can also accept seduction leading to rape, but only if you are ready for me to ignore your “main quests” and dedicate the rest of the experience to taking revenge on the offender. Any options would work: conspirators, “external enemies,” “assassination from the shadows,” etc. Are you willing to create a separate “storyline” for my character?

2. My characters will not “kiss anyone’s feet.” In principle, I can skip experiences where this nonsense carries “plot significance.” But I can also participate “on the enemy side” if the king/emperor turns out to be an idiot. Are you willing to create a separate “storyline” for my character?

3. I do not tolerate pointless trolling. Basically, jokes just for the sake of jokes. Especially “about that topic…”

4. I do not accept bullying without the possibility of punishing the offenders.

5. I want to play as I planned. This does not mean that everything should go smoothly, but it shouldn't be like signing up as an explorer and being turned into a spy… Or signing up as an explorer and then not exploring anything because there is no one to explore with…

6. I am willing to accept traps with some kind of crap, but only if there is a way to learn about them or cure myself of their crap as easily as getting that crap in the first place. And not like in “the underground”—you catch three diseases and then cannot get rid of them until the end of the experience…

That’s what comes to mind right now…

After many games and seeing some messed up stuff (including IRL), I always expect and mentally prepare for the worst-case scenario.

And he's still surprised why lizardmen look suspiciously at all sorts of Fury Dogs and are generally paranoid... 🤣

I may be a novice Mage Guild master, but I will still respond to the proposals. 1. Yes 2. Yes 3. 50/50. I could promise that the character won't end up in similar situations at the GM's whim (see stolen underwear), but since such trolling opportunities occasionally arise for everyone, then... they will be implemented if the opportunity arises. 4. Right – yes. Theoretical possibility – yes. Feasibility? It depends on the situation. For me, the logical consistency of what happens in the game is definitely not in first place, but certainly in second or third. Let's imagine two real-life situations. One: A colleague "accidentally" spills coffee on your quarterly report. Two: The police beat you mercilessly in an isolation cell until there’s blood in your urine; there is no evidence, and the judge is friends with the head of the department. You can try to take revenge on both. In the second case, I don't think it needs explaining how it would end. 5. The GM offers, the player decides. That's the whole point. The player doesn't set conditions; he either uses them or doesn't. Aristarchus could have refused and changed his mentor/quest/clan(?). 6. I like these things, including as a player. The GM should give out both rewards and punishments. This provides space for roleplaying and micro-quests, and sometimes even entire character arcs.

It seems everyone here is obsessed with that topic.

Not everyone. Just Astral and I. And actually, not even me! I don't have that many characters like that; all the niches will be filled by just one.

Regarding Alex's experience… The moment at the start was unpleasant to me. We can also thank Nebok for vividly describing how Voldemar would be masturbating near a couple of relatives of the old woman. You, Nebok, troll Yashur more on this topic, and then wonder why he's "paranoid" here.

I beg you! I joked about the thing sticking out from under his robe; Voldemar's hands weren't doing anything.

And another special "thank you" to Nebok. For the "photoshop," for the "Voldemar masturbation," for the "untouchable," for the "incels," and for everything else in that vein. I hope you enjoyed it...

Please do! But you were trolling me yourself in Revan's experience regarding Osha and his changed worldview. An experience without jokes and trolling isn't an experience. Perhaps the Mage Guild shouldn't engage in such things, but why not other players?

Life isn't life without trolling

In real life, our Mage Guild member is quite the troll. And some people get upset about trolling in the expansion pack…

.     1. My characters will not f*** just anyone. I am in principle ready to even play impotent characters if you cannot come up with another way to avoid rapes and seductions. In principle, I am also ready to accept seduction with rape if you are prepared for me to abandon your "main quests" and devote the rest of the expedition to punishing the offender. Any options work: conspirators, "external enemies", "offing them quietly", etc. Are you ready to make a separate "storyline" for my character?

Well, many characters were not raped and did not show themselves in that regard in any way. The thing here is more that your characters are deliberately and provocatively prudish. That makes people want to troll them on this topic. In my expedition, by the way, you could play some kind of sentient stone — nothing like that would definitely happen to it.

.    2. My characters will not "kiss feet". In principle, I can skip expeditions where this crap has "plot status". But I can also participate "on the enemy side" if the king/empress turn out to be a**holes. Are you ready to make a separate "storyline" for my character?    

Almost all of my characters were like that, I played without a storyline at some point. And not all expeditions required foot-kissing — many simply didn't have it, and where it did exist, it was rarely mandatory.

.   3. I do not accept any trolling out of nowhere. In short, jokes for the sake of jokes. Especially "on that topic"...  

🤷‍♂️
I play partly for those, to make it funny and entertaining. If I want serious, I can go autistic IRL, which is what I do most of the time anyway. 

.     4. I do not accept harassment without the right to punish the offenders.  

Omnipotent and unkillable (or killable with a chance of zero point f**k-all) NPCs that harm player characters also really rub me the wrong way. 

5. I want to play what I planned. That doesn't mean everything should go smoothly, but not like signing up as an explorer and being made into a spy... Or signing up as an explorer and not exploring a damn thing because there's no one to explore with...

Not every archetype can be played. The GM's time is already taken up by running the game; coming up with a game tailored specifically to you on the fly is unrealistically labor-intensive and time-consuming. Even if GMs had that much time, it would be hard to implement because there are other players too. But announcing that something is possible and then not giving it to the player is, of course, not good. 

.   6. I agree to accept traps with some kind of crap, but only if there is a way to learn about them or cure their crap just as easily as you catch it. Not like in "the Underworld" — caught about 3 diseases and then couldn't cure them for the rest of the expedition...  

Permanent debuffs that are hard to remove also really rub me the wrong way.

There has been an increase in depictions of martyrdom and perversions in relationships with women in recent years, but we need to understand that as people get older, they become more experienced, and this serves as a way for them to share their life experiences, because, as everyone knows, player roleplaying or game design always relies heavily on it.

Yashchur, by the way, no one is saying that your paranoia and suspicion are unfounded. You're just accused of overreacting to trolling and jokes

There really has been more gachi of martyrdom and perversion in the form of relationships with women in recent years, but you have to understand that as people age, they've become lifers, and this is a form of sharing life experience, since as is well known, a player's roleplay or GM design is always largely based on it.

😠

I'll add my two cents because I can.

Overall, on the one hand, I understand Yashur's position and his unwillingness to be cyberbullied or get involved in "whoredom, debauchery, and drugs." Based on my relatively modest experience, I can say that most playthroughs don't involve the latter. As for humiliation... sometimes an unpleasant situation arises when a player either behaves too provocatively or runs into a pre-planned nasty script. For example, they win a duel, and before dying, the opponent tells them that they are cool, a worthy person, here is their passport, key to the apartment, password to the safe, bank card, everything – but it’s all in a chest in a cave. And you choose whether to go into this cave or not. If you decide to go, you open the chest, and it turns out to be a suicide bomber. If you ignore it, you would have survived, but with a feeling of missed opportunity. This is annoying, but it happens even in video games.

Regarding debauchery, it's actually easy and simple to play without it. Astral doesn't need it for Tsulak. And Aristarh and Zaya are also clean. As for the others, it just happened that way. Sarabas wanted a powerful snake from the start. Hryashch seems sexually obsessed based on his biography. I didn't plan to engage in debauchery with Ida, but the lack of other ways to gain experience made its mark. Plus, Astral probably watched my game as Emilia at Nebk and simply knew that I am quite loyal to this topic and don't see anything wrong with it.

I can't say anything about your past games, but I'm observing this one firsthand. In terms of content abundance, experience, and loot, Aristarh isn't lacking. I don't consider the situation with the thief to be particularly humiliating. As I understand it, an alternative playthrough involves trying to sneak into Utar's office because you haven't even checked that script, and I don't have any other ideas.
I don't know what Astral's real goals are because I'm not Astral! But in my opinion, if he wanted to humiliate you, he would have done so right at the beginning in the tent of the Sortorin witch. She tried to dominate – you sent her away – she backed off. That’s it. I don't remember any further debauchery; correct me if I'm wrong.

Regarding diarrhea and removing OD for it. Perhaps my gaming experience (especially the fruity kind) and ordinary life experiences are speaking through me. I don't see anything criminal in a character pooping. Everyone poops. We're not 10 years old, and we're not in a comedy from the 2000s where going to the toilet is: "ahaha, you loser."
It would be scary if the character shat himself during battle or while interacting with NPCs. Now that would be 100% humiliation, after which I personally would close the thread and stop playing all games by that GM. But here, it's in comfortable conditions, at home, costing 3 OD.

Nebk certainly highlighted Astral's mistake when he promised there wouldn't be an effect, but there was one. But there was compensation: 100 experience points check, the GM acknowledging his mistake check. Plus, a side quest to earn barter points and water skins, which clearly looked like compensation. It seemed as though the conflict should have been resolved. But no, you immediately attacked because some people were given potions, and others weren't. Honestly, I don't remember any playthroughs where players were handed out free healing potions and other goodies left and right. Here, they were given to those for whom it made sense. Not just because Aristarh and Ida have their own bottles, but because they won't absorb damage in combat. And what about the fact that players aren't dying so easily here? I think this is already clear from Ida's example. Who knows whether she will eventually transform into a ghoul or if the evil spirit will let her go on good terms with the GM's permission, but the fact remains: she wasn't killed, although with other GMs, this would have been the end.

Regarding Nebk's humiliations, how he's such a villain, trolling, etc. Well, after the event at Kikki's, throughout the game, you make toxic jokes – not always funny – directed at Ida. The only one I can recall offhand is the joke about the homeless person; I appreciated it and laughed. Maybe there were more successful ones, but I didn't remember them. Regarding most of the others, even though I wasn't offended because everyone has different senses of humor, some people might find it funny, but not me. In some cases, you simply expressed negative opinions about Ida without any jokes. I didn't get upset for two reasons: first, these are just fictional characters, and second, I believe that your goal was not to hurt or humiliate me personally. You simply consider it acceptable to troll my character, while it shouldn't be done to yours.

In short, I don't fully understand and support your position regarding this game. The debauchery theme with Aristarh hasn't been developed. Everything was innocent with Zaya; she didn't shit herself. Ida wasn't interested in him. Apart from the single unsuccessful attempt by the Sortorin witch to dominate. And we know from the event with Utar what kind of crazy things she can do. You have plenty of experience and loot, combat guys for all quests, excellent career growth, and a high reputation for your character.
You basically freaked out only because of one poisoning without serious debuffs and Nebk's photoshopped image. And all of this turned into almost hysteria. Is that mature behavior?

There has been more "gachi" martyrdom and perversion in the form of relationships with women in recent years, but it should be understood that as people get older, they become experienced individuals, and this is a form of sharing life experience, because, as you know, player role-playing or game master design is always largely based on it.

What are you revealing here, that I have a terrible secret about having experiences with two men and a girl at once! What will I tell my husband now? A: