unforum

[notgordian]

Taking Another Look at the Sandbox

[SpaceBass]

For clarification, the Terms of Service expressly state that users are not to post "in-character" to the boards. This extends beyond just puppetmasters or those working behind the scenes.

[Storm E. Crow]

Well, isn't this refreshing!

[Wiser]

Re: Well, isn't this refreshing!

[CrispyG4]

[notgordian]

Re: Well, isn't this refreshing!

[Storm E. Crow]

Puzzles are fun

[faeryqueen21]

Continuing with the analogies....say I'm playing tag with a bunch of kids and we decided that the slide is "safe" and we couldn't be tagged while we were on it. Then Timmy comes along to join the game. As soon as Timmy gets tagged he proceeds to tag everyone on the slide declaring our rules outdated and closed minded. Now, Timmy has every right to do this, but damned if I'm going to play tag with him again.

[CrispyG4]

Re: Puzzles are fun

[notgordian]

Re: Well, isn't this refreshing!

[catherwood]

I think the topic is misleading, in that the Unforums are not a sandbox in the common use of the term. On a wiki, the sandbox is a separate space designated specifically for experimentation. In software development, a sandbox is a temporary bed for testing. The forum is neither.

The word was used in the context of a playground, where a bunch of new kids joined an existing group in the sandbox and wanted to play. There are always several options as to how to join a playgroup in progress:
1) hang back and observe what's going on, and then decide whether or not there is a good match of interests and styles of cooperation,
2) dive in, make mistakes, get messy, and eventually learn to fit in with the existing group,
3) kick down the existing sand castles and say, "you're doing it wrong!"

Consider this a threadjack. I was only objecting to the terminology. As for debates about how the existing community works and why, I would refer you to all of the previous years of debate, the experiments that failed, and the compromises that have already been made to accomodate a new generation. (One such example is the tolerance of the f-bomb and other crude language that didn't exist here in our founding years.) See? We can evolve.

[Pixiestix]

I had a problem some years back where I was withholding information on the forums during a small game, because I had shared something I was told in game as a "Secret" that was important here, on the UF forums. Now, while the PM didn't break any rules and post here himself - he still called me on the post. During the time I was withholding, I could not activly participate in Speculation {which is a big part of the game, and figuring things out}, nor could I be sure anyone else was telling the thruth to me to enable me to do the role I was told I needed to fulfill in the game. This REALLY limited my enjoyment, as well as those around me. Fighting started, and I almost got kick off the forums.

this to me isn't entertainment. it isn't fun. Having a safe place to communicate about the game, as a gamer who has participated in LARPing, Table top games, general RPGing, and ARGing - there HAS to be a time out moment to maintain sanity. Without the Meta moments, certain really fun aspects of any game cannot happen.

I feel that people should be allowed a save place for these meta moments. A place to step back and communicate with other players without pm interuption.

Also, as a PM {although I am told you dislike that that term entails, i will get back to that topic another time} I don't WANT to play a character. I also don't want other games getting mingled with my game's IP without my permission, so to put character A in a forum playing Game 42 feels wrong to me. To allow that feels rude. A crossover can be fun, a NOD to a game from another game can be great, but I wouldn't want your characters possibly confusing my players. Nor would I want your *players* confusing my players. and "your" in this being the general "your" not anyone specific.

Honestly, you learn by asking, and sometime the answer is "look it up." we all hated it when we were kids and our parents told us that answer, but frankly, if they didn't, where would we be? I said it in the other thread, and I will say it again... Read. Search for AWARE, look through the meta forums. Honestly, I understand you are new to our forums here, but our history isn't new with fast answers, nor is it hard to find.

[mapmaker]

tl;dr

[natas]

[SpaceBass]

Re: Puzzles are fun