Iwaku....and Roleplaying...and Asmo.

Torsty

Super Peace Busters Always Together, Forever!
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
First I'd like to say that I'm one of the worst RPers on here when it comes keeping up with posting on time, thats why they always place me next to Orochi at staff-meetings. An example is that I told Asmo five days ago I was gonna make a post for IW. A post that probably would help the plot moving. And frankly, I don't have any good excuses to why I haven't made it yet.

As most members on here I find a liking to Asmodeus. His british wit(we call it humour, ovar here), his writing, his way of behaving, and yes, I also like to drool at his pictures.

I could go on praising the man, but I find the fanatic fanism thats been going on here lately....disturbing. Kinda reminds me of how people used to treat Gabe.

It seems like Iwaku: The Roleplay Community is turning more and more into Iwaku: Asmo's Roleplay Community. Now don't get me wrong. It's not like Asmodeus is doing this willingly, thats not what I'm saying. The guy obviously loves writing, and thats all good.

What I'm saying is that it seems like Asmo has to take charge of everything RP-related to make it go around here.

Do the rest of us really suck that much at taking the lead? Are we afraid of people getting mad and yelling at us in the cbox because we did something that might have a major consequence IC-wise? I know people have said they were scared of Asmo, but I thought they were just joking.

And now I feel I'm getting off-track with what I'm trying to say here with this topic...

Is Iwaku really that dependent on one single person? I remember the other day some people were talking about "how awesome and great Asmo's RP-skills were and how none of us would ever get to that level." Of course it was meant to be half-way ironicly, but I thought to myself that there might be some truth to it. Not in the way that I also believe Asmo is so much better at writing than the rest of us. I'm saying that there might be some truth to that in the way the rest of us think of the situation. That in the way that we do really think that he is what was said in the chatbox.

Cause apparently from what I read, Asmo has taken charge of fifteen different RPs, most of them that he doesn't even GM himself...Iwaku: Asmo's Roleplay Community, aye?


AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOME KIND OF PERSONAL ATTACK ON ASMODEUS.
 
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*points at a flight of stairs*

That is all you need to deal with asmo.

On a serious note:

Asmodeus is different, I don't need to tell anyone here that. Perhaps too different to just be a member so we make him something more.

His style of writing is unique in my experience and almost every sentence (both IC and OOC) is well thought out and works. As for the AMOUNT of praise he gets I think it has more to do with the fact that his style is different so he stands out. Being one of those who said he was scared of asmo I think the intimidation comes from not only his style of writing but also the reverence of the other members.

He is not the center of the forum, I see it more as an Asmo/Rory/Diana/WMD/etc..partnership with asmo just standing out more than the others.
 
So is it just me who thinks that this whole thing happens because he's the only one who actually does shit because everyone else is too lazy to do a damn thing?

Because that's what it looks like from where I'm standing.

And I hope that by different you mean that he's older than 20 years old.

inb4 derp herp Darkness is trolling durr hurr, I'm expressing my opinion, excuse me if I don't like to write a lot about them.

TLDR:

Do the rest of us really suck that much at taking the lead? Are we afraid of people getting mad and yelling at us in the cbox because we did something that might have a major consequence IC-wise?

Yep.
 
I'm a waaaaaay better and more fun roleplayer than Asmo! -I- should be getting all this love and attention! >:[



Ahem, to answer it seriously, people just get way too wrapped up in self-nitpicking and trying to live up to these super-high standards they have in their head. Putting Asmo on the pedestal of perfection and then cockblocking themselves with their own insecurity.

People forget that we're all here to play and have fun. It's not about the OMGAWESOMEWRITINGSKILLS. That's a bonus but not why we're roleplaying. .__. Asmo is roleplaying to have fun too, and HE's sure not having fun when people freak out and stop playing with him just cause they're scared. That's when he gets scary. XD

So please, don't fear the Asmoos. :/ They are friendly kittens wanting to play wif you.
 
HOLY CRAP! I SPILLED OUT ALL MY SECRETS AND DESIRES AND LIFE TO A KITTEN?!

*Storms out of the room*

I will not STAND for this BLASPHEMY!
 
Looks like the jig is up.

*Puts box of Asmo t-shirts in The Failed Money-Making Schemes Closet . . . It's getting rather full.*

Thanks a lot Torsty. ._.
 
Why do I get this feeling Torsty will soon be getting a group together to investigate this all under the codename T while Asmo develops a sort of cult and by the end of it he'll be all like "YES! I. AM. ASMOKITTY!"

And people think I'm the Matsuda of the group, always respecting Asmo but eventually shooting him to win the series...okay a little too in depth.

But if this is seriously the way people look at it, then they should try RP'ing with me, WMD, even Miru. All of us keep our RP's rolling and they don't always involve rolling (dice). I guess it really comes down to gossip because most of the new guys are porbably only on their first RP and Asmo seems to be the most talked about. Try some others and you might just learn different styles to RP ones you might even like. Experience the thrill!
 
First I'd like to say that I'm one of the worst RPers on here when it comes keeping up with posting on time, thats why they always place me next to Orochi at staff-meetings. An example is that I told Asmo five days ago I was gonna make a post for IW. A post that probably would help the plot moving. And frankly, I don't have any good excuses to why I haven't made it yet.

As most members on here I find a liking to Asmodeus. His british wit(we call it humour, ovar here), his writing, his way of behaving, and yes, I also like to drool at his pictures.

I could go on praising the man, but I find the fanatic fanism thats been going on here lately....disturbing. Kinda reminds me of how people used to treat Gabe.

It seems like Iwaku: The Roleplay Community is turning more and more into Iwaku: Asmo's Roleplay Community. Now don't get me wrong. It's not like Asmodeus is doing this willingly, thats not what I'm saying. The guy obviously loves writing, and thats all good.

What I'm saying is that it seems like Asmo has to take charge of everything RP-related to make it go around here.

Do the rest of us really suck that much at taking the lead? Are we afraid of people getting mad and yelling at us in the cbox because we did something that might have a major consequence IC-wise? I know people have said they were scared of Asmo, but I thought they were just joking.

And now I feel I'm getting off-track with what I'm trying to say here with this topic...

Is Iwaku really that dependent on one single person? I remember the other day some people were talking about "how awesome and great Asmo's RP-skills were and how none of us would ever get to that level." Of course it was meant to be half-way ironicly, but I thought to myself that there might be some truth to it. Not in the way that I also believe Asmo is so much better at writing than the rest of us. I'm saying that there might be some truth to that in the way the rest of us think of the situation. That in the way that we do really think that he is what was said in the chatbox.

Cause apparently from what I read, Asmo has taken charge of fifteen different RPs, most of them that he doesn't even GM himself...Iwaku: Asmo's Roleplay Community, aye?


AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOME KIND OF PERSONAL ATTACK ON ASMODEUS.

:sympathetic:Awwww...

N-word, please. :P Kidding, kidding.

It's not like he doesn't dare and invite people to take charge(with the caveat that it make narrative sense; the problem seems to be that most posters daring enough to try forget about that part). I'm still used to hearing him complain about complacency.

A few factors:
-That he's not only skilled but one of the most versatile at the same time. Being able to write well, even for genre elements he doesn't particularly like, is one of his most valuable skills that not many have succeeded in cultivating.

-Word of mouth. Most newbies--assuming they don't encounter him immediately after joining--will inevitably hear the oldbies and older newbies talking about him. Just listen to everyone--even this thread--and it becomes clear that whatever any individual may say about him, he's obviously somebody important. And that's not even getting into the Vin Diesel/Chuck Norris-like attributions most are fond of making. It's just talk, but this is a message board, where talk and "reality" are a lot more tightly linked. And so, even by the words of others, Asmo becomes a larger-than life figure in the minds of newbs and oldbies alike.

-Highly-active, do-anything admin. That's even more publicity and lends credibility to his memetic "Lord of the RP" status. :P

-He's simply daring/allowed/encouraged enough to try things that are disapproved of. He hijacks, toes and crosses lines of censorship, and takes over plots fairly frequently, but I don't fault him for this. Why? Again, he's encouraged to do it. He's usually asked to, and if he isn't, it's often clear the game is going to die or derail to a fizzle anyway if he doesn't. Now the things is that, theoretically someone else may try to do this too, but as Asmo's mentioned before, it requires not only skill but force of personality. Even Asmo gets vilified for doing what he does sometimes and I know personally that I've backed down from being put in charge because sometimes roleplayers are a bunch of ungrateful babies who don't know what they actually want--only what they don't want. I don't mean that as an attack. I know I don't always know what I want. My point is that sometimes the crowd is grateful for you when you do so much; sometimes they aren't. To try taking charge like Asmo often does, you have to face that down and not flinch.

You have to be able to be open enough to not alienate everyone while being able to realize you can't please everyone and selectively ignore criticism enough to actually get something done. And then, if you have all of that, there's still having to actually write what you write well and the fact that a "challenger" is likely to face less leeway in even trying simply by virtue of not being Asmo and thus lacking Asmo's "roleplay god" status to sway a few opinions from the beginning.

-It's easier to just declare someone a god and grovel than step one's own game up. It's easier to accept that, by doing so, you're being humble whereas believing you could rival or outclass said god... "Isn't that a little arrogant?" It's just that simple.

Me? There's only room for one God in my worldview. I just see Asmo as a really talented friend. Sure, he annoys and frustrates me sometimes, but who doesn't--myself included? He's another writer--someone with whom I can discuss and question all the things many are too disinterested, frightened, and/or confused to discuss(for the time being only, I hope). The fact that I'm more kitsch-and-cheese-friendly leads to disconnects sometimes, but he doesn't see really digging into the architecture of a story--themes, tropes, roles, relationships--as antithetical to having fun. And he treats plotlines, roles, and structures as magic formulas--which they sort of are--and so I find that a lot more tolerable than treating individual tropes as the key(which I find far more people do). He believes in players consciously connecting characters to the greater plot and each other.

That's my background. I've tried other methods, but I prefer ours. That's how I think in a lot of the games, so yeah, I'll compliment and defend him or anyone else like us in that respect when I feel they're justified.

Why haven't I stepped up? Facing those obstacles I mentioned is hard, especially for someone like me, and I'm busy--very busy.

I don't see a problem with Asmo so much as the members who are bothered by it who should, firstly, really should give both their potential and accomplishments more credit and, secondly, stop shying away from really understanding the tools of writing instead of stressing them sometimes then just randomly applying them at others with the excuse of it being "too hard" and "no fun." If it's "no fun" you're probably focusing too much on "do nots" and not enough on figuring out how to use them to do what you do want to have happen in your stories and characters.

That is how you defeat his Dragon Punch. Only then, do you stand a chance. :p
 
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If it helps, Archy thinks I'm shit. o__o
 
:sympathetic:Awwww...

N-word, please. :P Kidding, kidding.

It's not like he doesn't dare and invite people to take charge(with the caveat that it make narrative sense; the problem seems to be that most posters daring enough to try forget about that part). I'm still used to hearing him complain about complacency.

A few factors:
-That he's not only skilled but one of the most versatile at the same time. Being able to write well, even for genre elements he doesn't particularly like, is one of his most valuable skills that not many have succeeded in cultivating.

-Word of mouth. Most newbies--assuming they don't encounter him immediately after joining--will inevitably hear the oldbies and older newbies talking about him. Just listen to everyone--even this thread--and it becomes clear that whatever any individual may say about him, he's obviously somebody important. And that's not even getting into the Vin Diesel/Chuck Norris-like attributions most are fond of making. It's just talk, but this is a message board, where talk and "reality" are a lot more tightly linked. And so, even by the words of others, Asmo becomes a larger-than life figure in the minds of newbs and oldbies alike.

-Highly-active, do-anything admin. That's even more publicity and lends credibility to his memetic "Lord of the RP" status. :P

-He's simply daring/allowed/encouraged enough to try things that are disapproved of. He hijacks, toes and crosses lines of censorship, and takes over plots fairly frequently, but I don't fault him for this. Why? Again, he's encouraged to do it. He's usually asked to, and if he isn't, it's often clear the game is going to die or derail to a fizzle anyway if he doesn't. Now the things is that, theoretically someone else may try to do this too, but as Asmo's mentioned before, it requires not only skill but force of personality. Even Asmo gets vilified for doing what he does sometimes and I know personally that I've backed down from being put in charge because sometimes roleplayers are a bunch of ungrateful babies who don't know what they actually want--only what they don't want. I don't mean that as an attack. I know I don't always know what I want. My point is that sometimes the crowd is grateful for you when you do so much; sometimes they aren't. To try taking charge like Asmo often does, you have to face that down and not flinch.

You have to be able to be open enough to not alienate everyone while being able to realize you can't please everyone and selectively ignore criticism enough to actually get something done. And then, if you have all of that, there's still having to actually write what you write well and the fact that a "challenger" is likely to face less leeway in even trying simply by virtue of not being Asmo and thus lacking Asmo's "roleplay god" status to sway a few opinions from the beginning.

-It's easier to just declare someone a god and grovel than step one's own game up. It's easier to accept that, by doing so, you're being humble whereas believing you could rival or outclass said god... "Isn't that a little arrogant?" It's just that simple.

Me? There's only room for one God in my worldview. I just see Asmo as a really talented friend. Sure, he annoys and frustrates me sometimes, but who doesn't--myself included? He's another writer--someone with whom I can discuss and question all the things many are too disinterested, frightened, and/or confused to discuss(for the time being only, I hope). The fact that I'm more kitsch-and-cheese-friendly leads to disconnects sometimes, but he doesn't see really digging into the architecture of a story--themes, tropes, roles, relationships--as antithetical to having fun. And he treats plotlines, roles, and structures as magic formulas--which they sort of are--and so I find that a lot more tolerable than treating individual tropes as the key(which I find far more people do). He believes in players consciously connecting characters to the greater plot and each other.

That's my background. I've tried other methods, but I prefer ours. That's how I think in a lot of the games, so yeah, I'll compliment and defend him or anyone else like us in that respect when I feel they're justified.

Why haven't I stepped up? Facing those obstacles I mentioned is hard, especially for someone like me, and I'm busy--very busy.

I don't see a problem with Asmo so much as the members who are bothered by it who should, firstly, really should give both their potential and accomplishments more credit and, secondly, stop shying away from really understanding the tools of writing instead of stressing them sometimes then just randomly applying them at others with the excuse of it being "too hard" and "no fun." If it's "no fun" you're probably focusing too much on "do nots" and not enough on figuring out how to use them to do what you do want to have happen in your stories and characters.

That is how you defeat his Dragon Punch. Only then, do you stand a chance. :p


OH! Don't you go N-word please'ing me! >=(

I don't know, but maybe something I wrote confused you. Because what you did here is going more in-depth in what I wanted to point out, but probably wasn't able to because of my lack of english-skills. :(
 
It's cool. You did bring up a lot of similar ideas actually, but mostly in the form of questions. I used to do that a lot in the past, but know I'm a cranky vet: Big on experience and shorter on patience, so now I provide answers a little more straightly.

This thread needed to be made.


I wish my Japanese were as good as your English. Your command of American slang exceeds that of some actual Americans. :P
 
It's all thanks to good rap music! *puts his fist in the air with a black glove on it*
 
Let us examine the perspective of a new guy. Unfortunately, that's me.

I've come right out and told Asmodeus that he intimidates me. I'm aware he doesn't do it on purpose, but I'm also aware he's one of the most respected people in Iwaku. The fact that he was so revered when I came here is probably why he intimidates me.

Also, yes, I sometimes wait around until Asmo says something in an RP before I do anything. I take it as a green light to get back to work, even in the RP I started. I'm nervous around most of the people whose names come in color, but somehow Asmo's name on an RP I'm involved in makes it seem like the RP will actually go somewhere. It's kind of scary to think that he has a say in how well an RP goes just by deciding if he likes it or not.

I don't fully understand what gives whatever he does so much merit. I try to counter this kind of intimidation by trying to get the last word in, like I'm kind of doing now (Sorry). I do try not to be intimidated by the grand moderators and Admins like Asmo, but what they say just has so much more weight than regular members.

I do try, I really do (for examples of my trying to regard Asmo like everyone else, see the OOC's for Drymera and Atlantis). I'm sorry for not really helping the situation.
 
No one is scared of me... Oh wait, I'm eccentric. Nevermind~
 
I totally understand & I think Fee-kun did an ah-mazing job of explaining everything!

I used to be intimidated by Asmupuu once upon a time, too, but I learned my lesson by being more courageous. Just post. He isn't going to eat you alive. So what if your post doesn't sound as great or has a bajillion imperfections. It's your post and no one's going to compare it to Asmupuu's~ And I think that's one thing I used to forget.

As for not posting until Asmupuu whips out his broom and cleans everything up so everyone has somewhere to go and something to do ~ is honestly because either people are completely blank (happens to me in IW, because I can't figure out what's going on xD), and mostly because we're so lazy. Even me. xD Sometimes, I just know Asmupuu will figure some kind of ingenius solution so I just wait. x) I don't do it very much anymore, but you get the point.

Basically, we're all in this little wait-for-Asmu or scared-of-Asmu box. We've got to step out of the box and look at all the possibilities we're missing out on~!
 
That is true. I make people feel guilty about stuff.
 
I AM SO JEALOUS! >:[ *Glares hatefully at Asmo from her corner.*
 
BUT YOU'RE THE MATRON TOOL. EVERYONE SHOULD BE JEALOUS OF YOU.