Experiences Sharing The Spotlight

[Idea]

Bad form sir. Expecting that the person you're communicating with be open to logic and reason can never be considered moving the goal post.

Again, what you were insisting on is not logic nor reason. Insisting that my conclusion or my defintion of a term have to be based or match that of some random person on the internet is not a logical argument, in fact it goes against the most basic elements of logic.

 

[Bone2pick]

Oi, even if somehow the character is able to make his failure significant (emotional breakdown, character development or whatever), it will only significant to himself since the enemy is essentially defeated by the others. The character development is good and all, but it still doesn't make his failure important to the story.

Is your character not significant to the group? Are they not critically important to you? Your character's actions (success, support, or failure) matter. They especially matter when paired with emotional stakes. And should you execute your scenes properly, they'll be just as interesting as everyone else's.

 

[Idea]

I mean sort of like Character A is GM character.

The plot is Character A is left at the alter by Character B. Character C is their best friend and spends the early roleplay comforting Character A and telling them how awesome they are.

Character A starts dating Character D and they get engaged. Character B shows back up and is sorry for leaving Character A. So now it’s a love triangle between Characters A,B,D with Character A making the choice between them.

Basically the entire narrative depends on Character A to be present to exist and move forward.

Maybe GM wasn’t the best way to describe that. Maybe POV character?

Hmmm...I'm gonna be honest, the way I was saying it wasn't really accounting for things like romantic plots, that is my mistake. The way I was defining "the spotlight" refers only when the plot isn't specifically character-centric. A romantic plot is about the characters and their relationships, whereas the kind of plots I was referring to are more focused on events or the world. Get what I mean or am I being too confusing? Sorry if I am

 

[Bone2pick]

Again, what you were insisting on is not logic nor reason. Insisting that my conclusion or my defintion of a term have to be based or match that of some random person on the internet is not a logical argument, in fact it goes against the most basic elements of logic.

I'm insisting that you be open to persuasion. That's both reasonable and logical. Btw, you should apologize for telling me to F off. If you feel that strongly about me, I recommend you eject from this thread. That's unacceptable discussion behavior.

 

[Damafaud]

Never mind. I think how we define relevancy is different so this can go off for a long time.

For me, the spotlight refer to how a character's action influence the flow of the story. Not interpersonal relationship. Not how the other characters feel about the character, but how something he does make an immediate change in the current scene.

So basically when he can't influence a current event, the spotlight is not on him. He doesn't get a share.


Still saying that some characters can get kicked out of the spotlight in certain circumstances though.

 

[Idea]

I'm insisting that you be open to persuasion. That's both reasonable and logical.

I AM open to persuation. Hence doing things like asking an example to try to see your point of view. I am NOT willing to change my definition of something just because you don't like how I define it, nor am I willing to accept your arguments for a point when they are all based on something which doesn't apply in my definition of the thing being debated to begin with.

I recognize your points may be valid, and likely are, under your definition, but none of that affects how it is under mine.

That's unacceptable discussion behavior.

Neither is belittiling people yet you seem adamant in doing that.

Edit: I don't feel strongly about you in particular, I feel strongly about being told I'm not being "reasonable" when the only thing I refused was to ignore how I use an expression in a discussion about it's validity as a concept, just because your personal view on the subject has a difference that fundamentally alters the definition.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Is your character not significant to the group? Are they not critically important to you? Your character's actions (success, support, or failure) matter. They especially matter when paired with emotional stakes. And should you execute your scenes properly, they'll be just as interesting as everyone else's.

I think I see where your getting confused.

We are talking about a situation where your character is not significant to the group. Because the group has only one significant character, The Spotlight Character.

Therefore all other characters are insignificant.

And further we are not talking about an individuals attachment to their own character.

We are talking that characters significance to the rest of the group.

In a situation where the spotlight is shared all characters in a group have significance.

In a situation where the spotlight is only one one character than that character is the only one with significance to the group/roleplay.

It’s not about how you feel about your character or making your own relevance within the story by yourself.

It is literally if you are not spotlight character than you are insignificant and can leave the roleplay entirely and nothing changes

 

[rae2nerdy]

Hmmm...I'm gonna be honest, the way I was saying it wasn't really accounting for things like romantic plots, that is my mistake. The way I was defining "the spotlight" refers only when the plot isn't specifically character-centric. A romantic plot is about the characters and their relationships, whereas the kind of plots I was referring to are more focused on events or the world. Get what I mean or am I being too confusing? Sorry if I am

No I understood what you were saying I just figured romance was like the simplest way to break down what I felt was your broader point. Which is when an individual character becomes the sole driving force of the plot.

As explaining world building and what not is hard to do in the abstract but more or less I think we mean the same thing.

Basically the power to influence the plot is held by only one person. Everyone else just sort of exists passively and must follow the direction of plot relevant person.

 

[Idea]

No I understood what you were saying I just figured romance was like the simplest way to break down what I felt was your broader point. Which is when an individual character becomes the sole driving force of the plot.

As explaining world building and what not is hard to do in the abstract but more or less I think we mean the same thing.

Basically the power to influence the plot is held by only one person. Everyone else just sort of exists passively and must follow the direction of plot relevant person.

Pretty much yeah

 

[Bone2pick]

I AM open to persuation.

You've already conceded that you aren't. You said what I think has no relevance on what you think. Why the contradiction?

Neither is belittiling people yet you seem adamant in doing that.

And here you confess to unacceptable forum behavior. I don't, and you can't produce evidence of my misbehavior from this thread. You should do the right thing and apologize.

 

[Damafaud]

Bone2pick For clarity geeking out's definition fits what I meant by the spotlight and the reason why we disagree is because we're talking of two different things

 

[Bone2pick]

.For me, the spotlight refer to how a character's action influence the flow of the story. Not interpersonal relationship. Not how the other characters feel about the character,...

Flow of the story? Imo story and character interest/importance cannot be divorced from emotions, inner struggles, dramatic failures, and character relationships. Honestly, I'm surprised any one would believe that it could be.

 

[Damafaud]

Flow of the story? Imo story and character interest/importance cannot be divorced from emotions, inner struggles, dramatic failures, and character relationships. Honestly, I'm surprised any one would believe that it could be.

That's where our definition diverges and the disagreement starts. Nothing more to discuss really.

 

[Idea]

You've already conceded that you aren't. You said what I think has no relevance on what you think. Why the contradiction?

You cut out a very significant part of what I said. I stated that "what you think it means has no relevance to what I think it means". If we were working with the same definition, then it's possible to actually make progress. The reason why we aren't is because you are defining it in a different way from everyone else and refuse to so much as aknowledge that that makes any point you try to make incompatible with the very discussion you're trying to have.

nd here you confess to unacceptable forum behavior. I don't, and you can't produce evidence of my misbehavior from this thread. You should do the right thing and apologize.

you hold an irrational position

And I can't for the life of me understand how that's not a superior position to roleplay from.

. If your conception of "hogging the spotlight" would include sequences like the Avengers final battle, then it's utterly meaningless to me, and imo, is a concession of player fragility.

You are literally constantly posing yourself as somehow superior. While I do think lashing out was wrong and I am willing to apologize, I refuse to do so until there is at least some recognition on your part of the fact that you caused it.

 

[Bone2pick]

That's where our definition diverges and the disagreement starts. Nothing more to discuss really.

There's one final point. Because you don't emphasize emotions, inner struggles, dramatic failures, critical support roles, and chatracter relationships, you are vulnerable to feeling unimportant in many more roleplays than I am. And that's a worthwhile distinction.

 

[Bone2pick]

You cut out a very significant part of what I said. I stated that "what you think it means has no relevance to what I think it means". If we were working with the same definition, then it's possible to actually make progress.

We could make progress if we both agree to accept the more reasonable definition. All definitions aren't created equal. In fact, some are grossly illogical.

You are literally constantly posing yourself as somehow superior. While I do think lashing out was wrong and I am willing to apologize, I refuse to do so until there is at least some recognition on your part of the fact that you caused it.

I didn't cause you to curse and you should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting that. Be accountable for your behavior.

 

[Idea]

We could make progress if we both agree to accept the more reasonable definition. All definitions aren't created equal. In fact, some are grossly illogical

I have nothing more to say to you

 

[Bone2pick]

Actually you still owe me an apology.

 

[Damafaud]

There's one final point. Because you don't emphasize emotions, inner struggles, dramatic failures, critical support roles, and chatracter relationships, you are vulnerable to feeling unimportant in many more roleplays than I am. And that's a worthwhile distinction.

When did this become a talk about me...?

I never say I have experienced this personally. I value emotions and such, but the insignificance I'm talking about is related to how the character influence the story, seperated from interpersonal relationship. Emotion is a different jar altogether.

Also can you not use patronising words? This is a discussion, not something where one person opinion can be better than the others.

 

[rae2nerdy]

There's one final point. Because you don't emphasize emotions, inner struggles, dramatic failures, critical support roles, and chatracter relationships, you are vulnerable to feeling unimportant in many more roleplays than I am. And that's a worthwhile distinction.

Hi I actually do focus on character relationships as 1x1 roleplayer and I can assure you this still pops up in this style of roleplay.

If you look to my romance example that is an entirely character driven story where one character has all the significance to the roleplay and everyone else exists solely to revolve around the spotlight character.

It seems to me you are treating roleplay as if it is all about your own character and how you feel about said character.

Which is its own kind of spotlight. As you are acting as if nothing anyone else does effects you in any meaningful way because all that matters is that you are happy with your character.

That is certainly a valid way of looking at things. But most people tend to want to roleplay to work with others. So it matters to them how they are viewed by the group/their partners.

It matters to them that their character is given an equal importance to the story.

This does not seem to matter to you which is fine.

But it means that this is just not a situation your going to understand as it involves careing about the opinion of someone other than yourself.

Not trying to be mean when I say that. It’s fine if you are focused on your own enjoyment above all else. It just means that you aren’t likely to understand the concept of spotlights because to you your character is already a spotlight.

 

[Bone2pick]

Also can you not use patronising words? This is a discussion, not something where one person opinion can be better than the others.

Patronizing words? How about you not accuse me of being patronizing? It's a discussion about roleplay concepts and experiences, which can vary in terms of how reasonable and/or preferable they are. So yeah, we can try and measure those along such grounds.

 

[Damafaud]

Encore! Encore! A heartiest and warmest congratulation to you, my dear opponent who says this discussion is a competition! Your username fits you so well I can't find a better word to describe it but marvelous!

Like geeking out said, you don't understand the line of thinking I'm on. Or the one Idea is on which is the same one as I am.

You got a bone to pick with everyone. Cya.

 

[Bone2pick]

Encore! Encore! A heartiest and warmest congratulation to you, my dear opponent who says this discussion is a competition! Your username fits you so well I can't find a better word to describe it but marvelous!

And you accused me of being patronizing? And yes, the point of some discussions, whether you accept it or not, can be to try and find the most sensible grounds for concepts. Good grief, how is that novel?