If you have been rping any time at all, in any set up or background, you have seen this in some form or another. We have all met the person who, when they first enter the scene, let us all know that all our characters should be pissing their pants just about now.
Some of you may have even been this person. It’s really easy to fall into– I know I have sat there, rping, or even reading or watching something, and sizing up how my character would handle the situation, usually better than the people handling it are. I mean my original characters who are in roleplaying games or future novels I plan to write, not necessarily original characters I have created specifically for whatever setting I’m being audience to. Say, if my own characters met an invincible super genius girl with psychic powers who could kill you with her brain, they’d use nerve gas or poison to kill her. Throw a gas bomb in the vents while she’s sleeping, don a gas mask, hide in the shadows— dead River!
But some people just cannot stand the idea of their character not constantly being the scariest thing on the block. Even if you joke about a little baby kicking their butt for the fun mental image, this person will flip a shit and point out how their character could never be defeated by an infant for reasons a,b, and c. They will be very serious about this.
If your character does not respond in the right way (read: knee shaking, trouser wetting AWE) to the fearsome visage that is this person’s character you are likely to get the following, be it in whispers, in an email, or below the person’s response, sometimes in lieu of a response:
((You realize that Malficia has a power level of OVER 9000, right? She also has SIX FOOT LONG CLAWS and is over TEN FEET TALL. I don’t think anyone would approach her and casually say “Hello!” even if they’re an archangel like your character. Malficia is strong enough to break his flaming sword with one hand!))
Now, this is dramatized for lulzy purposes, but you get the idea, and might be nodding in recognition.
Even worse what I call the sandbox effect, because it reminds me of nothing more than two children playing in a sandbox. It’s essentially two players posturing at each other, and sometimes happens ICly, but can be seen OOCly as well, and usually looks like this.
Player A:((Malficia is the long lost princess of Planet X, and she has a power level of OVER 9000!))
Player B: ((Well, Tempetia is the queen of Planet Y AND Planet Z, AND she has a power level of over 9000, AND she shoots lasers from her eyes!))
Player A: ((Well, Malficia is able to put up a force field of DAISIES that would BLOCK Tempetia’s eyebeams!))
Player B: ((Well, Tempetia has a glove that is made of PURE ADAPLUTNITHRIL that would break through Malficia’s forcefield!))
…there have been reports of these arguments going on for FIFTY YEARS, only stopping because both players STARVED TO DEATH.
That’s a lie, but you know what I mean. What’s worse is when this behavior transfers to IC behavior.
I call this behavior posturing, for the simple reason that it makes me think of frilled lizards. Little lizards who puff themselves up to look bigger in hopes of scaring away bigger predators.
See also: The Chickenhawk
He’s actually kinda endearing.
This is the thing, guys. Really powerful predators, like bears, or lions, wolves, or sharks, don’t need to posture. They know they can kill you. You know they can kill you. That’s all that’s necessary.
A character who is truly a badass has no reason to demonstrate his power, unless truly necessary in a life or death situation. She also has no reason to be riled up by others posturing.
But my real issue is not just the annoyance of posturing, but the lack of necessity. Why, pray tell, must your character be the biggest bad ass around? Is it for respect? Or importance? And shouldn’t these things be earned by wit, wisdom, and experience, rather than an ability to destroy the world? Isn’t someone who earns respect through sheer intimidation and power just a bully?
