Review Submitted By: Stephan
Author Status: Player
Started on Masquerade: 2011, July
Submission Date: Jul 20, 2011
TMC Listing: Masquerade
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Stephan]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I would strongly suggest anyone who wants to play in a fun
atmosphere, with any real control over their character's construction
or focus, do go elsewhere. This place suffers from an unfortunate
issue I see cropping up with most Mush/Mux/Mucks, and that's that
they completely forget the game is supposed to be about the enjoyment
of the players, not about them. Staff get into a weird power trip,
that starts with tightening their control on the outcome of events to
fit *their* plans. It soon becomes limiting PCs at construction, by
placing restrictions meant to place the PCs into sub-menial positions
inside of areas that the player's intended their character to excel
in. It eventually turns into players being little more than NPCs for
the Staff to force through hoops. When games aren't fun, they're
chores.
I can only address an application process for Vampire Masquerade, but
I will give me best impression. I'm speaking as a person who's held
staffing positions for almost 15 years, and been playing Vampire off
and on for more than 10. Vampire, much as any other RPG I've ever
played, has more than 1 theme. There's no sole theme to it, and I got
the very strong impression that the staff here were only capable or
interested in addressing a single theme of the game. This theme was
'I'm losing humanity. Oh God! *angst angst*' They turn a world of
high contrast, into something lacking any redeeming features... This
means not only is the world beyond saving, you wouldn't even want to
try, so why are you playing. That's what the end result of grinding
nothing but that theme is.
If your a current player, I would suggest trying to get away from the
paradigm on this Mu. They're wasting your time, and the saddest part
is that most players either don't know they have another choice or
are so invested in the games that they can't imagine leaving...even
when it frustrates them, killing their love of play little by little.
It's like a bad relationship, and is common in Domestic Violence. You
have a choice. You have the power to be happy in your game play, and
you as a player are worth the time and effort. Don't get trapped into
these types of places.
I hope this helps someone. I would address this to the player base
themselves, but these types of places don't like criticism in front
of their players, or the idea of giving the players other options.
Much like an emotionally abusive spouse forcing away positive
relationships, and constantly trying to enforce the idea that you're
worthless, and can't do any better. Players of Masquerade. You can do
better!
