Nepleslians Have a Smoking Problem

[Sigma]

Okay. I'm now awake, have had sleep and no longer the zombie I was when I first read this last night.

Plus, we have children on the site whose minds are still being developed and teenagers are particularly at-risk.

I wish to say that, as a teacher, I find this argument a bit... flat. Children are not as oblivious as you think they are. Furthermore, if we have "children" on the site, it means we have players under the age of 13. Above 13 are teenagers. We all know the rule states that you need to be 16 and that its an honor system. I teach that age level and I don't see any evidence of there being children's writing on the site. If you know we have underaged members, I want to know why they haven't been booted. Otherwise, please don't use hyotheticals. If we're going to be child-friendly, then the 16+ rule should be tossed out, the guidelines on what constitutes child-friendly role-play should be drafted and the 18+ section removed.

If you want one part of the site to be wear gloves, then it makes no sense for the rest of the site to be exempt. SARP is not a child-friendly website as it is. Removing smoking will do nothing in that regard. You would also have to address the obvious gender stereotypes present within the setting, the NMX/SMX use of slave soldiers, and various other things that make the setting less than ideal. I deal with parents daily and even the most liberal of them would be hesitant about this site, even without smoking. Why? The site's main focus is on violence and pretending to shoot at each other.

But RP is up to players to self regulate so my OP post was a call for that.

We already do. This, however, smacks of interference on your part. It comes across as you don't think we do enough so you want it to be more. In 4th Fleet, only Bastilen and Aleksei smoke regularly. 2/14 playable characters in the plot who smoke. And excluding the Grand Admiral who dislikes smoking.

Since we are now casting aspersions on Nepleslia, please point to me the occasions in 4th Fleet or NSS Venus that you believe promote smoking. Point out every occasion you find fault with, every promotion of smoking within our plots. You say that the plots promote smoking, I want evidence. Where in 4th Fleet? In Venus? Where is this promotion?

You have singled out Nepleslia and its leadership, questioned our honor, now back it up. As much as I respect that this is your playground, Wes, you have stepped over the line by making a rule that specifically targets and discriminates ONE FACTION and its players. This is now a matter of principle. Either the spirit of the law (less visceral, degrading stuff happens) is applied universally or you drop it. Those are the only fair options. Your proposal is highly discriminatory. Your arguments are rather tenuous to start with, your evidence is, hitherto, non-existent save for hypothetical situations. There are very few endings to this, Wes, especially if you want to force your will upon an entire faction of players without their consent.

 

[BionicSamurai]

I wonder if this started over the thread I have in the Open RP section, "River Raising".

 

[Fred]

...and Sigma Slam.

Seriously, Sigma? An attack? Geez, putting so much meaning into that oh-so-hostile reply.

Let me explain something.

Wes is largely a person whom is spontaneously expressive. He's going to have ideas and concerns that will surface that he will feel keenly on at any point in time. And... he'll bring it up to the community he's part of. That's where his center of interest is, and where he can share his perception and concerns.

Am I calling him whimsical and shallow? Yeah, I guess I am. That's a bit how he is. I too sometimes find it inconvenient/a-royal-pain-in-the-butt, but I can't say I don't undersand why: considering the sheer scope of the site he admins, though, I can't really blame him for being so - obviously in his role he either needs to focus on this small aspect, or have a much broader/less detailed view of the setting overall. He'll assume. He'll interpret. He'll fill the gaps in his knowledge with what he's perceived from hearsay, or skimming, or by context with what he remembers (which could be outdated knowledge).

But it's also why I'm opposed to you going all in arms over this on the perception that he's purposely attacking your honor, demeaning what you care about, and all that.

That's not the issue. It's never been the issue - there was never this much forethought put into this. You're making mountains out of molehills. You decide to be hostile, perhaps to make sure you have the best chances of backing your point of view... but it's really undeserved and unfair of you.

Just airing your position without making it an attack would've been perfectly sufficient, and framing things from your perception in a "this is actually how it is" would've been good enough. This is a discussion of a topic, an awareness being made of a trend, and an exploration of options. If you pay attention to this thread, as pages go, Wes dials it down. There's no hard condemnation or rulings being applied right here.

Is Wes is a position to have things go his way? Yeah. But if he hadn't cared what we thought, he never would've made it a discussion.

Chillax man. >_>;

 

[CadetNewb]

I hate to say it, but I think Sig doing that may be the norm here on the forums. I really don't know why, even though he's a really chill guy IRL.

In regards to artwork and the banning of smoking in them, I am against that as well, just for the record. I dislike smoking, and since I do work in the medical field, I also know how bad it is. However, the point of artwork is to convey ideas - getting artwork for a character is meant to give a person looking at it an idea of who this person is. That is why, I believe that players, should they invest the money for a commission, be allowed to upload pieces of artwork that do include cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.

Artwork is meant to convey an idea or concept - if I wanted to give the impression a character was particularly depressed and down in the dumps in a commission for an example? I wouldn't just have him or her draw looking dirty, rough and be looking at the floor with lifeless eyes.

I'd throw in a half empty bottle of alcohol and a cigarette with lots of ashes on it.

It's not about glamorizing the white little coffin nails. It's expressing meaning, ideas, concepts. I'd rather not have it stifled, since it would hamper RP in the long run.

 

[Wes]

Well, I made this thread because I wanted input and change, but the input I got shows that change isn't wanted so I've decided not to expand SARP's anti-smoking policies. Still, I ask that people be considerate not to glorify smoking in RP, because it really is addictive and destructive.

Thanks everyone for your input with this discussion.