OOC [OOC] - Senate of Yamatai Discussion

In Yamatai, YES votes are positive, NO, are negative, and ABSTAIN is neutral. Votes on Yamatai aren't done by percentages, but by vote count.

My, Ayana was busy back in the day...

I know, crazy busy...so was Tio.

Hmm, on Bill 104, I wonder where A. Winsbury represents?

We really should dissolve the senate. It's disheartening to see so many senators portrayed as Americans rather than imperialist Japanese-themed individuals.

raz said:

We really should dissolve the senate. It's disheartening to see so many senators portrayed as Americans rather than imperialist Japanese-themed individuals.

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I think people are a bit to centred on their OOC factional disputes. It isn't very hard to see when you look at how it is distributed. Its just sad. and really bad roleplaying.

I reckon you two you're annoyed with the senate simply because it doesn't suit your needs. Do you think politicians and generals throwing their clout around see eye to eye?

Try watching an Australian parliament session - the insults and mockeries that happen there make this place look like Play School!

tl;dr: Harden up!

I enjoy disagreement. And I don't really have any "uses" for the senate. But the suspension of disbelief required to read some senators' posts is almost a new high for Yamatai.

raz said:

I enjoy disagreement. And I don't really have any "uses" for the senate. But the suspension of disbelief required to read some senators' posts is almost a new high for Yamatai.

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1: Well if you have no use for it, why are you participating?

2: You're right! How does a character walk in one day and move to abolish the senate, and expect any sort of respect from senators in a discussion the following day? It makes no sense to me either!

3: Yamataians get a -4 to diplomacy checks against other races due to one gunboat diplomacy incident too many.

raz said:

We really should dissolve the senate. It's disheartening to see so many senators portrayed as Americans rather than imperialist Japanese-themed individuals.

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Having to RP a senator was the worst decision. So now you have people coming up with ridiculous RP in order to support OOC decisions, which just clutters up the voting threads with blocks of filibustering that have no relevance to the actual issue being voted on and it creates a barrier to entry for those of us who care about where Yamatai is heading, but don't have the time to craft some IC personality to be our avatar to express our OOC views ICly.

Worst of all is some of these bills that have previously gone through are clearly OOC motivated, and would likely not even be presented ICly in the first place, but now have created an IC example for characters to point at and say "Look at what the senate has voted on!"

It's ridiculous.

Luca said:

2: You're right! How does a character walk in one day and move to abolish the senate, and expect any sort of respect from senators in a discussion the following day? It makes no sense to me either!

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I don't think Kotori expected them to be anything other than what Empress Himiko said: deserving of the faith extended to them.

Should she just give up and sulk because she didn't get her way, even though she felt strongly about it the things she stood for? I don't know about you, but I don't make Kotori instantly good at anything she does, and Kotori learns something new everyday.

Let me put this in perspective.

The Senate is an OOC and IC tool.

The old system required senators, yes, but you didn't necessarily have to write the long winded posts we're writing now. Andrew and I do it because it's fun. Raz, if you don't want to, it's a discussion thread - wait until it gets put to a vote to go "yes" or "no." I don't believe anyone's going to complain and you don't have to explain your vote, IC or OOC.

Senator Mifune Adele of Fujiko V evolved gradually from my at-first OOC posts that eventually started bleeding into IC posts, and the character was formed from my view of what I think Yamatai should be. I say that without a single shred of shame; she's bombastic, forceful; a Nepleslian that converted to a nekovalkyrja body, served the time, and now works to represent the part-Neph, part-Geshrin, part-Yamataian, part-Nekovaklyrja populace of what turns out to be several mining colonies. It's a lot of cultural bleedover from Nepleslia. It fits her outlook pretty well when you take all those things into consideration. I don't think her political outlook is ruining suspension of disbelief with that in mind.

It's been a hard week for the senate. That doesn't mean you need to jump to conclusions and try to destroy it just because you don't like it.

Yamatai is a military focused Empire but that's not everything that's in there. Someone has to play the labor party, the people who want peace. Everyone knows that we can crush all our enemies; not everybody agrees that we need to do this to be superior. It's all in your definition of superiority.

The Senate would be dull if everyone always agreed.

I am having fun, Gallant. Good job implying otherwise though.

Gallant said:

Senator Mifune Adele of Fujiko V evolved gradually from my at-first OOC posts that eventually started bleeding into IC posts, and the character was formed from my view of what I think Yamatai should be.

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This is the problem. Yamatai isn't what you or me or anyone thinks it should be. Yamatai is what it is. We can disagree all we want in-character, but really. Stop playing it wrong.

So your version of Yamatai is more important than mine, or anyone else's? Every plot that a GM plots, every single article written, is written through an individual's understanding of SARP and their perception of it as a setting. That's why we write so damn much; and that's why this site is beautiful, because everyone contributes to it.

I'm not ashamed to say I contribute.

But if you expect me to conform to your idea that all Yamatai believes the way you think it believes, you're smoking twenty types of crack cocaine.

That is pretty much the opposite of what I said. Keep it civil, bro.

No. 'Stop playing it wrong' is provocative language.

Welcome to 'Provoked Gallant'. You can expect me to be angry.

Some GMs choose to interpret the setting to provide for a better story. And that's as much SARP canon as any other plot.

Calm down, Gallant.

Calm down. Bro

I'm kind of with Revolver and Raz on this. I feel that in Wes' effort to make his faction more inclusive to player input that he lost something of what made Yamatai, Yamatai.

Yamatai needn't be perfect, but when I look back, I see the nation's representation having several highlights such as the palace court RP Ayame and Uesu had. Katsuko wasn't widely successful as an Empress, but the similar RP she'd had there was nice too. I'm also pretty cheered by how Yuumi handled herself in representing Yamatai at the 3rd IRC.

I find a lot of the present direction being given to Yamatai making it... like a pseudo-Nepleslia. That alarms me. Five years ago, this isn't the Yamatai that I joined and loved. I miss it. I feel something went wrong.

My finger pointing won't extend to much anyone else other than Wes, whom I feel was too nice at the expense of thematic flavor. Other than that, I'll keep the protest in-character. I figure I can at least represent ideals as I feel Yamatai ought to be, just as others seem to be making the effort of doing.

But overall, I'm kind of disappointed. My sense of suspension of disbelief is telling me that this kind of senate and the attitudes in it should really belong in Nepleslia. It's kind of sad that we're no longer all on the same page and that Wes allowed the vision to become so dilluted because - honestly - I don't really believe anyone here is really being wrong.

I dunno guys. It is roleplay it adapts and evolves. There were most likely reason Wes went this way. Rather than be butthurt about it, we should try and concentrate and roleplayin. If you want that old order back do so ICily like Fred suggest, rather than complaining how Senate does not wort and shit like that. Not to mention that if you want to RP your yammie in the way things used to be you can. Just my tid-bit. I

Also I am enjoying this Senate thingey become something where I can actually roleplay a character.

Wes wanted Yamatai more democratic, open and 'respectful' in the galactic universe, I assume, because he was sick of everyone calling Yamatai the intergalactic bully OOC and he wanted his faction to represent something better.

The old imperialist Yamatai was very militaristic and somewhat bossy. Why do people want to go back to that?

I agree that the new Yamatai does feel somewhat like ~YE28 or 29 Nepleslia. But it can also evolve beyond that and become more different over time.

Time makes everything old look better, because we have memories of 'the good times' but I also have clear, distinct memories of the OOC messes that resulted from a Yamataian empire which was far too imperialistic and the excessive backlash that caused from spiteful, hurt faction bases.