"RP jobs" and content.

[Sadhorizon]

Recently, I heard a lot of ideas thrown around. Ideas about giving so-called "RP Jobs" (bartender, librarian, chaplain, psych, barber) more content. You know, make them more needed in the round.
One argument I heard, is that "they are boring, they have nothing to do". I agree with that. So I would like to present my plan to make them more fun!

1. Turn off VSC and Git, you won't need them here.
2. Join a round of Para.
3. Go to, for example, library.
4. Ask the librarian to lend you a book.

There, librarian content.

Let's try another one!
1. Join a round of Para.
2. Schedule a meeting with the psychologist.
3. Go to them, have a long and deep talk about your character's problems.

And there, one happy psychologist player!

 

The REAL problem with "RP Jobs" is that people ignore them. You want them to be more fun? Then stop doing that. Go and interact with them. The two minutes you spend having your hair cut is the BEST thing you can do to make these jobs actually fun.
They do not need any stupid features (magic healing stick for psych, really?), they need attention in-game.

 

Problem of course goes both ways. People playing jobs for bullshit gamer bonuses, like chaplain for le funny sword, or psych for meth. That kind of people certainly do not care about RP with you. This post is also a call to them - there is more in this game than le funny. Go and try talking with people, even if THEY may not want to.

I get that it is boring to get ignored for two hours straight, but if this post gets any attention, people just might make your round more fun!

 

After all, ss13 is an RP game. It makes sense for RP jobs to exist, and for people to interact with them.

 

There are more ways to change something than only with code. We just need to try.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Sadhorizon
added a line.

[henri215]

15 minutes ago, Sadhorizon said:

Recently, I heard a lot of ideas thrown around. Ideas about giving so-called "RP Jobs" (bartender, librarian, chaplain, psych, barber) more content. You know, make them more needed in the round.
One argument I heard, is that "they are boring, they have nothing to do". I agree with that. So I would like to present my plan to make them more fun!

1. Turn off VSC and Git, you won't need them here.
2. Join a round of Para.
3. Go to, for example, library.
4. Ask the librarian to lend you a book.

There, librarian content.

Let's try another one!
1. Join a round of Para.
2. Schedule a meeting with the psychologist.
3. Go to them, have a long and deep talk about your character's problems.

And there, one happy psychologist player!

 

The REAL problem with "RP Jobs" is that people ignore them. You want them to be more fun? Then stop doing that. Go and interact with them. The two minutes you spend having your hair cut is the BEST thing you can do to make these jobs actually fun.

 

Problem of course goes both ways. People playing jobs for bullshit gamer bonuses, like chaplain for le funny sword, or psych for meth. That kind of people certainly do not care about RP with you. This post is also a call to them - there is more in this game than le funny. Go and try talking with people, even if THEY may not want to.

I get that it is boring to get ignored for two hours straight, but if this post gets any attention, people just might make your round more fun!

 

After all, ss13 is an RP game. It makes sense for RP jobs to exist, and for people to interact with them.

 

There are more ways to change something than only with code. We just need to try.

Jobs that require high initiative.

I will always have a good round with those because i am someone with good initiative, they demand effort from the player and you can imagine that the average player is not someone that would put too much effort into things :(.

[Landerlow]

RP jobs are only boring if you treat them like they are. Either you aren't playing the job right/with the right mindset or you could be unlucky with people not RP'ing back. 

[ChocoboLord]

Me spending the entire shift redecorating the bar only for either nobody to come in, or the only people who do come in are shitters who immediately get blackout drunk

Heck, it even happens with chaplain. Outside of holy water for cult and vamps the crew tends to ignore you, unless you're a tider chaplain.

It sure is a sad state this quote "medium rp" server is in.

[TheBadPerson]

I like to make a point to try to remember to interact at least once with these types of roles each round if they’re active. I used to be better about it. 
 

Anything from chatting the bartender, telling the barber to fuck my shit up, getting therapy for awful HoS round #3,456, or going to confession for obliterating someone as security. 

[RangerYote]

I thouroughly enjoy the RP roles because its a change of pace to the typical round.

I have written an entire novellete as the Librarian, and those of you who know will remember Mike from Psych :p

Even roles that seem to do nothing still add to a round, even if its existing as extra casualties when it all goes tits up. For example, me as the psychologist dealing with the Head of Security's burnout and trauma relating to combat stress.

Mike: "I assure you head of security, this is the safest station in space. Theres a reason they only hire the best"
The wizard in question, that just rodded through the room, narrowly missing us both: "Hi!"
HOS: "This is the kinda shit im talking about man."

This and other hillarious moments that simply would not happen in a high stakes role where no one gets some downtime to talk and process things. This brings me to my main point about RP roles:

RP roles offer downtime which is vital for the pacing of a round. If you view a round like a story, then visits to these RP Jobs represent a lull, which makes the sudden impact of say, a bomb, much more meaningful.

[TheBadPerson]

1 minute ago, RangerYote said:

I thouroughly enjoy the RP roles because its a change of pace to the typical round.

I have written an entire novellete as the Librarian, and those of you who know will remember Mike from Psych :p

Even roles that seem to do nothing still add to a round, even if its existing as extra casualties when it all goes tits up. For example, me as the psychologist dealing with the Head of Security's burnout and trauma relating to combat stress.

Mike: "I assure you head of security, this is the safest station in space. Theres a reason they only hire the best"
The wizard in question, that just rodded through the room, narrowly missing us both: "Hi!"
HOS: "This is the kinda shit im talking about man."

This and other hillarious moments that simply would not happen in a high stakes role where no one gets some downtime to talk and process things. This brings me to my main point about RP roles:

RP roles offer downtime which is vital for the pacing of a round. If you view a round like a story, then visits to these RP Jobs represent a lull, which makes the sudden impact of say, a bomb, much more meaningful.

BRUH YOURE 2 MONTHS LATE

[RangerYote]

2 minutes ago, TheBadPerson said:

BRUH YOURE 2 MONTHS LATE

I arrive precisely when I mean to.