Post
by Sir Lordington » 22 Oct 2017, 18:11
I've been reading this topic for a while now, intending to comment. However, I couldn't really find anything to actually say, because I don't even get the point of the topic anymore.
It seems to have been derailed into this "discussion" about these awful battlefield executions that happen when you insult the CO. Granted, I've seen them happen, but reading this thread one would think they are a common occurence. They really are not. Most executions I've seen or have performed myself are due to mutiny or flagrant insubordination. So I really don't get the point of saying over and over that executing people for insulting you is a bad thing. If someone calls you a dick once and you Mateba them, you can probably expect a bwoink or player report quite quickly. It simply isn't something that happens often, and this discussion risks becoming a circlejerk about those.
Now, allow me to get back to the point of the original post. Battlefield Executions are an RP tool. I've performed a couple. I've threatened with them a lot, most of the time without any actual intent to carry them out. They're an RP tool afforded to whitelisted players in their position as CO, and I don't see what's so wrong with them as long as they are not abused. I really don't see the big deal about dying for your RP. Dying IS a part of roleplay. It goes back to what Feweh said, this isn't some story where you are the hero. You don't have plot armour, it's not about YOUR RP, it's about THE RP, and death is part and result of it.
You, as a player, choose to roleplay a certain character who behaves in a certain way. You take IC actions, and those IC actions have IC consequences. If you take a certain course of action that steers you towards death, why should you be protected from it? I don't get how battlefield executions are different from anything else. Sure, they take you out of the round. Does perma not take you out of the round? Don't normal executions? It's an IC action like any other, and it's a part of Marine Law like any other. You are free to roleplay a character who stands up to their commander, disobeys their orders and spits in their face, but you know that you are liable to get shot for it. Just like you can play a character who hates MPs and breaks the law all the time, and you are liable to get brigged for it (and perma is not a difficult place to land in).
People need to accept that death is part of roleplay, and that it isn't such a big deal to be taken out of a round as the result of roleplay. Hell, it can be part of some of the greatest RP moments. Reno made reference to what I believe is his only battlefield execution ever. That battlefield execution was without a doubt one of the greatest RP moments I've had in the server, I was very happy when it happened and I was the guy being executed. I knew full well that if I stayed true to my character I would be battlefield executed. I knew it way before it actually happened, and I kept it up, because roleplaying demanded it of me. It demanded that I kept playing my character and that I died for my IC actions. I accepted that and it was great. I could've simply given in, taken other actions and avoided battlefield execution, but I accepted that my impending death was the consequence of roleplaying. Avoiding BEs is easy, really. Just don't play characters liable to get executed. But if you want to play strongly-principled characters that stand up to their COs you have to accept that you may be killed, just like if you play violent, hot-headed characters you may be permabrigged.
I've been on both sides of the Mateba several times, and the way I see it is some people are not willing to accept that death is part of RP, that your character may be killed due to RP, and that you have to own up to your actions. That manifests in many places, mind you, battlefield executions are just one of the most visible ones. But frankly, I just don't see the issue with BEs. Can they be abused? Sure, but If it seems unreasonable IC, call the MPs. If it seems unreasonable OOC, ahelp it.
I used to play Luke Compton. Now I play Reginald Dempsey.
