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Cliques?
Expanding RP beyond our friends

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I have noticed IC that a lot of times people tend to, especially topside, have a clique, and then kind of ignore people outside of that clique. Seeing as this game is about RP, I feel like, even if you are high and mighty, topside, or the biggest PC ganger in the Mix, you need to do your part to make RP, even if it is to chastise someone for talking to you, or to try and make new acquaintances to use for your bidding in their desperate attempt to be known. Any other thoughts?
By FluffyBunny199 at Aug 31, 2017 1:16 PM
Let me know if you need some topside MooSex.
By Ruscion at Aug 31, 2017 1:18 PM
I am both shocked and amazed that cliques exist in a text-based roleplaying game.
By himble at Aug 31, 2017 1:20 PM
Go try to make RP with them. Being cliquish and untrusting of almost everyone in the Dome seems pretty themely to me.
By Meoris at Aug 31, 2017 1:20 PM
What I have found, in experience, is that while there are obvious cliques there are also side cliques. For example say X, Y, and Z are in a clique topside and they are all friends. They goto parties, etc, its very public. However. Z has a side clique of fixers, runners, maybe even mixer inputs and outputs that they keep out of the public eye. Its part of playing the game topside. Its all perceptions and how you are perceived. Its who you know and what you mean to them, even if that is totally fake or blackmailed.
By Dawnshot at Aug 31, 2017 1:20 PM
I'll clique you too!
By Ruscion at Aug 31, 2017 1:21 PM
But even IRL there are communications between cliques. There are friends of friends.
By FluffyBunny199 at Aug 31, 2017 1:21 PM
So you feel ignored or left out by the "in" group who is probably richer, tougher, or stronger than you... to me it sounds like they're doing a pretty good job at giving you enough motives to take what is theirs. Maybe a lesser FluffyBunny attitude is in order?
By villa at Aug 31, 2017 1:25 PM
You may not be seeing everything that clique is doing. There are a lot of methods of communication that don't show to the general public. IRL is usually a lot less dangerous than Withmore, too, so it's not a great comparison to the dystopian future within the game world.
By Meoris at Aug 31, 2017 1:26 PM
If people aren't engaging you it's generally because they have no reason to, usually because you're not giving them one. Instead of feeling like cliques of the cool kids won't include you, make yourself matter. Hell, be more important than them. I've had people come out of seemingly nowhere and pull me into stuff way over my head, and it's because I've made my character matter, not because I got mad about the foot-, uh, deathball team lunch table.
By urgentsurgeon at Aug 31, 2017 1:54 PM
As a player of four years with a new(ish) character topside, I can see why you may think topside is very cliquey, a lot of people chatting in their keys and spending time with their friends, not going to the usual bar spots and such.

This doesn't mean that they don't contact out of their clique however, they're just not doing it publically.

Also, as people have said, no one has an obligation to RP with you, or anyone else. Imagine in real life if everyone just always handed out jobs and favours to people, and struck up conversations with every stranger in the bar.

If it's RP you're after, provide a reason for them to RP with you, all their friends did and that'w why they're friends. It's just tough to get into initially.

By jwimpeney at Aug 31, 2017 1:59 PM
It can be really challenging for a new player. Hell, every new character I've had has had a rough start. I've seen two common pieces of advice given here and they seem to form this feedback loop that can be challenging to get into

One is to engage the player base. That real progress is made by RP with other players. That it is how you go from zero to mattering.

Th other is that if you want people to RP wih you, you have to make yourself matter. That you have to give them value, a reason to RP with you.

But in order to matter and gain, you need to RP with people but if I want to RP I need matter and have value and so it goes.

I'm not saying that it's hopeless, just that I can see where new players are coming from. The fact is that it simply takes some time and effort but it is not impossible to start making your way into these cliques and that loop

Things that help in my opinion:

- Get a job or find another reason why some characters are expected to spend time and communicate with you.

- Stick around, and give it time. SD is not a game of instant gratification. Things take time.

- Get out and about. Don't sit in your pad all day.

- Keep an eye out for IC events and participate. Maybe make one of your own.

- Don't be scared of striking up a conversation. Look at the other characters and listen and try and find a reason why your character might engage them. Make a reason, even if it is you bumping into them on accident.

- Once you start getting flash, even if it is not a lot, try involve other PC's in it's use. Go to a PC tailor instead of clothing shop. Pay someone to go to the shop for you. All that. You might spend twice as much but you make connections on the way.

- Don't be scared of engaging NPCs. They are there for a reason and can help you achieve goals (or smack you down in your attempts). Just don't expect too much from them. They have their own goals and quirks.

The best things, from what I have heard, come from your character having a goal and them taking risks to get it done. I'm still pretty crap at this but I have seen characters go from knowing no one to having huge networks in just a few weeks and these characters all seem to be driven risk takers that take the bad with the good.

You keep at and, sooner or later, someone will take the bait. It will happen!

By Grey0 at Aug 31, 2017 11:38 PM
I've wanted to reply to this for a while now because I've seen what you're talking about, but I don't believe it's happening in the way you think. What I see topside is that a lot of players seem to be playing to the theme of luxury and safety but not quite as much to the gritty control, conspiracy, and intrigue that topside is supposed to be full of. A group of players who are focused on the former are simply not going to have much to offer those looking for the latter, and vice versa.

It's less likely that cliques are forming because of who is friends with who and more that like-minded players are clumping together to play the sort of game they want to play. If you want to branch out, be more like the other guys.

This ties into your other thread about money hoarding, too. I think people are sometimes reluctant to play to theme because they don't want to play a nasty or unlikable character, but you don't have to be that to be cyberpunk, you just need to do things that motivate people and move money around. If your character is meek, let their fear motivate them to take risks to protect themselves. If you want to roleplay a romance, let your character fall in love with someone they shouldn't, or maybe someone who hates their guts. If they're curious, dig up data till it gets them into trouble. This is where you get minor conflicts that progress your character's story until they blossom into larger and more expansive goals that will in and of themselves give you things to do and get you out of your clique and engaging with a wider chunk of the player base.

By Vera at Sep 3, 2017 2:40 PM
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