ES - Re: response to role playing

[Karie Mitchell]

>From: "Mordock von Rugen" <mordockvonrugen at hotmail.com>
>Well, that's my bit of soapbox stumping for now.  Next in line?

I think I'll take a stab at this...

>important to bear in mind a couple of things, even while accepting that 
>*some* kind of common ground is required:
>
>By adopting this sort of standard, we endanger the historical recreation 
>aspects of our society by moving into the realm of >fantasy.  The two must 
>be very carefully balanced.

I agree; there must be balance.  One of the ways that I have found most 
useful is to believe that I am not at "home" in Milan, but I am in 
Ansteorra, a far off country that has many strange and wonderous things!  My 
heritage is from there, and I "grew up" there, but "somehow" I was 
transplanted to Ansteorra to live.

In a way, we are doing fantasy and not history, because we admit so many 
different cultures.  That's why so many "recreation" societies look down on 
us.  We are trying to do something that is "impossible", by combining all 
these diverse cultures into one blended present.  And yet, I think we have 
the most fun.  We can learn a great deal about history by sitting around and 
sharing what we have learned.  People discover great things by linking the 
histories together.

>A case in point is the continuing argument about just what we're doing >on 
>the battlefield - simulating war conditions, or simulating a grand >melee 
>of late period.  The answer to that question determines a great >many 
>things, like whether archers and siege engines should be present, >whether 
>killing (not striking) from behind should be acceptible, >whether calls for 
>single combat should be honored, and so on.

I am not as concerned about these things.  But, I'm also not an avid 
fighter.  And I'll bet that good Mordock is not so very interested in having 
more "period" A&S stuff (ie, guilds, "real" apprenticeships, etc.)  And 
there are those who are unhappy about the award system, and on and on.  We 
have to deal with things that are "inconsistent" as best we can.  It's part 
of the system of "Not as it was, but as how it should have been..."

>In adopting a standard, we need to do our best to make it one that is 
>acceptible to the greatest number of participants.  Given the mix of
>preferred personae, I can just about guarantee that Ansteorra would not 
>want to adopt a standard modelled after my persona.  I don't >expect 
>Ansteorra to do so.  However, I *would* prefer a "common >ground" that 
>doesn't "bend" my persona too much - else what's the >point?  In this 
>circumstance, I'd be better off abandoning that >persona and adopting one 
>that fit the Ansteorra subset of the Society >generally defined period and 
>purpose - or finding a game that better >modelled the period in which I'm 
>interested.

I think a second approach of mine would work here as well.  That of 
"diplomat", practically every culture had them, and they had to know that 
whatever their feelings towards their hosts they may harbor, they also had 
to maintain "presence" to be kind, and polite to them <else they might eat 
him for lunch :)>  So if you feel "different" from most personas in the SCA, 
it is useful to use the "when in Rome" and "go native" clauses in your 
brain.  Then when you do something different, you can gently explain the 
custom to your friendly barbarian friends that this is how you do things in 
the "civilized world" (and you might be a barsarker talking to the ruffled & 
feathered man with a whip of a sword (: )

>Finally, as the mix of participants changes over time, we need to be 
>willing to adapt so that our standard continues to fit the largest 
>proportion of participants possible.  We have to have some give and >take.

As long as the custom of courtesy and kindness continues.  That's the 
primary reason I joined the SCA (12 years ago - EEEEK!)  That I will not see 
change, except to have it expand and grow wider and better with time.

Whew!  You got the whole $.50 worth!

Ciao,
Alessandra
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