Questions to politics roleplayers

[Hugh-Gi-Oh]

I play Diana Jones, senate leader for the democratic party, and for a long time, past chairwoman of the democratic party.

 

1.  I'd say I'm socially more on the left side of the spectrum, but I am economically a lot more right. Although, I'm also not American, I'm Dutch, and our right-wing is still more on the US democratic side. I think many Europeans miss that little critical point: the majority of western Europe's right wing is still more left than the US's left wing. Still, I do try to RP what my character would feel, and not what I would feel. I'm going hard against the death penalty because the leader of the democratic party won't bow to that, not because I OOC feel that it's the most important issue right now. 
2. Initially, it was because of my other character. I was RPing a black teenager who was very enthusiastic about changing the world for the better, and that demographic doesn't really align with the conservative mindset of the republican party. From there, I came to be in charge of the party, made a character more suitable for that position, and here I am. There have been times where I've considered making a Republican character. I think it'd be very fun, you can do a lotta stuff when you approach stuff from the other side. I'd enjoy it, but I have to maintain my side of things, and I'm enjoying this as well.
3. I mean, everything affects everything. It's impossible to say that your OOC views do absolutely not affect your IC views. I see myself as someone who can detach the two very well and I don't get emotional over RP or anything like that. I see my IC political opponents as my OOC friends, and us in SAGOV, no matter which side of the aisle we're on, we're all on very good terms with each other. But I'm not gonna sit here and say I'm totally immune to IC and OOC mixing. My character would not have certain ideas about the economy if I wasn't educated in economics. I would not play a character who is deeply concerned with racial issues if I didn't grow up thinking about those. I put a spin on it and I adjust accordingly to the character I play, but still. Even if I'd play a fascist, I'd probably still have their mindset revolve around the things that I know much about, and then that affects me and I affect my character. And so on, and so forth.

 

As for the whole other debate as to why the Republican party is in the majority and the Democratic party is in the minority, well, y'know, it's how it went. San Andreas was a blue state for most of the 21st century so far, but a few completely explainable factors turned the tables, and we are facing the consequences.

 

I recognize the issue that was brought up a few posts above where characters that you'd expect, in line with American tradition, to be a lot more democratic than they are. 

 

I don't mind, personally. I mean, hell, I'd love to be in charge, of course! I'd do a lotta wacky stuff if I had a majority in the senate. But I don't mind it. The IC situation now is a consequence of the IC situation then, and every little step along the way was RP'd out fine. It's not like we just bombed right into a massive Republican majority. Remember, the two elections ended in a 50/50 split. We just lost, and we lost because of a large number factors. 

 

One more thing I wanna emphasize: our IC opponents are not our OOC opponents. My character might call Hank Preston a rat, but OOC I'm sending him kisses. ily @NexusExodus. The political RP is not like a faction war where we both hate each other; it's a co-operative venture intended to create RP for the server. We try to create a story that the server can respond to and have interactions to. 

 

ok thanks bye

[Uncut]

5 hours ago, Hugh-Gi-Oh said:

I play Diana Jones, senate leader for the democratic party, and for a long time, past chairwoman of the democratic party.

 

1.  I'd say I'm socially more on the left side of the spectrum, but I am economically a lot more right. Although, I'm also not American, I'm Dutch, and our right-wing is still more on the US democratic side. I think many Europeans miss that little critical point: the majority of western Europe's right wing is still more left than the US's left wing. Still, I do try to RP what my character would feel, and not what I would feel. I'm going hard against the death penalty because the leader of the democratic party won't bow to that, not because I OOC feel that it's the most important issue right now. 
2. Initially, it was because of my other character. I was RPing a black teenager who was very enthusiastic about changing the world for the better, and that demographic doesn't really align with the conservative mindset of the republican party. From there, I came to be in charge of the party, made a character more suitable for that position, and here I am. There have been times where I've considered making a Republican character. I think it'd be very fun, you can do a lotta stuff when you approach stuff from the other side. I'd enjoy it, but I have to maintain my side of things, and I'm enjoying this as well.
3. I mean, everything affects everything. It's impossible to say that your OOC views do absolutely not affect your IC views. I see myself as someone who can detach the two very well and I don't get emotional over RP or anything like that. I see my IC political opponents as my OOC friends, and us in SAGOV, no matter which side of the aisle we're on, we're all on very good terms with each other. But I'm not gonna sit here and say I'm totally immune to IC and OOC mixing. My character would not have certain ideas about the economy if I wasn't educated in economics. I would not play a character who is deeply concerned with racial issues if I didn't grow up thinking about those. I put a spin on it and I adjust accordingly to the character I play, but still. Even if I'd play a fascist, I'd probably still have their mindset revolve around the things that I know much about, and then that affects me and I affect my character. And so on, and so forth.

 

As for the whole other debate as to why the Republican party is in the majority and the Democratic party is in the minority, well, y'know, it's how it went. San Andreas was a blue state for most of the 21st century so far, but a few completely explainable factors turned the tables, and we are facing the consequences.

 

I recognize the issue that was brought up a few posts above where characters that you'd expect, in line with American tradition, to be a lot more democratic than they are. 

 

I don't mind, personally. I mean, hell, I'd love to be in charge, of course! I'd do a lotta wacky stuff if I had a majority in the senate. But I don't mind it. The IC situation now is a consequence of the IC situation then, and every little step along the way was RP'd out fine. It's not like we just bombed right into a massive Republican majority. Remember, the two elections ended in a 50/50 split. We just lost, and we lost because of a large number factors. 

 

One more thing I wanna emphasize: our IC opponents are not our OOC opponents. My character might call Hank Preston a rat, but OOC I'm sending him kisses. ily @NexusExodus. The political RP is not like a faction war where we both hate each other; it's a co-operative venture intended to create RP for the server. We try to create a story that the server can respond to and have interactions to. 

 

ok thanks bye

 

Well, if it's not a faction war.

 

Or people continuing ingame to shit on "liberals" because of populistic memes about "libtards" and "SJWs".

 

This is beyond dumb.

 

And I'm 50 percent sure that with me saying this I'll be the topic of some discord chatroom and how about they meme about me or my character.

Because really? They'd rather see this as an assault on them than a critic on their roleplay.

 

Also @Hugh-Gi-Oh, respectfully I understand you're trying to ease it more down than it is and try to be more diplomatic about it, and I see your effort, but it is NOT.

Edited October 18, 2023 by Uncut

[Hart]

34 minutes ago, Uncut said:

 

Well, if it's not a faction war, explain this.

 

 

 

 

Or people continuing ingame to shit on "liberals" because of populistic memes about "libtards" and "SJWs".

 

This is beyond dumb.

 

And I'm 50 percent sure that with me saying this I'll be the topic of some discord chatroom and how about they meme about me or my character.

Because really? They'd rather see this as an assault on them than a critic on their roleplay.

 

Also @Hugh-Gi-Oh, respectfully I understand you're trying to ease it more down than it is and try to be more diplomatic about it, and I see your effort, but it is NOT.

 

[Al-Malikah]

Oh dear, political rp has gotten interesting to say the least since i've been vanished. 

All I know is that when it's fun, it's really fun. Like having a chance to spin/weather through or exploit  political scandals them was super super fun during a past election cycle, a unique type of RP experience.

[Mecovy]

as a recent failed politician who plays a punching bag character as of late. yes.

 

politics on gta w..... its quite something. a theory we had (not democrats but a group of mine helping with the campaign), a lotta the desire to be right wing rpers stems from this servers unhealthy obsession with hating on LGBTQ characters specifically. if you look at what the parties do (death sentences aside), they're not that different. 

 

Serious points below tho...

I've always held the belief if GTA W wants to expand its political rp, we need to roll the clock back on this idea of American politics we have in our heads. Politics shouldn't be a competition of who can fabricate the better lie, or who can smear enough crap against the wall of their opp to make even a monkey jealous. Political RP should be one area we take a smarter approach of how to integrate realism. America post 2016 is a circus show that really shouldn't be admired or aimed to be replicated. About a week after throwing my hat into the political RP race, I was hit with intense regret on an OOC level. For me the past election cycle had no enjoyment, it sapped my motivation to even bother to play. I'm not here to blame Nexus on that regard, he didn't start it. 

 

Anyway, that's my two cents on my recent foray into political RP. Some may agree with me, some will likely clown me in their private GC's, its just something I've wanted to get off my chest. 

 

as for the original questions:

1. irl im pretty in the middle. My views are generally on the mild social and economic conservative end of the spectra, I just cannot stand people making their entire personalities about hating groups which have 0 impact on them. I went Dem cause ahahahah u can't go independent and like fck would my char ever get along with the Republican chars given the events of July and prior.

2. answered on 1.

3. Me and my char are different people, whilst some aspects are inspired by people I've met and the way I've observed them act, the character itself was one I made to explore a particular theme and how that'd interact in a simulated world( with the exception of music taste, as im the player having to listen to it then you can bet your ass my chars music taste is my irl one. I aint listening to some weird shit, its a video game and I'm gonna take minor shortcuts to maximize my enjoyment like that 10 outta 10 times.). But I'd be lying if I didn't say some aspects of my political foray didn't affect me irl (A player got banned for doing some insanely stupid things in an attempt to just straight fuck w/ me.)

Edited October 18, 2023 by Mecovy

[Al-Malikah]

That makes a lot of sense Mecovy! 

The general cultural heat/tenor from players definitely makes politics RP stressful on any server. I'm thinking that much like gang politics/crime org politics, maybe there's options for really small scale, low pressure political RP. Like a Board of Education or like a lil Chamber of Commerce for some low-controversy and heat elections and maybe some fun events.

 

[Eriks]

IMHO, people’s OOC political persuasions influence their IC politics. We are a server of very “online” people from around the world. I think Donald Trump and AOC sort of ruined portrayal in state/local political role play because that’s the reference point for non-Americans. There’s obviously other reasons too, e.g. the efficacy of individual campaigns, incumbency advantages for Republicans, and candidate likability. Also outside of Trumpy/AOC mirroring, social issues and some criminal justice issues (abortion, LGBT rights, death penalty) the political parties are more less aligned. I don’t think I’ve seen many efforts by Republicans to make a smaller government and find/cut “wasteful” spending, nor have I seen Democrats investing a lot of time into being the champions for social programs and unions. If anything I would expect the GOP/Dems to have an inverse alignment in Los Santos (socially aligned, economically opposed). Not painting with a broad brush though, because some people are doing it right. Just an observation. 

[NexusExodus]

Real-life beliefs and understandings definitely have some sway on how people approach political RP. I personally have no connection to my IC beliefs, and consider my character to be vastly disconnected from my actual real-life beliefs. 

Though I'm a firm believer in the "this is San Andreas, not California" crowd. I believe in a fictional setting, you should be able to RP whatever concept you want, as long as your character isn't a troll or their sole purpose is to disrupt RP (i.e. a Donald Gibson type character.), as ultimately none of it matters in the end. Political RP should be allowed to sway either way the playerbase desires based on solely in-character events and voting. Real-life polls and demographics should have no weight on how we should be forced to pick and choose our character's beliefs and decisions. 

 

Realistic Republican and Democrat beliefs, policies, and economics are not simply possible in GTAW at all, and they never will be. GTAW is its own microcosm that suffers hyperinflation and a crime rate on par with World War 2 death tolls, so trying to apply realistic logic where it will never work is simply impossible.

 

One last thing is the OOC factor. Some people vote on who they may think is simply the better pick on an OOC level. And that has a lot to do with the image your character presents, how you roleplay and the amount of effort you can put into your campaign. I'll leave it at that.
 

Edited October 18, 2023 by NexusExodus

[H04X]

i equally hate @Hugh-Gi-Oh @Zani and @NexusExodus

[NexusExodus]

3 minutes ago, H04X said:

i equally hate @Hugh-Gi-Oh @Zani and @NexusExodus

I'll kiss your dad