Hey, I wanna be tainted!

[Noctere]

Hey, I wanna be tainted!

This request has often come up by many players so I thought I would shed a little light (or darkness) on the subject. If you wish to be tainted or to be stronger in the light, this can only be achieved via roleplay means. There were a few scripted instances where a slight tainting could be had but this was never intended to be anything permanent or to have any major effect.

Also this subject has had a rough past and many unhealthy/caustic debates have been had from it. So I ask that any responses please be courteous or this post will be quickly locked down. This is also why we have not added this on ANY character for a long time and we are just now considering granting it again.

First off, there is not just tainting but there is also a positive effect to this, which I will call, “Light Blessing” for now as we may change the term in the future. In fact, many famous monks and templars who have shown great roleplay and going above and beyond have been rewarded with this effect. This often comes with in game mechanical benefits (which I will not discuss OOC).

There is also the ‘Tainted Affliction’. This also has mechanical benefits and penalties. And a few characters who have shown themselves to have outstanding roleplay and a positive active effect on the community have sometimes been granted this on new characters.

So here comes the big question. How do I gain a Light Blessing or a Tainted affliction? Here are a few tips to help you toward that goal.

- Remain with the community for a long period of time on a single active character.

- Actively strive to encourage healthy group roleplay as either a very good or very evil character. (yes evil characters can be a positive force for roleplay)

- If you are evil, avoid killing random town NPCs and needlessly killing players for the heck of it. If you are good, remember that you are a person with flaws and not Mr. SuperPerfectLovesEveryoneAndEverythingAndBakesPie.

- Have a solid roleplay background for your character and stick to it. Don’t just change your ideology on every whim that seems beneficial at the moment. Unless your character is a pathological liar in which case they would still have a solid moral/immoral core but not share it openly. (The think command is great for that)

- Grinding is useful for gaining power but does little to help the community or encourage roleplay, unless you find ways to do mundane or grindy tasks with others which can help you do all of the above.

- Ask to hold player held events with minor or no GM involvement. (We love these)

- Consider the lore of the world and ask yourself, “Are my actions or is my character in line with that established lore.”

- Avoid overly silly or cartoonish style roleplay as this does not fit the established serious/grounded lore of the world. Your character can still be funny or silly at times but let's keep things realistic please.

- Be receptive to roleplay feedback and be willing to change the way you do things so that you can improve. So, strengthen your roleplay skills and learn to push your limits.

- Characters attempting to taint or bless themselves by performing a ritual will be ignored. This is like saying, “Oh mighty GMs we want to be tainted and we are doing something right now to do it, so chop chop, make it happen!” There is nothing wrong with letting the GMs know you want to be tainted or blessed and this might be in line with your characters RP but you should not expect it to happen because of it.

- Remember that gaining a light blessing or a tainted effect can ONLY be gained from a GM. This is NEVER intended to be something ‘forced’ out of the system by doing an action alone in a ritual spot or gained because you gave one million doggy treats to the puppy orphanage. If something is found that gives a slight scripted effect to this end, it will most likely be removed as many players have attempted to abuse the system.

[Sneaky]

It's all about the edge. "I walk the line." Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyS12e4-zTs

[Alila]

Shhh, but there is this very mysterious wiki page which might suggest the alternative name soul purity?
http://clok.contrarium.net/index.php?title=Purity
Unless this is in reference to something else?
This is a minor edit--but only because you did not seem very satisfied with referring to it as a blessing.
-Alila

[verel]

Ahhh, all right. I honestly didn't know this. I have many charrs, so... one of them has to be at least slightly evil and/or at least curious.

[Noctere]

I also forgot to note that tainting is indeed an 'affliction' and is sometimes given to characters for behavior we deem as warranted for it, even if they themselves do not wish to be tainted. However, we will often provide a way for them to return to normal.

[Jaster]

If only I had a riln or two for every time I had a slight tainting. So rich.

[Maina]

- Remain with the community for a long period of time on a single active character.

This is not the first time I've seen this sentiment attached to something RP related on this game. As someone with... multiple characters, I have to ask:

Does this indicate that those of us with multiple characters are forever exempt from certain GM-led RP considerations, such as becoming Tainted or Infested or whatever else?

[Noctere]

There is nothing wrong with having more than one character. The problem lies in that many of us have a limited amount of time to play, which means the more you spread yourself out, the less of a single character we see and therefore we have less ability to understand what each character is all about.

The logic behind this is want to see you dedicate and focus yourself to single idea so that when we reward you for playing that idea well, it isn't wasted. Much like characters who REALLY want to get into Corvus, only to leave the moment they are allowed in. Or Templars or Monks who quit shortly after becoming a Templar or Monk.

We also REALLY dislike it when players character hop to suit every situation. Such as, "There is an event in Corvus that just came on as I was playing my Templar, let me hop onto my Corvite." Or "As I was playing my grinding character an NPC just popped on that would work well my my RP character, let me just switch now." Please do not do this...

[Sneaky]

I've only spent time roleplaying with one person who is tainted. Is being tainted suppose to cause specific behavioral changes, or is that up to the person being tainted to roleplay?

[Rosalin]

I've done alot of RP without really touching Ritual or Thought. I do it once in a very blue moon and I do it more on an alt than my main. Though i don't know how much is appropriate. I would like to add alot more thoughts and rituals but, i'm more worried about cluttering. I don't want to spam the DMs with all that stuff and it's been a worry of mine for years now that if i do it often I'd be spamming. So I only tend to do it when my character has something serious to convey.

I guess what i'm trying to ask is "what's appropriate?"

[Noctere]

I've only spent time roleplaying with one person who is tainted. Is being tainted suppose to cause specific behavioral changes, or is that up to the person being tainted to roleplay?

Mostly up to you but you gotta figure that such changes are considered not a good thing and would probably affect them negatively.

I've done alot of RP without really touching Ritual or Thought. I do it once in a very blue moon and I do it more on an alt than my main. Though i don't know how much is appropriate. I would like to add alot more thoughts and rituals but, i'm more worried about cluttering. I don't want to spam the DMs with all that stuff and it's been a worry of mine for years now that if i do it often I'd be spamming. So I only tend to do it when my character has something serious to convey.

I guess what i'm trying to ask is "what's appropriate?"

"To spam or not spam, that is the question."
The simple answer is if you have a meaningful, well thought out ritual or thought then go for it. But if you are thinking or 'ritualing' the same thing over and over, then that is just spam. Or if you have a short thought that fits a situation that would not otherwise be known about your character, then that is good too. But other than that, I say go for whatever you feel is right for your character.

[Daiden]

...
Or Templars or Monks who quit shortly after becoming a Templar or Monk.

I think about a week after I submitted my application to start working on a Templar, I had, for a better lack of term, a nearly year-long work emergency. Sorry! I still love you all!