History VideoGame / CantrII

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: What often can happen when sleepers (players who barely wake up, thus don't really know what's going on around them), new characters or [[AxCrazy new players]] get promoted to leadership roles. Special mention must go to the man who chased a boat ... [[WhatAnIdiot in a van]]. Needless to say, he didn't achieve very much, but became the butt of jokes for a long, long time. See also AxCrazy, for the other mode guards switch between.

->''The 'hee hee' moves of left turns on the forum are by people who do not realize that there is a sleeping giant who is, at heart, quite peaceful. Any Lilliputian attempts will be forestalled if they are perceived as hostile... you could have been a giant too.''
-->-- Our local [[StepfordSmiler friendly]] [[{{CloudCuckoolander}} staffmember]] making an [[WeCanRuleTogether impassioned argument]] with [[FauxSymbolism surprise guest star]], Literature/GulliversTravels. Not so surprise is the appearance of ShameIfSomethingHappened

->''We all have one kind of mental condition or another, and personality types susceptible to addiction, or we'd be doing something more productive with our lives. Like taking heroin.''
-->-- A player making [[JustOneMoreLevel an apt comparison.]]

* LifeImitatesArt: A particularly odd meta example, blurred between this and its inverse. Spending several ingame years in a stifling, boring, murderous town, and seeing actions taken by the staff on the forums will seem very familiar, including outdated and poorly worded rules.
** Especially as being on staff conveys definite benefits to becoming and staying a town leader, [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem ethics be damned.]]
* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Due to every character being played by a writer, this comes up a lot in game. "If you don't do what I want, I'll stop eating/go away/harm myself fatally", etc. Years (ingame, and in real life) later, they're still alive and kicking. In a meta sense, the forums crawl with announcements of players 'ruining' the game (including several of the [[HypocriticalHumor disreputable staffers]] [[NeverMyFault trying to blame the players]] for their imminent RageQuit.)

* RunningTheAsylum: As mentioned in the introduction, the creator has largely left the game, leaving it to some staff to manage things. Over time, this has resulted in what has been referred to as the [[DrunkWithPower Internet]] [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem Illness]]. Basically, any normal person getting a chance to live out their powertrip fantasies, and going for broke. HilarityEnsues

* StreisandEffect: "No further posts (about) the tropes page will be honored or allowed. [[DrunkWithPower They will be deleted without comment and warnings will be issued to the posters]]. [[ThePurge We have seen greater measures taken]] and do not fear them again." Cue a dramatic upswell in the [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing visitors to the trope entry.]]

''[[http://www.cantr.net Cantr II]]'' is a text-based persistent browser-based role-playing game (PBBRPG), that first went online in late 2002. There are no [=NPCs=] in the game world, leaving the only interaction to be with characters played by other players. Created as a social simulator, it has gone far beyond the scope of the original (a game played by the creator and some friends using Lego pieces to represent the 200 or so characters, and scraps of paper to detail their motivations and goals), to a true multiplayer game, with all the social interactions (and friction) that implies. Empires, kingdoms, thieves, knights, librarians, personalities, managers, leaders, schemers, schisms and good old chatter, Cantr has it all. And with [[RunningTheAsylum some]] [[PromotedFanboy interesting]] [[SmallNameBigEgo developments]], the scope has expanded again to reach the Meta, into an exploration of what happens when [[Literature/LordOfTheFlies oversight disappears,]] [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour muscles flex]] and [[ProfessionalButtKisser who]] [[PunchClockVillain can]] [[{{Nepotism}} survive]] [[ApatheticCitizens the]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea regime]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Fascinating stuff, but not for the thinskinned, or faint of heart.]] Of course, you could just use it as a chatbox, but when else do you get to (safely) explore the ramifications of living under an oppressive dictatorship? And that's not getting into the ingame dictatorships that arise.

Essentially you create a character, choose gender and see where you are placed (spawned). Everything after that, is up to you and the people around, including your own characterisation of your character. Spawned in a bustling town, with opportunity? Take them up, and see where life goes. In a quiet town with little going on? Make something happen, and liven up the place. An [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RimL7HchBxU unofficial trailer]] provides its own overview of some of the things you can do. [[SnicketWarningLabel Warning - Game looks and plays nothing like this.]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also doesn't have music.]]

But a few caveats. Cantr can get very serious and consequences can happen to your character with little or no warning especially as a new player and character both, so hopefully these tips will keep you coming back to [[FanNickname the Green]], and creating interesting stories with friends.

OOCIsSeriousBusiness: For talking player to player, as in asking about game mechanics, use the shorthand OOC: .But try to keep it as a whisper, to respect others immersion. Also think if it'd be possible instead, to ask in character? "How do I get the ship going the right way" vs "OOC: Hey, which button does the steering?". However, this rule of etiquette and respect to other players is frequently violated, and used as a tool to get their own way, much like a child having a tantrum. Report it, and don't stoop to their level.

But we also follow what's called the Capital Rule - which is open to interpretation and ruling. But basically, information and attitudes from one character, cannot effect the others. Staff have a huge leeway to decide what is and isn't a breach, so the wisest course is to only have one character ever involved in an event, in a town, [[InsaneTrollLogic or attitude]] to a person. [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem Unless you're special]]. But for the plebians, if Person X makes one of your characters formative years hell on earth, you can have an attitude about them. However, if Person X tries to kidnap another of your characters, [[FlatWhat you may not express any emotion whatsoever]], as this will be interpreted as a breach.

EarnYourFun: The game, as life, is full of people who's idea of fun you will not comprehend, let alone enjoy. So it's up to you to make it fun. If that's by earning wealth and traveling, or by sticking around some friends, or by singing silly ditties, then it's up to you to find your fun.

GuideDangIt: The forums are filled with answers, and questions (many unanswered still). The wiki, more answers but not uptodate. The IRC channel, very sparsely populated. But, ask in game in character, on the forums, scour the wiki, and hope for someone to be on the IRC, and at worst, roll up your sleeves and find out.

The Non-Consent Rule: One of the more abusable and icky aspects, is that people can and will live out their rape fantasies and [[ShapedLikeItself forcing everyone to react to it]] (Think [[Series/TheOfficeUS Michael]] pulling a gun in his improv classes, but with more genitals). The weak justification for letting this in the game, is that the player has to Out of Character ask to rape first, or at least ask if they're over 18. In theory, this would keep it to a small part of the world, but when one player always seeks possible victims, and has 15 characters roaming the world ..... It can seem far more prevalent then one would like.

The game operates on a tick system. Every 3 RL hours, there's 1 cantr hour, and in each Cantr hour, there's the travel tick, sea travel tick, and project tick. It doesn't matter what you've done in the previous hour, just what you're doing when the tick hits. Takes some getting used to, but it's useful knowledge to have a good grasp of the mechanics. You can make life simpler by activating this [[http://joo.freehostia.com/cantr/ticks/ tick timer]] instead. There's also [[https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/7409-cantr-enhanced Cantr enhanced]], which provides a wide host of useful UI improvements, including its own version of the Tick timer.

New players are also likely to benefit from [[http://forum.cantr.org/ the forum]], [[http://wiki.cantr.net/index.php/Main_Page the wiki]], , the [[http://widget00.mibbit.com/?server=irc.newnet.net&channel=%23cantr&nick=cantrplayer_%3f%3f mibbit link]] and/or the IRC server details [[note]]Server: irc.newnet.net Port: 6667 (if needed) Channel: #cantr[[/note]]

* TabletopGame/{{Mao}}: Possibly the only way to experience Mao without playing it, is to play Cantr. From the forum rules that are visible "Discussion of (rule breaking) is not allowed." "Only generalisation of rules is allowed" "[[CircularReasoning Complaints about staff are to be made to staff, and only in private"]]. There's a lot more rules that aren't available, not to mention it's a rare case when the player is informed of which rule was broken, or the evidence. The '[[InsaneTrollLogic logic]]' behind, is that players who knew the rules, would evidently work their LoopholeAbuse magic, as propounded by one staffer who is fondly referred to as the Goat Wormhole (You put in a valid argument, and the response is a goat. Any further comment is referred back to the goat. "What do you mean, it's not a good goat? See, four hooves and everything"). The game is a social simulator after all, and what better way to simulate North Korea and Soviet Russia then hiding the gamefield, until a misstep and LandMineGoesClick.
** As further hilarity, the Players Department professed function is to 'guide' players when dealing with possible rule breaks. Yes, [[ExactWords guide]] them, by standing on the other side of the minefield and shouting that everything is fine .... until it isn't.
** CountryMatters: - One of the invisible rules that has been pieced together over the years, is to never use this word, or imply it tangentially. This especially can come across a little bizarre, when placed side by side with several potentially [[{{Squick}} Squicky]] subjects, including Master/Slave-chat, assassination attempts, corpse cuddling ([[ILoveTheDead and sometimes more]]) and more 'children' characters acting out their owners Literature/{{Lolita}} fantasies.
** From the game creator: "It's very important that we make that very explicit, so that we do not suggest that people cannot criticize staff. [[AndThatsTerrible That's bad]]." From a recently promoted staffmember "Any further criticism will result in a ban". Have fun walking the line!
** [[WriterOnBoard Don't touch]] [[CreatorsPet the staff's precious snowflake town]], known as Smoku (The other name is hideously [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI out of place]]). Any actions taken in regard to this town are under the microscope, and if deemed against the staff's interest, [[{{Unperson}} welll......]]
** TallPoppySyndrome: Most games, your reward for being sociable, amusing, interesting and engaging is to have people acknowledge that, and be appropriately appreciative, right? Here, you get labelled as 'highly influential' (if you're not on the side of staff, of course), and harrassed and bumped off at earliest convenience. So, be interesting, but don't outshine ThePrimaDonna staffmembers, or it's a [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour boot on the neck for you, comrade!]]

** A most [[{{JustForFun/Egregious}} our-favourite-word]] example, involves a ~140 year old mundane man looking like [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Vash]] [[UpToEleven but even prettier]] See for yourself the character owner's [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/grlimbvqgcrbrwk/302apt4.jpg?dl=0 impression]] of him.

* OutOfCharacterMoment: As mentioned previously, for when the player (as differentiated from the character) needs to speak to other players (again, different from characters), the standard of OOC: is used. This hasn't stopped longwinded rants when the player ([[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped different from character)]] has been upset or annoyed by some ingame event, and decided to use the power of TalkingIsAFreeAction. An especially egregious and amusing for all involved example, involved the word Shutup, 87 times in the space of a minute.

* SeriousBusiness: How some stories can come across. Boyfriend left town without saying goodbye three times? Better get on the radio and call him heartless. Running low on food (as in, only four years left)? Conscript all the locals, into some cooking project to save the world. Someone said your [[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet beer tastes like piss?]] Only response is to threaten them with death, while [[TheShill proclaiming its healthful benefits]]. See Internet Tough Guy

* {{GIFT}}: A few layers of anonymity, starting with each persons character not being linked to their account. The second layer, comes with the even more anonymous ingame radio. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything It has indeed been called 4-chan on the forum, generally by detractors. Very few lolcat pictures, but one instance of ASCII art. But this is perfect for couch warriors, trolls and other attention seekers to quickly get their fix, and stir up molehills.

* RunningTheAsylum: As mentioned in the introduction, the creator has largely left the game, leaving it to some staff to manage things. Over time, this has resulted in what has been referred to as the [[DrunkWithPower Internet]] [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem Illness]]. Basically, any [[{{GIFT}}normal person getting a chance to live out their powertrip fantasies, and going for broke]]. HilarityEnsues

* InternetToughGuy: Ingame, the anonymous radio system basically breeds this type. Declare into the Internet equivalent, of a game on the Internet, that everyone is in serious trouble now because Sgt Hardpants is alive and well, and then go back to sleep, content in being a couch warrior, twice over.

* StreisandEffect: "No further posts (about) the tropes page will be honored or allowed. [[DrunkWithPower They will be deleted without comment and warnings will be issued to the posters]]. [[ThePurge We have seen greater measures taken]] and [[OrwellianEditor do not fear them again]]." Cue a dramatic upswell in the [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing visitors to the trope entry.]]

Essentially you create a character, choose gender and see where you are placed (spawned). Everything after that, is up to you and the people around, including your own characterisation of your character. Spawned in a bustling town, with opportunity? Take them up, and see where life goes. In a quiet town with little going on? Make something happen, and liven up the place. An [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RimL7HchBxU unofficial trailer]] provides its own overview of some of the things you can do. [SnicketWarningLabel Warning - Game looks and plays nothing like this.]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also doesn't have music.]]

** More explanation. This family/group/clan has a habit of dropping most of the letters away from probably, and [[MostAnnoyingSound talking about the most inane subjects for hours on end]]. Hence their nickname of, the [[PokemonSpeak Pry Clan.]]

''[[http://www.cantr.net Cantr II]]'' is a text-based persistent browser-based role-playing game (PBBRPG). There are no [=NPCs=] in the game world, leaving the only interaction to be with characters played by other players. Created as a social simulator, it has gone far beyond the scope of the original (a game played by the creator and some friends using Lego pieces to represent the 200 or so characters, and scraps of paper to detail their motivations and goals), to a true multiplayer game, with all the social interactions (and friction) that implies. Empires, kingdoms, thieves, knights, librarians, personalities, managers, leaders, schemers, schisms and good old chatter, Cantr has it all. And with [[RunningTheAsylum some]] [[PromotedFanboy interesting]] [[SmallNameBigEgo developments]], the scope has expanded again to reach the Meta, into an exploration of what happens when [[Literature/LordOfTheFlies oversight disappears,]] [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour muscles flex]] and [[ProfessionalButtKisser who]] [[PunchClockVillain can]] [[{{Nepotism}} survive]] [[ApatheticCitizens the]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea regime]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Fascinating stuff, but not for the thinskinned, or faint of heart.]] Of course, you could just use it as a chatbox, but when else do you get to (safely) explore the ramifications of living under an oppressive dictatorship? And that's not getting into the ingame dictatorships that arise.

Essentially you create a character, choose gender and see where you are placed (spawned). Everything after that, is up to you and the people around, including your own characterisation of your character. Spawned in a bustling town, with opportunity? Take them up, and see where life goes. In a quiet town with little going on? Make something happen, and liven up the place.

The game operates on a tick system. Every 3 RL hours, there's 1 cantr hour, and in each Cantr hour, there's the travel tick, sea travel tick, and project tick. It doesn't matter what you've done in the previous hour, just what you're doing when the tick hits. Takes some getting used to, but it's useful knowledge to have a good grasp of the mechanics.

The forum: http://forum.cantr.org/

The wiki: http://wiki.cantr.net/index.php/Main_Page

The mibbit link:http://widget00.mibbit.com/?server=irc.newnet.net&channel=%23cantr&nick=cantrplayer_%3f%3f

or, the server details to add to your IRC client
Server: irc.newnet.net
Port: 6667 (if needed)
Channel: #cantr

And, the trailer! Unofficial, but far more intriguing then the official.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RimL7HchBxU

Cantr enhanced: https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/7409-cantr-enhanced . Not essential, but has a wide host of useful UI improvements, including a version of the Tick timer.

The original tick timer: http://joo.freehostia.com/cantr/ticks/ . Again, not essential but knowing when the project ticks and travel ticks are, makes life a lot simpler.

----

* TwentyFourHourArmor: Everybody wears shields, if they can afford them. Previously when repairing the shield periodically, this would mean the character didn't benefit from it's protection, resulting in people having a 'repair shield' as well.

* AerithAndBob: One particular stretch of coastline boasted towns named Rosenbury, Olipifirovash, Texas, and [[FinalFantasyXI San D'Oria]].

* IronicHell: Step1: Cut down many of the [[TallPoppySyndrome interesting players]], ignore complaints, stifle discussion, discourage people from gushing about anything cool they've done. Step 2: Wait. Step 3: Act surprised when the game is boring, the problems have become significant, nobody notices the rare moment of interesting, and people have gone to other games where they can be appreciated for their works.

** A most [[{{JustForFun/Egregious}} our-favourite-word]] example, involves a ~140 year old mundane man looking like [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Vash]] [[UpToEleven but even prettier]] See for yourself the character owners impression of him. [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/grlimbvqgcrbrwk/302apt4.jpg?dl=0]].

** [[WriterOnBoard Don't touch]] [[CreatorsPet the staff's precious snowflake town]], known as Smoku (The other name is hideously [[FinalFantasyXI out of place]]). Any actions taken in regard to this town are under the microscope, and if deemed against the staff's interest, [[{{Unperson}} welll......]]

* StreisandEffect: "No further posts (about) the tropes page will be honored or allowed. [[DrunkWithPower They will be deleted without comment and warnings will be issued to the posters]]. [[ThePurge We have seen greater measures taken]] and [[OrwellianEditor do not fear them again]]." Cue a dramatic upswell in the [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing vistors to the trope entry.]]
* StylisticSuck: The only possible explanation for some of the promotional artwork for the game. For instance, [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/qy0nuipyqy1kk1g/24848239654_40e94067cd_c.jpg?dl=0]]an official bit of art, intended to promote the game on a milestone date. Compare to the fanmade reaction, highlighting the flaws in it [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/3xepl4o4zljnd5n/Cantr%20Ad%202.jpg?dl=0]]

** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RimL7HchBxU - An updated version of the trailer, a lot prettier and more interesting [[SnicketWarningLabel Warning - Game looks and plays nothing like this.]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also doesn't have music.]]
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Another tactic, guarantteed to get sympathy. Or encourage the more ..... [[AxCrazy violent members]] of the community to try and pull a Series/{{Dexter}}. Or Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs. Or Film/{{Psycho}}. Hell, pick a serial killer trope, and we've got/had some iteration of it.

EarnYourFun: The game, as life, is full of people who's idea of fun, you will not comprehend, let alone enjoy. So it's up to you to make it fun. If that's by earning wealth and travelling, or by sticking around some friends, or by singing silly ditties, then it's up to you to find your fun.

The Non-Consent Rule: One of the more abusable and icky aspects, is that people can and will live out their rape fantasies and [[ShapedLikeItself forcing everyone to react to it]] (Think [[TheOfficeUS Michael]] pulling a gun in his improv classes, but with more genitals). The weak justification for letting this in the game, is that the player has to Out of Character ask to rape first, or at least ask if they're over 18. In theory, this would keep it to a small part of the world, but when one player always seeks possible victims, and has 15 characters roaming the world ..... It can seem far more prevalent then one would like.

* {{Angrish}}: A favoured tactic of some players when their character is having a bad day. Yelling "RRRRRRRGGGH! You insulted Moss", is a timetested [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal tactic of the type]]