So, I previously had a couple accounts who, sadly, had the misfortune of never getting past the Stranger phase. One I said no on, one I think had a problem. So, now I'm able to walk through the valley of superb writing that is the Stranger plotline. Through it all, I get this...

NONE OF US ARE FERTILE. Suck it up. CMJ sprinkles musing about how we're all sterile like candy, if the candy was taped to your forehead. First, the hospital tent fellow talked about our radiation and fertility. Then we have our date with the Watcher and muse about how we can't have kids.

Just got our new friend meeting and learned the nitty gritty that we definitely can't have childrens, cause your penis says so. I can't remember if Rohit mused sadly about how we are not kiddy making machines anymore, but it's become a running theme in his writings.

Which I have to ask... Why? Are we, as the Islanders, really that annoying when preggers?

This is why.

I've seen that before. But this is less a "we can't have this event" and more a canon concept.

Jokes aside, I must ask: Who cares?

If you want to do a preggers storyline, then do it.

Why?

Because it's YOUR character. This is one of those things that you have to decide for yourself, not something that should be defined. Sure, maybe the game story says no, but since when has that stopped ANYONE? We have magic, ghosts, twenty foot tall people, bird-people, and all the like, why not a baby? Not to say that the island is the BEST place to raise a child, but still. If you do it right, it can be entertaining.

I digress. CMJ's storylines aren't scripture. They're more like... Guidelines. To do with it what you will. The Watcher isn't god, after all. Neither is Rohit, or any of the other characters.

No, I understand that and wasn't trying to imply that we should follow them as such, I just wondering what has made this so important that it's suddenly appeared in all the new writings.

In that thread, note the responses from both Zolotisty and myself. Forced pregnancy? The Island would lose at least two of its moderators. Good thing that's not happening.

As for roleplayed pregnancy -- in canon, you're right, it can't happen. (There seems to be an exception, via the time-honored Rule of Funny, for the descendants of Budget Horses.) Why? Not because it tends to be RP'd annoyingly by players who clearly have no actual experience of pregnancy, though, um, that certainly does happen. If all RP ideas were ruled out because some people do them badly, there'd be precious little left!

As best I can tell, CMJ just feels strongly that the Island is no place for children.

That said... players do RP a lot of things that aren't and can't be canon. As long as they are having fun and not spoiling anyone else's fun, this is allowed. Do not stomp on them. We are all playing let's pretend.

I really don't like children on the Island, I'll be honest, but I also find it a bit offputting to get told "haha actually you are sterile". But actually, if you wanted to have a baby, I don't really see that as breaking canon. Okay, accept we're all supposed to be sterile for a moment. So are people who have had their tubes tied, and you still hear of people having had that done becoming pregnant, because nature does not give a goddamn, shit happens, procedure wasn't perfect, bad luck...
Oh, wait. On the Island, we manipulate luck and improbability. All the time.


If CMJ really wants no children on the Island, it would be simpler (and probably less offputting) to have a rule that said "no playing kids", rather than denying it with a canon that says "you can basically do anything because improbability" (and is frequently ignored anyway).

Yes, but there's more to it than that.

The site is hosted in a country where child pornography is not allowed. The definition of which is broad. It's not unthinkable that an under aged character walking around in NewHome (where a pair of pants is the most coveted item) or Kittania (with an estimated 90% nudity) may be exposed to things that some people might consider inappropriate.

With multiple narrators in a scene, things that seem innocent at first might be regrettable in hindsight. An underaged character walking past a pair of KittyMorphs on his way to the bank could be interpreted badly. The Island is a very free place to roleplay and things can get out of hand for the three parties involved and there's no constant surveillance or immediate interference when things go sour.

But there's also CMJ's role to consider. He facilitates everything that happens and is therefore partially responsible, including bearing the repercussions. His host might boot him off, or -in extreme cases- he might have to appear in court. Bring a child into any scene and you're walking a tightrope above a snake pit full of lawyers.

To avoid all that nastiness, CMJ has decided not to allow children on the Island. (See rule #4 of the faq, gone live February of 2011.)


There are still a lot of pregnant characters around, aren't there? People still think the warzone we call Improbable Island would be a great place to raise a child. Who cares about the rampant monsters, mutations, explosions and careless memory wiping? Let's have toddlers roam rampant!

...

I think a few reminders here and there aren't such a bad thing.

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http://maniak.cu.cc/

I agree. I think CMJ is pretty clear in the FAQ:


My interpretation of that is: if you're going to run a pregnancy plot, you'd better make up a darn good reason, and keep your nose clean.

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Something something unintelligible gibberish something.

The problem I have with the "There should be a rule that says there shouldn't be kids" is despite, as Trowa pointed out, there IS one, there's also a VERY loose feeling around some of the rules. For instance, our biggest of broken ones... no alts. I can name a could dozen child based chars that are played well and kept not only within the rules of within the mind frame a child would need to be to live on this Island. But, much like the alts, where there are people who play good alts and people who abuse alts, there are people who have no clue what to do with an underage char or a pregnant char.

I've experience on pregnancy (both in life and in game) and realized that it's not rainbow and sun shines and it's something I'd probably keep away from in island.

Alternatively, CMJ is giving you an excuse as to why everyone can shag everyone else with no protection, and not get pregnant.

You're on your own with the Improbable STDs, though.

Henceforth, Improbable STDs shall be known as ISTDs.

Actually, he hints to there being a cure to AIDs. I imagine once we have a cure for that, most other STDs are kinda laughably taken care of.

There was a pre-EMP cure for everything, I'm sure. But this is:

1) Post-EMP
2) On an island away from most of civilization
3) Highly Improbable

Then again, those med tent men are marvelous.

The alts rule though, specifically has a loophole written into it that says it is okay to have alts so long as you're not being a dick or cheating. If there were actually a rule that said "no kid characters, full stop", you can bet it would be enforced. You're not breaking the no-alts rule unless you're being cheaty about it, which is why most alts go unpunished.

Hehe. I imagine their healing technique is to take the offending bits off...

(Disclaimer at the bottom)

Okay, I really don't know if at this point, there is any point of adding my own personal opinion here because most people have covered my points.

1. The island is NOT a place to be rearing children.
I want people who consider writing being pregnant to think very long and very hard for a moment. I realize that with all the fancy shmancy new things we can do (I have been gone for so long, I am so confused about the special features and new commands T_T. /special isn't special anymore and GREM didn't work for me yesterday.. But I digress), we can have homes and other such things that in the normal world would encourage a healthy upbringing. BUT THIS IS A WARZONE! I can't stress that enough. I'm sure some of you, over the years, have seen videos, pictures of children who were brought up in a warzone. If not, then I will educate you.

http://cnettv.cnet.com/children-iraq/9742-1_53-50036629.html
http://wallpaperstock.net/war-zone-children_wallpapers_17558_1440x900_1.html
http://warisacrime.org/node/18204
Tell me you want you want to have children on the island now

I'm sorry if this seems bitchy and brutal but this is the reality of it. Kids brought into a place of death and nightmares are not going to be normal. They are going to be fucked up. If you really think about it. Really really think about it, do you want your kids being brought up this way. Are your characters so selfish that they would subject children to this horror?

Now that I have gotten that particularly unpleasant business out of the way; (and oh god, please, I am not being a dick! I am being a realist)

2. The Watcher and Children

Okay, I am pretty sure this one hasn't been covered. Even if you could bring a child into the island, how do you think the Watcher would react.

She'd call you a fucking moron and take your child away.

Cue unpleasant drama.**

3. The Drive and Pregnant women (or men. I blame Junior for that one but that's a different story all together)

Okay, one thing. Any regular human female takes nine months to gestate and------

You know what, this is a stupid point. I'm sure some how, when someone was a gecko or something it would decrease the gestation period. I will concede this one but not before I say one thing.

The Drive fucking rips you apart so please - PLEASE, don't change races halfway through your pregnancy.

4.

Uh I knew I had a number four around here somewhere but it seems to have slipped my mind. I think I've done enough damage here so for my finale



DISCLAIMER

YAY, disclaimer time.

So, I am going to say right now, to please not take any offense to what I have said in my above ramblings. This being a public forum, I do feel that I have a right to express my opinions about the subject. It may be deemed as dickish but I prefer to call it blunt.

This in no way represents my character or her feelings or even my feelings to any individuals on the island who have thou- er, decided to engage in such roleplay.

I would also like to note that this subject matter revolves around some very strong opinions on my part and that I will blame such conceived bitchiness on that.

... I think I've covered my ass! Feel free to let me know if I haven't ^_^


** Also, drama. I am not saying that things need to be happy go lucky, but take it from a person who HAS written bad drama before. It takes nothing short of a miracle to bounce back from that sort of thing.

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"Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness." -Mark Twain.

Use * to start a special comment, and type /grem to grem. If you hit the help button under the chat bar, it will explain the commands.

Thank you Ada, you're a life saver

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"Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness." -Mark Twain.

Cherri, what you say is true. I would, though, like to make some supplementary points, that are, um, my opinion.

1. Yes, real war is absolutely horrible. It changes everyone who's caught in it, both adults and children, often in a way that is very shocking, especially to those of us who have not been so damaged.

2. The Island is not a real war. It is a game. It is a silly Internet game.

3. If the Island were a real war, it would not be fun. It would be horrible, like all real wars. You wouldn't want to be in it. It would be, yes, cruel to bring children into such an environment.

4. If the Island were a real war... people would still want children, as they have always done in all real wars throughout human history. Many factors affect birth rates -- nevertheless, if you look at this table you can't help but notice that war-torn countries tend to appear near the top, rather than the bottom, of the list.

5. Since the Island is, thank goodness, not a real war, but a silly, funny, extremely surreal game in which all player characters are creations of players' imaginations... no, the game-canon Watcher is not going to be taking anyone's children away. Nor will a player-imagined version of the Watcher do so -- unless the player chooses to write that as part of their character story. You advise against doing this; I would tend to agree.

There are two Islands, not one.

There's the canon Island in which CMJ is telling a story. He has total artistic control over that one, and he has made it plain that there are no children on that Island.

But then there's the ever-shifting, multi-strand Island of player story. Sometimes it is much like CMJ's Island. Sometimes it is very far removed -- and, you know, that's all right.

Cherriki, glad to see you back.

ANYWHO. I agree with you fully. Some of the logistics don't work. And the problem I have, and I'm going to say this now...

Can ANYONE name ONE COUPLE that has lasted more than six months on this island. Let's not include Bob and such, for obvious reasons. But, the few I know are few and far between and all of them adult enough to keep pregnancy away.

Too many of the people who do bring children in the game do not think of the consequences, I suppose. And maybe that's part of why he throwing this into every new update. Maybe he really, REALLY wants to make people stop and think "do I wanna screw canon. Would even being pregnant here be a good idea?"

While there are no real long term couples I can think that have children, there are at least 5-8 people on the island who have had children that have *mysteriously* disappeared because they RPed themselves into the proverbial corner.