obcidian_bandit
Pioneer
That's part of the problem. The combat effects are all reasonably well-defined. Love (and Love 9) have the same problem that Charm does, in that it's an RP thing that has other perks, depending on how it's played. This became a big enough issue that Charm had to be addressed as "Dominate, but with RP." Neither Love nor Love 9 have that clarity.Fearless Leader said:What's wrong with Love 9? It's an elixir which only increases role-playing and can't hurt you in combat in the slightest
What it comes down to is 'forced RP.' Some people don't want to RP a certain thing, or they're playing a character that will cause them to RP such an effect in a way that someone else doesn't feel is 'correct,' or whatever. (In before "It's an RP game. Don't play it if you don't want to RP. Hurr hurr, durrr..." Come on, get over yourself and actually contribute to the damn conversation.) My biggest problem is that every time I've seen Love or Love 9 used, it's just been silly. Much like Hallucinate, it doesn't do anything, but it harms the atmosphere by kicking the silliness quotient way up.
I don't really care for most of the "forced RP" effects because it means that someone isn't trying hard enough. There's no reason the 25th level, swinging 15's fighter should be running from the 45 Body Banshee, but they've got 3 Arcane Fears per day, and one of them just might get through. I've seen people actually run in fear from lots of things that weren't actually throwing Fear, and most people just roll their eyes when they're hit by things that do throw Fear. People will RP drunkeness when they're handed "the good stuff" regardless of whether or not it's got an Intoxicate Elixir mixed into it. People don't need a slip of paper to have a reason to RP, but using one to force them to RP in 'your way' is weaksauce.