Training?

[CrazyD]

What is training and what is it for? I have read some of the post but I'm still a bit confused. Can anyone explain this to me. Please

[Coolpikaaa]

Training helps you use your character more,while you fight another user.The more you use your char,the more you "know" about it,then the better your RPs are.

-coolpikaaa

[CrazyD]

How can you learn more about your own character. Don't you know as much as you can learn?

Do people earn belts training? How exactly would you?

[3kul]

Coolpikaaa's more or less right on the mark, though I can see how you've gotten confused CrazyD.

Training varies greatly depending on what you want, but in general it helps you to better use your character.

To give you an example, let's pretend that I make a character who happens to fight using a bow and arrow. Now I can make my character run about, shooting arrows all over the place if I want, but if I don't know anything about archery it ends up sounding kind of (for lack of a better word) crap. There's only so many ways I can say *3kul shoots arrows at <target>*.

So I'd come here and request training from somebody who's more experienced with using a character who is also an archer. Basically we'd be roleplaying together, but they'd be correcting me both in and out of character. In character, they'd be informing me of how to put a bow and arrow to the best use possible, and it makes for a realistic way for my character to get better at using a bow and arrow. Out of character, they'd be telling me if I was making any mistakes in terminology or something like that, stuff that they can't tell me in character.

But training doesn't always have to be so specific - you could simply ask someone for help on RPing in general (it's not all about combat after all), or even just get tips on how to improve your character. To give another example, your character could be a master of water, but there are many ways to use water that people wouldn't immediately think of - at a high enough pressure, water can be focused into a jet that can cut through concrete and even some metals.

In short though, training is pretty much exactly as coolpikaaa described it - a way of allowing you to get more used to RPing with your character.

As for belts, that really depends. Training does help you to get a higher belt rank, but that's not a guarantee or anything - some people can get belts without training, others can do training and not get a belt. It's important to remember that belts are awarded depending on your skill level as an RPer, not how much training you've done.

Some higher up belt ranks do require that their belt bearers help other members train, usually up to green belt rank, which provides incentive for people to help each other out.

[Danikat]

Training can also help you to develop and improve even a fully formed character.

No matter how much work you put into designing them there are likely to be gaps, things you forgot to work out which will only become apparent as you use the character. Alternatively you might have added an ability that in theory seems incredibly useful but in reality just doesn't work that well, or is too easy to get around.
In short training is a way of testing the character to iron out the kinks.

And sometimes a really well designed character can even suprise their creator. When they have a complete, well-rounded personality you can sometimes find that they don't react as you might expect. You can be in the middle of typing a reply and suddenly realise it might be what you would do but its not what they would do at all. Training allows you to explore your character, put them through some real experiences and discover how they react to them.

More usually however its a way for people who are new to our system of RP'ing, or the whole concept (or just using a new technique as 3kul described) to learn how to do it without worrying about reprucussions. Nothing that happens in a training match has any effect on your character or the world anywhere else (unless you want it to) so you don't have to worry about the consequences, and if you make a mistake you aren't going to be frustrating anyone else who's trying to role-play so you'll just get constructive tips on how to improve rather than complaints. (Although to be fair most people are very good at just giving help insead of complaints in real RP's as well, but its always nice to practice without the pressure.)

As far as belts go training can help but it really depends on the belt. Each one has its own specific requirements, some of which can be completed through training and some which need "real" world situations.

[CrazyD]

Wow! There's a lot more to training then I thought there was.

Thanks 3kul and Danikat. I was really confused, but now it makes sense.

[LordPsycho]

I'd like to emphasize a point Danikat made.

What we have at blackstar is unique in the grand scheme of things, but it works.

We, over the course of years, have built a "world" of sorts in the CC. I believe that world has taken a more definative form at Blackstar, where we have regions and areas that are universally recognized.

Now the world of Blackstar is not static. Not even close. In every RP it changes, sometimes slightly, sometimes greatly. As in the real world, every action anyone makes, no matter how small, affects the whole. And every one, no matter how new, recognizes this, if only at some deep subconcious level.

That concept can be pretty intimidating. "I just started, but I have a say in the direction blackstar's future takes". These training halls takes some of that pressure off while we explore new characters, ideas, or even RP'ing in and off itself.

When we developed the belt system, I made one rule as Head Admin that I would not budge on, and only one. To get up to Brown belt of any type, you would have had to helped out in training here, mentoring a person up to Green belt of any type. So Yes, at some point if you want to advance up, you'll have to spend time here.