Post by Hez on Dec 8, 2014 14:21:19 GMT -5
Lesson 0103: Passive Information Gathering
So if you're going to go ahead and metagame like I warned against two lessons ago, make sure you come up with a good RP reason for it. After this class we attempted a neat little exercise that failed by virtue of the fact that no one was in the damn cantina. Basically, I asked students to get on an alt and listen for interesting conversation in the cantina, then to report that back to me. By hopping on an alt, the students were 'hiring an informant', 'outfitting a recording device to an unsupsecting stranger' or various other creative ways to gather info without attracting attention.
Stealthing is good for this, but you have to stay on the move and hope. It's not fool-proof. Unfortunately, even if you completely change your character's species or constantly wear a helmet, you'll have to ask most people to respect the idea in RP that it's a completely different character. It's the way of the world, and why we pick and choose who we RP with.
Thanks for attending, class. Today we're going to discuss taking advance of something we covered in Lesson 1: public conversations. Most of us are relatively well-known in the locations we frequent (namely, the cantina), so we are at a disadvantage in this respect. When we arrive, people want to talk to us. Hell, sometimes my holocommunicator starts buzzing the moment I land on Nar Shadaa! The point is, Passive Information Gathering relies heavily on being anonymous.
Those of us who have mastered the art of stealth, either through the Force or through stealth field generators, have somewhat of an advantage in this realm--that is, until we are detected. And confident though we may be in our abilities to remain hidden, there will ALWAYS be someone capable of seeing you there. For the rest of you, there are a few tricks available.
Almost anyone can afford an informant. A good informant speaks only when spoken to, and generally makes themselves uninteresting when someone does approach them. Alternatively, you can wear masks or even go so far as to alter your physical appearance if you have the credits required--however, unless you completely change your mannerisms most people familiar with you will still recognize you.
Gathering information by this means may be very dull compared to what you're used to, but I assure you, it can provide a wealth of information unavailable to an engaging speaker. Why do you think I took up the bartending job, anyway? Go ahead and think about that for a while. I'll see you next week. Class dismissed.
Those of us who have mastered the art of stealth, either through the Force or through stealth field generators, have somewhat of an advantage in this realm--that is, until we are detected. And confident though we may be in our abilities to remain hidden, there will ALWAYS be someone capable of seeing you there. For the rest of you, there are a few tricks available.
Almost anyone can afford an informant. A good informant speaks only when spoken to, and generally makes themselves uninteresting when someone does approach them. Alternatively, you can wear masks or even go so far as to alter your physical appearance if you have the credits required--however, unless you completely change your mannerisms most people familiar with you will still recognize you.
Gathering information by this means may be very dull compared to what you're used to, but I assure you, it can provide a wealth of information unavailable to an engaging speaker. Why do you think I took up the bartending job, anyway? Go ahead and think about that for a while. I'll see you next week. Class dismissed.
So if you're going to go ahead and metagame like I warned against two lessons ago, make sure you come up with a good RP reason for it. After this class we attempted a neat little exercise that failed by virtue of the fact that no one was in the damn cantina. Basically, I asked students to get on an alt and listen for interesting conversation in the cantina, then to report that back to me. By hopping on an alt, the students were 'hiring an informant', 'outfitting a recording device to an unsupsecting stranger' or various other creative ways to gather info without attracting attention.
Stealthing is good for this, but you have to stay on the move and hope. It's not fool-proof. Unfortunately, even if you completely change your character's species or constantly wear a helmet, you'll have to ask most people to respect the idea in RP that it's a completely different character. It's the way of the world, and why we pick and choose who we RP with.