Uniforms...

[HarleeKnight]

If you're playing a Cyber-Knight, or Mystic Knight, or Battle Mage, or Ley Line Walker, or... well you get the point, do you have to wear the "traditional" garb of the OCC? What if I want to use a Naruni Force Field and a Gravity Pack and still want to be a Mystic Knight, would I get penalized by my society?
I get that organized armies have to, but these are categorized more as groups than organized anything.

[Nekira Sudacne]

The traditional garb is simply what your character starts out with. Cyber knights, mystic knights, battle magus's all come from specific militaristic training programs where starting equipment is standardized. Ley Line Walker's are taught usually through apprentiships or occasionally large cities (dweomer, kingsdale, lazlo) will have a University where you can pay for training. in all cases it's your Master/Trainer who assigns you your starting gear, and the starting gear is also part of the balance between classes (That's why only PA/Robot specific OCC's get to start with PA's and robots with few exceptions. the classes themselves tend to be unremarkable but for starting with a rare peice of gear worth millions of credits and the knowlege to use it)

That said, beyond your apprentiseship you "Can" do whatever you want. if you can afford a naruni force feild, knock yourself out. Your master isn't going to pay for it for you to start with though.

An exception to this would be if your character is still an active memeber of a military order. A battle magus who is still part of Dweomer, or a mystic knight working for them, would probablly be required to wear the standard uniform as well, a uniform. Renegades or those detached could probablly get away with wearing whatever though. same way a CS grunt would have to wear the deadboy armor and the uniform when out of armor. unless specifically off duty, or on some kind of Spying assignment undercover, they'd have to wear uniforms like everyone else.

[taalismn]

If you're playing a Cyber-Knight, or Mystic Knight, or Battle Mage, or Ley Line Walker, or... well you get the point, do you have to wear the "traditional" garb of the OCC? What if I want to use a Naruni Force Field and a Gravity Pack and still want to be a Mystic Knight, would I get penalized by my society?
I get that organized armies have to, but these are categorized more as groups than organized anything.

In the more tradition-bound organizations, it would be rather like showing up at a Wall Street brokerage or a Manhattan corporate executive meeting wearing casuals(or a clown suit)...unless you had the clout or the seniority to pull it off, you'd be looked down on, for being disrespectful or boasting. Showing up wearing full Red Lord of Death regalia when the senior knights/mages are in somber robes, might get you labeled a buffoon even before you open your mouth, and a swift invitation to go back to your room/encampment and change into something more respectful.

[drewkitty ~..~]

If you're playing a Cyber-Knight, or Mystic Knight, or Battle Mage, or Ley Line Walker, or... well you get the point, do you have to wear the "traditional" garb of the OCC?

No, not per the game rules.

What if I want to use a Naruni Force Field and a Gravity Pack and still want to be a Mystic Knight, would I get penalized by my society?…snip

Does society apply pressures on the individuals with in it to conform to it? Yes.
However, if you are the GM you get to decide what sort of pressures the society applies to the population.

[HarleeKnight]

I kept my traditional garb for when I'm back at base. I was wondering more about when I'm in the field and word gets back to whatever group I belong to that I'm wearing "non-traditional garb". I mean, I don't choose my OCC for the armor they wear; I choose to be a Cyber-Knight or Mystic Knight or Crazy for their abilities and what they may or may not stand for. I realize that what they wear shows people that they belong to a group but sometimes their outfits are less than what I could find on the open market or take away from RPing. I want to play a Crazy with no cans on his head because "That's how they find you!", or a Cyber-Knight that loves his Armored Duster and hates plate armor, or a Mystic Knight that wears a force field and uses a gravity pack, or a claustrophobic Ley Line Walker that runs around shirtless and uses a magic belt that gives him minor MDC skin. I just think it adds to my character if I can choose what I want to wear when I am free of my group obligations, but if it goes against what my group would allow, then obviously I can choose to play something else.

[Nekira Sudacne]

If you're playing a Cyber-Knight, or Mystic Knight, or Battle Mage, or Ley Line Walker, or... well you get the point, do you have to wear the "traditional" garb of the OCC?

No, not per the game rules.

What if I want to use a Naruni Force Field and a Gravity Pack and still want to be a Mystic Knight, would I get penalized by my society?…snip

Does society apply pressures on the individuals with in it to conform to it? Yes.
However, if you are the GM you get to decide what sort of pressures the society applies to the population.

It also depends on which soceity you are talking about, and how much time you spend with it.

it's more of a deal for some mages than others. For example, Warlocks are said to be loosely associated through kindred spirits more than a formal organization and the color scheme robes are both a natural inclination and a way of bonding with each-other. They do maintain not exactly churches of but elemental associations they can get togeather with. So in a case like that, if your air warlock wanted to go around in something very unusual, well, that'd be more like showing up to a meeting of your old high school club wearing a dapper 50's outfit, or a clown suit, or cosplay, or whatever. no one has the authority to tell you to change, but you wouldn't be made to feel very welcome either.

Of course, if you bring the booze and are the life of the party, you could maybe swing it as a quirky charm thing. you'd have to roleplay the hell out of it though.

On the other hand, if your warlock has nothing to do with other warlocks, never associates with them and dosn't care what they think, they're not going to send the fashion police after you either.

Mystic Knights on the other hand are a milatristic, fraternal organization with standardized uniforms and rules of behavior. One of those rules is "If you can get away with it, you can do it". The thing is you have to actually be able to get away with it. If your a known, powerful knight with a respected record and some authority in the group, no one's likely to kick if you want to wear some nonstandard armor.

A first level rookie though? You're given armor and you will LIKE and WEAR that armor, because the reputation of the mystic knights matter far more than you do, if you get the meaning, so if you dishonor it,they may well send the fashion police after you, or have them have a word next time you report in, for bringing down the groups reputation.

Ley line walkers I see as being kind of varying on area. There's no central authority, and it's mostly passed down through aprenticeships and mentors. but by the time your first level, your master has cut the strings as it were. your starting gear was likely a gift from him, he might be unhappy if you trade it out for some fancy tech, or he might not care. Some major magical cities have universities who may have their own dress code, but again, only while you're there.

LLW's are another case of "No one is going to send the fashion police after you, but if you dress like a clown, you will find it hard to get help, local magic guilds may be mysteriously unwilling to sell you even simple spells, or if they do charge much more than book price, and things like that. Quiet pressure to conform rather than overt.

Mystics are the one magic class I would say have no real rules of conformity. or rather, all such rules will probablly be purely local based on the culture of the area as a whole. because no one teaches you or can teach you anything, your immediate neighbors are the only ones you really have to worry about. if you travel, it wouldn't HURT to conform to the new area, but there's not much pressure to unless you want to live there. (assuming the locals are not xenophobic in general, but then, that'd be a problem no matter what your character so moot here))

Temporal Wizards are one class I would expect to be the most eclectic of all the proper wizardy types. They tend to work for and as megaversal raiders, and are expected to hunt down rare and powerful magic and technology to use. I would say the culture works best here. the more eclectic your getup, to them, wearing rare alien tech like force fields and magical items and artifacts are worn like a rappers Bling, the more, the flashier, the better and more feared you are. Just beware--if you wear TOO much, you could maybe make some other wizards jealous and want to take what you have.

[drewkitty ~..~]

All societies put pressures to conform to them on the individuals in them. There are no exceptions.

The pressures might be different or pushing the individuals in different directions. But they all push.



use note: societies….like in civilizations.

[taalismn]

I kept my traditional garb for when I'm back at base. I was wondering more about when I'm in the field and word gets back to whatever group I belong to that I'm wearing "non-traditional garb"..

In the field it's more likely that any fashion indiscretions will be overlooked, unless you're loudly declaring yourself a representative of a particular organization, or you run into some uber-orthodox fashion-hound from the same organization. Official functions, state receptions, hobnobbing with military and social leaders, you're expected to wear the regalia....if you're sneaking through the mud to slit somebody's throat, it's understood that more practical attire is required.
Of course, if aforementioned fashion nitpicker shows up while you're on an adventure/mission, he either be good enough to reap glory wearing the gear you eschew, or his death will go towards validation that your approach is better.

[Pepsi Jedi]

If you're playing a Cyber-Knight, or Mystic Knight, or Battle Mage, or Ley Line Walker, or... well you get the point, do you have to wear the "traditional" garb of the OCC? What if I want to use a Naruni Force Field and a Gravity Pack and still want to be a Mystic Knight, would I get penalized by my society?
I get that organized armies have to, but these are categorized more as groups than organized anything.

Ehh the ones' you've mentioned have stylistic differences. Not 'strict uniforms' As there's multiple different types of Cyberknight armor.

That said the variations on a theme, are likely with in a certain swath. if you meet a Cyberknight, you likely know it coming up on them for the most part (They do have covert missions, so sometimes they might hide it) Most Battle mages are going to look like them. Etc.

If you don't 'look the part' you might get some social flack.

That said.... it would depend on the game. There's a large contingent even here that play their mages like battle hardened commandos, that just happen to have spells in addition to the rifles they prefer. They ignore the fluff written for Rifts and such that say a mage will look for a magical solution before tech most every time and just play... "Commandos+Spells" Which isn't how they're written in the book, but due to rules that make a mage with WP Pistol, 100% the same as a Special forces commando with WP Pistol.... they justify it and go.

So the type of game you play would also factor in.
In our games, a mage in heavy armor isn't going to be taken seriously as a mage. A man at arms in a snuggie isn't going to be taken very seriously either. (and either might actually be badasses, but... still)
Looks can be deceiving, but yes, more or less. You're 'expected' to look the part. If a commando is wearing a pink floral shirt and crocs with butterflys painted on them. He's likely to get some grief.

If a mage is wearing heavy battle armor with spikes all over it and skulls painted on it and such, he's going to be looked at funny. Some people do this on purpose. To flaunt their individuality (Most just want attention) but if you 'stand out' from the norm, you're going to "stand out" either for good or ill.It's a post apoclypse setting. Most things standing out are going to be perceived negativly.

There's also the "Pink Mohawk, vs black hat and mirriorshades" thing.. but that's more 'game style' than individual style. But some players swing hard to one side or the other of that divide.

[taalismn]

I If a commando is wearing a pink floral shirt and crocs with butterflys painted on them. He's likely to get some grief..

"Don't. Just don't rag Molock about his polo shirts.....It's an invitation to get yourself seriously ####ed over. After what he's done and what he can do, he can wear whatever he wants as far as the rest of us are concerned. We REALLY don't want to see what he does with spoons and eyeballs ever again."

[Blue_Lion]

traditional garb is not the same as a uniform. Traditional is what they traditionally(hitorcally) where while uniform is what you are required to where. How much emphasis a society puts on dressing the same as every one else can vary depending on the type of socity or order. Now taking an extreme look would generate grife, but reasonable attire typically will not generate much.

[Nekira Sudacne]

All societies put pressures to conform to them on the individuals in them. There are no exceptions.

The pressures might be different or pushing the individuals in different directions. But they all push.



use note: societies….like in civilizations.

My point is twofold: one, not all mages are part of a soceity. if your group is a bunch of murderhobos who have no steady friends and never communicate with other mages, very few mage groups would send someone out to bug you about the dress code. just like actual nations don't send out people to bug people who spend all their time vagabonding in other countries. If your an amaerican who chooses to spend 30 years backpacking around india, no one is going to bother to travel there just to pressure you to conform to american standards of dress.

Point two is that this is a post apocalyptic setting. even if you do nominally belong to a group, they are not omnicent, and don't have the time, manpower, or inclination to reguarlly check up to make sure the dress code is being followed when you're way out in the boonies. if you ignore it all the time it will probablly get back eventually, but if your character is from, say, kingsdale, cruses around in a forcefeild and a pink snuggie when he's out in other areas/dimensions, and only dresses up in traditional garb when he goes back home, most of the other mages won't know, and even fewer of those that have heard that you were seen wearing that will care enough to actually do anything. you won't make many friends, but your not making many enemies either.

I'm not saying that there is NO pressure, just that in most cases there's very little, and potentially none at all. I mean, if you were trained in lazlo as a shifter, and then spend all your time in another dimension where no one's even herad of shifters, there's no pressure to conform because there's no soceity there but you. and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

[taalismn]

[q I mean, if you were trained in lazlo as a shifter, and then spend all your time in another dimension where no one's even herad of shifters, there's no pressure to conform because there's no soceity there but you. and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

"Mage Elric, our Scrying Office reports that on at least ten occasions in your office in Alt-Chicago, while conducting business in the name of the Celestial Mysteries Guild, you were, in fact, NOT wearing the Cumberbun and Great Hat of the Guild. What explanation do you offer in defense of this breach of protocol? Not to mention the time you wore the Sacred Belt of Anusia while using a restroom? Without the proper Ceremonies of Removal and Re-Attire?"

[Nekira Sudacne]

[q I mean, if you were trained in lazlo as a shifter, and then spend all your time in another dimension where no one's even herad of shifters, there's no pressure to conform because there's no soceity there but you. and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

"Mage Elric, our Scrying Office reports that on at least ten occasions in your office in Alt-Chicago, while conducting business in the name of the Celestial Mysteries Guild, you were, in fact, NOT wearing the Cumberbun and Great Hat of the Guild. What explanation do you offer in defense of this breach of protocol? Not to mention the time you wore the Sacred Belt of Anusia while using a restroom? Without the proper Ceremonies of Removal and Re-Attire?"

As I said, MOST organizations wouldn't. There will always be some exceptions, but you can generally tell what those are easially

[taalismn]

[q
As I said, MOST organizations wouldn't. There will always be some exceptions, but you can generally tell what those are easially

The ones that have you sign the Dress Code in blood?

[Nekira Sudacne]

[q
As I said, MOST organizations wouldn't. There will always be some exceptions, but you can generally tell what those are easially

The ones that have you sign the Dress Code in blood?

I'd go with anyplace that gives you 5 pages of proper proceedure and handling on the cumberbund

[flatline]

If you're part of an organization that expects you to dress a particular way, you should probably do it if there are consequences that you wish to avoid.

However, if you're unaffiliated or there are no consequences, then wear whatever seems like the best idea to you.

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

[taalismn]

If you're part of an organization that expects you to dress a particular way, you should probably do it if there are consequences that you wish to avoid.

However, if you're unaffiliated or there are no consequences, then wear whatever seems like the best idea to you.

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

"Let's shoot the guy in the funny get-up first. They tend to do all sorts of crazy $#!+ that messes people up. "

[drewkitty ~..~]

snip...

...and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

Thank you for providing an example of a char that has caved into societal pressures.

[Nekira Sudacne]

snip...

...and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

Thank you for providing an example of a char that has caved into societal pressures.

I was never arguing that soceital pressures didn't exist, so i'm not entirely sure what your point is?

I never claimed soceitial pressures didn't exist while actively within the soceity. My point was very few will go hunting you out away from said soceity. And that's a point you still havn't addressed.

[Killer Cyborg]

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

"Let's shoot the guy in the funny get-up first. They tend to do all sorts of crazy $#!+ that messes people up. "

Yup.

It's also why I named my Shifter "Killer Cyborg From Heck."

[taalismn]

"And what's this with us hearing about you having your Sacred Order robes cleaned at the local Whirl-o-mat?"

[drewkitty ~..~]

snip...

...and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

Thank you for providing an example of a char that has caved into societal pressures.

I was never arguing that societal pressures didn't exist, so i'm not entirely sure what your point is?

I never claimed societal pressures didn't exist while actively within the society. My point was very few will go hunting you out away from said society. And that's a point you still haven't addressed.

And my point is that a society's pressures are always there like gravity or a river, pressuring/waring away at people. No matter where those pressures are trying to push the individuals in it or 'visiting' it.

It is also very difficult to get away from the society you grew up in because you carry it in your core being.

Yes, some people are able to leave it behind, or get away for a while. Or even have continuing rebelling reaction to the pressures of that society. All of these are the atypical individuals.

Societal pressures don't go hunting, They are just there. With every sideways glance and whispered conversation, and in every law on the books. They don't go hunting, they are just there.

American in India: the indian society will apply pressure on the american to conform 'to it'.

rifts: into what ever society the char will travel, that society will apply pressure on that char. Even if that society is a society of One Individual.(i.e.: that hermit living off by himself with his own ways of doing things would be a society of one.)

[eliakon]

snip...

...and if you just dress up in your nice shifter robes when you visit home no one would even have a way to know.

Thank you for providing an example of a char that has caved into societal pressures.

I was never arguing that societal pressures didn't exist, so i'm not entirely sure what your point is?

I never claimed societal pressures didn't exist while actively within the society. My point was very few will go hunting you out away from said society. And that's a point you still haven't addressed.

And my point is that a society's pressures are always there like gravity or a river, pressuring/waring away at people. No matter where those pressures are trying to push the individuals in it or 'visiting' it.

It is also very difficult to get away from the society you grew up in because you carry it in your core being.

Yes, some people are able to leave it behind, or get away for a while. Or even have continuing rebelling reaction to the pressures of that society. All of these are the atypical individuals.

Societal pressures don't go hunting, They are just there. With every sideways glance and whispered conversation, and in every law on the books. They don't go hunting, they are just there.

American in India: the indian society will apply pressure on the american to conform 'to it'.

rifts: into what ever society the char will travel, that society will apply pressure on that char. Even if that society is a society of One Individual.(i.e.: that hermit living off by himself with his own ways of doing things would be a society of one.)

You just defined the word "society"
So yes, something that by definition exists in a given situation will, by definition exist in that situation.
So yes of COURSE someone will be under the local societal pressure when they are around others. That is sort of the definition of society
But what DOESNT follow is that you will be under societal pressures from those you are NOT around.
When you are in Rome you do as the Romans do.
...but unless you are choosing to act like a Roman you don't do as the Romans do when in Tokyo.
When you are in Lazlo if you don't want to be hassled then you act like the Lazloians. You don't have to do that when you are NOT in Lazlo because then you are not in Lazlo and thus the rules of that society don't (usually) apply to you.
You only act like that if you have either totally internalized the society or you have some reason to believe that you will be held accountable for breaking the norms

[drewkitty ~..~]

I don't know how to explain it any better since I already said what I meant striped down to the core ideas.

snip...
But what DOESNT follow is that you will be under societal pressures from those you are NOT around.
…snip

snip…
It is also very difficult to get away from the society you grew up in because you carry it in your core being.
…snip

Because it is a part of Who You Are.

[taalismn]

"We have no need to discipline Journeyman Carlson for wearing his ceremonial epaulettes reversed...I was about to speak to him about it when I observed him beating HIMSELF with a two-by-four over the breach of etiquette. I WAS going to simply correct him on his error, but I decided to tell him, once he regained consciousness, 'let that be a warning to you'."

[eliakon]

I don't know how to explain it any better since I already said what I meant striped down to the core ideas.

snip...
But what DOESNT follow is that you will be under societal pressures from those you are NOT around.
…snip

snip…
It is also very difficult to get away from the society you grew up in because you carry it in your core being.
…snip

Because it is a part of Who You Are.

Only if you choose to make it part of who you are.
That is not a given.
It is only a part of a person if the person makes it a part of them.
Those who do not make it a part of themselves, don't have it as part of their core.

This is why, in the Real World, you don't see every single American dressing the exact same way at all times, in all situations.
Because
1) there is no such thing as a "homogenous American Culture" that applies to every American in all cases
and
2) because people absorb different amounts of the various kinds of "American culture" of which they ARE exposed to

[taalismn]

[1) there is no such thing as a "homogenous American Culture" that applies to every American in all cases

Much as some people would like to think there is...

[Blue_Lion]

I don't know how to explain it any better since I already said what I meant striped down to the core ideas.

snip...
But what DOESNT follow is that you will be under societal pressures from those you are NOT around.
…snip

snip…
It is also very difficult to get away from the society you grew up in because you carry it in your core being.
…snip

Because it is a part of Who You Are.

Only if you choose to make it part of who you are.
That is not a given.
It is only a part of a person if the person makes it a part of them.
Those who do not make it a part of themselves, don't have it as part of their core.

This is why, in the Real World, you don't see every single American dressing the exact same way at all times, in all situations.
Because
1) there is no such thing as a "homogenous American Culture" that applies to every American in all cases
and
2) because people absorb different amounts of the various kinds of "American culture" of which they ARE exposed to

The dress of many classes are about fashion/style not a uniform. TW dress the way they do because it is high style, not because they are forced to. The same is true of most mages, it is the style/cool thing to do.
Classes part of an origination with a uniform such as cs are required to wear the uniform, those not from such organizations may dress a way because it is the cool thing to do.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Only if you choose to make it part of who you are.
That is not a given.
It is only a part of a person if the person makes it a part of them.
Those who do not make it a part of themselves, don't have it as part of their core.

This is why, in the Real World, you don't see every single American dressing the exact same way at all times, in all situations.
Because
1) there is no such thing as a "homogenous American Culture" that applies to every American in all cases

No but you can pick an American beat cop out of a crowd at a glance. You can pick a fireman out of a crowd at a glance, you can pick an on duty member of the armed forced out of a crowd at a glance.
Medical professionals are easy to pick at a glance, etc. You can even pick out a fast food worker at a glance. Which is the point. I don't think anyone is trying to argue that there's national uniforms, but that certain distinct professions and such have modes of dress that make them easy to pick out. A guy in a white long coat with a stethoscope around his neck is likely in the medical field, As is someone in 'scrubs', likely medical field or MAYBE animal care. Now.. the occupations, Doctor, nurse, etc, don't have a 'UNIFORM'. Noone's making them wear the white coat or scrubs, but you see them more often than not. If a guy walks up in crocks, short shorts, a mesh tank top, with a purple mohawk and facial tattoos and smiles with a gold grill, and goes "I'm your doctor today, what seems to be the problem"
MOST people are going to go "Um.... no... no you're not." Even though... technically the guy MIGHT be the best doctor in the house.

[taalismn]

[ If a guy walks up in crocks, short shorts, a mesh tank top, with a purple mohawk and facial tattoos and smiles with a gold grill, and goes "I'm your doctor today, what seems to be the problem"
MOST people are going to go "Um.... no... no you're not." Even though... technically the guy MIGHT be the best doctor in the house.

"Hello, I'll be your brain surgeon."
"Either my condition is worse than I thought, or you're the one who needs medical attention, with an outfit like that...."

Yet why is it, no matter how casually I dress, total strangers still ask me if I "work here' when I'm in a bookstore or library?
(Admittedly, I get that question when I'm at work wearing a large gold name tag declaring I DO work there. I'm tempted to say something along the lines of "No, my name is *Barnes & Noble*, and I work at *Taalismn*")

[Pepsi Jedi]

[ If a guy walks up in crocks, short shorts, a mesh tank top, with a purple mohawk and facial tattoos and smiles with a gold grill, and goes "I'm your doctor today, what seems to be the problem"
MOST people are going to go "Um.... no... no you're not." Even though... technically the guy MIGHT be the best doctor in the house.

"Hello, I'll be your brain surgeon."
"Either my condition is worse than I thought, or you're the one who needs medical attention, with an outfit like that...."

Yet why is it, no matter how casually I dress, total strangers still ask me if I "work here' when I'm in a bookstore or library?
(Admittedly, I get that question when I'm at work wearing a large gold name tag declaring I DO work there. I'm tempted to say something along the lines of "No, my name is *Barnes & Noble*, and I work at *Taalismn*")

I would say that might be the INVERSE expectation in effect. I.E. people that work in book stores and libraries don't have a dress code or 'general manner of dress'. So people might not know what/who to look for, So, anyone meandering around that looks half way sane, might be the guy or girl working there, so they venture the question.

Kinda remotely like if you wear a blue shirt and tan pants at walmart, you get asked if you work there. Or a red shirt in Target.

A few weeks ago I was wearing a red teeshirt with Calvin and Hobbes on it, and 'CALVINBALL" clearly on the front. Had a lady walk up to me in target and ask where something was. I told her I didn't know. She told me to find out. I told her to find out herself. She got angry and demanded I get a manager. I told her "Hey lady, I don't work here" but she didn't beleive me. Started having a right fit. It was amusing so I leaned on my cart to watch. Her melt down eventually drew attention of real Target employees, who came to see why this chick was flipping her lid. They told her 'Ma'am he doesn't work here" and she argued with THEM, saying of course I do, I was in a target shirt. I told her that I'd actually gotten it off TeeFury, they didn't sell it at Target. She continued to yell at me and like 3 employees till a manager came and HE told her I didn't work there. Finally they asked me to go ahead and contenue shopping in hopes that she'd chill out if I wasn't in sight. She didn't. I heard her yelling for a while as I shopped. When we were checking out a patrol car pulled up and two rather grumpy looking LEOs came in and headed for the back. I'm assuming to remove the lady and if she refused or put up a fight, arrest her.

And that was just from wearing a red. Very CLEARLY -not- target uniform, teeshirt in the store.

[taalismn]

[

A few weeks ago I was wearing a red teeshirt with Calvin and Hobbes on it, and 'CALVINBALL" clearly on the front. Had a lady walk up to me in target and ask where something was. I told her I didn't know. She told me to find out. I told her to find out herself. She got angry and demanded I get a manager. I told her "Hey lady, I don't work here" but she didn't beleive me. Started having a right fit. It was amusing so I leaned on my cart to watch. Her melt down eventually drew attention of real Target employees, who came to see why this chick was flipping her lid. They told her 'Ma'am he doesn't work here" and she argued with THEM, saying of course I do, I was in a target shirt. I told her that I'd actually gotten it off TeeFury, they didn't sell it at Target. She continued to yell at me and like 3 employees till a manager came and HE told her I didn't work there. Finally they asked me to go ahead and contenue shopping in hopes that she'd chill out if I wasn't in sight. She didn't. I heard her yelling for a while as I shopped. When we were checking out a patrol car pulled up and two rather grumpy looking LEOs came in and headed for the back. I'm assuming to remove the lady and if she refused or put up a fight, arrest her.

And that was just from wearing a red. Very CLEARLY -not- target uniform, teeshirt in the store.

Hey, tourist once got arrested for wearing a 'Sergeant Bilco" Teeshirt in Tibet because the Chinese authorities thought the picture of Phil Silvers looked like the Daliai Lama....

But sounds more like that woman had more than employee identification problems....
Maybe the store manager should have gone through the motions of 'firing' you to prove you really didn't work there?

[flatline]

A few weeks ago I was wearing a red teeshirt with Calvin and Hobbes on it, and 'CALVINBALL" clearly on the front. Had a lady walk up to me in target and ask where something was. I told her I didn't know. She told me to find out. I told her to find out herself. She got angry and demanded I get a manager. I told her "Hey lady, I don't work here" but she didn't beleive me. Started having a right fit. It was amusing so I leaned on my cart to watch. Her melt down eventually drew attention of real Target employees, who came to see why this chick was flipping her lid. They told her 'Ma'am he doesn't work here" and she argued with THEM, saying of course I do, I was in a target shirt. I told her that I'd actually gotten it off TeeFury, they didn't sell it at Target. She continued to yell at me and like 3 employees till a manager came and HE told her I didn't work there. Finally they asked me to go ahead and contenue shopping in hopes that she'd chill out if I wasn't in sight. She didn't. I heard her yelling for a while as I shopped. When we were checking out a patrol car pulled up and two rather grumpy looking LEOs came in and headed for the back. I'm assuming to remove the lady and if she refused or put up a fight, arrest her.

And that was just from wearing a red. Very CLEARLY -not- target uniform, teeshirt in the store.

I've had similar encounters with confused elderly ladies who probably shouldn't have been shopping on their own in the first place. I've found I can usually defuse the situation by politely saying "Let me find someone who can help you" and then finding an employee and warning them that there's a confused customer that needs some assistance.

--flatline

[Blue_Lion]

[ If a guy walks up in crocks, short shorts, a mesh tank top, with a purple mohawk and facial tattoos and smiles with a gold grill, and goes "I'm your doctor today, what seems to be the problem"
MOST people are going to go "Um.... no... no you're not." Even though... technically the guy MIGHT be the best doctor in the house.

"Hello, I'll be your brain surgeon."
"Either my condition is worse than I thought, or you're the one who needs medical attention, with an outfit like that...."

Yet why is it, no matter how casually I dress, total strangers still ask me if I "work here' when I'm in a bookstore or library?
(Admittedly, I get that question when I'm at work wearing a large gold name tag declaring I DO work there. I'm tempted to say something along the lines of "No, my name is *Barnes & Noble*, and I work at *Taalismn*")

I would say that might be the INVERSE expectation in effect. I.E. people that work in book stores and libraries don't have a dress code or 'general manner of dress'. So people might not know what/who to look for, So, anyone meandering around that looks half way sane, might be the guy or girl working there, so they venture the question.

Kinda remotely like if you wear a blue shirt and tan pants at walmart, you get asked if you work there. Or a red shirt in Target.

A few weeks ago I was wearing a red teeshirt with Calvin and Hobbes on it, and 'CALVINBALL" clearly on the front. Had a lady walk up to me in target and ask where something was. I told her I didn't know. She told me to find out. I told her to find out herself. She got angry and demanded I get a manager. I told her "Hey lady, I don't work here" but she didn't beleive me. Started having a right fit. It was amusing so I leaned on my cart to watch. Her melt down eventually drew attention of real Target employees, who came to see why this chick was flipping her lid. They told her 'Ma'am he doesn't work here" and she argued with THEM, saying of course I do, I was in a target shirt. I told her that I'd actually gotten it off TeeFury, they didn't sell it at Target. She continued to yell at me and like 3 employees till a manager came and HE told her I didn't work there. Finally they asked me to go ahead and contenue shopping in hopes that she'd chill out if I wasn't in sight. She didn't. I heard her yelling for a while as I shopped. When we were checking out a patrol car pulled up and two rather grumpy looking LEOs came in and headed for the back. I'm assuming to remove the lady and if she refused or put up a fight, arrest her.

And that was just from wearing a red. Very CLEARLY -not- target uniform, teeshirt in the store.

Heck I have had people stop me and ask me to tell them where something is when I am not even in employee colors for a store.

Last time I checked walmart employees do not where blue genes and a grey sweaters. But random people will still treat me like I work in the store.

[taalismn]

[
Last time I checked walmart employees do not where blue genes and a grey sweaters. But random people will still treat me like I work in the store.

The Law of Inverse Professional Appearance? The less you look like a proud professional SHOULD dress, without being unhygienic, or courting indecent exposure, the more likely you MUST be am employed professional?

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

One of the things ive always hated is the Palladium trend/habit of telling you how to play your character, and to tell you that you're playing wrong.

I found the entire section on "how magic users should act" in the Book of Magic (and the similar section in the original Federation of Magic) to be highly insulting, not to mention nonsensical (all magic users are completely insane and incapable of basic logic, apparently).

I ignore all of it. Classes, with few exceptions, are a collection of game mechanics. How you play your character is what matters. In the few cases that a class dictates certain roleplaying, its usually got mechanics to back it up (Cyber Knight, for instance).

Ley Line Walker, in particular, is just the "generic spellcaster" in Rifts. If you buy the appropriate skills, there's no reason they CANT be a magic-wielding Commando. Why -should- they be dress-wearing sissies if they dont want to be?

I feel rather the same about the "standard dress code" for most OCCs. Military OCCs, sure, makes sense. Its a uniform. You wear it because its uniform. But everyone else? Bleh. No.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Weird, Cyber Knight is one of the few classes where the standard OCC behavior is both highly touted as super important but is absolutely not backed up by mechanics. There's no penalty for violating the code of a cyber knight, and if you do it somewhere remote or don't have any witness's no one would ever know. Hell you could become a warlord carving out a new kingdom and putting every man woman and child who doesn't obey you to the sword and the game mechanics wouldn't even slap you on the wrist. Hell, as long as you wear some kind of armor or clothing over your cyber armor no one would even know you're a cyber knight who's doing it, so it wouldn't even be a massive response to put down a brother or sister who's gone mad (any more than such villany would attract the cyber knights attentions in general at any rate). Sure the psi-sword appearing instantly might be a bit of a giveaway, but nothing says you have to use that either.

Really the only classes with any kind of mechanical enforcement are those where you have powers granted by another entity who can take them away if you displease them.

[Killer Cyborg]

If you're part of an organization that expects you to dress a particular way, you should probably do it if there are consequences that you wish to avoid.

However, if you're unaffiliated or there are no consequences, then wear whatever seems like the best idea to you.

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

Same.

I did play some mages who wore the traditional LLW garb, but I also had some non-mages who wore it.
It all comes down to what image they want to portray, what they want people to think their strengths are, and what they want people to think their weaknesses are.

And often which suit of armor you've managed to get, and how much MDC it has.

[Blue_Lion]

If you're part of an organization that expects you to dress a particular way, you should probably do it if there are consequences that you wish to avoid.

However, if you're unaffiliated or there are no consequences, then wear whatever seems like the best idea to you.

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

Same.

I did play some mages who wore the traditional LLW garb, but I also had some non-mages who wore it.
It all comes down to what image they want to portray, what they want people to think their strengths are, and what they want people to think their weaknesses are.

And often which suit of armor you've managed to get, and how much MDC it has.

I hate the fact the original crusader got replaced with the heavy armor from SoT that stole its name. It was one of the best scouting armors ever. 55MDC and no prowl penalty. And it looked like a suit of chain.

In my games I have MDC leather "mage" robes that look like traditional LLW garb based on the duster/trench coat that bandito makes.

Wind up with half the party wearing it over their armor in some games, spot the mage then.

[Killer Cyborg]

If you're part of an organization that expects you to dress a particular way, you should probably do it if there are consequences that you wish to avoid.

However, if you're unaffiliated or there are no consequences, then wear whatever seems like the best idea to you.

My mages pretty much always wore whatever body armor they could come up with. At character creation, they usually started with Crusader EBA (RMB Crusader, not RUE Crusader). After that, it was whatever could be acquired (more often than not, Plasticman EBA). The main reason for this was that I had no interest in broadcasting to everyone that I was a magic user.

--flatline

Same.

I did play some mages who wore the traditional LLW garb, but I also had some non-mages who wore it.
It all comes down to what image they want to portray, what they want people to think their strengths are, and what they want people to think their weaknesses are.

And often which suit of armor you've managed to get, and how much MDC it has.

I hate the fact the original crusader got replaced with the heavy armor from SoT that stole its name. It was one of the best scouting armors ever. 55MDC and no prowl penalty. And it looked like a suit of chain.

I know, right!?

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

I just keep both types of armor.

Crusader's Chain and Crusader's Plate.

to paraphrase Jim Sterling (Jimquisition - if you haven't seen it, and you like video games, give him a go)... Palladium's gonna Palladium no matter what you do, sometimes they Palladium so much you cant help but get Palladiumed. (Jim was referring to Nintendo).

[taalismn]

I just keep both types of armor.

Crusader's Chain and Crusader's Plate. ).

Or go even further and make it Crusader Modular....light armored undersuit/envirosuit with stackable armored plate add-ons. Like the Northern Gun upgradable armor.

The rather fantastic 'Millennium Project" spacenik fantasy had something similar....bodysuit pressure/cooling/heating-suits that could be augmented with a space-samurai over-armor of tungsten plating for EVA.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

Well, it wouldn't be hard to simply make the plates buckle on exactly like period-correct plate armor. Well, period-ish correct; "Crusaders" actually didnt wear much plate - usually just helm, greaves, and vambraces, maybe spaulders on the shoulders. The crusades took place largely before full plate armor was a thing, making the chain-mail Crusader more ... "accurate". However, the transition to full plate armor had an era of wearing largely chain mail with plates buckled on over it, until plate armor technology advanced enough to dispense with the mail in all but a few areas (armpits, inside of joints).

[Nekira Sudacne]

Well, it wouldn't be hard to simply make the plates buckle on exactly like period-correct plate armor. Well, period-ish correct; "Crusaders" actually didnt wear much plate - usually just helm, greaves, and vambraces, maybe spaulders on the shoulders. The crusades took place largely before full plate armor was a thing, making the chain-mail Crusader more ... "accurate". However, the transition to full plate armor had an era of wearing largely chain mail with plates buckled on over it, until plate armor technology advanced enough to dispense with the mail in all but a few areas (armpits, inside of joints).

not to mention wearing 100 lbs of solid steel armor when crusading in hot, arid or even desert climate sun for hours is a good way to fall to heatstroke.

[taalismn]

Well, it wouldn't be hard to simply make the plates buckle on exactly like period-correct plate armor. Well, period-ish correct; "Crusaders" actually didnt wear much plate - usually just helm, greaves, and vambraces, maybe spaulders on the shoulders. The crusades took place largely before full plate armor was a thing, making the chain-mail Crusader more ... "accurate". However, the transition to full plate armor had an era of wearing largely chain mail with plates buckled on over it, until plate armor technology advanced enough to dispense with the mail in all but a few areas (armpits, inside of joints).

not to mention wearing 100 lbs of solid steel armor when crusading in hot, arid or even desert climate sun for hours is a good way to fall to heatstroke.

And powered air conditioning only works as long as your surrounding environment is cooler than your heat transfer medium.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Well, it wouldn't be hard to simply make the plates buckle on exactly like period-correct plate armor. Well, period-ish correct; "Crusaders" actually didnt wear much plate - usually just helm, greaves, and vambraces, maybe spaulders on the shoulders. The crusades took place largely before full plate armor was a thing, making the chain-mail Crusader more ... "accurate". However, the transition to full plate armor had an era of wearing largely chain mail with plates buckled on over it, until plate armor technology advanced enough to dispense with the mail in all but a few areas (armpits, inside of joints).

not to mention wearing 100 lbs of solid steel armor when crusading in hot, arid or even desert climate sun for hours is a good way to fall to heatstroke.

And powered air conditioning only works as long as your surrounding environment is cooler than your heat transfer medium.

Sure, but sinse standard rifts enviromental armor is rated up to 200C, I don't think that any natural weather will be a problem.

By the way, does it ever say how long an Enviromental Armor's Battery lasts? it's clearly not nuclear powered as no nuclear reactor is mentioned, but I don't revall ever seeing how long the battery lasts or what it takes to recharge it. Starting to wonder if they don't somehow operate on a nuclear decay reactor that lasts for literal ages

[taalismn]

Maybe biokinetics...like the way the new edition Robotech RPG Southern Cross armor captures the motion energy of its wearer to power basic systems.

[Blue_Lion]

Well, it wouldn't be hard to simply make the plates buckle on exactly like period-correct plate armor. Well, period-ish correct; "Crusaders" actually didnt wear much plate - usually just helm, greaves, and vambraces, maybe spaulders on the shoulders. The crusades took place largely before full plate armor was a thing, making the chain-mail Crusader more ... "accurate". However, the transition to full plate armor had an era of wearing largely chain mail with plates buckled on over it, until plate armor technology advanced enough to dispense with the mail in all but a few areas (armpits, inside of joints).

not to mention wearing 100 lbs of solid steel armor when crusading in hot, arid or even desert climate sun for hours is a good way to fall to heatstroke.

And powered air conditioning only works as long as your surrounding environment is cooler than your heat transfer medium.

Sure, but sinse standard rifts enviromental armor is rated up to 200C, I don't think that any natural weather will be a problem.

By the way, does it ever say how long an Enviromental Armor's Battery lasts? it's clearly not nuclear powered as no nuclear reactor is mentioned, but I don't revall ever seeing how long the battery lasts or what it takes to recharge it. Starting to wonder if they don't somehow operate on a nuclear decay reactor that lasts for literal ages

Think they had a faq on that.
http://www.palladiumbooks.com/index.php ... Itemid=200
number 5 says they last 36 hours of constant use.
They also talk about battery life in Canada if I recall.
Think Mechinoids trilogy has a duration as well.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

By the way, does it ever say how long an Enviromental Armor's Battery lasts? it's clearly not nuclear powered as no nuclear reactor is mentioned, but I don't revall ever seeing how long the battery lasts or what it takes to recharge it. Starting to wonder if they don't somehow operate on a nuclear decay reactor that lasts for literal ages

A few servos in the right places in the arms and legs and it can get all the juice it needs just from walking around.