Meet Sass Affrass!

The Floor Tank

The quest to build a hub for RP involved conducting several interviews across the North American Data Center. Some of these interviews mentioned one resource in particular and I knew I had to investigate! After watching a few of his videos it was clear. I must consult the legend himself.

Get to know Sass Affrass, the creator of The Floor Tank Youtube channel and venue!

Before you started roleplaying in Final Fantasy, can you tell me about your past experiences in RP?

Before Final Fantasy XIV, I had played DnD for a few years, but not extensively. However, I did some theater work when I was younger, plays, and the like. So, I have a background in acting which is pretty much the same thing as RP, in my opinion.

I still had to work during the pandemic, albeit in an almost empty building. I felt isolated, and at home, I felt tired. Above anything else, I missed bar hopping with friends. I had heard about RP a lot in the past, so I decided to check out a tavern in-game, in lieu of bar hopping with friends IRL.

“The Right Place.” Still one of my favorite venues I’ve ever been to.

The bartender Allie was so welcoming and patient and I loved RPing right away. Maybe it was because of having a positive first time that I got so comfortable with it.

Does Sass Affrass have a backstory?

Haha yeah, there are actually a few. I feel like I’m not the only one who does this:

There are the stories you write just for yourself; silly headcanons that you really only write for fun.
Then there are the canons that you and your FC share a world in.
Then there’s what I have for Sass in The Floor Tank: a failed sailor of the Maelstrom and hobo-turned Tavern Owner. Which… is essentially a condensed, cartoonish version of the headcanon I use with my FC.

He’s a character that’s been loosely based on my father, and my sister’s old cat. He was actually originally just written as a gag character to include in my wife’s FC. Now I have a Final Fantasy XIV Youtube channel. Life is weird sometimes man.

What advice do you have for someone who is now starting to RP?

Well for the new folks, I’d say go ahead and give my guides a view, a like, and a subscribe (sorry couldn’t resist the shameless plug).

Seriously though, if you’re new and feeling apprehensive for one reason or another, just remember that if a venue is posted on the Party Finder, then you can assume the hosts would love to have you, otherwise, why put the word out? They could just keep things between themselves if they didn’t want to invite you in.

Do you have any tips regarding the separation of self and character?

I mentioned roleplaying is a lot like acting in an earlier question; having that mindset has always helped me feel comfortable while playing a role in a game. The character “Sass” is a drunken, unreliable, larger-than-life sailor, while in real life, I am pretty mundane. I have a normal day job and reliably clock in and work full time, drink in moderation, and mow my lawn on weekends.

So if an interaction forces you into a situation where your character would do something that you wouldn’t do, well if you want to play the role you should do it. As long as you feel comfortable and no one is getting hurt then you should think of it as an experience. For example, I know to stop at 2 beers in real life... But Sass doesn’t.

At the end of the day we are all playing a video game, these characters you create are not you, and while you may draw from your real-life experiences to write your headcanon…

Remember that these games are no substitute for life. I’m not saying that our art is not valid, I’m saying that it’s the joy of pretending together that should be the draw of RP, not escapism.

Tell me about The Floor Tank venue!

Sass is a pretty unhinged character, so I wanted the venue to match his chaotic energy. I also wanted each RP session to feel like an episode from a sitcom, including things like running gags. Little things to include that regulars would see coming and occasionally comment on.

I decided to go with a speakeasy, with a blatantly fake flower shop front. The top floor has always been the flower shop, and while it shifted a bit in the beginning it usually was just an empty room with a single flower vase on a table behind an obvious fake wall. I wanted to give the patrons a clue as to what they can expect coming downstairs. I mostly ran the bar by myself, so for the first person to enter each night I would meet them upstairs and guide them to the bar.

Sometimes Manderville levels of shenanigans would ensue, but we had slower nights too.

Things like broken tables, fires, bar fights, raids from the Brass Blades (Sass has no liquor license), and bird-related mishaps are frequent and the norm. But rather than force that level of nonsense on the guest, I would feel out their character first. Some people really do just want to RP walking into a nice tavern and have an old man bartender give them an IPA or something. Others want explosions. At The Floor Tank, we cater to both!

I do actually have a few staff members as well, and the interpersonal friction makes the sessions feel like workplace comedies. We've got a grizzled bouncer, another Miqo-te that manages the flower shop and is grumpy all the time, and an enigma under a mask. They don't work with me every session, so each session is sort of a surprise on who you might see working but Sass is always there.

What moment sparked the idea for the Youtube channel?

Our bar seemed to be a magnet for new RPers. One night we had a newcomer that had a ton of questions that they were clearly nervous about asking. Luckily we're always glad to answer questions and help if in any way we can.

I wanted to look up some beginner guides but I found the landscape wanting. So, I decided to brush off my old recording equipment and make some videos!

The Poisoned Pestle