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Moderators: Stormbringer, Ehlanna
http://belariath.com/info/icvsooc.html
Separating IC and OOC
I think its time we all sat down and had a long discussion on what WE the admin/ops consider IC or In Character and what's OOC or Out of Character. Let's use terminology for those that are new so we don't lose them.
IC - In character: You are playing your character. Your character walks into the Inn, orders a drink, the Troll spits in your mug, wipes it clean and fills it up with ale. You eye up the mug and then the troll. You have a choice, in character... Do you A: Insult the blasted troll for spitting in your mug. That's disgusting! Now you can see Troll spit swirling around in your ale suds. Gross! OR you can B: Shrug your shoulders and drink it down. Everybody else is.
You chose A: And eye up the troll, stand up on your stool and dump the contents of ale and spit atop the Trolls head! He obviously, being a troll and all, doesn't get why you just dumped that on his head and picks up the nearest available weapon... likely his big ham fist! And whaps you atop the head. *BAM* OWIE!!!! You rub your head, get that look in your eye and unsheathe your brand new sword! Now that troll is in trouble! Thunk you on the head will he! You jab, slash, maneuver your way around that bar area and turn the troll into living hamburger! Take that you troll! The Troll whaps you several more times! *biff* *bap!* You end up a squashed looking customer... Ooops.... Well, guess that was a bad idea!
In OOC - Out of Character - You A: Take it like a man! Good fight Troll guy! I really enjoyed it, what a way to pick up my afternoon. Thanks! Healer?! Medic!?! Anyone playing their healer right now? Awww shit... no one? Ok... cool. I'm gonna have my character just go lay over by a bench for a while. OR you B: In OOC.. start ranting.. What the F! Dude! I can't believe you did that to me!?! I mean, do you know how long I've been playing here? Like... years. You bullied me into that! It's hardly fair that you're a level 18 and I'm level 5! Look what you did to me, now there's no healers on and I'm fucked for playing the rest of the afternoon. Thanks a lot you asshole!
A: Is correct in out of character response.
B: is NOT correct in out of character response.
Why is A and not B? Good question. We all invest a lot of time into our characters. We buy them armor. Weapons. Slaves. Clothes. Houses. Land. Horses. Toys. We invest a solid two or three years and they have a personality. A way of doing things you'd never do but your character sure has the moxy to carry it through! You can strut around, waving that +5 Dragon Bane killer of Pixie dusted smallness and people FEAR YOU! Yeah.. mauahahaha *rub hands ebilly here!* Ok... cool.. Don't we ALL love that feeling? Hell yeah we do. I mean.. You can go somewhere, anywhere and be recognized. Known. Feared. Loathed. Loved. And it's really a part of you since you've invested so much time and energy and you've told your story! That's the most important part in all this... Its YOUR story. Your character is acting out the story that you weave and that others weave around you. However, the most important thing I can tell you is that, above all if someone insults your character. Beats your character. Doesn't buy your character chocolates from Chocolates to Cherish. Doesn't buy you flowers. Or milk. Or a horse or simply won't become your lover.... this is happening all according to others stories. Stories they've worked on, weaved, spent time on. You aren't the only character out there and if you were? You'd be one lonely son of a gun!
So, because you aren't the only one out there, and because others play their characters according to the way they see fit and others see fit and still others and then there's the laws governing In Character reactions and actions and the Empire and the Imperial Guard and maybe your boss... all In Character. Everyone has to adjust their characters lives accordingly. So. Ok. We've established you aren't the only one on the face of the Empire's planet. You aren't the only one struggling, working, farming, raising, walking, and swinging a sword. Just like out of character when you walk out your door to go to your work place, your home, see your wife your husband or go to church. You don't explode on the person next to you and ream them for stepping on your favorite flower outside!!! That bully! Wait... What!!? Ok. Now we are getting somewhere. In our Real Lives we have rules to follow. Governments to understand. Oh, we can protest! We can wave little anti-bully shirts about and wear coats with glittery sayings on the back like; Bush! Shave it today before it overruns! Sure we can. BUT if we take a gun or a sword out of nowhere and charge said President... we are going to jail! We understand that! Our actions cause a reaction and all the guff and bravado in the world isn't going to save us from a swift jury or judge shoving us into a small 4x4 room.
So in Character... This reflects the things that govern us in our real lives. These characters are merely reacting to your character. To their laws they uphold or the Gods they follow. Taking that OUT of character and shaking them about on how dare they do that to YOU... you.. not your character.. you.. Whoa... wait.. You aren't your character. You are NOT... If someone calls your character a heifer IC... Stop and think... IS he? Maybe. Is he an asshole/bitch/jerkoff IC? Probably... but is the PERSON behind the character an asshole/bitch/jerkoff? Probably not. He's playing out a fantasy. She's having some fun. Lord knows we really don't have Trolls in the Real world. We don't go about swinging swords either unless its for entertainment purposes and you just paid a ticket for that!
Now that we've established reality from fantasy. I want you all to go and play, remember that anything that happens to YOUR CHARACTER isn't you. No one is really calling you an asshole. No one is really lobbing your head off. Or sending a lightning bolt up your ass or stealing your slave. They are doing it to your character. It's a story. And like all stories if it really gets to you that badly? Close the book. Set it down. Come back to it in a few days with a more clear view of why this might have upset you. This story can't govern your life, and if it is? Then reading a story or being in one is not for you. So its time to put the book away and find something else to do.
http://belariath.com/rules.html
The First Rule
This applies to all players whether you are IC or OOC: IRC and TLI are not a democracy. We don't hold votes and we don't recognize any concepts of free speech. An IRC channel is a private room in which you are a guest who may be invited or excluded at the whim of the channel founder. So if you think you will be unable to exist under the guidance and restrictions we feel it necessary to enforce, it will make life far easier for all concerned if you go elsewhere now.
Let's make it a bit clearer since subtlety is not a universally appreciated mode of communication. If the Ops tell you to do something, do it. If they tell you to stop doing something, stop doing it. If a rule elsewhere is unclear, open to interpretation or completely absent, the combined Ops present will consider it using their best judgement based on experience and the intent of the rule. They will inform you of their decision which will be enforced just as if the rule was written here in exactly that way. If you wish to argue or discuss or gain clarification, do it in a PM with that Op but keep your language moderate. If you are still unhappy, you can raise the topic on the message board or in a complaint to a more senior member of the admin. However, in all cases, you are required to follow the Ops instructions until you hear differently.
Having said all that, 9 out of 10 visitors never need more than a simple nudge when they make a mistake. They are reasonable people who are happy to play under the fairly minimal restrictions we impose and they understand our need to regulate certain aspects in order to provide a safe and friendly environment for the majority to play out their fantasies.
Respect and Politeness
Respect the channels you visit as a guest and respect the other players you meet or you will be unwelcome here. Just because a girl may enjoy playing the fantasy of forced sex it doesn't mean she is a slut or a degenerate in real life any more than it does if a guy wants to play the same theme. We require you to tolerate the acceptable beliefs of all other players you encounter. We also demand respect for the Ops and Admins of this game. That does not mean you have to bow down and grovel to their every whim. But it does mean that verbally abusing these people who volunteer their time will not be tolerated.
Ops will routinely enforce this rule if they see that it is being abused or trifled with. What does that mean for you? If we feel that your comments are edging on disparaging of another, too edgy, insultive, disrespective or anything that might fall in between, an Op will enter into your PM with a polite nudge and a request to stop it.
If for some strange reason, you don't catch the first clue and continue sniping, displays of disrespect in the OOC at your fellow players, or at Ops, you will earn an OOC ban for 3 hours.
If for a very odd strange reason, you had forgotten you shouldn't be doing these things for a third time, we will with firm authority, ban you from OOC for one week. IF for another very strange reason it happens again? We will speak on the matter and you likely will be banned from the OOC for a length of time we feel is appropriate.
We don't care if all players actually like each other. But what we do demand is that in all OOC interaction between players, they avoid discourteous, denigrating and insulting comments. If you can't say something polite, keep it buttoned. Unlike face to face encounters, you have the ability to pause before hitting that Enter key and modify what you were going to say. Use that power wisely.
Note that this also applies in private messages between players which take place whilst they are within the realms of TLI.
Harassment, Discomfort and Bullying
Harassment for this purpose is loosely defined as repeated actions designed to make another player feel unsafe, unhappy or unwanted within our community. It is not tolerated. Everyone comes here to have fun and within the regulations of the channels, we intend to make sure they do so.
A lower level of harassment we define as making another player feel uncomfortable. This may not be enough for them to want to make waves by complaining unless it happens frequently or escalates. You may find it all quite innocent until it turns around and bites you in the ass. So you need to be aware of the possibility, so you cannot claim not to have been warned.
Things which typically make a player uncomfortable are trying to control their roleplay and/or unwanted intimacy out of character. Just because your character had sex, raped, collared or married the character of someone else it doesn't give you any rights over the player themselves. It doesn't give you the right to say who they can play with and pressuring someone with passive/aggressive behavior in PM to achieve such will see you in trouble. So too will an assumption that you can grope, fondle and generally demean other players at random in OOC. Just because they play sexually available characters does not mean you can treat the player that way. Keep your OOC and your IC separated.
At times, threats and bullying. or making another feel uncomfortable within this environment do happen. Threats can consist of telling one that you will get them fired just because they wouldn't stop their hard earned rp session to serve your whims. Or perhaps that you will track them down using various resources and call their homes, their families or their work places. Threats IC can include getting higher level characters to come harass and beat another simply because they've managed to anger you out of character. These will not be tolerated.
Note that this also applies in private messages between players which take place whilst they are within the realms of TLI.
Kitani wrote: The matter-of-fact tone of some (even the relatively new!) players as they spit their "This place will die" comments is nothing short of insanity. I don't doubt the longevity of this game. Even in the past when it's boiled down to a dedicated few, that population brushed off the dust, kept having fun, and the rest filled itself in.
~Kit
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