The Dark Realmz
Newcomers Lobby => Talk To Our Staff => Forum Announcements => Topic started by: The End of All Light. on February 26, 2014, 09:03:27 PM
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[align=justify:aa89a43140]What to Do if Your Fellow Players are mixing IC with OOC:
When it comes to matters of the heart, honesty is the best policy. If you suspect a player might be mixing IC with OOC and developing real life feelings -- be clear and honest about your limits, explain that your character doesnât tend to be monogamous (if that is the case), and reinforce through your profile or direct communication that IC love does not equal OOC love. In worse case scenarios, distance yourself from the person who is getting too close for comfort or at least tell them youâre not interested on an OcC level . The best policy... avoid this mess by being assertive and discussing your position and limits of interest before attachment happens, better management comes from handling the issue before and certainly not after.
When it comes to thought insults or a character treating another character poorly or unfairly due to OOC conflicts, contact the room owner/mod, of a room. Be sure to have the logs to show the abusive or unsavoury behaviour. It is not good form to repeat thought insults back, or flame a person in local/public chat and on forums, which is expressly against any of the role-play rules and the role-players Bill of Rights.
Your fellow players are sacrificing the integrity of their character for their own whims? A simple hint or in-character comment can help steer them clear. âMy goodness, your hair is red! I always thought you to be a blonde, how shocking.... wooptie-doo for 3500BC.... the Egyptians got something right, way to go Henna!!!â If they donât get the hint, an IM asking them why they are not sticking to their original character creation might get them to realise how important integrity is, after all glamour is but an illusion. If all else fails, best to not get too deeply entwined with a character in roleplay that flip-flops all the time and requires you to do a lot of back pedalling and wondering where the hell you are at.
Their character doesnât react at all the way they should? The first way to address this is in-character. â[insert Mungbean name in here]! Why are you attempting to save such vile trash as this demon! He is your enemy! Have you gone mad, my friend? Cast it back to hell where it belongs, you are an angel, are you not?â. If all else fails and they donât take the hint, you may wish to avoid the player who canât separate IC from OOC. Ooc friendships should not cross over to IC unless there is a legitimate reason IC for that relationship, be is pure storyline or actual IC events.
The player takes everything too personally, and gets upset when things donât go how they envisioned? Best to avoid these types like the plague. Give them time to learn that roleplay isnât about them, itâs about their character -- a habit which can take years to break, if at all. Quote: "You're right, I do role-play to escape reality. I'm comforted knowing the idiots in here aren't real; but around you, I lose utter faith in humanity."
Is the character is like a walking replica of the playerâs real life persona, or perhaps a extremely idealized version of how they wish to be? Do they often speak in terms of I, me, my, mine instead of âmy character...â? Do they look/act/dress the exact same way when they are âout of characterâ too? You just might have met a âEmpressWhuDaFukCaresâ. Best to avoid this type of player at all costs. They are here to serve their own emotional fulfilment and to see themselves as how they dream, often times you find these types to be furries, fetishists, and highly highly stylized/attractive avatars (in many cases, but not all). âWhat? Iâm not allowed to roleplay my valkyrie-panda-neko with gigantic breasts that Iâve been playing as on every MUD since 1998? So unfair! You guys are haters!â Often times itâs impossible to console people who roleplay themselves or an idealized version of themselves when they face IC or OOC rejection. Best to avoid these types like the plague.
Tips on Separating Roleplay from Reality
Always think, âWWMCD?â Always and often, think âwhat would my character do in this situation?â, rather than roleplaying out your knee-jerk real life reactions.
Communicate. Before you get wrapped up with that hottie in a steamy roleplay, make it clear where you stand in terms of real life feelings, and figure out where they stand too. Sometimes people consentually allow IC and OOC to âblendâ when it comes to love. Just make sure both parties are on the same page before commencing.
Take a step back. Like the actors who fall too deep into becoming their own character, the same can happen with second life roleplay. Change your perspective often, never forget about âthe big pictureâ. If you feel like things are getting too personal, log out, pick up the phone, and call a real life friend or family member. Itâs a great way to check-in, and stay grounded to whatâs important in life.
Be open minded, throw your expectations out the window. Instead of setting OOC expectations for your characterâs story (gets married, has babies, becomes a powerful mage, becomes queen, etc.), throw them out the window and let fate steer your character where she may. Getting too attached to the idea of how your character should progress will lead to disappointment when things donât go as you see fit, or worse yet, influence your rolepay negatively (such as god-moding). Let your character have his or her dreams and aspirations, but accept that roleplay, like real life, doesnât go as we often would like. Appreciate that this is what drives compelling storylines and makes your character âcome to lifeâ.
Donât be yourself. Just donât do it. Give your character a life of their own, their own history and appearance, and steer clear of the temptation to render your character an idealized version of yourself. While it is more challenging to play a character nothing like yourself -- it will make you a better âactorâ in the long run. Experiment with various archetypes and personalities very different from your own.
Do be consistent. Gosh, that new outfit is so tempting to throw on, even though itâs nothing at all like what your character would wear! Being a brunette is so boring, I wish I could just change it to blonde! Resist the urge. You created an identity; donât render it pointless by flip-flopping on your characterâs personality/alignment/appearance/etc. If you are a bit bored or need a change -- make a new character.
Take the high road. Canât STAND that player? Think they are such a jerk /clueless noob/attention whore/primadona/Mary Sue or Gary Stu? Resist the urge to be nasty through your character, blow their mind and actually be realistic in your roleplay even if it means being nice! Worst comes to worse -- contact an admin to help resolve a conflict or mute the player if they positively get under your skin all the time.[/align:aa89a43140]