What is RP Bad Form to You? *DISCUSSION* [Archive]

Ellsbeth

10-21-2008, 03:50 PM

I'm curious to know what RP faux pas exist for you guys.

One big one for me is RP Guild Poaching. Since the community is so small, offering bribes or trying to steal members from other guilds is not kosher. It causes bad feelings all round.

Also I cringe when someone knows my name if we haven't met. It's something that can be explained and sometimes it's an honest mistake. But wouldn't you find it creepy if someone walked up to you and said your name if you've never met them. My characters are hardly celebrities and used to that kind of thing.

Edit:

For those just coming to this thread, this is not meant to be a hate fest. It's a bad form fest. What's the difference?

First off, here's some bad form. I'm quoting myself.

Seriously though... I didn't want to say "What are the things you hate about ..." because bad form is not hate. It's like peeves of pets. If you ever hear a British guy say, "Bad form old chap!" it's hard not to laugh. Just ask Amaurn to say it sometime and you'll get him to bristle saying that British people don't say "Bad form old chap" but it's lies. THEY ALL DO.

Bad form is not anger and hatred. Bad form is just the things that irk you, drive you batty, or just things that you have learned you didn't do right and have changed over time. Bad form is not meant to be attacking to people who do the things, it's just a way to review the mistakes that people may make in RP and why it's possible that some RPers aren't enjoying playstyles.

So! Come in here with a bit of a smile. Air out that dirty RP laundry that you've done. Take everything with a little bit of sugar and above all, I hope this thread helps people learn new ways of RPing or even solidify their current RP path.

Imara

10-21-2008, 04:05 PM

Vilmah

10-21-2008, 04:17 PM

I absolutely cringe every time some puts their character's thoughts into an emote.

i.e. "Joe wonders why Liadain has her sword at his throat and hopes that she doesn't kill him."

OMG I hate that too!! So much! I should not know what you are thinking, RP out your motions! Lemme figure it out!!

Pearlle

10-21-2008, 04:20 PM

i agree with the name thing. i've slipped with that recently because i was so excited for my character to be talking to someone in roleplay, kind of forgot we hadn't officially 'met', doh. it went off without a hitch but i apologized in a tell.

i don't like the double brackets thing. i guess it has to do with the colour of the texts. i have the different colours, all default, set in my brain so that "this" is roleplay, this purple is tells that might be ooc or not, this orangey red thing is an emote. when ppl are roleplaying an awesome scene, and i have the privilege of watching, and they're also having an ooc discussion in double brackets in say... i kinda could do without that. but i'm only the observer in such cases. i guess really the ppl playing that scene are the ones that matter most and they should do what's comfy.

it feels strange when someone is standing in front of you and they say ((i'm not here!)). er. yes you are. imma hold you to it. because it's not a text based rp, it's an honest eye-candy adventure. and their pixels are the representation of their character just as much as their typed out text. last night in our guild 'office' someone logged on accidentally, just hit the wrong enter button. hey it happens! but it's okay to rp it out too. roleplay takes some brains sometimes. oh the clever things i watch ppl come up with, just amazing! you can rp your way outta anything!

and the last thing that for me is in roleplay, bad form...relying on the roleplay add-ons. i'm from a pvp server originally. i didn't get that far there, but just because the blood elves weren't in the game and i just don't like goodie goodie tree hugger roleplay, and refuse to play something short, ugly or human. anyway! i came to twisting nether for the RP part of the RPPVP. the PVP part was just a great bonus - pvp to me is the epitome of roleplay! yes i hate you, now i will kill you, muahahhaa! but i kept meeting ppl who sent me tells and insisted i get add-ons in order to roleplay properly. wha? huh? why would i do that? well i can see why, now. some ppl have extended their characters beyond the game's world. they've got looks they can't obtain in the game or come from lands or people that don't exist. or they just don't want to be roleplay all the time. and the add-ons make it easier. i wish rather that they would really roleplay it out. "Joeschmoe looks at you from behind azure blue eyes and smiles wickedly, his teeth crooked and jagged." "Juliette flings her long chestnut brown hair and glares at the newcomer, speaking with a hiss, 'We don't serve your kind here.'" if ppl expect everyone to get add-ons to say "yes im rp" or "yes you see my char but i'm not 'really' here" well...i guess it's one of those things that separates us from others. i wish ppl would work inside the game. yes have the inventive amazing storylines that take the blizzard world and expand it, but roleplay it out. straight up.

hrm. other faux pas of course is god moding. "i am a god". "oh really now...so if i get forty people together and we take you to gurubashi arena, we should have no trouble kickin' yer ass...oh and don't forget to give us all ten gold each! cuz that's what we do with gods in this world, mister!" muahahhaa! oh i'm so funny..but not really...mkay....

Cabriel

10-21-2008, 04:35 PM

I totally can't stand the ((I'm not here)) thing either. Seriously, I've hidden Cabriel inside bushes, behind crates, on hammocks, or "inside" big NPC's just so he's not standing around with a "dur" look on his beautiful, chiseled face.

Honestly? I don't like the "my hearthstone is a cell phone" thing. It just rubs me the wrong way for some reason.

When my imp or succubus is in phase shift, you can't seem them. No one can. Stop seeing them.

Unless you know a character (or know OF them through a legit RP contact), you shouldn't automatically know their profession, class, etc.

Would your character hang out in a bar or an inn fully armed? Really?...really??

Don't walk through me, please.

I think it's appropriate to allow a bit of time after you send /s or emote to allow the other character to react. Nothin' worse than an RP session that you literally have to untangle.

Oh, and assume nothing.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-21-2008, 04:42 PM

The absolute worst is when folks can't or won't separate IC from OOC. If something bad happens to my character IC ((which if you've read my bio, happens quite often)) I don't whine and cry about it OOC. Hell, people have brutally beaten her up, spit on her and all manner of things and I can still be friendly with that person out of role play. Sometimes storylines and character personalities also become distorted because of some lame out of character conflict... and I find that incredibly immature as well.

Cliques and snubbing are the next on my list. I see the more popular RPers snub lowbie or lesser known roleplayers all the time. It is one thing if you have a IC reason for it, but otherwise, gimme a break. Sometimes as mentioned above people will snub you for OOC reasons, and that is equally immature and ridiculous. We are all adults here, this is not high school (at least I hope it's not), it's time to wear our big-kid panties.

Taknar

10-21-2008, 04:43 PM

Also I cringe when someone knows my name if we haven't met. It's something that can be explained and sometimes it's an honest mistake. But wouldn't you find it creepy if someone walked up to you and said your name if you've never met them. My characters are hardly celebrities and used to that kind of thing.

Aren't you exalted with various factions? If you have spent any decent amount of time on Quel'Danas, one of the guards has certainly praised your name as you walked by.

I'm kind of on the fence with the emotion filled emotes. On one hand, it's true that you can't act out an emotion, but we are not standing there face to face and the emotes are all we have. I could say "Taknar stares at you." but unless you are extremely lucky in guessing what I mean to portray, you will most likely not react in a manner relating to the intended expressed emotion. That leaves me with two options. The first being a long sentence such as "Taknar stares at you, snarling. He wraps his hand tightly around his mace and points at you, followed by running a finger along his neck." The second is "Taknar stares at you with murderous intent."

I don't have a lot of time to play this game (okay I do, but I really don't want to have the time). I will always take option two. If that means that I don't get to RP with the RP purists, that's fine. I will take my smaller pool of friends as a penalty for my laziness.

Yatokth

10-21-2008, 04:46 PM

Would your character hang out in a bar or an inn fully armed? Really?...really??

Actually yes - Yat would. But he's a special case, alot of RPers I know have a casual set, which makes sense.

The name thing is a rookie mistake - I've seen it and done it before, it's not a big deal, I let it slide, long as it isn't a recurring problem.

I don't find the "radio hearthstone" to be a problem - it doesn't really bother me. I mean hell, it's magic dammit!

The ((I'm not here!)) deal really doesn't bother me that much - I don't think it's important to be so nazi as to RP EVERYTHING, and you're required to be everywhere IC at all times. That, in my opinion, is bad form as it seems really... short-sighted. OOC shenanigans are just as fun as RP. If an RPer doesn't want to RP at the time, but he's in X location, then who are you to tell you "NO UR RPING WITH ME". Kinda douche-like imo.

Never had an RP add-on, but I DO agree that relying on them is lame, it's better to reveal it in RP, and the same with "RPing thoughts" - RPing your exterior emotional reactions is much more engaging, as you can get alot deeper of an interaction that way.

Oh, and having poor spelling and capitilzation/grammar. ANNOYS THE SHIT OUT OF ME.

Lelenia

10-21-2008, 04:47 PM

...someone forcing groups to pay them cash for an instance run, spamming advertisements in LFG and General for such, then when anyone asks, they say "I'm a Mercenary, it's RP"

...want to smite them -.-

Keraph

10-21-2008, 04:55 PM

The 'knowing someones name' thing is a pain, but usually a beginner mistake, and easily corrected.

I've never liked the emoting thoughts thing. Someone in the guild does it a lot, and I'm always like "DUDE, NOT TELEPATHIC".

I'm with Cabriel on the Hearthstone thing as well, but not the armed in an inn thing. Keraphs RP gear is also his PvP gear /nod

There would be more but work is over and I need to go hoooooome!

Alphaeus

10-21-2008, 05:06 PM

I hate constant, endless one liners with no content.
Content!
We needs it, we wants it!
The content!

I don't like when all RP is 75% canned emotes. I enjoy a thought-out paragraph. I do like to read character's thoughts. I post Al's actions, reactions, body language, and an inner voice, as well as an attempt at giving my writing a tone through word choice. I write to be read. Just because I post something, doesn't mean your character has to know it - they can miss the subtle shifting or weight, or the way a brow furrows as this or that thought crosses his mind. It gives the writing flavor where it could otherwise be dry and mechanical.

One-liners and canned emotes have a place and a time - like when you're short on time, talking over whispers/party/guild, or in combat, or just passing by, or don't intend to really RP with someone.

But since I've long ago realized my style is a minority, I've come to the position of giving as much as I get, and it seems to serve me well enough.

Taknar

10-21-2008, 05:08 PM

POOR SPELLING.

You could have the best RP in the world, but if it's poorly spelled, I completely ignore it. It literally makes me twitch. The occasional spelling mistake is one thing but constant mistakes are horrifying to me.

I'm like that in a different way. You could have the best ideas for world reform, but unless you can do calculus I completely ignore it. It literally makes me twitch. The occasional math mistake is one thing but constant mistakes are horrifying to me.

/endMeanSarcasmToMakeAPoint

Please don't take what I just typed as a personal shot, but if you ignore people's creativity based on their grasp of the English language you're only limiting yourself not them, even though that other person takes the flak for it.

(Before people say there is a greater connection to spelling and creative expression than there is between mathematics and world reform, both mathematics and spelling are tools of communication that can be used to express ideas of world reform or creative roleplay, respectively)

Yatokth

10-21-2008, 05:13 PM

Ignas

10-21-2008, 05:20 PM

I absolutely cringe every time some puts their character's thoughts into an emote.

i.e. "Joe wonders why Liadain has her sword at his throat and hopes that she doesn't kill him."

I have on occasion been known to reply with a smart ass...

"Liadain is shocked to discover she has psychic powers and can read Joe's mind."

I have seen this happen quite a bit, usually thinking to myself "Alright, I'm making an angry post SOMEWHERE to address this crap!" But, I then think that I would come off as a jerk or something so I haven't done it... yet.

The absolute worst is when folks can't or won't separate IC from OOC. If something bad happens to my character IC ((which if you've read my bio, happens quite often)) I don't whine and cry about it OOC. Hell, people have brutally beaten her up, spit on her and all manner of things and I can still be friendly with that person out of role play. Sometimes storylines and character personalities also become distorted because of some lame out of character conflict... and I find that incredibly immature as well.

This. This. Oh lord, this.

I have seen this happen a LOT. So much so that whenever I think something like this has happened I jump on the situation with /tells and try to sort out the situation. Not always successful, but hey, I tried.

As far as RP addons go, I use MRP only because I want a flipping last name for my character and a title. That is all I fill in. The only other perks to using it for me is seeing guild ranks for players in guilds (and I have caught one person in a lie where they said that they were an officer in their guild, but the tooltip said that they were a "Trial". That was a good day.) and pointing out other Rper's, which does not equate to every RPer. In no way do I say that all RPer's should have one, but I do recommend it. =)

Tillna

10-21-2008, 05:45 PM

being ignored, ICly or OOCly.

If ICly, you ignore a character...you should emote it or something. It's no fun to watch to people fight and guy 2 repeats somethign ten times cause guy one is ICly ignoring him, but guy 2 thinks it's a tell hell thing.

Another is people who get so bent out of shape when some one jumps into a story line. Ok, cool, you're all havign a meeting in public about a storyline, icly. Wait, I can't be there?

see also the won't change their story line at all, even if it means ignoring some cool on the fly RP.

I've seen it. It's bad.

Also, need to do more weddings. Weddings fun

Ellsbeth

10-21-2008, 05:56 PM

Tillna

10-21-2008, 06:04 PM

I can honestly say I ignored someone once in RP and I still feel like a jerk for it. I know now that EVERYONE deserves attention for what their characters can do and what they as players can offer to the RP table. Sometimes that guy sitting at the inn, wearing the robes, not saying anything, will turn out to be the hidden gem.

Yeah..and by ignore, if Ells is all crotchy and all "damn youngbloods." and some kid tries to talk to her if you just /em ignores so and so cause she's grumpy" Then that's one thing.

Now get on Sole so she can reuinite with ehr little sis!

Sifar

10-21-2008, 06:23 PM

Another is people who get so bent out of shape when some one jumps into a story line. Ok, cool, you're all havign a meeting in public about a storyline, icly. Wait, I can't be there?

see also the won't change their story line at all, even if it means ignoring some cool on the fly RP.

One of my first introductions to RP that had an actual story arc to it, went a lot like this. It was "so-n-so is being taken to this place and it's all this other person's fault" an no amount of interceding or talk or anything was going to change it. Add to this that most happened in guild chat, yet we were all just audience to the event. Boring. Let me get involved, damn it.

Another is people not accepting realistic consequences to their actions. You steal my girlfriend or get someone killed? You're going to be on someone's IC shit list for it.

Ellsbeth

10-21-2008, 06:28 PM

Don't walk through me, please.

Would love to buy collision especially in moments like that.

The worst is when you do the bob and weave and you both bob and weave into eachother.

Taknar

10-21-2008, 06:41 PM

The worst is when you do the bob and weave and you both bob and weave into eachother.

Yes! While it doesn't really bother me to any extent, this has always struck me as really ironic.

I just came up with another thing that sorta bothers me and that's people RPing things separate from their class abilities. and I mean far separate. Especially if they are dipping into other classes abilities to do it. I mean, it's great to want that kind of system here but FFXI isn't the game we're playing, it's WoW. At the very least don't pretend to me a master of both classes you're pretending to be. If you want to be a max level warlock/mage, RP a level 35 warlock and a level 35 mage. (And I want to be able to squish you accordingly ;D )

The_Golden_Wolf

10-21-2008, 06:45 PM

Advurb

10-21-2008, 07:15 PM

I need to work on the content part... still new to this whole RP dealio. But one thing that gets me is Hunters using EotB in stupid ways like running away and just walking their pet around, up on the bar, trying to get my attention.

Yatokth

10-21-2008, 07:17 PM

Gorymoru

10-21-2008, 07:18 PM

Hmm...Gory rant coming on.

Not a fan of the telepathic emoting. In fact, that usually results in some internal bleeding.

God moding is an obvious no no. However, I've been accused of it, and I'd like to get some clarification on what exactly god moding is. I like having a powerful character, yes. I don't like someone who can get their ass handed to them by an infected squirrel. Nor do I like someone who can't defend their own honor. So when I take the time to have a full backstory as to why he can erect an impenetrable barrier...why ignore it? Or why go "possessed" and walk through it like its tissue paper? Maybe I'm trying to RP out me saying "PRIVATE RP GO AWAY!!!" ((No, I dont' do that in full public view, actually in a partially secluded location))

However, I don't make them all powerful. If they are not physically hindered, they are mentally. If you don't consider a mental defection or degredation a hindrance...than stay away from me. My main is a quagmire of mental instabilities, and I don't like it when I'm told that it doesnt' count for the sheer fact that he's ((in that exact instant)) invincible.

I hate the failing at grammar as well, but I can look past it. I'd rather RP with someone with impeccable spelling at the least, because I like to read books...and that's what I'm doing, living a story as its being written, follow?

Hate the walking through crap...but how bad would it fry the servers if Blizzard made everyone solid? ((Say bye to amusing positioning too *oops ran too far, oh damn!!!))

Finally, I think, I hate the mixing of IC and OOC. I RP an asshole, and I RP a blunt girl with no sense of modesty. Don't hate me for their actions. Also, I'm a scathing person OOC, but only if its amusing. If its not, tell me ((preferably politely)) and I'll rectify the issue. Don't just flip out randomly after enduring abuse, because that will piss me off.

Oh, and the (()) brackets dont' kill me at all. If there's nothing but brackets, I'll get grr, but besides that, nuh uh. I think its helpful and convienent when RPing with a small OR large group of people to be able to convey RL issues or other such nonsense without having to party/raid everyone up.

Yatokth

10-21-2008, 07:28 PM

Hmm...Gory rant coming on.

Not a fan of the telepathic emoting. In fact, that usually results in some internal bleeding.

God moding is an obvious no no. However, I've been accused of it, and I'd like to get some clarification on what exactly god moding is. I like having a powerful character, yes. I don't like someone who can get their ass handed to them by an infected squirrel. Nor do I like someone who can't defend their own honor. So when I take the time to have a full backstory as to why he can erect an impenetrable barrier...why ignore it? Or why go "possessed" and walk through it like its tissue paper? Maybe I'm trying to RP out me saying "PRIVATE RP GO AWAY!!!" ((No, I dont' do that in full public view, actually in a partially secluded location))

However, I don't make them all powerful. If they are not physically hindered, they are mentally. If you don't consider a mental defection or degredation a hindrance...than stay away from me. My main is a quagmire of mental instabilities, and I don't like it when I'm told that it doesnt' count for the sheer fact that he's ((in that exact instant)) invincible.

Should really be careful of doing an ability that isn't normally used by RL humans or the general adventurer in the warcraft universe, unless of course you're doing an RP where the person already KNOWS you can do such things, and consents.

Having undefined powers that stem from just your backstory can get fishy when defining what is and isn't passable for "would that actually happen?" or "my character isn't any weaker than yours" type of attitudes. This is mostly prevalent when dealing with other player characters.

I generally tend to avoid such things and simply RP conflict with other players with both parties knowing a general idea of what will happen before hand, and both being reasonable about the abilities of their respective characters.

I'm not saying erecting an impenetrable barrier is god modding by definition, you should just be wary.

Libelle

10-21-2008, 07:32 PM

Inconsistency. I once had someone try to rp with me that several years had gone by since I saw him last, and I had to explain to him that there was no way I could reconcile that in my rp with other people, considering that he wanted there to be a child involved, and blah. Basically I have trouble with anything happening in my rp with one person or a group of people that would cause continuity errors in my rp outside of that context. I can get a little harsh about it at times, actually... *slaps self on the wrist*

Malebrignon

10-21-2008, 07:46 PM

Hmmm.... I could rant for hours here. Instead, I'll address some things that have been mentioned.

Names: I've never been taken aback that someone knew my name/title. It's only ever happened to Brig and Grooda and both of them are arrogant enough to think any Horde should know who they are. On the flip side, Brig also doesn't care enough about others to know who they are. In situations such as guild recruitment, I've introduced myself via a tell or mail and arranged a time and location to meet someone. I do not go looking for them; I don't know them. I wait at the location and expect them to identify me. I've never had a problem with an RP'er knowing who I am.

Stealth: Huge pet peeve. If you're stealthed, you're invisible even if same-faction mechanics allow me to see you. Now, if you're stealthed and standing on top of me, well, you're not really being stealthy are you? However, I can't count the number of times I've been RPing with someone who "sensed the presence of another" or some sort as an excuse to see through invisibility. If you walk through a hunter's flare, we see you. If one of us non-stealth folks is wearing anti-stealth goggles or under the effects of a potion, there's a good chance we see/feel you. If we're drunk in a bar... we don't. Playing nice IC'ly with the stealth mechanic is definitely an acquired skill, but not one that's incredibly hard to learn. Some people are just control-freaks and can't do it no matter what. Those people piss me off.

Collision: Don't stand on top of me! I wouldn't mind it one bit if I could use my Psychic Scream to fear you for doing it. In a perfect game world, physical contact with Brig would send a numbing chill through the offender's body and paralyze them with fear while I removed the extremity that made contact.

Ignoring: Some people just aren't worth noticing. I don't ever put a roleplayer on "ignore" no matter how much I don't like them, but that does not mean I will actually interact with them. If Brig has no attention to spare for them then they get none unless they find a way to IC'ly MAKE me pay attention to them. Then they are treated with the open scorn that I (we?) feel for them.

Content: I'm on the fence with this one. A few of my characters are quite talkative and will give you content out the wazoo. Sinthia, for example, is hard to get talking but once you have her interest (and it has to be while she is the dominant personality and not being controlled by her curt and disinterested master) she will talk incessantly. On the flip side, Brig won't use five words to say something that can be communicated with two, especially if you are not an inner circle confidante. Sometimes less is more, y'know? It communicates a lot about the character. Same with emotes, Brig is a skeleton. No flesh. No eyebrows to arch; no muscles to cause perpetual movement. The only indication of life within Brig is his glowing eyes, which my emotes tend to focus on when I choose to use them.

RP Gear: I'm with Keraph on this one. Most of us are playing agressive and often militant characters. "..being disarmed makes you despised..." as my old pal Machiavelli liked to put it. Sure, I have a few pieces of "RP gear" for special occasions like a dress robe (which still has good combat stats) and the fire festival flaming spaulders and the like, but more often than not I'm going to wear functional equipment especially considering how often I'm attacked in towns. Rogues LOVE to jump any priest that's not in gladiator gear.

God Moding: I like the way I addressed this in my sticky in the main WoW forums. Basically, don't tell me you can do something, either do it or don't. I'm not going to text battle you, you'll have to beat me in a duel. Want to give / receive a magic item that does something outside the game mechanics? Cool! Go over it with me first. I give out non-game magic items all the time, but I make sure it's something the player can choose how to interact with as opposed to me telling them "This works like this and if X, then Y...."

OOC Brackets: I fully approve of the use of OOC brackets, except in the broadcast channels of /y and /s. If you can't figure out a way to communicate to the group IC'ly, then you need to brush up on your RP skills instead of assaulting us with your OOCyness.

Jeedup

10-21-2008, 09:05 PM

Would love to buy collision especially in moments like that.

The worst is when you do the bob and weave and you both bob and weave into eachother.

"AH! OUR MOLECULES! THEY ARE ENTWINED!"

Ellsbeth

10-21-2008, 09:23 PM

"AH! OUR MOLECULES! THEY ARE ENTWINED!"

Like ghost ships in the night...

Jeedup

10-21-2008, 09:28 PM

Like ghost ships in the night...

I actually RPed the whole non-collision thing once with Bir, it was rather epic lawls, but good RP.

Xiphus

10-21-2008, 09:39 PM

I also can't stand people who knew Xiphus's name even when he never met them. You see, Xiphus is very discrete in everything he does. So much so that he is only referred to by codename, and his codenames for different factions is different, and depending on situation, will get his employer to change his codename. He took the trouble to ensure that every document about him does not refer to him by name, or has the name completely blanked out. He made sure that his armor has no distinctive marking to ensure that whenever he is dressed to kill, he looks exactly like all Forsaken rogues of his caliber, which happens to include hundreds to thousands of veterans. He even assumed plenty of aliases, and hardly ever divulge his actual name to anyone. When dealing with everyone else that isn't his employer, he employs the use of intermediaries.

He even kills witnesses, even if they are just children, and goes out his way to prevent unnecessary contact with non-targets.

With so much measures used to ensure discretion and anonymity, then why is it that people Xiphus never met knows his name? Hell, even most of the Raven Cross does not know who is behind that mask. And then there's another peeve is that the complete strangers enjoy calling him famous. Nuh uh, he is not famous. Heck, there's completely zero official documents that indicated that he was even born. As far as the entire world is concern, Xiphus does not exist.

I also don't like Hearthstone-Cell phone thing. I mean, it's a magic stone that sends you home. Hence, Hearthstone. Instead, I tend to say that Xiphus uses a communicator. How he got that is a long story involving goblins, stealing from gnomes and being a good employee to the Consortium.

I also have something against abilities that shouldn't be available to any character, class or spec. That is why I tailored Xiphus's abilities to what he has in his spec and his rogue abilities. Which also provided an air of ordinariness (as far as rogues are concerned), and that is good for discretion purposes.

And stealth, I always had Xiphus skulk around in dark corners.

Korangar

10-21-2008, 09:48 PM

I'd like to play the devil's advocate a little bit here. But all in all these like everyone else's are just opinions.

Spelling/Grammar: It bothers me if I don't understand it, or if its MS English. Otherwise, I want to set an example by being a good speller myself in hopes that they too will try harder.

Stealth: If I can see you, my character can see you. Why? Because I've learned the harsh lessons of Azeroth. Watch your back, know your surroundings.

IC/OOC: I will keep most everything in character to a point. There are some situations where I have to step out and say, "That wasn't cool." or "I don't feel comfortable with this situation." or some other thing. If all is going well in roleplay, that won't happen. But stepping into ooc should be like a dom/sub's safe word.

Names: I may or may not know your name before you've been introduced to me. Thats part of my roleplay and I can't say more. ;)

Ignoring: If I'm ignoring someone, I won't emote, "Korangar is ignoring you." I simply won't respond. You'll get the point just like someone in real life would if you don't respond. Yes, they may repeat themselves a few times. Now /ignore is a little different. I have a total of 3 people on my ignore list. I don't like using it, but I find its the spammers that are ignored. The rest I take on.

RP Gear: Likewise with Yatokth and Keraph, I'm always ready for battle, if I'm in casual clothes, its because my gear is packed into my backpack, which is on my shoulder. If I'm somewhere formal, my pack will be stashed somewhere nearby(At which point I'll roleplay going to my pack before opening up my inventory).

Paragraphs vs. Canned Emotes(I think thats what you refer to as /nod /smile etc): I don't like paragraph roleplay. I'll write a thousand paragraphs as to why I don't like it. Condensed version - I'm not patient enough to wait for you to type out a paragraph. I convey everything I need into small sentences, even if there are multiple sentences that could be formed into a paragraph, at least people know I'm still present.

All that being said, I think I would agree with everything else.

Taknar

10-21-2008, 09:57 PM

But stepping into ooc should be like a dom/sub's safe word.

hehe nice comparison

Ignoring: If I'm ignoring someone, I won't emote, "Korangar is ignoring you." I simply won't respond. You'll get the point just like someone in real life would if you don't respond. Yes, they may repeat themselves a few times. Now /ignore is a little different. I have a total of 3 people on my ignore list. I don't like using it, but I find its the spammers that are ignored. The rest I take on.

I find that this is a very fine line to play around with. There have been many times where I've been trying to start conversations with people IC, and recieve no response. There are three possible things I can assume from the information given:

1) They didn't see it.

2) They saw it and IC are ignoring me.

3) They saw it and OOC are ignoring me.

Option 1 is completely understandable. Option 2 is understandable, but not likely to be assumed. Most of the time what is assumed is Option 3, for whatever reason you may come up with. I feel that using an emote to show that you are ignoring someone IC is a curtesy that you acknowledge their existance, but your character has no interest in them. Many feelings and rumours about inner circles and cliques could be stopped if we all just knew that your characters are pricks, not the players.

Agnarr

10-21-2008, 10:04 PM

My characters are hardly celebrities and used to that kind of thing.

But your name is revered throughout the Undercity and Orgrimmar!

I absolutely cringe every time some puts their character's thoughts into an emote.

i.e. "Joe wonders why Liadain has her sword at his throat and hopes that she doesn't kill him."

I have been known to do that, but usually only when I'm being silly OOCly yet not straying from being IC.

When my imp or succubus is in phase shift, you can't seem them. No one can. Stop seeing them.

Sure you can. The imp isn't invisible. The succubus is, so I agree with you there, unless you're a warlock and usually wander around with Detect Invisibility on (which mine does, actually).

Would your character hang out in a bar or an inn fully armed? Really?...really??

Yes.

Stealth: Huge pet peeve. If you're stealthed, you're invisible even if same-faction mechanics allow me to see you. Now, if you're stealthed and standing on top of me, well, you're not really being stealthy are you?
Same faction doesn't magically see through stealth unless you're in a group with said stealthed person.
If you're "hiding" three feet in front of me, guess what, I see you there. Horde or no.

I feel that using an emote to show that you are ignoring someone IC is a curtesy that you acknowledge their existance, but your character has no interest in them.

/snub

Nadea

10-21-2008, 10:57 PM

What bugs me? Well, IC and OOC getting mixed together. Nadea is a complete bitch. The player BEHIND Nadea does not mean most of what she says ICly. I hate it when people get upset over what happens ICly.

I hate hate HATE when people decide to drop RP when its "not going thier way" or "the way they planned it to be". This is supposed to be like real life for our characters. You often cant just drop real life because its not going your way. Just go with the RP flow and get over it.

okay, so many people, when new to RPing with myself or Keraph, but NOT new to us OOCly Rp with either of us...they ALWAYS assume Keraph and Nadea are together. This is, in fact, quite the opposite. THATS gotta be one of my biggest personal peeves of all! >.>

Keraph

10-21-2008, 11:44 PM

God Moding: I like the way I addressed this in my sticky in the main WoW forums. Basically, don't tell me you can do something, either do it or don't. I'm not going to text battle you, you'll have to beat me in a duel. Want to give / receive a magic item that does something outside the game mechanics? Cool! Go over it with me first. I give out non-game magic items all the time, but I make sure it's something the player can choose how to interact with as opposed to me telling them "This works like this and if X, then Y...."

I like the way you put this. If you're going to fight me, fight me. I'm more than cool with seeing people do things that you can't ACTUALLY do in-game, hell I've done it myself, but there's definately a level of reason that has to be used, and of course confirmation from the person you're doing it to. When things DO heat up to text battles (As a fan of channel based RP as a way to RP even when I'm doing other stuff, this does occasionally come up), keep in mind that we're not competeing to beat each other so much as describing in detail the conflict. You're not going to win every battle (who do you think you are, me? X3), be willing to take a few blows and even a few losses in your career, as it brings more depth to things.

okay, so many people, when new to RPing with myself or Keraph, but NOT new to us OOCly Rp with either of us...they ALWAYS assume Keraph and Nadea are together. This is, in fact, quite the opposite. THATS gotta be one of my biggest personal peeves of all! >.>

This. Keraph and Nadea, as the two leaders of Infection, -tolerate- each other out of necessity, and just barely at that. OOC Ker and Nads lub each other hardcore (Not that you need any further detail), but we find it entertaining to RP a more volatile relationship XD

Korangar

10-22-2008, 01:18 AM

I think another aspect of god-moding is doing something to another character without their consent. For example, I would be god-moding if I emoted, "Korangar grabs you, picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder."

To avoid this you could say, "Korangar grabs you attempting to pick you up and throw you over his shoulder."

That way you're "attempting" it rather than "doing" it and giving the other player the opportunity to react.

Pearlle

10-22-2008, 02:35 AM

to me, god moding isn't just having super duper powers. it's any time someone else tries to decide what happens with my character. you can do stuff to my character. but i decide the reaction...unless we're really close friends and you're absolutely sure one hundred percent i'm cool with you saying your kiss makes me purr. i'd like it if ppl would say "leans in to kiss you" and then let me decide what i do. not "leans in to kiss you, causing your lips to tremble and your heart to race."

when kor and i were young trainees, we got ignored in the inn. it felt like because we were lowbies or newbies, ppl didn't want to talk to us. i was even told that i ought to go get my training done first before hanging out in the inn and rp'ing. blah. i think some ppl don't even realize when they snub groups of ppl. or maybe they're just practicing that /ignore thing without emoting "ignores you because you offer nothing to their story" - yeah. you ignored me. you know you did. i'm not going to forget. tried not to type it. had to remind you.

para-rp - you're watching ppl. and you get this huge five minute long pause. and you're wondering "are they going pee right now? where did they go?" then all of a sudden blam, your screen fills up with text AND they're implying they're going to take up the next paragraph too! with some >> or such. eep! i flee. it feels like you could say the same thing in ever so fewer more beautiful and poignant words. give content, definitely do that. but you're not really writing a novel. you're an actor in the story. say your lines. then hand the baton over to someone else.

one thing that i really have to touch on, heh....how ppl get upset...if i get upset...if my character's roleplay is getting screwed over or not working out. i am the biggest fan of spontaneous roleplay around. so i'm not talking about having a storyline messed up. i encourage and adore sudden additions. i like it when new ppl, good spellers or not, enter the world and fit into my story. i don't need them to be perfect in grammar, though i wish they would be and hope they learn to be. i just need them to be well intended and literate enough for me to talk to.

roleplay, for me, is a hobby. i've watched ppl freak out if their guild isn't going to kara enough. i've watched ppl get angry if they get ninja looted. and i've watched ppl flame blizzard cuz their class gets nerfed. well, after this many years gaming, i understand it. it's about time invested. y'all put a lot of time into those pixels, and you grow attached. me? i put time into my roleplay. if someone comes along and acts badly toward my girl pearlle...imma get upset. why? cuz i care about my hobby. if you were a dog shower, and it wasn't even your dog...but the judge snubbed you or the other showers ran over your toe or did something that made your dog not show their best...you'd be a bit upset. if someone misinterprets my character's actions, and even if they do it in roleplay and say something about her, imma take that personal. i love her.

what i'm talking about is when someone makes an accusation or tries to say she is doing one thing, when it's brutally obvious she's doing something else, and they just want to misinterpret her for the sake of their own storyline. i'm really dedicated to my girl. i don't get it when someone does something in roleplay that's really shitty...and says "come on, i was just roleplaying there..." you are a real person, and you decide how your toon acts. i ...don't know why you made the choice to be a jerk. i know why i did my things, made my choices, played pearlle how i did. as a player of a game, i do hold ppl accountable for how their characters act. and if someone roleplays an asshole? well *shrugs* in real life...? i really would walk away. because you really can. i play the game the same. i won't put them on ignore unless what they're doing evolves into harassment. uncalled for rp can still be that, you know, and it's not cool, it's not 'a fact of real life'. but i will exclude someone from my story. consider it like a time out for a lil kid. if someone's a jerk to her, meh, we move along and let the story flow. if someone hates on her and it really isn't coming across as good roleplay, but as someone with a few mental issues or who is having repeated bad days and taking them out in my girl's general direction? well just like in real life, you stop existing. i'm not obligated to play with you. it's my right to walk away. i will go find a new sandbox to play in and nice kids to play with. cuz this is like real life in at least this respect. maturity isn't accepting crappiness, to me. it's realizing we have standards, sticking to them, having compassion for those who hate while keeping them from dragging us down too. that's how i live in real life. it's... how i ...role i guess?

by the by...this is the forum section i was waiting for. i didn't want to post my rp discussion opinions and thoughts on the wow discussion forums and i didn't see a general discussion area when i first came to tng. this forum is where i feel safe. like i felt in the adult forums. i'm really glad you guys made this section stick out more.

Naheal

10-22-2008, 03:02 AM

Discriptions that include a character's history. A long discription doesn't bother me so much. My own characters have fairly long discriptions, but I hate it when someone tells me what their character's history is.

RavenReverend

10-22-2008, 05:15 AM

^I agree with this totally. Also nothing pisses me OR Feral off more than to ask someone a question and have them blurt their life story. Or have her threatened or called something based on a vague inference aka "I assist in Horde raids on Alliance caravans in this general vicinity" "HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY NOT QUITE ENDOGAMOUS WIFE/SISTER/SON/FATHER/OBSCURE RELATIVE YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT'S GRAVE!" .... Seriously. How does "I liek to pwn Alliance nubcakes" translate to "I totally urinated on your nana's grave stone"?

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 06:01 AM

What bugs me? Well, IC and OOC getting mixed together. Nadea is a complete bitch. The player BEHIND Nadea does not mean most of what she says ICly. I hate it when people get upset over what happens ICly.

Yes. I think I went over this already, but to delve farther I'll use an example.

When Carmy first came to Silvermoon she was beaten to a bloody pulp several times. In fact, someone actually got on their horse and trampled her! This is before she could speak any orcish at all, and lived in the closet at the Tavern. Fact of the matter is, I have spoken to allot of her assailants, people who have harassed her, dislike her OOC. We get along, you would never know our characters dislike eachother so. If this is supposed to be a story, acting if you will, then where would the story be without antagonists? It would be boring that's what. Every great epic story has a villain, someone that the reader/viewer loves to hate. There are different types of villains, not all are super powerful.

I role play four completely different characters. If did not tell folks who they were, I doubt they would guess unless they knew my roleplaying style. One of them happens to be a complete asshole. Am I an asshole in real life? Well, I can't be 100% sure, but I am almost certain I'm not. You can ask any of the people I speak to almost daily in Vent (Kadesh, Advurb, Aderas, Gory etc). Our characters may have conflicts, but I won't be boohooing about it to them all over the place. If it is a play, if we are acting, then we should be mature and professional about it.

The only exception is if an OOC conflict arises. This has happened to me a few times, not too much though... but tbh, it is annoying each time. Generally what I will try to do is, resolve it. We are all adults here yes? Lets discuss it like adults. I have only had to /ignore someone over roleplay ONCE. And I am not talking about greifing either. This person took what happened in character to such a personal extreme I couldn't deal with him. I am not one to judge mental instability but, something wasn't right there.

At any rate, it is my personal observation that it is not so much griefers that destroy the RP on a realm, but other roleplayers. When we snub, backbite, take things too personally... we are destroying the RP environment. The more drama that is created the faster it dies. This is why I to this day do not take anything that anyone does to me, so much as it is not an out of character agenda, personally. If I find out later at some point that it was... we can discuss that. All other things considered, they are just being consistent with the character, and consistency is something I admire.

Keep the villains coming! We need more of them!

Skafloc

10-22-2008, 08:20 AM

On the collision thing, maybe this doesn't bother me because I am horribly clumsy IRL and am constantly bumping into people. It just seems natural for me. I could see it bothering some of the more "haughty" characters I know, though.

[ You can bump into me any time luv. :D I will catch you. ]

Vilmah

10-22-2008, 08:25 AM

Keep the villains coming! We need more of them!

O_O Are you kidding?? If there's anything we need, it's more good-guys to keep up with all the villains!

Skafloc

10-22-2008, 08:43 AM

O_O Are you kidding?? If there's anything we need, it's more good-guys to keep up with all the villains!
Remember what I told you last night what SKaf is up to. ;)

The silky haired lone farstrider.

Errigal

10-22-2008, 08:45 AM

I could write about this topic forever, instead, I will say this-
RP is an awesome form of art.

Viirchi

10-22-2008, 08:52 AM

I don't like RP in /tells. The reason being that unless you are stranding right next to me "whispering" It's assumed you are communicating telepathically or some stranger got your number. Because I use /t as out of charecter discussion I'm also not going to automatically assume it is RP.

Spelling and grammer I'm not picky as long as it's legible. Sometimes I have to type quickly to keep up with the rp and as a result I've been known to make the occassional error. Does that make me a bad RPer? No, it just makes me someone who needs to watch what she's typing more carefully :P

I seperate God-Modding into two groups, God modding and Power Playing. Neither of which I tolerate very well or for very long.

God Modding I'll usually mention something privately, If the player automatically hits you without offering the chance to respond I call it god modding, I will usually stop playing with that person if it continues.

Power Playing when someone is repeatedly dodging your attacks or taking multiple hits without being so much as winded. I can understand exeptions but you'd have to argue your point.

The psychic emotes

Limited (()) I'm fine with but when an entire conversation is carried out ooc using (()) I get tired of it.

Anyway those are my personal preferences.

Lisbet

10-22-2008, 08:52 AM

*shadowmelds and makes eyes at the redhead* >.>'

Eh, I get more anoyances out of people telling me I don't rp good enough then I do any particular rp style..

THOUGH It does annoy me to see half night elves half sindorei or humans -- unless you can time travel, I'm thinking you're probably like 7 years old, because night elves had almost no contact with humans OR highborn elves after the sundering, and it stayed that way till Orcs landed on the shore and started cutting down their trees! It's the same for "Teenaged" night elves. No you are not 15 years old and standing in stormwind. You're an elf, you're not younger then 200 years old and if you are you're still living with yer mummy or daddy!

>.>

Abric

10-22-2008, 08:58 AM

fau- wha? Ellsbeth, if you had lunch money - I'd steal it from you. Big girl with big brain and big words. SMASH!

Some of the unacceptable things I think happen in our roleplay setting

- People thinking they are the hero of the story, and everyone else is a supporting actor. You are not your fucking khaki's.

- Using RP as an excuse. RP should never be an excuse, it should be a reason. Why does your character do that thing they do? What is the purpose of that character's actions? It should be considered where your character and its drive goes; not used as an excuse because you don't like someone, or you don't like doing something, or the one that makes me quirk a brow... doing something against what you want to do!

- People playing out of their means. This is an MMORPG we're playing; it's not a MuD or chat room or even your dungeon setting in the basement. If you are not good at fighting... well, then that means your character is also not good at fighting. If I can stab you in the face, and you can't do anything about it - then I win. My character is tougher, and no matter how much bullshit you can talk is going to stop that. Now you might be more INFLUENCIAL than me... and may get me ganged up on, but I still beat you; thus Might Equals Right.

- Dual-Characters. I'm talking about folks who play the same character, but two different classes. I feel that is not only bad form, but bad storytelling. Let's sit back and think on this; you are a rogue... *and* a shaman? How does that work out? Well, ok - could you raise me? Oh wait, you can't... BECAUSE YOU ARE A ROGUE! And, strangely enough, your shaman is in Orgrimmar, because you had to... change... gear. Bwah? I can consider some things in the realms of the excuse "its magic!" but that is not one of them. There's a line, and it crosses it... because the whole "I multi-class!" routine is crap. You can't be 70/70 multi-class, baby! Now if you cap your characters at 35, then I'll believe you.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 08:59 AM

O_O Are you kidding?? If there's anything we need, it's more good-guys to keep up with all the villains!

I understand what you are getting at. But, personally I find there is not enough political and ethical strife in the day to day Rp world. Particularly where racial, class, and religion come into play. For example, warlocks...

My mage loathes them. It would make sense for him to, as per WoW lore. I wouldn't call him a villain though, they are after all consorting with the Burning Legion ;)

There is simply too much cuddly carebearing that just isn't backed by Lore. I am not a huge lore leetist myself but, pleh... I will make an effort not to ignore it simply to suit my whims. I am not saying everyone should hate eachother with a burning passion, but tbh I don't know that many people that play truly evil/bad characters. People want to be liked and eventually soften up to come into the fold.

Moar bad guys! I demanz it!

Advurb

10-22-2008, 09:29 AM

There is simply too much cuddly carebearing that just isn't backed by Lore. I am not a huge lore leetist myself but, pleh... I will make an effort not to ignore it simply to suit my whims. I am not saying everyone should hate eachother with a burning passion, but tbh I don't know that many people that play truly evil/bad characters. People want to be liked and eventually soften up to come into the fold.

Moar bad guys! I demanz it!

Agreed, warlocks for example should generally be evil. How can you consort with evil itself and still hug kittens and stuff?

Xiphus

10-22-2008, 09:42 AM

Agreed, warlocks for example should generally be evil. How can you consort with evil itself and still hug kittens and stuff?

Throughout my days in WoW TNG, I have yet to meet a megalomaniacal warlock who made it a habit to cackle madly once a day, strokes his felhound and generally curse the stuffings out of people just because they feel like it, or because that fellow offended them in some way.

Vilmah

10-22-2008, 10:07 AM

but tbh I don't know that many people that play truly evil/bad characters.

RP with more Grim. x_x Playing an actual lawful-good character, I've been SATURATED with RP from evil bad guys who threaten Vilmah's life everytime she says hello. Man I miss those Molten Core raids... how many times did Guduk threaten to crush her head open? Or Abric saying he'd remove her kneecaps? Good times, good times...

And yes Skafloc, I'm glad Catalinetta has a hero to look up to. A hero with hair that looks like silk, dyed in the blood of one thousand beautiful virgins.

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 11:38 AM

Character conflict should never, ever, EVER = OOC conflict. Ever.

This isn't real life, it's a game, it's a hobby, it's a past-time, it's a story with characters with conflict within it. There's no reason to get offended over it, except perhaps when someone griefs or ignores the rules. (god modding)

But anything IC like people being IC assholes, IC thinking you're not worth their time, etc etc - Deal with it IC. Don't even take it OOC AT ALL - It is entirely contained within RP and has nothing to do with your actual feelings - character and you are seperate. Yes, you can be attached to your character without taking punches for it from pretendy fun time games.

Malethia

10-22-2008, 11:40 AM

RP with more Grim.
That. Malethia's to the point now where she goes through the whole "traitor, weak, Light-hugger, kill you if I could, etc" speech for any Grim member she speaks to before doing anything else. Saves time.

Pet peeve - if you're a slow typer, PLEASE don't type out a paragraph every time you respond. Keep your statements/emotes shorter, and let the back-and-forth eventually fill everything you wanted to say. I hate standing there for five minutes at a time waiting for a response so RP can continue.

I try to avoid brackets in /say as much as possible, and I never do it in /yell. Usually, I'll bracket when I'm with a group of people and I don't have any other way to tell them all an OOC message quickly - say, ((going afk, brb)). I'll go to a OOC chat channel first if I can, but if the other parties aren't in it, does me no good.

As for cliques/being ignored - even when I'm having a conversation in public (this being real life me), I don't expect people walking by to stop and listen intently to what I'm saying. I'm also not likely to appreciate said stranger butting in on business that isn't theirs to say something. If my character doesn't know yours, and you try to jump in on a conversation, don't expect to be accepted right in.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 11:50 AM

Resinous

10-22-2008, 12:25 PM

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 12:27 PM

^ Agreed

Alivanth

10-22-2008, 12:33 PM

Only thing I don't like really is Emote fights. If I'm standing there and you want to hit me, we can plant a flag or go to an arena, I won't ever turn down a fight. Just can't stand when someone who could never beat me starts beating me up with emotes while I'm standing there.

See, this is why if I do an RP fight like this, I either get the permission of the other person involved to attack them, or determine who's action prevails with rolls, the old fashioned RPer way.

Agnarr

10-22-2008, 12:33 PM

Agreed, warlocks for example should generally be evil. How can you consort with evil itself and still hug kittens and stuff?
Works for Dr. Evil.

As for cliques/being ignored - even when I'm having a conversation in public (this being real life me), I don't expect people walking by to stop and listen intently to what I'm saying. I'm also not likely to appreciate said stranger butting in on business that isn't theirs to say something. If my character doesn't know yours, and you try to jump in on a conversation, don't expect to be accepted right in.

I guess that evens out, as it seems my characters tend to ignore certain of yours, or are at least just downright rude toward them, since they keep jabbering on in your silly language. :P

Only thing I don't like really is Emote fights. If I'm standing there and you want to hit me, we can plant a flag or go to an arena, I won't ever turn down a fight. Just can't stand when someone who could never beat me starts beating me up with emotes while I'm standing there.

I've been witness to folks that were about to get into it in the RP channel, and they met outside Brill to have the actual fight.

Nadea

10-22-2008, 12:35 PM

RP with more Grim. x_x

Or RP more with Infection. Evil is prevalant in the guild, and good is often punished. Though then again, if you're not undead, you'll have to work pretty hard to get us to acknowledge you in the first place, since well, lessers smell! :P

Yichimet

10-22-2008, 12:46 PM

I hate when people treat their characters as heroes or villains. You are a person. You are a living, breathing entity. You are nuanced. You are not one-dimensional. There is no one-dimensional person on this planet. Don't play one in a game, either, where your stated goal is to immerse yourself in a world and be someone else. That someone else can be played exactly as you could be played.

Also, on collision: it'd be cool if we had detection, but if you can't just imagine when someone bowls into your character that they're brushing up against each other or squeezing by each other or etc., learn to use your imagination more. :P

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 12:48 PM

Nymare

10-22-2008, 12:50 PM

I could agree or disagree with so many of these and wave my "bad form" flag around like what I believe matters, but I do not find any of that conducive to actual RP on a server where enough people complain about not being able to find it or bemoan the vast sea of cliques *.

Ever wonder why those cliques exist? Like attracts like. It's science! It's philosophy! It's truth. And then there's exclusion - exclusion not only based off of the bad form of taking IC to OOC and vice versa, but exclusion based off of things like not typing paragraphs over canned emotes, or OMG Suzy can't spell. Think discussions like this aren't discouraging to people who think they fit some of the things described as "bad form"? Doom.

On topic --

Bad Form:
- Forcing your RP on someone. This comes in a few forms.

Did you just /e stabs Nymare in the face or /e takes 57 copper from Nymare's pocket and runs away -- No, no you didn't, not without having the courtesy to ask me, first. I'm usually a good sport, so ask! Or, you can try this instead: /e draws her dagger and lunges forward in an attempt to stab Nymare in the face or /e reaches for Nymare's pocket...

Yes, you may be a rogue and maybe likely to get away with stuffing your dirty rogue hands into my pockets, but, for all you know, I don't even have 57 copper. Or I keep my money in a magical pouch. Or I convert it all into fish to use as currency for religious reasons, or to purchase items from the super saiyan vampire werecat draenei people. Or I line my pockets with poisonous nanocritters. You don't know. Don't force your money on me, damnit! And don't cut off my ability to react. It's rude and not much fun.

You may have a tauren that you play as a super saiyan vampire werecat draenei, but if you present yourself as that to my character, do not be surprised if you're met with a declaration of insanity or right out hostility. Decide you do not want to RP with me because my character refuses to believe you? That's too bad. However, I'm going to respect you enough to not force you to see things MY special snowflake way, so, please, show me the same courtesy. It does not mean we cannot exist together. And I won't ignore you. Just, for the love of all that is holy, don't just crucify all potential RP because of it. Chances are, I won't.

You're Jaina and Thrall's love child. Or a direct relative of any cannon character. Or you ARE a cannon character. Or you claim to be my god. Or a god. I really can't accept that, don't try to make me. My character will consider you insane, in all likelihood. Doom.

- Taking an "/e thinks to herself that this situation is harrowing" as your character suddenly having telepathy or someone forcing telepathy on you. Seriously? XD I don't see a whole lot of this, but when I do, I don't suddenly think my character can read that character's mind or that the character even wants his or her mind read. I consider it flavor, like reading a book. It gives you an ooc perspective. Keep it there and move on?

It's a great wide world of warcraft, interpreted in a wide variety of ways, and fueled by a wide variety of people ... all with different styles, experience, and beliefs in what is acceptable or not. Yes, we all have our preferences and things we are more comfortable with. Great, be aware of that, keep that, but when you start drawing ooc lines, you start excluding people and ignoring RP that could, with enough creativity, be worked with, around, through, whatever.

* [EDIT in response to Ellsbeth: Not necessarily in this thread, but numerous others =\ Sorry, for the lack of clarity there]

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 01:05 PM

Think discussions like this aren't discouraging to people who think they fit some of the things described as "bad form"? Doom.

No. People do what people want to do. Discussions like this will often make me think about what I do that other people may not appreciate. Changing isn't a bad thing.

Like everything in the internet, we filter in what we want and filter out what we don't. It is somewhat boiling down as a rant fest, but there are some really important issues I think exist out of what people are saying:

- Character coercion without consent (God modding/moding whatever)

- Being ignored -- it's one thing to brush a character off IC, but another to just outright ignore them.

There wasn't a hellova lot of complaint in this thread about cliques this time. I saw some posts about people who felt ignored by some groups which I think is different from the clique mentality of being completely shunned.

Edit for Nymare's edit response: I was curious and actually went through and woops yeah there's a few mentions of cliques. Maybe I just gloss over them now. The problem with a problem is when it actually exists and who the 'culprit' is. Nothing worse than being the bad guy when you feel like you're just doing what you normally do.

Need more RP socials. Or a nice in-game plot line for people to get involved with. Someone want to be kidnapped?

Broxigan

10-22-2008, 01:10 PM

You're Jaina and Thrall's love child. Or a direct relative of any cannon character. Or you ARE a cannon character. Or you claim to be my god. Or a god. I really can't accept that, don't try to make me. My character will consider you insane, in all likelihood. Doom.

Not quite direct, but I made Brox back when I really had no clue how RP servers rolled. yeah, I had RPed in the past and I had recently gotten very VERY deep into the lore/books and what not and came over to TN.

I do regret doing it now, making Brox a relative of Broxigar and what not, but I rarely ever play into that. If at all. I think it has been brought up maybe a grand total of 5 times, someone mentioning Broxigar and Brox being like, "Yeah. Parents were a member of his clan before coming through the portal."

I have been debating on Reconning him because of it, but I would never actually use/display/gloat about the whole thing. >.<;

Nymare

10-22-2008, 01:22 PM

Not quite direct, but I made Brox back when I really had no clue how RP servers rolled. yeah, I had RPed in the past and I had recently gotten very VERY deep into the lore/books and what not and came over to TN.

I do regret doing it now, making Brox a relative of Broxigar and what not, but I rarely ever play into that. If at all. I think it has been brought up maybe a grand total of 5 times, someone mentioning Broxigar and Brox being like, "Yeah. Parents were a member of his clan before coming through the portal."

I have been debating on Reconning him because of it, but I would never actually use/display/gloat about the whole thing. >.<;

But do you force people to believe it? Do you ignore or dismiss people who don't believe it? Do you threaten people with it? i.e. "I'm gonna tell my uncle on you!"

My issue of bad form, in the listed examples, is the aspect of "BELIEVE ME OR ELSE!" For me, it's a matter of respecting another character's right to stare at a character like he or she has a third eye, without the character's player throwing an ooc tantrum and throwing all potential RP in the trash.

Viirchi

10-22-2008, 01:29 PM

I honestly don't see a large problem with having a relation to one of the canon charecters, I've known several RPers who do this very well and they make no effort to play it up.

"Oh you're related to *whoever*? I wouldn't have guessed that."

Passing comment, subject matter dropped. I really think it is all on how you play it.

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 01:46 PM

Mmm. That faux pas can be averted if people just trust that their character is interesting enough on his/her own merit without having mommy Liadrin come save her.

Keraph

10-22-2008, 01:48 PM

Bringing up evil guilds, I think often about character allocation as being bad form. If a guild has a certain reputation -- be it for roleplay or for evil or for goodie two shoes -- I want to think that someone wearing that tabard will also exemplify that guild's reputation. I don't mean that they're the stereotype of the guild, but I will receive something interesting from that line of awesome.

If I meet up with members of an evil guild, wearing their tabard so it's obvious that they are within the guild, and find the characters are doing something either anti-RP or are doing things that go against the reputation I want to know that if my character calls them out for it she won't get /ignored. Ells is a freaking anal wench. That's what you get with Lawful Evil. I also like to know that the leadership of the guild will be responsive to protecting its reputation.

There's very little consistency in that kind of thing.

Also... if your character doesn't fit, then maybe they shouldn't be there.

Very much this. When I have to remind people in Infection that they're IN INFECTION (I'm looking at YOU, Dessana!) and should act as such, it seems like sort of an unnecessary step. I HAVE let it slide before with people I know OOC, and they usually just say "Ok, I'll make some modifications to my character to be more fitting to the guild", which is nice. If they continue to act in a manner contrary to guild standards, yeah, they're probably going to get the boot, or at least a complete de-ranking and a heavy amount of humiliation (Sometimes enough to just drive them out that way!).

Also, "Ells is a freaking anal wench.". Giggity.

or to purchase items from the super saiyan vampire werecat draenei people.

You may have a tauren that you play as a super saiyan vampire werecat draenei,

...you really need to introduce me to these people X3

NotMaithanet

10-22-2008, 01:50 PM

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 01:52 PM

If they continue to act in a manner contrary to guild standards, yeah, they're probably going to get the boot, or at least a complete de-ranking and a heavy amount of humiliation (Sometimes enough to just drive them out that way!).

Yarr! Which brings up why I love some of the RP mods as they show actual guild rank titles. It's OOC knowledge, I know, but then I get to see whether it's gonna be a fun ride when I play naughty.

Qabian

10-22-2008, 01:52 PM

RP with more Grim. x_x Playing an actual lawful-good character, I've been SATURATED with RP from evil bad guys who threaten Vilmah's life everytime she says hello. Man I miss those Molten Core raids... how many times did Guduk threaten to crush her head open? Or Abric saying he'd remove her kneecaps? Good times, good times...

I still remember that run with you, Brox, Niethan, and Jeedup through the Mechanar. I don't think I really threatened to kill any of you, but I was able to be my godawful IC jackass self and actually have fun and finish the instance. It was a thing of awesome. I really appreciated being able to be a jerk, and loud about it, and in the minority, and not have anyone get OOCly pissed.

I don't think we need more of either heroes or villains particularly. I think people need to play what they actually enjoy best. That's when the RP will grow.

I'm pretty flexible with RP. If you know my name, I can believe you heard it somewhere. Qabian's been suspected of enough legitimate crimes to have had his picture printed somewhere, I'm sure. I actually like when people know his name when he doesn't know theirs. Gives me a reason to ask how and possibly start some intrigue. If you're related to someone canon, fine. I reserve the right to think you're insane, which more than likely I will do anyway even if you're the essence of normality. If you want to multiclass, I can understand discipline and restriction with abilities, depending on the classes taken. I'll never do it myself, but ehh. (Besides, Q's most likely crossclass would be Priest and if that ever happens, beware the apocalypse.)

If you have a preferred RP style that doesn't match mine, I can work with that. I'm actually pretty flexible with my own style as well. I love quick, snappy RP with people who have the ability to respond to me just as quickly, the kind of RP where we type over each other, talk over each other, and just generally go go go. I love it, and that's what I tend to do. But if I get serious business enough, I can write those 3-post long novel-length paragraphs, too. I'll go with whatever response seems to suit the situation.

If you have a clique, that just makes sense to me and doesn't bother me in the least. Q is more of a creepy observer than an outright "Hi guys, what's up!" kind of character. If I'm not butting in on your RP, that doesn't mean I'm not listening to it, or not sharing his opinions of it with someone else, bwahaha! If someone greets me, I'll usually respond in some way if I'm actually at the keyboard, although not usually in a way that suggests they should keep talking, ehheh. That's the character.

I will use magic to explain almost anything. I actually liked Fynne's idea of a secret warlock ceremony to get out of having to spirit res, especially since I can use it to explain all those Alliance corpses in Silvermoon that never skeletoned like they should have, heh. The rules aren't the same as on our world, and they aren't as restrictive. My magic police radio in my head can hear any Horde outpost being attacked anywhere in the world. Magic, magic, magic.

Fynne

10-22-2008, 01:55 PM

I think you'll find the major point being made is that it serves no purpose. I once saw someone emoting how X object reminded them of their old walks in Silvermoon, well, thats nice, but I can do NOTHING with it ergo while nice flavour, irrelivent to the RP at hand.
Well, ICly you can do very little with the history section of the character bios here... but the flavor that's there helps you come up with things OOCly that would be relevant to starting RP with that character. I don't see why a revealing emote would be any different, unless someone is being deliberately obtuse with their immersion purity.

Imara

10-22-2008, 01:56 PM

- Taking an "/e thinks to herself that this situation is harrowing" as your character suddenly having telepathy or someone forcing telepathy on you. Seriously? XD I don't see a whole lot of this, but when I do, I don't suddenly think my character can read that character's mind or that the character even wants his or her mind read. I consider it flavor, like reading a book. It gives you an ooc perspective. Keep it there and move on?

I think you'll find the major point being made is that it serves no purpose. I once saw someone emoting how X object reminded them of their old walks in Silvermoon, well, thats nice, but I can do NOTHING with it ergo while nice flavour, irrelivent to the RP at hand.

Exactly.

I've never thought it was a deliberate attempt at portraying telepathy in any form. As I said, my telepathy response was a smart ass response to something that gives me nothing to work with IC.

And that's my problem with it. This is not a novel written by an author that is portraying both sides of the story. Things put out there IC, imo, should further the exchange between the characters involved and help with immersion. Describing how the person is moving or the face that they are making, etc. allows the people around them to read that reaction however their character would read it.

You can't react to a thought. You can react to gestures, movements and expressions.

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 01:58 PM

The rules aren't the same as on our world, and they aren't as restrictive. My magic police radio in my head can hear any Alliance outpost being attacked anywhere in the world. Magic, magic, magic.

I'm a big fan of the attunement system that the Grim and its subsidiaries use. I'm a chatty Kathy when it comes to in-game RP while I'm leveling and having a way to chat with other people, in-character, and also over current events is big time fun.

I have no gripes over any channel RP or whisper RP or party RP or raid RP. It's all chocolate baby.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 01:59 PM

I actually like it when people do the "thinks to themselves" emotes. Particularly if it is shown on their countenance in thought. I don't always respond to it, and if one of my characters pick up on something I will usually have them ask "What's on your mind?" sometimes it will bring up an interesting discussion.

Imara

10-22-2008, 02:01 PM

Well, ICly you can do very little with the history section of the character bios here... but the flavor that's there helps you come up with things OOCly that would be relevant to starting RP with that character. I don't see why a revealing emote would be any different, unless someone is being deliberately obtuse with their immersion purity.

See but that's the thing... It would be much more interesting, I think, to have that character looking at that object with a wistful expression, thus prompting my character to strike up a conversation about said object during which the character can then reveal what the object made them think of.

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 02:01 PM

See but that's the thing... It would be much more interesting, I think, to have that character looking at that object with a wistful expression, thus prompting my character to strike up a conversation about said object during which the character can then reveal what the object made them think of.

I agree here - not knowing can be much more intruiging as you begin to find out slowly, and then have to react as your character on the fly - makes you better at RP.

Skafloc

10-22-2008, 02:02 PM

It's all chocolate baby.

Mmm.. Chocolate! Blast you!

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 02:03 PM

Mmm.. Chocolate! Blast you!

Skaf! I bet you had kids so you could get the candy on Halloween!

Taknar

10-22-2008, 02:08 PM

Skaf! I bet you had kids so you could get the candy on Halloween!

Nah, he scares kids on the front lawn so they never reach the front door. Then he gets all the candy they were supposed to give out.

At least he should.

Vilmah

10-22-2008, 02:09 PM

While I'm not gonna say all members of the Grim are evil, many of those I've RPd with in the past are. Then there's guys like Yichimet who aren't "Bwahahahahaahha!!" (AKA Qabian), but more like, "This is what we do. It must be done."

Depending on your POV, that can still be considered evil. It's certainly more evil than "I have to save all of the animals in the wooooooorld!!"

Fynne

10-22-2008, 02:11 PM

I agree here - not knowing can be much more intruiging as you begin to find out slowly, and then have to react as your character on the fly - makes you better at RP.

I would disagree that it makes you better at RP. With the abundance of "information your character shouldn't have" floating around, everything from the level of the person you're interacting with to the stories you've read about them on the TNG, I would think that filtering out which parts of what you're "presented with" as a player and which parts your character is able to perceive and accurately responding in character without stepping over the bounds of what they are and aren't able to do would make you a better RPer than having those nuances made for you.

You shouldn't have to sacrifice some of the observation enjoyment of 'reading the story' as a player just to handicap yourself in 100% immersion in order to 'be' your character.

Qabian

10-22-2008, 02:12 PM

Hey, I don't actually laugh like that IC! Although I'm sure that's essentially what he's thinking behind 90% of his nigh-continuous smirking, yes.

Vilmah

10-22-2008, 02:13 PM

Now I wanna see a picture of Qabian with his arms folded, and a big throught bubble going "Mwahahahahahaahahaha!!"

Nymare

10-22-2008, 02:13 PM

I would disagree that it makes you better at RP. With the abundance of "information your character shouldn't have" floating around, everything from the level of the person you're interacting with to the stories you've read about them on the TNG, I would think that filtering out which parts of what you're "presented with" as a player and which parts your character is able to perceive and accurately responding in character without stepping over the bounds of what they are and aren't able to do would make you a better RPer than having those nuances made for you.
^ this.

EDIT: and my ribbing at reading minds: is it really such a horrible thing that it should be considered "bad form" if a person elects an emote of environment over feeding you something?

Vilmah

10-22-2008, 02:14 PM

I would disagree that it makes you better at RP. With the abundance of "information your character shouldn't have" floating around, everything from the level of the person you're interacting with to the stories you've read about them on the TNG, I would think that filtering out which parts of what you're "presented with" as a player and which parts your character is able to perceive and accurately responding in character without stepping over the bounds of what they are and aren't able to do would make you a better RPer than having those nuances made for you.

See I have to comment on this, because there's been many many MANY cases where Vilmah meets new people and they're like, "I've heard of you," and she's all like, "Woah, really?!" So I'm not pissed when someone goes "Hi Vilmah", because she'll be all dumb and wave and be like "Hi!" While secretly thinking OMG do I know him?? Smile and nod!!

Libelle

10-22-2008, 02:15 PM

Only thing I don't like really is Emote fights. If I'm standing there and you want to hit me, we can plant a flag or go to an arena, I won't ever turn down a fight. Just can't stand when someone who could never beat me starts beating me up with emotes while I'm standing there.

I've seen emote fights done right. If you want to use props, for example, or do something particularly silly that you couldn't do in a regular duel, like kicking your opponent in the shins.

Fynne

10-22-2008, 02:16 PM

I've seen emote fights done right. If you want to use props, for example, or do something particularly silly that you couldn't do in a regular duel, like kicking your opponent in the shins.

Or getting a papercut, sometimes.

...warlocks fight dirty.

Qabian

10-22-2008, 02:17 PM

You can combine both OOC and IC information, I think is what Liadain is getting at.

If you want to share your thoughts, fine, but give her something to react to at the same time, or in a subsequent post. If all you see is their flavor thoughts, and your character's not a mind reader, and they haven't said anything or shown any physical action, then as far as you're concerned, they're just standing there not doing anything.

That can be understandably awkward.

Although a logical response might be to share your own OOC emote?

"Joe thinks Suzy's dumb."

"Suzy thinks Joe is ever so cute. She just wants to hug him, and squeeze him, and love him until he cries tears of blood."

Meanwhile, the characters are just standing there staring at each other?

Skafloc

10-22-2008, 02:18 PM

Skaf! I bet you had kids so you could get the candy on Halloween!

Umm... > >.

I guess I should post something relevant to the theme of the thread right?

For myself I like to approach someone OOC ly if I have anything I am considering IC wise in delivering just to check if it is welcome or if it can fit somehow in that character's canon. For all I know I may be setting them up for something that they have already taken care of by other means or had something important planned for. I have almost been burnt like that before and have seen others burnt like that before, it taking considerable time to smooth over the bad feelings.

One good example of what I like is when Skaf talks to Imalar. I send OOC tidbits his way as to what he may catch visions of while talking. Because I know the character has a certain sensitivity to visions via the Emerald dream. What I send can be vague or specific, and often I don't offer an explanation, letting the player sort it out for them self. That gives me a bit of fun with it and makes for an intriguing turnout.

Beutha my rogue has on occasion pick pocketed folk she found afk, but she always sends them an explanation and asks what if anything she managed to get away with. She has also been caught doing it. That leaves the "victim" some measure of control and input into the idea. In the end if it isn't welcome at all then it is scrapped.

I haven't done that in some time, but it has resulted in some fun incidents in the past. ( I am thinking of the time she tied Cessily's boots to her mount saddle. :D ) Generally people want to have fun with RP I find so there are good sports out there.

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 02:18 PM

I would disagree that it makes you better at RP. With the abundance of "information your character shouldn't have" floating around, everything from the level of the person you're interacting with to the stories you've read about them on the TNG, I would think that filtering out which parts of what you're "presented with" as a player and which parts your character is able to perceive and accurately responding in character without stepping over the bounds of what they are and aren't able to do would make you a better RPer than having those nuances made for you.

You shouldn't have to sacrifice some of the observation enjoyment of 'reading the story' as a player just to handicap yourself in 100% immersion in order to 'be' your character.

I think it's a balance - I'll go with either. On the one hand, you're right, on the other, reacting quickly to a situations you know nothing about, having no previous knowledge of, not as you would react, but as your character would, is also a part of RP.

I think they both have their merits.

Fynne

10-22-2008, 02:20 PM

I think it's a balance - I'll go with either. On the one hand, you're right, on the other, reacting quickly to a situations you know nothing about, having no previous knowledge of, not as you would react, but as your character would, is also a part of RP.

I think they both have their merits.

They absolutely both have their merits. I guess I should have clarified that I think it's more a matter of preference than 'bad form', which I take to be pretty heavy-handed, to not do things one way or the other.

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 02:22 PM

They absolutely both have their merits. I guess I should have clarified that I think it's more a matter of preference than 'bad form', which I take to be pretty heavy-handed, to not do things one way or the other.

Well it's in the title of this thread:

"What is RP Bad Form to You?"

Important part there. This discussion has caused me to think about things other people have brought up that I may have otherwise not ever thought about - which is good.

Imara

10-22-2008, 02:22 PM

I would think that filtering out which parts of what you're "presented with" as a player and which parts your character is able to perceive and accurately responding in character without stepping over the bounds of what they are and aren't able to do would make you a better RPer than having those nuances made for you.

I actually agree with most everything you are saying here Fynne, it is a challenge to make sure you are only reacting to what your character should know and not what you read in their journal on the TNG or what have you. For instance, Lia's never met Nymare and only knows of her through other characters, so she really shouldn't have any preconceived notions about her upon their first meeting regardless of what I know because I read the writings here.

However, as far as telling me what your character is thinking in an emote I think that is exactly the opposite of letting me perceive the nuances. It's telling me what they are thinking so that I decide what they are doing to clue me in to that... Instead of telling me what I see and then letting me figure it out and react, for good or ill.

Nymare

10-22-2008, 02:23 PM

Fynne

10-22-2008, 02:25 PM

Well, yes, but it's still pretty heavy handed to call it bad form; the 'to you' tag doesn't really affect that. Assumedly, 'bad form' isn't just what a person doesn't prefer to do themselves, but what they consider 'bad form' for anyone to do; the 'to you' part is just a caveat that anything identified in this thread is the opinion of the poster and not of the community as a whole, as might be the case if the title were only "What is bad form?"

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 02:26 PM

NotMaithanet

10-22-2008, 02:28 PM

EDIT: and my ribbing at reading minds: is it really such a horrible thing that it should be considered "bad form" if a person elects an emote of environment over feeding you something?

Personal opinion is personal.

Imara

10-22-2008, 02:30 PM

Truth - But as you said, it's a discussion, not a rulebook.

My opinion is open to change - and in fact it probably has after the discussion here - or at least it's more informed.

Just to clarify, lest it be thought that I'm some elitist that would slam someone for a random thought in an emote... I have never refused to RP with someone or made a big deal out of an occasional emoted thought. I have only ever been a smart ass about it in a situation, such as Qabian described, where the person just wouldn't give me anything else to work with.

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 02:32 PM

Fynne with the single quotation marks is bad form!

Seriously though... I didn't want to say "What are the things you hate about ..." because bad form is not hate. It's like peeves of pets. If you ever hear a British guy say, "Bad form old chap!" it's hard not to laugh. Just ask Amaurn to say it sometime and you'll get him to bristle saying that British people don't say "Bad form old chap" but it's lies. THEY ALL DO.

It's all personal pet peeves. It's all things that we see in others (and maybe ourselves) that bother us.

At one point I used cross-faction knowledge without actually having my characters meet up, discuss in some form, write a story, ect. I also used my Alliance characters to find out the location of dreaded enemies and Ellsbeth seemed to know. BAD FORM ELLSBETH. BAD FORM. I also wanted to purchase recipes from the Cartel for Ellsbeth when Ellsbeth hates the Alliance. Bad form. Bad form.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 02:33 PM

I am planning something appropriately evil. I am adjusting as asked! It's hard being evil! *fake evil laugh*

/offers bacon

Yatokth

10-22-2008, 02:34 PM

Just to clarify, lest it be thought that I'm some elitist that would slam someone for a random thought in an emote... I have never refused to RP with someone or made a big deal out of an occasional emoted thought. I have only ever been a smart ass about it in a situation, such as Qabian described, where the person just wouldn't give me anything else to work with.

Oh yeah, me neither, I've RPed with people with less than impeccable grammar or whatever, it just slightly annoys me.

Fynne with the single quotation marks is bad form!

Seriously though... I didn't want to say "What are the things you hate about ..." because bad form is not hate. It's like peeves of pets. If you ever hear a British guy say, "Bad form old chap!" it's hard not to laugh. Just ask Amaurn to say it sometime and you'll get him to bristle saying that British people don't say "Bad form old chap" but it's lies. THEY ALL DO.

It's all personal pet peeves. It's all things that we see in others (and maybe ourselves) that bother us.

At one point I used cross-faction knowledge without actually having my characters meet up, discuss in some form, write a story, ect. I also used my Alliance characters to find out the location of dreaded enemies and Ellsbeth seemed to know. BAD FORM ELLSBETH. BAD FORM. I also wanted to purchase recipes from the Cartel for Ellsbeth when Ellsbeth hates the Alliance. Bad form. Bad form.

Indeed.

The only thing I -hate- is OOC drama caused by IC issues. That's not just a peeve, that's just.... fail.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 02:38 PM

Indeed.

The only thing I -hate- is OOC drama caused by IC issues. That's not just a peeve, that's just.... fail.

Utter and epic fail. I think most of us agree on that.

Fynne

10-22-2008, 02:55 PM

I find that most "OOC drama caused by IC issues" (double quotes, happy?) is really just people labeling an OOC issue as an IC issue by hiding behind the IC flag. Yeah, a lot of the time your character could conceivably have done something, sure-- but you as the player still might have made the choice to dickishly have them do that thing that they, while conceivably, might not have normally done.

Which brings up what I think is RP Bad Form: using the "IC flag" to absolve you of OOC dickishness. It doesn't even have to be the extreme of hiding-behind-IC like, for example, Rakshiri; sometimes you can just be an OOC dick by crashing cross faction RP (Winter Tears Ball; whatever that recent party that was held in Blood Elf forestland).

Am I OOC drama mad at you because your character ICly kills cross faction people on sight? No. I'm mad at you because instead of just not coming, you, the player, decided that your IC RP was more important than x # of other people's IC RP and you had to show up and then hide behind the wall of "well it's what my character would do!"

Ellsbeth

10-22-2008, 02:57 PM

Edited the first post just to keep up with where the thread is going. I should have clarified yup yup. And I'm teasing Fynne.

Who can resist your hair? I mean honestly.

Keraph

10-22-2008, 03:02 PM

SPEAKING of Fynne, that dude's SUCH an elitist RPer! I mean, I saw him in Shat and /growled, and he just /yawned at me! I mean, what is that crap! Clearly he just should have /unsanctuary'd right there and had at it with me, but NO, he had to go off and do OTHER stuff. Frickin clique-member'n, elitist snob-prick-thing.

...I love you!

Fynne

10-22-2008, 03:04 PM

Well, to be fair, until they make /piddle an emote, I'm probably not going to have much to say cross-faction to anyone remotely PvP-competent.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-22-2008, 03:06 PM

In the same breath, I think having antagonists is desirable, at least imo. Depending on what it is, if folks get too pissy OOC about a characters behavior, it stunts variety and creates a sort of mold you have to fit into.

Neither of my mains are antagonist type characters but, I appreciate the ones that are secure enough to pull it off. This is assuming they didn't just make that character to be a dick to a specific person. I give folks the benefit of the doubt unless I hear otherwise.

Styxen

10-22-2008, 03:18 PM

I would say what I find to be "Bad Form" to me kind of goes along the lines of ignoring people. Though much the opposite. Sometimes the RP isn't about you, sometimes you aren't the center of attention and that's just how it goes. For most situations it's fine to just kind of walk up and say hey what's up like you would to any friend and that's not what I am getting at.

Trying to join in with some RP is great stuff, it's just like joining in any other conversation. It's more instead trying to play "The hey look what I can do" attention game. It's rather dumb at times and it comes across as childish, especially at an RP style event that isn't about you. Yes if it's a party or something it's a great social gathering. If it's a wedding or some event about some other person (Though weddings are well kind of over done these days). Remember then that you are there to support or watch or help this other person. This isn't the time to be all woe is me or try and continue your possessed evil bitch RP.

It's much like people in the real world (Don't think about that place too much it's scary) who propose to people at another person's wedding, and yes it does happen and yes it is incredibly selfish and a dick move. I just think RP is a lot better when everyone isn't playing the one up game to garner that attention. Sometimes you are in the RP social circle that day and sometimes you aren't. Don't be the attention whore to try and worm your way in, it tends to make people less likely to RP with you later (At least I am less likely to do so)

I think Brian Regan says it best with his skit on "Me Monsters"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5id8lW-Gm4

Sifar

10-22-2008, 03:23 PM

Other than not liking others who decide what my character do or can do, I don't have very high standards for "RP Form."

Play nice. Be your character. Don't rain too much on another person's parade.

Keraph

10-22-2008, 03:25 PM

I think Brian Regan says it best with his skit on "Me Monsters"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5id8lW-Gm4

Not only did that cover your point well, but I was laughing my ass off!

Rand_Shea

10-22-2008, 08:08 PM

When it comes to emotes... If portray what my character is thinking, it's usually preceded by an emote of some kind of reaction or body movement, like:

"/me blinks, eyebrows furrowing and looking confused for a moment, wondering what so-and-so meant..."

The character would see my character blinking, furrowing her eyebrows, and looking like she's not sure what someone else meant when they made a statement.

There's 'telepathy' and then there's 'empathy'. To some degree, everyone is able to read body language, expressions, and tones to determine what someone else is thinking or feeling. It's learned from a very early age in all animals... hence why when you were a child, you KNEW when mommy and/or daddy was mad and not to mess with them.

Also, the basic emotes offered in the game? I think of them as nothing but shortcuts for when my character needs to have a sudden reaction to something else going on. If they're, say... interrupted by someone, I'll usually cut off whatever I'm saying and then do a /blink or some other such emote at whoever interrupted them.

I just try to keep things realistic in my RPs with everything. Realism makes things interesting, in my opinion, as opposed to boring, stagnant "My character is like THIS at ALL TIMES" RP. My hunter can go from joking around one minute and not taking anything or anyone seriously, to getting annoyed at the actions or words of someone else the next, etc.

As for bad form... it's really an "Are you even TRYING?" issue with me. If you're not trying (usually because you're trying to grief), then why even bother?

LorFedorovic

10-23-2008, 03:06 AM

>Pearlle> I've had that same exact thing happen to me quite a few times... both my characters actions being completely misinterpreted and being utterly ignored by an entire room full in the Booty Bay tavern though I'd barely said much other than "Nice day for a drink, yeah?"... though with what I saw of everyone elses RP they all looked to be doing nothing but sitting at completely different tables and drinking in complete silence. *shrugs* Guess if that's how they roll, though it didn't make me feel too good.

Emotes... I don't really think about. Yeah it gets a little annoying when people start narrating their thoughts like a detective novel, but I consider myself good at pretending they never emoted that. I avoid meta-gaming like I avoid Silvermoon (see below)... though if they happen to mentally mention something I could use as a topic to "casually mention" IC to get something started. I generally don't do that myself though... and while I do fill up my character history with info characters wouldn't necessarily know, most of it's there for me (as I have a horrible memory) and I wouldn't expect someone to just randomly pull some crazy fact from my characters past out of it. I treat peoples outer monologues the same.

I'm going to use "hate" as I hate bad form. I'll tell people when I think something they might be doing is irking me OOC, but rarely do they listen it seems. Hmm... most of this was mentioned before... but... I agree so...

I hate mixing OOC and IC. I really don't understand why people don't get this concept. I've argued with people as to why it's important to realize someones character is not necessarily the person. I've argued with people why they shouldn't get so upset when someone plays an IC 'joke' on them (like how someone walking in during a 'special time' you may be having in a public place, saying 'Oh pardon!' and walking out again isn't really the same as that person doing that to you in real life). I always suggest that people who can't seem to grasp this concept leave the game altogether as it's quite possibly some emotional troubles they have to work out and continuing to RP without getting it sorted out will only cause them grief.

I hate people who don't accept IC duels. A fight doesn't have to be agreed upon by both sides first. Smaller level or bigger level, doesn't matter. If someone IC duels you, it should be accepted. None of that "Oh, I'm above that." attitude... because no one is above an attempted punch in the face. There's no big button that pops up in those situations saying "Johnny the bar fly whose girlfriend you just stole wishes to duel you. Accept or Deny?" No, Johnny the bar fly jumps on your back and starts pounding you in the face. Be someone higher or lower level, be I in RP or battle gear, I both issue and accept duel invites.

I hate Silvermoon City. I avoid it like the plague. I can see it's appeal... but I miss good old Booty Bay and the hidden places people used to trek to... and every time I go to Silvermoon it turns into a bad porn flick. >_> Not that I hate bad porn flicks... I'd just like a good porn flick sometime. This goes along the lines of how I hate RPers "that talk leik this IC, k? Lol" Enough said about that.

Lastly, I hate overly involved character descriptions. Yes, I've been guilty of this (still am guilty of this), and I hate myself for it.... but I've seen way too many full paragraphs on how someones bright fluttering eyes shine ever so slightly in moonlight like the golden effervescent first dawning rays of Silvermoons sunrises in the peak of chilly late-October fall over the bay of still misting dark blue waters of their port. Seriously? All that to say you have dark blue twinkly eyes?

This also almost always goes hand in hand with my hate of the generic "Snotty Self Righteous male Blood Elf" character, especially when they never seem to grow past their snottiness. We get it, you're character's a complete jerk to everything but a mirror or that chick in the corner trying to start a bad porn flick, can we move on? "But it's just how my character is." Well, you're character's overdone and boring as hell, guess that's just how I'll have to feel.

S'bout all I can think of for now. Hell, I'm even alright with God-modding if the other character is a freakishly higher level than my own character.

Moar bad guys! I demanz it!
I need one of them to beat up my blood elf... you'd think they'd all be swarming at the chance. XD Also, I got myself a troll pirate in the works, but no guild of baddies other than mentioned group that would only ever threaten to break her knee caps. Only my blood elf would hang with that crowd.

Oh! Just remembered one! People who act as though they know what guild I'm in though I have no tabard on. I understand it's hard to keep track of things and sometimes people get a little confused... but then they should correct themselves OOC after being told OOC "I have no tabard on."

Eladis

10-23-2008, 07:49 AM

I find all of this very interesting and I look forward to analyzing it and picking it all apart, continue.

Alivanth

10-23-2008, 10:24 AM

I need one of them to beat up my blood elf... you'd think they'd all be swarming at the chance. XD Also, I got myself a troll pirate in the works, but no guild of baddies other than mentioned group that would only ever threaten to break her knee caps. Only my blood elf would hang with that crowd.

Well, if it's Banbuu you're talking about, we could always continue with the fact that Selash has a bounty on him and that he is after him...I mean, Sel has a couple other IC bounties at the minute...

Ke'juarez

10-23-2008, 11:34 AM

Yeah, there's a difference between it being part of your RP, like Brox, and it being like "OMG BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP MEEEEE!" I don't know of any TNGers that do that (maybe I missed it) but there is someone on TN who does that and it drives me nuts. I tend to be extra rude in RP just because that is a bit pompous for my taste.

(Now, IRL I am the daughter of Queen Elizabeth, so LOVE ME!)

hehe If I had some money, I could transfer a higher level warlock over and act like that. Minus the 'omg' part. I hate chatspeak.

Tirralys

10-23-2008, 12:21 PM

I think the only thing I dislike terribly is when someone walks up and 'knows' my name, saying it because it's floating over my head, when they would otherwise should not.

Horrible Misspelling (totally mangled sentences, not just one or two words misspelled out of haste) and L337 Speak in a role playing context hurts my feelings as well.

Ellsbeth

10-23-2008, 12:23 PM

hehe If I had some money, I could transfer a higher level warlock over and act like that. Minus the 'omg' part. I hate chatspeak.

DO IT.

Need more imperiousnessnessness. Thanks everyone for making this thread something interesting.

Adding another note:

RP Bad Form - Using public RP channels for OOC chats between two people. It's cool to announce something exciting ((Hey guys! We have an event you're all wecome!)), but even if it's dead silent in there, people may only keep it open BECAUSE there is RP to read. If too much ooc happens, then those people filter away. Part of the fun of RP is the audience. The more I see, the happier I get.

Also RP can teach Tillna to type slow. Holy CRAP he's getting better! Way to go Tillna!

Aphraelle

10-23-2008, 12:59 PM

Most of my pet peeves have been nicely covered already - knowing my name when we don't know each other (I really don't think Aphraelle is what you'd call famous), god-moding.

The occasional misspelling doesn't bother me, although I freely admit that I'm an over-literate child of English teachers and I always notice spelling mistakes. Always.

One thing that annoys me is people hitting on Aphraelle when she's fully veiled, like in the Abjurer's ensemble (I don't want to say set because it's greens and there's no set bonus). Dude, you can say she has pretty eyes if you like, but other than that she's swathed head to foot in dark blue cloth and looks like a devout Muslim woman from Saudi Arabia. You can see her eyes and enough of her shape to tell that she's female, and that's really all.

I too hate "telepathic" emotes. Now, people can tell, mostly, what emotion someone is feeling, so I have no problem with /e looks angrily at %t or something of that nature. Even /e wonders what is going on or something like that is fine - you can generally tell when a person is confused. It's emotes that report thoughts that I don't care for. I love the idea of doing an emote about being surprised at suddenly acquiring the power of telepathy - sorry, can't remember whose it was - that's brilliant.

And one other small pet peeve of mine that I haven't seen mentioned - admittedly, it's rather picky and possibly irrational, so I don't bring it up - I can't stand emotes done in past tense. All the stock emotes and notifications and whatnot are in present tense, so I find sudden switches to past tense a bit jarring.

For those who make extensive use of custom emotes, like me - Aphraelle arches her brow a lot, for example - I highly recommend a mod called Emotomania (http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/emotomania.aspx), which lets you make a custom emote (both targeted and non-targeted, when appropriate) and assign a custom /slash command to it. I'm lazy enough that I love being able to target someone and type /r1e rather than /e raises an eyebrow at %t.

Yichimet

10-23-2008, 01:23 PM

For those who make extensive use of custom emotes, like me - Aphraelle arches her brow a lot, for example - I highly recommend a mod called Emotomania (http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/emotomania.aspx), which lets you make a custom emote (both targeted and non-targeted, when appropriate) and assign a custom /slash command to it. I'm lazy enough that I love being able to target someone and type /r1e rather than /e raises an eyebrow at %t.

Holy crap that's hot! How did I not know about this?

Aphraelle

10-23-2008, 01:32 PM

Holy crap that's hot! How did I not know about this?

You're not an add-on whore like I am? :D

Yichimet

10-23-2008, 03:03 PM

You're not an add-on whore like I am? :D

No I totally AM which is why I'm shocked!

Grayslin

10-23-2008, 03:30 PM

Oooh, I didn't know about it either! *yoink* (Hmm, does it work with 3.0? Last update was quite awhile back...)

And I'm with you on the past tense emoting. Past tense is for stories, not in-game RP.

Aphraelle

10-23-2008, 03:42 PM

Oooh, I didn't know about it either! *yoink* (Hmm, does it work with 3.0? Last update was quite awhile back...)

And I'm with you on the past tense emoting. Past tense is for stories, not in-game RP.

Seems to work fine by me. Every time you see Aphraelle turn to or away from someone, or arch a brow, Emotomania's at work. :D

The only downside is that I get so used to typing them that I forget which emotes are mine and which are Blizz stock, so if I wind up playing vanilla for some reason I'm all, "Mai emotez, wherr iz dey? QQ" when I get the error message. :D

Aphraelle

10-23-2008, 05:28 PM

About Emotomania, there is one very big difference between the emotes it generates and the stock ones provided by Blizz.

With the stock emotes, I can have PlayerA targeted but type /smile PlayerB, and everyone except PlayerB will see Aphraelle smiles at PlayerB. PlayerB will see Aphraelle smiles at you. Alternatively, with PlayerA still targeted, I can type /smile Aphraelle and everyone will see Aphraelle smiles, the non-targeted version of the emote. In other words, you can alter the targeting valence (i.e. targeted vs. non-targeted) and the actual target of the emote by specifying the desired target after the emote's /slash command.

With Emotomania, you can't do this. If you have someone targeted, it will always interpret the emote as a targeted emote and use your target's name, no matter what you may type after the /slash command (which will be ignored). Also, the person who is the target of the emote will see their name, not you as with the stock emotes.

Just thought I'd let people know, since I don't believe this appears in the ReadMe and it can cause embarrassing mistargeted emotes.

Not that I'd know anything about those. *whistles nonchalantly, looking off into the distance*

Korangar

10-23-2008, 05:35 PM

But for those of us who have met Aphraelle, even in her ensemble, we should recognize you by body shape, right?

Our pixels may all look the same but I know many of us roleplay having a different body shape than that of the given figure.

Aphraelle

10-24-2008, 12:20 AM

Yeah, but I'm not talking about recognizing her, that's different. I'm talking about complete strangers telling her how beautiful she is when she basically looks like this:

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:e0HIC7iIDRkH2M:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00443/news-graphics-2007-_443501a.jpg

Muatah

10-24-2008, 12:46 AM

Yatokth

10-24-2008, 02:08 AM

A pet peeve of mine is that it is so common in Roleplay communities for people to say "There's no way you could know my name unless you are reading chat text and therefore cheating!"

*shrug*

There are (especially in a fantasy world) countless explanations as to why someone would know someones elses name before they ever spoke to them directly. Explanations limited only by the imagination. Just seems like a silly control issue to me. One that people would be better off letting go of.

Quite often I find myself wishing that people would just get over themselves.

You are not the central character in a sweeping, dramatic, continents wide/centuries long story of life and death and love and betrayal. The world does not rotate around you, and the people around you are not waiting with baited breath for every word you deign to utter.

You are a bit player in a HUGE story.

Get used to it.

It's actually kind of fun.

Generally, getting uptight over RP is indeed never worth it - I've just got a couple things that I don't really like and tend to avoid.

And whilst yes, you're not the center of the universe, your character can, and in my opinion, should, have stories that center around him/her, or at least large effects from other stories, because it happens in everyone's life. Play your character like a real person, and it'll fall in place.

Keep in mind, I don't think heroic or really cool scenes/events are bad - it's always cool for a character to have their time in the limelight - that also happens in real life, whether its a really awesome concert, presentation, jarring event, or a fantasy confrontation with your mortal enemy - It happens.

Ellsbeth

10-24-2008, 12:02 PM

Muatah, your post seems a little contradictory. I think most people have problem with people knowing their name not because they are full of themselves, but because they think their character isn't FAMOUS enough to warrant such knowledge.

This is my view on knowing names:

If someone is in the same guild, it's highly possible. Guilds have rosters. You would get to know someone from the roster.

If someone is in an allied guild, that's possible. Especially if your character is high ranking or very active.

If you often run events or lead battlegrounds. Then yes, you have a niche of fame and word gets around.

Oh yeah and if your character has seen my character from afar many times and for some bizarre reason asked around what her name is. Then proceeds to send her random tidbits of grey items in the mail. ((Yay grey item mail!))

When I don't think that they can know the names:

When it's my lowbie alts that haven't done anything spectacular. They haven't. Ever.

When you aren't a training NPC that I regularly go to (I'm weirdly anal in that my characters train from the same NPC from level 1 - level 70) or some of the jarring quest text NPCs that seem to know their name as well.

If you can explain the reason that's fine. Just please make it plausible. I will call you on it because really... who the hell are my characters to your character? Nobody, that's who. I'd like to be introduced because while some people like glossing over the HULLO! period, it's RP that can be quite interesting so I don't.

In real life people make assumptions based on first impressions. In fake RP pretendy fun times life, I like my characters to make their own assumptions based on roleplay. Which is why my characters like characters played by people I don't necessarily get along with OOC.

By all means use your imagination and come up with an exciting way to figure out people's names without having asked them. Just be aware that some of my characters crave power and knowledge and you may be hounded to teach them how to do it.

Naheal

10-24-2008, 01:27 PM

You also missed rep in various factions. If you're wearing an Aldor tabard, my character will know your name. That's just how reputation works.

LorFedorovic

10-24-2008, 02:31 PM

Well, if it's Banbuu you're talking about, we could always continue with the fact that Selash has a bounty on him and that he is after him...I mean, Sel has a couple other IC bounties at the minute...

Well he did just get kicked from that guild he popped into for protection from you due to inactivity... >_> Aye, what a lazy ba**ard he is... *cough* Had nothing to do with my own laziness whatsoever.

Suppose my own laziness is also on my list of bad RP etiquette, but there's nothing I can do about that. I feel so bad about joining guilds, then doing nothing... but if I don't feel like playing I just don't play. Not like I complain when I get kicked at least. I fully deserved it. XD

Irontoe

10-24-2008, 03:11 PM

Wow, you guys are sticklers. I'm happy when people use correct grammar and don't try to convince me that they're half-demon.

Yatokth

10-24-2008, 04:21 PM

Wow, you guys are sticklers. I'm happy when people use correct grammar and don't try to convince me that they're half-demon.

That's the basics indeed. XD

I tend to get along with whatever as long as such criteria are met - just a few other things that I like.

Lisbet

10-24-2008, 06:31 PM

Wow, you guys are sticklers. I'm happy when people use correct grammar and don't try to convince me that they're half-demon.

^ This - though I am not above rping with someone using internet grammar and talking about non-game things. I self-filter out the stuff my character doesn't understand and either react with "...yea sure okay" /e looks at %T as if they have two heads, or don't react to it and just move on to another topic ;p

Barke

10-24-2008, 08:20 PM

The one thing that really bugs me. The thought that if its not long its not good rp. Personally. I'm not going to type a three sentance long description for "Barke smiles at someone." Specially when that is the only thing I need to get across.

People who blow off another person trying to rp for no reason or because they don't want that person there.

People emoting thoughts.

But my biggest pet peeve of all. People trying to tell other people how to RP.

As for the "I already know your name thing." Just because they haven't talked to you in person does not mean they do not know your name. Think of it as real life. Someone may have pointed you out to them or they heard someone call you that.

Think thats it for me.

Yatokth

10-24-2008, 08:23 PM

The one thing that really bugs me. The thought that if its not long its not good rp. Personally. I'm not going to type a three sentance long description for "Barke smiles at someone." Specially when that is the only thing I need to get across.

Agree. I like doing long emotes sometimes, but other times short is more effective and precise - I mix it up.

But my biggest pet peeve of all. People trying to tell other people how to RP.

I generally don't, I'll RP with usually anyone (bar 1337 sp33kerzzz, not worth the time, really) and I simply RP -alot- with people who I really enjoy doing it with.

As for the "I already know your name thing." Just because they haven't talked to you in person does not mean they do not know your name. Think of it as real life. Someone may have pointed you out to them or they heard someone call you that.

Indeed, oftentimes if someone else says someone's name, I'm going to assume, as I would in real life, that -gasp- THAT'S THEIR NAME.

Taknar

10-25-2008, 04:13 AM

Indeed, oftentimes if someone else says someone's name, I'm going to assume, as I would in real life, that -gasp- THAT'S THEIR NAME.

Okay, going to play devil's advocate because of the funny image that popped into my head.

You see Alice and Bob talking. You know Bob, but you don't know Alice. Never met her. They finish talking, and Bob spots you and comes over. You ask who the cute girl was. Then you ask who Alice was (no offense to anyone named Alice). Bob says "Oh, her? That's Alice!"

Chances are you don't start using Alice's name in your first conversation with her. You generally start talking about random topic #198752, let's call it the weather in Haiti. Generally, you say somewhere in there: "Your name is Alice, right? I heard about you from Bob." In real life, I've yet to see someone not approach the name topic in this manner.

So am I right in assuming that it's the "Hey, I've always known you!" aspect of the known name issue that bothers people?

Errigal

10-25-2008, 05:56 AM

Wow, you guys are sticklers. I'm happy when people use correct grammar and don't try to convince me that they're half-demon.

I like how you have that pink carebear there.
It makes me want to find my marijuana carebear again.

Also, I hate opinion vs opinion.
I hate it and I love it.

Everyone is right and everyone is right, and everyone is wrong.

I would have edited that everyone is right twice, but then I feel like I'm cheating.

Yatokth

10-25-2008, 01:23 PM

Okay, going to play devil's advocate because of the funny image that popped into my head.

You see Alice and Bob talking. You know Bob, but you don't know Alice. Never met her. They finish talking, and Bob spots you and comes over. You ask who the cute girl was. Then you ask who Alice was (no offense to anyone named Alice). Bob says "Oh, her? That's Alice!"

Chances are you don't start using Alice's name in your first conversation with her. You generally start talking about random topic #198752, let's call it the weather in Haiti. Generally, you say somewhere in there: "Your name is Alice, right? I heard about you from Bob." In real life, I've yet to see someone not approach the name topic in this manner.

So am I right in assuming that it's the "Hey, I've always known you!" aspect of the known name issue that bothers people?

Well obviously you introduce yourself politely and such - just saying "Yeah Alice get over here let's go cyber in that room" is a bit weird - simulating what would happen in RL ("your name is alice right?") is the best way to go.

Soa

10-25-2008, 02:12 PM

Things I consider as bad RP are a lot of things... for example, being part of one of the dragonflights, more so the Bronze is a common one. I don't OOCly respond to it, but my character will ridicule yours for making such claims.

The name thing is annoying too. Especially when my character rarely says her name or anything really viable about herself.

One of my biggest issues with bad RP is when people who show no respect for another character. What I mean by this, and it has been done, is common sense and knowledge. If there's a troll who drinks the blood of his victims, wears their heads as shrunken head necklaces and has their ears as bracelets, are you REALLY going to talk shit to them or try to argue to the point of fighting with them? Will you go up to them and pick off their ears and act big and bad (even more so if you're just a low lvl alt)? I know if I saw a scary looking person I sure as hell wouldn't try to fight them or hell, maybe not even talk to them. If you're character comes off big scary and mean, then people should react to that appropriately.

Bad grammar, bad spelling, no use of punctuation, that's when my character will say your character smells. Meaning, your RP has poor hygiene. Yes you can be a decent RP'er but I'd never say you'd be a good RPer because good and great Rp'ers know how to use punctuation and what not. You take care of your Rp like your body when you try your best to be correct structurally.

Long response time is a pet peeve of mine. I watch and interact with RP often but let's say I'm watching two people RP, one is making large paragraph structured text while the other is using small to moderate size emotes/sayings; the person with the large block paragraph Rp posts let's say a paragraph per one-two minutes while the person with the smaller structure posts every two-three. It's just annoying in my opinion to wait... wait... wait... there's the post and look there's hardly anything in it!

One thing I don't mind is when there is a spelling error and it's NOT corrected. I'm not a complete moron and can't tell what you meant by your mistake so I'm not going to be all anal about the spelling errors. I don't bother to correct my errors unless it alters the meaning completely. I figure people have common sense to be able to comprehend what was meant.

Also, I will introduce my thoughts on ERP since that's often taboo (do note that because I'm discussing about ERP doesn't mean it's all I want to do/look for. ERP occurs often in RP). If you're going to ERP in emotes, make sure your area is completely secured. If you're going to ERP and remove your characters clothing, I guess it makes sense though I don't prefer it. The only articles I'd remove usually are weapons, cape, maybe shoulders and gloves. Also if you're going to ERP, try to be detailed >.> I treat ERP as a higher form of RP because it's something not easily done, requires way more thoughts and a whole other use of vocabulary. It's both block paragraphs and fast response time while still connecting speech and emotions between actions.

I've witnessed a lot of... questionable ERP back when my character used to be invited to watch (don't ask). There's a lot of bad ERP from good RP'ers and even worse ERP from the bad Rp'ers. Just, in my opinion, if you're going to do it, try to do it well and not half-ass it.

/end walls of text x.x

LorFedorovic

10-25-2008, 06:56 PM

Wow, I didn't even think about ERP. I guess I do treat it differently. Though, I tend to make more acceptations in this case. I mean, I do consider it to be a... well... "higher" form of RP, but I'll let more things slide (pardon the pun >_>;; ). For example, spelling errors I understand because you might be nervous (like when I draw nekkid bits my hand gets all shaky an' they look a bit cold), or waiting a longer than usual while for responses because the other person is trying to think up something that's not like "I stick tab A into slot B. I moan some more." every other emote.

And, I do try to take things to party... but you do still get people coming up and staring at you like "O I know what uuuuur doing! Lol!" >_> Though, a good portion of those aren't RPers... so I can't really put that under "Bad RP form."

So am I right in assuming that it's the "Hey, I've always known you!" aspect of the known name issue that bothers people?
Yes. For me that's exactly it anyways. Though I'm fine RPing it out, it's just when they then act as though they hadn't just made a social faux pas. Same thing when dealing with people suddenly knowing your guild name and you're not wearing a tabard (though that bothers me a bit more for some reason). I'll usually settle with "Oh, well I've heard about you from so and so." even if it wasn't the case, as long as they recognize their mistake.

...
(Warning: the following may be "tl;dr")

You know, I recently tried an all out RP server just to see what the mood was like. They still hate the other faction to the point of wanting to all out ruin their RP (or even ruin things for others OOCly and giving an IC excuse). >_> I just... don't get it. I mean, you can make characters, on the same server, on both sides over there and they STILL hate each other to no end. Just thought I'd mention it, as I saw some things that were pretty bad form in that sense... and on a full RP server too.

Like flat out camping people going for their fisherman achievements OOCly and playing it off when confronted about it saying "its wat my character woud do!" though... they're there OOC and not IC and are currently saying so to you on their cross-faction alts. *shrugs*

Gah, now I'm just running on about something that doesn't make all that much sense I think. Go go ability to form ideas into sentences!

Yatokth

10-25-2008, 07:32 PM

Wow, I didn't even think about ERP. I guess I do treat it differently. Though, I tend to make more acceptations in this case. I mean, I do consider it to be a... well... "higher" form of RP, but I'll let more things slide (pardon the pun >_>;; ). For example, spelling errors I understand because you might be nervous (like when I draw nekkid bits my hand gets all shaky an' they look a bit cold), or waiting a longer than usual while for responses because the other person is trying to think up something that's not like "I stick tab A into slot B. I moan some more." every other emote.

And, I do try to take things to party... but you do still get people coming up and staring at you like "O I know what uuuuur doing! Lol!" >_> Though, a good portion of those aren't RPers... so I can't really put that under "Bad RP form."

I really fail to see how having sex in your RP is any higher or more difficult than not doing so. Sure, you have to be good at writing porn. Bravo. That doesn't make it a "higher" form of RP - just different.

Note that I am not ragging on people who ERP nor do I subscribe to the theory that ERP is a horrible thing and should be abolished, destroyed, obliterated. It is not my thing, but if someone else enjoys it, more power to them! I just don't think the word "higher" fits.

You know, I recently tried an all out RP server just to see what the mood was like. They still hate the other faction to the point of wanting to all out ruin their RP (or even ruin things for others OOCly and giving an IC excuse). >_> I just... don't get it. I mean, you can make characters, on the same server, on both sides over there and they STILL hate each other to no end. Just thought I'd mention it, as I saw some things that were pretty bad form in that sense... and on a full RP server too.

Like flat out camping people going for their fisherman achievements OOCly and playing it off when confronted about it saying "its wat my character woud do!" though... they're there OOC and not IC and are currently saying so to you on their cross-faction alts. *shrugs*

I would kill/camp people going for fishing achievements cause it's a PvP server and I kill things that are red. If you wanna cross-faction RP, I'll be glad to if you wanna set it up via an outside communication source - but you rolled on an RP PvP server, and if you're out there, I'm going to attack you. :D

Ellsbeth

10-25-2008, 09:06 PM

Also, I hate opinion vs opinion. I hate it and I love it. Everyone is right and everyone is right, and everyone is wrong.

Oddly this is the first time I've wanted to sig a quote. So done.

Illi

10-26-2008, 12:52 AM

Hmm.. something that kinda bothers me, is when you speak with someone that you have never met, just.. pours out his or her whole life story. Well... would you go up to a stranger and do that? *shrug* This usually occurs when newer rpers are trying to meet people. That's cool.. but I find it kinda.. odd. Sometimes I don't know what to say honestly. Illiyana usually just sits there like "o.O....I'm sorry to hear that..." (usually there is a lot of tragedy in that characters story.) But.. you don't know Illiyana.. why would you tell her this?

Hm.. ooc/ic. Although I have done it before.. -.-
There are people who still rp today that hate -me-. All because Illi may have been bitchy towards them.. or whatever. Well Illiyana is a bit of a bitch. Doesn't mean I am. After all, it is 'role-play' right?

Vampires= tsk tsk tsk...

Irontoe

10-26-2008, 07:31 AM

Anorah

10-26-2008, 08:37 AM

My opinion: combat through emotes is ridiculous when you have a perfectly good /duel function. If you lose the duel, then hey, your character is weaker than his according to the laws of the world. If he loses, then the same rule applies.

This

Nothing irks me more than people who 'RP' their characters as powerful bad-asses when they cannot 'back their crap up'. If a character pisses mine off to the point of violence I will not resort to an emote fight with them. I will /duel and fight them through game mechanics. I have encountered way too many low level god modding half demon angel uber powerful god characters to even tolerate emote fights anymore. That isn't to say I'll throw up a duel flag when Anorah slaps a ho, but it is to say that the game mechanics kind of matter in the game we're playing.

Now I know people are going to argue that not everyone has the time or inclination, or even ability to pvp. That's fine, you know, they were able to take down Illidan and Lady Vashj, great! But it was in a group :P A lot of people who would refuse to RP fight through duels are fairly intellectual, as such I would think they would be smart enough to AVOID a fight with someone who can kick the ever living crap out of them, it just makes sense. If you're smart, but can't pvp, then don't play an arrogant little prick or I'll beat you to death with your own arms.

A politician doesn't have to be super powerful physically or magically to destroy his enemies. A thief can be quick of the tongue if he's slow of the sword to keep others from bashing his face in. People can play manipulative, sycophantic liars who would suck up to your face but bash you behind your back (Kinda like folks in real life :P). Make it interesting, but for the love of god if you're not going to accept a /duel.. DO NOT RP A POWERFUL FIGHTING CHARACTER.

A lot of this stems, I think, from people's desire to win, to be the best.. to get the girl/guy.. to be the hero. No one wants to fathom that their character can be beaten, or that their character has flaws, or limitations. But honestly, without those things a character just isn't interesting. A victory lasts 5 minutes, a loss lasts forever. Losing is a catalyst for change, growth, and challenging RP. You can take so much from it, but that's another rant entirely. In the end, if a character doesn't believe they can defeat someone through game mechanics, that character should try another approach other than the cocky arrogant defiance that is so cliche and overdone. Or.. if that's their bag accept the beating to come and let it flow into interesting RP afterwards.

Irontoe

10-26-2008, 08:50 AM

This

Nothing irks me more than people who 'RP' their characters as powerful bad-asses when they cannot 'back their crap up'. If a character pisses mine off to the point of violence I will not resort to an emote fight with them. I will /duel and fight them through game mechanics. I have encountered way too many low level god modding half demon angel uber powerful god characters to even tolerate emote fights anymore. That isn't to say I'll throw up a duel flag when Anorah slaps a ho, but it is to say that the game mechanics kind of matter in the game we're playing.

Now I know people are going to argue that not everyone has the time or inclination, or even ability to pvp. That's fine, you know, they were able to take down Illidan and Lady Vashj, great! But it was in a group :P A lot of people who would refuse to RP fight through duels are fairly intellectual, as such I would think they would be smart enough to AVOID a fight with someone who can kick the ever living crap out of them, it just makes sense. If you're smart, but can't pvp, then don't play an arrogant little prick or I'll beat you to death with your own arms.

A politician doesn't have to be super powerful physically or magically to destroy his enemies. A thief can be quick of the tongue if he's slow of the sword to keep others from bashing his face in. People can play manipulative, sycophantic liars who would suck up to your face but bash you behind your back (Kinda like folks in real life :P). Make it interesting, but for the love of god if you're not going to accept a /duel.. DO NOT RP A POWERFUL FIGHTING CHARACTER.

A lot of this stems, I think, from people's desire to win, to be the best.. to get the girl/guy.. to be the hero. No one wants to fathom that their character can be beaten, or that their character has flaws, or limitations. But honestly, without those things a character just isn't interesting. A victory lasts 5 minutes, a loss lasts forever. Losing is a catalyst for change, growth, and challenging RP. You can take so much from it, but that's another rant entirely. In the end, if a character doesn't believe they can defeat someone through game mechanics, that character should try another approach other than the cocky arrogant defiance that is so cliche and overdone. Or.. if that's their bag accept the beating to come and let it flow into interesting RP afterwards.

Easy for a retadin to say =D I know how that conversation would go:

"Hey, want to find out who's more powerful?"
"Sure, hang on... alright, rea--"
SKILLHERALDOFJUSTICE

But yeah, that's one of the main reasons my characters tend to have office jobs... because I'm not all that well-geared or awesome at PvP, even though I enjoy it thoroughly and usually end up being a vital *supporting* member of a group I'm in. Want to know how the story I started in Nether Legends ends? Irontoe fails. The people he was protecting die. He doesn't even manage to kill one zombie before he's bitten and runs away with more adept combatants' help.

Anorah

10-26-2008, 08:57 AM

Easy for a retadin to say =D

:P Not really, maybe for the last few weeks. But for two years it wasn't easy for a 'retadin' to say :P I took the lumps during the LOLRET phases.

Edit: And that's what I'm talking about, that's interesting. You don't have to be the best to be a main character. Look at forbidden kingdom, great movie!

Skafloc

10-26-2008, 09:15 AM

A lot of this stems, I think, from people's desire to win, to be the best.. to get the girl/guy.. to be the hero. No one wants to fathom that their character can be beaten, or that their character has flaws, or limitations. But honestly, without those things a character just isn't interesting.

I think this is one of the reasons I have been so accommodating over the year towards people who propose storylines where Skafloc has been victimized, beaten, cursed, or made just plain ordinary boneheaded decisions.

Granted after a time (as some know since I have been emo to them at times about it) it gets tired and I wind up in this funk where I feel the character is broken beyond recovery. But inevitably there is something that sparks some new direction or phase for him to go through and it makes it all worthwhile. It is one of those phases that he is going through right now in fact.

Being the hero can be fun sure, but it leaves you nowhere to grow I think. It becomes predictable and formulated. The interesting stories for me come from crisis and loss.

Okhu

10-26-2008, 09:21 AM

*GIANT WALL OF TEXT*

I'm by no means bashing on their RP directly per se, just concepts. To me, and maybe I just haven't had enough experience in RP, that's what is stereotyped as "godmodding" I hate the term and it's possible I have misconception of the term. Hell, if Soa got hit in the leg by an axe she'd double over and try to crawl away. Like I said maybe it's just my misconception of terms and ideas... any opinions? (sorry if this post offended anyone, it's just I need clarity I suppose)

I would consider taking out thier names, SOME people don't like being called out for -bad rp- (whatever YOUR definition of -bad- is) and someone might get offended by you posting it....because it makes them look the fool.

Just my 2 cents.

~@ Anorah's comments on /dueling.

I completely agree with that 100%... it gets tiresome to get mouthed off at IC, and NOT be able to do a thing about it because such and such doesn't like to /duel...

Soa

10-26-2008, 01:05 PM

This

Nothing irks me more than people who 'RP' their characters as powerful bad-asses when they cannot 'back their crap up'. If a character pisses mine off to the point of violence I will not resort to an emote fight with them. I will /duel and fight them through game mechanics. I have encountered way too many low level god modding half demon angel uber powerful god characters to even tolerate emote fights anymore. That isn't to say I'll throw up a duel flag when Anorah slaps a ho, but it is to say that the game mechanics kind of matter in the game we're playing.

Now I know people are going to argue that not everyone has the time or inclination, or even ability to pvp. That's fine, you know, they were able to take down Illidan and Lady Vashj, great! But it was in a group :P A lot of people who would refuse to RP fight through duels are fairly intellectual, as such I would think they would be smart enough to AVOID a fight with someone who can kick the ever living crap out of them, it just makes sense. If you're smart, but can't pvp, then don't play an arrogant little prick or I'll beat you to death with your own arms.

A politician doesn't have to be super powerful physically or magically to destroy his enemies. A thief can be quick of the tongue if he's slow of the sword to keep others from bashing his face in. People can play manipulative, sycophantic liars who would suck up to your face but bash you behind your back (Kinda like folks in real life :P). Make it interesting, but for the love of god if you're not going to accept a /duel.. DO NOT RP A POWERFUL FIGHTING CHARACTER.

A lot of this stems, I think, from people's desire to win, to be the best.. to get the girl/guy.. to be the hero. No one wants to fathom that their character can be beaten, or that their character has flaws, or limitations. But honestly, without those things a character just isn't interesting. A victory lasts 5 minutes, a loss lasts forever. Losing is a catalyst for change, growth, and challenging RP. You can take so much from it, but that's another rant entirely. In the end, if a character doesn't believe they can defeat someone through game mechanics, that character should try another approach other than the cocky arrogant defiance that is so cliche and overdone. Or.. if that's their bag accept the beating to come and let it flow into interesting RP afterwards.

I often prefer to /duel but I also toss up combat emotes as long as it's not too elaborate. My issue is, people get too bitchy OOC when they lose. I have full and clear confidence I can beat most RP'ers in duels and demolish them (except Kained). From my experience when I slaughter them they go something like (( lol only cuz ur ret and have s4 gear)) or other times when I'm in my PvE gear ((sorry i don't waste my time pve'ing)) a lot of BS like that. I'm still new to the server but after being a couple RP-PvP servers most RP'ers don't have t6 equivalent gear or s4. I suppose I shouldn't base a lot on past judgments and experiences I've had with RP'ers and dueling but also
at the time (6am) to mount up, go get my PvP gear head outside /duel and beat them both would just be wasting RP time.

But I whole heartily agree and prefer the /duel system. Often, I just inspect their gear, look for rings, trinkets and necklace (maybe cloak) and determine their extent of PvP and PvE gear.

Yatokth

10-26-2008, 01:18 PM

I often prefer to /duel but I also toss up combat emotes as long as it's not too elaborate. My issue is, people get too bitchy OOC when they lose. I have full and clear confidence I can beat most RP'ers in duels and demolish them (except Kained). From my experience when I slaughter them they go something like (( lol only cuz ur ret and have s4 gear)) or other times when I'm in my PvE gear ((sorry i don't waste my time pve'ing)) a lot of BS like that. I'm still new to the server but after being a couple RP-PvP servers most RP'ers don't have t6 equivalent gear or s4. I suppose I shouldn't base a lot on past judgments and experiences I've had with RP'ers and dueling but also
at the time (6am) to mount up, go get my PvP gear head outside /duel and beat them both would just be wasting RP time.

But I whole heartily agree and prefer the /duel system. Often, I just inspect their gear, look for rings, trinkets and necklace (maybe cloak) and determine their extent of PvP and PvE gear.

Then clearly you haven't fought a good number of people on this server. ;)

And yeah, /duel for confrontation is ftw - only Yat rarely gets into physical combat with those of his own faction - though I suppose he will at some point.

Soa

10-26-2008, 01:55 PM

Then clearly you haven't fought a good number of people on this server. ;)

And yeah, /duel for confrontation is ftw - only Yat rarely gets into physical combat with those of his own faction - though I suppose he will at some point.

That's quite true, I haven't. But this is just from my past experience involving two different RP servers (Ravenholdt and Lightninghoof). I suppose I'll start using the /duel thing more often, but is it often where people involve OOC stuff post duel? And are they good at losing? I'm just inquiring more and more about this server, I'm loving it most definitely and amazing RP just new here is all.

Beutha

10-26-2008, 04:57 PM

I'm loving it most definitely and amazing RP just new here is all.

I'm glad. That brief interaction we had in the inn was tantalizing. I am intrigued by your character. A very novel idea and background. I am interested in learning more about it.

Izrail

10-26-2008, 05:00 PM

RP bad form to me can be boiled down to a lack of consideration. Respect the players behind the characters and all is well. Don't strive to make your character the most awesome thing to grace the server—that includes godmoding, bastardizing the lore to make your character more "cool" than anyone else's, and hogging the spotlight in role-play encounters. Go play with yourself if you can't play well with others.

LorFedorovic

10-26-2008, 10:19 PM

I'll generally emote fights if they're going to be quick or if I'm not fighting to win (often times my characters, 2 of them anyways, will just throw themselves at someone like a bug on a windshield. It's quite hilarious). If they get all overly complex and especially if it's going to be a serious fight I will take the time to duel, RP gear or no; Though I do appreciate it when both sides try to match their gear up when one party is trapped in RP stuff for some reason... though when I know I'm RPing far from a bank I try to take my real gear with me for this reason.

I'll never turn down an IC duel request (well, unless I'm pressed for time but I'll say that OOC)... though I know of a few that would.

I would kill/camp people going for fishing achievements cause it's a PvP server and I kill things that are red. If you wanna cross-faction RP, I'll be glad to if you wanna set it up via an outside communication source - but you rolled on an RP PvP server, and if you're out there, I'm going to attack you. :D
Missed the part where I said "This happened on an RP server." Not RPPVP. The point of that was to say "Hey, RP servers have the same OOC cross faction hate that *I* hate." Suppose I could have just said it plainly and without the example, but it was late, I was sick, and couldn't get to sleep from coughing too much. And yes, I expect to get killed/kill in enemy territory on an RPPVP server. It's why I'm on an RPPVP server. Like I said, it was only one example.

I really fail to see how having sex in your RP is any higher or more difficult than not doing so. Sure, you have to be good at writing porn. Bravo. That doesn't make it a "higher" form of RP - just different.

Note that I am not ragging on people who ERP nor do I subscribe to the theory that ERP is a horrible thing and should be abolished, destroyed, obliterated. It is not my thing, but if someone else enjoys it, more power to them! I just don't think the word "higher" fits.
As for the "higher" bit I was using the phrase used by a previous poster as I didn't really want to take the time to explain how I think of ERP differently (it's seriously a different sort of art, and whether you like us people who can "write porn" or not it's still just how it is). *points to above being sick explanation.* I did try to put it in quotes to show I was only using the same word, and you don't have to act quite so offended by the word, as it was not my intention, just as it was not your intention to make it sound as though you look down upon those who ERP (as you stated).

I very rarely ERP, I'm not some sort of ERP elitist who thinks you're not a real RPer if you don't have t3h s3x.

Just in case I'm called out for some reason, I'll quote it (Yeah, I'm paranoid).

Also if you're going to ERP, try to be detailed >.> I treat ERP as a higher form of RP because it's something not easily done, requires way more thoughts and a whole other use of vocabulary. It's both block paragraphs and fast response time while still connecting speech and emotions between actions.
I have to add that I agree with their reasoning. It's quite a bit more difficult to do I've found, part of why I don't ERP quite so often and I tend to just write about my characters erotic escapades in the (now deceased) Adult Section.

(/begin rant on why ERP is a pain in the arse)
It's like writing a novel, especially because you have to try not using the same word for parts repeatedly or it just sounds weird, you have to think up a LOT more to do than "tab A fits in slot B, raise to 150 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown," you have to think all this up in a timely manner (meaning no dictionary to help with that "parts" vocab), you have to pay attention a lot more to where your character is positioned, you have to deal with dummies passing by with "lol cyborz" griefs (which always makes me incredibly nervous to the point of not being able to continue), and on top of it all you have to remain somewhat emotionally detached enough from what's going on so you can finish and not make things awkward. And my GOD! The mass amount of descriptors!
(/end rant)

But again, when I used the word "higher" I did not mean it was something better or more sophisticated, and I'm somewhat sure Soa did not mean it in that way either. It really is just a different creature all together that people aren't really used to when it comes down to it. It takes slight bit of retraining in some areas, making a bit more difficult in that sense.

Yatokth

10-27-2008, 02:10 AM

Missed the part where I said "This happened on an RP server." Not RPPVP. The point of that was to say "Hey, RP servers have the same OOC cross faction hate that *I* hate." Suppose I could have just said it plainly and without the example, but it was late, I was sick, and couldn't get to sleep from coughing too much. And yes, I expect to get killed/kill in enemy territory on an RPPVP server. It's why I'm on an RPPVP server. Like I said, it was only one example.

Ah I get it - guess it was just a bit unclear. I can see how cross faction hate on a normal RP server would be weird.

As for the "higher" bit I was using the phrase used by a previous poster as I didn't really want to take the time to explain how I think of ERP differently (it's seriously a different sort of art, and whether you like us people who can "write porn" or not it's still just how it is). *points to above being sick explanation.* I did try to put it in quotes to show I was only using the same word, and you don't have to act quite so offended by the word, as it was not my intention, just as it was not your intention to make it sound as though you look down upon those who ERP (as you stated).

I very rarely ERP, I'm not some sort of ERP elitist who thinks you're not a real RPer if you don't have t3h s3x.

I'm not really offended, I'm just sarcastic all the time. :P

LorFedorovic

10-27-2008, 02:16 AM

I'm not really offended, I'm just sarcastic all the time. :P
Heh. ^ ^;; Yeah, same here.

Fafnir

10-27-2008, 05:07 PM

I grew up in text-based RP. I have participated in several text-based battles, on different characters, and all have been epic. However, there are certain things you do to keep it in line. You need a moderator. And you need to be able to "take a hit." There is nothing more frustrating to a text-RPer (again, this is how I learned back in the day), than a grueling duel where you are the only one reacting to the hits.

I also discovered something on Shadow Council, one of the earlier RP servers. It was a combination text battle and in-game duel. They had no armor on, only RP attire, and no weapons. One would hit, and the other would react, using their environment. For example, if they were in an inn, they would crash down the stairs, followed by an elaborate text-based description. It was more for an audience, and it was like watching a play almost. It sounds weird, but it was highly entertaining.

And on the name thing, I know I'm late to the party, but I'd have to say it depends on circumstance. Faf thinks he's the greatest pirate in the world, and expects his reputation to precede him. As far as he is concerned, everybody should know his name.

LorFedorovic

10-27-2008, 05:56 PM

Well if someone's going to pretend they know your character in that way they should at least check your character history first to see if there's something you've put down as relevant. I mean, if you have it written down in your character history that you're well known for "blah blah blah" then it'd make sense, but if you have either nothing written in your history (though many don't utilize their history pages) or have "Not much is known about so and so, and they're mostly a recluse." then... I think it IS just flat out bad form.

Then on the other side of things, and I know people don't check other peoples MRPs all the time, as that would just take so freakin' long... but when I have a character that's supposed to be well known in some way (and let's say I mention it IC), and I'm told "Well I've never heard of you and I've been there for this many years." >_>;;

Alivanth didn't though! XD He heard of my washed up politician... though they hate each other...

Fafnir

10-27-2008, 07:48 PM

I mean, if you have it written down in your character history that you're well known for "blah blah blah" then it'd make sense

Yeah, what I was trying to get at is that I play Faf in a way that he thinks everybody should know his name. But obviously, there are a lot more people that don't know it than do. It's more for humor. He isn't really the world's greatest pirate, but he thinks he is.

"Fafnir Vayde's the name, I'm sure you've heard of me. No? Really? Well then you must not get out much, I'm sure."

LorFedorovic

10-28-2008, 05:43 AM

Oh! Alright, I see now. XD I thought you were talking about people who come up and use your name randomly.

Well that'd certainly be one way to deal with it, yeah. Haha! Though how often is that phrase accepted in good humor? I'd use something like that when dealing with people saying they've never heard of my politician, but I really don't think he'd much care that he hasn't been heard of. XD Hence my dilemma.

Libelle

10-28-2008, 01:42 PM

Yatokth

10-28-2008, 01:43 PM

Ooh! Ooh! I came up with another thing that realllly bothers me.

I hate when someone pms me and tells me what their character intends to do before they do it. I enjoy talking about motivations of characters from time to time, but only if spoilers are kept to a minimum. I want the suspense!

Yeah, I tend to explain to people some of Yat's thoughts and motivations if they ask, but I try and keep the word mum on what he'll actually DO.

Though sometimes I think of such cool ideas I end up telling someone too soon. >.>

Asmodeous

10-28-2008, 03:10 PM

RP no no's to me, not so much a style I suppose but more of an attitude. Might not even be one you think you are making.

Most often this revolves around falling into a routine, I only RP this way (Like channel, story, or in person.) or only RPing with your circle all the time. Yes everyone has like a set group they like to hang with. Though honestly you miss out on a lot of good RPers when you just go find your friends all the time. I think most of my best RP experiences came from the random encounter. Because you get to try out something new, that person doesn't know all your awesome half dragon, half god, half sumo wrestling nympho storyline (Or whatever the theme of the month is). So you can pretty much just have a conversation, and meet some no interesting characters to hang out with.

As much as we are all the Elite of the RP community (I couldn't resist putting that there) the best RP I have ever had was not with anyone that frequents these forums, and it's usually just a conversation about what has happened in our lives. Like going to Revantusk Village meeting a troll who is like ya I grew up over there and was a turtle farmer, then all those demons started showing up and the other tribes kept raiding our town so I joined up with the Horde when Thrall came a knocking. I enjoyed that, just talking, not setting up some sort of epic story.

Honestly when you just hang out in the same group all the time you never get to meet up with that, and go over all your character history because those people already know that. So it's mostly like hey you what's up? Oh you know same old same old, well that's awesome, oh ya.

Also, and I have been guilty of it, but stop ignoring people around you. Even if you think they are there trying to grief you and are jumping around all over the place. It just seems dumb to just say oh yes that's not happening. You would be surprised how many people will actually start RPing back if you give them the chance even if you thought they were bouncing around to annoy your RP session.

Comfortable is boring, try something new people!

Also "Me Monsters" are bad.

Izrail

10-28-2008, 04:54 PM

Also, and I have been guilty of it, but stop ignoring people around you. Even if you think they are there trying to grief you and are jumping around all over the place. It just seems dumb to just say oh yes that's not happening. You would be surprised how many people will actually start RPing back if you give them the chance even if you thought they were bouncing around to annoy your RP session.

I usually give them a chance before disregarding their existence. People usually RP back if you're not an asshat. They might not RP well, but antagonizing them doesn't improve the situation.

LorFedorovic

10-28-2008, 05:49 PM

I always get worried that if I RP that the griefer is there others RPing around me will get upset. *shrugs* Though if there's a naked undead suddenly dancing on my table, and I'm not part of any large gathering, I will RP it out. A time or two it turned out they actually were there IC. >_>;;

Raziel

10-28-2008, 06:04 PM

But I whole heartily agree and prefer the /duel system. Often, I just inspect their gear, look for rings, trinkets and necklace (maybe cloak) and determine their extent of PvP and PvE gear.

Now would that be because you're more powerful, or because you have more Arena Buddies/Guild connections?

Resinous

10-28-2008, 06:19 PM

This

Nothing irks me more than people who 'RP' their characters as powerful bad-asses when they cannot 'back their crap up'. If a character pisses mine off to the point of violence I will not resort to an emote fight with them. I will /duel and fight them through game mechanics. I have encountered way too many low level god modding half demon angel uber powerful god characters to even tolerate emote fights anymore. That isn't to say I'll throw up a duel flag when Anorah slaps a ho, but it is to say that the game mechanics kind of matter in the game we're playing.

Now I know people are going to argue that not everyone has the time or inclination, or even ability to pvp. That's fine, you know, they were able to take down Illidan and Lady Vashj, great! But it was in a group :P A lot of people who would refuse to RP fight through duels are fairly intellectual, as such I would think they would be smart enough to AVOID a fight with someone who can kick the ever living crap out of them, it just makes sense. If you're smart, but can't pvp, then don't play an arrogant little prick or I'll beat you to death with your own arms.

A politician doesn't have to be super powerful physically or magically to destroy his enemies. A thief can be quick of the tongue if he's slow of the sword to keep others from bashing his face in. People can play manipulative, sycophantic liars who would suck up to your face but bash you behind your back (Kinda like folks in real life :P). Make it interesting, but for the love of god if you're not going to accept a /duel.. DO NOT RP A POWERFUL FIGHTING CHARACTER.

A lot of this stems, I think, from people's desire to win, to be the best.. to get the girl/guy.. to be the hero. No one wants to fathom that their character can be beaten, or that their character has flaws, or limitations. But honestly, without those things a character just isn't interesting. A victory lasts 5 minutes, a loss lasts forever. Losing is a catalyst for change, growth, and challenging RP. You can take so much from it, but that's another rant entirely. In the end, if a character doesn't believe they can defeat someone through game mechanics, that character should try another approach other than the cocky arrogant defiance that is so cliche and overdone. Or.. if that's their bag accept the beating to come and let it flow into interesting RP afterwards.

Amen to that. One of the reasons things like the Horde's "Cristok's Challenge" are so nice, it gives us a list of names of people that can back up their words in the RP community. Even though pretty much all of the champions of said tournament are somewhat modest about their fighting skills IC. Pretending your character is unbeatable is only doable if you RP alone or with NPC's. Always someone out there who's stronger and has your number. All that "I'm a god" RP should stop the first time you get a free trip to your local graveyard.

Soa

10-28-2008, 08:17 PM

Now would that be because you're more powerful, or because you have more Arena Buddies/Guild connections?

I just came to this server last week. My guild connections are non-existent. Maybe HSM because I'm gradually raiding with them on their semi-pug raids and recently gained compliments of my pve talent/skill.

My previous server I got highly into the PvP scene for the very reason of using it later in RP. My character is not weak at all and she acts in a threatening and violent manner. Do this or your wife will suffer, type of deal. Often she tries to provoke people to engage in combat with her so she can prove her point of who is stronger. With this I needed to learn more keybinds, how to's vs class X and the no no to keyboard turning. I pvp'd with the best of the best I had available, all my arena partners were gladiators and all enjoyed playing with me because I was so casual about it. If my character is going to act strong she has to show for it and expertising PvP combat was the way to go. Hell, I even had horde send alliance at me to try to kill me during an OOC event to discuss how to better improve the server's RP. From that, I camped their three alliance friends while still able to debate in their arguments.

Soa IS the cataclysm in flesh and will make it justified as such. Do not stand in her way or she will do everything she can to take you and/or your loved ones down.

Leeleei

10-29-2008, 08:48 PM

Izrail

10-29-2008, 09:12 PM

I am new to Role Playing and have been more of a spectator in the RP world for fear of doing something "wrong"-- so I very much appreciate this entire thread warning me about bad form.

Although I can't say I know what I am talking about when it comes to RP, I am slightly puzzled/bothered by people feeling the need to correct their routine spelling mistakes OOC. Actually, it doesn't bothers me much that people make spelling mistakes, just that they correct them. But, because I'm such a newb, I think it may just be because still have trouble with dealing with OOC.

It's often jarring when someone uses an asterisk in /say to correct their spelling. Is that what you mean? If the meaning of the misspelled word isn't clear, I usually role-play it as a slip of the tongue and have my characters correct themselves. Also, if you're new to RP, there are a few guides posted in a sticky at the top of this forum that you might find informative.

Leeleei

10-29-2008, 10:25 PM

It's often jarring when someone uses an asterisk in /say to correct their spelling. Is that what you mean? If the meaning of the misspelled word isn't clear, I usually role-play it as a slip of the tongue and have my characters correct themselves. Also, if you're new to RP, there are a few guides posted in a sticky at the top of this forum that you might find informative.

Yes! Although I think this tick may very much be a newcomer thing, and still trying to figure out if people are in character or not, etc.

Your "slip of the tongue" idea is such a great way to play it off. I may have to copy you. Plus, I think that is how I end up seeing it when I read it-- like someone either fumbled over their words or had a slip.

Oh, and thank you for letting me know about the guides! I've been reading them and they are really helpful. I've been so intimidated by people who've been role-playing for a while because I wasn't sure about certain things, so I appreciate the lead.

Izrail

10-29-2008, 10:51 PM

Glad to help, that's the purpose of this forum. :) There's little reason to be intimidated by people you think are "pro" RPers. I missed a lot of potential RP interaction because I assumed the player behind a character I was interested in was too busy/cool for the likes of me.

Feel free to make use of the LFRP templates here if you want to network with other role-players.

LorFedorovic

10-29-2008, 10:56 PM

Raziel

10-30-2008, 01:51 AM

Taknar

10-30-2008, 04:03 AM

I use an asterisk for emphasis since you can't bolden or italicize.

It's pretty clear.

However, If you typo, congratulations, your character stuttered. You don't "fix the typo" in the next line and add an asterisk.
You go "Errr, I meant sax. She's good as Sax."

This is why my main character is a troll. I didn't spell it wrong, it's just his accent!

Although that doesn't explain the odd time I've done (( ahtahck* )) when I accidentally properly spelled "Attack."

LorFedorovic

10-30-2008, 06:08 AM

I usually don't emphasize all that much, and what little I emphasize I use capitals for that word... so... yes I usually do use an asterisk to correct my spelling. As an English class hang over I like correcting my spelling. A lot.

Probably is why I never thought to make it a verbal faux pa... I was in denial. Ignorant bliss. XD

I'm STILL (see what I did there?) going to correct it my good old way if it changes the meaning of the sentence entirely... or if I misspell things like "luck" or "rick" or "sock." I mean, while I may have made a Freudian slip, my character might not have.

Keraph

10-30-2008, 09:36 AM

I'm a Forsaken. My jaw may have just...come lose. Or if I'm RPing with guildies or one of the many other people who inhabit /infection, I'll just correct my spelling there, keep it out of /s

Vilmah

10-30-2008, 10:57 AM

I've always wanted to RP a character who's involved in a relationship with a Forsaken who's missing his jaw, just to see how they would get around it in the name of love. I may just write a mini story about that.

The_Golden_Wolf

10-30-2008, 11:14 AM

^I RP with a guy like that, he is a RIOT!

With that I am going to give a thumbs up to non-serious or comedic RP. /thumbsup

Jabiba

10-30-2008, 11:43 AM

I never correct my spelling, I might whisper it ooc to the person i was talking too if *I* can't figure out what I wrote but know what I meant. The greatest thing about Jabbers though is the way I type out his speech. There have been times I'd admit a typo and people would respond in disbelief.. they figured it was just his speech. :D

Soa

10-30-2008, 06:40 PM

I rarely bother to correct my spelling. As I stated before, people are smart enough to figure out what I meant unless my words/spelling are SO atrocious that it can/will change the meaning of what was stated. In that case I think... correct it or no. Usually it will be dealt with in a whisper. I don't like to add too much [[ ooc]] in my RP.

Personally, I'd say screw it, don't correct your spelling. I make a lot more typos in my ERP, never get a complaint or hint of confusion there ~.^

Arkaydos

10-31-2008, 04:27 AM

(Removed personal argument; take it to PMs next time. - Izrail.)

Now for constructive stuff so that any tight-assed mods wont delete my post for lack of such : )

It takes a lot to make me say something is bad RP form. And its near impossible to get me to downright stop RPing with someone. My philosophy for RPing, just like most other things, is usually to lighten up.

The one thing I dislike in particular, though, is the general direction a character is trying to go. Ask yourself as the character's maker; What kind of character are you trying to make?

If you are trying to make a badass who will command respect, chances are I will shift away from RPing with you. That isn't to say I will ignore you if confronted, but I will not confront you. That is the one main judgement I subject everyone to.

Godmodding, too, I take lightly at times. I've let a guy stab my character before. Normally I wouldn't, but since it was good for the overall plot, so be it. That is what I think defines good RP form; considering the overall plot and RP before you consider how cool your character will look.

But on a more complex scale, I get very nitpicky with originality. My dislike of people trying to act 'badass' leads me to underscore my character at times, intentionally acting a bit dense to lighten the mood. I naturally try to fit myself into a "Comic Relief" role. This also leads me to appreciate accents or use of slang in Role Play, since most people use perfect grammar.

Yes, thats right, PERFECT grammar is dull to me. I like accents, I like words being pronounced wrong (Intentionally by the RPer), I like characters using slang.

But as far as that goes, its just a personal preference and I wont act negatively to a character who doesn't do this.