The Difference: IC and OOC

[Judas of Vahl]

So lately, with the Valen Event starting, I've seen a lot of drama over Skype and PMs. After seeing @[member="Jacen Cavill"]'s thread on Skype Politics and whatnot being RPed out. I come here today to remind you that there is a major difference between IC and OOC matters. When PMing or using Skype, most people tend to forget they've broken that barrier between OOC and IC differences. People are fighting and spying on each other and getting into these little petty arguments over small things.

To be frank, it pisses me off to see this.

I know my main character is the Sith Emperor and I do everything I can for that faction, but I don't flaunt that side of me around everywhere. I have other characters too, even some in the Republic, Atrisian Empire, and Minor factions. People in Sith Chat may hear me plotting against my faction's enemies and run off to their secret chats like: "omgomgomg, dis noob is tryna take out our faction! we gotta grab some buddies and go prepare ourselves!"

No. No way in hell would you know that ICly. Some people just forget that there is that gate between the two point of views. OOC shenanigans and planning means little to me besides concreting the basic concepts and timing for such events, other than that, I'd like to RP out the plotting and undertaking of said missions. If you want IC information on this stuff, go grab a Spy character and PM your target! Ask for permission to hop in that thread and get writing! Your character may or may not make it out alive, but it sure is fun for both parties and adds a little spice to the mix.

In short, I'd just like everyone to stop worrying so much over things that aren't said in character. If I was the leader of Faction X and wanted to invade Faction Y, then I would go ahead and consult their leader with the terms of the invasion, already giving them time to plan OOCly. There's no need for useless efforts in trying to gain political advantages over someone else. They probably won't even care and will ask you how your character knows this and ask for post links.

Quit with the useless nonsense and get to posting if you want things to happen. Don't take it too seriously either, this is a Play-by-Post Roleplaying game. A game usually has winners and losers, but it's fun. Just enjoy things the way they are and don't get your Star Wars underoos in a twist.

 

[The White Wolf]

Lawl

 

[Alan]

I can feel the desire to want to name names...oooh...I just can feel it...

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@[member="Darth Arcis"] *Runs off to plot against Arcis*

Seriously though, I agree. This sort of nonsense doesn't help anyone. To be honest I'm kind of glad I'm out of faction administration. It was a secret squirrel battle always trying to keep the two separate.

Personally I wish that people were not part of every faction and that the factions on the board hosted all these secret meetings by IC (or even OOC) posts.

 

[Kei Amadis]

Glad you made this! @[member="Darth Arcis"] - This folks is a good leader, and I hope you're always around for my stay here anyway.

Coming from his IC opponents. OOC he's pushing for the same thing I am in my threads always, less OOC junk and more IC fun, intrigue and twisting storylines.

A few things spring to mind though, i've rp'd on many boards and it always goes on to some extent, even when you are only allowed one character per writer, you'll always get a leak. @[member="Tegaea Alcori"] but as with most things, most rp'ers are able to keep OOC/IC separate, it just takes one to kick up a fuss about something on a chat group or pm convo and you have chinese whispers

Nearly all of this is avoided with engaging all parties involved in a thread, story or plot in the first place though, as they all know what's about to go on (or have a rough idea). Then if someone makes a great OOC (bunny we used to call them years ago), everyone involved can look at it and know its out of place.

 

[Arage Bao]

You can't stop information from leaking, in the end if more than one people knows something it will get out eventually. What we need is a drastic change in mentality, a lot of writers are only concerned with 'winning'. They seem to forget that we are mostly writing a story and a tale is more interesting when there is loss, betrayal, death and total destruction. Hell, if your character is always winning and 'pwning' everyone? What is the point in the end.

 

[Kei Amadis]

@[member="Jared Ovmar"] From personal experience what a character goes through losing can develop them much more. Then again its not really about winning and losing for individual characters, how do you 'win' a war as man , its more just going through it, and trying to do your best for those around you. So I agree

Its like taking the knocks in life and then either turning them into something useful, or just picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, and then seeing how you've grown.

 

[Arage Bao]

Pretty much, the way your character handles loss and defeat is far more interesting than overcoming all your obstacles all the time. @[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Jsc]

The Difference: Skype and Drama

• Skype is an Unrated Experience. This board is Rated PG-13. Skype at your own risk. Skype is not an endorsed experience of this website. Skype is not even necessary to Roleplay on this board. Skype was not created for Roleplaying. Board Members may decline Skype Invitations and participation at their leisure. Skype is neither IC nor OOC. Skype is IRL. It can literally have nothing to do with this board, this genre, or even the internet.
• Drama is not Skype. Removing Skype does not remove Drama. Drama is Human. To remove Drama, please eject Human.

Moral of the Story: If you are unsatisfied with your Skype Experience. Please see Skype Customer Service. This website has nothing to do with Skype. Thanks.

 

[Alli Vern]

I concur, most can keep ooc/ic separate but it just takes one person to 'know' something to cause lots of drama.

 

[Nyxie]

Moral of the Story: If you are unsatisfied with your Skype Experience. Please see Skype Customer Service. This website has nothing to do with Skype. Thanks.

The moral of the story is that you hit the nail on the head the first time; it's not Skype, it's human nature. Skype Customer Service can't change that. This post is very relevant, because it deals with members' reactions to things of this nature in general, not only through Skype, which directly and clearly affects the board. Skype is just admittedly a large portion of what causes it, because it's a catalyst for third party discussion... trolling... and meta-gaming.

Truth be told, it's never going to stop. However, the important part is to really do some self-reflection and reassess your motives and reasoning. To try not to step out of those bounds and become familiar with them. The issue is that (in the words of the great Tef himself IIRC) "Competition makes content" and thusforth that content is usually fulfilled in battles and duels to the death (or at least attempted killings). Again, it's just human nature. People are plenty interested in the story. Part of that dynamic, however, is the fighting and countermaneuvering; often roleplayers just have something/someone get a bit too far under their skin and suddenly flock like pidgeons to go on the counteroffensive since they feel wronged or threatened... and it's all OOC. Then it becomes a chain reaction of the like. I believe that's the gate he was referring to.

TL;DR the OP is entirely relevant, I agree, and I think it will always be a minor presence in a community as large as ours, same as on any other large RPG.

 

[Tefka]

I can plot with the best of them. I've done things both secretly and not so secretly in my roleplaying days to cause all sorts of emotional trauma and butthurt. I've organized factions to destroy a single planet and ambushed a friend's beloved ship overnight and sunk it in the Bay of Velusia for no other reason than because I knew she'd be drunk and busy with a Friday Night Role-play.

It surprises me when people moan about the OOC leaking. Who cares. Staff can't help you. Help yourself by realizing this is one big game and just roll with it. If your first reaction is "I'm gonna report you!" to a roleplay post, I want you to please auction your computer off on EBay and go take a trip to Malta with the money.

 

[Ayden Cater]

I offer something of an alternative view.

There is no separation of IC and OOC.

Now, before you go off grabbing your pitchforks and looking to see what pairs well with rack of goat, hear me out.

We are, at the core of our being on this site, writers for a story. By that nature, we must assert some measure of control over our character's lives. Stop for a moment and consider the honest likelihood that so many of the same faces consistently appear in threads where their faction is being attacked. It's one thing for a group of people to be on a planet to help with its defenses at just the right time. It's something altogether different when those same faces repeat the stunt four, five, or six times. When you hear that your faction is being attacked, you are breaking the barrier between IC and OOC to put your character on that planet. The only possible way you could create a true barrier between IC and OOC would be literally write out everything your character does, of every minute, of every day.

And that would be boring.

We don't roleplay to read about people reading newspapers on toilets in space (though that is both hilarious and should be done at least once). We roleplay together for the excitement, for the adventure. We do these things that we do because they're fun and they create experiences we can talk about for years to come. I'm gonna share a story to touch on my point.

Back on another roleplaying site, there was a big deal about a year-long roleplay. Some Jedi decided that they were done sitting on their hands and went off to do something about the Sith, Council be damned. So, they got up and started bombing some things. In the course of all of this, one of the moons around Taris was pushed out of orbit and began to fall to the planet. The who and the why aren't relevant anymore. What's relevant was that the moon was falling and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. So, I decided that this was a good time for me to jump in. In truth, I had exactly zero reason to be on Taris at -this- particular time, but like we all do, I handwaved it. 'Just finished a job. About to start a job. Looking for a space dog.' I gave myself a hundred reasons why it totally wasn't weird that I was there and I ran off to play hero like I'm wont to do.

In the course of this, a Jedi crashed in front of my character. Not just any Jedi, but one of -the- Jedi responsible for all of this. I knew it, she knew it, and I was positively giddy with excitement. My character had a bit of a history with not liking Force Users, and Jedi in particular, for some time. Now, I had the chance to put it all out there. I was going to rant at this Jedi and take her down a dozen pegs. Every crime, every sin, every situation failed to be resolved by the Jedi; I was gonna crucify her for and make her feel terrible for everything. I even told the writer this and she -loved- the rant.

And then her character cried.

Before I could drop so much as a scathing word, her Jedi cried. And in that moment, everything that I had prepared went out the window. I couldn't rant at a crying Jedi. Instead, I got to to hug and comfort a weeping Jedi while Taris was obliterated by a falling moon behind us.

And I'm okay with that.

The things that I've done with characters over the years have been varied, but the one thing I've come to appreciate is that when you stop caring so much about winning or willfully screwing someone over, when you just let yourself be part of the story, you find that the barrier between IC and OOC was never really there to begin with. We put two characters together and call it "chance". Someone shows up to a wedding to crash it and we call it "metagaming". It's only a problem with we deign it to inconvenience us, when it negatively affects us. To hell with perfect plans and perfect stories. Bring me chaos, bring me the unexpected. I relish it.

 

[Kei Amadis]

@[member="Ayden Cater"] We are sort of saying the same thing using different terms Also - did your character get off the planet in time

For dramatic tension you need to break realism and just turn up at a fun thread, sure, its like the characters in a book, same deal. I think the main thing to realise is (for me) is its a story, when you realise that the OOC and IC are less important. You just do what you can to make the story fun.

 

[Jsc]

I offer something of an alternative view.

That was actually quite a good read. And for some reason I'm thinking of Ayden as Robing Thicke right now. It must be these blurred lines.

 

[Shinju]

Ayden that was beautiful and very true.

 

[Tefka]

Much truth.

Very deep.

Wow.

 

[Tefka]

@[member="Ayden Cater"] For dramatic tension you need to break realism and just turn up at a fun thread, sure, its like the characters in a book, same deal. I think the main thing to realise is (for me) is its a story, when you realise that the OOC and IC are less important. You just do what you can to make the story fun.

It's called suspension of disbelief. I don't have a degree in creative writing like the professionals, but I think if you're going to write at a Star Wars community, you should become familiar with that term at the very least.

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

*was totally involved in the planning of dropping the moon on Taris and blaming the Jedi*

Best, thing, ever. Used that card to launch an attempt to wipe out every jedi in the galaxy.

 

[TiCira D'Arr Hawk]

>.>

Truth.