Why cant we all keep our IC character pure?

[Goric]

I am interested though in what others think about what is IC and what is OOC. How we strictly adhear to things that are done In Character being totally devoid of Out of Character stuff?

Or is including some "Out of Character" content ok in an "In character" post, discussion, scroll, or in the game itself.

When is it appropaite to use OOC language?

It seems that no one goes to the fairgrouds when their "In Character" Character decides to talk out of character. So where should we draw this line? Or should we just go into and out of character at will?

Phillip

[Kirth Gersen]

A very simple but oh! so complicated question you post, Phillip.

First, I was very surprised at the level of in character gaming in CL! I started clanning in the beginning of October, and I still haven't found any clues that prove that I was just lucky in the beginning. All of you CL players are marvellous RPers! (at least compared to other similar computer, and otherwise, games). Sure, I have found people using very strange dialects of Common in the TC (which Kirth always /ponders on...), and clans that definitely are not for me (I can name a few... but that has to .be privately... email me if you are curious ;-), but these are quite easily out numbered by the hoards of RPers.

Second, I really try to stay in character. When people do not play in character, so far, I take one of two actions (depending on the situation): (1)-I go away. (2)-I get silent and bide my time. If the OOCness continues, I go away. The same goes for Scrolls and forums.

Easy, eh? For me it is. I play CL for the RP. For any of you visiting my scrolls... ouch! I mean my web site... ouch! I mean Kirth's scro^H^H^H^H web site, you see what I mean. No RP content, no me putting time into it.

Answer To answer your question, Phillip. I play CL for the Role-Play. Therefore, I'd of course like everyone else to also RP. No flipping in and out of character for me, please. I try to use "/whisper OOC *whatever*" when I really need to be OOC in a RP situation.

But that is just me. A newbie and all...

HWC for Kirth,
/abj
(Andreas)

[Kiriel]

Personally I'm one of the bad ones when it comes to being IC. Although I try to be IC when the mood around me is IC, I'm one of the first ones to degrade into OOCness when the other folks around me are.

I honestly play CL more for the community aspect and the fun than I do to RP. To me it's just as fun to sit around and chat about OOC stuff with my friends in CL as it is to partipicate in general RP. I've gotten a lot better at staying IC now that I'm able to chat with most of my IC friends over ICQ for non-IC things, but I'm still not as good as I should be.

To me, all the friends I made in CL are friends, IC and OOC, and perhaps I should draw a line, but I really am not very good at that.

[Lilly]

Ive got no problem with IC or OOC, with the exception of ooc religious or political debate in blatantly public places. Those kinds of discussions are often meant specifically to goad large groups of people into argument, and lead to no good ends. Everyone plays different, and I say embrace that factor instead of try to fine tune it.

[Althus]

The question: When is it appropaite to use OOC language?

The answer: Whenever it's more fun than using IC language. Honestly, I have trouble staying IC for more than a stretch of an hour or so. It drains me extensively, and eventually I slink away to the library.

When the crowd around me is IC, I try to stay IC, but when they're OOC (and the crowds I hang out with usually are), I'm OOC.

[Goric]

Interesting,

I to tend to be IC when others are IC and OOC when others are OOC. THough my tendancy of late is to try very hard to stay IC at al times. But this is very hard when those around you wish to be OOC. At times such as those, either you have to revert to OOC stuff or you are left out.

I admire Kalle imensly for this. I have very rarely heard her say anything even remotely close to OOC. I know of few others that are able to do this.

What started this debate, was that the scrolls on THe Art contest I started are strictly IC. The dates for teh contest are in Puddleby times with no conversion to OOC time. I did this on purpose because I refuse to put OOC things into my IC scrolls.

Someone raised the point that since all scrolls are actually web pages and accessed though OC means, then they are all OOC. I dont agree with this point of view either. In a IC viewpoint, Scrolls are something magical that your IC character is able to create and access. These scrolls exist in some sort of magical sprit environment sort of like Purgatory. They are not exactly real but not exaclty spirt world either. They exist somewhere in between.

At least this is how I see it.

Phillip

[Delirium]

Sometimes I'm IC when I'm OOC, and vice versa. It all gets mixed up. As long as it's fun, who cares?

[Goric]

This is the purpose of the discussion. To find out others thoughts on this issue.

Wystti is another that is very good at staying In chacter. She is a very good friend which I admire a lot.

[Himitsu]

What do you mean by IC and OOC?
Do you mean that you don't talk about OOC topics like computers or the weather outside PWC's abode or the scores of a sports team or a favorite CD? I think this is the accepted idea of IC and OOC.
Or do you mean that you stay within the boundaries of what your character is and don't do things that would be strange? I recall Helpful GM talking about this definition and it makes sense.

I think whispering when you are being the first definition is a good practice. Just as you should whisper anything that you don't want others to hear, talking OOC to a group should be done only with them. You should respect other people's attempts to role-play.
The second definition is a lot harder, especially if the character has some traits unlike PWC. It's impossible to write down every trait of a person and how they'd react to every situation that we come across in Puddleby.
For me, the first is pretty easy but the second can be a bit tricky at times.

As to your contest, having the OOC date would have been convenient. The whole art contest is pretty OOC (first definition) since PWC is creating the art outside of Puddleby with tools unavailable in Puddleby.

P.S. I am using PWC instead of SWC to make what I say apply to everyone, not just girls like me. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about my clicker's gender. That would be gross. :eek:

[Goric]

IC = In Character vs OOC = Out of character. If Sir Goric is talking all KNightly and stuff then suddenly says; "how bout them Cowboys," he has just crossed into OOC territitory and destroyed his IC'ness (is that a word?). Then he needs to scamper off and try to regain his character.

Of course this also covers doing things that are within the bounderies of what Sir Goric would say or do. Anything that is outside of this boundary then becomes OOC, or what Phillip would do. It seems to be pretty much teh same thing.

I have to admit that I have trouble with that one. Mainly because Phillip is a lot like Sir Goric and vise versa. So the boundaries between what I would do and he would do get blured a lot.

To me, whispering or pondering OOC stuff is not a good solution. My solution is to keep Clan Lord characters pure IC and let any OOC talk be done on ICQ. Seems like a logical solution to me. THough I realize that its sometimes fun to have a group sitting around talking about OOC stuff and sovializing. SOmething you cant really do in ICQ. THe visual aspect of CL helps.

I agree that on the art contest scrolls, OOC dates would help. (BTW, Where is your entry Himitsu??) But I still think that and an IC scroll should be pure and not be corrupted by OOC stuff. I covered my thoughts on the arguement that using scrolls (the web) is OOC, elsewhere. But I will restate my view on this.

WHy do we think using scrolls to be OOC? WHy not think of it in an IC aspect as well. They are magic scrolls that exist somewhere in between this world and the spirit realm. Kind of like purgatory. It seems to be a common conception that scrolls are OOC so why not use OOC stuff on them. I dont understand this.

Sure, its the OOC person that actually does this using OOC tools, but why tell the IC guy that? Why cant we let him believe that he uses some form of magic to create them and that everything on them is created by him and for him?

My OOC self actually tells my IC character what to do and say. And yet, we consider Sir Goric to be a RP character that is IC. WHy should the scrolls be any different?

Just my thoughts on the subject

Phillip:confused:

[Goric]

Himitsu,

THe more I talk to you, the more I like and admire you. Please tell us or me about yourself? You can send me provite mail if you dont wish everyone to know.

I am most intrigued!!

Phillip

[Lilly]

I respect the desire to have kept the art scrolls all IC, but I have to say I would have really appreciated if OOC dates had been put in along with the IC dates. It would have made things alot more legible, and I wouldnt have felt it detracted at all from the effect you were going for.

[Farhope]

I like to stay IC, as much as possible.

If people around me speak OOC, I don't say much usually (that don't change much about my normal behaviour ;-), and I hope that they go back to IC quickly (but if not, it is not a big problem as it doesn't happen much for a long time... and can be funny).
I think it is easier for me as Farhope is not me (maybe a little close, but not that much I think) :-)

About the OOC date, it helps a lot, I try to write it too when I write an IC date (using smaller font and between brackets).
The scrolls are something in the library for me, so the scrolls are IC. I don't read them when I play (mainly not because it would be OOC but because it is difficult for me :-) For me, a scroll has a reference in the library; why in the library they use such a strange reference scheme beginning usually with "http..."? I don't know, but it is their organization ;-)

The contest is certainly IC, and the pictures are IC too. Sure, they are made by the players but what we say is also made by the players, the music played by the bards too but I don't see it as OOC.
The only thing so far that is disturbing me in the game, as it has no IC explanation so far for me, is when Farhope fainted in the lands so long that she doesn't be there more, where she is? I don't know so far (but nobody proposed me an explanation, see my question http://www.windsofdawn.org/forum/showthread.html?threadid=734

[tovemi]

Just a note on web pages.

I have always viewed them as library books and tomes,
accessible from Puddleby

[Delirium]

I don't know so far (but nobody proposed me an explanation, see my question http://www.windsofdawn.org/forum/sh...ml?threadid=734

Does that mean you didn't like the explanation I proposed?

Also, I view scrolls as generally IC too: there are many many book shelves around town, not just those in the library. SOme of the NPC's even refer you to web scrolls (e.g. the court archives), so they are recognized as IC within the game mechanics as well.