Our new season is now open: Spring 1677 !
OOC plotting
|
| |
|---|---|
There are several forms of OOC plotting that a player could participate in. Not all forms are allowed under the premise of our game of intrigue. This is why we do not have plottage forums for all players to use, instead using a combination of circles and Player Compendiums. This article explores the forms we encourage and discourage.
Contents |
Encouraged
Playing a role playing game is all about cooperation and writing together to have fun. To facilitate that we allow some forms of OOC plotting.
Appointment plotting
This is also known as forward planning. Players may OOC talk to each other in their Circle forum, PM, chat or whatever, and point out opportunities to meet or get into some mischief. While we encourage spontaneity we do realise that pre-plotting the beginning of an event can be necessary to make it come about.
Example
- Player A tells Player B "If you post Walter in the library Tuesday morning, I will have my character post there too so that we can meet."
- Player C tells Player D "Can my Roger find Thomas in St. Marks Hall at that time, because he is planning on issuing a challenge."
Likewise players can coordinate how to continue relationships of all kinds during Recess, whom to correspond with, whom to visit etc.
Checking Sensitivities
Also see Comfortzones
Some stories can be very intensive, or two players could be engaged in a thread they consider private. A simple OOC check in PM or chat if it is alright to jump in, or warn where the story might be heading potentially is in fact encouraged. It helps players avoid insulting or hurting each other unintentionally.
Example
- Player A asks Player B "I see that you and Player C are kissing in the labyrinth. I think it would be a hoot if I came upon you two. Would you mind?"
- Player D warns Player E "I like you OOC, but my character IC is not above forcing himself on younger men. If you do not want to explore the homosexual angle, perhaps it would be better if your character left."
Mentoring
A player might be helping a new player in an OOC fashion. This newbie player is worried that they are doing something stupid and they seek other players to critique their work and offer suggestions. There is an element of friendship and community within this sort of communication.
Discouraged
If we speak of pre-plotting, it usually is in a negative way, because there are some methods that we consider cheating. Below are the methods of plotting that take away from the premise of the game.
Scripting
This means not only agreeing before hand how a story is to start but how it should end. We discourage scripting because it destroys the spontaneity of the game. Even the moderators in their mod posts try to avoid scripting at all cost. An ending should never be certain.
Example:
- Player A tells Player B "I will meet you at the Ball, then I will faint and you can carry me away to the garden or somewhere, then we can fall in love and have an affair, okay?"
- Player C tells Player D "Okay, we'll do the duel, and then my character wins, while yours dies. I will then marry the girl. If the Life Guard tries to interfere we will have character E stop them."
Excessive Favours
This kind of plotting means that even taking into account suspension of disbelief players are doing each other favours in the game that go far beyond what is logical for the relationship they entertain. They defy the Rules of Realism and can only have a basis in OOC friendship.
Example:
- Player A gives the character of Player B a huge sum of money without asking for anything in return
- Player C and D vote in player E into their circle without ever having seen player E do anything to earn it IC.
- Player F en Player G experience a sudden friendship or love not shown before in the game, allowing them to undertake a clever piece of intrigue.
Alternatively, this could also take the form of dislike between two players who try and do each other characters harm beyond what is IC logical and believable. Obviously this too may see intervention from the mod team as it breeds a very negative atmosphere.
