Gor RP Etiquette (Rules)

There are some significant differences in our role-play etiquette then you may be familiar with if you come from a standard role-play communities. Such differences include the way we communicate with each other out of character, how we handle thought-emotes, meta-gaming, power gaming, and OOC limits. You will be expected to understand these differences.

Respect the Fiction

Even though most Gorean role-play communities do not require applications, do not confuse this for a lack of dedication to the fiction. Instead, accept it as an opportunity to learn the fiction while role-playing RESPECTFULLY with us. Gorean roleplayers are every bit as invested in their chosen lore and fiction as any other roleplayer is, be it Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, or Elder Scrolls. As such, there is an often unspoken, but universally expected, covenant between the roleplayers to uphold certain standards for maintaining immersion. Perhaps more than some other communities, if you come into Gor RP with a flippant or disrespectful approach, you will be met with hostility often crossing into the realm of OOC.

This desire to immerse ourselves in the fiction rolls over into OOC communication in what maybe called Immersive OOC. In many Gorean RP communities, including ours, there is a certain desire to maintain Gorean aesthetics and etiquette. There is polite formality between players that has a heightened sense of courtesy, where terms like Sir, Ma'am, Lady, girl, Master, Jarl and Mistress are used. In most communities, especially ours, this is not a requirement but rather a style of OOC interaction that lightly maintains immersion even when not in character.

Strict Separation Between IC and OOC?

It’s important to note that some in our community prefer to strictly separate IC and OOC and are not themselves a part of lifestyle crossover that is prevalent in Gorean roleplay. However, it is expected that these role-players adapt to the community, and not the other way around. If you want to be a respected and constructive member of a Gorean role-play community, like ours, you will wish to approach OOC interaction in a respectful way that maintains immersion.

Empowerment

Rather than telling role-players what not to do and thus putting the responsibility of dealing with the rule break on the staff, older communities educated players on how to handle it themselves.

Metagaming

In role-playing games, metagaming can refer to aspects of play that occur outside of a given game's fictional universe. In particular, metagaming often refers to having an in-game character act on knowledge that the player has access to, but the character should not.

1. You can not join a conflict or PvP situation through any means other then direct avatar-to-avatar invitation. Whispers, DMs, Clan Chat, Global Chat, Discord Chat, Discord Voice and even stringing two cups together with a string - do not count. Any conflict (including PvP) can be locked from new arrivals.
2. Don't share information about someone else's character or their storylines in any OOC venue. Not your story to tell.

There are many other ways in which you the player can protect yourself from metagaming. We expect you to utilize them.

Negative Thought Emotes

When someone role-plays what is called a “negative thought emote” it’s considered cowardly. Instead of complaining about it to a moderator you have permission to respond to what they “thought emoted” to you as if they said it outloud. Having used this rule for years, I’ve discovered it’s a really fast way to get players to stop doing this.

A negative thought emote is when someone emotes thinking something negative about another character, especially when that emote does not include obvious physical representation of what the character is thinking.

Forceful Roleplay or Godmodding

God modding is when you force a role-play action onto another player with the assumption that it will be as you role-played. A common example of this is *punches Bob in the face* rather then *attempts to punch Bob in the face*.

Rather than fussing about the way things were worded, you are simply NOT OBLIGATED to accept any role-play action done to your character which circumvents your options to respond. So in the case above, don’t give them a hard time about how they worded it, simply *block the incoming punch*.

If the players can’t get on page with this … well that’s why we are a PvP server with the option to knock someone out.

Superman or Mary Sue role-play

Also known as powergaming, this type of role-play is when someone claims to do everything, or have everything, or solve everything. This issue has not changed much over the years, and people still get annoyed by it. Keeping in theme with our empowerment, we recommend the following:

You don’t have to accept what they say if you don’t believe it. If it has a game mechanic solution you can expect them to put their money where their mouth is. For example, if some guy says he can bring 10 men to an upcoming fight, you are well within your right to expect some combination of 10 players and thralls to show up. If someone says they are an amazing cook and can make the best meal in the land, you can expect them to produce one of the exotic feasts in game.

For everything else, we agree it’s annoying, and we are willing to take the player aside and educate them, but you still have to find a way to deal with it, even if it means ignoring them.

Don’t Assume OOC Motivations

I understand the impulse to attribute OOC motivations to IC actions in all its numerous forms. I’m here to tell you why this is a complete waste of your time and energy.



1. You can’t ever REALLY know what the other person’s actual motivations are, there is no telepathy or mind meld.


2. You can AT BEST make assumptions that are often based on crappy circumstantial evidence any judge worth their salt would throw out of court.


3. You FEED THE DRAMA simply by engaging in the so called “fact gathering” process. You become as much a part of the problem you are accusing others of being.


4. NO GOOD REASON is not justification to assume OOC motivation. Centuries of fiction are filled with characters doing stuff for no good reason.



Finally,



It doesn’t REALLY matter what the other players motivations are. Just handle it all in character and when the other person calls you a “useless twat waffle” out of character you can be confident of their OOC crap and mute their ass.



Then move on.

RP Bans

We recognize that not everyone gets along, but we expect players to do the adult thing and be able to RP around someone and be civil out of character.

However, we are a small community on a small map and its impossible to expect or allow complete alienation between players.

If you want to avoid someone you may avoid the voice chats they are in -- we have four. You are welcome not to establish them as a RP partner such as slave/owner/companion. You are welcome not to invite them into your clan. You are welcome to not whisper or DM them.

But you can't refuse all role-play with them or demand others not to role-play with them.

• You are welcome to gracefully exit a scene they are in, but you can't force a scene to end.
• You are welcome to suicide, sacrificing your items, rather then take a capture from them.
• You are welcome to ask them not to direct role-play at you that would force the two of you to interact directly.

But beyond that, we have a rule that requires players to role-play and actively avoiding role-play with others is against our rules.

Standard RP Etiquette Rules

Role-play Punctuation

It is considered good manners to differentiate between dialog, emotes and ooc comments. Please use quotes around dialog, asterisks around emotes, or parentheses around ooc comments when necessary to indicate a change of format within a single post.

Role-Playing a Dialect or Language

Please be understanding that we have new players in our community so keep your use of typed dialects to "flavor words" that allows others to understand you via context.

Disruptive Roleplay

Disruptive Roleplay has little to do with conflict per se, but has more to do with one or two people telling a completely different story than the scene is called or planned for. Just as one might be watching a play, there is a general understanding that the actors on the stage are engaged in a single scene where the audience can follow along with the unfolding storyline.

Role-play is deemed disruptive when the focus is forced to constantly shift back and forth between what the primary actors are doing, and what is going on in the sidelines. When it becomes difficult to follow the main plot, the other plot is considered disruptive. If done intentionally to troll, moderators will step in.

Disrupting Events

Do not interrupt events that took planning such as companionships (weddings), religious events, markets, and festivals, etc. If an event is marked as peace-bound don’t raid or disrupt. These types of events are important for a community, and those few willing to run them work hard to do so, pissing them off by ruining the event isn’t good for anyone.