Talk:Gor RP Etiquette (Rules)

Let's talk about metagaming. This term get's thrown around a lot on role-play servers and every community has a slightly different perspective on it. I am going to walk you through want is and isn't the standard for this community and more specifically what the staff will and won't enforce.

First, Wikipedia defines metagaming as

In tabletop 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.

To be specific - metagaming is not PROVIDING the information out of character, but rather USING the information received out of character as part of your in character actions/knowledge.

Example: If someone says on voice or in discord that their character like apples THEY are not metagaming. If you take that information into game and your CHARACTER says "Mary likes applies", then YOU are metagaming.

Second, there are two extremes on how meta gaming is handled in most RP communities.

1. Staff implement rules and punishments to stop it from happening.
2. Staff educate players on how to manage metagaming themselves and handle only the outlier issues.

This community is comprised primarily Gen Xers who have been playing Gor on Second Life. As a generation and a community we tend towards encouraging self reliance and a certain "don't sweat the small stuff" mentality. As you may guess from this - we are going to focus on how you can manage metagaming yourself so that we only need to focus on the egregious issues (outlined here).

Proving Metagaming

The number one reason to simply not waste your energy on caring about metagaming is that it is nearly impossible to prove. There is very little anyone can actually do about it, except say, "Don't do this". If you simply handle all in game actions as if they are NOT metagamed, you will live a happier and more productive life.

(Any player who metagames consistently is going to get called out for at least one other bad behavior that can be proven. Behavior the staff can act on ethically. Players who metagame tend to be new role-players, players with volatile temperaments, or those with a me-first need-to-win mindset. Staff probably already have them on a list to be watched.)

Talking about Role-play Out of Character

We are absolutely not going to restrict players from talking about THEIR role-play. If someone wants to talk about their role-play that's on them. However, it's also on them if someone uses that information in game.

If you do not want people to metagame knowledge you've given them, then don't give it to them. Don't tell anyone your characters secret name. Don't tell them where you are. Don't tell them what you are doing. Keep the information to yourself. If you accuse someone of metagaming and we learn you were blabbing about it all over voice and discord we are going to link you to this page and tell you to use some sense.

If someone ELSE talks about YOUR character revealing information you wouldn't share or want shared then open a ticket with a screenshot of what was said and we will remind the player not to do this. We would prefer that you tell them yourself and that they would respond appropriately, but we will handle this on your behalf if we need to. If the conversation was on voice, we will investigate and educate.

Find you on the map

We want players to find each other on the map and have in fact provided a tool to do this. If someone finds you on the map and you didn't want to be found only a few things could have happened:

• You had your location tag on the map turned on. This is an invitation for people to come find you and role-play with you. If you do not want that to happen - Turn off the location option. Using the map locator provided in game is NOT metagaming - its an invitation to others to come role-play with you.
• The person is in your clan and can see where you are. Talk to your clan mate or guild leader. If you can't come to some agreement on protocol within the clan, find a new clan.
• Someone blabbed about where you were - either you or someone else with you. Stop blabbing about your location. Tell the people with you not to blab.

Finally

It's a very small map and we have players who know the map very well. It is common to be found while out in the world, no matter how secret you think you are. If someone finds you and you are surprised by it please first consider if any harm has been done or if you are just being overly paranoid or persnickety. If you feel harm has been done: ASK them politely how they found you - and if necessary tell that the scene is locked.

Metagaming has done harm

If you think metagaming has happened and no actual harm has been done - don't waste your energy on worrying about it. You will simply be happier by letting it go and not fixating on it. We will be happier not listening to complaints on things not worth the investigation.

What constitutes harm?

• A conflict/PvP scene has started and someone(s) join and tilts the conflict in one side's favor.
• Um yeah, that's it ...

Who usually gets accused of metagaming ...

If you are being accused of metagaming it's probably because you did or said something to make someone feel that you are willing to metagame. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Bragging or boasting about what would happen if you joined the scene.
• Telling other people about someone else's character.
• Inviting people out of character to join a scene not otherwise considered public.
• Giving people the impression out of character that you really like to win.

To which we strongly advice you to Use some decorum in your OOC communication and recognize that trust is an important aspect of building deeper RP stories. If you come off as untrustworthy in this regard, players are not going to trust you.

Remember

We don't want to moderate metagaming, but we also have no desire to foster a community where no one respects that the in game story IS separate from OOC. Role play here is not a free for all, like any good story it needs structure and plausibility to keep a suspension of disbeleif. Treat other people's story as the important creative activity it is.

You are ready to use the M word

Stop!

Take a minute to examine your headspace. If you are not calm then you need to go calm down before you start accusing people. This is Basic Adulting 101. Then ask yourself these questions:

1. Was there any other way, including happenstance, that could explain the situation?
2. Are you leaping to conclusions without any facts?
3. Was there actual harm done?
4. Have you been blabbing about your character or the role-play?

Metagaming happens far less than people are accused of it.  No one likes to be accused of something they didn't do. So don't start hurling accusations that amount to "Mom he's touching me!" Seek to educated and communicated and assume a misunderstanding. If all else fails open a ticket!