(04-17-2014, 08:18 AM)Ignacius Wrote:(04-17-2014, 03:02 AM)Kimikimi Wrote: I have a question. Why is this topic so popular?
Discussion of RP methodology and personal preferences aside, I think all of us who have been doing this for any length of time have had people bleed OOC into IC or vice versa with disastrous results. Â I know I personally did it once when I was fifteen, and I nearly blew up a forum RP. Â Luckily, I had people around who were understanding and explained the difference.
Some people either aren't lucky enough to have those people around or are too ignorant to listen to them, and we end up with people suddenly disliking all the characters of a player who's character screwed someone else's over. Â Or the worst is the romantic RP that totally crosses the line and isn't reciprocated IRL. Â That's sort of the RP horror story, the "girlfriend" that isn't a girlfriend that just won't go away, IC or OOC. Â I could relate some of those horror stories if no one else here feels like it.
Suffice it to say, bleeders are land mines in the RP world, people that seem like normal roleplayers until something happens and they destroy everything around them. Â If there's one thing to take away from this thread, you can empathize with your character, as that's a methodology choice. Â Eventually, though, you empathize too closely, so it's important to know not to do that and make that character's life your own life. Â Bad and good things happen to characters that are NOT happening to you personally; it's all RP. Â If it bleeds one way or the other, we all have a problem.
This is an excellent post. I would only like to add that the issue of Bleeding can easily become much, much worse if it's not checked.
Speaking from my own experience in many RP communities, including table-top groups, message board and in-game communities I have personally seen the following happen because of this issue. Some examples are extreme, but I want to emphasize just how bad it can really get.
Entire, long running role-play communities derailed, divided or completely destroyed.
RP forums that devolved into flame wars so vile that people were actually looking up real-life details about fellow players to use against them.
I've seen IC relationships misinterpreted and escalate to the level of full on stalking, complete with the authorities having to get involved. In one of the worst instances, someone attempted to wreck someone else's *real life* relationship because their characters had broken up in-game.
I've watched people who were friends, in real life, become enemies and remain so years later.
I've witnessed players spiral into depression ranging from mild to severe over IC related events.
Lastly, I got to experience someone I had known and played with for years go into such a dark place that she ended up posting her suicide note on a forum message board.
The bleeding of IC and OOC is the very bane of any RP community. At the very least it leads to drama, damaged story lines and hurt feelings. At its worse... See above.