I think some RPers will have an IC to OOC bleed, or vice versa.
The difference between those who do that, are that among them some will maybe get upset if their character is upset, or happy if their character is happy, and so on only with themselves. While others in that group will actually get angry, upset, frustrated, or end up hating another RPer for what happened completely IC.
I think it's okay to feel emotions OOC from RP. A lot of RPers get really attached to their characters, it's like a second life sometimes. As long as the emotions don't lash out at others in some way, then it's fine.
Let me give two personal examples. Both from World of Warcraft, from my Goblin character.
One: There was one Goblin thug who would constantly try to insult, harass and disrespect my character. Most of the things he said were pretty brutal, mean, and crude. A couple times they got really heated, and OOC, I may have gotten a little heated in that moment too. However, it was only with me, because I got really into it. OOC, we actually became good friends during all this, and we knew none of these insults or the hate that was in RP was directed towards the person behind the screen. And if he did use an insult or something that made me uncomfortable, like using a certain word or trying to do something overly crude, I'd let him know OOC that it started to make me uncomfortable, and he'd stop using that word, or just move on to a different sort of insult or action. We respected and liked each other, and didn't let IC get mixed in with OOC.
Two: Almost two years ago, I became friends with a new Goblin RPer. For a few months we RPed with each other and got along fairly well. Then her character got involved romantically with a criminal who detested my character. My character and his ended up getting into verbal fights. She however, started to take all of this OOC, even though it wasn't even directed at her. Then she started to badmouth my character IC, and my character was hurt by that, and confronted her character through RP about it. For whatever reason, she took my character's confrontation to hers as something OOC. She whispered me about it later on, and I assured her it was completely IC, that I had had nothing wrong with her OOC. She wasn't convinced, and continued to push it, to the point where I did tell her "Please don't take IC into OOC" and she got even more upset/angry with me, and put me on ignore for a day or so. Since that point, the next couple of months, she continued to take everything my character did, both good and bad about her and her char's boyfriend, OOC.Â
After that, she OOC harassed and trolled me, along with getting her friends/guildies to join her in that, as well as spread a ton of hate, lies, and rumors about me not only to my friends and acquaintances, but to complete strangers as well... for almost two years. She still hasn't completely left me alone yet. I made probably a dozen reports about her, and the GMs never did anything. She even tried to get people to lie and become friends with me, or join my guild, when in fact they were doing it for her, to try and hurt me or spy on my guild.
That whole experience was really hard to deal with. It may not seem like it was bad, but it was. It affected not only us, but a big chunk of the RP community as well. Being that I also have chronic depression and anxiety, it only made that whole situation worse.
I'm not saying everyone who takes IC into OOC is like that. She was a special case. But it still makes me get really anxious whenever someone seems like they're starting to take IC into OOC, or starts getting frustrated or angry or whatever at me, the player, because of my character.
Eh... I'll post more later on this thread, but that's just what I wanted to share for now.
The difference between those who do that, are that among them some will maybe get upset if their character is upset, or happy if their character is happy, and so on only with themselves. While others in that group will actually get angry, upset, frustrated, or end up hating another RPer for what happened completely IC.
I think it's okay to feel emotions OOC from RP. A lot of RPers get really attached to their characters, it's like a second life sometimes. As long as the emotions don't lash out at others in some way, then it's fine.
Let me give two personal examples. Both from World of Warcraft, from my Goblin character.
One: There was one Goblin thug who would constantly try to insult, harass and disrespect my character. Most of the things he said were pretty brutal, mean, and crude. A couple times they got really heated, and OOC, I may have gotten a little heated in that moment too. However, it was only with me, because I got really into it. OOC, we actually became good friends during all this, and we knew none of these insults or the hate that was in RP was directed towards the person behind the screen. And if he did use an insult or something that made me uncomfortable, like using a certain word or trying to do something overly crude, I'd let him know OOC that it started to make me uncomfortable, and he'd stop using that word, or just move on to a different sort of insult or action. We respected and liked each other, and didn't let IC get mixed in with OOC.
Two: Almost two years ago, I became friends with a new Goblin RPer. For a few months we RPed with each other and got along fairly well. Then her character got involved romantically with a criminal who detested my character. My character and his ended up getting into verbal fights. She however, started to take all of this OOC, even though it wasn't even directed at her. Then she started to badmouth my character IC, and my character was hurt by that, and confronted her character through RP about it. For whatever reason, she took my character's confrontation to hers as something OOC. She whispered me about it later on, and I assured her it was completely IC, that I had had nothing wrong with her OOC. She wasn't convinced, and continued to push it, to the point where I did tell her "Please don't take IC into OOC" and she got even more upset/angry with me, and put me on ignore for a day or so. Since that point, the next couple of months, she continued to take everything my character did, both good and bad about her and her char's boyfriend, OOC.Â
After that, she OOC harassed and trolled me, along with getting her friends/guildies to join her in that, as well as spread a ton of hate, lies, and rumors about me not only to my friends and acquaintances, but to complete strangers as well... for almost two years. She still hasn't completely left me alone yet. I made probably a dozen reports about her, and the GMs never did anything. She even tried to get people to lie and become friends with me, or join my guild, when in fact they were doing it for her, to try and hurt me or spy on my guild.
That whole experience was really hard to deal with. It may not seem like it was bad, but it was. It affected not only us, but a big chunk of the RP community as well. Being that I also have chronic depression and anxiety, it only made that whole situation worse.
I'm not saying everyone who takes IC into OOC is like that. She was a special case. But it still makes me get really anxious whenever someone seems like they're starting to take IC into OOC, or starts getting frustrated or angry or whatever at me, the player, because of my character.
Eh... I'll post more later on this thread, but that's just what I wanted to share for now.
