I don't think anyone here is trying to stifle spontaneity. I'm sure anyone who's been RPing for a while has stories about fantastic RP sessions cropping up out of nowhere with no planning beforehand. Some of my most memorable RPs started with "I'm bored. RP in ____! Who's in?" Neither am I advocating a set-in-stone system of mechanics for handling combat or other character interactions. That stuff works great for tabletop gaming but it quickly becomes cumbersome and distracting in an MMO. What I'm saying is, not everyone who roleplays is mature. I'm not indicting anyone here, in fact thus far I've been pleasantly surprised by how well-spoken everyone has been. Just think, out of all the people you've RP'd with, has every one been cordial, polite, considerate, and willing to compromise? If you answered "yes", please tell me what server you're on so I can switch there ASAP.
Character conflicts will inevitably arise. This is good, healthy, and makes for great RP as long so the players don't get in the way. Everyone getting along all the time can get boring; we aren't RPing Utopia. This isn't just about combat either, this is games of Chess, pickpocketing attempts, playfully snatching hats off each other's heads, and the like. Most of the time, people are going to be cool with whatever and there won't even be any question on how to resolve things. But, sometimes there will be. What happens when the punches start flying and both players think their character should win? Usually drama. I think it'd be a pretty good idea not to have "combat rules" but "conflict resolution guidelines". Nothing hard and fast or overly structured, just some clear methods by which people can work out differences in opinion and agree to be bound by the solution thus obtained. Remember that ultimately, we're co-authoring a story. Not playing to win.
The chief reason this is a concern to me is because in the past, I've forced my characters to avoid conflicts they would have otherwise leapt straight into for the purely OOC reason that I knew it would be a pain to settle with those involved. In essence, I was not allowed to truly play my character due to poor conflict resolution guidelines. There's not an awful lot that can be done about it, but I'd like to see what little can be done, be done.
Character conflicts will inevitably arise. This is good, healthy, and makes for great RP as long so the players don't get in the way. Everyone getting along all the time can get boring; we aren't RPing Utopia. This isn't just about combat either, this is games of Chess, pickpocketing attempts, playfully snatching hats off each other's heads, and the like. Most of the time, people are going to be cool with whatever and there won't even be any question on how to resolve things. But, sometimes there will be. What happens when the punches start flying and both players think their character should win? Usually drama. I think it'd be a pretty good idea not to have "combat rules" but "conflict resolution guidelines". Nothing hard and fast or overly structured, just some clear methods by which people can work out differences in opinion and agree to be bound by the solution thus obtained. Remember that ultimately, we're co-authoring a story. Not playing to win.
The chief reason this is a concern to me is because in the past, I've forced my characters to avoid conflicts they would have otherwise leapt straight into for the purely OOC reason that I knew it would be a pain to settle with those involved. In essence, I was not allowed to truly play my character due to poor conflict resolution guidelines. There's not an awful lot that can be done about it, but I'd like to see what little can be done, be done.