Like most things, I think there's a point where at least being able to identify with your character enhances the RP experience. Â I'll confess I've felt pride, anger, and I've smiled, laughed, and even shed a few tears as Eva has experienced her various ups and downs throughout Eorzea. Â I liken this to the way one might relate to a character in a book, TV show, or movie and generally consider it to be a positive thing, that RP is compelling and believable and "real" enough to elicit these sort of feelings.
And like most things, I think there's a point where that can sometimes go too far - that place where the IC/OOC line often blurs and things can more easily be carried to a harmful place. Â Where hurtful things said in-character are misinterpreted as attacks on a player, and I've witnessed a number of instances where this degree of 'overinvestment' of one's character can have a seriously negative impact on the player, damaging friendships and straining future RP.
I think it's important to know where that dividing line between what's real and what's fantasy. Â And I've always advocated communication. Â Sometimes it wrecks immersion a bit, but if there's even a slight chance that someone's going to misinterpret an unfriendly or antagonistic remark as being something that's going to cause undue player stress, it's worth shooting a quick /tell to say, "Hey even though my character thinks yours is scum, this is awesome RP and you are an awesome RPer!"
In short, RPers should be [and from my experiences, generally are] open-minded and open to communicating any sort of misunderstandings or misperceptions and hashing these things out so that nobody's feelings are left hurt OOCly. Of course if hurt feelings are something that's happening often, one must ask themself if their own overinvestment in their character is the common denominator.
And like most things, I think there's a point where that can sometimes go too far - that place where the IC/OOC line often blurs and things can more easily be carried to a harmful place. Â Where hurtful things said in-character are misinterpreted as attacks on a player, and I've witnessed a number of instances where this degree of 'overinvestment' of one's character can have a seriously negative impact on the player, damaging friendships and straining future RP.
I think it's important to know where that dividing line between what's real and what's fantasy. Â And I've always advocated communication. Â Sometimes it wrecks immersion a bit, but if there's even a slight chance that someone's going to misinterpret an unfriendly or antagonistic remark as being something that's going to cause undue player stress, it's worth shooting a quick /tell to say, "Hey even though my character thinks yours is scum, this is awesome RP and you are an awesome RPer!"
In short, RPers should be [and from my experiences, generally are] open-minded and open to communicating any sort of misunderstandings or misperceptions and hashing these things out so that nobody's feelings are left hurt OOCly. Of course if hurt feelings are something that's happening often, one must ask themself if their own overinvestment in their character is the common denominator.
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
