The IC/OOC boundary and how to approach it the SMILE way

[Enla]

Just to help pull this back into topic, I haven't read all the replies yet, but this boundary line referring to relationships or other things?

 

Everything, really. Relationships are the biggie, but it's definitely not unheard of for IC slights/arguments to be taken OoCly.

 

How odd, I can understand the lines of a romance/erp blurring the lines, but never IC arguments.

It does happen. Knew someone in another game who was dropped from RPing with a certain group because their character no longer had any interest in being with this other player's character. It caused all sorts of drama as the other person took it as a personal insult that their character wouldn't be getting their jollies off with the first person's and made things tense in the groups that interacted with theirs for awhile as well.

[Knight Kat]

 

 

With conflict RP of any sort, you really, really have to trust the people you're RPing with if you do it freeform. You have to trust their (and your) commitment to the story, and trust that whatever they do they do for the benefit of the story. If you can't, that's a sign you should suggest using some sort of randomizer to resolve things. This doesn't just apply to combat, it could apply anywhere.

 

To help get the thread back on track, I went back and reread a few pages. I want to put kudos and emphasis on this quote. The best way for people to not blend IC/OOC during a conflict of any kind is trust and OOC cooperation in the telling of a story.

 

When people start trying to beat another character with their character, it becomes a contest that can end up on an OOC level. I unfortunately speak from experience. Lesson learned.

[Kurt S.]

It's also possible to be too disconnected, though, to the point that a character no longer feels like an actual person. There's nothing wrong with putting some of your first-world experience into a character; it helps give them life, believability. Sure, the line has to be drawn somewhere, but replacing an extreme with another extreme doesn't work, either.

 

This same scenario can also lead to one of my biggest IC/OOC pet peeves, and that's shirking responsibility by using 'IC' as an excuse for landing on subjects that some are likely to take personally. Roleplay is not a legitimate excuse for being insensitive to those around you.

 

Aye, I guess I never thought about that at all.

 

But well that's my method at least and I'm not too disconnected seeing as I still get salty OOCly sometimes when some other guy does shit to my own characters. Especially when they're not really on good terms, though I swallow it and still try to have an amiable conversation with the player behind the character. And I'm not saying I don't put my view point into them, a lot of their opinions stem from me and I just tweak them to fit the world.

 

It's just the really strange parts like trying to maintain Ramona's heterosexuality that I have to be a little more disconnected with. She wants a guy after all and I'm a straight guy. 

 

And this is more to just help me keep in mind that even though they have a parts or huge chunks of me in them, they're still their own characters and they don't know what the other knows. While keeping me aware that I'm not Kurt, not Keil, not Ramona, I'm all three of them but not at the same time. 

 

I should probably get some breakfast.... I'm sure I didn't make any sense.

 

EDIT Very bottomline: I use the fact that I have alts as an anchor in the clouds to stop me from falling in too deep. Otherwise I'd very irritated, annoyed and pissed with a few other members here. It helps me compartmentalize the emotions I feel when interacting with certain characters. Otherwise I basically am Keil, Kurt or Ramona when I use them. I wont lie it bleeds out into OOC and then I just remind myself I have other characters. When the bleed gets too bad I just shut up OOCly...which, now I realize is probably something I shouldnt do.

[Ashe]

I agree with all the people who say that communication is key.  Usually I am either talking on TS with FC mates or Party Chat while RPing with people to make it clear that any IC intentions I have are just IC--not OOC.  

 

Admittedly it makes me uncomfortable when I try to establish something OOC (i.e. a boundary) that is completely ignored.  When that happens I will just tend to write that person out as someone who isn't mature enough to handle two separate identities (their own and their character).  

 

I have always tried to make my characters are different from me as possible--this includes in my writing outside of FFXIV.  That's why I tend to RP male characters.  It sets up an OOC boundary from the start, in my opinion....that and I just tend to write male characters better >.<  

But yeah.  I really do think that communication OOCly is key and if someone is unable to handle two separate things (IC/OOC) and keep them separate, they shouldn't be RPing....

[Berrod Armstrong]

But, erm, I'm not sure I understood what you mean by the spoliers in your last sentence. 

Its just a pet peeve of mine. Players that use the term 'mature' but seek rp of a sexual nature almost exclusively are trashy in my opinion. Its like a prostitute calling themselves an escort to make what they do seem legitimate.

 

(I was supposed to go to bed hours ago, I apologize if this response is unclear.)

Juuuuuuust as an aside, that statement is a bit uh. Well, offensive. Escorts/sex workers in general are legitimate in areas where they are legal. The career is no less legitimate than any other, as it's up to the worker to decide what they do with their bodies. This is speaking as someone who has willingly worked in the sex industry.

 

That's all well and good, but we're talking pretend prostitutes played by creepy guys on the internet, not real sex workers.

Which is why I'd prefer the comparison not be made.

[Kinono]

Admittedly it makes me uncomfortable when I try to establish something OOC (i.e. a boundary) that is completely ignored.  When that happens I will just tend to write that person out as someone who isn't mature enough to handle two separate identities (their own and their character).  

 

It's embarrassing how much this has happened to me. I was worried I wasn't being clear or forceful enough at first but it eventually got to the point where I accepted that many people, unfortunately, don't want to listen. 

 

When I was first trying to branch out more, I went to the Quicksand, as many are likely to, to try to meet new people. So many times I met people only interested in one thing and every time I'd state OoCly "I don't want this thing for this reason and this reason and this reason."

 

Not a one of those people stopped until I started ignoring them or just left.

 

Kino doesn't go to the Quicksand anymore.

[Chris Ganale]

Kino doesn't go to the Quicksand anymore.

It's just a shame there's really no other major hubs to meet people in, because when I feel like fishing for some RP with Chao I really don't have much in the way of options of where to go. And that's not even considering that her story basically has her living in Ul'dah for now.

[Gegenji]

Kino doesn't go to the Quicksand anymore.

It's just a shame there's really no other major hubs to meet people in, because when I feel like fishing for some RP with Chao I really don't have much in the way of options of where to go. And that's not even considering that her story basically has her living in Ul'dah for now.

 

The other recommendation is to utilize the RPC!

 

Make a post in the Making Connections forum and tell people the sort of stuff you're looking to do with your character! Then you can plan a way to have your character bump into another person's character. Communication, as always, is key here - laying ground rules for what you would and wouldn't like to do will ensure you get the folks you'd be most comfortable with responding.

 

You could also start an open RP thread down in Town Square, see if you can't get some forum-based interactions going that could ultimately segue into the game itself.

 

And there's always the events set in the calendar on in the Events section. Usually there's a good description of what event is when and what will go down in it. Even if it's just attending a pilgrimage to learn a little bit more about one of the Twelve, you have a chance for interaction.

[Chris Ganale]

Well....I fish on Chao (and very rarely at that anymore) instead of try to open a connections thread here because A) I have a tendency toward unnecessary and strangely-termed description which typically comes off as passive aggressive and B) I've already been attacked three times in two days by the lore police with her.

[Kellach Woods]

Kino doesn't go to the Quicksand anymore.

It's just a shame there's really no other major hubs to meet people in, because when I feel like fishing for some RP with Chao I really don't have much in the way of options of where to go. And that's not even considering that her story basically has her living in Ul'dah for now.

 

This is something that really, truly, absolutely, irritates me to no end.

 

If you do not care for the Quicksand, there are MYRIADS of unused places you can make into potential RP hubs. Settle on one, go chill there, inform others so that they know hey we don't have to go to the Quicksand anymore.

[Chris Ganale]

I don't have a problem with the Quicksand. A lot of people, however, do, which makes it difficult to find RP. And insofar as the point of telling other people "hey, I've created a new RP hub" well, if it was so easy, why is the QS still the one spot known to everyone?

[Branson Thorne]

I don't have a problem with the Quicksand. A lot of people, however, do, which makes it difficult to find RP. And insofar as the point of telling other people "hey, I've created a new RP hub" well, if it was so easy, why is the QS still the one spot known to everyone?

 

If you are wanting to find some other place different, man I am right there with you!

 

Let me know what you find and I am there!

[Chris Ganale]

Brother, if only I could find them. The only place I know of is my FC house, which is ICly a tavern that we occasionally RP at when prompted or we decide to have a tavern night.

[Rila]

I view the IC/OOC boundary as being a very simple and very clear divide for me. This is a character who I am playing to match their own distinct personality. Are there parts of me in this character? Yes because I can't play something I don't understand but that being said I am not that character. I had a lot of issues in SWTOR with people feeling that I was my character and it caused a lot of problems that have made me a little gunshy about RPing. That being said, I view the character as the character. You are not your character and I am not going to assume such. Just because the characters are friends does not mean you are my friend OOC and we're all buddy buddy. That's just not how it works.

 

I don't mind OOC communication but traditionally that communication stays about the characters and their interactions.

 

I've only RPed on FFXIV for a couple of weeks, but from what I've observed, my personal preference is the opposite of this. I have some anxiety OOC and RPing with new people is oftentimes nerve-wracking for me. My creativity suffers under pressure. I freeze up, panic, and struggle to visualize my character's responses. And when I finally do respond (usually because I'm pushing myself to do it in a more timely manner), it sounds canned, like I'm playing a caricature. Which of course then adds mortification to that anxiety.

 

On the other hand, if I'm already on decent terms with someone OOC and have a general sense of who that other player is, I feel a lot less nervous and am able to have a lot of fun, regardless of whether we're playing friends or enemies. I agree with many other posters in that it all boils down to communication. I'm a big fan of talking to someone OOC to get a good sense of whether they're enjoying themselves and what their expectations are. My character can be hyperactive and obnoxious, and, depending on the other person's energy level at a given time, she may not be their cup of tea - and that's fine. I'm perfectly happy to resume a scene at a later date. The same is true in reverse: if something starts to happen IC that bothers me, I want to feel comfortable shooting the other person a tell, and I'm much more likely to feel comfortable starting a conversation like that with a friend.

 

To me, RPing is like any other social activity: playing golf, throwing a frisbee. But really I want to compare it to sitting next to someone watching a movie. I like to be able to share a laugh at funny moments, a roll of the eye at the derpy moments and the occasional meaningful commentary at a scene here or there. I'm not going to want to talk non-stop throughout the show of course, but you probably get the gist of it.

[Gegenji]

But really I want to compare it to sitting next to someone watching a movie. I like to be able to share a laugh at funny moments, a roll of the eye at the derpy moments and the occasional meaningful commentary at a scene here or there. I'm not going to want to talk non-stop throughout the show of course, but you probably get the gist of it.

 

I do that here and there. I'll goofy OOCly about how the RP is going, on typos, and so on. Heck, sometimes I'll even carry on completely separate conversations on OOC topics on LS/FC/tells, albeit only if the RP is such that my full attention is needed. It helps to keep a bit of disconnect from the super serious dramatic conversations when you're linking silly animal pics in your LS.

[Caspar]

Yeah, I'll readily admit that improv rp with strangers and no plan is pretty difficult for me to get my head around. I like to plan things out OOC. I've gotten used to and enjoy spontaneous rp for casual characterization, but if anything really complex happens, I'm going to want to start penning up a semi-planned story. Not that it's fixed in stone; I usually only have a vague outline and some goals in mind, as well as some lovely scenes conceived of, but I like to have an idea of where I'm going and where the other player wants to go beforehand.

 

And because I tend to unconsciously write my way into sad or dreary dialogue, I like to keep OOC banter going, because it helps lighten the mood. I don't resemble my characters at all, who often have difficult lives or suffer a tragic fate.

[Nebbs]

Yeah, I'll readily admit that improv rp with strangers and no plan is pretty difficult for me to get my head around....

 

...

 

I much prefer improv, but it requires others to also go along. I don't mind taking it easy, and it is a great way to draw people out and build on any hooks they may share.

 

For me RP is much better when you give, and it is also great to receive.

 

Help others to RP their characters and you will get more out of it than just RPing your own.