Roleplaying Etiquette

What follows is simply a brief discourse on some of the finer points of behavior appropriate to online roleplaying games (mostly RP-centered MUSHes, as that's where my familiarity lies); these are the 'niceties', nominally written towards the newer player wishing to improve knowledge of how games 'work' outside and around themes. It's not meant in the least to be a definition of what "good roleplay" is, as such can change drastically from person to person and between themes and games as preference goes.

**Always Respect Player Agency**

In roleplay, perhaps two of the most significant items to keep in mind are not to force actions upon others and to provide some sort of 'hook' in your posing. The degree of how much 'force roleplay' is appropriate to a particular situation can vary greatly from game to game and theme to theme, but basically boils down to the idea that you should let the character's player decide the outcome of actions bearing direct effect on their character, i.e., it's better not to hit someone in the face with a stone; throw the stone at the character, and let the other's player decide whether their character takes the hit, or avoids it in some manner.

**Be Careful of Metaposing**

In a related caution, however, be sure to distinguish in your poses what people can respond to, and what they can't. Unless it's within the game's theme, 'Johnny wonders what he can do today.', while it provides some indication of what the character is considering, offers no means of response from those with whom Johnny is roleplaying--for the pose gives no visual cues, no indication of how those with him might notice any changes in Johnny's aspect or movement which might allow them to comment or interact with Johnny. People generally are not telepathic (Except for Quaesitors) and have no way to tell what a character is thinking. There are times, however, when it enhances the roleplay to comment on a character's state of mind as explanation in a pose, such as: Johnny glances at Jarien, startlement plain on his features. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he questions in a cautious tone, not wishing to get in trouble himself. The dividing line between what works and what doesn't in the roleplay is fairly fine, and can as well be individual to player and to game or theme; it's up to your discretion as to when and how to employ such.

**Courtesy Poses**

As a corollary to this these points on roleplaying, when moving from room to room, if you leave roleplay behind, offer a concluding pose and allow time for a response from those with whom you're roleplaying. Additionally, if you encounter a character in a room through which you are passing, it is polite not to leave the room without having posed and waited for a reply from that character before continuing; while it's possible the other might be idling, he or she may also be hoping for roleplay, too. Mind you we do not want to force people into uncomfortable or potentially combative situations so use your discretion but try to be as polite to your fellow player as possible.

**Avoid Metagaming Like The Plague**

One of the most significant mores in a roleplaying game is the distinction between what is in-character (IC) and what is out-of-character (OOC), otherwise viewed as What Your Character Knows, and What You As Player Know (that your character may not). A good example of this is mentioned above, with respect to character names and introductions. You can read the name of other characters because MUSHes are text-based; your character, however, lives in a vocal, visual, and three-dimensional world without name tags. Characters need to introduce themselves, and be introduced; a further nota bene in regard to this is to pay attention to /how/ a character is introduced; though the @name might be Roald Worthington, if Roald is introduced as Ronny or Lord Worthington or Duke Surhome, it might take your character some time (if ever) to discover Ronny’s Christian name. We do not assume that Character Pages should be considered public knowledge unless specified otherwise by the player or Staff, they are a reference to enhance roleplay.

**IC/OOC Separation**

As an aside in this distinction of IC and OOC, take care to notice when the sentiments of another are in-character and expressed in-characterly, or out-of-character and expressed out-of-characterly. Confusing the two is called 'blurring. ' If a player has had an awful day at their Real Life job, this does not mean that it is necessarily good or appropriate for him or her to log online and pick a fight with their character. At the same time, while a character may dislike your character in-characterly, that char's player does not necessarily share those sentiments.

**Leave Old Baggage At The Door**

One of the most helpful things we can offer you is this advice. You may have had negative experiences with someone in the past who ends up becoming your friend down the road when they are given a chance. Sometimes someone you have gotten along with well in the past may have grown distant. That's okay, too, because believe it or not it may not be about you. The circumstances of our lives as people are unknowable, the best thing you can do to have fun in Caelum is to let go of any troubles you may have had with someone on another game!