IC Stories Forum Feedback

An area to facilitate free-form feedback on systems (in-game or out) related to Arelith.

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Marsi
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Marsi » Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:40 am

Hinapples wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:52 am
xanrael wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:39 am
Hinapples wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:25 pm
Even if Tom says that Jim is walking around with zombies in a discord channel with 30 players in it, most of those 30 players won't care or will have enough sense to separate IC from OOC. The rest of the 2000+ players won't even know. If one player does use that information to metagame then that is on that player, not on Tom.
Here is the thing, in the example Tom is the PC. Within the game Tom revealing stuff is an IC action for IC reasons.

On Discord, Tom's player is telling a bunch of other players about the PC Jim for OOC reasons.
Tom revealing stuff IC to hundreds of players will have far more consequences than revealing it OOC to maybe a few dozen and it is very easy for him to do so, and justifiable. If he reveals it OOC to a few dozen players in good faith and one of them uses that information to metagame, should Tom really be blamed for what Jethro did? Come on. It's absurd. Lets stop gatekeeping information OOC and bullying players because they told an IC story on the forums or joked about something in discord.
This "bullying" sounds an awful lot like a moderator telling you to stop metagaming in a public discord

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Hinapples
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Hinapples » Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:48 am

Marsi wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:40 am
This "bullying" sounds an awful lot like a moderator telling you to stop metagaming in a public discord
That is a bold assumption. As I stated earlier, I don't join Arelith related discords anymore. Had nothing but bad experiences with them. Not even sure why I bother using the forums either, as it is pretty much the same. Just a bunch of personal attacks like this whenever people can't refute my arguments. It's absurd.

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Hinapples
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Hinapples » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:01 am

How about this. Show me a case of where metagaming impacted RP? Oh wait you can't do that because it would be metagaming. Now we're all dumber and know less about the narrative we are supposed to be creating because we refuse to work together and share information.

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Zavandar
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Zavandar » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:03 am

as someone that has been affected by meta-knowledge gained through the journals here (which are often just a means to rouse suspicion for people), i also believe that this forum should be more heavily policed.
Intelligence is too important

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MajorArcana
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by MajorArcana » Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:03 am

Hinapples wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:01 am
How about this. Show me a case of where metagaming impacted RP? Oh wait you can't do that because it would be metagaming. Now we're all dumber and know less about the narrative we are supposed to be creating because we refuse to work together and share information.
Nobody can show you a "case" of metagaming where it impacted RP because it's a case. Reported incidents don't belong out in the open on the forums because;

1. Airing dirty laundry is generally a bad idea.

2. Not allowed.

As an aside, sharing IC information in an OOC medium is just asking for people to metagame that information - and people do this, intentionally or otherwise.

Related to the topic; I think having an IC section for active, and currently played characters is a terrible idea - especially when people who post often include detailed accounts of recent events, or wildly skewed perceptions of what happened. I would much prefer if the IC Stories section was limited to rolled characters, and/or if IC Stories as a whole had a more detailed guideline on what is and isn't allowed to be posted (perhaps, having X amount of time pass after a major public event before you can post about it).

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DM Wraith
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by DM Wraith » Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:10 am

Friendly reminder to keep it friendly here, we are all one community so please show respect to your fellow community members.

If this continues to devolve I will be locking this topic.

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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Aelryn Bloodmoon » Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:32 am

Seven Sons of Sin wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 10:07 pm
Aelryn Bloodmoon wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 8:24 pm
Xerah wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 6:17 pm


Because different people have different ways to enjoy the game. Arelith is so terrified of accidental metagaming, far more so than anywhere else I've ever seen.

I do agree that they shouldn't be used for low-key digs at people in game roleplays, but that's more of not being a chill dude.
I am firmly in the camp that so long as people are vague enough that only people who already know IC will recognize the reference, what someone writes in their corner of the shared narrative sandbox should be up to them.

All other courtesies of concealing character shattering information should fall under the Be Nice rule.
Do correct me, Aerlyn, but there seems to be an underlying assumption here that if our characters interact, because it's a "shared narrative", you then have the ability to (without my consent or knowledge, according to the Rules) write about our characters' interaction on the forums.

I don't think I'm talking about a principle of secrecy or privacy, I'm talking about a principle of keep my characters out of an environment where my agency is stripped entirely. Where it's not even a game but more like a blogpost.
I shortened my post in the quotes to apply context to your question. Given the context of what's quoted, yes, I do think that. Hear me out, if you would.

Let me paint a hypothetical. Let's say you and I have found our way to characters on opposite sides of some big point (I should be so lucky, you're a damn legend at this point). My approach to this would be to offer you some bits of information about my character you could abuse to your advantage - your discretion. I might ask for information of a similar kind. (Yes, I know, I'm getting there, I promise).

One or both of us then takes advantage of this deeply motivating factor to our character's adversary. It has a tremendous impact on the character, but the scene happened between only two or three people who, IC, may possibly never wish to speak of it again.

My character, or your character, it doesn't matter which, is rocked to their core by how the resulting drama plays out. Inspired, you or I rush over to the forums to put this into words - the scene was pretty awesome, and if someone wants to read it after you write it, that feels pretty awesome too.

So here's where things can go a number of different ways.

1: We can tell each other before-hand we'd prefer it if our identity was withheld in any narratives written later. Be nice reasonably covers this.

2: We can not care that our identities are compromised on the forums, because server to forums is fine, but knowledge from forums to server is already against the rules. Stifling writing creativity because bad eggs break the rules is not a path I'd like to encourage- punish the rule-breakers.

3: We can see each other's post after the fact, and nicely ask the other to compromise somehow due to concerns about the knowledge spreading, or disliking a way something is represented - maybe put a spoiler of sorts around the name in the story, with a timer of some kind on it agreed upon between the two.

By the time you've reached this kind of point in a narrative conflict, some form of communication should be happening, and some sort of compromise must (should) be extended between the two people. The conflict you are both writing about automatically includes the agency of the other - you have entwined your stories. When you make a huge impact on another character with your own character, that character's player may well be struck with the reasonable urge to write about their character's perspective, and your character is automatically a part of that as the fulcrum that created the narrative.

I understand and agree that some people don't care about the rules, and will break them - but my argument has always been not to make policy based on those people - remove them. I have zero cares about my own character's personal deep dark secrets and fears being known OOC, because to me it's a positive thing that other players care enough to know, whatever their motivation.

At the end of the day, my character is just a vessel for writing a story - both on-server and off-server. I enjoy the off-server writing as much as the on-server writing, and over a decade and a half of NWN playing, every single RP server I've ever played on has allowed IC posting, and this is the only one I've been on that has ever suggested not allowing someone to write about their own characters. I'd say I'm speechless at the thought, but that obviously isn't true. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ :lol:
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xanrael
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by xanrael » Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:52 am

Why not just send a rough draft to the other person/people involved and have them give their okay? Yeah, it takes up time, but you're not rushing to meet a deadline with the IC Stories. Or send them a tell "Hey I thought [scene] was really cool and was planning to write about it in IC Stories, that cool with you?" Just seems like common courtesy to me.

I suspect most would be thrilled, a few might want some changes, and a smaller number might want to wait some span of time before posting it so the plot related to it has passed. I'm sure there are some edge cases where asking permission isn't feasible but for current events that should be rare.

In general though why risk ticking off the other key players in the scene who should be the most interested in reading it?

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Zavandar
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Zavandar » Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:43 am

i think getting the okay from mentioned parties is alright
Intelligence is too important

Nobs
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Nobs » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:37 am

What happend to FOI?

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Dreams
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Dreams » Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:13 pm

Well here's a make believe example that definitely didn't happen and no players are named. Let's say someone posts a journal in IC Stories and the entry is:

"Wow, today I found out that Bob the Builder is ACTUALLY A BANITE. But he's pretending to be a double-agent for the Harpers! Wow-wee, I sure am going to keep this to myself and not tell anyone!"

People read this. Most people aren't going to go and report it, but they'll forever suspect said character of being a Banite or a Harper at some level, whether you're good at distancing IC from OOC or (the more likely case) you're not.

The problem is that even if this sort of post is later taken down, it's already out there. People know. And this information travels quickly through Discord channels and groups. Maybe people won't act on it, maybe some people will act on it.

When people do act on this sort of information, it is incredibly hard to follow up on. DMs don't really have an avenue to set things right. Sometimes a DM might be able to track down the offending party and give them a slap and say 'Don't do this again, this is obviously bad.' That doesn't fix whatever damage has been done in game to whatever character has be outed. The fallout from these sort of exposures can be massive. Even when they're unseen small secrets that are traveling around Discord, they are still doing damage to the playing environment.

Xanrael's idea is great. It preempts this sort of issue from ever popping up. It still doesn't help against the people who do this in a spiteful manner.

When I made this topic, I was looking to provide Feedback on something that I think is potentially very harmful to some players. I don't really know what an appropriate solution is.

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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Eira » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:07 pm

To give a bit of personal view on this (hi, I'm that gremlin who posts constantly in IC stories), I actively follow a set of rules when writing and posting to ensure that I'm not going too far overboard by sharing parts of stories that are not my own to share.

For that person who goes "gee, I want to post in IC stories, but I'm worried that people will be upset because I share too much"

- Vague it, vague it, vague it. When I mention others by name, it is either because a) whatever scene I reference happened in a public place and does not involve secrets (and even then, I still tend towards going by brief descriptions), or b) the person is someone I play with a lot and their association with my character is well-known (again, no secrets)

- Otherwise, I only reference scenes or conversations with the barest of details, mostly as a nod to the player(s) who inspired the writing from me.

- Don't directly transcribe from-rp-to-writing. I rarely include dialogue from other characters in my writings, and when I do, I try to state that it's paraphrased, or clear that they are from the character's own perceptions of the conversation.

- Give each writing a purpose. If you go to a secret meeting and end up writing and posting the names of everyone there and what went down, then what the hell's the point of the exhilaration of a secret meeting? And that leads to...

- Focus on your character's thoughts and feelings rather than the specific timestamped events. Again, going vague is great and the people who were there will be able to make the right connection while still being sufficiently mysterious or whatever.

- If you do reveal secrets, make sure they are only your own. My very first IC story post was basically whaddup this character is a warlock. If it is yours and yours alone, and you don't really care if someone metas, then yah! Go for it! Writing is rad and some stories want to be told.

These can probably all be summarized into one succinct rule, but hey; I'm a writer not a word-cruncher.

I wouldn't have half as much fun with these characters and their stories as I do, if I wouldn't be able to write and post stories. I mean, sure, posting them isn't everything, but I enjoy seeing others who want to learn about my characters and read what I create, just as I love reading what others post.

So, yeah. Probably vaguely offtopic, but I've been trying to figure out how to phrase what I want to say on it.

I exist to describe the world around us.

Akorae

Keth'ym Evanara - wandering better paths
Veriel Xyrdan - married and happy
Reena Welkins - Dead

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Ork
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Ork » Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:39 pm

Remove the forum. If you want to contribute your ideas in writing, publish a book in game labeled "x's journal". We have the means to do this now.

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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Aelryn Bloodmoon » Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:36 pm

Ork wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:39 pm
Remove the forum. If you want to contribute your ideas in writing, publish a book in game labeled "x's journal". We have the means to do this now.
I want to be able to share my stories with other people- anyone who is interested- not just the small handful that may find an IC excuse to know in a book in a loot table two years from now.

I would prefer to remove myself from a shared narrative where we can't trust each other to write creatively without being jerks. Or remove the jerks. Your preference of choice may vary.
Dreams wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:13 pm
Well here's a make believe example that definitely didn't happen and no players are named. Let's say someone posts a journal in IC Stories and the entry is:

"Wow, today I found out that Bob the Builder is ACTUALLY A BANITE. But he's pretending to be a double-agent for the Harpers! Wow-wee, I sure am going to keep this to myself and not tell anyone!"
In this example, your prospective writer DOES name someone, with character shattering information. That's Not Nice, and is ostensibly a violation of the rules.

Here's an example that did happen. I wrote a post about my own harper. I didn't name anyone else. I didn't describe anyone else. There was zero chance for anyone else to be identified except by the players of the people I was writing about and those who already knew IC.

According to Ork's stance, because Dirk the dillweed doesn't know the difference and isn't nice, I should take down my post and be content with an IC book, even though my thread has over a thousand views (which makes me feel particularly fantastic) and I have never, ever felt offended or unfairly treated in the game as a result of those thousands of views (which I'd like to think brought other people enjoyment out of my experience, else why did they look at it so many times?)

I don't believe a server that refuses to allow creative writing amongst its players because they can't be fair to each other should be classified as anything other than a PvP server, because at that point competition is overriding creativity.

I can't speak for others, but the day I stop being allowed to write about my characters and share with other people, is the day I find a new server. I have no desire to play in an atmosphere that won't let me write about things that happened. Given there are almost 500 unique threads in said forum, I would hazard a guess that I am not the only one.
Eira wrote:I wouldn't have half as much fun with these characters and their stories as I do, if I wouldn't be able to write and post stories. I mean, sure, posting them isn't everything, but I enjoy seeing others who want to learn about my characters and read what I create, just as I love reading what others post.
Marry me? :lol: J/k, but you've managed to summarize nicely what takes me walls of words to convey, so thank you for that.
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DM Axis
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by DM Axis » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:33 pm

Basically speaking, the forum is a means of writing out things in a variety of fashions. Whether that be songs, journals, books, and these can include artwork as some have opted to do.

Where this gets sticky is when consent is not given for character use, particularly when that reference is meant to point to something that is either active or recent in character that can be used as a method of metagaming. The reason why information would not be appropriate for that forum is for this express reason.

Typically, in all instances where it is possible to do things in game players are actively encouraged to do so. If someone has a story that cannot be shared in game for whatever reason, so long as it does not expose other characters in this out of game medium they can certainly continue their writing which I very much enjoy. The DM Team will only intervene in instances where posts cause such issues.
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Seven Sons of Sin
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Seven Sons of Sin » Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:56 am

DM Axis wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:33 pm
Basically speaking, the forum is a means of writing out things in a variety of fashions. Whether that be songs, journals, books, and these can include artwork as some have opted to do.

Where this gets sticky is when consent is not given for character use, particularly when that reference is meant to point to something that is either active or recent in character that can be used as a method of metagaming. The reason why information would not be appropriate for that forum is for this express reason.

Typically, in all instances where it is possible to do things in game players are actively encouraged to do so. If someone has a story that cannot be shared in game for whatever reason, so long as it does not expose other characters in this out of game medium they can certainly continue their writing which I very much enjoy. The DM Team will only intervene in instances where posts cause such issues.
The problem, DM Axis, is that who has the onus to moderate the IC Forum to ensure information and characters aren't being mishandled?

The DMs? The Moderators? Other players?

It should be a reverse-onus (every writer has to contact every player of every character they want to mention). But how do you monitor that?

Again, you're reiterating the point that I have to stay apprised of the IG Forum to make sure no other player is mentioning my characters. Unless, you're stating something else? Can you see how this is problematic?

Aerlyn has a free pass to write about my char named John Smith if John Smith met his Jane Doe. And it's only if I come out and say "hey, please don't" that he has to take it done. I think that's fundamentally unfair.
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Ork
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Ork » Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:32 am

Aelryn Bloodmoon wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:36 pm
I should take down my post and be content with an IC book
There are other avenues for writing and making you feel warm and fuzzy. I don't feel Arelith is that place. Let your writing impact the IG world. Close the IC forum.

Alternatively, port the IC forum posts into IG format to be found in loot or libraries. If you'd write it in the forums, it should be available IG.

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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Drowble Oh Seven » Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:03 am

I mean; I don't think there's any particular disagreement here that using the stories forum to metagame PCs isn't particularly sportsmanlike behaviour.

But is it really so widespread as to necessitate the sort of control proposed here? I'm not asking for specific cases; but this is the very first time I've heard it proposed as something so common as to necessitate control.

Every RP community I've ever been a part of has quite happily had an IC stories forum of some sort, for those of us who enjoy the more longform, book-style stories that can't be told in the context of IG interactions. It's a big draw of being a part of a shared creative community for me, and getting to see all these wonderful things that are going on in parts of the world my PCs don't interact with is wonderful. Knowledge of other PCs isn't exclusively bad, and there has to be a presumption of trust on the part of our fellow players or why bother playing in a shared world at all?

I admit, I've PM'd authors of stories that caught my attention and gone 'Hey, that's a super cool bit of narrative, my PCs been investigating/has interests in that direction, maybe we could cook up some way they can meet and tell some more stories together?' Usually people say yes, and we go tell some stories.

Losing that for the sake of a few bad apples strikes me as a colossal loss; akin to removing the ability of PCs to carry weapons because some people grief with them.

Degenerating it into a 'write elsewhere for your warm fuzzies' in a community where we all write stories together, strictly for fun, seems a little off.

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DM Axis
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by DM Axis » Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:29 am

Seven Sons of Sin wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:56 am
The problem, DM Axis, is that who has the onus to moderate the IC Forum to ensure information and characters aren't being mishandled?

The DMs? The Moderators? Other players?
The DM Team does their best to oversee the forums as well as in game affairs, we do have moderators, and absolutely players who if they feel there is a genuine issue should report the specific posts when/if they do occur. There is a report button on this forum, and it does allow for clarification about why this post is being reported.

As a fair rule of thumb: if it's not your character, if you don't have permission - don't write about them in the IC Stories section.
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by CosmicOrderV » Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:57 am

I hesitate to draw this comparison, but I find myself being drawn back to the half-elf discussion.

I've been in a lot of other RP communities. WoW. Conan. Archeage. SWTOR. LoTR Online. Brief but honorable mentions to Mabinogi and some persistent universe, mass-player, pen&paper, Pathfinder stuff. This is all aside from a handful of pen&paper campaigns with those I befriended, while playing those games.

People really like to be able to showcase themselves. To connect with others. To show off their accolades. Garner attention. It's a human thing, and in some method or manner, we all like that someone might take interest in us or our efforts. There does seems to be this tipping point, though, where it's taken to an unhealthy level and becomes self-destructive. It's not overt or off the rails, it seems harmless. How can enabling people to have fun, be wrong, right?

When you start sacrificing elements of the setting and its immersion, for small areas of perceived happiness, what is gained for what is lost isn't equal. I won't claim to know the complete dynamic, but just looking at various other role-play communities in other MMO's, the trend that it leads to a downward spiral of player bickering, with no valid means of resolution, because the world has lost all consequence in favor of "letting players opt-in". It's the sort of thing that kills the community. I would say the root cause is that focus has shifted away from having fun while pretending to be someone else, to enjoying ourselves on a more immediate level. The separation between what you want, and what the character would want, becomes too closely entwined, and you start to breed an atmosphere of self-gratification, that comes at the cost of setting integrity, immersive consequence, and ultimately maturity. It enables the sort of immaturity that has folks venting their in-game frustrations with how a particular player behaved, on the forums. The type of immaturity that has people slandering other players in discords. It starts off small and innocuous. We were all that first character, who was basically just an extension of our self. Left unchecked, though, it can grow into a very unhealthy atmosphere where no interactions hold any meaning.

It looks like people wanting to draw attention to them self. They play 'unique' races. Their characters are born with lengthy backstories. They are evil pretending to be good, or good pretending to be evil. These things can be done right, and absolutely enhance a story, but many times, these concepts become vehicles to draw interest to them self, like I described above.

I won't say the IC stories section has veered into this territory, but it's definitely the sort of thing I'd be wary of, and hope DM's closely monitor. In each MMO RP'ing community I've been a part of, if they have a 'IC Stories / Backgrounds' section, it's an instant pulse on the community's health. If there is too much there, the community isn't worth much. Same with half-breeds. Once you start seeing too many of them around, you know the quality of the community has seriously degraded.
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I, too, struggle to know what is written in books without first reading them.

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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Marsi » Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:13 am

Drowble Oh Seven wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:03 am

Every RP community I've ever been a part of has quite happily had an IC stories forum of some sort, for those of us who enjoy the more longform, book-style stories that can't be told in the context of IG interactions. It's a big draw of being a part of a shared creative community for me, and getting to see all these wonderful things that are going on in parts of the world my PCs don't interact with is wonderful. Knowledge of other PCs isn't exclusively bad, and there has to be a presumption of trust on the part of our fellow players or why bother playing in a shared world at all?

I admit, I've PM'd authors of stories that caught my attention and gone 'Hey, that's a super cool bit of narrative, my PCs been investigating/has interests in that direction, maybe we could cook up some way they can meet and tell some more stories together?' Usually people say yes, and we go tell some stories.

Losing that for the sake of a few bad apples strikes me as a colossal loss; akin to removing the ability of PCs to carry weapons because some people grief with them.

Degenerating it into a 'write elsewhere for your warm fuzzies' in a community where we all write stories together, strictly for fun, seems a little off.
The thing is, its more like a few good apples. The "journal" style IC story necessarily involves utilizing other active characters as props and sharing what your character has learned about them. I am skeptical any more than a handful are reaching out and asking permission from those they depict.

I dont agree with Ork about axeing the story forum entirely, but qualifying forum storytelling over IG storytelling is something I feel pretty strongly against too.

Ftr, I do enjoy the IC story section as a place to share longform, extraneous stories about your character. Talk about their life on the mainland, or events long past. If you want a safe space to call your political opponent a poopy pants or cluelessly blab about them being a secret Sharran, its shouldnt be here.

Why should the great bell of Beaulieu toll when the shadows were neither short nor long?


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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Aelryn Bloodmoon » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:50 am

Seven Sons of Sin wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:56 am
DM Axis wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:33 pm
Basically speaking, the forum is a means of writing out things in a variety of fashions. Whether that be songs, journals, books, and these can include artwork as some have opted to do.

Where this gets sticky is when consent is not given for character use, particularly when that reference is meant to point to something that is either active or recent in character that can be used as a method of metagaming. The reason why information would not be appropriate for that forum is for this express reason.

Typically, in all instances where it is possible to do things in game players are actively encouraged to do so. If someone has a story that cannot be shared in game for whatever reason, so long as it does not expose other characters in this out of game medium they can certainly continue their writing which I very much enjoy. The DM Team will only intervene in instances where posts cause such issues.
The problem, DM Axis, is that who has the onus to moderate the IC Forum to ensure information and characters aren't being mishandled?

The DMs? The Moderators? Other players?

It should be a reverse-onus (every writer has to contact every player of every character they want to mention). But how do you monitor that?

Again, you're reiterating the point that I have to stay apprised of the IG Forum to make sure no other player is mentioning my characters. Unless, you're stating something else? Can you see how this is problematic?

Aerlyn has a free pass to write about my char named John Smith if John Smith met his Jane Doe. And it's only if I come out and say "hey, please don't" that he has to take it done. I think that's fundamentally unfair.
I respect this concern in the vein of not wanting your character concept used disrespectfully, or perhaps even at all without your permission, especially should it be something you might be contemplating attempting to use in some sort of propriety work, but even without it.

At the same time, I feel the 'shared table' of an RP world is a place where unless you have a reasonable belief that writing about this interaction will somehow harm the other's plans - even though it's a much larger table- you should embrace your creativity and write. You generally presume you and your neighbors are giving consent to mention each other when writing about their interactions, so long as you do your best to objectively portray it as it happened in a narrative context, and clearly delineate any falsehoods or IC misconceptions that occur in said narrative.

Basically, being a good sport without hamstringing either side from writing about the things that happened to their character because a key figure in it isn't actually one of their own characters.
DM Axis wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:29 am

As a fair rule of thumb: if it's not your character, if you don't have permission - don't write about them in the IC Stories section.
To be honest, I don't really have a problem with the idea that I should ask before using the names of other characters in my posts, although I am definitely guilty of presuming permission in the past. If anyone has ever had a problem with it, they've never approached me directly, nor have I been approached by staff - and when I write about others I tend to throw them a link or a preview. I have not yet, in five-plus years of playing here, and 15+ overall, been asked to redact narrative information, but I'd happily comply.
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The GrumpyCat
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by The GrumpyCat » Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:28 am

In over a year we've had three complaints about stories in the IC forum section.

Three.

I'm really not sure this is worth the amount of panic that seems to be building up around this topic.

I personally love it when I see my character mentioned in other peoples journals. So long as it's kept relitivly vauge and no terribly delicate information is given out. I don't imagin I'm the only one, so I'm a little cautious about putting in a blanket rule against it.

The firstr way to fix this is simply to report it. If someone is giving out ig, senstive ig information via the ic stories, let us know. If it happens enough, then we can look at putting in blanket ruling.
This too shall pass.

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Hinapples
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Hinapples » Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:41 am

DM GrumpyCat wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:28 am
In over a year we've had three complaints about stories in the IC forum section.

Three.

I'm really not sure this is worth the amount of panic that seems to be building up around this topic.
This was kind of the point I was trying to make earlier in the thread. People freak out anytime their character is mentioned in discord or on the forums and act like everyone is out to get them. Chances are though if someone's character's reputation gets ruined it was done IC with things like message boards and town criers. Any OOC talk is usually just an extension of what already is being talked about IC. For just a few thousand gold someone can have town criers in every settlement say anything about your character, whether it is true or just a rumor. Even if it is just a rumor so long as their character has a justifiable cause to believe that rumor it is fair game. People also don't seem to keep secrets as well as they think. If your lawful/good paladin is hanging out with pirates or necromancers other characters are going to notice. Scrying also happens to be a thing. Arelith is a lot like a small town where everyone knows each other. If you want to keep secrets you should do so at your own risk and accept the fact that EVENTUALLY the cat is going to be let out of the bag.

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Petrifictus
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Re: IC Stories Forum Feedback

Post by Petrifictus » Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:51 pm

While I like to write and read IC-stories, my only worry is when someone has a negative post that can affect players characters OOC, like "That character cannot nor should be trusted, he's bad apple, blaah, blaah, etc. I dont like him and neither should you."

I had encounters with characters that did not want anything to do with me IC, because there was IC-story in the forums that had shown my gnome in the bad light, so he was shrugged and ignored for OOC reasons because the "IC-story" told so, even if they met for the first time.

When writing something about other characters, keep it in good taste like how you would like others to do for yours.

Is it too late if report the IC-story now, even if it was posted last year?
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