Arelith

Over the last few months, there's been many conversations where -notells was brought up. I've always been curious about how many actually play with -notells on for the majority of the time.

So, I've started a little social experiment poll to see what playstyle is favored more =)

For this poll, I've made three options.

Yes , for people who don't allow any tells (with or without whitelisting).
No, for people who don't use the -notells command ever.
Partially, for people who allow all tells, but use the blacklisting option.

I don't use -notells at all but I'm notoriously chatty/chill/shitpost-y.

Thankfully I've never had to put anyone on ignore, and I hope I never have to. I like having OOC communication channels available in case I need to ask a question about what's happening in a scene to clarify it, or any other kind of organizational thing. Or if I need to suddenly afk.

I've used it a few times in the past and found it isolating, and especially problematic when organizing logistics, which typically benefits from OOC scheduling clarifications. It's also really good to know when your party members need a bathroom break.

The overwhelming majority of players here are pleasant and mature, but even so I've had to blacklist a lot of players who just didn't understand boundaries.

Yeah, I find -notells a horrible thing when I need to send a quick OOC explanation.

"Sorry, I seem to misunderstand your writing on the board because English is my second language" - Nope. Can't explain that without being awkward in public chat

"Need to have a toilet break/refill water bottle" - Nope. Stay here and endure

I have heard of people getting bullied in tells, and quite recently too, but then you just screw them and report them. No point of playing with assholes. Thankfully I never encountered that myself.

I have used the blacklist regularly on certain high conflict or high romance/CHA characters but rarely notells since my characters tend to do a lot of meetings/meetups or have to organize events. It is much easier on me to have the -factions and [tells] to sort things out in a hurry (since the forums are generally slow).


-S

I do not use the "notells" feature because it impedes communication. And in a roleplaying server communication should be free-flowing, whether or not there is conflict...


And... There are plenty of ways to ignore a tell, by simply closing that box or talking to an npc or opening other various things that will clog the chat area so you do not have to see tells from someone youd rather not talk to.

This is very interesting to see! Keep the answers coming =)

I like having the option of no-tells for events sometimes, at least when I find myself in a factional leadership position. I play with all chats on the left side of my screen and all system messages on the right, so when I'm trying to follow a DM narrative and I have to scroll up two pages to read their last post, I enjoy the ability to stop the flow for a minute or two.

Other than that, I don't use it. I want other players to feel free to ask me questions about what's happening in the scene or about arranging a mutually pragmatic time to RP together. I also want the ability to ask questions and clarify thing sometimes, because interacting with another player is in its own way like two players interacting with a DM each; you can only anticipate so much of what the other person will want to know, and the rest is up to them to ask sometimes!

I use notells when a random five people are clogging up my rp with in-game mechanics questions.

I don't use -notells unless somebody is being rude OOC, otherwise I'm going to give an answer identical to timeadept's

I don't use -notells unless someones been a real butt, otherwise i need it to help with coordinating, and Enchanting since no one really knows how to express enchanting properties IG correctly without it feeling... metay? weird? out of place? I know I got snapped at for reading one the books explaining enchanting aloud for a lecture.

In 13 years (with breaks), I think i can count the occasions where I used -notells on one hand.

Especially on Iocastos, I'm sometimes bombarded with tells from different people. If I don't have the time to respond properly... I usually just say it. Never had anyone being a butt about it.

I do get why some people use it though! If you're not deep in some faction with your char it's probably quite neat.

Dalek Caan wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 24, 2018 12:43 pm

In 13 years (with breaks), I think i can count the occasions where I used -notells on one hand.
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I do get why some people use it though! If you're not deep in some faction with your char it's probably quite neat.

More or less this.

Have to add, that I don't use tells a lot, not much more than: "Hello, how are you?", aso. Especially with good player friends I haven't seen for a while. And I try to avoid talking about IG things.

It is also nice to have tells on in case some new player wish to ask about something.

There were a time, long time ago, when I from time to time had unpleasant tells, where I blacklisted certain players. But the playerbase has improved significantly since then. And I really can't remember when I used it last time. But in that case, I would most certainly do it again.

Yes i have -Notells on. For various reasons. Greivers, The Current Salt that is on the server. Wich is a lot lately (sad face)
And to Focus more on the RP, Wich is stil the intention of this server!!!

(( Stil find it funny that people try to comunicate wile notells on and use OOC, IC, Moostly ignore it, (((happends more often then i realize))) But on ocasion you just can't anny more So sorry for people who have to endure that!))

Way's to let people know you are afking in an IC fasion i found usefull are *searches trough his bag with an absent mind* Or *stares into blank space* And manny more varients

McDuck wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:52 pm

(( Stil find it funny that people try to comunicate wile notells on and use OOC, IC, Moostly ignore it, (((happends more often then i realize))) But on ocasion you just can't anny more So sorry for people who have to endure that!))

That should be a huge no-no. The first rule on our server states no OOC (( )) talk in the in-game chat. Like you, I tend to just ignore it, but if it becomes too much, I might let them kindly know in a tell. If it continues despite your gentle reminder, the only right thing to do is to ask a DM to step in.

MissEvelyn wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:44 am

That should be a huge no-no. The first rule on our server states no OOC (( )) talk in the in-game chat. Like you, I tend to just ignore it, but if it becomes too much, I might let them kindly know in a tell. If it continues despite your gentle reminder, the only right thing to do is to ask a DM to step in.

If you meet a person with -notells and need to convey OOC information (like say, exact event time or that you just failed your English where the character shouldn't; I am not talking of huge no-no's like giving justification for actions and such), how do you do that? Saying "it's in X tendays" only gives a rough time, not to necessary minutiae in detail.

Honestly, sometimes there isn't a choice, say I need to leave urgently, they have -notell on, rather then just rudely vanish, I am gonna take 3 seconds to say (( Sorry, gotta go urgent)) before I log out, generally its nicer for the other person and makes them feel their RP is valuable and your not just vanishing on them.

MissEvelyn wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:44 am

McDuck wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:52 pm

(( Stil find it funny that people try to comunicate wile notells on and use OOC, IC, Moostly ignore it, (((happends more often then i realize))) But on ocasion you just can't anny more So sorry for people who have to endure that!))

That should be a huge no-no. The first rule on our server states no OOC (( )) talk in the in-game chat. Like you, I tend to just ignore it, but if it becomes too much, I might let them kindly know in a tell. If it continues despite your gentle reminder, the only right thing to do is to ask a DM to step in.

I don’t think dm’s are needed, as players we should be adult inough to handle it without setting to much preasure on dm’s we are after all the people who make the place our home! But yes when it realy gets to much. But still we have a new flock of players. And its moostly them what i understand that use those (( comunication method. I don’t mind it much. Its always friendly! Don’t get me wron on that

If someone's got -notells on and there's OOC information you want to express, it's their loss. They've opted for a more "immersed" experience and have probably long made their peace with missing events or people logging out on them. Don't use // in the IC chat. No-one's going to bring the hammer of god down on you for it, but it's a huge faux pas.

It's really not a dilemma you'll run into much these days anyway, is it? The last time I encountered a perma -notells player must have been in 2012.

Marsi wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 3:27 pm

It's really not a dilemma you'll run into much these days anyway, is it? The last time I encountered a perma -notells player must have been in 2012.

Lucky you. I've crashed at least into three with whom I was speaking 1on1 without interference (so only unless said person got pestered randomly (I did get a few times a random tell with simple mechanical questions in them)) over my few months I am here.

Meh, I don't get what the big deal is about using OOC in game if you need to say something OOC to more than one person. This includes things such as, "thanks for rp, it was fun, hope to see you again soon". It's so hardcoded in me it's an instinct for me to say thanks and goodbye at the end of almost every social interaction that I can't help not to do it. And I can't conceive how this common courtesy could offend or harm anyone. Any problems and misunderstandings between groups should also be handled directly with the players concerned OOC, imo.

Recognising the use of OOC intuitively as a breach of proper conduct requires a period of learning and adjusting and as a player I'm against enforcing it as a strict rule so far as new players are concerned. As a general rule it helps keep things IC and immersion intact, but being in good terms with players OOC is a huge part of a good overall experience and a safe social environment.

Events that comprise of a multitude of people is an exception to the above as there's generally more chat traffic that I don't want to clog up any further.

Opustus wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:27 pm

Meh, I don't get what the big deal is about using OOC in game if you need to say something OOC to more than one person. This includes things such as, "thanks for rp, it was fun, hope to see you again soon".

Arelith.com wrote:Role Play
We’re a roleplay server, this brings with it the requirement you stay ‘In Character’ at all times.

‘Out of Character’ PMs are allowed.

It is, quite literally, rule number one. There are only five rules, and this is the first one, suggesting that it is of paramount importance.

Sure, there's no reason to get bent out of shape about a slip up, or someone who doesn't know the rules yet, but it's a slippery slope from there. People play here for the immersion, and there's already enough OOC leaking in, these days.

It's a very big deal, because it sets Arelith apart. Sending multiple tells by clicking portraits is not difficult.

A rule being a rule by virtue of it being enforced as one does not answer any questions regarding the rule. To be clear here, while I personally dispute the seemingly unconditional nature of the rule, I'm not trying to affect the server policy by means of this conversation. That said, Pinata, I'm well aware of the rule, have read it, and comply with it almost always, so you quoting it doesn't really make a point to what I've said in my previous post.

What do you mean that it's a big deal because it sets Arelith apart?

Also, while sending multiple tells may not be a big deal to many people, it doesn't really address the question of why you couldn't talk in OOC to communicate such things (apart from the "staying IC always constitutes better RP and immersion", which is a good point but I don't hold it an absolute truth as I'm also concerned with things beyond it, such as having a safe social environment, as said before). One could argue that it's more practical or that it feels more natural to say it to everyone at the same time; one could argue that it's what they want to do and that it, in their view, is not a significant enough exception from the no-OOC rule to warrant its ban (which is my personal view).

I don't personally consider using OOC when it feels natural to communicate something important to a group a slippery slope; rather, it might give players the individual freedom to use their judgment in various situations, which might in turn cultivate other facets of the server (like better OOC relations, safer environment etc.). I don't think good and immersive RP unequivocally entails the exclusion of OOC from the many scenarios of RP. I don't think the players as individuals are given enough credit as constituents of RP and the surrounding social environment if it's considered too precarious to give them the freedom to self-control their own use of OOC.

Opustus wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:16 pm

What do you mean that it's a big deal because it sets Arelith apart?

Arelith has a strict requirement that everyone stay in character at all times. That sets this server and community apart from others which do not. It's one of the main reasons why I came here in the first place, and one of the reasons why I've stayed for as long as I have. I'm not alone in that, either.

If you want to blast OOC in allchat, there are tons of other places for you to do it, but Arelith is not one of them, and I will be very disappointed if it ever becomes one. Is it a big deal when the person sitting next to you at the movie theater starts having a conversation on their cell phone? You bought a ticket so you could see the movie, not so you could hear the intimate details of Linda's relationship woes.