Whispering

[Neelix]

Maybe they're all talking about you or plotting to kill you

Damn you're right!
But now I can't use that information IC because you told me on the forum, aargh! Now I have to watch how my characters will be slaughtered mercilessly by evil plotting aliens!

[Doug R.]

Ok, something odd happened today, and I want to get everyone's opinion on this.

Someone said something, and I had my character react in her body language, but they did it in a whisper to one character. It wasn't a conscious reaction, but since I had no intention of anyone else but the recipient seeing it, I didn't specify if it was voluntary or involuntary.

It was overheard, and someone decided to call my character on it, to which my character replied that they had no idea what the person was talking about. The player of that character proceeded to copy/paste my character's overheard emote and whisper it back to them.

My question is, how am I supposed to handle this? I took it as an ooc comment, because it was a strict copy/paste, and I had no idea how I should interpret it as an action on that character's part. I ooc'd back that an event copy/paste didn't work for me, and I'd prefer a real reply, to which the character dropped the matter. I feel as though my inability to handle this caused the other character to cease their role-play, and I'm curious as to what others would have done in my place.

[Mitch79]

Personally in that position if it were me, I would ooc them back that I do not rp to copy / pasted events like that. I feel you handled it right and I'd have done the same. Rp and react to it but don't toss my pasted events back at me, put some effort into your rp and I'll do the same. I think you handled it just fine and the other person needs to put in a bit more effort if they truly want to call you on the issue.

[Vega]

When anyone did something similar to me I think I acted as it was a RPed explanation, but just because the lazyness of not getting into ooc. I think you did right, too.

[Money]

I think you handled it just right. The chars can't see the chat logs (except in note form of course) so how would a char be able to process some spitting all these random numbers at them and then quoting them.

On a side note I hate chat logs being used as proof in game, the character doesn't see them so why do they keep popping up? Though I do acknowledge the fact that they are an easy way to relay really long eye witness accounts. Personally I wish people wrote more in depth histories and eye witness accounts then simply copy pasting chat logs.

[Vega]

On a side note I hate chat logs being used as proof in game, the character doesn't see them so why do they keep popping up? Though I do acknowledge the fact that they are an easy way to relay really long eye witness accounts. Personally I wish people wrote more in depth histories and eye witness accounts then simply copy pasting chat logs.

Amen.

[Doug R.]

Regarding copy/pasted event logs, I accept them as a practical matter, since I know first-hand that most people simply don't have time to do anything more involved. However, my character would never accept them as fact just because they were presented in that manner. But now we're way off topic.

[NancyLee]

[...]I ooc'd back that an event copy/paste didn't work for me, and I'd prefer a real reply, [...]

I had a really similar situation time ago and reacted just like you did... and was called snob for it I still think I would act in that way again, it's a pity the other player ceased the rp and it's unavoidable feel guilty, but at least in my case I get really uncomfortable with unnecessary oocing (not that it's good or bad, it's just that I'm like that). Maybe the player was just hurried and had no time to develop further, but only with adding a few words, even keeping part of the copy/paste, it might could have stayed all in rp.

P.S. Snob. (:

[SumBum]

If they c/p an emote then I don't see how your char could react to it unless your char asked them why they were mimicking the position you'd taken a minute ago. It's lazy/ooc and most of my chars will refuse to accept any c/p or mention of "logs" or "events" unless it's a situation where time is an issue. They are -easily-, EASILY (do I need to emphasize more?!) edited/manipulated so I hardly see why anyone would take them as proof unless comparing between multiple sources. I try to avoid doing the c/p thing myself unless it's a situation where either I oocly had no time or things within the game were happening too fast. Sorry for the slight rant but it's a pet peeve of mine. I'm willing to make exceptions but usually there is plenty of time for chars to give things in their own account.

Either way, I think you did the best you could, Doug. Certain chars of mine would deny or try to argue something that was overheard so yours was RPing well within their means. Just because someone overhears something, doesn't mean the "guilty" chars have to own up to it. The other player obviously wasn't RPing as well as they could if they could only follow up your char's denial with an event log. They could have played it out but copped out.

[Addicted]

While I agree with you all - now- I can remember being new. Firstly OCC and IC seem obvious and logical, but different players and characters play with different - styles- or levels of purity. So as a new player, I assumed that what I saw as common place (EG; OOC messages and Log of events style notes etc) was accepted as normal roleplay. What I slowly found out was that some players are purists, some were almost purists and more tolerant of others (me) fumbling about with what was acceptable or normal practice and some were lazy or just indifferent or new like me. I realsied that even intolerant purists used OOC type roleplays and comments IG at times, especially when refering to projects and slots for farming etc.

I still don't meet everyone's idea of 'how to stay IC' but I do try and 'follow the most acceptable path / rules / culture' that you can only learn by playing and that I now take for granted. It's an invisible code that we follow and a minefield for newbies. I now have my very own opinions and draw my own lines.

Like Doug, I wouldn't react IG to an OOC argument about what happened IG. Or I may reply OOC and say: (OOC: Yes that is what you saw in game), then continue to deny it in game.

I did that once a long time ago, when someone else attributed actions to my character (Godmoding?) - no one can emote for me but me and I also asked staff to email the player and explain. I also saw similar in the Guardian- Blackrock stand off, when things got touchy and players were very emotional and IG lies were flying fast and thick. OOC evidence started being given to show IG lies. It was handled quickly and effectively and stopped.

I guess my point is that the player may not know better, may be learning, or may just have an entirely diiferent view of the game. I hope if they read these logs, they learn and move on and don't feel too much of a mug, as I for one have been there too.

[kaloryfer]

I consider chat log dumps as valid, they are the closest thing to universal truth we have.

[Bmot]

I consider chat log dumps as valid, they are the closest thing to universal truth we have.

Yes, but no. First, your chat log is OOC... (IMHO)
Second, it's -really- easy to rewrite, change your chatlog, which makes it unreliable. No way to know if it's real, for a char, right?

But then again, you were the one who locked people in, and leave them there, without any real roleplay, so who am I talking to, anyway

[kaloryfer]

tell me more

locking people for no reason is as good as anything else - we can do anything we want in cantr

[Alladinsane]

They can be and are changed, at least once. I guess it is far enough back that the chars (most) are no longer with us.

There was what appeared to be a c/p chat log going around concerning events in Aragon, somebody was trying to portray some of the residents as murderers but they did not do their homework and left a glaring omission that made the note obviously altered... whether the other information was true or not, we never found out once it became apparent that the note, which was the only piece of evidence that I know of, was discredited. But it looked good like a straight c/p job and only by examining a little deeper did my char discover enough to have it all thrown out.

I personally don't care for the c/p logs going to notes, but also don't necessarily see it as lazy...somepeople have more time than others and with some, only a time stamp log like that is convincing.

But back to the hi-jacked subject... if whispering were cheating, it would never have been implemented. I would actually like to see a 'multi-person' whisper...sort of like a football 'huddle' or something. It might save time and probably has been suggested. I am too lazy... I mean there is only so much time in the day...to find out.

Be well

[Addicted]

I have seen many altered event logs and even altered a few myself.