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OOC or not OOC?

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 4:55 am
by AmateurHistorian
As you can see in the following conversation, I got reprimanded for mentioning the Objects Menu. Does the Cantr staff consider this an OOC topic? I really don't see why -- menus and lists and messages are part of the Cantr world.

860-2: unknown Klojt 19 (a man in his twenties) says: "OOC when you talk like that you might want to say ooc first it might save your life"

860-2: You say: "Oh. Hmm, OK. Then I have another question. The objects list includes a potato harvester. What does that do?"

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:11 am
by Mavsfan911
Hmm... I think there is a lot of chars/players in the game who are too harsh or they think they know what is OOC and what isn't etc... They annoy me greatly.
I think the Klojt man was a bit harsh...*shrugs*

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:16 am
by Missy
I never thought that Characters could see the lists themselves, only the items on the lists.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 6:10 am
by AmateurHistorian
Missy wrote:I never thought that Characters could see the lists themselves, only the items on the lists.

What would be the difference? My characters can see inventory lists, location lists, exit lists, object lists, etc., and all the items on them.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 8:51 am
by Ashragon
AmateurHistorian wrote:My characters can see inventory lists, location lists, exit lists, object lists, etc., and all the items on them.


I would say that only you, the player, can see those lists.

Your character can look around and see the objects on the ground (in his inventory etc.)... but he cannot see any lists.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 9:26 am
by Spectrus_Wolfus
call them mental list's then you look around and make a mental list of what you see. your char may have a obsesive compolsion that he has to list everything and speak's in list's.with so many different people in the wprld not everyone is going to see everything exactly the same way. same goes for char's i can't see a problem with it and think the guy who complained is just a touch * retentive

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 9:52 am
by Thomas Pickert
Now, now. There's no need to imply anything about anyone.

I do agree with the unknown Klojt 19, that a comment about 'lists' is more an OOC comment than an IC one. I disagree that asking IC about lists will ever get a player in any kind of trouble.

This is more an academic topic, that might be good for creating greater awareness of OOC vs. IC.

Generally, characters should be thought of as normal human beings (in the sense of how they perceive their surroundings). That is sometimes easier and sometimes harder, due to technical limitations, naturally.

But as a rule of thumb, the game interface should not be confused with what the characters actually perceive.

  • Your characters don't have a list of events on which they read 'You see a man in his twenties drop some corn.', for example. They just see the man dropping some corn.
  • That is also the reason why altering the game interface with the help of HTML tags in note titles was strictly forbidden. That was always an OOC action threatening the OOC integrity of the game. 'Hacking', if you wish, but very amateurish.
  • Lastly, this is also one reason why I don't think that c/ping or accepting project-finished-lines as proof for ownership on certain items is in any way in the spirit of the game. Another reason is, that believing such a line would be proof for anything is actually stupid. ;)


So, indeed, there's only very little difference between talking about an inventory list and talking about things in your possession. But the comment of that character is absolutely correct, that one is an OOC subject, while the other fun fits ICly.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 11:47 am
by The Hunter
To me it seems like your comment about the harvester was poorly RP'd rather than an OOC comment. Had you simply asked what a potao harvester is and what it does, everything would've been fine. On the other hand, by making an OOC statement about you "OOC" question, he only made it worse. Now everyone willsee a clear OOC comment. He could have either RP'd the correction, or, if he thought he needed to be cleare because dealing with a noob, could atleast have whispered it.

Personally I too think of the lists and interface related buttons, etc. as OOCish. But it's not that disruptive as an actual loud and clear OOC comment about a minor mistake.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 12:10 pm
by Sparkle
Well I agree that it was wrather harsh to want to hurt someone because of it.

Secondly we're trying to make this game grow. If a new person comes along who doesn't understand something I think it should be wispered to that person and everyone should ignore there mistakes until they understands what is going on and what to do. Otherwise it can turn that person away from wanting to play Cantr.

I seen a new person hit someone before because he didn't know what he was doing and it was against the law but know one killed or hurt him because we all were new at some point in time and everyone had to learn the buttons and items so don't be shooting down simple mistakes that anyone could have made just starting out.

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:29 pm
by AmateurHistorian
sparkle wrote:I seen a new person hit someone before because he didn't know what he was doing and it was against the law but know one killed or hurt him because we all were new at some point in time and everyone had to learn the buttons and items so don't be shooting down simple mistakes that anyone could have made just starting out.

Yes, I know. One of my characters had to flee for his life from his birthplace for just that reason. ~sigh~ Anyway, thanks everyone. I think I understand the issue better now. Any chance that the upcoming FAQ will include some of this discussion?

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 3:07 pm
by Thomas Pickert
Notify Anthony Roberts via PM. ;)

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:08 pm
by AmateurHistorian
Done, thanks. :)

Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 8:42 pm
by Anthony Roberts
AmateurHistorian wrote:Done, thanks. :)


Notify Thomas Pickert via PM. ;)