-Separating Players & Characters-

This topic is as important as any other because in Freeform RPG, an all-too common problem is the mixing of the two. Unlike non-freeform RPG’s, the freedom of the freeform role-player unfortunately can hinder a player’s ability to effectively and fairly play the game. It can create an uneasy and even stressful environment for the player and all others involved. It is the unfortunate drawback that comes along with such freedom, but understanding the warning signs and being aware of the consequences beforehand, can better prepare a player for instances that could arise later.

When taking on the role of a character, a player must always remember that the mind of the character and the mind of the player are completely different from one another. The only link the two have is that the player must of course control the actions of his character. It is so easy for a player to unconsciously become the character that he is playing. Some might say, “Oh now that’s ridiculous”, but in-truth, it occurs more than it does not. Below is a list of just how:

1-To know and see all—it is a reoccurring problem in which players do all too often, but never realize it. Whereas the player can see another character’s background history, weaknesses and strengths, the character’s name on the screen, a piece of paper (stat sheet), etc. that players character should never be mindful to such things the way that the player is. It is as if you go into the game knowing everything there is to know about other characters and you allow your character to automatically know these things even if it has never met said characters before. For example, you play a character named Adrian. Adrian takes shelter in a nearby cave to escape from the desert heat. While sleeping, Adrian is woken by the sound of feet shuffling in the dirt and rock, and to his surprise, there is a mysterious figure shrouded in a dark cloak standing near the entrance to the cave. Now, you as the player may know who the mystifying character is, you may already know the character’s name, if he is a threat to your character, etc., but in role-play, Adrian has never met this person before. Out-of-character you already know that Adrian is in danger because that mystery man is a ruthless vampire, so the first thing you do is prepare Adrian to battle with this vampire, allowing him the knowledge of how the vampire can be killed etc. Now if Adrian has never met him before, then how is it that he suddenly knows he is a vampire, knows that he’s in danger and knows exactly what defensive tactics he needs to prepare for? He should not know.

Another example like the first—you as the player may have heard from other players how they were planning a well-orchestrated storyline that involved the kidnapping of a certain characters child. You take that out-of-character knowledge and incorporate it directly into your character’s mind and later he intervenes and stops the kidnapping from taking place. The only problem with this is that your character was never given such knowledge in role-play, so such events should never have occurred. Keep out-of-character knowledge OUT of your character’s knowledge.

2-Vengeful and hurt—it happens at times, but just because another player ticked you off about something out-of-character, doesn’t give you the right to take it out on characters in the game. It is likely the biggest threat of mixing characters and players and is also one where players are very mindful to what they are doing. Face it, people who role-play together often become friends or acquaintances in real life—very common—but the moment people have an out-of-character indifference, or if someone does something to hurt your feelings or make you angry, perfectly good storylines begin to fall apart because that anger is passed into the character and things take place that never should have. Players begin to plot the assassination of the character that is played by the person who made you mad—perfect example of unfair character death. Never, under any circumstance, should player feelings and emotions be acted upon by the characters they play. This, of course, also applies to getting upset over what one character may have done to yours. Perhaps you should read the page titled 'Hardcore Society' to better understand.

3-Greeting & Acknowledgments - You are in a chat room. In enters a character with the name "Donovan_Volar". With your character, you type in: "Greetings Donovan". Now, Donovan is a character that you (or your character—either or both) have never met. Therefore, the correct way to have greeted him would not have been to use the character’s name. You cannot use your real-life knowledge of seeing a character’s name entering a chat room (or even on a message board), to your characters advantage. You are playing a character in that room, not yourself.

4-Real-Life Knowledge of Character Profiles
Character profiles are not there to give other characters knowledge of the character. Profiles are only there to ‘lay claim’ to our characters and to provide others OOC, the knowledge of what we have all established for our characters. Profiles are also there to have out-of-character proof when a situation needs to be cleared up that happened in role-play.

Here is an example.....
Donovan_Volar has established for his character the history of being an illegitimate son of a Roman Caesar. He created for his character a direct bloodline to this Roman Caesar, and was later embraced and made vampire. Now one day someone comes online playing the actual Roman Caesar that Donovan_Volar is son to. Now, no matter what the circumstances, the person playing the Donovan character has every right to play out that his character is son to that other character. His proof is in his profile.

A more likely example....
Donovan_Volar has a power he obtained from a curse that causes anyone who touches him to become deathly ill. Now if while in a chat room, someone walks up and lays their hand on his shoulder and Donovan proceeds to role-play out telling that person they are going to become deathly ill for touching him, and they refuse to comply with that storyline, they can be called a moder.

Another way that people misuse character profile knowledge is reading about a characters history, abilities and other such things, then proceeding to role-play with their character that they know all of this information on him or her. The only time OOC profile knowledge should be used with a character is when it is visible knowledge. Visible knowledge is being able to see what that character looks like, what kind of scars or tattoos a character may have, if the character is male, female, a child or a little old lady, or many other things that your character can see if another character is standing near him/her. We look at profiles often to see if a certain character in a room is a male or female, because sometimes a name can look like both, and learning and using that OOC knowledge is perfectly acceptable, because then we can type using him or her, in place of their name if our character has not learned the name yet.

5-Character and Player Names - Never, ever call a player by his or her real name, or OOC screen name when they enter a chat room if that is not the name they entered as. This also applies to message boards.

6-Invalid Mind-Reading - Seeing a character action that they are thinking something means that your character cannot hear what they are thinking (unless they are mind-readers). Just because a character types out... Darien leans back in his chair. He wonders why the tavern is so quiet and he is quickly becoming bored...does not mean that your character can say....'If you're so bored why don't you leave?' You as the typist can see what that character is 'thinking', but your character does not know he is bored out of his mind unless he has openly said so, or perhaps his manner gives it away.

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