Avoiding game breaking spoilers in public letters.
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I actually think it might be a bit much to ask of someone, for you to be able to post 'Me and Bob and jim are going to kill Benny tonight, haha!' On the public open forums, and then expect people not to read it, and information not to disseminate between players, and then for those players to 'not metagame' this information. I think it's a two way thing, try not to post it, and others can try not to read/act on it.
Also, it would be much more conducive to communication if the capital letters and borderline insults were left out of the posts in future.
Zool, my bad, mate, sorry. I apologise for all offended.
EDIT: Removed some borderline passive-aggressive stuff from here. Still odd headspace, dammit! :D Won't post for a while. Got nothing to do with CoA.
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And there is the PM option for messages that you really do not want to be read by outside parties
Yeah, that's all that's being asked really, to use the available options, so that reading something doesn't inadvertantly change your in game behaviour. Sure, you can -try- to act as you would, but not everyone can do that entirely, it can make things awkward.
Like I said, it's a two way street, but try and think when you post something if it might spoiler something for people.
For instance, we don't allow people to post big spoilers about on going plots on the public forums, even in IC discussion marked for a specific person, because, well because it can spoil the story for people if they read it.
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Yeah, ideally it would all be in game, in practice, that just doesn't quite work out as well as it should. The forums have their uses.
This could be mitigated by a functional IG messaging system.
You initiate a dialog with an inn keeper and choose to either "leave a message for X" or "read messages left for you".
Could be even done with real IG letters you can carry in your inventory for added rp possibilities. -
I personally prefer doing my business ingame unless a forum post or pm is absolutely necessary because of the chance of a real information leak happening if someone happens to overhear. I just think that involving other players with RP and giving people a chance to get discover or get into your plots by discussing them more ingame than on the forums is more fun than just writing up a forum post.
I think that if possible doing it in-game I ideal BECAUSE there is that chance of a spy overhearing. There SHOULD be.
And… think a IG-messaging system would be bad because it takes away chance of being overheard.
I do make use of both PMs and anon accounts on forums. but PMs (like one I sent yesterday) are for when TimeZones interfere with a simple talking. and anon accounts for public postings. I do think it's best to keep some stuff secret, including not putting it in diaries. -
Direfish, as darkness pointed out, an in game messaging system removes the chance of interception, which is the big bonus for it being done in game.
There is already a scribing system to make and carry in game letters and books though. The alchemists, is an alchemists, and scribe, says so on the sign outside, check it out.
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Direfish, as darkness pointed out, an in game messaging system removes the chance of interception, which is the big bonus for it being done in game.
:|
How do you mean?
IC Forums are what remove the chance of interception. IG messaging can actually bring that chance in if we put some thought in its implementation. -
There is no chance in hell i would spent IG time writing a bunch of letters instead of playing the game, that's what you do when you can't get in game and still need to contact someone.
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Well, I think an easy compromise to this, is to just put (SPOILERS) into the title of the post. As Draco has recently. Then it really, really is easy to avoid reading it. It's probably the best it will get to be honest. There is still the problem of the info desseminating down the grape vine, and if you post these things, then you really can't complain all that much if you get 'metagamed'
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Well, I think an easy compromise to this, is to just put (SPOILERS) into the title of the post. As Draco has recently. Then it really, really is easy to avoid reading it. It's probably the best it will get to be honest. There is still the problem of the info desseminating down the grape vine, and if you post these things, then you really can't complain all that much if you get 'metagamed'
Honestly - when in doubt treat other peoples mail as PVP - and get a DM.
"Hey Mister DM - these anonymous mysterious letters were posted up but they really remind me of so-and-so's style of writing given the content and the words used. Look at my character and could do you think I could draw this conclusion?"
Get the thumbs up from the DM. And feel vindicated in your actions.
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i generally don't post letters or even a diary i have just written a statement after being asked repeatedly for one in game.
This said i do read things on the forums but mostly it's fluff anyhow i really don't care about the latest lesbian love triangle or how much Joanie Loves Chachi,what i do look for is people trying to get things moving and adding fun,so if everything is hidden then those that would like to get involved but arn't struggle to find out.
In my book it's always better to get some positive meta-gaming and player involvement than to hide everything. -
Yes, certainly, but in some cases it has the potential to entirely spoil the story for you. It really is a case of common sense prevailing. If your trying to decieve someone in game, it might not be the best plan to post up that fact on the public forums (and if you do, then putting SPOILER in the title may help negate this somewhat)
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I've seen ppl talking about wanting know whats going on on the server and reading other ppl stories. I'm one of those ppl, because there are some players that are overall better roleplayer than me, but I'm currently avoiding reading posts exactly because I don't want to read spoilers. Also, you may notice that all of thid is opitional, if you really wqnt to post your spoiler, go ahead and do it, I think CB's post is more like a recommendation in order to make ppl involved in it have an easier time rping.
I agree.
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I know I usually only read letters that have wyrmguard, merrick, or letters dealing with the privates. That's about it. Though now for some stuff I'm going to avoid the IC discussion unless it's just the random, not really important letters.
I'm rather good I think about meta-gaming, grins If I used half of the stuff I knew, the world would be taken over by now. I prefer merrick having to learn it all IG.
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my personal experience about this… and .. it personal..... make me beleive it better to not write anything about your plans on the forum...exept if you want peoples * players and DMS * know about it... IC .. or OCC...
Evry '' cool..great'' stuff my characters did and get positif result was spontaneous .. Evry time my character try to organise something and expose is plans about it .. on the forum.. in a form or post etc... never work.
My personal perception of this .. base of my experience of play....
Exemple : When Erul' Kan and Razz* Corellon priest of the elven warband'' decide we get anuf about Soris plans agains us.. Razz said : let go get Soris in the mage tower... Erul' kan anser: ya good idea am tired of this aneways.... So ,togheter, we go front the tower and is result of a big fight agains many peoples .. Razz was catch by the guards and brought to the sherrif tower...
Then i '' Erul'' didnt wait couple of hours for react or post anything.. and i juste bring the warband in the sherrif tower to get Raz free.. We enter in the sherrif tower, fight guards and get our friend out and escape in the wild... I didnt let the DM or the guards players.. the time to prepare something or find a ways to stop me... and i think it the reason why we get Razz out of there... Becose we did something none expected...
- same thing when Erul kill the major Npc * leader of the sherrif tower*.. it was not a premiditate action.. it apen quick .. whitout warning ..or post..
Evrytime our elven warband post stuff about our plans on the forum never work...
Am probably parano.... but i do not trust the capacity of peoples to stay IC and not use OCC informations ..when it time to fight... loos or win.... etc.
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I treat IC letters like I treat diaries, it's just fun to read to see the life of characters from angles you may not see IG but it is all OOC and wont bother me.
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To clarify something. If you plan to assault a faction base (or anywhere with NPCS), you have to inform DM's beforehand, or the entire thing might get ret-conned, because it's actually quite hard to get so many NPCs to react properly, so you need some set up time, there are also faction bug issues which can cause serious bugs which need fixing with a reset.
You dont need to post on the forums though! just send a DM a message in game.
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Of course you need DMs for all of this… all i said was , do not expose your plan to early ... :twisted:
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I think it would be great if before people used the forums for something, they asked themselves if they could accomplish their purpose IG.
Sending a IG letter, paying a PC messenger, etc. IMO, that's a lot more fun because it encourages roleplay and interaction.
I see forums as a way to reach out to the entire community or people in other time zones, not for private conversations, but that's just my opinion, of course.
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Some of us are to lazy to use IG methods. While certainly cooler, some of us can't be arsed to log in, pay a messenger, type up a message, and log off.