((Eradicating Ooc Brackets))

[Ned Lud 1260]

Hear me out y'all.

I'm noticing more and more that we've gotten slack with our use of OOC brackets in-game, and this definitely includes myself. Many of us are using them more than once or twice for emergencies, sometimes creating a wall of OOC spam. Oftentimes it's for things that don't even require brackets that could easily be reworded and asked in-character.

I'm asking that we all make an effort to stop this and encourage the newer players to stop this as well. I'm not trying to turn us into one of those anal-retentive communities, but I feel that this would make things better for us in the long run. It's really a bad habit to get into and I've noticed that many of us are doing it and now the new players are doing it.

If you've got something to say OOC, try to reword it as something you would say in-character. Hell, you can even emote that you're thinking it in-character and we'll just take the hint. If you've got to log off, say that you're going to sleep or going on a long hunt. If you've got to go afk for a minute, emote that you space out, deep in thought, thinking of porkchops. Another alternative is simply /msging the player. This keeps it from distracting the public eye and allows for more specific questions, help or coordination. There are many ways that we can minimize our use of OOC brackets. We just need to do it and starting policing it amongst ourselves. If you see me doing it, stop me and I'll be trying to do likewise.

Another idea I had was that we could treat OOC brackets as strange voices being spoken by the person in a foreign tongue. Too much of it, and we would start to freak out on them, like a bad omen. Shaman would have to exorcise a demon or something, or we'd otherwise shun them and run them off until they got better and the voices stopped.

Let me know your thoughts on all of this. I'm not going to make this a server-wide effort, because we've got our hands full and I really just want us to focus on policing our own in this, and I would hope other races might do the same within their communities.

[Eltyer 2]

I think Ned is pointing out things like ((Let's get some cattle)) even though this could be stated ICly.

Because if i wanted to know how you are OOCly, i wouldn't ask ICly.

I do not agree with the demon thing, though it's a cool idea.

But it makes communication for important things OOCly not possible.

[Ned Lud 1260]

I've just noticed myself doing it a lot lately, usually in response to newer players asking for help or things like that. I don't think we should bust on everyone that slips in a (( )) every now and then, I just don't want it leading to walls of OOC chit chat, which it usually does, because then it becomes a distraction that invites meta-gaming and it's an eyesore to other players in the area. If we fix this problem at home, amongst ourselves, we won't be out there making ourselves look bad to other nations. Overall it's just a good habit to get out of and it's more fun interacting with players on these things in-character.

And you can still communicate for important OOC things, just use /msg rather than broadcasting it to random players all around you. Or if you do need to, just do one or two sentences in brackets and leave it at that to announce something that can't otherwise be said. I'm just trying to cut down on the walls.

Server-wide it's been annoying quite a few players, and I think we can nip it in the bud for the orcs no problem, just by becoming more conscious of it.

[Neri 3590]

I agree totally. Whenever there is a war or battle, I always expect a wall of OOC text afterwards, which usually detracts hugely from the RP that is occurring.

People don't seem to realize this destroys RP. If you want a OOC discussion, do it on Teamspeak, Skype, In whispers, or any number of other places.

[Danny 2232]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.