Role Play:
The act of authoring or assuming the attitudes, actions, and discourse of a character, in a manner that is In Character (IC).
Side note: Role Play is not the IC activity produced by Role Play, but the act or state of being IC. It is important to note that this may mean activity among characters may not happen at all, because such activity may be inconsistent with what is IC. As such, RP is not something you “get,” but rather something you do.
Player:
Also referred to as controller, author, actor. In this document we will strictly use the term Player. The Player is the real-life person behind the computer who is role-playing and authoring the character.
Character:
A Character is the fictional person which is being represented within the setting and storyline as acted out by the player. A character is defined by their personality, setting, history, memory, and emotions. Dictionary.com defines a character as “the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.”
- A Player Character (PC) is a character which is authored by a Player which has a major, central focus to that Player's Role Play.
- A Main is a type of PC. Players can have more than one main. A main is the most central Character that a Player will Role Play; their primary focused-upon character. It is possible to split reasonably equally, and have more than one main.
- An Alt (Alternate) is a type of PC. While still central to the Player's RP, it is usually less central than a Main but is still focused on enough to be maintained.
- A Non-Player Character (NPC) is a character which is authored by the Admins, or a minor character or implied character authored by a Player in support of a player plot, backstory, or situation surrounding a PC and is authored by a Player. Some may be fully controlled, while others may be run by scripting. Some NPCs will be more interactive than others. Some NPCs may be authored by multiple Admins, Players, or a combination of both.
Avatar:
The visual representation of the character on the computer screen.
Important note: An avatar is not a visual representation of you, but of your character.
In Character (or IC):
- The state of acting out a character in a manner consistent with the character’s personality, setting, history, memory, and emotions. (Legitimate Role Play)
- Something that is regarding the character or their world rather than the player or the real world
Out Of Character (or OOC):
- The state of acting out a character in a manner motivated by the player’s desires, whether or not consistent with the character’s personality, setting, history, memory, and emotions. (Illegitimate Role Play)
- Something that is regarding the player or real life rather than the character or their world
Taking Something OOC:
Making an OOC issue out of something that is IC
Does not include OOC elaboration on something IC, or casual non-metagaming conversation between Players
Find Out In Game/Character (or FOIG/FOIC):
This is a concept in which Player does not divulge IC information in an OOC manner. This does include, but is not limited to, information about Player’s own Character, another player’s Character, the setting, active story arcs, and locations. Players should Find Out information In Character.
Metagaming:
This is described in far greater detail in other sections of this agreement, but the general concept of metagaming is using Out of Character knowledge or desires in an In Character manner. In almost all cases, it is considered cheating.
God-Modding:
This is short for "God Modification." It implies that a player has applied god-like powers to their character or to their Role Play. It is a form of competitive Role Play rather than cooperative. There are three basic types of God-Moding:
- Emoting an action or set of actions in such a way that does not allow another player to have a say in the outcome
- Nullifying another player's [non-god-modding] emote with a new emote that favors your character
- Role Playing for a character that is not yours
God-Modding is best described with examples:
A player emoting: *Punches the other character in the face, breaking their nose.*
This is God-Modding because the other player did not get a chance to emote a possible dodge, or any reaction.
Player A: *Attempts to grab hold of Player B's arm*
Player B: *Simply walks away.*
Player B has God-Modded by ignoring a valid emote.
Player A: *Takes a swing at Player B in an attempt to break his nose*
Player B: *Dodges, then as Player A falls over onto the ground from missing, punches Player A in the back*
Player B has God-Modded by Role Playing Player A's Character. Player B should have no say in whether Player A fell over from missing.
Powergaming
This is a concept where a Player is more concerned about making their Character powerful than they are about their Character's story. It is a form of metagaming.
Perma
Short for "permanent [death]," though it does not have to mean the character died. This is a term that means the character has been permanently removed from the storyline and is no longer Role Played.