WELCOME TO RAYVEN'S REIGN.

Alright, let me go ahead and say that I personally am against in character roleplaying in the chat box. It's just not something I'm personally for and that's fine since it's only my opinion and I can't really speak for everyone. With that said, I am totally more than willing to negotiate this whole thing with everyone; you guys know that I welcome criticism and take into heart what you guys want out of the site, so that should be a given. Now, this thread is purely for discussion and maybe a little bit of debate about what to do; I am doing this so everyone can give their opinion and thoughts--not for anyone to argue. If you can't tell the difference between debating and arguing, then please don't post anything that could be taken offensively.

Ketic and I have been talking about this for a while and now I've really decided to put my foot down and do it. We want the c-box to be strictly OOC (Out Of Character); it was originally meant to be as such anyways. That much is set in stone; the c-box on the main page will become strictly out of character. What this thread is going to be an open forum for is whether or not we'll have an in character c-box on a separate page for everyone's use.

I personally am very concerned about allowing it; to me, it seems that most of the drama that RR has had in this past year was directly related to in character roleplaying in the c-box. If you guys can show me that I won't have to worry about this, it'll help your chances on having an IC c-box. You guys would also have to self-regulate it a bit; you'd have to be polite and proper and keep IC drama strictly to IC and not let it cause fights between members. Also, any roleplays in the (possibly future) IC c-box will not be cannon. Only things actually threaded out will be considered to have actually happened. So, the IC c-box would be considered maybe just an alternate universe thing.

Now that I have the guidelines and my thoughts set down, please let me guys know what you think; everyone's opinions will be treated equally regardless of how long you've been here. I just need discussion before I make a decision so I know what you guys want.

I'm neutral about it. One the one hand it's a bit funny from time to time when someone does something clever; on the other I think it's detracted the threads and the site a bit.

You've also noticed the same thing as I have, so there's that to consider as well. I honestly can't say that over the past few months I wasn't expecting this issue to pop up sooner or later.

This post has been edited by FierceOcelot on Dec 2 2011, 05:07 PM

I'm neutral about the subject. I agree with what you say Bridget. If we do have a IC chatbox we should play nice. If we don't that is fine also.

erhm... well... I'm kind of split on this because I know that I love to chat rp... simply because it moves faster than threads...and it's great when you're trying to put your characters personality down in words... for Friday's profile thing... I was chat rping her the whole time I was writing it, and her profile turned out so amazing and detailed, and I was really proud of myself. So chat rping is'nt always bad, it certainly helps with writing... and chat rping was the first type of rping I ever did until someone introduced me to an actual forum site.

Yet at the same time like BriBri said, it has kind of provoked un-needed drama and I have to look at it like a staff member as well as what I personally like. And the truth is that the in characterness has kind of caused a bit of drama that just makes people annoyed and not really want to be in the c-box with them, you know? So, I'm kind of torn in two directions simply because I personally enjoy chat rping, but I know how the drama affects everyone, and how it affects me.

I just dont know...but...the IC c-box is a really good idea, as long as people can keep their drama out of it. Maybe you, we, whatever XD could do like... a trial run and see how it works out. Then decide whether or not to keep it at a later date once it's been tested.

Whatever you decide I'll stand by, I wont argue with any decisions made, even if I personally might not like it.

So these are just my views on it, whatever you think might be different, but I've shared mine.

This post has been edited by NarRaay on Dec 2 2011, 06:07 PM

It's a difficult subject I think.

To start off with, as it was before, it was sometimes difficult to know whether it were characters or people whom you were talking to. Also, there was quite some more drama with IC happenings, but on the other side, the IC also helps determine how a character will be, how you will play it, and thus it's really a try out to perfect things.
Here and there it causes very funny things, although it also can create scenes which are just annoying and cause fights.

Personally, I find it hard to say yes or no about this matter.

There is a lot to say for no IC in the C-box too.
It's quicker to talk to eachother, not having loads of IC stuff in between. Less drama in the chat, and one knows better to whom one is speaking. Those are nice things. Eventhough it would be a bit boring to I guess. Of course, it's better to be a bit boring, than that all sorts of fights were caused there...

Maybe there should just be a section on RR, in which you can post IC chat-like posts, with just one or two sentences for a char, with what it says or does. In that way, others won't get annoyed by reading such short posts, because there is a special place for it, and also, then the IC is not removed, but just placed elsewhere.

Of course it's also a little bit better introduction to RR, since even guests can see the C-box. And if there is all sorts of drama playing in the c-box, I don't think that's a good way of advertising..
Anyways, that's just my humble opinion ;)


Small Edit: Could those letters above the C-box PLEASE have a different color? They are hurting my eyes..


From Bridget: Yes, because I love you. ;D

This post has been edited by Bridget on Dec 2 2011, 11:14 PM

I really like the silly stuff that goes on. I like and participate in that, but the more serious and lengthy stuff just bothers me and seems to get in the way. Also I've noticed a lot of powerplaying happens in the chat box. If we do have an IC 'box then we'd need an experienced member or something to monitor it when they were online. I don't think we should have one though since the point of the forum is just that, its a forum. Posting and replying is the core of RR, not chatbox RP.

The members are also a big influence thats the main reason I don't think we should remove it completely. What I've been doing is either telling people to take it to a thread or asking them to tone down when I see things getting out of hand. About the drama though I have noticed that too and my threats to lock the c-box seem to have quite the effect. xD

I guess I have mixed feelings but whatever gets decided it won't really bother me either way. As long as members understand that forum roleplaying takes priority over chatbox roleplay that is.

Okay so... Um... I like the idea of doing the IC c-box and I understand what you are saying. It makes more sense to me than the old way of having IC in the c-box... That way people can have a disscussion without it being drowned by other people RPing at the time. And I agree with what Nar said: it can help with character development.

However, I also would like to note back to what Ketic just stated about powerplay... I will probably be the first one to admit this but I feel like I am one of the "powerplayers" in c-box... I try not to be and usually try to make a default out of anything I do but I still feel like I do it... At least after the fact and thinking back on it... And having admited such I will, personally, withdraw myself from doing any kind of IC c-box RPing... It honestly strips away bits of my characters, little by little, making it harder and harder to do much with them...

I'm stating this more for the benefit of the staff members than I am for the rest of the site. However, I do wish everyone to understand that, if the IC c-box idea is put into action I won't even look in the area it's placed in. Also I'd like to make it a point that I do support the idea of the IC c-box for other people however I will not be participating in it.

To be honest, i'm pretty cool beans with the C-BOX being an ooc box. I-I thought it was supposed to be anyways.

As for the IC Box...To be honest again, I probably won't be using it, but I know how much people enjoy doing IC chat--especially now from reading all the responses. It's a good thing, yet a bad thing at the same time. Good thing is, people have fun with it! I see how much you guys enjoy silly little play on a good day and sometimes even I enjoy reading it all.

However, keep in mind that even if you guys do create an IC box, everyone has to keep a level of maturity about it. I'm 'iffy' about this because even if we do create a separate chat box specifically for IC roleplaying, then nothing's going to change about the drama.

It's us members that have to keep in mind to distinguish OOC from IC. RP should be fun guys, not something to create friction between members. Not to be a party pooper or anything, but RP should be for the forums; it's what it's there for. Besides, i'd rather get to know the 'people', not be talking to a persona.


+1 Bridget likes this post!

This post has been edited by Bridget on Dec 2 2011, 11:12 PM

Honestly, I'm against rp in the chat box, that's actually the main reason I never speak on it. If I want to roleplay, I'll roleplay in the forums. There really isn't anywhere to get to know the other players better aside from the chat box and when they're only roleplaying behind their characters it seems a bit impossible. I also agree that its led to allot of drama. But either way it doesn't really affect me as I'm rarely in the chatbox anyway. :/

It seems this has become a real issue if a thread determining it's fate has been created. Though I don't see how or why out of character drama would spiral from in character actions and story. However, I am a neutral party in this as well and see multiple concerns with the in character box, but if this is also the case, I see issues with some in threads too.

[x] Drama, if this has become a major issue as of late, considering maturity level is something someone on this site indeed should have and present. Due to the mature levels of the site, since this place is basically rated [M] for mature and they can't handle c-box actions which aren't really involving site-wide plot and in character topics. Perhaps no one really should role-play in the c-boxes. I hate when people can't determine the differences between IC and OOC. Hating someone for something happening IC that is character-wise seems rather idiotic to me.

[x] Godmodding and power-playing, I've seen alot of this myself as well but the c-box role-play is where anything alternate to the site can possibly happen. Many should know it doesn't actually affect whatever is in character unless threaded out by the authors/authoresses.

[x] Role-playing in the c-box, I am not against the idea personally, having a different place to explore creative instead of having to rely on threads to determine on what direction you might want a character to go. Perhaps the in character box can also give inspiration for characters and threads. So taking it away from the members is not advisable either. Because when someone hasn't posted inside of a thread yet, it gives the person options of causally role-playing while waiting for their partner to give them a reply and keeps them from getting bored. I feel if people want to get to know each other more - like how Diehasen explains it. They can simply use the PM option on the person's profile. It's not hard to decide to talk to someone privately and gain knowledge of them that way.

I rarely do it - though I still believe it's a good way to pass time when one is waiting for someone to post. It's also an alternative if someone would like to experiment with other details of the characters instead of directly doing it in threads where it's -reality- and then someone might decide it's not what they want from their character. I'unno, just my opinions really. They're all mixed up and giving the cons and pros, I know.

This post has been edited by sleeping.beauty on Dec 4 2011, 01:12 PM

+2 to my girlfriend.

Since I haven't been here long ago, I don't know what drama is being referred to. But if guys are clawing at each other's throats over IC actions, that's silly as all get-out. Please learn to back away from the computer, because this is all fiction here.

Otherwise, this is pretty much what I agree with. Right here =D! Beauty, you so smaaaart. <3

im for it. it is more convienent. however, i do agree that it does cause some problems.......

I'm neither here nor there about it. I'm hardly on to really have a complaint about it. Havin a c-box for rpin as characters would be cool though :)

All I want to say is that I have been in a roleplay site that had an ICC (In Character Chat) and it was really successful. IC was kept in the IC chat and OOC was kept in the OOC chat. So I highly recommend this idea.

In the site I went on, the ICC was set up as a sort of link to a chat screen rather than embedded in the actual website itself, however, if you do introduce a IC chat then you can do it whatever way you think best ^^

Good luck :3

DISCLAIMER: I'm going to be totally honest with my opinion. I'm not going to mention any names or attack anyone specific, so everyone keep in mind that this is generally speaking. I'm not "out to get" anyone in particular. In real life, I'm a very bitter, cynical and critical person, so my words may sound harsh.

When I first joined this site, I loved the IC cbox. It was a really good way for me to test any character that I created. Testing a character like that was really important for me because I haven't been RPing for very long and it gave me a lot of ideas. I also enjoyed the IC cbox because it gave me an idea of how other people use/used their characters. It's nice to be able to test two characters out to see how well they'd act together before throwing them into a long term thread. It showed me a lot about who I'd like to work with and who I would absolutely hate to RP with.

That being said, I now hate the IC cbox. I feel that most of the IC activity that happens there is completely immature, disgusting, stupid, obnoxious, tasteless, and ridiculous. I feel that it has become a complete drama fest. Part of this is probably because I have a certain idea of how I feel RPing is supposed to work and how characters are supposed to act and I generally don't like others' ideas that are opposing to mine. Some of what I'm saying is biased, I realize, so that should be taken into account.

Still, the IC cbox has gotten so ridiculous (to me, anyway) that I no longer want to be a part of it. Some of the things I've read and some of the issues/drama that I've seen unravel from it have either angered me or made me ask myself "what the...?"

Now, I'm not proposing that you get rid of the IC cbox. Most of the reasons I have for not liking it are because of what happens between two characters. I see an interaction between two characters that I think is ridiculous, immature, obnoxious, whatever and it makes me angry. That's my problem. That's not the fault of any RPer. That is their character and they can RP with them however they wish. That is the exact reason I have made myself scarce in the IC cbox and I have no desire to start a fight with anyone. It's not my place to say that someone's RP is stupid or whatever and whether I like it or not, I will not complain about it. Most of the interactions that I've witnessed have made me not want to RP with a majority of people. Again, that is my problem and my problem only. I'm not complaining about how other people RP, it's just not my style.

In conclusion, I would like to agree with Kimi and say that I feel there should be an IC cbox and an OOC cbox. I feel like that would be extremely beneficial for the site. As for me, I'll continue to stay out of the IC cbox so I don't have to deal with the things that I don't like and so that I don't hurt anyone's creativity or ideas.

Sorry for being so harsh and opinionated.

This post has been edited by Luna on Dec 7 2011, 05:14 PM