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[Aplier Shivra]

No, not to the game of EVE (although with 6 months experience, some might consider me a relative newbie), but to the game of roleplay.  I have already done some research on what makes good roleplay, and read what advice threads I could and some pieces of prime fiction, as well as developed a fairly extensive (and mostly private) backstory.  But the fact remains that I have very little roleplay experience outside of EVE and thus far only one evemails's worth inside EVE.  So anyways, here's to me getting my feet wet in the RP community!


Also (and sorry if this is the wrong place for it), I'm in need of some advice I couldn't find on my own.  I have a real-life friend who I got to join EVE a few months ago, and I very much doubt he's interested in RP.  I don't want to create a second account just to be able to play with him and RP at the same time, so I'm wondering if there is some way I can do things with him with this character without having it affect my IC status.  Basically, I'm wondering if it is considered "within etiquette" to be able to have my in-game actions with him be entirely OOC, or if those would still affect the IC perception of my character.  I.E. if I become some highly religious slave-toting Amarr character who hates all other religions, but he wants to run level 4 missions for minmatar together (because it's the only faction he has enough standing for level 4's), would I be allowed to have those actions not count towards IC perceptions of my character?  Or would I have to come up with some probably outlandish explanation of why I, the holier-than-thou Amarr, felt the need to randomly haul my ass over to minmy space just so that I could do missions for these former slave scum.

[BloodBird]

Hello and welcome to Backstage, as well as EVE. (albeit 6 months late on the greeting )

To try and answer your question: Actions have consequences both IC and OOC, especially so in this game. If you RP someone who would have nothing to do with the Minmatar for instance, and people come to expect this of your toon, and then you are found to go run missions with a Minmatar in their space, people will hold this against you. Much the same way that, say, joining PIE involved saying goodbye to any ship usage beyond Amarrian Hulls, if your in PIE and caught using another race's ships you are expelled, IIRC.

If you wish to RP and play with your friend you may wish to find some common ground to facilitate this - there are plenty of corps out there for instance that run on the RP-lite model - usually meaning that people are free to RP their toons as they want (usually as long as it don't oppose the corporation's goals, for instance a pro-slavery Angel operative might not be welcome in a RP-lite pro-Federation corp that opposes slavery and the Cartel) but that corp-chat and things like that are OOC. If you were to find a corp that both your RP and your friend's wishes can both agree on, nothing should prevent you from working together. If not, one of you will have to change your ways.

For example, if you want to RP and go full Imperialist Amarr and support the Empire etc. but your friend don't care about who he missions for, he may as well live in Amarr space and mission for the Empire, in order to be in assist-range for you. If he insists on missioning for the Minmatar (because he likes them better or whatever reason) then he is TECHNICALLY making a RP choice - from a pure game-mechanics stand-point all mission-running is the same. Their differences are fluff and back-story only.

I hope this might help a little. In short - As far as I've seen, it's not considered cool to make a cope-out regarding your RP choices - if you supposedly do A in your RP but are found to do B all the time then "This is all OOC with a friend" is generally not very cool to do - you will still be called out on your actions IC and are going to have to deal with the reactions. How you do that is however, up to you.

[Lyn Farel]

Hello.

Well of course once in the RP scenery, Eve being what it is, RP can be ruthless ICly too, and other characters will not hesitate to point out the contradictons between your actions ingame (almost everything can be considered IC, even what a goon do, which translates by capsuleer dementia usually) and what your character IC ideals.

Some characters naturally ask for a good deal of restrictions, like playing a conservative Amarr slave holder. Especially the "lawful" ones. At the contrary though, more "chaotic" or "neutral" characters imply a lot less restrictions and can get along with a lot of things.

[Sepherim]

Welcome aboard!

As far as your question, BloodBird already pointed out mostly to what I think, so I have little to add. Probably, the best approach is to create an RP background that can accomodate playing with your friend (for example, being a Minmatarr supporter) or getting him to join you as BloodBird said. Otherwise, people will check on your profile and see your high standings with the Minmatarr while you are an Amarr and not know why that is, thus probably thinking it's wrong one way or another, and this will have you explaining continuously and create interference with your fun.

An option that I use is to introduce an aclarative note at the beginning of the bio, explaining why that is and what is the reasons. People, RPers in special, often read the bios of the rest, thus they'd have a quick explanation of the situation before hand. Still, I believe BloodBird's options are better.

[Norrin Ellis]

Standings aren't public anymore.  The only people that will ever actually see you running those missions for the Minmatar are the ninja salvagers that occasionally drop in to steal your stuff.  No one else needs to know if you don't go advertising it.

Do what's fun.  The only part of your gameplay that becomes RP is what you share with others.  To that end, if you want to be the aforementioned Amarr hardliner, I wouldn't recommend getting into PvP engagements against PIE or CVA with your friend.  That sort of thing will become IC knowledge.

Also, welcome to EVE.

[Morwen Lagann]

People can still run locator agents if they get curious (or annoyed; it does happen), which can lead to them finding you in the middle of it and calling you out IC.

It comes down to what you want to do more, really.

If RPing the hardliner Amarrian and having your ingame actions match your RP is more important to you than accommodating the time your friend has already put into the game, then you'll need to convince him to do Amarr missions.

[Natalcya Katla]

Everything you do in EVE can be used against you. If your character is caught not practicing what he preaches, it may trigger IC reactions. It does bear mentioning, though, that there is nothing intrinsically wrong about playing a hypocrite. It's perfectly viable to play a character who puts up a strong Imperial loyalist front in public, but who also for whatever reason will tip-toe off when nobody's looking and indulge in a little midnight treason. Dark secrets can be fun.

[Ché Biko]

Welcome backstage.

[ArtOfLight]

Welcome to EVE and to Backstage.

As has been said, everything you do in EVE can be used against you. So, any actions you take with your friend can be used against you if someone were to look hard enough to see them and use them.

[Adreena Madeveda]

As has been said, everything you do in EVE can be used against you.

I give you a hamburger.
You have the right to troll the local. Everything you do in EVE can and will be used against you in the event of rp. You have the right to a hauling alt. If you cannot afford a hauling alt, RedFrog will be happy to oblige. If you undock now, you will have a thirty seconds timer to try and dock back. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to undock ?
I give you a hamburger.

Welcome

[Aplier Shivra]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes and the feedback!  I do have a few weeks before I'll be jumping full-on into RP, so I can talk to him and see how we can work something out. 

P.S. just a disclaimer for when/if you do see me around, the above example was just a hypothetical extreme and not necessarily an indicator of what my IC actions or loyalties will be.  ^_^

[Shintoko Akahoshi]

People can still run locator agents if they get curious (or annoyed; it does happen), which can lead to them finding you in the middle of it and calling you out IC.

At the same time, the most they can really do is say "I saw so-and-so out shooting Amarrian ships with the Minmatars!", leaving you to spin it however you want.

For example, perhaps you uncovered evidence that a minor House was plotting to defect to the Minmatar and bring Imperial secrets with them, and you flew out to stop them. Perhaps you discovered that the wealthy scion of your House was a Blood Raider, and were restoring the honor of your House. Perhaps they were simply extremely realistic war games.

In any case, welcome to the zoo!

[Sepherim]

For example, perhaps you uncovered evidence that a minor House was plotting to defect to the Minmatar and bring Imperial secrets with them, and you flew out to stop them. Perhaps you discovered that the wealthy scion of your House was a Blood Raider, and were restoring the honor of your House. Perhaps they were simply extremely realistic war games.

That's a complicated path to walk, as it can quickly lead to godmodding, or someone simply saying "no they were not" and you have nothing more to back those claims.

[Makkal]

Anything you say or do may be used against you in the court of RP.

[Morwen Lagann]

People can still run locator agents if they get curious (or annoyed; it does happen), which can lead to them finding you in the middle of it and calling you out IC.

At the same time, the most they can really do is say "I saw so-and-so out shooting Amarrian ships with the Minmatars!", leaving you to spin it however you want.

For example, perhaps you uncovered evidence that a minor House was plotting to defect to the Minmatar and bring Imperial secrets with them, and you flew out to stop them. Perhaps you discovered that the wealthy scion of your House was a Blood Raider, and were restoring the honor of your House. Perhaps they were simply extremely realistic war games.

Sure. But someone who took the time to find you and watch you, would probably not stop with just one mission. They would probably follow you through several missions, after which those excuses would lose a lot of validity.