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[Makkal]

A discussion in another thread got me thinking...

What does it mean to RP fairly?

What does it mean to RP unfairly?

If you think someone is being unfair in their RP, how do you handle it? Does the concept of fairness require a competitive or a win/lose situation or is it more broadly applicable?

[Karmilla Strife]

Don't force the other party into anything.

Example: /me shoot's Makkal in the face. >  Is bad.

* Karmilla Strife attempts to shoot Makkal in the face.  > Leaves Makkal open to respond with /me dives behind cover to avoid being shot.

Other than that basic intro to godmodding, I think it's unfair to metagame but I can't think of specific examples.

[Makkal]

Don't force the other party into anything.

It's just avoiding godmodding?

What about blocking?

[Karmilla Strife]

Ooh Blocking...

I only blocked my first person from RP recently. I think it's fine as long as it isn't a physical RP venue. If it is, maybe it's best to let them know you are blocking them.

[Silas Vitalia]

I think for IC interaction godmodding is the thing to avoid for many reasons.  Conversational / locational RP is often based on mutually constructed consent of what is happening and going on. You can't run around someone's party stabbing people, etc. (well, unless they ask you to).

For 'the game' we play from ccp it's all good and it's not fair. Blowing up your spaceships and ruining your "game" pixels is all fair and good, it's the only unmitigated 'unconsentual' thing we can do to each other to steer some RP.   And we can't forget no matter how much you get wrecked in game you are still immortal and nothing is permanent.

[Silas Vitalia]

S. blocks people all the time, although I usually give them a notice they will be blocked if they don't discontinue x, y, z IC behavior.   Those sorts of blocks are generally permanent for IC reasons. 

I think Arthas was the last one I blocked. I'm sure he's a nice guy ooc but IC was being annoying to my character and that one will be permanent, for example.

[Makkal]

Example: /me shoot's Makkal in the face. >  Is bad.

* Karmilla Strife attempts to shoot Makkal in the face.  > Leaves Makkal open to respond with /me dives behind cover to avoid being shot.

Other examples:
'/me kisses Karmilla passionately.'
'/me opens the door and watches as Karmilla walks by.'
'/me grabs Karmilla up and holds her over the pool's edge. "I think someone needs a dunk."'
'/me grabs your Karmilla's fist inches from my face and twists hard enough to snap the wrist.'

Are these all unfair?

[Katrina Oniseki]

What about blocking?

Are you talking about blocking, the OOC mechanic? Otherwise known as "muting", "ignoring", or "blacklisting"?

[Silas Vitalia]

Example: /me shoot's Makkal in the face. >  Is bad.

* Karmilla Strife attempts to shoot Makkal in the face.  > Leaves Makkal open to respond with /me dives behind cover to avoid being shot.

Other examples:
'/me kisses Karmilla passionately.'
'/me opens the door and watches as Karmilla walks by.'
'/me grabs Karmilla up and holds her over the pool's edge. "I think someone needs a dunk."'
'/me grabs your Karmilla's fist inches from my face and twists hard enough to snap the wrist.'

Are these all unfair?

IMO yes, I don't do any RP that effects or describes actions by another character that they aren't in control of.

[Makkal]

Blocking is an improv term; it means squelching another actor instead of going with.

I'll give a fighting example as they're popular.

Kat swings a fist at Makkal, Makkal easily ducks it.
Kat attempts to trip Makkal, Makkal steps away.
Kat tries to catch Makkal in a bear hug, Makkal slips out.

It's the opposite of godmodding. Instead of forcing actions on a character, you render another characters actions against you completely useless.

Fair or unfair?

[Katrina Oniseki]

Blocking is an improv term; it means squelching another actor instead of going with.

I'll give a fighting example as they're popular.

Kat swings a fist at Makkal, Makkal easily ducks it.
Kat attempts to trip Makkal, Makkal steps away.
Kat tries to catch Makkal in a bear hug, Makkal slips out.

It's the opposite of godmodding. Instead of forcing actions on a character, you render another characters actions against you completely useless.

Yes. It's fair. However, such things like that should be followed with some form of RP closure... not a continued conflict. By 'blocking', you are signaling your unwillingness to RP that scene and should not attempt to continue it. Time to make your narrow escape!

[Ayallah]

Sufficient detail and realism coupled with a sense of fair play.

Using Karmilla's example:

Example: /me shoot's Makkal in the face. >  Is bad.

* Karmilla Strife attempts to shoot Makkal in the face.  > Leaves Makkal open to respond with /me dives behind cover to avoid being shot.

To me this would be best:

1 > Reaches down to hip begins pulling pistol
2 > Begins a dead sprint toward 1
1 > Has pistol ou of holster, raising it takes aim
2 > Barrels into 1
1 > Pistol goes off near 2's ear
2 > Try's to grab pistol

Obviously that involves the active participation of both players, one and two have a chance every line to 'break' the RP but choose to make it more dramatic, more like a story. 

Let the moment linger until the dramatic end is too sweet to just let go. 

An example would be our incident in the I-RED lounge, you could have said *Makkal throws Aya out* -no more RP. 
Just as easily as I could have *handwave Kameirabeatsup all the guards*  The letting it develop, the taking of small steps and allowing your opponent to react is what makes it fair. 
It was a fight I was happy to lose because it advanced the plot and the development of both characters.

Obviously this takes a level of maturity but even the most immature and unstable characters *cough mine cough* can have sensible people at the wheel.

[Katrina Oniseki]

'/me kisses Karmilla passionately.' "Questionable" Done between consenting players in an IC relationship, it rarely causes issue. Done to a non-consenting player, yes it's godmodding.

'/me opens the door and watches as Karmilla walks by.' "Questionable-Safe" It's an observation, and rarely one that causes issue if ever. However, it can misplace the location of a character, and simply be inaccurate if the character wasn't 'walking' anywhere at all.

'/me grabs Karmilla up and holds her over the pool's edge. "I think someone needs a dunk."' "Unsafe" Godmodding. Should be prefaced with an attempt to grapple first in order to avoid the violation.

'/me grabs your Karmilla's fist inches from my face and twists hard enough to snap the wrist.' "Unsafe" Godmodding. Defensive movements should only address your own character. This one is a direct counterattack with no attempt preface.

[Karmilla Strife]

What Kat said. personally I'd go with many of the options there. My general rule of thumb regarding fair physical RP, is "I propose an action, I accept the result that the other player states." with of course the (sometimes unspoken) belief that "I will respond to their actions in a fair way."

It's entirely a trust based mechanic. Sometimes it works out very well, and sometimes if fails horribly.

[Makkal]

I hope no one finds my questions tedious.

I find fairness is one of those things where everyone has their own definition and this is simply an attempt to see how everyone defines and applies the concept.

IMO yes, I don't do any RP that effects or describes actions by another character that they aren't in control of.

That’s rather absolute; you require explicit IC permission. It also makes sense since you’ve said previously that you try to avoid OOC interactions.

If we were in a scene together and I said OOC, ‘Okay, Makkal has no fight left in her. Do what you want and I’ll roll with it,’ would you then feel comfortable deciding what happened?

Other than godmodding, is there anything else you try to avoid as unfair?

'/me kisses Karmilla passionately.' "Questionable" Done between consenting players in an IC relationship, it rarely causes issue. Done to a non-consenting player, yes it's godmodding.

'/me opens the door and watches as Karmilla walks by.' "Questionable-Safe" It's an observation, and rarely one that causes issue if ever. However, it can misplace the location of a character, and simply be inaccurate if the character wasn't 'walking' anywhere at all.

This is a bit looser than Silas’ reaction.

Would you say that the amount of acceptable godmodding depends on the relationship between the characters, their history, and what you perceive as the OOC desire/habits of the player?

For example, if Makkal has scooped someone up on several occasions (they allowed the action) and the scene was a sort of fun playtime at the pool, would picking them up again and threatening to dunk them be okay?