Discord Chat is valid BGTSCC RP?

[Steve]

Well, on a personal note, not using Skype or Discord to play NWN2 on BGTSCC, it would mean that role-play opportunities are being had away from where the Game actually takes place.

There are things cannot be done IG, that could be emoted within a pure Chat environment. Is that considered god-modding? How does one RP a Character Sheet in a pure Chat environment?

I use the Forum a lot for forwarding RP that I have or will manifest IG. I try to avoid long RP interactions with mine and other PCs, but truthfully, they DO happen, but again, it is documented where not only fellow RPers can see, but the DMs as well. So if I’m doing anything inappropriate, I’d expect a comment (and I do receive them, from time to time).

We already have OOC mechanically based IG mechanisms to provide “security” for our toons/guilds/meetings. But taking RP that is based within a Permanent World hosted through 1 specific medium to other mediums to form private interactions, to me, seems to be gong too far.

Granted, if a guild meeting was held in a Chat environment for ease of use, and that RP interaction was posted on the BGTSCC Forum for sake of possible review, then...yes, how different is it than loading up the Game and hitting Connect to Server?

Well...why log on at all then? That becomes a valid conclusion when fully stretched.

But an issue that I can’t shake is the added isolation Discord/Skype provides to the general Community, and how that isolates pockets of RP to certain groups and eventually divides the Server, and thus our Characters, from those that get an invite to the RP and CAN use those mediums, and those others of this Server who cannot.

[Steve]

Because RP even on the server isn't even a guaranteed point of reference,

What?

It is. Take a screenshot. Boom. Legitimate happening. It is, btw, the accepted and historical form of guaranteeing the reference to an experience on BGTSCC.

I think you DMs need to have a PowWow on this, and get it together on whether out-of-game RP and Character interactions are going to be valid, because letting this fly is a sure fire way to drop the population of this Server.

As soon as the general Community understands that plenty of RP is happening away from where they are gaming, watch them wonder why they should ever log in to look for RP interactions to give them a unique experience. And, how irrelevant their own RP will be to those using Discord/Skype, since the Chatters are essentially not on the Server!

[chad878262]

It's no different then rp happening on private forums or via PMs.

[Steve]

It's no different then rp happening on private forums or via PMs.

RP happening on private forums and via PMs is not a real-time interaction of our Characters. So there is a difference.

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

I think this kind of Discord RP should be treated as godmodding. Seriously, it means characters are suddenly teleporting to their own parallel plane of existance with 0% chance of interracting with the surrounding world. For example, in-game to do private IC talks you must gather people at your guildhall or a secret place, and even this way there is a chance of eavesdropping/inflitration, but this is what game is about! Switching to Discord is a godmodding and simply a bad taste and should not be treated as a legal source of RP imho. Maybe those people should RP having their own IG building in Discord aswell instead of actually owning such?

[Maecius]

The preferred locations for roleplay are in game (in whisper or public chat) or on the forums in public threads. Private roleplay does happen (in PMs, in Tells -- formalized now with Sending spells --, in third-party chat programs, and in private guild forums), but private roleplay basically cuts out the potential to be overheard, to be interrupted, or for spontaneous events to occur (e.g., a DM overhears some shady talk in an inn and has the innkeeper sneak off to summon the watch, leading to a chase scene as the ne'er-do-wells steal a horse from the stables and flee the scene).

Any roleplay that happens without screenshots or a forum post to support it is not guaranteed DM acknowledgment or involvement. Which means it can still happen, but it may never get formalized as part of the server's overarching story (in other words, it might be used to develop characters and personal friendships, but it won't alter the in-game landscape, NPC positions on things, or guild or group resources, because there's inherently no risk involved, because it's very easily altered with no changelog to track it, and because it's taking place outside of official channels).

Perhaps another way to say it is that it's "valid," in the sense that it serves to enhance the enjoyment of the players participating in it. It strengthens their stories and their connections to their characters. But it's not official/legitimate in the eyes of the server's shared story or overarching plot.

[Metro-Gnome]

So have all my secret meetings in discord now? Uh.... take that jerks! No seriously are we even actually considering this?

[Hoihe]

Here's a pro for OOGRP media: Players of vastly differing timezones being allowed to interact due to mobile platforms and mobile data preventing booting up the game proper, even if they have hours of boredom to deal with.

[Sapper Woody]

I have engaged in IC skype RP before. Mostly because the other player was in a different time zone, couldn't log into the game at the same time, etc. But the main thing about this IC RP was that is was NOT a secret meeting that we were trying to hide, or anything like that. It was purely character advancement.

I (obviously) have no issue with this kind of thing. However, if someone is using it to plot something shady without risk of being caught, that is a totally different scenario.

As for my RP being "valid", who cares? It was character development. If someone wanted to say that my character didn't have a chat to catch up with another character, they're just insane.

[Snarfy]

[DM Boo]

The rule of thumb is this: Keep plot-effecting or important RP to the forums or IG, whilst "non-critical" or character development RP can be done on any platform.

[Maverick 40]

I will say this, I ran into a group outside of Nashkel Mines. My character began attempting to interact with the group of 3-4 other characters. Only one responded when I offered to aid their exploration of the mines. My character followed in group, while the team ran forward with no IG RP. The one other character/player was good enough to let me know via tell that they were on skype together. When we ran into another character within the mines, the group barely RP'd and moved quickly past.

In my experience, it may be good for the initiated, but overall RP is hurt badly in such situations. Skype becomes a crux which overtakes game based RP and ultimately stifles it. That is my opinion at least.

[chad878262]

I think DM Boo said it exactly how it should be. I have participated in Skype/Discord IC RP just as I have had RP go on with other players over PM's or private guild forums. If it is not RP that impacts the server or other players, or would take place behind the closed/locked doors of the guild it is fine to use skype or discord. Actually I prefer it because I get to interact with other guild members that I never (or at least rarely) see in game. I actually would say it's a bit disappointing that some players refuse to utilize such media for RP only because it is really the only realistic way to have a conversation IC with everyone that has a character within a given guild. Timezones as well as differing schedules make it impossible to have meaningful, real time RP with the entire guild, but by using Discord groups you can make sure everyone has the opportunity to be included within the conversation. Some of my favorite people to interact with are European and we simply don't always have occasion to play in game together. Interacting IC'ly with them over forums, PMs and Discord is a nice way to ensure our characters are still interacting on a regular basis, as they would be were they 'real' people as opposed to alter ego's whom we play for a very limited amount of time each week.

Now, as soon as the RP Goes beyond having a chat within the confines of a secure guild hall or other location I would agree it needs to go in game. My philosophy is any RP that is viable to occur over PM is equally viable to utilize Discord/Skype. If you want it accepted by the DM Staff you need to PM it to them for their review, simple as that.

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

I will say this, I ran into a group outside of Nashkel Mines. My character began attempting to interact with the group of 3-4 other characters. Only one responded when I offered to aid their exploration of the mines. My character followed in group, while the team ran forward with no IG RP. The one other character/player was good enough to let me know via tell that they were on skype together. When we ran into another character within the mines, the group barely RP'd and moved quickly past.

In my experience, it may be good for the initiated, but overall RP is hurt badly in such situations. Skype becomes a crux which overtakes game based RP and ultimately stifles it. That is my opinion at least.

+1 to this
I have heard about such situations many times and even encountered once or twice. People like these are ruining the experience for everyone. To those who justify skype RP — do you really think that these grind-bots are busy with character development in voice chat?

[Steve]

Define "having a chat." If it can even be adequately defined with reason to have approved and non-approved topics for said "chat."

But if Discord/Skype is being used for secure/closed door communication, then perhaps we should remove all OOC-mechanically locked Guild Hall doors? I mean, using a Chat program as an out-of-game device for impunity around RP convo, well...that sucks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sensitive to the idea that certain groups utilize Discord to be more inclusive for the entire group when RP affects the entire group. And that such out-of-game mediums seem to be the only means to provide such. But really, BGTSCC is a Persistent World, in which we play Characters that exist in that world (or medium, if you like).

Once one starts to allow those Characters to "live" outside that medium, you dilute the importance of main medium. You create parallel game environments, and, the worse of it is the exclusion of the general Community from that.

The Forum has traditionally been used to support Player RP from different Timezones, but the benefit is that it is accessible NOT in real time, thus it can be inclusive to all Timezones, AND has the benefit of being documented as you post it, for DMs to oversee, should they need to.

Was/is the Forum really that broken, as a tool for inter-timezone-inter-player RP?

Or maybe the issue really is that Players DO want their privacy in secret groups?