Just noticed this latest announce post:



I've always had trouble understanding the OOC Clan stuff, as I find it can ruin the immersion. I try to limit OOC conversations to Tells and only for important things.

What's the point of the OOC clans? Just for chatting? If so, why are there so many of them (I think there are at least 6 of them from what I've seen here), and what are people doing that causes problems? Insulting Gods? Swearing? Giving away secrets from another organization?

Just figured I should ask because it seems to be causing a problem somehow. I'm wondering what are the "pros" for OOC clans to exist.

OOC clans run rampant in Achaea. Over there, there are rules specifically for OOC clans, like they must be kept private and things said in them cannot be taken IC. Unfortunately, most people are not mature enough to follow the "no taking things said IC" rule, so the admin will take issues for those clans.

What I suspect may have happened is that people brought those sort of ideas over here. Now, unfortunately, it seems people have taken something said in an "OOC" clan (which the admin do NOT recognize) IC and someone got very upset and must have issued about it or something. That's all I can think of really.

Actually, the wording seems to imply that someone said something on an OOC clan, was punished by a Divine, and then complained that they were punished ICly for something said on an OOC clan-- hence the response that there "Are no OOC clans."

That could be wrong, I don't know what exactly prompted this, but that is what I read from it.

As for the pros... I enjoy a way of being able to chat about the game with other players. It helps me remember that they ARE players, and are people just like me, which I believe is both a good and a necessary thing. It doesn't mean Xen is going to like them any more-- he's not going to smile at some Magnagoran just because I've talked to them OOC, but I personally do find a bit of interaction with the actual players behind the faces to be beneficial. That's why I use IRC, and am a member of a single OOC clan (more than one OOC clan is excessive, I feel).

Unfortunately, it does cause a few problems with IC/OOC immersion. You have to work pretty hard to make sure your character stays IC, and it takes a certain amount of willpower. My fear is that people are now going to discuss things on an OOC clan, then one person will say, "Hey, I'm taking this IC, and the admin have given me approval! Neener!" or something of the like.

I've played RPI MUDs (Still do right now) and I've played MUSHes.

RPI MUDs have no means of gamewide communication at all; MUSHes have gamewide, easily created OOC channels and typically only IC communication that is ICly justifiable. I think both ways are valid; one contributes more to immersion, the other contributes more to a sense of community between players.

I think the way IRE games have it set up can very well work, too - You can have OOC communication, which lets you talk and build a community in-game interacting with other players as a player, or you can choose to go with the 'total immersion' path. I feel that supporting OOC clans and giving them ways of isolating themselves from the IC game would be very good.

Without revealing god powers, only a fool would do what the "person" did. There was little chance for the "target" to not hear it given something about the person affiliation(s). Obviously the person didn't expect the "target" to hear, though as I just said (s)he should have; either way it was wrong and warranted some measure of punishment.

From which I assume someone X said something nasty about god Y probably from the same organization, but was silly enough to use Y's name. IIRC anytime you use a god's name, at least on aethers, they can hear what you've said.

The only reason I'd think having a few OOC clans would be nice is for things like system questions and such. As a new player or even a not so new player, it can be hard to ask questions like that. You can't on the newbie channel, you can't on your guild channels, you're hesitant to ask anyone in tells yet.

Many moons ago, that was said as a joke. It sort of stuck around until people started to believe it.

Then again, it's completely possible that they coded it for their own amusement since then.

Guessing here, gods can track when the name is said etc.
This person insulted a god something along the lines of is a on an ooc clan then got a disfavour for it?

Do I guess right??

What gods can do is not meant to be known to players, stop theorizing. Just assume what you say can be heard and stay at least civil to gods at the very least.

OOC clans exist for player camaraderie as opposed to character camaraderie. If you are truly roleplaying your character, they are not the same thing. And yet, they are both pleasing...you can see the universiality of this from the existence of both IRC and these forums.

OOC clans extend this interaction into the game itself.

I've rarely ever seen OOC camaraderie not stick its nose into IC issues.

But now we are no longer talking about why they exist, which was the point I addressed.

I have to agree with what Xenthos and Melanchthon said regarding OOC clans.

To be honest, it makes me enjoy my time in Lusternia more because my character is not very social/friendly to most people and doesn't have many good friends aside from her family (), so there were times when I didn't enjoy playing because anyone who knows me will know that I DO like chatting and have plenty of OOC friends in the game.

Yeah...I could use that for Lucan... he's so bad at making friends. I don't think I have one person outside of his family that I could call his friend. Maybe Tamarian, but he's more of a colleague...Thawn perhaps, but he's more of a protege (even though it isn't official).

Just out of curiosity, what's the rationale behind using OOC clans instead of something like IRC? Is it just the convenience of not having another window open?

Because you're more likely to have to deal with people you don't like in IRC where everyone is as opposed to an OOC clan where you can organize people better based on common interests. Also, some people here have slower computers and having one more program open isn't as viable an option as it is for some of us others.

And I guess the argument against using AIM or ICQ or something would be that not everyone uses AIM or ICQ, etc. etc.

Can you really not have two programs open on your computer? *whistle*

Ok, I guess I can buy arguments of the "because I can't talk with these people in any other way" variety.

The convenience argument is pretty handy too, you know. There's more often people there to talk with, so the conversation gets less stale than an MSN conversation (particularly an MSN conversation that you can't easily read or reply to at the same time as you're bashing.) During the day, almost everyone's bloody asleep, so it's nice to have the opportunity to talk to some of the cooler people from different communities.

Besides, people are just as likely to take information from the forums, IRC, AIM or MSN into the game as OOC clans.

All I can say is that I hope anything taking information from a clan IC in a significant/harmful manner (not just system fixing techniques or goodness knows what else) is removed from the clan quickly enough as to minimise the harm that is apparently on the shoulders of innocent bystanders using the things for conversations.

Using a clan channel is much more convenient than switching windows. It's also more convenient for having conversations with multiple people. And it's fun to make comments about ongoing events.