Post by Storyteller on Nov 22, 2016 23:01:21 GMT -8
There is a tendency to post internal monologues for your posts, working through your character's mental exercises in crafting an action or response to another character. While to a certain extent, this is fine, there are a number of pitfalls you can get stuck in while writing your internal monologue.
1. Character assassination without an opportunity to respond - Some characters really hate each other. Others think a particular character is an idiot. But if you go on a long diatribe on those subjects, it's possible the other player will get butthurt about it. This leads to hurt feelings, and a few threads later you're both running to me to mediate a dispute that neither of you can trace the start of. So rather than going down that road, just be cognizant of what you're writing and how that can be taken. If you're intent of a character assassination, put it into words, or let it show on your face. Something that can allow the other player a chance to respond. It will be worth it in the long run.
2. Monologues as a surrogate for interesting posting - If you're going to put together a post that includes thought posting, make it worth it. If you're going to discuss the input for a decision, make the decision something worth responding to. Make sure to put yourself in the shoes of the other player. What exactly would they be able to take from your post to write a decent post of their own. If you don't leave them anything to talk about, it's the same as a one-line post - useless and irritating.
The real answer here is that yes, thought posting is allowed, with the caveat that you should use it with an eye toward helping your fellow RPer move the plot along. If you can't do that, there's no need for internal monologue. If you're trying to be passive-aggressive, there's no need for it, and if you have nothing to say, there's no need to talk about how you arrived at the conclusion that you have nothing to see. Either way, you should excuse yourself from the scene and go on with your character's life.
1. Character assassination without an opportunity to respond - Some characters really hate each other. Others think a particular character is an idiot. But if you go on a long diatribe on those subjects, it's possible the other player will get butthurt about it. This leads to hurt feelings, and a few threads later you're both running to me to mediate a dispute that neither of you can trace the start of. So rather than going down that road, just be cognizant of what you're writing and how that can be taken. If you're intent of a character assassination, put it into words, or let it show on your face. Something that can allow the other player a chance to respond. It will be worth it in the long run.
2. Monologues as a surrogate for interesting posting - If you're going to put together a post that includes thought posting, make it worth it. If you're going to discuss the input for a decision, make the decision something worth responding to. Make sure to put yourself in the shoes of the other player. What exactly would they be able to take from your post to write a decent post of their own. If you don't leave them anything to talk about, it's the same as a one-line post - useless and irritating.
The real answer here is that yes, thought posting is allowed, with the caveat that you should use it with an eye toward helping your fellow RPer move the plot along. If you can't do that, there's no need for internal monologue. If you're trying to be passive-aggressive, there's no need for it, and if you have nothing to say, there's no need to talk about how you arrived at the conclusion that you have nothing to see. Either way, you should excuse yourself from the scene and go on with your character's life.