Breaking Character -- When to Break Character?

[Shiroi Tsuki]

I think OOCs over psis have their uses.  For instance, if someone's link got dropped and they need you to repeat what you psied... well, an OOC psi is a good way to let you know.  You're several, possibly many, rooms distant, so a room OOC just won't work, and most of the time you don't even know they got DCed.  I however prefer it to be accompanied with a creative IC explanation...

The wavy-haired hunter sends:
"Sorry Lord Fancypants, my kank just flipped me off and I fell down the Shield Wall so I missed what you said.  (OOC, I got disconnected, please repeat.)"

I personally wouldn't object to that.  OOC whispers drive me nuts though, especially if my character has listen and has to listen to characters whispering OOC back and forth.

[X-D]

If here are a bunch of PCs in the room, I'm using whisper or even tell with OOC tag. Specialy since, AFAIK you cannot target with OOC command.

[AmandaGreathouse]

Sometimes I like when people break character, like if they want to get my AIM or invite me to a game of Halo or something.

I don't. Ever. I don't ever want someone asking for my AIM over the Way or via OOC or say or shout or anything. Ever. Seriously - ever.

Often people break character to express their opinion on my role play.

I only like to see this when it's something that BLATANTLY needs to be corrected, not "opinion" - i.e. if you're emoting something completely wrong about something you honestly thing is another way - the streets being empty when there are really vNPCs, etc. If someone's saying "it's unrealistic for you to run that far without stopping," report 'em to staff.



The way I correct someone's roleplay? I report what I think may be bad roleplay to the staff, and I leave it at that. I've been wrong before - you can't see everything - and other people will be wrong about you.

I would not do this, myself, though I was glad when, the few times I have had difficulty doing something because I did not know the right thing to type (ie getting something from a table, sweeping a room) that someone with the know-how informed me.