I'm an offpeak player who occassionally stays up late (though not usually 4am). Something that seems to happen to me a lot is I'm winding down, just getting ready to log off to go to bed and I get hailed by an employer (of IC authority), this has happened to me -a lot- in the time I've been playing and due to the position of authority I've always found it difficult to come up with an excuse to not see them that wouldn't get my character into IC trouble. Then what tends to happen is I get drawn back into RP, into lengthy IC scenes that are very difficult to get out of without going OOC midway and jarring everyone or getting myself into trouble IC'ly.
My question is...how would you approach this? Would the best way be to simply OOC the employer at the outset and say that you don't have long? Or are there any good IC excuses that an authoritarian employer would accept (I'm struggling on this). Any advice appreciated!
I've struggled with similar situations myself, when it just doesn't make sense ICly for my character to up and disappear, but OOCly I have to leave. I always wonder how the best way to handle it is.
I'd say post a little extra note about your playing times on the clan board and just let it be known that you are in a certain time zone and when you need to leave you need to leave. Perhaps even say the excuse you might use so they know not to hassle you too much. But remember, RL comes first and it's a bitch working exhausted.
Brandon
Brutally log out whenever you have to.
If you want an IC excuse, vomit on someone's boots and say your PC is sick. That's almost universal lingo for "I have to logout now".
Quote from: Maso on April 30, 2008, 10:59:58 PM
I'm an offpeak player who occassionally stays up late (though not usually 4am). Something that seems to happen to me a lot is I'm winding down, just getting ready to log off to go to bed and I get hailed by an employer (of IC authority), this has happened to me -a lot- in the time I've been playing and due to the position of authority I've always found it difficult to come up with an excuse to not see them that wouldn't get my character into IC trouble. Then what tends to happen is I get drawn back into RP, into lengthy IC scenes that are very difficult to get out of without going OOC midway and jarring everyone or getting myself into trouble IC'ly.
My question is...how would you approach this? Would the best way be to simply OOC the employer at the outset and say that you don't have long? Or are there any good IC excuses that an authoritarian employer would accept (I'm struggling on this). Any advice appreciated!
I normally just tell people I have some shit to take care of. They usually catch on. ^.^
Or! I tell them IC that I'm tired, and are about to get some rest.
What about situations where you're character wouldn't have an excuse IC'ly...for example you get arrested by a Templar and hauled off for questioning. Something that could last a pretty long time, but you really need to bail. Stuff like that.
If you can't come up with an IC reason, I'd fall back on the OOC command.
Quote from: Mood on April 30, 2008, 11:09:46 PM
If you can't come up with an IC reason, I'd fall back on the OOC command.
The staff would have removed it if they didn't want you using it ever ... what you're describing is the reason the ooc command is there.
perfectly valid reason to use OOC.
Myself, I normaly do the OOC to warn the other player whats coming.
ooc I have to log now.
tell boss, "I'm to tired to keep my eyes open, might I be excused?
Or something.
I try to use the OOC command preemptively with situations like that.
As the templar is dragging you to questioning or whatnot, it might be better to...
OOC: Just fyi, I'll be needing to wrap this up in about 45 to an hour, I have shit to do in The Real Life.
Rather than waiting until you're falling asleep at your computer and going...
OOC: Okay I gotta log right this second.
If all else (like posting your play times) fails, a brief OOC is fine.
>OOC Sorry to rush off, but I really need to log out in 15 minutes. Thanks.
Ten or fifteen minutes is usually enough for their PC to pass on any essential information, while not being so much time that it will seriously mess up your sleep schedule. Then you need to run a timer (or just keep track of the time) and be prepared to actually leave when you said you would leave. Otherwise they may assume you have changed your mind.
If you are lucky your IC employer will pretend that they don't have much time to talk to you, or will give you a gracious way to leave the scene by telling your PC to go do something.
If you are not so lucky and the other PC doesn't give yours an easy out, then you need to think up a not-too-lame IC excuse to leave. Maybe an NPC superior needs to see you, maybe your vNPC mom needs to see you, you are sick or you were injured sparring earlier and need to rest, you need to go over-see a vNPC underling, (good help is so hard to find) you need to go check on a shipment or order, etc. What makes a reasonable IC excuse depends on your situation, and what PCs you are trying to get away from. It is worthwhile to think of a few good excuses ahead of time (during downtime, when taking a bathroom break, etc.). That way when your 15 minutes (or however long you said) is up you can quickly get the OOC and IC excuses out together.
>OOC Sorry guys, I've got to go.
>say Ah shet, Amos says the new cook burned supper and is freaking out. I better go make sure the fool doesn't burn down the kitchen. If you'll excuse me.
>em bows to ~blue and heads for the door.
At this point even a fairly clueless player should get the hint that you need go NOW. If they try to give you trouble IC, then the other player is just being a jerk. Screw 'em.
If you have the ability, start a clan-wide IC code for "I need to log off now" that gives passable authority to the excuse. For example, if part of the militia, your excuse for not jumping at your boss's orders might be, "I need to go on wall duty," whereas if you're an independent hunter, "The cook needs me to help in the kitchens." This also allows you, if necessary, to establish degrees of urgency. If he really, really needs you for a very short period of time, your boss might ask, (or say, depending) "Can't you tell the wall sergeant you'll be an hour late?" and you can either accede or respond with something like, "No; last time I did that he tanned my hide, and he didn't seem to care you were High Templar Hardnose; can you talk to him?"
If you have time to think about and use IC explanation, I think almost every is fine. I often blame my VNPC children/parents/mate/subordinates/Sergeant/whatever. But there are times I simply need to log out right now or I want to warn people I will have to log out in twenty minutes - and then I got for OOC command.
(Once I managed to mix IC command and OOC information together, because I was really tired and the irl thing was throwing me in kind of panic (my dog came in the room bleeding, because my cat managed to cut its ear. It looked terrible, much worse then it was). I felt kind of guilty for it, but I am sure that involved people understood.)
Move to Canada, with a better time zone?
I'd use OOC, too.
I usually just use the "kill" command... that seems to end things rather quickly.
Otherwise I might give them a few minutes to talk to me about whatever they need to discuss. Dude, if you gotta go then you gotta go.
Quote from: Angela Christine on April 30, 2008, 11:32:25 PM
>OOC Sorry to rush off, but I really need to log out in 15 minutes. Thanks.
Ten or fifteen minutes is usually enough for their PC to pass on any essential information, while not being so much time that it will seriously mess up your sleep schedule. Then you need to run a timer (or just keep track of the time) and be prepared to actually leave when you said you would leave. Otherwise they may assume you have changed your mind.
There's your answer.
You could also just make it a habit to log off half an hour before you actually need to wander to bed. Gives you extra leeway in case something really important comes up in your 'last five minutes', gives you time to do a really thorough brushing of teeth, reading of book, snuggling of the SigOth, or whatever else it is you do when you go to bed.
I usually try to log off half an hour before I have to actually leave for work for that reason.
Quote from: Shiroi Tsuki on May 02, 2008, 07:50:18 AM
You could also just make it a habit to log off half an hour before you actually need to wander to bed. Gives you extra leeway in case something really important comes up in your 'last five minutes', gives you time to do a really thorough brushing of teeth, reading of book, snuggling of the SigOth, or whatever else it is you do when you go to bed.
I usually try to log off half an hour before I have to actually leave for work for that reason.
Yeah, I kinda live on the half-hour rule as well. It works for me. If your playtimes are odd, I'd make an effort to contact your clan immortal to inform them, or post it on your clan's board.