When your victim asks to quit.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Let's say your wandering around the wastelands and you see some guy whose day you might like to ruin.  So you stalk him, corner him subdue him.  And he immediately OOCs saying he was about to quit.

This happened and I just made an excuse and let the poor guy go, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with him and I didn't have any personal stake in killing him, and hadn't yet decided that I wanted to do it.

I also considered just wasting him right there, he'd be free to go to sleep or whatever all the same and hey, my character's just psychotic enough that I might do it.

What would you do though?

[Synthesis]

Give them the benefit of the doubt, always.

Only a newb would pull that to intentionally avoid negative consequences, and they'll eventually learn better.

[Gimfalisette]

What Syn said.

[Attana]

Ditto on the two previous posts.

Sometimes when you need to go you need to go.  RL takes precedence over the game and if someone calls the RL card, the least a raider/near killer could do is give them the benefit of the doubt and let them go.  Who knows, you might run into them again another day.  Or perhaps your character might find even tastier prey.

[jhunter]

Yeah, I pretty much agree with what everyone else said. Sometimes it's just bad timing. If they are some newb trying to do that to get out of dying, they will get nailed for it or learn better on their own.

[Pale Horse]

Weighing in with everyone else.  Give them the benefit of the doubt, even if you are suspicious.  It might be exactly what you think it is, a ploy to keep their character alive, but it might genuinely be true.

Those who abuse the quit command to get out of sticky situations tend to get caught by or reported to, Staff, and dealt with.

[Lizzie]

In my experience, it's always been a good policy to inform the staff whenever you kill a PC.

Considering that this -could- have resulted in a PK, had the player not "played the RL card," I would recommend what everyone else has said - give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but ALSO e-mail your clan imm/unclan imm, to let them know that "so-and-so would have been my latest victim however his player had to log out."

That way if this is something he's doing intentionally to avoid conflict, the staff will know there's a trend. And if he isn't, and it was a one-time thing, they'll appreciate your giving them the heads up on your intentions.

[musashi]

Give them the benefit of the doubt, always.

Only a newb would pull that to intentionally avoid negative consequences, and they'll eventually learn better.

[Rhyden]

Always give the benefit of the doubt. I once was in a quit area with my new character and someone logged in, then logged out a second later. I guess they either really didn't have time to log in to Arm, or they really didn't want to roleplay.

Let's say your wandering around the wastelands and you see some guy whose day you might like to ruin.  So you stalk him, corner him subdue him.  And he immediately OOCs saying he was about to quit.

With an attitude like this, it's no wonder a player, especially a new one, might be inclined to quit out. If you have the intentions of ruining their day, don't expect them to stick around. I think you should approach every player-to-player interaction with an open mind and attempt to offer something more than the mindset of "ruining someone's day". This isn't to say you can't raid, steal, kill, or torture someone you find out in the wastes, but I think you'll have a better chance of them sticking around if you approach the situation thinking "how can I create a fun rp scene between our two players, and potentially -make- both our days" instead of "trying to ruin their day."

This also applies if you have a character with considerable power and wish to grieve (ie, holding a player character captive for an hour of torture, etc) which usually isn't so much fun for both parties. I've seen many people use OOC tools for escaping the reality that is the game and in the end, it makes sense. If someone isn't having fun, then someone might just be logging out.

[Synthesis]

Heh.  I've heard of some raiders taking so long that their victims actually dehydrated to death while they were flapping their gums.

I hope that was a true story, because it's fucking hilarious.

[LoD]

Heh.  I've heard of some raiders taking so long that their victims actually dehydrated to death while they were flapping their gums.

I hope that was a true story, because it's fucking hilarious.

Pacing back and forth, the man in the black leather mask says, in sirihish:
   "Moving on to section 7, subsection 7A under Methods of Approved Travel, victim and persons related to, employed by, or in cohorts with victim, shall no longer travel the roadway hereby termed the "North Road" without express written permission by "Black Moon Raider Inc", unless said travel is in conjunction to a meeting demand made by the management of Black Moon Raider Inc, co-Wayed by at least two officers of said organization..."

The slender, wiry man says, in sirihish:
   "So...thirsty..."

Blinking, as if distracted, the man in the black leather mask says, in sirihish:
   "Please, we're only on page 3 of the raider-victim post-encounter agreement, and we already covered "Pleas for Help, Food, and Water" under section 4, subsection 4A -- are you even listening?"

[EvilRoeSlade]

With an attitude like this, it's no wonder a player, especially a new one, might be inclined to quit out. If you have the intentions of ruining their day, don't expect them to stick around. I think you should approach every player-to-player interaction with an open mind and attempt to offer something more than the mindset of "ruining someone's day". This isn't to say you can't raid, steal, kill, or torture someone you find out in the wastes, but I think you'll have a better chance of them sticking around if you approach the situation thinking "how can I create a fun rp scene between our two players, and potentially -make- both our days" instead of "trying to ruin their day."

This also applies if you have a character with considerable power and wish to grieve (ie, holding a player character captive for an hour of torture, etc) which usually isn't so much fun for both parties. I've seen many people use OOC tools for escaping the reality that is the game and in the end, it makes sense. If someone isn't having fun, then someone might just be logging out.

Please.  I've been playing for seven years and I know what I'm doing.  Usually when I raid people it takes about an hour of me explaining my demands, but if I want my character to choke a bitch that's my own damn business.

[Saellyn]

Don't choke the poor man! Just lightly asphyxiate him.

[Thunkkin]

I want to be raided by LoD.

[mattrious]

I want to play with LoD.

[Qzzrbl]

I want to raid LoD.

[Synthesis]

I want to raid LoD.

That doesn't end well, trust me.

[Saellyn]

I say kill the guy and get it over with.

[Sinna]

I say kill the guy and get it over with.

This isn't a bad choice, really, if the intention was to kill the guy anyway.
You could also say "ooc: Ok, just hand over the gear and go." 

[Ender]

LoD and I once raided Synth.

[Saellyn]

... I'd rather just kill him and take his gear.

Actually I wouldn't, but you don't know that.

I'm a cuddly gortok. Really!

These teeth are fake. Ish.

[jmordetsky]

Strike first, strike hard, no mercy sir?

I saw this happen to someone recently (I was the raider, but I had "arrived" on the scene). And it I was really annoyed by it because it seemed twinkish.

However, a few months later, I was in an encounter and I really had to quit. I stayed and played it out and when things seemed okay I was like "ooc: I gotta run" then huffed it to the nearest city and quit. (Note: Would have been nice to quit right there and then ) But, had the person had more in store for me - I would have been raining on their parade.

My call - benefit of the doubt, but submit to staff for review. Because if they are doing repeatedly, that's the only way they will get caught.

[Gunnerblaster]

If it is a situation where I don't want to take your life - I'll usually just OOC and say "I'll make it quick." and ask them for their coins, emote some badassness, then flee into the distance.

If it is a situation where I want to take your life - I'll just OOC and say "I'll make it quick." I am sure you know what happens next. 

[RogueGunslinger]

What Gunnerblaster said. That's the ticket.

[Synthesis]

If it is a situation where I don't want to take your life - I'll usually just OOC and say "I'll make it quick." and ask them for their coins, emote some badassness, then flee into the distance.

If it is a situation where I want to take your life - I'll just OOC and say "I'll make it quick." I am sure you know what happens next. 

You have no idea whether you could actually get the kill done, or not.  If you do this and you aren't successful you either a) put him on the hook for another 10-15 minutes, making him late for a RL engagement, b) make him suffer through 10-15 minutes of someone bitching at him or c) get to kill him when he goes linkdead because he -really- had to go.

In short, you're being a fucking dick.