Even if most of us are experienced, veteran roleplayers, whether it be on Conan or any other game, it is important to keep in mind that a roleplay community makes or breaks the server we all play on. While you may not think you need to read this, we strongly advise you do; maybe you’ll take some time to consider a few things or perhaps you’ll already know all of this! Even so, a refresher does no harm and this channel is here for you, the players, to refer to and use as a guideline on how to act, what to keep in mind both in-character and out-of-character with the community. We may not have everything included and if you have suggestions to add here, please let us know!
Don’t be a cunt
Need I say more? While it is easy to hide behind a screen and toss insults or attitude towards fellow players or staff, doing so will simply be detrimental to everyone involved, you included. Be kind, be respectful in how you talk to others for it fosters kindness and respect in return. Being abrasive, being rude, being a bully or being passive-aggressive will be met with the appropriate response from your community and staff. We’re all humans behind the screens, we mess up sometimes, we get angry, we say bad things too but the best you can do is acknowledge your mistakes, your bad actions and move on- And to keep in mind others will do so too!
This also goes to the respect of rules, of the code of conduct, of the discord community and everything else in your life (even in your REAL life)!
Avoid mixing up your emotions, separate the game from reality
Being invested in your character is totally and utterly normal. Being a roleplayer means you escape a part of reality to immerse yourself in another setting and by doing so, it is easy to get lost within this fantastic universe. Suffering a loss, a defeat, anything negative can get to your nerves and emotions; that is understandable. Whatever happens while in-game is not a reflection of your real life, it is good to take a step back should you find yourself getting upset or overwhelmed by in-character events. There is no shame in taking a small break to regain your stability, your drive to roleplay or anything that means taking care of yourself! See #how-to-deal-with-pd for further advice on that subject.
While you may feel disgruntled, upset, sad, angry to certain events happening in Conan, those emotions should not be impacting the on-going roleplay or how you see other players. It is of utmost importance to grow a thicker skin, to be able to distinguish what are impulsive emotions from what should be the real emotions in-character. If someone is mean to your character, they are not mean to you out-of-character. If someone wants to fight your character, they do not mean it personally. Create this divide that a character is to be enjoyed while it lasts, embrace whatever may happen and take breaks if you need.
Recognize the effects of an echo chamber and of rumors
Venting to friends, expressing sorrow or anger is part of being human. When something happens, it is only understandable to reach out to friends to release some of those emotions. Stated in our code of conduct, players can only speak from their personal experience and that is for a very good reason; it is easy to get swayed into a negative mindset when someone only speaks negatively of one or many situations. Being influenced by the irritation and anger of a close one is normal but much like the point above, you must be able to discern their feelings from your own. One perspective does not make a whole, always keep a critical eye on what situations you may be made aware of.
Being in a group that only speaks of XYZ problems, fostering a negative mindset that only grows overtime is often what becomes problematic for servers. While yes, there can be bad things happening and unfairness, we strive to rectify and correct it to the best of our capabilities; but players must do their part as well. An echo chamber creates rumors, which then spread within the community, growing in gravity even if the situation that stemmed them has been handled or if they’ve been spread over falsehoods. As a player, it is where your critical thinking comes into play; not everyone you speak to knows everything about the subject. There are a lot of faces to every conflict, some you will never know so it is best you reserve your judgment to something you will personally live than to amplify what you have simply heard of.
Offering a steady, comforting shoulder to a friend who may be feeling under the weather is warranted and encouraged, simply try to avoid feeding the negatives. Trust me, everyone will feel better!
Communicate effectively
As a text-based roleplay community, we should all be able to write down how we feel in an effective and straight-forward manner. We’re also all adults and should be able to manage speaking to others even when it may get more rocky! There are appropriate ways and time to communicate, to explain your way of thinking and emotions, you should never hesitate to reach out to either staff or fellow players to clear up the air rather than letting it fester. Changing your mind does happen, even if you said yes at first and are not sure anymore, you can certainly communicate the explanation and train of thoughts that caused this shift in decision; just keep in mind that being respectful and kind goes a long way than getting aggressive and angry… Even when things may not go the way you were hoping.
Immersion and proper emotes
For the sake of immersion, it is very important to have proper grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure. Putting care into your writing will go a long way for player involvement and the quality of the server. One liners are okay when they are explanatory enough for the on-going roleplay but you should always strive to be both descriptive and concise; straight and short one liners are often dull and fall short when it comes to roleplay, however. Same goes for multi-paragraph emotes, those are best reserved for smaller roleplay groups since they often flood and take over the chat window. They are appropriate in certain situations, however they often come with thought-posting or overly descriptive words which grants very little roleplay sustenance. Make sure you find your middle ground!
Take your time to read the emotes and answer properly
Certain scenes can get rapidly overwhelming if there are too many involved, however it is important to read the emotes (especially in smaller groups or in private roleplay) and to answer accordingly. Thought posting does not warrant an answer as it often is information that should not be known by a character in-game but all of the rest? Remember that each player is there to enhance and continue your own story, so take them seriously and give them as much attention as they give you for the best collaborative writing experience.
Being engaging and engaged
At Black Colossus we strive to have an involved, active community. We try our best with events, storylines, an overarching story to each season and more. As a roleplayer, it is up to you to go out, to engage with events and with other players. To be involved, to be seen around the map, to further happenings from both staff and players. This is why we play as a community. In a lot of situations, this may mean putting your character at risk but you’ll find that the more you take risks, the more fun you should have! Should you decide to play more of a ‘bad’ character, strive to instigate conflict, to create turmoil within clans and players. Should you decide to play a ‘good’ character, chase the bad ones, face the conflict, help others. Each player holds an important role on the server if they get themselves involved and engaged with both the community and staff!
The roles of PvP and ERP
Both types of roleplay are tools for the bigger collaborative story that is being written. While you may enjoy one or both more than ‘casual’ roleplay, it is important to remember that they don’t usually offer a lot of sustenance for those that are not involved directly in them; and such they are not everything there is to roleplay as a whole.
PvP is a scary part of roleplay, especially if you are not particularly good, so it is indeed vital to remember the weight it has in the balance of server health; using it to strong arm, to intimidate or to constantly overpower others can be detrimental, to the cost of the community as a whole. At the same time, it is PvP that brings a real sense of danger and of thrill to this dark and dangerous setting which we strive to reach as a server. Remember that while it is scary and dangerous, it is a tool to further the sense of conflict and consequences.
ERP can be a goal, a motive or a tendency your character has but in most cases it should not be something that makes a character falter or go rogue. Certain players can have a tendency to forsake the bigger plot, a clan, friends and allies for the pursuit of ERP. While it is in your right to do so, in some cases this can be considered poor storytelling with very little reasoning to actions taken aside from the sexual nature of the roleplay they seek. In the bigger scheme of things, a character should prefer being with kin, with friends, with allies, with family than a renegade, volatile partner. Of course, there are deities, religions that are based off of sexual tenets and sexuality itself is part of the universe so it is warranted a proper place within the setting; simply remember that it is not all there is to it!
Both tools are there for you to use, just keep in mind your character and the community! Every case is different, much like the players behind the characters. It is up to you to see how they align with your own preferences!
Continuations and endings
As roleplayers, we must be able to accept when a story has come to an end. You are, of course, entitled to your own emotions and view of the situation; but your own perspective does not mean it is the whole of the story. Black Colossus is set in an universe that crawls with human and not-so-human dangers, consequences and death. Death does not mean a full stop; but a break. We encourage people to seek alternatives if there is leeway within your character’s mind to let someone live as conflict is what makes for interesting and engaging plot lines for more than one character. Stopping a conflict or a danger whenever you can by imposing death when you can after following the rules is allowed but sometimes it feels better to prolong it, if only for another encounter. We’re happy to offer alternatives to permadeath that you can find in #consequences-and-injury.
But sometimes a story has run its course. Death is a break, not an end. Dead characters are often talked about throughout a whole season, depending on their actions and how involved they were; that in itself is so gratifying as a roleplayer to see and hear of the impact. While you may receive a death that makes you sad or perhaps frustrated, it does not mean it was a bad or unlawful death. As we preach, learn to embrace the character while it lives and while it dies because that is exactly how the community goes on; if no one ever dies, there are no dangers, no conflicts, no heroic deed, no macabre character. Be respectful to the killed or to the killer, give every player a chance to live or to die in a great way.
Alternatives to deaths
While we would never remove the true, gritty feeling of a dead character, we want to inspire you with a few possible options to use when you feel the other player deserves some continuity in their roleplay. It is vital to remember that squashing a threat immediately often falls short, unless properly warranted! Coming onto someone with overwhelming, unnecessary force OR a premature, rushed death is often the cause of the irritation and disgruntlement associated with Permadeath; which is important to consider as a player on either the giving or receiving end. Here are certain options to keep in mind if ever in situations where consequences should, at the very least, be dire;
Leaving someone for dead with a deadly or severe injury without rolling any ability, simply for roleplay sake
Using the Death Strike, which will be explained in #consequences-and-injuries
Consider taking them captive or as a slave, if only for a brief amount of time as a show of your power and prowess
Use torture and mutilation to teach a lesson; of course following the consent rules of these. As the player being caught, understand that while it may be dire, mutilation and torture can often take the place of a certain death and so, consider carefully what can be done. Fade to black is always available.
A momentary lapse in judgment brought by reasonable conditions surrounding your character
We’re happy to help people who may need more inspiration and to help the victims get back on their feet, but at the end of the day, the Conan universe is unforgiving, harsh and cruel. Death is an immense part of it and should always be accepted on any and all characters you may play; even a temporary story is worth playing.
Positive consequences in Roleplay
Whilst it is easy to focus on the bad, keep in mind that good actions and behavior should be acknowledged as well! It is indeed easier to inflict negative consequences but it’s always good to have reminders for our players to keep in mind in their roleplay ventures, wherever that may bring them. Here are some examples of what ‘good’ consequences could be, always depending on whoever your character is, whoever is receiving it, the circumstances around the situation and such. But here are some ideas, should they be relevant to you, or inspire your own outcomes.
A promotion in a player’s statuses within your own ranks after certain achievements
Letters of thanks to whoever may have been involved in your trading business or significant roleplay
Increase in pay, reward in gold or other precious items for significant actions or words
Mostly flavor roleplay items such as a handcrafted item, a weapon, a tool
The spread of positive news to other players, sharing heroic deeds and good acts
Monetary rewards, items, resources
Dedication of a room to X player’s name
Noticeboard posts about actions and deeds of other players
Alliances forged through aligning morals, behavior and deeds creating a bigger alliance (Now for good or bad… That is up to you!)
All in all, remember to acknowledge as much good as you can, as consequences englobe positivity as it does negativity.
