ArmageddonMUD OOC Communication

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OOC, or "Out of Character" communication should be used sparingly both in and outside the game. For information on how it should be used in the game, see the helpfile OOC.

Outside the game, we ask that you not use OOC communication in a way that is not fair to your fellow players. Here are some examples of acceptable vs. unacceptable OOC communication:

Acceptable OOC Communication		Unacceptable OOC Communication
Communicating with someone in order to coordinate playing times. Communicating with someone to arrange circumstances, such as playing a character's relative. Communicating with someone in order to teach a new player the game. Passing along information contained in the general documentation. Giving people links to documentation on the public website. Getting on the IRC channel to talk about movie reviews. Or your pets. Or coffee. Or any number of non-game-related things. Sending in character logs to be posted in the roleplaying section of the site.		Communicating with someone to arrange for them to loot your corpse. Communicating outside of the game to make arrangements like clan policy or assassinations. These should be discussed in the game. Using IM to coordinate play. i.e. using it to say something like "I'm in Flint's" when that information could be conveyed in game via the Way. Passing along information or documentation about a clan gathered from previously playing in it. Passing along information or documentation gathered while on staff, or through other privileged access to the documentation. Getting on IRC, IM, email, or whatever else to discuss living characters in the game. Forming alternate chat rooms or message boards to exchange information about the game that you know the staff does not want spread. Sending uncleared logs to other people. Pasting a log, line by line, into the IRC channel.

These rules exist for a number of reasons, including:

• It is unfair to other players when arrangements affecting them are made outside the game. They have no chance to find out or react.
• It is unfair to other players to spoil their enjoyment of the game by passing along game secrets that would be more fun to discover in person.
• It is unfair to other players to use information that you got by cheating, rather than by IC means.
• It is unfair to the staff to create more work for them by acting on erroneous assumptions without checking those assumptions. For example, in clan policy arrangements, higher-up NPCs may have much to say.
• It is unfair to the staff to create unnecessary work for them in the form of investigating and arbitrating complaints.
• It is unfair to both the staff and other players to reveal information about plotlines that spoils them.

Common sense is your best guide when deciding what is and isn't acceptable, OOCly. If you don't know, feel free to drop an email to the mud account detailing the circumstances, and someone can let you know where the circumstances you describe fall on the continuum of OOC activities.

If we feel your OOC activities are excessive and damaging to the game, you will be warned the first time. The second time, you will be banned from the game. The staff has put a lot of time and effort into the game, and have extended you the courtesy of maintaining the game at our own expense for your enjoyment. Please extend us the same degree of courtesy in playing by our rules. Thanks.