Playing the Guard

[Eonwind]

I can agree with many things Taya is pointing out and trying to figure out a "technical" solution (which by no means will solve the problem of how people OOCly deal with other players role-playing guards of ICly fake guards) I can propose to add the city guards to a guild like: the "Ochtarcal's Guard" guild, this way it will be clear no player can play a guard and a GM guard can always have its char added to the guild. At the same time normal players can be something like a guard but not being part of them their jurisdiction is somehow limited within the city wall. I hope this help.

[Volki]

Eonwind, do you mean that players would be able to play guards, yet they would be limited to lower ranks, giving them less authority? If that is the case, ICly, what would a player guard be able to do?

[Eonwind]

yes and no, I'm thinking more like a "vigilantes" or "investigators" with no authority (jurisdiction) within the city border. The point was more like clarifying who has jurisdiction inside the city in the hope less concern are raised during RP. Unfortunately this will not be able to totally address the issue anyway.

[Volki]

Well, I wouldn't go with vigilantes since the very definition means players would have to create them on their own. Investigators would be interesting, though. They would not have any authority like guards would, but they could make official reports to guards. Assuming GMs are willing to roleplay.

[cdmoreland]

What about exchanging a favor for a favor?

Ie. You be my spy, apprentice, or friend, whatever  and I'll cover your ass.

I have done it, for the most part, for free, but almost all new players need protection from or escorted around the mobs. It is very time consuming to run someone around like that. Those that want can join the guild for help, but many do not understand guilds when they first start.

[Taya]

To me it really just feels like telling players they can't RP guards because guards are GMs is a confusion of IC and OOC. If a player 'guard' doesn't have any special powers by mechanics (which I believe they should not), then they can't really abuse their IC positions of authority as, just as with any other IC position of authority that is open for them to play, other players have to choose to respond to their RP and 'obey' them.

There shouldn't need to be any technical solution as it would already be impossible for anyone who knows the game to mistake a player guard for an actual GM. (Guild name, label colour). And if someone doesn't know the game very well yet, then they probably have no preconceived notion that guard = GM anyway.

It's not really a big issue to me either way, but it's just a thing that's always seemed 'wrong' to me. Might be because before I RPed here, everywhere else I RPed left these kinds of roles open to players and there was never any problem due to it.

[Volki]

Might be because before I RPed here, everywhere else I RPed left these kinds of roles open to players and there was never any problem due to it.

Definitely this.

[bloodedIrishman]

Players help each other ICly already. It's also why players form Orders like the Adani, for example. Or the Warriors. Rigwyn is also right.

[gonger]

Where is Gonger when you need him? 

Well, I never played a guard, but on several occasions RPed someone working with the guard (e.g. Sarva), if that's what you mean. Otherwise I can only assume that you miss my charming personality... 

[Eardstapa]

If there were more/more active GMs who did actually RP outside of events then it would probably be a non-issue, but there's a problem when RP heads in a direction that would realistically demand a guard's involvement but then no one can play the guard. You can tiptoe around the issue and invent excuses for why the guards didn't show up, but after a while it can be a bit of an RP breaker and bleeds away the chance to 'believe' in the setting. And to simply avoid any RP at all that might need a guard..? To me that feels like a huge limitation.

yes, and i'll add that several guard/official player-characters i know of came into being precisely to fill those gaps and make it fun in that we didn't have to 'RP with myself' (which is kind of what it is, when you have to assume the NPCs are doing their thing, versus having an interactive character to further the RP. a 'good-guys' guild is not always enough, especially if your character wasn't engaging good-guys, exactly, but the octarchy or the law or the religious authorities etc). as far as i can tell, this kind of 'playing the guard' has been done successfully in several instances with player consent, no complaints.

i can see and support the point that others are making about not confusing IC and OOC. cases of abuse should occasion OOC intervention through the usual GM avenues, but i hope no GM plays a guard or octarch at all just to ban someone for, say, botting or cybering. sure, a GM-guard/octarch is empowered in a way that an ordinary player isn't to stop an RP that although IC, is OOCly exploitative e.g. the Hydlaa Tax Collectors -- what the offending players are doing then no longer qualifies as valid RP. but in all valid, non-abuse cases of RP, why shouldn't ANY role be free for players to roleplay based on player acceptance? we are not actually asking for deus ex machina solutions or powers, after all - it's just roleplay.

[MishkaL1138]

I remember Mishka dressed up as an Enkidukai Alliance guard once or something, lol. She scared the hell out of some evildoer with her neutering swords.

[Roled]

Actually a bunch of us ancient and midbies do help new players often, guiding them, giving them some extra tria or a blade, helping them figure out quests, etc.

Its not organized though we tried once to do that, like a welcome wagon. Now it's sporadic.

I wonder if somehow new players could petition for a MENTOR for a day or play session and one of us old coots could plan on doing that with new player who would like that kind of help?

[bloodedIrishman]

I normally answer questions, give tria, directions and refer them to more knowledgeable helpers like Roled or Kyyjunuut. Lol 

[Rigwyn]

I wonder if somehow new players could petition for a MENTOR for a day or play session and one of us old coots could plan on doing that with new player who would like that kind of help?

That's not a bad idea. You could put an ooc note in a book or something... maybe make a forum post about it.