Hey everyone!!

I wanted to write up this thread in an attempt to help my fellow roleplayers and gang members in Dead End. I have been noticing a trend of borderline metagaming and powergaming during scenes, and I think maybe some stuff should just be clarified, and that it might be best if we all can have a conversation together about fight roleplay, and other types of scenes.

Though everyone can benefit from this information, I feel that it is extremely imperative that those involved in factions take the time to check out the information since they are usually involved in many scenes where it is easy to meta and powergame.

Being in a gang, there will be a lot of violent role play in addition to some intense fights… and I mean INTENSE. This can sometimes bring some members into an adrenaline rush of their own, or sometimes it can bring out the competitive side of us.

When it comes to these fights, please keep them clean- we understand that we all want to be winners, but always try to be mindful of playing fair. This information is going off of Dead End’s very own guide so if you choose not to comply, you risk not only getting reported for breaking rules, but you also run the chance of pushing away fellow role players.

With that being said, we are all only human; we make mistakes. If you are in a scene and there seems to be a role player breaking the rules with you, just give them a friendly heads up.

No need for attitude or to take offense, sometimes it is an accident and most of the time role players are willing to learn from the experience.

If they respond in a way where they know they are clearly breaking the rules (or if you aren’t sure) forward the concern to any of the mentors/moderators. If it must but addressed by an Admin/GM we can ensure that happens.

Do not feel that you have to play out a scene with a powergamer or metagamer. You have the right as a role player to void the scene if your fellow role players are choosing to not play fair.

Thanks to Andi, Bob, and Thomas for helping me compile this information for you.

We will start with the basics-

Power gaming (via the DE Guide):

“If one attacks without any social interaction, uses excessive force, or post the result of an attack on another character, then they are powergaming. Besides losing respect from other players, if reported, the offenders may find themselves ejected from groups and banned.”

What this means:

1. Always “attempt.” You don’t smack the hobo with the pipe; you ATTEMPT to smack the hobo with the pipe. You don’t kick somebody in the face, you swing your leg up TOWARD their face with an ATTEMPT to kick it, and then that fellow roleplayer gets to decide if they want to take a chance and dodge that kick or if they want to take the hit. Otherwise, you are powergaming them.

2. Just because you have a chance to dodge something, doesn’t mean you should dodge every single hit and then expect for them to take all of your hits. If you are refusing to take hits but using total aggression to attack that other person you are powergaming. Keep it realistic. If you are dodging, make sure that if this situation were going on in real life, it would realistically be possible to play it out that way, otherwise you are forcing the fellow roleplayer to lose... and that isn’t fair because ANYONE can dodge a hit now can’t they?

3. Weapons; let’s keep this simple. If you are using a knife or a tazor and it isn’t already in your hand then you must unsheathe it in its own post, and then you can attack in the second post. If someone pulls a knife on you at the bar, you can’t whip your knife out and stab them in one post… that would be powergaming. You would post whipping it out, and THEN after they respond you would use your weapon in the following post. Everyone needs to get a fair shot to take hits.

4. If you are trying to get out of a scene or get away from someone, do it realistically. You can’t go jumping off a 5 story building and magically survive, you can’t jump off a bridge and not have to be hospitalized… put some thought behind your escape so you don’t insult the other role players. Sometimes there is no escape. If you do the crime, you pay the time.

Meta gaming (via the DE Guide):

“Metagaming occurs when a player uses knowledge their character would not be privy to (obtained through OOC means) and uses it during in-character role-play to alter outcomes in a scene or storyline in their favor. A common example of this violation is to read an avatar name and use that name in-character to address someone. Unless your character actually met this other character or had knowledge of them through role-play, there is no possible way your character would have known their name (the same goes for character background, history, and any other life detail that has not been role-played out).”

What this means is:

1. If you are in a fight, or whatever the scenario, and you need help you must IC text or call for your backup. If they’re down the road enough ways you can even shout. This means if someone has you pinned on the ground and is punching your face in; you obviously wouldn’t send an IC text through an IM at the same time. That wouldn’t even make sense. You also should not send them an IM OOCly and tell them to just meet you there, especially after filling them in on the whole situation OOC. That is metagaming and it surely is not fair for the role players who are roleplaying by the rules.

2. If you’re character doesn’t know another character, but they heard something about them OOC, unless someone actually informed you of that information IC, you shouldn’t pretend to know that about the person. That is like meeting someone in the grocery store for the first time and saying, “Oh how is your boyfriend Rob doing, I heard he was in the slammer.” Obviously that wouldn’t happen unless someone actually told you that beforehand… now if you are stalking the person then you obviously would get to learn information on them and that would be more excusable.

3. If you are in a faction and only OOCly hear your rival gang is going to attack your gang, and you tell your gang ICly so they can prep or expect it, that is metagaming.

If you have any questions in reference to whether a particular action is powergaming or metagaming feel free to ask in this thread and you will be sure to get your questions answered. By posting it in this thread rather than messaging us directly, you have a chance to help someone else who may have been confused on that topic as well.

Please refrain from calling out other roleplayers. This thread is a chance to better ourselves as roleplayers and to create enjoyable roleplay scenes for all of us in the future. We don’t need to name those who might have made mistakes. If you do have an actual complaint about a metagamer or powergamer that you would like to be addressed please contact me, or any other moderator in-world and we will be happy to address it privately and appropriately.

Lastly, I wanted to just bring something up here. It seems there tends to be some confusion when it comes to voiding people from scenes.

Voiding scenes:

This is something that we hopefully never have to do, but just an FYI: YOU cannot void another player from a scene for metagaming or powergaming. You either would void yourself from being there, OR contact a moderator and they would move forward with the concern.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this! I put a lot of thought and time into compiling this together for you guys =] I really look forward to at least scratching the surface with peoples’ questions.

PS: Don’t forget! Andi and Bob hold OOC combat classes every month. Be sure to check out the events calendar on the Dead End website for the next session. Talk about a good way to build your fighting skills in roleplay!!