Best way to deal with OOC comments.

Caerlyr

Hi, guys. Quick question. I have an eager newbie here, but said person needs a few pointers. I'd mostly just like to know how most people deal with the likes of:

<person> says, "How would I find a room number?"

While obviously completely OOC, I'd dearly love a way to turn this into IC interaction/RP.

Thanks.

Caerlyr

<person> smiles with a wink and says, "It is a pleasure to meet you also. I have seen you around. I am trying not to bother people too much much with my noob questions."

Pl2halp!

Caerlyr

Best I came up with in the interim was this (Didn't want to leave her waiting):

You tell <person>, "Just a quick pointer for you. Using the word 'noob' is considered out of character. When you get a moment, if you might peruse over
HELP OOC, it will help you massively. As for learning, if you might kindly take a look at an excellent scroll we have available: CGHELP LEARNING. It will provide much insight. If there are any questions you have, however, please don't hesitate to ask."

Did I deal with this right? *hope*

Parua

Unfortunately, there's always a little bit of an OOC aspect when teaching true newbies, as  at some point they'll need help with mechanical stuff and for some of it, like aliases and room numbers and the like, you have to discuss it with them ooc.

Just take the really atmosphere-breaking stuff to tells, and gently as you can, direct them to HELP OOC if they are having a hard time grasping the "keep mechanical stuff private"

With a few exceptions, you can keep orientations IC for the vast majority of the learning process.

Caerlyr

Yeah. Pretty much what I did. Seems to be going well so far and I am doing the 'ask me if you need anything' thing at the moment, but regardless, yay new people!

Aerotan

Specific to room numbers, I've actually referred to them in-game as something like 'cartographic reference numbers'. Meaning that some cartographer in the Basin's distant past started assigning numbers to various spots of varying import, and that number is what shows up on maps referring to the room.

Shachar

Perhaps it's because I'm not very inventive, but I'm having a hard time posing certain questions in an IC fashion. Relieved to see not everyone is that unforgiving when a newbie accidentally messes up and breaks immersion by usage of OOC terms. I've already experienced someone blocking and/or ignoring because of this very mistake.

^ Also, Aerotan, that is pretty cleverly done!

Ennys

I really wish newbie was still accessible after 30, from a new player point of view. I didn't have a freaking clue where to ask questions like that, and felt helpless trying not to ask them IC.

Kethaera

Ennys said:

I really wish newbie was still accessible after 30, from a new player point of view. I didn't have a freaking clue where to ask questions like that, and felt helpless trying not to ask them IC.

You could ask the guides, when they're around... at least, that's what I did. But yeah, asking ooc questions is awkward.

Shaddus

There's a large amount of ways to deal with this, and unless you're rude to the player, they all have valid points. 

Caerlyr said:

<person> says, "How would I find a room number?"

While obviously completely OOC, I'd dearly love a way to turn this into IC interaction/RP.

If you're alone with the person, I'll generally just explain it. If you're in a room with other people, I'll usually use a tell, or IC, I can tell them to consult their map, and the coordinates should be listed.

Caerlyr said:

<person> smiles with a wink and says, "It is a pleasure to meet you also. I have seen you around. I am trying not to bother people too much much with my noob questions."

Pl2halp!

Roughly the same idea. If you're alone with them, let it go but gently prod them IC. If it bothers you, or if you're in a room with other people, pretend they said "newbie" and roll with it.

Riluna

Mostly what's been said, though I'd like to add that it is imperative that you do not break character yourself to respond to them. If we have euphemisms for it (or you can come up with one, Aerotan), go with that, and handle all stuff you can only do OOC in tells with flags, the way most of us already do. Though it might be wise to add that some people ignore those tells.

True newbies tend very quickly to emulate what they see, in many, many more ways than this. Show them the accepted way to handle issues like this, and they'll almost invariably follow suit. If they see you respond to a break of character with a break in yours, it starts becoming much more difficult to break that habit. Above all else, don't be militant about it, just demonstrate the way to handle it.

For IC interaction, if you simply can't find a way to bend what they're saying into something IC, handle it OOC and just move on to something else (doesn't usually matter what) that is very IC, when the opportunity arises. Throw a few custom emotes at them. The vast majority will bite, and emote right back at you.

Eodh

I just say that room numbers were assigned by the Fellowship of Explorers (the same 'people' who keep track of explorer ranks).