Roleplay

Roleplay at Oost West is entirely optional. We love that SL allows us to live our fantasies, but we also take pride in Oost West allowing us to be ourselves – sometimes, we don’t all share that same RL freedom.

So whether you want to relax with your friends in a casual setting, or you want to use our public spaces to indulge in fantasy, character-based scenes, you’re welcome. Just ensure everyone you’re with is on the same page!

If you’re an experienced or expert role-player, please bear in mind that Oost West is a space where people may be at different levels. This isn’t a place that’s dedicated to serious roleplay – we’re about having fun and freedom first and foremost, so take things easy and respect (even mentor) your playmates… and remember, this is an ADULTS ONLY region where adult-themed activity takes place, sometimes in private, sometimes in public. You’re responsible for knowing your limits!

For beginners, there are some basic roleplay do’s and don’ts so help everyone have a good time.

1: IC vs OOC.
IC = “In Character” and OOC = “Out of Character”.
In a roleplay scene, everything you say and do in local chat is generally IC. If you need to communicate with a partner OOC, do this via an IM. If you need to make a group aware of something that is OOC in local chat, Do this using double brackets: OOC ((Hey guys, your pants are still on – are they supposed to be there?))

Just remember not to mix the two.

2: Emoting
When you go to perform an action in a roleplay scene, type /me in front of the action.
Using this as a command in local chat (e.g. “/me says hey.”) will read as an ’emote’ or action (It will look like “Oost Bear says hey.”, but with your display name there of course!) This is the basis of emoting, which is the most direct contribution to the immersion of a scene.

3: God
Only God (and Santa) see us when we’re sleeping and know when we’re awake. Basically, you’re not them… so even though you can read a profile or know the background of the ‘character’ you’re in a scene with, your own ‘character’ has to learn that info in a roleplay for themselves. Training ourselves out of ‘knowing too much’ comes with experience.

4: Negotiate
Finally, and most importantly, negotiate. Maybe your scene isn’t that difficult. Maybe you’re not ‘characters’ but roleplaying as yourselves. It’s totally up to you. Just remember, communicate and negotiate and everyone stays happy.

There are lots of handy guides to roleplay all over Second Life, and regular classes too. If it’s something you’ve always been interested in, Oost West could be a safe and fun place to practice. Ranger Kere Delcon is our resident expert on roleplay. Feel free to get in touch with him if you have questions or need advice.