How to Roleplay: OOC

How to Roleplay is a three part series that's intended to teach the reader how to roleplay.

Contrary to popular belief, roleplaying takes place both in-character (IC), and out-of-character (OOC).

How you act OOC is a VERY important part of your life as a roleplayer, because those actions may make a lasting impression. So what does it mean to be OOC? Well to be out-of-character, it means that the player is talking as themselves, , NOT Gatrog Grimtooth. Typically, OOC is symbolized by double brackets ((message here)). These brackets will become a key tool in your roleplaying arsenal, and if you want to establish yourself as a good roleplayer, being able to distinguish between IC and OOC is a must.

Now, where should you use OOC? The best places to talk OOC are in either a whisper, or a designated chat channel. (For the most part, Trade, General, LocalDefense etc. are always OOC.) Your guild may not allow you to talk OOC in your guild chat, so perhaps they have a separate channel, for example /join GuildOOC. In that channel, you can talk OOC without using brackets. You can do that, because it's already been asserted that the channel is for OOC chat. However, in channels such as whisper, say, or yell you should ALWAYS use brackets because many people will be roleplaying in them, and if you say "lol wut a nub" in the channel without brackets, people will think you're just a griefer (a term we'll discuss in a later post) and possibly put you on ignore.

As a roleplayer, knowing when to talk OOC, how to talk OOC, and where to talk OOC, are all important skills in establishing yourself as a knowledgeable, skilled roleplayer. If you can't OOC correctly, no one will expect you to talk IC correctly. So show some initiative, learn to OOC, and become a better roleplayer! Everyone will appreciate your skills even more when you impress them with your fancy new brackets (( )).

-Gatrog