"Calling for Reinforcements"

[Terant]

It's a phrase I've heard a lot recently, especially in regards to the recent Ashenvale Horde vs. Kaldorei RP that's been sprouting up over the past week or so. What is Calling for Reinforcements, exactly? Well, it's when you OOCly say in LFG, Chat, Barrenschat, or any other public OOC channel that you're involved in some kind of open fight RP. The most common way I've seen it is in either Chat or Barrenschat, and it looks something like "Lol, my [Insert Race Here] getting his ass kicked in [Insert Zone Here] by [Insert Enemy Here]! XD"

This post looks innocent enough, but it's considered by a lot of people to be metagaming. How so? Well, when someone makes a post like this, what they're really asking (most of the time) is "Hey! Get on your [Friendly Race] and help me out so my character doesn't have to face the consequences for his actions!" It's an OOC action that has IC consequences, such as 10 extra Horde/Alliance (depending on the situation) running into, say, Terokkar when they were in Ratchet or Stormwind a minute ago and would never go there!

Even if this isn't your original intent, it's what it comes off as to other people, and it's what ultimately ends up happening most of the time. So please, watch what you're posting in public channels. Ask yourself if what you're saying OOCly could affect what's happening ICly, and if you think it might, then please don't say it. A solution could even be as simple as wording your post differently.

Thank you. /end TeRANT

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sorry if this makes absolute 0 sense, as it's about time for me to go to sleep!

[Anski]

It would be perfectly OK for people to call to arms if someone isn't actually engaged in battle, but if you are in a fight with other players you cannot by any OOC means call for help. It's clear and straightforward metagaming and those found doing it will suffer the consequences for their OOC actions with OOC punishment.

[Terant]

It would be perfectly OK for people to call to arms if someone isn't actually engaged in battle, but if you are in a fight with other players you cannot by any OOC means call for help. It's clear and straightforward metagaming and those found doing it will suffer the consequences for their OOC actions with OOC punishment.

Yes, it's fine to call for RP and such when you're not in a battle, even if it's in preparation for one. I meant when someone's in a fight, especially if it's 2 vs. 5 or something like that and the 2 went in willingly, knowing exactly what they were getting into, then it is metagaming even if the post doesn't explicitly call for help.

[Azheron]

Gah.

I hate this happening.

I will report it from now on, and I've done it once myself too. I realized it after, and never will again. Guehh.

It is so damn annoying, seriously. It's also happened in /whispers.

Seriously, this is not what happens in war. If you're about to lose, you aren't going to /w Buddy for help.

So, please don't do this.

[Piken]

I agree with this 100%, as it -is- metagaming, which is very against the rules. Especially when people head into whatever RP not only knowing, but -planning- on getting into a fight, even if the odds are heavily against you. Now.. if you want to take the chance of getting your character slaughtered by the opposing force, or whatever it may be, more power to you. But when you start to lose, or you see things are bad, don't start broadcasting it in public channels.. Even if you're not 'asking' and just 'informing' people what's happening to your character at random, it still gives people the urge to get on and be like "oh man who's starting a fight!" and then everything just goes downhill. IMO, RP that's started/obtained through any type of metagaming like that just loses its quality. So please. If -you- choose to get your character into trouble, don't suddenly try and rally people to help by OOC means. Not only is it against the rules, but it just degrades the RP itself into becoming a huge cluster-eff of people coming from both sides.

Sorry if that was a bit mean, but.. it really gets annoying. Especially when people aren't trying to have any PvP RP, and it still gets turned into that because a couple people want blood. :/

/rant off

[Etmosril]

/end TeRANT

lol, 'TeRANT'. Your name assumed a new and deeper meaning after I read that post.

I have noticed it a lot recently. To be honest, I just ignore/laugh silently at it. If you don't involve yourself, the people in the situation will proceed to be ICly ganked and they will learn not to ask for help OOCly (or they might read this thread).

It's probably the best way for them to learn.

[Piken]

That's not really a good way to go about it, IMO, because sometimes 'reinforcements' will be called and be complete overkill and then next thing you know a small fight becomes a big skirmish, and everything gets blown out of proportion with one(or possibly both) sides losing characters because of metagaming and that's not cool at all.

[Benislav]

It's just not what would happen. I think that if you're going into dangerous territory, sure, /w a buddy and ask them to tag along, but doing so in the actual midst of combat is metagaming in full. It's also unfair. Ic, you can't just call a buddy in (provided, of course that they're not with you already) to fight. Don't.