(( posted with permission of author ))

Date sent:      	Thu, 19 Oct 2000 08:45:29 -0700 (PDT)
From:           	The Gargoyle <gargoyle@nwlink.com>
Subject:        	[garou-st] Online RP Advice

A couple of pieces of advice, for all those who give challenges in the
Garou venue, and those who receive them: 

1. It isn't cool to have a challenge that takes a character out of game
for long periods of time.  How long is too long?  Depends on the player,
as we each have different levels of tolerance.  To be sure, ask the player
whose character is about to go on a quest or whatever that will take him
out of game for awhile how long they can stand it.  Even so, simply avoid
such things when you can.

2. E-mail scenes take at least 10 times as long to resolve as the same
actions would when done in person.  However, sometimes it is all we have
to resolve long-distance roleplay.  Solution: Go ahead and do your e-mail
scene, but state clearly at the beginning that the scene will not actually
happen until it is completed.  In other words, if you start a scene in
June, but don't end it until a month later, even if the IC-time took only
a day, have the event happen in July...in other words, you insert it into
the continuity when it is wrapped up.  This allows people to keep playing
in their local games until it is finished.  If something should happen,
like one of the participants getting killed at a local game before the
online scene is complete, it is a lot easier to rewind the online scene
(usually far fewer participants, and an understood risk of this kind of
roleplay).  Besides, you can always use the Dream Realm as an excuse..."If
Sniffs-Butt had lived, he would have been a great Ahroun becoming
Adren..." 

3. Respect is a two-way street in long-distance roleplaying.  Respect the
players and Storytellers on the other end, and you'll find that they do
the same to you.  Consult with ST's on both ends before embroiling a
character in some issue...there may be other things going on that would
change the situation!  If you can't contact the player or ST on the other
end, work your way up the ST chain.  Life can sometimes throw us curves
that take us away from e-mail for awhile (anything from family emergencies
to hardware failures, or even not having the cash to pay the ISP that
month!).  Understand that even if the other person disappears, they may
have a good reason.  If they can't follow through on the commitment to an
online scene for some reason, take a break, talk to your local ST, and
consider your options.  Often, a simple OOC note saying, "Hey, I need
resolution on this, and I've tried to contact you several times with no
success, so I'm going to go looking elsewhere" should be enough to salvage
the situation and avoid hurt feelings! 

4. If you find you can't meet your commitments to an online challenge,
find someone else to pick up the slack for you.  "And for the third part
of your challenge, I give you over to Bone-Breaker-Toothy-Grin, a stern
Red Talon Ragabash, who has a few questions for you, young Glasswalker..."

Just a few tips from someone who has been doing online roleplaying in the
Cam for far, far too long...

**Wade Racine, member #4, CST of Seattle's House of the Dark Emerald