unforum

[Silent]

How can a PM allow for Players to Commit Illegal Activities

[SpaceBass]

Re: How can a PM allow for Players to Commit Illegal Activit

[catherwood]

Re: How can a PM allow for Players to Commit Illegal Activit

[thebruce]

True; I would hope, in playing an ARG, that to a degree I wouldn't be role playing someone I'm not (who would do things I'm incapable of doing), but rather role play myself in a situation that is true, and I wouldn't expect the PMs to require me to do things illegally... rather at the most, challenge me to do things beyond my comfort zone.

I think ARGs are 'light' role playing in the sense that you are your character, you don't generate a new one and play with it. Part of maintaining that 'reality' is simply being yourself, but dealing with situations as they're presented. So as cather said, I wouldn't think I would be required to murder an in-game character, but the opportunity might be presented as a situation, with realistc choices, such as an agency to call that specializes in that action, or in-game police, or something similar, or perhaps a chain of events I could spark that might spell the demise of the character - there's no way, technically, to have a player actually physically kill an in-game character without breaking the sense of reality. And ideally as a PM, the story should be protected from potential illegal actions taken by players. Of course players always have the potential to choose whatever they want to do, but hopefully the PM will indirectly discourage those kinds of actions, or at least re-route those motivations.
The community plays a big hand in guiding players' actions as well, which usually means, as catherwood implied, that they'd have to be taken consciously and independently, and "If this is how you would react in a real-life situation, i worry about you"

Good topic point though =)

[Silent]

Well, if confronted with a choice in real life, and prehaps being encouraged to do something against it, and really worried about saving the world, I could see me, a human, be affected in such a way that I would no longer be behaving in a way I would be okay with. In fact, I, OOG, might condmen what I IG do. But maybe that's because I'm a heavy roleplayer. (Besides, if said evil corporation is so powerful a threat, it probraly could just buy out the media and stop all public word of its misdeeds...or it would be a pretty patheitc evil corporation.)

I'd like to provide at least the illusion that this is not a game, and that you are dealing with real life, so that players can react how they would if confronted in this situation (hence alternate reality). But maybe it isn't that such a good of an idea. Thanks for your comments.