The widespread misuse of /em

[JDC]

Hello.

I've come to notice that the majority of Argonath SA:MP players have been using the /em for "Success / Fail", when in fact this command was proposed to allow third-person RP (i.e: "The wind blows"). This is another characteristic of poor RP that has been mistaken for "good" RP.

Why have we allowed this to happen?

/discuss

(no insulting anyone pl0x, kty.)

[Frank_Hawk]

/em can be used for whatever your imagination may consider fit for purpose.

It would be wrong to categorise what poor RP and good RP is based on different RP methodologies.

Allow your imagination to run rampant. 

[MyleS]

Indeed, the /em is supposed to be a command to describe a fact, or a sudden event in the middle of a roleplay situation.
But of course you're free to use it the way you want.

[Gimli]

When I added this command a long time ago, I thought it will help enhance roleplay and allow people to describe events happening near them (e.g. the wind blowing) or imitate players that don't exist (/em Granny behind the locked door screams: we're closed!!!).

I'm not sure if a command that has a similar outcome to this one exists in other servers, but nowadays, sadly, this command is mostly used for the S/F "OMG" role-play and the IC/OOC roleplay (using /em to talk OOC), both of which have derived from other servers.. As such, it may appear to some that this command has been created to facilitate these kinds of roleplay, which is clearly not the case..

Having reviewed the logs, I can say that only 10% of people that use this command use it for the intended purposes


Examples of intended usage:

Ellis_Corleone: /em Chainsaw rev in the background.

[SD]James_Wilson: /em DOG: BARK BARK

Jack_Ancelotti[AF]: /em A paper comes out from the printer

[SD]James_Wilson: /em Truck says: Warning: K-9 Unit

Examples of unintended usage:

Romeo_Ancelotti: /em S/F?
Romeo_Ancelotti: /em S/F?
Romeo_Ancelotti: /em S/F?
Romeo_Ancelotti: /em S/F?

[NP]Mambo_Maveratti: /em s/f
[NP]Mambo_Maveratti: /em s/f
[NP]Mambo_Maveratti: /em s/f
[NP]Mambo_Maveratti: /em s/f
[NP]Mambo_Maveratti: /em s/f

Hogert: /em ((sorry im blleding from my nose IRL))

[WS]Kenny.: /em is typing up on police cimputer

[MrFrancis]

The only thing I hate people when they use /em to impersonate.
example :
/em TeaM_Francis(id) did bla bla bla

[rJCaiG]

Gimli, try to find this incident:

While we're on this topic;
Yesterday I was doing some RP at GS9, when I was faced with some Mexicans
After exchanging some puta's and cabron's, they went on the offensive.
One of them did /me puts a gun to GiacJr's head...
then did /em S/F
I did /me attempts to back away, running into the guy behind him
The mexican then did /em S/F!?!?!?
I repeated /me attempts to back away, running into the guy behind him
I then got something werid FFS DID I SUCCEED OR NOT????

I laughed and walked off.

kekeke

I think it'll show a bad usage :P

[JDC]

/em can be used for whatever your imagination may consider fit for purpose.

It would be wrong to categorise what poor RP and good RP is based on different RP methodologies.

Allow your imagination to run rampant. 

I have to agree and disagree with what you said, Frank.

It is good to use your imagination and to let it run free for the purposes of fun and creative RP... however, the problem at hand is that people have misused the command so much that only a handful actually use it for its intended use, and the majority of the players have had their perceptions of the /em command corrupted by what we know as "S/F".

As a result of that, more and more people are becoming inclined to adapt methods of RP contrary to The Vision and indirectly impose it on others by endorsing rules and what sort of low-lifers the people who don't follow them are.

[Bilbo]

While we're on this topic;
Yesterday I was doing some RP at GS9, when I was faced with some Mexicans
After exchanging some puta's and cabron's, they went on the offensive.
One of them did /me puts a gun to GiacJr's head...
then did /em S/F
I did /me attempts to back away, running into the guy behind him
The mexican then did /em S/F!?!?!?
I repeated /me attempts to back away, running into the guy behind him
I then got something werid FFS DID I SUCCEED OR NOT????

I laughed and walked off.

kekeke

Unfortunately but yet true, this shows the lack of imagination of people these days...

[Frank_Hawk]

JDC - I don't believe it's corrupted but rather influenced into moving into that direction. As mentioned in earlier posts, IC and OOC are not officially supported and in turn there is no obligation to react or respond to S/F. Players are encouraged to take responsibility for their own development. Those who enjoy using IC and OOC will be permitted to do so as long as there is no evidence of them enforcing their action onto another player.

If you feel there is a trend growing where people are obligated to use the IC and OOC methodology. You must understand that it has been achieved through their own commitment to raise awareness. In turn, you should also take responsibility by highlighting the traditional way of RPing by carrying out that RP orientation in-game which I'm sure your already doing.

For me personally - being from a traditional RP server where all the RP was carried out in main chat, I'm familiar with all styles of RPing. I enjoy both traditional and IC/OOC principles which I adapt and carve dependent on the player in front of me.  A challenge you will face in later life, is that one approach/methodology does not fit all given situations and that you must tailor your communication to your audience.

I hope this helps.

[Jubin]

...when in fact this command was proposed to allow third-person RP (i.e: "The wind blows")...

When I added this command a long time ago, I thought it will help enhance roleplay and allow people to describe events happening near them (e.g. the wind blowing) or imitate players that don't exist (/em Granny behind the locked door screams: we're closed!!!).

To this day, I don't understand, why you had to make a new command for those things, and not simply use the old .me command?
eg:

* Jubin feels the wind blowing. 

and

* Jubin sees Granny behind the locked door, screaming : "we're closed"

[Gimli]

Basically, yes, you could do that too. Although typing /me sees granny behind the locked door, screaming ".." would get annoying if you wanted to do it 20 times..

It just makes life simpler

[Jubin]

Basically, yes, you could do that too. Although typing /me sees granny behind the locked door, screaming ".." would get annoying if you wanted to do it 20 times..

It just makes life simpler

Gimli, our difference in words is actually 1 word. So not that much

 :ps: What kind of granny screams behind a locked door twenty times?

[Leon.]

I don't see you guys complaining about MTA:VC players misusing /me to chat like /me hi guys.

[Jubin]

I don't see you guys complaining about MTA:VC players misusing /me to chat like /me hi guys.

Well, MTAVC players don't use just /me hi guys after every action. As for MTAVC user, the /me command actually is almost everything. In 2006, the /me command was used as at the moment you see SAMP /l, /s, /em, /me and every other way of communication as we speak except /p. /me command also in MTAVC works as a IC/OOC as if a MTAVC player does /me hi guys, you know he is roleplaying. So how can you resent him for role playing?

[Void]

Hello.

I've come to notice that the majority of Argonath SA:MP players have been using the /em for "Success / Fail", when in fact this command was proposed to allow third-person RP (i.e: "The wind blows"). This is another characteristic of poor RP that has been mistaken for "good" RP.

Why have we allowed this to happen?

/discuss

(no insulting anyone pl0x, kty.)

You couldn't actually do anything regarding this matter.
Its an influence from other server(s), due to Argonath becoming more and more popular. There is no good or bad RP. Its like you say "You have a bad imagination, you're doing it wrong" Everyone has its own style, habit. I don't think you want to crush other people's imagination.While you are determining what /em is for which we realized (external factors), some people would need a conformation in the RP situation. Here's an example of it in Gas Station 9.





Some people will use it some won't. But throwing it out as Jubin said, can be done. Why not?