Meta Knowledge

So I had a very good conversation with Dreamer this morning when I was trying to find out if clothes dried on their own.

The answer was, ask around ICly.

Preface: I am on board with this as an answer and realize that you've had a successful game and community running for a long time. So really my opinion on Meta knowledge isn't important in the matter other than perhaps trying to get some advice on how to better RP my character. Nor am I upset over this or expect policies to change. Want to state that up front since people have been so kind in explaining the why meta game info is not given or listed on a website.

Now moving on :)

So the conversation was about having to ask about things that people should know as common sense. My thought is that it makes my character appear to be both ignorant, unobservant and in some cases dumb. I get that people playing the game will realize that when I'm complaining about the doors not working it's OOC code to say help me, I can't figure out this in game concept. However, I also know that I get called a dumb immy and have to put up with a fair amount of expected abuse because of it. Asking about do clothes dry and other META 'how does this work' questions usually give me a very predictable response along with someone giving a usually helpful answer.

So regardless of what stat choices I've made, my lack of understanding on how a MOO works, and specifically how this moo works means that I will have to play my character as ignorant and unobservant to some of the basic facts of life. Like I know people get hungry in real life, I have seen food in game. I don't know if my character will get hungry or not as they haven't yet. I know in real life if I don't have three meals a day I am pretty famished. In game I'm managing on an item every other day. That could mean there is no hunger system, or it could mean that I've just managed it without worrying about it. However, I don't know that. I don't know if I need to save 100 Chyen for food or not, while if I was my character I'd know what I need to eat and could plan accordingly.

So the question would be, "how often do I need to eat?" As a player I want to ask it because what I've observed doesn't match what I expect in real life.

There's not a good way to ask that ICly and not appear kind of dumb :)

Compare that to someone who has played MOOs and specifically this MOO before. They are permed, or take the booth to start over. Because the player has Metagame knowledge they're automatically smarter, more observant, and will be reacted too far different in game than I will even if I have higher stats in things like Perception or Brains. If they try to limit using their in game knowledge, they're likely still not going to ask how a door works in game, they're not going to ask if clothes dry on their own in game. Because it's assumed that people know that stuff.

So... my question is: How do I RP a character to appear far less ignorant and dumb than the player is at the moment? Or should I just accept the trope and play to it?

My secondary question is, after reading the @nakeds thread. Do you play your characters, when you've boothed or were permed, as completely ignorant or not?

I don't see many people asking the kind of general questions that I do so I'm guessing that most people here have played before or played other MOOs enough not to be so confused.

Dreamer did not just say "Find out IC". There was a discussion based around this and we tried to help you with this and how to find out knowledge that should be common knowledge, IC. Me and Dreamer attempted to show you different ways to go around the simple drying of clothes and trying to relate it with IRL scenarios. Please don't missinform people that he said "FOIC" because there was more to it.

Agreed with Grizzly666. Unless you're playing someone with severe retardation, and even then, I'm sure you'd be able to tell if you were hungry or not. Only times in my life I haven't 'felt' hunger was due to being depressed or similar.

Oh I agree :)

You and dreamer handled it very well. That's why I put in the preface. But the initial response was, ask ICly. That's why I said I get it. I wanted to articulate my thoughts on and also ask how I do it better. You guys gave some answers right away that were good.

I'm just looking for more. That's all.

Again, this is not a complaint. I really want to stress that as people have gone out of their way to help me and explain things.

You're coming off very brash SolBro, intended or not. Please be as mindful of that as you can. BlazingCoconut explained themselves nicely and took some time out to write their post. I have to agree with Grizzly666 and OP too, you guys make good points. Maybe we can be more gentle on new players who obviously need help IC. They come here to have fun, get the hard welcome and the whole five yards and need to put up with our witty comments when it's obvious the player needs help because FOIC and there character isn't actually dumb.

I think what you really need to do is start reading help files. What are help files? They are a few paragraph long texts for you to read related to subjects in the game that you might wonder about (example help food). How do you use them? You simply type 'help x' x being the topic you want to find about. If the word you use is linked to a help file then it will provide you access to it, if it doesn't it will suggest to you other help files with associated words. There is always the option that there is no help file about what you are asking, but a lot of stuff is covered in there. We also have video tutorials, xgame, xhelp a wiki and forums full of information at your disposal. Just search for what you want to know and start reading, this is a text game after all.

Second, you need to accept that you are a new player and as with all things that are new you are going to be ignorant about it and you are going to 'suck' at it and there is going to be an adjustment period while you learn. So come to peace with this and play the game, that's the best way to learn.

This game is big, really big and things are changing all the time so even veteran players don't know everything and have to adapt and learn all the new stuff from scratch just like a noob. Just trust that you are not alone, and if you try to find out in game you are most likely going to run into other people that can help you and also need to learn things.

I don't think this is against the rules, what I'm about to say. So, BlazingCoconut, when you're off-screen your character is sleeping or doing things. Some people take breaks or get distracted with real life and then return IC and tell others they were in business in outer central while MIA, when they were really in a 'coma' in their apartment. Likewise, your character can eat off screen but there are reasons for eating actual coded foid. You won't die by not eating it though. If your character is poor they probably don't have the luxury of eating off-screen and coded food is the only food tgey eat that passes as nutritious. So roleplay it how you like but consider your resources at disposal etc. Sometimes your character SHOULD be eating coded food because they need it to prevent themselves from starving.

Sometimes stuff exists on the forum that you need to know already. Try the search function to find out if the food conversation's been had before (it has, I remember looking up the same thing once).

It does and it all helps. Honestly, I'd be totally fine with someone saying, no there's no starvation system, but... you need to RP eating.

That's a convention that's kind of like not using people's names. I know several of the people that mugged me, but I won't RP telling who they are to anyone other than a slim guy. Why? Meta is important and I get that. So I'm all for saying it's a convention and try to RP as immersively as possible.