Forums » RP Discussion » Thoughts on OOC Rank = IC Rank?

SO! This is something that's very common in a lot of roleplays I see typically ran by folks younger than 25, so I don't know if this a generational thing. My best example is from the warrior cats fandom. In Warrior Cats, there is a defined social hierarchy containing a leader, their deputy, the medicine cat (doctor), and the medicine cat's apprentice (doctor-in-training). Now, these roles are obviously very important to the books and, just as obviously, the roleplays in the fandom. However, when folks create roleplays, it is near solely the admins who are allowed to play these ranks with these IC ranks being a symbol of their OOC moderator status. This happens in a lot of fandoms and stories, too (Harry Potter - all perfects/teachers are solely played by admins. Werewolves - admins are the alphas.)

I was wondering what the consensus is about this? This is obviously in no way criticizing how someone chooses to run their group chat, whether it be on messenger, chat facebook group, a group here, or whatever., it's just a discussion!

Personally - I think making someone's IC rank symbolic of their OOC rank or vice versa runs into the problem of immortalizing/plot armoring characters whose' falls could be extremely interesting story lines. I think it also sort of forces a line of succession based on OOC business. In warrior cats, when a leader dies, the deputy takes over and becomes leader. Then, that new leader chooses a new deputy. If the high-ranking IC roles are restrained solely to high-ranking OOC roles, that will confine very important characters can only be cycled through a small group of people, if not just one person. Now, I don't think that's typically how it works. I know most people chose their admins from friends who worked on creating the project with them and know are going to be active- and those things are important for OOC high ranks and IC highly relevant high ranks. And, typically, those friends are just IC highranks because they got first choice. Usually, most characters out last the warrior cats roleplay I'm in by a long while, but usually events like future deputies were planned well in advance and those roles would go to non-admins as time progressed. However, I know in some groups practice the whole 'high ranking IC roles ONLY go to high ranking OOC roles!' and while I definitely get it for activity reasons, I think it just confines it to a small group of characters and minds which doesn't bode well for long-term creativity in a roleplay.

To some extent I can understand why this happens. The administrators of a group are more likely in charge of hosting events and keeping them on track. It's easier to do that when your character has some degree of authority over the others. In my experience (which is admittedly limited in this style of RP) it's also pretty common for administrators of the group to have multiple characters - some with authority and some at a normal rank with the 'regular' characters.

Edit - I also want to add that administrators are more likely to be invested in the RP and not come and go as regular players may. This means that the important roles are more likely going to be fixed and consistent. The transmogrification class is less likely going to end up with a professor that hasn't shown up in 6 months.

I understand why people do it, but I won't bother explaining because i'd just be repeating what has already been said.

However personally, I don't like doing it and I don't really agree with it in a way. People are free to run a RP as they want, so fair enough, but it's most likely that I'm not going to participate in a RP where such things happen, and I won't do it myself. Personally I find it a little unfair, because it means that if you have mod requirements a lot of players who would like to play a character as such (and WILL stick around) won't ever be able to play the character they want. I much prefer a time requirement (like, being in the group for at least, lets say, 5 or 6 months) and then access to that rank will be permitted.

but eh. everyone's different

I think in younger fandom bases specifically this tends to be more of a problem when both mods and highranks are solely picked from friends because they're friends rather than activity levels or fairness.

I've not been in a lot of group roleplays with a lot mod-hosted events, usually because it wouldn't entirely make sense for a lot of them IC. That basically just means Moderators largely just keep the group intact rather than get all elaborate with a lot of other things. So, that probably affects a lot of how I feel about it.

I'm averse to the practice because I feel it ends up playing on favoritism in the long run. In all the places I've played in, I've personally loathed when administration does this kind of thing, because it can set a precedent for the rest of the community. And I've personally seen communities that let players with high ranking characters get high ranking ooc positions, and then those players end up abusing their power, to which the administration pretty much just shrugs their shoulders. It causes strife, it causes upset, it can lead to communities falling apart and good players leaving.

My opinion on this, in the long run? IC rank does not equate real world worth, in much the way IC actions do not reflect OOC opinions. OOC 'rank' should always, in my opinion, be kept separate from IC rank. OOC rank should be for player discipline, for upkeep on rules, for managing forums, or running plots and events. IC ranks should be for managing and upkeep on In Character roles only. That should be the line of separation that should be kept in mind when considering who is given an OOC rank Vs. what is considered an IC rank.