[realmsofvalor]

Much agreed with Snowtroll. Our game has a global OOC channel, players have the option of switching it off & for any jerks there is a 'noooc' command that will prohibit them from joining in, followed by a ban if they are particularly spammy/troublesome. Over the course of the game running, I've never had to use either command apart from testing.

One of the most laudible traits our players have commented on is how easygoing we are with OOC chatter and Staff-to-player interaction.. it absolutely fosters a sense of community, from trivial hello/goodbyes to discussing and sharing certain ooc things, even those unrelated to the game. I've recieved multiple comments from players that 'it's nice to know the Staff is willing to talk and listen to us'. If it gets to be too much Staff/Admins will quiet things down but it's never been an impediment to the game. We are also IC/RP-intensive and it's nice to have that outlet.

A while back I pondered creating a in-room OOC command and decided against it because it might get too disruptive to the RP experience. Plus it's not like you can stop friends from chatting with IM clients, and as far as that goes, if they are not sharing IC information, I don't mind one bit.

I'd also like to point out, while a MUD may be a virtual world your players are not virtual people, and should be treated with the same respect and dignity as customers to a business. If a player has issues seperating OOC from IC, our MUD might not be the best fit, but I will gladly assist them in understanding the difference; when I started playing MUDs twelve or so years back, my first and favorite was RPI and I certainly didn't know better. But I learned, was taught by some excellent people, and persevered to the point that I've spent several fulfilling years working on my own RP game, and having a buttload of fun along the way, forging valuable friendships with people (some I've met and others I never have laid eyes on), and I would never trade it for the world or deprive a player by saying 'You don't understand this, so don't play here'.