Roleplay and chat fundamentals

Southland’s core chat separates what your character says and does from out-of-character coordination. This guide is for every player joining a scene, whether it is a quiet conversation or a crowded public event. Read the roleplay charter and community-safety policy for the authoritative conduct and consent rules; this guide explains how to use the chat tools.

Speak in character

Type ordinary text without a slash to make your character speak. Speech is local: players nearer to you in the same space receive it more clearly, while distant players, people in another interior, and people in another instance do not. Move close enough for the conversation instead of assuming the whole server can hear it.

Use the speech variant that matches the scene:

• Ordinary text is a normal local speaking voice.
• /low keeps speech to a much smaller nearby group.
• /s or /shout carries farther than ordinary speech.
• /w addresses one nearby player. The speaker and target receive the words; nearby observers only see that the speaker muttered something.

A shout increases reach, not authority over the scene. A whisper is still an in-character action and requires the other player to be close and in the same space.

When you are inside a vehicle, /cw speaks in character only to the people occupying that exact vehicle. /carb is its OOC counterpart for a brief passenger or driver clarification. Leaving or changing vehicles immediately removes you from that vehicle’s channel; neither command sends the message to nearby bystanders.

Choose between /me, /do, and /ame

Use these commands to make readable contributions, not to replace another player’s decisions.

/me: what your character visibly does

Write an action from your character’s point of view. For contested actions, describe the attempt and leave room for the other player or the game’s mechanics to determine the result.

• Good: /me reaches toward Jordan's wrist, trying to stop them.
• Bad: /me grabs Jordan, knocks them unconscious, and takes their keys.

The good version gives Jordan room to react. The bad version forces several outcomes that the writer does not control.

/do: an observable scene detail

Use /do for visible conditions, surroundings, or details that help everyone understand the scene. It is not a way to decide another character’s feelings, knowledge, or response.

• Good: /do A fresh coffee stain darkens the cuff of the shirt.
• Bad: /do Jordan is terrified and cannot move.

The good version adds something other players can observe. The bad version assigns an internal state and reaction to someone else’s character.

/ame: a short action above your character

Use /ame for a brief, immediately visible action that benefits from appearing above your character as a chat bubble. You also receive an echo in chat.

• Good: /ame checks the time on their watch.
• Bad: /ame secretly remembers the entire getaway route.

The good version is visible and easy to read at a glance. The bad version describes private knowledge that nearby characters could not observe.

These examples are collaborative writing guidance, not a new catalogue of formal server rules. Aim for clear actions, observable details, and room for other players to respond.

Keep mechanics inside the scene

Roleplay text describes intent; it does not complete a mechanical action. If the scene involves paying, transferring an item, unlocking a door, accepting an offer, entering a vehicle, or another supported interaction, use the relevant command and follow its prompt.

A useful sequence is:

1. Establish the attempt with speech or a concise action.
2. Use the mechanical command when the action reaches that point.
3. Treat the command’s actual result as authoritative.
4. Continue the scene from that result, including a refusal or failure.

Do not write a successful transfer, restraint, injury, or access change first and then use the command as decoration. Keeping narration aligned with the mechanic gives every participant the same outcome to roleplay from.

Use OOC channels deliberately

The OOC channels speak as a player rather than as your character:

• /b is local OOC for the players around your scene. Use it for a brief clarification, technical issue, or coordination that should not become character knowledge. /blow is the quieter local variant.
• /o is global OOC when that channel has been enabled. It normally ships closed, and players can hide or show it with /togooc while it is available.
• /pm sends a direct message to one available player. Use it for private OOC coordination, not as hidden in-character speech or as a way to give your character information they did not learn in the scene. Players may block incoming PMs.

An ordinary blocked PM returns the same unavailable result as other private refusals. Do not probe for a block through alternate characters or channels. Blocking direct contact is not permission for either participant to ignore an unavoidable active scene; continue through ordinary visible roleplay, reduce unnecessary OOC contact, or use the proper staff route. A labelled on-duty official Admin PM is not blocked and can be reported if misused.

Keep OOC interruptions short when a scene can continue in character. Use /help to choose the current player-support route instead of turning the scene’s local OOC into a help desk.

Ask for newcomer help

During your first 180 confirmed active account minutes, /newb sends a short OOC question to other eligible newcomers and on-duty helpers. The window is account-wide, so changing characters does not restart it. AFK time does not advance it, and a progress refresh can end access as soon as your confirmed active time reaches the limit.

Use /tognewb to hide or show the channel while you are eligible; the preference follows your account across reconnects and characters. Helpers can use the same command, but only receive or answer newcomer chat while on helper duty. Account OOC mutes also block sending. Questions must be 3-160 printable characters, and accepted messages have a short role-based cooldown.

After graduation, use /help and /helpme for support. If newcomer eligibility or its saved preference is unavailable, the channel fails closed without exposing your question and points you to those routes instead.

Recover from the wrong channel or a failed command

If you post in the wrong channel, do not treat the line as though it disappeared. Give a short correction in the appropriate channel, then continue. Restate the message only where needed; avoid repeating private scene information globally.

Chat lines are plain text. Curly braces and percent signs are refused on every channel, because the game client would read a brace as colour formatting and a percent sign as a placeholder for a value rather than showing either, so a line containing one is not sent and nothing is charged or logged for it. Rewrite the line without them and send it again.

If a chat command fails:

1. Read the response. Empty text, an unavailable target, insufficient proximity, a disabled channel, a block, or a cooldown can all prevent output.
2. Use /help <command> to see the current command entry rather than guessing its form.
3. Correct the target, move into the right space, wait when told, or choose the appropriate channel.
4. Retry once the stated condition is fixed. Do not add an action claiming the failed command succeeded.

For broader command discovery and prompt recovery, see Commands, prompts, and getting help. Phone calls can change how local speech is delivered; see Phones before using one in a scene.