A Concern About Categorizing Group RPs

[Oniya]

I was wondering about how GMs choose the board category for groups, as I've seen a number of interest threads that seem to be at odds with their eventual homes.  This could be disconcerting to players who may not be comfortable with certain topics, and would not voluntarily sign up for, say, a group that might involve Non-Con or higher.  Of particular concern is the [EX] section, (which allows for such topics as scat, watersports, bestiality, vore, and erotic gore) being used as a 'catch-all'

How much attention do folks pay to their interest-group's profiles - particularly their 'hard offs' - when categorizing a group?  Is there discussion in-thread?

[Lyrical]

It's been awhile since I hosted a Group RP (I have only created a few) but I usually go one step up from what my games potential is. Just in case someone includes a scene that goes beyond the bounds of my anticipations.  One of the issues with Groups is that it's not always about what the GM intends to happen as much as what all the collective individuals might actually do.

But I usually make it clear in my requests what section the Group will be placed and why I'll be placing it there.

I don't read individual's profiles in regards to O/O's (when I invite them to the group) because I make it clear my intentions so I leave it up to them if they want to join the group or not.

More often then not, I usually use Extreme as a catch all, even if there isn't any of the sex stuff in it that would justify that. Just because a bloody battle in a scene might trigger someone in a lighter section, or an intense moment of aggressive sexual attention might be misunderstood by someone only reading half(or part) the post. I'm always afraid that I'm going to trigger someone with sensitives to these things. IF i just put it in Extreme than I would expect anyone reading those would understand that anything could be written there.

I use the same thought processes for Solo's that I host (create the original posts for.)

Hopefully someone with more frequent GM'ing experience here will answer you as well.

[persephone325]

When I'm making a group game, I usually had an idea of what the general limits will be for sexual scenarios, and - like Lyrical - I clearly state what section it will be in. My first game here, The Asylum, I knew it would be Extreme because I figured there would probably be medical gore or possibly some kind of electro-shock stuff on top of the non-con. For a game like Anvia, I don't want people running around raping the citizens but I didn't want to rule out any rough play - so I would have put that in Bondage. That game was more of a world built from the ground up, and not so much a free for all - like The Asylum.

If there is any debate about which forum it would go in, I would usually ask my players for their input. I'd say 99% of the time, we come to a happy consensus. But most of the time, I already know where I want my game to go - and I make sure I state that in the opening post for the interest thread.

[Kakihara]

As both a GM and for solos, the category descriptions seem to completely indicate from a sexual perspective, Light, Bondage, NC, and Extreme.  Three of the four are completely about the sexual aspect of a game, but violence is not really addressed in the categories.  i think this is why many people default any game with physical violance, ie fist fighting or gun battles or the like, into extreme as they are afraid of violating some rule.  But considerignt he other categories, it seems rather incorrec to do so, and overfills that category on both group and solo sections.  So, I always base my category idea on what sexual situations i will be allowing in the game only.  I don't always decide when I do an interest check, as I'm just gaguging people, and also sometimes gaguing where they may want to go with something.  But when I take it from interst to recruiting, I will always firmly indicate what board I'm looking to put the game under.

[Cold Heritage]

I tend to give it a lot of thought. I may have used Extreme as a catch-all in the past, and I feel like what ultimately motivated my choice in those instances was that it was what everyone else seemed to be doing. I don't enjoy NC or Extreme sexual content, although I may, particularly in a fantasy context, get fairly graphic in descriptions of violence that may be inappropriate for a Light board. In the instances where I did choose to put a game in one of the Light categories, that was a conscience decision on my part to be limiting as far as sexual content goes, and my thought was either that anyone wishing to engage in content of that level could seek out a game that better aligned with their wishes, or they could elect not to indulge in that level of content and keep themselves to what falls within the boundaries of Light. Sometimes I decide that I'm going to put a game into Light and fail to mention this and it only comes up later when someone asks because when I think about a game the sexual content is, despite being something I devote a disproportionate amount of thought to, not really important to me which I realize is at odds with a lot of Elliquiyans' mindset.

Games where I have joined that fell into the Extreme section as a catch-all have thus far been pretty good about being upfront in wanting content tagged. I am amenable to being in a game with content I do not enjoy but is labelled so that I could avoid reading it, although I realize that I have been fortunate enough to be in situations where the Elliquiyans involved were responsible in their tagging and enforcement by GMs was not required or a failure to tag or adequately tag was a problem.

[Fox Lokison]

I go with what sort of vibe I want for the game, and what the furthest allowable acts are. For me, that's the most important. Stating what the eventual goals of the game are and what content I'm looking to see. Sexual acts don't really factor into my decision-making, I suppose - it's more about the content and how graphic it's going to get. If this would qualify as an R-rated movie, then it goes in Extreme. I tend to be very up-front about the tone, which draws in people looking for that, so it's less of an issue in a recruitment.

I think a lot of times, I'd put a game in Extreme simply because I know myself and my interests - if I'm creating a game, the odds are, it's going to become something more along the lines of The Poppy War rather than Twilight. Because of that, and the fact that a lot of my games are very plot-focused over smut-focused, I consider what storylines I'm interested in and go from there.

Also just because it's a safe bet if I'm worried about the game diverging in tone.

[Oniya]

If this would qualify as an R-rated movie, then it goes in Extreme.

See, perhaps I'm old-fashioned.  When I started here, Extreme was more or less for the 'Rated X for the non-sexual stuff' - like 'A Clockwork Orange'.

[Fox Lokison]

See, perhaps I'm old-fashioned.  When I started here, Extreme was more or less for the 'Rated X for the non-sexual stuff' - like 'A Clockwork Orange'.

Honestly, that makes sense as a setup - the way it was explained to me when I joined was "if you're concerned about the content being too much, bump it up a category from your initial assumption"

[Wistful Dream]

When I first joined I was pretty firmly only engaging in the Light or Bondage sections... but now I have had several group games in the Extreme section. I wish that there was an inbetween space, that permitted for more graphic/dark/unusual kinks but still stressed consent.

Largely I feel like my current group game, The Realms Beyond could be in the Bondage section... but it is a fae game and so the things they can do to each other, or survive are pretty out there because of fae healing. So due to giving room for both more intense kinks and violence of fighting against the big bad, I placed it in extreme. With warnings nakedly set up that non consensual scenes/rape would not be permitted on screen. I don't know how the staff would go about adjusting the ratings, but I do wish there was a better way to label it without people making assumptions that due to my game being in extreme anything goes when that's very much not the truth. All I can do is lay out the the rules clearly and support it with world building.

[The Green One]

I've placed my game inside the Extreme section and players know that all kind of violence and kinks, either consensual or not, are allowed, but we do have specific threads for those themes. So the players that are not interested in too much violence or darker kinks don't have to go through those scenes while writing/reading theirs.

[ladia2287]

Speaking as someone who doesn't have a lot of GM experience on this site but has GMed elsewhere, and is currently trying to get a small group game off the ground, I considered the maximum that I personally am comfortable with, as well as what is likely to occur plot-wise. NC seems appropriate at a minimum and even though the game explores some dark themes I personally get uncomfortable with some topics that would fall under Extreme, so NC is where the game is being played out.

I have communicated as GM that the players are under no obligation to partake in any NC scene and that I expect all participants' O&Os to be respected.

Even with solo games I do find it tricky sometimes to figure out exactly where a new story fits and will usually bump it up a category just in case. Particularly if it's one that is intended to have more focus on story than on sex scenes. Sex scenes might be intended to be completely vanilla, but if kidnapping is involved in the overall story I'll probably still put it in Bondage or NC.