It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it in more detail than the book alone can provide. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and today’s blog post will touch on a bit of things concerning Roleplay. This week is a final discussion on STEERING in practice. We will cover one of these techniques, the 10 FOOT RULE, and how you can use these behaviors to create a better game for everyone.
Tickets for our next event, COLLECTION DAY, are live now!
You can find my previous blog post on Steering here:
We also previously covered some similar topics in a blog post, specifically dealing with some best practices for how to be involved in plot. A lot of these suggestions will be similar to my suggestions below. This was published in a series of guest blog posts by Heather Halstead, which you can find here:
So let’s get into one of my favorite ways to Steer:
The 10 Foot Rule
First, the 10 Foot Rule isn’t really a rule in the book, but it’s more of a Best Practice that I recommend heartily. I’d consider this a form of Ethical Steering, for those that read my last blog post. Some might call this “good metagaming”, but I prefer the term Ethical Steering as it kind of separates all the negative associations of the dreaded M-word. This is just a way of purposefully making an effort out of character to impact your in-character roleplay with a positive behavior.
What is the 10 Foot Rule?
It’s simple, and it’s one easy step:
Make an effort to roleplay with Everyone Within 10 Feet of You that is not already engaged.
Two upstanding gentlemen having fun. Definitely not doing anything illegal, officer.
There are are few good outside blog posts on this topic, but like last week I’m going to try to talk a bit more from my perspective. The first time I heard of this rule was in retail sales. It was pitched as a way to make sure that you were greeting customers that got within 10 feet of you on the salesfloor. A little boring, but it’s a solid concept, like running zone defense in basketball. My first encounter with it in gaming was listening to some best practices from other veteran players at a Vampire: the Masquerade convention. I’ve read some other articles on the topic since then, and I worked to include it into my own game. Since adapting this steering concept to my own roleplay I’ve seen a positive impact on the people around me, so I’m a firm believer.
The concept is simple enough.
It’s hard in a game that involves a LOT of people to really interact with EVERYONE. It’s not practical, and you’ll probably never have enough time to meet every person at game, much less have a great scene with them. We run game on a big site, and there’s lots of places to explore, and sometimes it can be challenging to figure out what to do as a new player much less even finding other players to engage with.
But, since you can’t control all of those people at the game, one thing you CAN control is yourself.
The 10 Foot Rule is a mantra that keeps me focused on my friends and the other people around me, and it reminds me that most of us are a bit socially awkward. Even the best role players can have moments of crippling anxiety and self doubt, and it’s not always easy to “turn on” the switch for energy and excitement in a scene. Some of us are introverts and don’t have the spoons, or just don’t know what to do to be involved.
Sometimes its a bit self inflicted too. Like I mentioned in my Steering blog post, a lot of character concepts seem cool on paper but don’t really give you a reason to engage with other characters once you are at game. I’ll go into this a bit more in a future Ramble on ways to improve your character backstory, but for now remember that this is just one tool in the toolbox for better role playing. Sure, that person sitting alone in the corner may be taking a break or roleplaying an Accensorite meditation, but they may just not know what to do or how to be involved.
The 10 Foot Rule is designed to fix that.
Sure, you may not have an in-character reason to talk to that person. They may not be in your crew, they may be someone you don’t know, or they could even be an NPC. You might be the meanest badass in the San Saba, the person with no friends that is quick on the draw and quicker to kill, and even quicker to push pesky emotions away. You might be the crazed Final Knight preacher literally posting random religious fan fiction disguised as propaganda like a tabloid. You might be a doe-eyed Quiet Folk that is so very polite and neighborly in character that they wouldn’t even think of interrupting another person’s conversation.
So what?
YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHARACTER. THE CHARACTER IS NOT IN CONTROL OF YOU.
You have a choice.
For me, it’s about remembering my first awkward time attending a new game, and feeling a bit of social anxiety, a bit of imposter syndrome, but mostly just feeling inexperienced and nervous. I remember fondly those people that engaged with me, gave me a reason to feel like I belonged, and bought into my character. It gave me the encouragement to come back, and the confidence to keep playing. And I want everyone at a DR:TX game with me to feel like they want to come back, and to feel like they are welcome.
We have a mantra at DR:TX that “it’s everyone’s first game.” We repeat this at the start of every NPC shift. We include it in our opening announcements. It’s just a great reminder to be gentle, forgiving, and most of all, to remember the other people that we are playing with.
The 10 Foot Rule is taking that mindset, and applying it to the concept of Ethical Steering. It’s a challenge to yourself to make sure that you are involving EVERYONE nearby, even someone you don’t really have a reason to engage with. If everyone adopts this kind of mindset, then it will just help everyone feel more included and more involved. And that just sounds neat.
The 10 foot Rule Corollary
Now, I have a few personal addendums to the 10 Foot Rule, and the first is a reminder that one of the operating words of the 10 Foot Rule is about EFFORT.
The corollary: the 10 Foot Rule is a goal, not a requirement.
It’s not going to be something you do successfully all the time. You’re human. It would be silly to expect someone to keep this effort up the entire game, and it would be even sillier to judge folks for not doing it. But the main thing is to TRY. If you have a chance to make the game a better place for everyone, then I think it’s worth the effort.
You aren’t going to always be the best at including people nearby. You might be distracted, engaged in something you don’t want outsiders involved in, or just didn’t notice them. It’s okay to be forgiving of your own missteps and mistakes too. They might have their own scene they are involved in, or they might be waiting on an NPC to come back for the next part of their PFA trial. You won’t be able to include everyone all the time, and that’s okay. That’s why the rule says ‘everyone not already engaged’.
This rule is less about always being “on” all the time, but rather being purposeful with your in-character actions. It’s about the effort. If there’s someone sitting nearby that’s not involved, DO SOMETHING about it. Find a reason to engage them, and bring them into the conversation.
if you practice, and work at including the people around you into your story, I promise that you’ll make friends, experience better roleplay, and have a better time.
My last addendum to the rule: the 10 Foot Rule is ALSO about making sure that “EVERYONE” near you is engaged, and that includes YOURSELF.
It’s hard to be engaged in a game when you are tired, hungry, upset, in pain, etc. If you are the one having a bad time and not being included, you might need to practice self care first. Get some food. Drink some water. Change your socks. Ask for help. Take your meds. DR can be an incredibly fulfilling immersive experience, but it’s easy to push yourself a bit too far. You can’t practice the 10 Foot Rule and help include others if you don’t take care of yourself first.
Remember, if you are ever feeling excluded or don’t know what to do at the game, you can ask for help. Come up to Ops and ask for assistance. Try out a STARTER WORK ORDER, and see what you can do around the site.
examples of the 10 Foot Rule
So I’ve ranted enough, now let’s talk about some practical applications of the 10 Foot Rule. These are a few examples of what this might look like in game, or ideas to spark your own use of the rule in game.
Jonathan’s BEST PRACTICE: People GENERALLY like to talk about themselves, so just ASK a question and let them talk.
Just like in real life, this can be a bit challenging if you aren’t naturally outgoing, so let’s consider some more specific icebreakers as examples.
Start a conversation with an introduction. This can be a simple greeting, or just letting them know your name. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
“Hello there, Stranger!”
“Hi. Do you require medical assistance?”
“I’m Turbo Six, the Mountain That Rides. Who the fuck are you?”
Talk about their costume. People put a lot of work into their kit, and it’s a great way to involve someone by asking about the outfit they are wearing.”
“Where did you get that cool hat? Can I have it?”
“Oh man, that’s a badass gun. Is that a Big Hate? What does it do?”
“Cool face paint. What does it mean?”
Talk about the game site. There’s lots to do on Camp Kachina during a game. Exploring the camp is a big part of our Work Orders too!
“Oh man, have you walked down to the lake yet?”
“Did you check out Rikki’s junk shop in the Depot? They gave me a membership card!”
“The Post Office line is long, so I’m waiting for it to go down. What about you?”
Talk about player-run spaces or events. You can always start a conversation about the different events at the various social gathering points in town. We also have an excellent food culture in Bravado and everyone has to eat sometime.
“Are you going to attend the King’s Court event at 3 PM?”
“Did you hear that Donnie was seen at that Pureblood party without Rajah? Scandalous!”
“The hooch at the Swaying Anker is the best I’ve tried in town, and I definitely haven’t been paid to say that to you..”
Ask about their backstory. Ask them about where they are from, or when they got to town. You can also recognize a Duster by the blue bandanna too!
“Did you come into town on the Oxline, or did you come through Drywater?”
“What brings you to Bravado, friend?”
“Are your parents still alive, or are you an orphan like me?”
Ask them for help with a Skill or service. It’s hard for a character to have every skill. Find out what that person can do, and maybe you can find a reason to need their help.
“What do you do for a living, pal?”
“Can you fix my armor at this workbench?”
“You look like you know your way around a boat. Is your name Captain Nemo?”
“Can you teach me how to Avoid?”
Ask them about their friends or crew. Surviving the apocalypse is best with friends, and many players have formed crews. There are all kinds of flags, patches, banners, and more that mark the different groups, and simply finding out if they are part of a team is a great start.
“What does that clover patch on your armor mean?”
“You sure got a lot of XXX’s on you mister. Is that a Hedon thing?”
“Is it true that the Road Royals have every blueprint?”
Ask about the weekend’s plot. Have they seen the new scary monster or new critter? Think about some of the big plot points we tease in our blog posts before game, and talk about a current event that’s happening during the game.
“Have you seen the new Work Orders that came out this weekend?”
“Did you survive the attack on the Depot?”
“What do you think of the capitalistic hellscape that the San Saba Board has created?”
Ask about the various NPC factions. The San Saba is filled with several powerful factions and NPC faces. Do they have an opinion on the various factions, or have they joined up as a Contracted Partner? Do they have a favorite faction?
“What do you think the Tribes Disparate should do now that Queen Jasper is gone?”
“It’s almost time for Collection Day. Have you settled up your Grave Tax?
“Is Felicity Redfield a great CEO of the RRC, or the greatest CEO of the RRC?”
“Yup, that cow just shit out a Brass note..”
Bring people along on adventures. Mods are more enjoyable when you have people at your side. Why not find a reason to include that person in your plot hook?
We’ve adopted this rule in my local crew, the ROAD ROYALS, as an in-game tradition we call “Lucky Duster”. Anytime we are about to go out on a mod or about to go do something interesting, we try to grab one random new player to drag along with us. We give them some lucky fuzzy dice, and we make sure they are going to have a memorable time. Everyone has survived so far, so the lucky dice are 100% effective!
Engage in some casual violence. Hold up the “C” for Conflict. While murder and theft are illegal in the San Saba, assault is NOT! Sometimes the best way to make friends is to get your ass kicked! We even reward this behavior through the SES System and the Red Ledger.
“That was my seat pardner. I don’t take kindly to strangers at my workbench.”
“Did you just say something to me? Do you want to take this outside?”
“What does SAME RULES APPLY mean? Why are you meowing?”
That’s it for today folks! Tune in next time as we continue some best practices to enhance your game, like building a better character backstory or best ways to submit an Action Request! Make sure you get your ticket for COLLECTION DAY before ticket sales close!!!