IRC Roleplaying on DarkMyst

What is IRC roleplaying?

As with other roleplaying games that you may already be familiar with (live action, tabletop, RPG, MMORPG, forums etc), IRC roleplaying is a gaming environment where players take on the role of character(s) in a fictional setting. However, the IRC roleplaying experience is conducted entirely using written text via the DarkMyst chat widget or through an IRC client such as mIRC.

The experience occurs in real-time and roleplayers must adapt to rapidly changing circumstances created by the actions of roleplay game masters (community leaders) and other roleplayers. Some roleplaying communities have defined rules (e.g dungeons and dragons, world order, dice, approved character sheets etc) while others feature a more relaxed, freeform gaming environment.

Where does all of the roleplaying occur?

Individual gaming environments are called “channels,” which are text-based chat rooms set up by each roleplaying community. All roleplaying actions and dialogue occur in these channels. Players communicate with one another in first, second and/or third person as the situation requires.

What kind of characters can I be?

This depends on the game that you are playing. For example, you can choose to be an elf, warrior, knight, orc, politician, dragon, plant, animal, life-like object, or any other fictional creation of your choosing. It just has to fit in with the game genre and theme. Some games have character restrictions so it is best to check in with the game masters before you get too comfortable.

“In Character” (IC) and “Out of Character” (OOC)

Unlike live action or tabletop games which are roleplayed in person, IRC roleplaying is entirely text-based. This means that individual players must be mindful of whether they are “in character” or “out of character” so as to not interrupt or confuse other players.

When you are “in character,” you are considered to be actively playing the role of your fictional character(s). Other players will also assume that you are actively roleplaying as well. As such, when you are in this state, all of your written dialogue and actions will be interpreted by others as coming from your fictional character and part of the game.

When you are “out of character,” you are considered to be on the sidelines and not actively playing. Anything that you express in this state will be interpreted as coming from the “real you.” This is useful when you need to ask questions such as how to play, getting characters approved, and/or if you need to share comments or concerns with the community leaders.

The roleplaying communities on DarkMyst are usually set up so that there are separate channels for out-of-character and in-character interactions. Many out-of-character channels are denoted with “OOC.” To avoid confusing other players, it is always best to reserve all out-of-character conversations for the OOC channels.

Does DarkMyst own or have control over the communities on the IRC network?

The short answer is no. Each community is user owned and operated. DarkMyst is just the online hub for these communities, providing them with the tools and resources to host games. You can equate this arrangement to how YouTube provides an online space for users to create their own channels, post videos and attract followers. Instead of videos, DarkMyst provides an online space for roleplaying communities to create their own channels and attract players.

To ensure a pleasant experience, all users on DarkMyst must abide by the Acceptable Use Policy.

I think I get it now and I would like to start roleplaying!

Now that you understand what IRC roleplaying is, you can hop on to DarkMyst by:

If you need help at any time, please feel free to ask for help. You may also find answers in our FAQs and services help section.