Is screenshot clout in factions forums - the norm?

[CTPAX]

While I'm looking around for potential factions to join and new avenues of RP for a new character, I caught myself wondering... Is it pretty much the standard on the server to have factions try to accumulate forum clout by posting screenshots? In the couple of gangs I've been on GTA:W in the past, I found there was a lot of pressure from leadership to post screenshots, even on Discord, where gang leaders would insist on members posting screenshots to the thread.

 

That's not really the vibe I'm going for, and would like to avoid IC/OOC blending as much as possible (i.e. not divulging anything about my character or his/her activities in OOC channels). Is this practice something that can be viable while still having a chance to participate in active RP that gets a fair deal of action? Or, if you're not contributing to the screenshots or hyping up fellow faction peers in private Discords, you're pretty much left out?

 

Not here to throw shade on the practice, mind you. Just a personal preference of mine. For full immersion, I'd like to keep IC and OOC as separate as possible and let events develop exclusively in character, with the very bare minimum OOC interaction with other parties involved. I don't want the whole forum to know what my character's doing, I don't want to have to get to know anyone OOC on Discord, and I'd like to discover everything IC, as my character would.

 

Wonder if there are like-minded individuals in this regard...

[ZaE]

yeah its one of the main ways factions have to show development, activity and growth to IFM to get moved from unofficial to official, or just keep their faction in general

[munnezza]

Screenshots server as an activity benchmark for both the Ǵ̵͕͕̣͒̋̀̿͘ó̵̱͖̙͗̌́̅̊̀̚̕͝ͅḓ̸̪͉̲̪͗̈́͑͑̈́̌͛͑̊́̐͌̅̏s̷̠͓̆̈̂̅ ̸̛͎̭̻̜̗̣̌̿̑̎͐͗̈́̇͋̋̚̚o̵̬̟͙͖̲̊̎͆̌́͗́̄͘͝ͅf̸̨̡̦̲͓͚͈͖̙̯̲̲͚̭̜͒̽͌̀̈́͆͂͗͑̎̚͠ ̶͍̟͎̬̲̹̖̱̪̦̽̉͜͝ͅỊ̴̼̭̌̓̏͒͒̑̄̈͛̉̒̍͠ļ̵̻̳̲͎͉̖̼͓̈́͂̍̍̅̏̈́̀̓͊̈́̉l̷̡̡̡̦̤̖͚͖̺̲͓̘̠͗̓͌́͋̇̕̚̚e̴̠̙̹͍̔̆͒̋̚͘g̵̞̝̲̘̖̭͕͍̿͐̽̽̇̀̏̎͊͜͜ȧ̶̼͍͈̣̮͉͉̘͕͎̯̀̀͂̓́̀̇l̵̡̨̹͉̥̭̭̹̮͚̣̳͈̙̪̔̇̿̋̐ ̵͇̥̞̺̗̻̞̜̘̳̘̹͙̓̏͌̀͌̎̌͠F̷̛̹̦̥̙̣̣͓̭̳͉̪̳̘̳̭͂́̈́̿̔͐̀̀͒̃̍͂̀̊a̴͍̼̤͖̠̩̠̍̾c̷̢͕͇͔͓͔̦̞̦̩̫̈̈́̽̑̑̂t̶̤̝̙͍̞͎̳̝̘͒͗͊̚į̸̞̜̱̺̩̠͍̜̗̺̂͒̔̌̽o̵̻̝̦̙̦̦̹̪̰͕͔͛͂̈̾̈͛͂́͜ņ̸̻͕̯̲̳̗͐̔́s̵̢͍͖̦̻͔͔͎̗̲̾̀͑̐̈͜ͅ and the faction's leadership. It's also a big time way to display your roleplaying skills to people you wouldn't normally interact with. 

 

You don't have to divulge sensitive IC information through your screens.

 

& there is also passive-aggressive provoking screenshots with borderline racism, homophobia, etc. that are only there to stir up some sort of OOC faction antagonism. Fuck those.

Edited November 27, 2023 by munnezza

[CTPAX]

Ah, put that way, I see how/why it's important for faction leaders.

[varthshenon]

I prefer to really separate them as well. I use my chara's FB as a "diary", so it stays IC. But I'm also not the type to check faction's thread to see how they RP, so I guess that's why I don't really like screenshots. I think we have a lot in common XD

[santa muerte]

I fully understand the need for faction media when starting out a faction. 

 

Most factions starting out only have a small amount of people roleplaying, having faction media you're actively bumping your thread and showing it to the masses that browse the forums. Having a faction topic that is on the first page of the unofficial section, opposed to the second or third means its right there when you open it. Pretty simple concept there. 

 

When you routinely see a thread, you're more inclined to check it, therefore bringing in potential roleplayers to join. 

 

Regardless of this, when factions are already established and have people posting screenshots there is often less demand on their new members to post screenshots. 

[Twentybyte]

yes

[Regin]

Depends on the faction. As mentioned above, factions do this to promote their idea and have proof of RP for when it come to applying for official status.

However, there are factions you can be a part of for months without posting a single screenshot. It is really down to faction leadership how much they enforce the need to post screens, and at least one faction I have been a part of has actually discouraged their members from sharing screenshots with IC information on Discord to prevent MG. A friend of mine RPs in a street gang without ever checking their faction thread and has their Discord server on mute 24/7, just to not break their immersion.

In short, yes, you can play actively in a faction while avoiding IC-OOC blending. If your faction demands you to do it anyways, you are probably in a wrong faction and should seek for one that caters more to your playstyle.

[AdamZZ]

Even though this is for a legal faction not an illegal faction..

Screenshots just help to show FM that we're active and actively developing.

it also goes a ways to showcase the sort of RP we do in the faction for players who may be interested in getting involved in the concept.

I encourage members to post screenshots - especially people who are higher up, however it's never mandatory for them to do to RP as part of the faction.

[Armaros]

i feel like screenshots, although very few people probably read them, are a fun and cohesive way of showcasing what the faction is about. it also is a great tool for showcasing activity

i get a kick out of doing well made and quality screenshots