[Q] Respectful rule following way to RP a genocide?

[Thermodolia]

Hey moddly beings I got a question about how to RP a genocide taking place in an RP setting without straying into violence porn territory or breaking to many rules on the site.

If y’all would know of a good way to conduct this it would be great

[South Cayriya]

why would you rp a genocide

[New Visayan Islands]

Have you already consulted A Brief Guide to Roleplaying Genocide and its aftermath?

[Thermodolia]

Have you already consulted A Brief Guide to Roleplaying Genocide and its aftermath?

Didn’t even know those existed.

Thanks for the information

[Santheres]

Have you already consulted A Brief Guide to Roleplaying Genocide and its aftermath?

Didn’t even know those existed.

Thanks for the information

That guide doesn't really answer your concerns so: I think "Keep it PG" is generally a good rule of thumb but for those who don't quite have a handle on what PG really is: graphic detail on torment or death is a no-go. I can't provide examples that step over the line for obvious reasons, but another good rule of thumb is "if you have to ask if it steps over the line, then don't do it."

It would be safest to have the event occurring more or less in the background; people talk about it, but you don't really have to actually put mass killing "on-screen."

[Reploid Productions]

I'd also recommend chatting with one of the RP mentors, they might have more specific advice relevant to the specific story you're looking to tell, too.

[CoraSpia]

I'm planning an rp in a similar vein myself soon. Am I right in thinking that this classic thread would likely be considered over the line now, and that I couldn't go as far as this?
viewtopic.php?t=11089

[Santheres]

I'm planning an rp in a similar vein myself soon. Am I right in thinking that this classic thread would likely be considered over the line now, and that I couldn't go as far as this?
viewtopic.php?t=11089

That featured a significant number of posts that varied from "just" to "quite far" over the line and it has been removed from public view as a result. It was quite gleefully graphic and "R-rated" for lack of a better term. Since you're presumably familiar with the content, I hope that this makes sense without you needing to preserve it as an example if you did not already do so.

Thank you!

[CoraSpia]

I'm planning an rp in a similar vein myself soon. Am I right in thinking that this classic thread would likely be considered over the line now, and that I couldn't go as far as this?
viewtopic.php?t=11089

That featured a significant number of posts that varied from "just" to "quite far" over the line and it has been removed from public view as a result. It was quite gleefully graphic and "R-rated" for lack of a better term. Since you're presumably familiar with the content, I hope that this makes sense without you needing to preserve it as an example if you did not already do so.

Thank you!

Yeah, the standard seems to have shifted (not in the direction I'd like) quite a bit over the years. I didn't make a copy of it anywhere if that's what you meant at the end of your post. How would you convey that sort of atmosphere without going so far over the line though? On a tangentially related note, when did the shift in what was acceptable come in? I could probably send you 8 more examples from that time period, some of which had input from people who were at the time moderators. Since nobody with writing talent has attempted this topic in a number of years, a lack of examples and clarity on where the line is drawn isn't very helpful.

[Santheres]

That featured a significant number of posts that varied from "just" to "quite far" over the line and it has been removed from public view as a result. It was quite gleefully graphic and "R-rated" for lack of a better term. Since you're presumably familiar with the content, I hope that this makes sense without you needing to preserve it as an example if you did not already do so.

Thank you!

Yeah, the standard seems to have shifted (not in the direction I'd like) quite a bit over the years. I didn't make a copy of it anywhere if that's what you meant at the end of your post. How would you convey that sort of atmosphere without going so far over the line though? On a tangentially related note, when did the shift in what was acceptable come in? I could probably send you 8 more examples from that time period, some of which had input from people who were at the time moderators. Since nobody with writing talent has attempted this topic in a number of years, a lack of examples and clarity on where the line is drawn isn't very helpful.

"PG-13" has always been the rule, but clearly enforcement of it in the past and even possibly in the present may not be very strong. That doesn't equate a change in standard, though. If people do not report things, it is unlikely things will be acted on. Regarding input from then-mods, I know what you mean but I will not comment here on previous moderators or opine on why actions were not previously taken by them, for hopefully obvious reasons.

Those 8 examples likely crossed the line then, as they would now. They just happened to fly in under the radar for whatever reason and will likely continue to do so unless you do report them. No punishments would happen a decade later obviously, but we could figure out if those 8 actually do help clarify where the line seems to be; it'll probably take awhile, but it might.

How would I convey that atmosphere? This is getting a bit close to "moderating quality"; I will provide my thoughts on the matter, but want to be clear that we do not moderate RP quality.

In a simple phrase: dull that edge. None of what crossed the line in the thread you initially linked had to be there. It was all superfluous and if anything made me roll my eyes and want to scroll past because it was just there for edge and served no good narrative purpose: it actively detracted and distracted by turning it from a tense and scary story into torture/death porn. Stronger writing doesn't need to be so edgy you can shave with it, and in fact a lot of what was there was and was okay was strong enough to set the atmosphere, and then the writer just didn't know when to stop - I will not guess as to why they didn't know when to stop, though.

[Victorious Decepticons]

Since nobody with writing talent has attempted this topic in a number of years

Has it really been that long since General Carjack the Genocider reduced Earth's population from an infestation-level 7.5 billion to a much more reasonable 1-2 billion or so~? Hmmm. *Looks at nation founding date* I guess it HAS been a while. Maybe I should deploy him and his Genocide Battalion to some other planet to refresh his deadly image!

In any case, it's not hard to write a genocide without breaking the rules.

I Shall Now Exterminate 1,000 Helpless, Puny Humans in an Instant - Without Breaking the Rules

"The 1,000 panicked dissidents ran and hid in a garage, hoping to avoid the malevolent, narrowed red eyes of the genocidal robot general who they had just heard land nearby. Alas, their hiding was to no avail. He could hear their breathless panting from outside the garage walls thanks to his highly sensitive electronic audio sensors. Immediately, the rebels' fate was sealed. He towered over the garage with his 100-foot tall body, and with a firm sadistic smile, aimed one of the blasters mounted on his arm. He chuckled once, and then fired. When the brightness of the energy blast dissipated, all that was left was a crater in the ground."

See how it works? No gore or torture is present, yet you should still have a good feel not only for the fact that those 1,000 dissidents are now dead, but for the sense of fear they must have had as they huddled in the garage panting after their run, as well as the general's resolve to wipe them out (and the fact that he quite enjoyed doing so).

For a genocide, you just up the scale and have the same sort of thing happening all across your theater of operation. In an RP, I would simply say, "scenes like this were repeated all over the planet, until the entire population was either dead or cowed under."

You don't need any giant war robots to make it happen, of course. Humans are the deadliest real-life species other than microbes. You might need to add in more people shooting back if you don't have a giant military advantage over your targets, though. Just adapt the general concept to meet the needs of your nation's species, time zone, and motivations.

Have fun e-genociding everyone that gets in the way of your bloodthirsty forces.

PS: I can write better than my example showed, but a simple example does not get meticulous attention. I was just getting the point across.