93.1 Safespace

//TRANSMISSION//
//FROM: S.A.F.E.S.P.A.C.E // TO: MINDSIM USERS (S) //
//RE: PERSONAL SAFETY AND WELLBEING WHILST ENJOYING MINDSIM ROLEPLAYING GAMES //
//START

~Text scrolls across your MindSim interface, white on a black background.~

[The following is a PUBLIC SAFETY GUIDE presented by the Starmourn Alliance For Ensuring Secure Personal And Cultural Endeavours]

~Various and diverse landscapes and cityscapes come into view in turn as a montage, races of all kinds going about their daily business in harmony, their natural soundscapes set against a pleasant instrumental track.~

~The smooth voice of Jin cultural icon and actor Tirgon K'ree-mun joins after a few shots, introducing the presentation.~

"It is said, that the legendary Kivatha Amati Barek once said: The substance of life is a dough, given its flavor by the salt of our personal interactions."

~A few more cities are shown - a Shen couple getting married in a flower drenched garden; a W'hoorn soldier sharing a joke with a Human tourist in Vertenalith; an Elgan businesswoman shaking hands with an Amaian dignitary.~

~The scene fades and Tirgon K'ree-mun is shown, sitting in a peaceful looking cafe as a waiter positions a mug of steaming karaffee in front of him. The sun of an unnamed planet is beating down on his deep violet skin to highlight his crinkled laugh-lines, glittering indigo eyes and backswept, and well-manicured horn.~

"Well hello there, I'm Tirgon K'ree-mun. You can call me Tee. Glad you could make it. I'll let you get your own karaffee." ~he laughs~

"So let's cut to the chase. These safespace people have asked me here to talk to you all about something really important, so humor me while I do the old man advice bit, okay? Okay."

"Who hasn't played a MindSim game? They come in all shapes and sizes, some are single player, some are player versus player, some are community based spaced where we all can enjoy the escape of... well... being someone else for a little while..."

"I know I have... I might have even sold you garzaruts in Xenobeast Neigborhood, or kicked your butt on Mechanized Chaos: Eternauts. Yeah, I play that, what? You think I'm too old?

~K'ree-mun arches one black eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.~

"But here's the thing... it's easy to get carried away when you're immersed in an imaginary world. It's easy to forget that the people you interact with in an online community are real people, with real lives and real feelings. They're not NPCs, and all of them, even the assholes, are there for their own reasons. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred that reason is for their own enjoyment and to meet their own needs."


"So I'm here to maybe try and help you all to stay safe and happy while you're lost in your mindsim, whether you're in Iriilia, the Mech-pits of Prurimia or hanging out on campus in the Sekret University."

~K'ree-mun turns to one side, allowing a text box to appear on the interface beside him, pausing to take a sip of his karaffee.~

"Okay, I have ten tips for you here that are gonna appear on this fancy imaginary screen to my left."

~K'ree-mun gestures and a title appears to prove his point, the number 1 appearing below it, text appearing as he speaks.~

"Number one... you're only responsible for your own actions - not those of other people. 

"It's super frustrating and we've all been there - this other person's character is being antagonistic and it's making you real-life mad - just remember that your only responsibility is to manage your own self. If it fuels some lively roleplaying and you're both okay with it - smash it out in a PVP match... incorporate it into your roleplay and talk to them about it in-character. If you really feel like you can't interact with someone in-character without your emotions boiling over and it affecting your or their real life mood, you simply don't have to. Expending that rage on someone else is not only compromising their safety and enjoyment, it's compromising your own, as well as the safety and enjoyment of everyone in the fallout area, so if it's simply that their character is a turdnugget and they make you mad, just step away. If they're actually breaking the game's terms of service then always refer to Number Nine.

"Number two... Communication is important, but you don't owe anyone an explanation for setting boundaries for yourself, especially if someone makes you feel unsafe.

"Number three... If something makes you uncomfortable, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or what anyone else would do. 

"Keep yourself safe. Log off and take some time to think about what happened. By all means give your apologies before you do with the MindSim ‘OOC' messaging function, if you feel like it's necessary - or incorporate it in your roleplay. Communication is a great way to nip bad-feeling in the bud - but remember number two.

"Number four... No matter how trustworthy someone seems, always put protecting yourself first and retain a healthy level of distance from people you meet in an online community. 

"You're entitled to privacy. If you don't want to talk to someone out of character, tell them right away. If you need space, just take it, it's yours. Never ever give out personal details like direct comms addresses and especially financial details to people you don't know, and most of all remember you're playing a character in a game, and so are they. They might not want people to know who they are outside of the game because this is their escape.

"Number five... Respect other people's boundaries, too. 

"Yeah, I know this seems like it's about other people and not you, but I promise you it's as much for your safety as it is for theirs. Even if you don't have any boundaries and don't care what someone does - try to remind yourself that everyone's there for different reasons. Everyone's living a real life you know nothing about - and it's perfectly okay to know nothing about it. You're not there to know them in real life and whoever they may be shouldn't have any impact on your game experience. If it does, remember Number One!

"Number six... Remember it's just a game.

"Sure, roleplaying games can be a lifeline when you're in a bad place. They can be a comfort when you're feeling alone and they can be... well... just fun to play. But they can also be all-consuming. You might feel like the community you've found in the game has changed your life. You might gain confidence and a sense of belonging. You might learn skills and gain knowledge. But you might also come to rely on it for all your emotional or social needs, or It might be so much better than your real life situation that it becomes more important to you than you actual physical existence. These games can be completely amazing, but they also do come with the risk of becoming a way to escape things you don't wanna deal with in real life. So it can very much be double-edged kithblade, y'know? Make regular appointments with yourself to remember that it's just a game, which you started playing as a fun side-quest. It's not the main quest for you, that involves taking care of your real life body and mind, okay? Okay.

"Number seven... Take regular breaks.

"Much as these game developers want you to be logged into their games 24/8, it's not good for you to be glued to your mindsim that whole time. Your body will suffer, your mind will suffer, and your eyes will probably suffer from that unfocused glazed expression on your face, ya gormless Gus. So make sure you get up. Move your body. Look at daka that's further away than like... the inside of your mind or on your holoscreen or visor or whatever and take days off to remember what your actual skin feels like.

"Number eight... You are not alone. 

"The game got you down? Someone in the community making your playtime unfun? S.A.F.E.S.P.A.C.E. is an independent org that makes sure that you know that, no matter how much someone has beaten you down, you have the power and the right to personal safety. Even if there's someone around being a complete loam leech, there's someone else around who's probably been in the same place you are, so don't hold it all in until you explode. 

"If there are people you feel safe with in the game, who you play with regularly, then by all means ask considerately if anyone's had the same feelings. Ask in-character if it's easier to ask as your character. Consideration is key though, so also bear in mind that to some people some stuff like this can be pretty upsetting or even triggering. They might be playing specifically to get away from thoughts like that, so please don't just launch into your depression story in public spaces or unsolicited in people's tells or scenarios. Check with them first out of character to make sure that they're okay with anything that might be upsetting. We gotta keep everyone feeling safe, remember. If this isn't an option, or even if it is or you're not feeling that way out, check out HELP SAFESPACE for some external support services and tools - even if it's just to have in your back pocket for later.

"Number nine... This one's very, very important. So pay attention.


"If someone is doing or has done something that's against the game's rules, or if they're taking an in-character conflict and making it an out of character problem for you on purpose, the game's admin need to know. They wanna make sure everyone is having a good time, and it's not up to you to call people out or deal with the fact that they can't play by the rules (see Number One). 

"The admin won't know that you need support unless you make them aware. Yeah, sure they might happen to witness something going down, but they also might not. They're doing their best but they're also real life people. The way to do this is by using the MindSim ISSUE command. Be sure to read through HELP ISSUE if you don't know how that works, okay? And if you can, keep a log of the problematic interactions and send these along with your message. 

"Okay. Finally...

"Number ten... The great people at S.A.F.E.S.P.A.C.E. have put this whole thing together as a MindSim help file which you can access any time of the day or night at HELP SAFESPACE, along with a bunch of links to useful resources for protecting yourself and your mental wellbeing. So if you ever feel unsafe or don't know what to do about a difficult social situation while playing a MindSim roleplaying game, you can just be like... HELP SAFESPACE! And it'll help you."

~K'ree-mun sits back, relaxing with a slight creak into his chair and drinking the last dregs of his karaffee with a gentle smile. The text fades and leaves only a MindSim link and the S.A.F.E.S.P.A.C.E. logo~

"And that's it... ten useful tips for staying safe on MindSim roleplaying games. I hope it's been useful and not just a dull old safety holo. Either way, it's been great to sit down and have a karaffee with you.


~K'ree-mun gives his trademark mischievous grin, showing grey-stubbled dimples~

"And next time you log into your favorite game, just remember... I could be that girl you flirted with in the Cantina in Legends of Willspace... the one who felt awkward and declined your proposition... I'm a married man, you know? That old lady neighbor upstairs might be the lord almighty of the battle arena... Or that guy who ghosted you might be dealing with a lotta heavy real life stuff that he needs to deal with. 

"But whatever you do... stay safe, and make it fun."

~K'ree-mun gives a little Soulhunter salute and nods with a smile as the credits for the presentation roll~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SEE: SAFETY and MENTAL HEALTH for more.