What is the etiquette for taking a scene marked 'open'?
- Nobody likes their open scene going ignored. So if there's already several open scenes that haven't been taken that game-day? See if it's possible to take one of those instead of putting up a new one of your own – unless there's something you need to do at a specific time or location, of course. :)
- When taking an open scene, it’s considered bad form to do so in such a way that your character ignores the original poster. If you’re taking an open scene, please make sure that you engage the initial character in some way. This doesn’t have to be walking over and striking up a conversation, but doing something that will get their attention in some way is a must. Don’t just take the open scene and have your character vaguely in the vicinity, putting all the work on the original poster to engage yours. They have already put in an opening for character interaction – the original post. Your job is to respond to that reaction by taking that post.
- If someone has taken an open scene already, but you still want to join – it's considered good manners to check with one or both players to see if it's okay to throw your character in, too. If you do join an already-in-progress scene, don't entirely divert what's happening without talking to the other players. (Example: Billy and Suzy are having a serious conversation, and then Joey runs through the room on fire. Billy and Suzy's conversation is most definitely over as they begin their quest for amazing life-giving water!)
- Don't hijack scenes. If there are more than two people on a scene and you join it, don't steal it and leave one of the players out.
- Don't ignore, neglect, or skip other characters. Billy, Suzy, Joey, and Annie are having a conversation when Joey spontaneously combusts. Billy's player signs off for the night for that all important sleep, but Suzy and Annie's players finish the scene without him. Not cool! Billy's player wakes up to find that Joey has been put out, taken to the hospital, revived, and endlessly thanked Suzy and Annie while Billy stood in place staring and doing nothing. Suzy and Annie, by not waiting for their third party, have determined that Billy has done nothing – even if he would have done if they'd waited. It's fine to skip a character for a turn here and there, but at some point, you're going to have to stop and wait.
- Sometimes it's okay to go off on your own! There is a big dinner party, and there are twenty people in the dining room. It's more than fine to have a bunch of little mini-threads on one post, so it's fine to do your own thing. ;)