Third Partying

Third-Partying – Know When To Get Involved

What Is Third-Partying?

Third-partying is inserting yourself or additional people into an ongoing RP scene without a legitimate in-character reason, often to alter the outcome in your favor or someone else's.

The core issue: You're injecting yourself into situations where your character has no realistic reason to be involved, breaking immersion and creating unfair scenarios.


The Golden Rule:

Only involve yourself in scenes when it makes sense for YOUR character – not because you want to help a friend, grief someone, or change the outcome.

Ask yourself: "Why would my character realistically get involved in this situation right now?"

If you don't have a good answer, stay out of it.


When Third-Partying IS Allowed (Appropriate Involvement):

These situations justify bringing additional people into a scene or involving yourself:

Gang/Crew Backup (High-Stakes Situations)

Scenario: You're in a gang and get pulled over by police while carrying large amounts of illegal materials, drugs, weapons, or evidence that could impact your entire organization.

  • Allowed: Calling your crew for backup because the consequences affect more than just you

  • Not Allowed: Calling backup for every minor traffic stop or interaction with the cops.

The difference: Is this a serious threat to your organization, or just a routine interaction? Save the backup calls for when it actually matters.

If you fled on foot, it is OK to call for a pickup, but you should try to arrange that pickup in a way that is safe for both you and the person picking you up. They shouldn't just drive right into the scene.


Law Enforcement Backup

Scenario: Police encounter a high-profile criminal, dangerous suspect, or a situation that's escalating beyond their control.

  • Allowed: Calling for backup when the situation justifies it (known violent offender, weapons visible, clear danger)

  • Not Allowed: Calling 10 units to a routine traffic stop because you're bored

Officers should evaluate the threat level and only call backup when it's realistically needed.


Established Relationships & Connections

Scenario: Someone you have a direct, established relationship with is in trouble.

  • Allowed: Helping your gang member, family member, close friend, or business partner

  • Not Allowed: Helping random strangers just because you want to insert yourself into the scene

The connection must be real and established through prior RP, not something you invent on the spot to justify involvement.


Your Character's Role or Storyline

Scenario: The situation directly involves your character's established role, business, territory, or ongoing storyline.

  • Allowed: Defending your turf if someone's causing trouble in your territory; protecting your business interests; continuing an established conflict

  • Not Allowed: Claiming a connection that doesn't exist just to get involved

Your involvement must align with your character's established motivations and story.


When Third-Partying Is NOT Allowed (Inappropriate Involvement):

Unrelated Interference

Don't insert yourself into scenes where you have no legitimate reason to be involved.

Examples of violations:

  • Seeing a stranger getting arrested and jumping in to "help" them for no reason

  • Witnessing a fight between two people you don't know and joining one side randomly

  • Interfering in someone else's traffic stop when you have zero connection to them

Why it's a problem: You're breaking immersion and creating unrealistic scenarios. Random civilians don't typically interfere in police business or jump into strangers' conflicts.


Looting Unrelated Scenes

Running up to scenes you weren't part of just to rob downed players or loot vehicles is prohibited.

Examples of violations:

  • Hearing gunshots, driving to the scene, and looting bodies you have no connection to

  • Waiting for shootouts to end so you can swoop in and rob everyone

  • Stealing from crime scenes or accident sites you had no involvement in

Why it's a problem: You're vulturing off others' RP for personal gain with zero story justification. It's lazy, immersion-breaking, and creates a toxic environment.

Exception: If your character is an established scavenger/opportunist with a reputation for this behavior AND it makes sense in context, it might be acceptable – but tread carefully and don't make it your entire character.


Random Aggression / Joining Fights

Don't join scenes just to attack, disrupt, or cause chaos without in-character motivation.

Examples of violations:

  • Jumping into a fistfight between two strangers just because you want action

  • Shooting at people involved in a scene you have no connection to

  • Attacking someone because your friend (in Discord) is fighting them, even though your character doesn't know what's happening

Why it's a problem: Violence needs RP justification. Random attacks are just RDM with extra steps.


Revenge Without Connection

Don't involve yourself in seeking revenge or helping someone escape unless you have a direct, established connection.

Examples of violations:

  • Your friend (OOC) tells you in Discord they got arrested, so you show up to "break them out" even though your characters aren't connected

  • Someone you barely know asks for help getting revenge, and you agree just to get into a shootout

  • Joining a conflict between groups you're not affiliated with

Valid connections: Gang ties, family, close friends established through RP, business partners, crew members

Invalid connections: "I met them once," Discord friendships with no IC relationship, wanting to help because you're bored


Neutral Observers Interfering

If you witness a crime or police action but have no direct involvement, don't intervene unless it aligns with your character's established role or storyline.

Examples of violations:

  • Watching a police chase and ramming the cops to "help" the criminal escape (when you don't know them)

  • Seeing someone get robbed and attacking the robbers (when you're not a vigilante or connected to the victim)

  • Interfering in gang conflicts you're not part of

Exception: If your character is an established vigilante, concerned citizen with a history of intervention, or someone whose storyline justifies involvement – it might make sense. But this should be rare and well-established, not an excuse to jump into every scene.


Grey Areas & Common Sense:

Some situations aren't black and white. Use common sense and realistic judgment:

Scenario 1: You hear gunshots nearby

  • Bad: Running toward them to loot or join the fight with no reason

  • Good: Running away like a normal person would, or calling police if your character would do that

Scenario 2: Your friend is in a chase

  • Bad: Immediately jumping in to help even though your character doesn't know what's happening

  • Good: Your friend calls you IC, explains the situation, and you decide whether your character would help

Scenario 3: You stumble upon a crime in progress

  • Bad: Automatically intervening or attacking someone

  • Good: Reacting how your character would – maybe running away, maybe calling police, maybe getting involved if it aligns with your character

The test: Would your character realistically know about this? Would they realistically care? Would they realistically risk their life for this?


Why This Rule Exists:

Third-partying destroys immersion and creates unfair scenarios:

  • Ruins established RP – scenes get flooded with random people who have no business being there

  • Creates unrealistic situations – 10 people showing up to a traffic stop isn't realistic

  • Enables meta-gaming – people use OOC information (Discord, streams) to insert themselves into scenes

  • Rewards bad behavior – looters and opportunists profit off others' RP with no effort

  • Undermines consequences – people can't face realistic outcomes when random reinforcements always show up

We're building a realistic world. Not every scene needs 20 participants. Sometimes, you need to let others have their moment without inserting yourself.


Consequences:

Inappropriate third-partying will result in disciplinary action, especially if it's a pattern:

  • Repeatedly inserting yourself into unrelated scenes

  • Looting bodies/scenes you have no connection to

  • Using OOC information to involve yourself in situations

  • Disrupting others' RP for personal gain

Staff will review reports of third-partying on a case-by-case basis.


The Bottom Line:

Just because you CAN get involved doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Before inserting yourself into a scene, ask:

  1. "Does my character have a legitimate reason to be here?"

  2. "Would my character realistically know about this situation?"

  3. "Am I improving the RP, or just forcing my way in?"

  4. "Is this about the story, or am I just bored?"

If you don't have strong, in-character justification – stay out of it.

Let others have their moments. Not every scene is yours to join. Respect the RP happening around you, and only involve yourself when it genuinely makes sense.

Questions about whether your involvement would be considered third-partying? Open a ticket and ask staff before jumping in.

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