by Bill Hedrick 

Role-play: when to and when not to.

An example or two:

1)You and your shipmates are doing an event in costume and character, you're having a fine time being Klingish and a small disabled child catches your eye, she's obviously entranced by you, do you:

A)Try to ignore her
B) Say something like "Why didn't your parents put you through the dishonor of living? They should have spared themselves the shame of dealing with you!
C) Drop character, sit down with the child and let her see all your stuff

2) Someone comes to you and mentions something you or one of your ship has done that offended them, do you:

A) blow them off
B) Claim loudly that they are dishonorable and are abusing you, challenging them and threatening to disembowel them where they stand
C) Talk to them and after dispassionately examining the situation, make it right, whether that means apologizing, making reparations or concluding it was a misunderstanding

3) An old friend says something stupid do you:

A) calmly tell them that what they said didn't make any sense
B) snicker at them silently and make fun of them behind their back
C) Same something like, "Petaq! You make Pakleds look smart! Your Brain has NO HONOR!

As a wizened old warrior I tell you the correct answers are c,c,c.

We always need to look at a situation and be aware of where we are! I've seen friendships ruined, clubs discredited and destroyed by people who either don't know when to drop character or have lost touch with the fact that they aren't really the aliens they portray. Worse than that they look at and adopt the darker aspects of Klingon culture and feel they are justified "as Klingons" to lie, abuse people, and to generally do the sort of thing that in my old neighborhood would get you punched out.

Don't get me wrong, when in full Klingon I think you should play it to the hilt!

With people that "get it" you should feel free to be as outrageous as possible. I've gone into bars and totally dissed the local sports teams, the various patrons and felt completely free to make an ass of myself. BUT that was always in context, no one (remotely sane) could think I meant anything serious by my actions

The main thing here is this: at the end of the day you are just a person who wears a funny rubber head and if you do believe in the nobler aspects of Klingon culture (honor, and loyalty) you shouldn't do anything that would embarrass yourself, your friends, KAG, klindom, or fandom.

Capt. Qob of House Hurric