A Meta-Friending/Clique Discussion.

[Flourish]

Yeah, it can definitely be really frustrating when you try to RP with other players and they ignore or exclude you. I don't think most people do this on purpose, but it can be an easy thing to fall into. For instance, if you're already occupied trying to roleplay out a certain scenario with a friend, you might not have enough attention or energy to devote to the person you don't really know who walks up to you and interjects into your conversation. You might even be annoyed because it feels like they're disrupting your roleplay. Or, before the actual roleplay even begins, when you're considering who to approach or who to pull into your gimmick, you may tend to only think of people you're already familiar with, since they're known and predictable and you can anticipate what you're in for. All of us do this to some extent or another, and I think it's natural and expected, but it does become an issue when when we're actively shutting down roleplay or excluding others.

In terms of steps you can take to ease this issue, you should ahelp when you see people being exclusionary or cliquey. While a single instance probably isn't enough on its own, if admins receive multiple reports and are able to identify a pattern of problematic behavior, we can and definitely will address it. Besides that, being the change you want to see and setting a good example for other players is also always good.