Welcome to Gaia! ::

What is this guild about?

The SDRP is a general roleplaying guild dedicated to improving our members' skills in both writing and role play as well as hosting quality RPs for all interests and skill levels. Whether you just heard about RP or you've been playing for decades, no matter if you play high fantasy or high school we encourage everyone to come in and join the fun.

Once you join you'll have the opportunity to play in existing guild RPs or even start your own in the main forum. The main forum is also a place to chat with the other members and advertise RPs and RP related shops or other RP guilds. We also have a dedicated One-on-One RPs subforum open to all members and you can ask questions in the QnA subforum or meet our members and find RP mentors or mentees through the SDRP Mentorship Program.

Our goal here is to provide a community where RPers of all levels can network and learn from each other to improve all aspects of the game while having fun and making friends in an open, accepting environment. If you're just here to have fun that's ok too. We host a variety of RPs created and run by members just like you at all skill levels and in many genres. Check the main forum for current events, contests, and active or new RPs and trending discussions. You can even start your own RP in the main forum, though it's recommended that you start the thread title with "RP[New]" so we know it's a new RP.

What makes us different from Barton Town? The community. Here you're not just another username in a sea of thousands. We have a dedicated Crew willing to answer questions and help when you need it. We have friendly, committed members willing to run and play in RPs of all kinds. We host events and challenges to bring us all together so if you jump in and participate you'll soon make friends.

So how do you join? Easy. Just copy the below questions then click the join link near the top of the page to give us your answers. They don't have to be long or elaborate, just honest answers to all of the questions. Some of them just need a yes or no. We don't accept incomplete requests but if you actually answer our questions (and are nice about it) we won't turn you down - no matter what the answers are.

*If you've submitted the join request but forgot to include the questions below, please send a PM to School of Dedicated RPers with your answers to these questions.

Where do I start?

Right here.

Read the Announcements and Stickies:
The main forum and each subforum have announcements and stickies that you should read to answer any questions you may have about the guild and how we do things around here. Take some time and browse through them. If you've still got questions then pop on over to our General Chatroom or QnA subforum and ask us there.

Introduce Yourself:
Let us get to know you better by giving a shout out in our Introduce Yourself thread. You should also make your own post in the Directory subforum for more personalized chatter and a place to keep us updated on what you're getting into. Don't be shy, we don't bite and always love to hear from new and returning members alike. If you want to just chatter some you can also post in the General Chatroom or drop a topic in the OOC subforum to get a conversation rolling.

Join an existing RP:
If you're itching to get into a game then look through the main forum for new and featured RPs that are recruiting players. RPs should be marked with RP in their title and most will have a note (Open, Accepting, or the like) to let you know they're looking for players. Once you find one you like follow instructions in the RP thread to submit your character. That's usually PMing the thread author with a character template but this can vary by thread.

Make Your Own RP:
If you want to start your own RP please still look through the existing ones first to see if there's one you'd like to join and to get ideas. If you still want to run your own make a thread in the main forum laying out your ideas. See How do I start RP threads? for more information about our RP starting policies.

How do I start an RP?

Every guild has its own set of rules and this one may be different from any that you have seen before so you may have a few questions about how we do things around here. We hope to answer the ones on starting/running RP threads here but if you find you've still got questions after reading this thread (and the FAQ) then feel free to post your questions to the General Chatroom or QnA subforum.

Who Can Start a Role Play?
Any member may start an RP at any time, no matter your level of experience. You do not need permission though we do encourage everyone who is interested in starting an RP to read the advice that we have for you here in order to get the most out of your RP. We love to see people improving and giving their best when they start or join an RP here.

Where Do I Post an Idea for an RP?
If you're just throwing out an idea for someone else to run with, requesting RP partners, or recruiting for a preexisting RP that belongs in the OOC Subforum but for now you can start it in the Main forum.

If you're wanting to develop a new RP or story but aren't ready to run it yet, that belongs in the Setting & Story Development Subforum but for now you can start it in the Main forum. We encourage you to use the Setting subforum for building your RP then you may request a Crew member move it to the main forum once finished. We also encourage you to ask for help with your work here and to offer help to others.

Where Do I Start an RP?
All RPs should start in the guild's main forum. You can find the main forum by clicking the "Guild Forum" button near the top. You were probably in the main forum when you found this thread. If you post your RP anywhere other than the main (or development) forum, your thread will be LOCKED. Following guild rules makes less trouble for us all.

How do I Start an RP?
First look through the existing RPs to see if there's one you'd like to join and to get ideas. If you still want to run your own have a look at the RP Standards in each of our Level subforums (linked below) to get an idea of what level you would like to play at and what is expected there. Once you've got all your ideas just make a thread in the main forum laying out your RP concept, joining procedures, and any other setup information you may have - the more the better.

Please use the following format to title your RP (to prove that you have read our rules):

Title (New | status | genre)

RPs should be listed as New. Crew will assign a level once the RP has gone for a few pages. Do not assign your own level. A list of standard statuses are provided below. If you do not use this format one of the Crew may change your thread's title to follow the format. Examples include:

Thread Title (New | Open/Accepting | Fantasy)
Very Much Longer Thread Title (N | O/A)

The abbreviations are to facilitate longer titles on account of Gaia's restrictive subject lengths. Long titles may omit the genre.

RP Status List:
[N] New - should be on all RPs until they reach 10 pages, then Crew will assign a level.
[UC] Under Construction - RP is not ready for players to look at. Should only be used while developing RP threads.
[A] Accepting - taking in new players
[F] Full - not taking new players. This may be left out of the RP title. Instead, simply do not flag the RP as Accepting.
[O] Open - players may post to the RP thread. Also you should have a "This RP is now open" post in the thread when you add this tag.
[C] Closed - players may not post (generally waiting to begin). This may be left out of the RP title. Instead, simply do not flag the RP as Open.
[H] Hiatus - players may not post but it should come back soon
[D] Dead - players have stopped posting and/or GM has abandoned thread

Protips:
- Don't use small fonts, it kills our eyes.
- Don't use bright colors, these also kill our eyes.
- Put more than one post into your setup. We strongly suggest including rules and a character submission procedure as well as world information and game mechanics (each a separate post).
- Use a spellchecker and watch your grammar. We're not grammar Nazis but good writing is a big part of making a good RP.

Multiple Thread RPs
Some RPs use separate threads to keep track of character profiles, world references, and OOC chatter. Character profile threads should be put in the Character Profiles and Development subforum, their title should include the RP title, and they should link to the RP somewhere in the first post of the thread. World reference threads should be put in the Setting and Story Development subforum, their title should include the RP title, and they should link to the RP somewhere in the first post of the thread. OOC threads can be started in the main subforum but their title must follow this format: OOC - RP Thread Title. You may use a short version of the RP title and have things after it but if you do not follow this format the Crew will change your title.

Where Did My RP Go!?
If you posted your RP in the main forum, you did the right thing! Once an RP runs in the Main forum for a while, the Crew will take a look at it and assign it a level, which will be added to your RP's title. They may also change your title to fit our standard title guidelines. You should get a PM about this when it happens so it shouldn't be a surprise but in case you missed it give the Main forum a look to be sure your title just hasn't changed.

If you still can't find your RP then it was probably archived for inactivity. Our Crew (try to) move inactive threads out of the Main forum on a periodic basis. If your thread has not been posted to in over 6 months or fell off the first page it may be moved to the appropriate Level archive. There are four subforums that your RP might go to: Level 0 - the Red Zone, Level 1 - Casual, Level 2 - Intermediate, or Level 3 - Advanced.

What are These Level Things?
Many RP circles use the terms literate and semi-lit to mean many different things. Rather than add a new layer of meaning to those already abused terms, we decided to create a Level system to define the overall quality and challenge of the RPs run here.

Level is determined by looking at the quality of several aspects of the RP in question but it all boils down to how much effort was put into it. We generally place the level of an RP by the setup as the level of the setup will tend to attract players at the same level. However, the players in an RP can raise or lower the level so we wait until an RP has a few pages before placing it. Long running RPs may outgrow their initial placement as GM and players advance skill through practice. Please contact us if you believe this has happened in your RP or if you disagree with where the RP has been placed. Please keep in mind the guidelines below. Just because an RP is "literate" does not mean that it belongs at a higher level.

Level 0 - the Red Zone: These are RPs that do not meet even the most basic standards of effort and quality. You do not want your RP to end up here.

Level 1 - Casual: These are RPs that have put in the minimum of effort to create a casual story that demands very little from its players and exists only to have fun. This is a good beginner's level but even advanced players can enjoy Casual RPs.

Level 2 - Intermediate: These are RPs that put more than the minimum of effort into creating a developed story with interesting characters that requires some work from its players and strives to do well. We hope that most our RPs can be at this level.

Level 3 - Advanced: These are RPs that go above and beyond the minimum of effort to create an engaging story with developed characters and rich worlds that require a high level of commitment from its players to achieve goodness.

Mixed Level: These RPs usually have advanced level setups and experienced GMs but have lower (or staged) commitment requirements and encourage players of all levels to join, making them accessible to beginners as well as veterans.

Note that the deciding factor between these levels is effort not length of posts or use of big words. See the 'About this Subforum' sticky in each level for more detailed information on that level's standards of quality.

How Do I Get My RP Moved Up?
Sometimes an RP will grow out of the level it started in. These RPs can be moved up to a higher level with Crew approval. To do this just PM the guild mule (School Of Dedicated RPers). Include the following in your graduation request:

- Title the PM 'RP Graduation Request'
- Link to the RP you would like to be moved up
- Explain why your RP belongs in a higher level
- Give specific examples with links to posts where these examples exist

Only the thread creator should submit requests for RP graduation unless the creator has abandoned that thread for longer than 3 months and the players have managed to keep it running.

Guild History

While our guild page may say it was established on Wed Aug 25, 2004, the guild itself is older than that. The SDRP was first created before the GGN, sometime around 2003, as a thread in the Extended Discussion forum helping RPers by asking them to post bits of their RP for others to critique. From the very beginning, this guild was designed to help people improve their RP writing and as a meeting place for RPers of all skills to meet up. Since then we've been all about gathering good role players together with those who wanted to learn.

After the success of the thread, MrsMica (Penden) created the School of Dedicated RPers mule account in March of 2004 then several months later founded the SDRP guild officially in August of 2004, making the mule our first Captain. We've had multiple generations of Crew and members come and go since then so there aren't very many left around that remember the old days but we do still have a bit of our history.

Over the years we grew into a large and very active guild with over 2,000 members, dozens of posts a day, and hundreds of join requests a week. In 2007 we held the Guild Spotlight on Gaia starting in July and lasting most of that summer.

We've hosted dozens of long running, high quality RPs with the occasional birthday bash or beach party event to bring the community together and had a long list of awards we used to give out semi-monthly.

Sometime around 2009 our founding member, MrsMica, took an indefinite leave of absence from the guild to start a family and left the SDRP in the hands of the remaining Crew. The guild stayed strong for a few years but life eventually got in the way and guild activity began to dwindle.

In the spring of 2012 the SDRP began an intensive Revival Initiative starting with Mr. Blackbird Lore's Help Decide the Next Roleplay and Venom3001's Chose Your RP 2 then culminating in raising new Crew (umbraja and ivaylo_sai) to head major guild renovations such as the establishment of the SDRP Academy, organizing of the subforums, updating all the guild stickies, and designing fancy new graphics.

With a fresh look and more activity than we'd seen in years the summer of 2012 saw the first major event held by the SDRP since Penden left and it was quite a bash. Afterwards there was a lull in activity as all the previous Crew went on to do things elsewhere leaving the guild in the hands of a new generation.

After a few more revival parties and holiday events we hope the guild is back on track to becoming the friendly and supportive place it was always meant to be.

Guild Graphics

Banners:
Help advertise the SDRP by displaying one of our banners with a link back to the SDRP in your signature, RPs, or profile. If you're an affiliate guild we ask that you display one of these banners with a link back to the SDRP somewhere in your guild.







Logos: Black and White, Three Color, Full Color, Full Color Shield
Feel free to resize/recolor these logos to drop them into banners for your RPs. If you use our logo be sure to also link to the guild and let us know you're using our graphics. If you would like the vector/high res file PM umbraja and she will help you out.

Guild FAQ

General Guild Questions:

• How do I donate to the guild?
  
• Is there any place in the guild I should go first?
  
• Are there any activity requirements to stay a member of this guild?
  
• Can I make a post offering to draw RP characters or other services?
  
• My post count and donation on the members page are both zero but I've donated to the guild and posted in forums before.
  
• I was searching my name on the members list and it says I'm a non-member but I joined and was accepted.
  
• What are stickies?
  
• Are guilds exclusive or can you join more than one?
  
• I messed up on/am abandoning my thread, can someone please delete it?
  

Tutoring/Help Questions:

• May I ask for a private tutor?
  
• Where can I get help learning to RP?
  

RP Questions:

• How do I join an RP?
  
• Do I have to PM someone before I start an RP in the main forum?
  
• What are these RP Level things?
  
• Does this guild allow fan RP's - those based on TV Shows, Movies, Novels etc?
  
• What point of view and tense should I write in?
  
• Are we allowed to bump our RPs?
  
• Am I allowed to post a link to one of my RPs outside the guild?
  
• I have a roleplay in the Gaia forums, but it seems to have died. Can I start it again here?
  
• Are dice-based games common here, or is it mostly freeform?
  
• What is the difference between forum and IM roleplaying?
  

Character Questions:

• Do you have to have a character profile set up before you jump into an RP?
  
• Is it okay to post a character profile in the Character Profiles and Development subforum that is not for a particular RP?
  
• Do I need a picture of my character to use them in an RP?
  
• Are we allowed to use a picture as an overview, then describe it more thoroughly in words?
  
• Would you discourage using the same name for all your characters?
  

Q. How do I join an RP?

A. That depends on who is running the RP. Most people explain in their setup how they want you to join. Most people want you to post or PM a character profile to join. In fact, unless you already know the other people and know that they are good players, or unless you are doing a one-on-one RP where you can tailor things more, I wouldn't join an RP that does not require a profile or does not explain how to join.