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 Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:45 pm
The Do's and Don'ts of Roleplaying Now that you have read through all the other threads and know...wait, what? You haven't read them yet? Well, what are you waiting for! Read the other threads about basic role play and then come back here, we can wait....
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Done? Good. So, what was I saying? Oh yes, now that you've read through all the basic threads on how to roleplay, it is time to go into something a little bit more advanced. That is, HOW to roleplay. The difference between roleplaying and writing a book is that there is other people doing it with you, and you have to take that into considerations. You cannot just write whatever you want however you want. Sure, there might be nothing wrong with what you are writing in itself, but it will affect the other roleplayers' abilities to roleplay.
Let's take a closer look at what you can or cannot do...
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Role Playing Etiquette
3. While Posting
4. While Writing In-Character
5. The Storyline
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:49 pm
Roleplaying Etiquette
1. You should never, ever Godmod or Puppet a character without someone's permission. Would you like it If I walked to your character and made him commit suicide just by telling him to do it? No, no, I don't think so. Don't control what isn't yours.
2. Be realistic. Do not add something to your character just because it sounds cool. You need to have a good reason for everything you do. Do not invent martial arts, diseases, weapons, or anything like that, that do not exist. This is a reality based RP, and you need to stick with it. Sure, some things can be bend in order to add humour, but it shouldn't be permanent and you should admit that what you do breaks reality.
3. What has been written and read cannot be unread. This means, don't change your characters around to fit the situation. If you said previously that your character has a limp due to a past injuries, there is no way that he can suddenly outrun a panther. You said that your character is always carrying a sword, yet when someone accuses him of it, he suddenly doesn't have it anymore. Those are examples of things not to do, but it can also mean changing something from a character's past. At first he was raised on farm and now you say he grew up in a city? Consistency, people.
4. It is a common roleplay etiquette to have an order of posting. Let's say that Zem, Serend, Fanta, and Peri are RPing somewhere together with their characters interacting with each other. They should always post in the same order. Ex: Serend, Fanta, Zem, Peri, Serend, Fanta, Zem, Peri etc. Of course, sometime you can skip over someone, but it shouldn't be abused. In other words, this shouldn't happen: Zem, Serend, Zem, Fanta, Zem, Peri, Serend, Zem, Fanta, Zem. You saw how many Zem there was? Yeah, that's just annoying for everyone else.
5. On the same note, if you are three (or more) people RPing together and one of you go offline, it is common courtesy to wait for them to come back before RPing more. Sure, you can say that the two characters still online could have went to another room to chat or something, but don't let them chat, make diner, eat, watch TV, go to bed, have intercourse, become pregnant, give birth and send their kid to school while the 3rd playing is still drinking from the glass of wine of 5 years ago, if you know what I mean...
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:54 pm
While Posting
1. Grammar is your best friend. I'm not talking about writing everything perfectly without any typo or anything, but please, make it readable! Chat speak would force us to attack you with a spork. Full words, nothing like "lol", "brb" or "omg" UNLESS your character is actually saying it. (Oh Em Gee!)
2. If grammar is your best friend, than punctuation is mine. Those little symbols aren't just there for show. Finish every sentences with a period, separate lists with a coma. Start every sentences and proper name with a capital letter.
3. Character speech. Always, always ALWAYS put it in between quotation marks. Those things --> " " This help player know when your character is speaking. Even better, you should also colour the speaking text a different colour than the rest. It will help telling it apart from the action text. But please, PLEASE don't use colors like cyan or yellow. It's nearly impossible to read.
4. Paragraphs, people. We're not asking for a novel, but there should be at least 4 lines of text. This is about the equivalent of 3/4 of the text box you are typing in. If you can type more, than by all mean, do more! But don't just pack it full of fluff. Your post should, ideally, help move the plot or conversation along. You're not doing much if you type up a six paragraph post about how your character can't think of anything to say.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:59 pm
While Writing In Character
1. I doubt you and I are exactly alike, so why should all your characters act the same? They should have different attitudes, philosophies and skills. Don't make them all the act the same.
2. Can you read my mind? No? Then why is your character doing it? The thoughts and feelings written by someone are for YOU, the player to know, not your character. If someone is plotting something, without giving any signs of it, how come your character knows about it? If someone is douche, but is currently acting nice and it's the first time you meet them, why don't you like them? Go with what your character knows, not what YOU know.
3. Don't make your character know things they have no reason to know. Don't make then suddenly know a language when it was never previously stated they could. Don't make them know things about somebody else they aren't suppose to know. Don't make a fisherman know engineering or a simply farmer know quantum physics. the other way around. Why should a physicist know the best bait for fishing? Also, pick appropriate skills. An eighteen year old girl of average intelligence who has only lived in one country her entire life should not be fluent in eight languages. Don't just give your characters skills or knowledge just because it sounds cool. Their skills should reflect their background.
4. Be aware of your surroundings. If an elephant is going on a rampage, why are you standing there as if nothing is happening? If someone is intoxicated and yelling across the room, don't ignore it. If your character DOES ignore him, then it should be stated that he is ignoring it.
5. Every action has consequences. If your character is doing drugs, don't be shocked that he is getting arrested. Your character is punching someone, expect some for of retaliation... even if it only happens 5 years later. Fail to listen to a police officer, don't be surprised she's shooting you in the leg! (only using that scene as an example Princie, not picking on you). Don't expect everything to always be rainbows and sunshine for your characters, especially if they are looking for trouble.
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:01 pm
The Storyline
1. Moving things too fast. This is something that you shouldn't do. There is no way that the first character you meet is going to be your soulmate. Look around, RP some, let things flow! And if, by a turn of events, the first character you met turns out being the one your character has the most chemistry with, don't just make them hook up and become lovers after one day. Relationships take time and so should a RP. Take your time! And by time, I'm talking more than one day! This is a multi-generation RP. If everything happens now, what will you have left to do later?
2. On the other hand, be sure not to go too slow. Don't take a month to RP something that would have happen in only an hour or two. If there is a set goal to reach that both (or more) player agreed to, be sure that every post moves a bit in that direction. It doesn't need to be much, as long as SOMETHING is happening. When a character just stands there thinking about what just happened, it doesn't move the RP at all and gives trouble to whoever you are RPing with to move it more. Balance is what is needed.
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