Here is a place you can ask for advice on rolr-play. Each week I will upload a new post on here taking any questions. This week we will start with names for your character. If you are having trouble coming up for a name to use in role-play, go to the Santuary, and click "The three names". There you will find a list of names you are free to use. Just follow the steps posted in the sub-forum "the three names" click the link below if you cant find it.
I know, I know. You don't need to be told how to fight against a bunch of NPCs right? Kill, kill, kill, thats how you deal with NPCs... right?
Well, that's actually only half right. There are different types of NPCs. Some NPCs can be killed in droves, while others may be even more difficult to kill than another player. Keep in mind that there are really no true NPCs in gaia. Every character in a roleplay is being controlled by somebody.
Weak NPC Hordes These are the kind of NPCs that it is ok to kill two or three at a time. These NPCs usually come in medium sized to large groups. It's ok to throw a group of fifty of these guys into battle against five or so PCs and expect the PCs to win without heavy casualties. The limit for one PC to handle alone should be between five to eight. PCs! You should not just tear through these guys in large groups. At maximum you should kill three in a long post when you have a good position to kill them. PCs should also TAKE DAMAGE from them. While it's true you probably wont take much damage from one or two, if eight guys are attacking you, it dosent matter how much they suck, you're going to get hit somewhere.
Generic NPCs These NPCs usually come in he form of a group of bandits or mercenaries hired to kill the main protagonist PCs. These guys usually have a very little bit of plot development behind them. Perhaps only the leader has development, but the others should be more than just bodies to be hacked and slashed. These guys usually come with a description of some sort and are a bit tougher to beat than the Horde type NPCs. The ratio of these guys to PCs in an even fight should be about 1:1. The PCs will be expected to win with this ratio of course, so if you want to capture the PCs, try upping it to 2:1 or even 3:1. These guys will each probably do a little damage to the PCs.
Random NPCs These aren't normally the kind of guys that you'll want to be fighting. These include inkeepers, shopkeepers, random travelers on the road, villagers, and the like. If you really want to fight with these, something is wrong with you, or just your character. That's ok though, we welcome characters with odd... tendencies. Basically, these guys either run or suprise you and kick your a**. It's pretty much a random kind of thing. Just think, that random traveler on the road could be a refugee with nothing more than the potato in his pocket, or he could be the legendary hero of some country. You never know for sure. If you insist on fighting these guys, basic rules apply. The creator of the random NPC will decide how powerful the NPC is, and will play it as such.
Mini Bosses These guys are tough cookies. They are basically PCs, with less history and plot development behind them. These guys usually take the form of henchmen to bosses, gaurdians of dungeons or treasure rooms, plot twist creators, or even the head honcho of a horde or group of generic NPCs. A ratio of 1:1 does not gaurantee survival of the PCs. Even a ratio of 1:2 may be potentially dangerous to PCs. Mini Bosses are to be treated for all aspects of combat as if they are other PCs. (See PVP COMBAT section.) The creator of the Mini Boss should control it at all times, as it is they who know it best. Fighting one of these should take a while. Oh, and PCs... You're going to take damage.
Bosses (AKA: BIG BADDIES caps lock is nescessary) These guys are the biggest and baddest of the big and bad. One of these should pretty much stomp a PC with no trouble in a 1:1 fight. It should take three PCs at the very least to take on a boss, and all of them will come away from the encounter with moderate to severe injury. The boss should be controled by the creator of the NPC. Bosses usually have significant plot development behind them and may be such characters as the head of an evil organization, a corrupt king, or an evil lord or lady. To defeat a boss it usually should take a number of HOURS of posting. Bosses only appear at extremely significant points in the plot, so make it good.
PVP COMBAT
Allright, this is the good stuff. It can also turn pretty nasty, so pay attention to what you're doing when fighting against another PC. People can get really picky about what happens to their PCs, so if you're going to do a PVP fight, be ready to do a lot of compromising.
A blunt rule for PVP combat is to keep in mind that ALL PCs ARE CREATED EQUAL. PCs may have different skills and talents, but they should all be roughly equal in power level. This means that in a PVP fight, both players are going to come out with a similar ammount of injury.
Sparring This is a nice polite kind of PVP. Sparring is when two PCs get togeather and agree to fight, but not to severely harm each other. Sparring is generally used to gain ability or judge the skill level of another PC against your own skill level, though it can also be used to get a free grab or two at that good looking female member in your party challenge the status quo of a group of individuals. During a spar you should tone down your attacks. Remember, you aren't trying to kill the other person. You can and should use attacks that would normally be considered death blows, however you should NEVER insist that an opponent cannot block them. Sparring generally does not contain the use of magical powers, as they are too dangerous.
Tournament Style Tournament style PVP is anything that basically pits one PC against another with no possibility of outside interfearance. A Tournament Style battle is usually followed by the victor fighting another different PC. It is ok to heal between rounds, as they usually take place weeks from each other and there are usually medics (white mages) around to help with healing. Tournament style fighting usually gets pretty violent, and both compeditors usually come out more than half dead. Tournament style fights are usually for the entertainment of the masses, so make them as flashy as possible. Big magical attacks are a plus. Dont be afraid to use spectators in your post. Go ahead and bash your enemy with a hot dog vendor or two post about the spectators' reactions.
Barfighting Barfighting can be some of the most fun combat roleplaying ever, but it must be done correctly. Usually, a barfight breaks out between two people who dont like each other, and just escalates from there to include everyone (and everything) in the room. The main rule here is "HURT STUFF." That's right, it dosen't really matter who or what you hurt, just hurt it. Break a chair, break a table, break a face. As long as it isn't directly your ally, (Girlfriend/best buddy/your own leg) break it. Do not hesitate to use your surroundings as weapons. Go ahead and use that good lookin' barmaid 40 of Jack Daniels as a head busting implement.
Just Plain Killin' This is a fight between two groups of PCs, or a group of PCs against one PC. This type of combat is meant to kill people, so pull out all the stops to make sure your opponent dosen't get up again. In character, there is no such thing as a suckerpunch. Go ahead and team up on one guy. Go ahead and attack someone when their back is turned. Your objective is to kill them, so do it. That being said, if your character is the kind of person who is honorable and wouldent do any of that stuff, dont do it. Be warned though, people are going to do it to you.
War Style This is a type of PC combat that also involves NPCs (Horde type). This situation arises when two armies or large groups move against each other. A good rule of thumb here is to let PCs fight PCs, and NPCs fight NPCs. PCs can help out their NPC buddies, but they also have to worry about other PCs coming after them. It makes the combat flow much easier if you just let the NPCs kill each other. They aren't important anyway.
OOC: USE IT!
That's right. Out of character is so important that it gets it's very own post. Like I said before, USE IT! I cannot stress this enough. If you don't understand something in someone's post. ASK THEM ABOUT IT OOC. Really people, it's just common sense.
OOC banter also keeps the fighting cheerful. As mentioned before, people tend to get touchy about others injuring their characters. A good chat OOC can keep you on somebody's good side, even if you're on their character's bad side. You would be supprised at the number of people who can't seperate IC and OOC feelings.
If the fight has any real storyline significance, decide who should win beforehand. If both players know that one PC is going to win, then the battle can get a lot cooler. If this is the case, talk out your actions OOC and put yourselves in positions to pull off flashy tricks and stuff. Everyone reading the fight will s**t themselves enjoy it when you manage to block a flying motorcycle with your pole arm, then cut open it's gas tank and light it on fire as it passes over your head.
The only problem with OOC is that it clutters up a thread pretty quickly, and you can't send and recieve OOC through Gaia while writing your post. For combat roleplaying, try using an instant messenger like AIM or MSN. You'll be able to clarify things in less than half the time it takes by posting OOC in brackets with your IC posts.
((I'll assume this is a community thread since the OP apparently prefers a different guild for the moment?))
Acts of Godliness:Why you either like or hate Clark Kent.
Perfection is in fact, overrated. Unless your character was intended to be inhuman in the first place, we'll all notice you didn't die from the bullet, 'miraculously dodged it' every time despite someone duct taping you to the wall, or it simply bounced back from your 'suddenly impervious to unicorn horn, man-made weapons, and battery acid' gear. It's not cool.
If a character can't be related to (flawed, emotionally damaged, basic and nearly NPC), its going to be a frustration attempting to respond to their actions. Your OC will stand out like the ugly duckling. Unless this was your original intention for purposes of expanding the plot (Villain/ chaotic evil/ intended to be destroyed), it's not a great idea to create a Mary or Gary Stu.
Can it be taken to the extreme? Well written, it'll work out. Your severely flawed character must have some hidden strength somewhere though, and if you bring it out enough, it'll shine. A severely flawed character need not be depressing. Eternally optimistic despite a rather depressing and soon to be terminated life? Unlike the rest of us normal 'beings', you'll be a refreshing breath of fresh air when all seems lost, when moral is at it's lowest, and when we all need a case of 'at least it's not me'. If all else fails, you'll be the reason a small batch of heroes fought to the last stand against a horde far outnumbering them and won.
Don't Godmod either. That doesn't fly well unless you're in Word Games and the point was rolling a die to see if you won or lost, then following up with a story behind it.
Godmodding is a scenerio in which you direct someone else's character without prior consent. Do this repeatedly, and an RP owner may blacklist you from their RP, or no one will interact with you; provided they haven't ignored all disfavored moves you kindly made their OC do in the first place.
For the purposes of your average RP, we have that link right up there. However, outside of the guild, you may run into some confusion. Barton Town is filled with RP's. That doesn't mean you're welcome in every one of them.
AU-alternate Universe...much like Javier's plans for the guild, it doesn't always follow the plot line. Canon-it is the plotline. All actions within fall under the expectations of that world. O/...-Open. You can post. Accepting-There are open positions. C/...-Closed. You can't post. Not accepting--There are no open positions. U/C...Under construction. The RP is still being set up. one-liner- the response is just one line. Not recommended in most RPs. Paragraph-4-6 lines in a response. Multi-paragraph-8-12 lines in a response In Character- the response is done in a way that your OC would reaction and respond in. ((OOC))-Out of Character.That's you, responding as you actually would. OC-original character-you've made a character for a world, that's in no way part of the official storyline. Walk in- everyone is welcome, profile or no, depending the rules within. Semi-literate- Text/L33T are generally not allowed. Firefox has spell check, but if you're not running on Firefox, you should be able to find an online spellchecker, for those who are dyslexic or learning a second language. If your typical RP post is a far cry from what's shown in most or all of the posts, brush up on those skills that are desired to participate. Literate- No text chat. No L33T. Third person Point Of View is your best friend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resources? Spell check ...Don't just rely on firefox for all the work. An example is the classic '2'. two is a number. # Nine oh two one oh To is a direction or instruction to follow up onarrow *Return the book to her/ Take a left to hit the highway too is 'also' emotion_brofist She's going too. Spellcheck only ensures it's spelled right, not that it's the right definition.
Thesaurus When you need that one word, but can't figure out how it's spelled, or happen to be attempting to emphasis a point; the latter being a power word. You'll hear them in Politics, elections, and most speeches. EI: start/instigate...end/terminate...free/liberate
Online guides ....to your personal troubles. When one has issues with math, they seek help online with math sites to break the problem down. Likewise, there's online sites to help with your dyslexia, and while a number of translators exist, the general consensus is that you go with the professional looking ones. Online language dictionary's often feature them for students taking a foreign course; you can use this tool to do the same.
From zero to hero; the building blocks of your character. Yeah, we all know the basics: Age, height, gender, colors of..., basic history.
You can put some meat on those bones if you use their personality to their advantage. Try to keep some consistency. Joker won't be helping out at the homeless shelter. Batman won't briefly consider letting the 3 time escapist and murderer go free because his grandmother is ill.
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:21 pm
Dumbing it down to keep your readers interest Why should your drop your expectations for another reader every often? pecaus3 somtims thar's learning disorders. qecase theirs isshus inn reeding. English are not they first language. On occasion, college expectations can RUIN a good RP.
If your summaries resemble college resumes moreso then plots that are currently running, the rest of us will spend 20 minutes attempting to find out just what happened to who and why. That was 5 minutes to long.
I know it's summer, but some easy practice might do wonders for your confusing explanations.
Quote:
1) Pick something simple. How to tie your shoes, how to decode the Sudoku in your morning newspaper, or even how to give your cat a bath.
2)Explain how to do it. You can even pick your targets. A four year old won't likely understand why you don't just place numbers anywhere on the page in Sudoku. A congressman may not understand why in Lanzer's name you were stupid enough to give your cat a bath. A fifteen year old may actually start skimming your explanation on the value of shoe laces that have resembled bunny ears.
3)Have someone else read it or read it aloud to yourself. When you've managed to keep your targets' interest with such dull and trivial topics..move into something you're trying to actually explain. Treat those users who've just wandered in as though they've never experienced a world before. A brief 'taste' of a world may be just as effective and not quite as terrifying. A toe in the proverbial pool could lead to someone swimming into the deep end, rather then being thrown in under the expectation they can swim. You have just 15 minutes to explain the series before they decide it's not for them.
I could go into great length and detail about every nuance of our Hogwarts plot updates, but when I start putting myself to sleep, it's about time I figured out what was important and what wasn't. Will it advance the plot? Can someone jump right in? A flashback would likely be best linked to the whole of it and briefly summarized in your summary. Names and faces you feel are important may need to have their Usernames put beside the characters they play.
Alrighty then. 1)Skim the RP plot. If it's short and you've got free time, you may even be able to read the whole of it in detail. 1a) Ask a user what's been happening. If you can get a definitive and clear answer, you may be able to figure out how to make them fit right in. 2) Prepare yourself. You may be referred to as "The new kid." Someone may bump into you. You may be the target of a cruel and menacing joke!...it's all part of the RP. If you don't feel comfortable, you could always ask if a friend in the RP or one of the RP'ers could help bring you in. 3) Be confident. An OC of someone else's may not seem to like your character, but that doesn't mean the User behind them hates you. Their OC could just have a nasty personality. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've just joined in, introduce "yourself". You don't have to turn it into a Las Vegas show. The opening post, in my own experience, is a good gauge of personality. "Maury entered the halls of the guild, unsure he even belonged here. A few faces here and there looked over. The invite said he was welcome, but he felt just as alien here as he did elsewhere."
It's very nearly a paragraph, and I didn't even include a backstory of why Maury is there.
You'd like to take the initiative? Find an OC and if they don't seem to be in the midst of a conversation, like reading a book, or watching the sky. Your OC can start with a name and work from there. "Maury spotted an older youth hanging flyers and walk over. ~Hello, I'm Maury. I was told I had to see the president, but I can't find his office.~
Is your chosen OC already in conversation? Don't just butt into the conversation..really. RPing is much like Real life. It's uncouth to just interrupt unless there's an actual emergency. The same rule can be applied here.
"The youth went to a small cluster of others who'd donned uniforms. Hesitantly, he spoke up when there was a lull in conversation. ~Hello! I'm new here, and I was told to see the President of the guild. It would be great if one of you could give me some directions.~"
You've got a hit! Sort of, anyway. How do you respond? Real life strikes again. An angry individual may lash out. A depressed individual may reply using the the 'Glumly". A happy individual may turn on a figurative dime and smile radiantly. It's a conversation. So long as you aren't in the middle of a war and happen to be telling someone what state your side is in using only code; stick to the subject.
Users frequently quote others in the forum, as the quoting feature will instantly take you to the post. If it's fast moving, that quoting feature is a blessing in disguise. Other times, you're targeting just one individual. To avoid confusion, quote them and no one else will get the notice.
X_of_Pentacles
One of the girls, a 15 year old by the name of Adelaide, spoke up. ~Oh! Well, I'll be happy to help. I was just on the way to drop some paperwork off to the office. My name is Adelaide Hamshire. And yours?~
"Maury nearly panicked. He'd actually been heard? ~Maury. My name is Maury Nobody, and I'm supposed to intern as a scribe tomorrow.~"
I has plans!..but I need help. Sort out your plot plans. Work the kinks out of it, and share it with someone even; just so you can get their opinion on it. Who do you turn to for a opinion or a beta read? Others in the guild, your friends/family/distant cousin who's remotely interested in RPing/ some classmates even. They don't even need to know how to read. Read it for them. But I want to involve username here. Then contact him/her/it. The user might agree. They might not. The phrase "There's more fish in the sea" applies to more then just dating. So-and-So ruined it!!11 Was S.a.S in on the plans? If not, it's a plot twist. Role playing, by default, is using the human experience as a mirror for your Original Character. Did you plan on being late to work? No. It just happened. Your next step is to see what you can do with that new element. Your plans aren't totally ruined. BUT they were involved! @#^*X($ Did they alert you before hand? No? Well, that's life. They threw a small curveball at you. At least they didn't discard all of it. Part of the fun in Roleplaying is the challenge it gives us. Be flexible. The other user wanted to challenge you a bit and tweaked the idea. Unless it's obvious overhaul from the original idea, you don't have to send a PM asking, "Why?"
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:47 pm
No one will take me! They say I'm not good enough for their RP!evil
A few questions you need to ask yourself: Do you have a learning disorder like Dyslexia? ---Find resources to help. Online sources exist. ---Get a beta Reader. ---Have someone help you learn which letters change position. Write those letters down. ---Have someone read with you. You're not four, I know. That doesn't mean they might observe a 'small' issue that's really setting you up to fail. Is English your second language? ---If not, find some resources. A language teacher, a beta reader in your group.. ---Attempt to learn using children's books. I know Dr. Zeus isn't college reading, but you can find your sentence structures in no time. Is English your first language? ---If the public school system failed to teach you the basics.. [.] It's a period. It ends sentences. [,] It's a comma. It connects sentences and not-sentences together. [;] It's a semi-colon. It extends a sentence without the need to repeat the first part of the the sentence. EX: we have commas, and periods to aid us in reading;a semi-colon only assists those who don't want to retype. Capitalize names, specific individuals who hold titles, and the beginning of sentences. EX Tom,CaptainTom, and Tommyville all share the word 'Tom'.
[Subject] the person/place thing taking all the attention. *Tom, Captain Tom, Tommyville* [Adjective] a descriptive word. *purple, bright, wonderful* [Verb] an action. *type, run, read* [Noun] secondary person, place or thing.*curb, word*
The catsat on the yellowcurb.
"This is a sentence." It's got a subject and a noun. "This is a run on sentence because there's no comma much less a chance to breath because you're combining several sentences." Try to avoid those. Most of humanity needs oxygen. Do not deny your readers precious oxygen. "not a sentence." because it's missing a subject, and just giving us a noun.
I'm just lazy. All shall bow down to my mighty laziness. ---You may not qualify for semi-literate RPs. Your obvious ego issues aside, you'll likely need to challenge yourself and improve, or look for walk-ins RP's.
Where can I practice without asking for assistance? It goes without saying you could try a different website; or look up "How to RP" and read the examples. If you wanted to stay on site though, try some: Site run Events Gaia's Halloween event usually has two or three walk-in ones. Why? Because gaia requires us to post for energy. The worst the OP can do is suggest ways to better promote your OC. User-run events Gaia's Annual Ball Is a user run, user promoted event that often gets get put in a guild if gaia doesn't provide a forum and some subforums for it. There's more then RPing there. Contests, art threads, Anon gifting..It's running August 23-26th.
In the last year or so, a small group of users have been running Tanabana, the Japanese celebration with a rigid dress code and manner of respect.
If you wanted to stay focused, look for WALK-INS. You can practice without fear of getting a warning 90% of the time.
If you wanted to keep your lack of skills isolated to the guild; ask one of us. We can host one x ones here.
PROMOTING MY Roleplay! You can now add to your generous list of accomplishments, roleplaying, right? SO, where do you go from here?
You could start your own. Yep. Your own storyline, plot nuances, NPC's, settings,..the works.
You could join one that already exists. ..so, introduce yourself and copy their banner. Drag some friends in perhaps. The Roleplays you may encounter may have some banners.
What are banners? Banners are those images linked to the actual Roleplay for the purpose of advertising. You can put one in your profile, signature, or your recruitment Topic found in BartonTown recruitment.
How do I make one? An honest gaianwould make their own. 1)MSpaint, photoshop, traditional, etc. 2) Represent! and save image. 3)Find a image host site and upload. Save image link. 4) Connect url banner( your image) to the topic page. Enjoy.
How? Look up some instructions. I really don't know, to be honest. Copy/ paste the affiliates post and see what they did.
If you happen to be a sinful gaian plotting to steal someone's work.. 1) grab an image. 2)copy paste onto MSpaint..etc. 3) Put your name on it. 4)upload onto an image site, save image link. 5)connect URL banner (your stolen image) to the topic page.
Banner exists. Got it in my signature. I've asked friends. None of this is working! Are you in control of the RP?
You can: Send PM's. Send Guild announcements. Make a recruiting thread.
You aren't?
You can: Ask that it's announced. Ask a Vice or Captain to send an announcement. Make a recruiting thread.
What are my limits? Do not ignore Terms of Service.
You can be reported on the site and they'll warn you/ban you.
Do not ignore the User's Terms of Roleplaying.
Just because you're part of their RP, doesn't mean you won't break the site's TOS or the users own set if you try. The User wants respect in their RP. Blatantly advertising yours in someone else's is disrespect if you aren't allowed to do so.
Do not post your recruitment thread outside of Bartontown RP recruitment subtopic.
It could be reported for misplaced thread and moved.
Do not ignore Terms of Service for your guild.
If they don't want to advertise, and it's in the rules, they could ban you from the guild.
Do not avoid reading topic subject stickies.sweatdrop
Silly, I know, but it's true. You don't ask users why your Sears washer won't run in Q&A; This site isn't Sears, and you aren't in the technology sub-forum. The example rings true everywhere on the site. Your RP doesn't belong in Gaia Community Discussion; There is no discussion. It doesn't belong on Extended Discussion; same reason. Why not General Discussion? In addition to being trolled, you may have it moved. It's a Roleplay. It belongs in a guild or in Barton Town. Read the stickies. If the topic stickies allow you to promote your RP in posts, you can't be warned or banned. It's in the TOS.
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