Due to the large influx of a new RPers (welcome all of you, by the way) I've decided to make a quick post about proper posting and some clarifications on posting in proper tense.
As most of you know in RP, writing in first-person is a very big no-no. But it is also something that often happens with new players.
To quickly clarify what qualifies as first person here is a sample post:
*walks to the door* the knocking only growing louder *reaches to answer the door* "what are you doing here?"
or
I played with my kunai wistfully as I sat underneath a nearby tree, waiting for new orders. I looked around and sighed.
The first is absolutely atrocious. Avoid using asterisks and dashes to signify action at all costs. Although the latter is better, it still uses the first person pronouns; I, me, and my. This is good for writing on your own accord, but in an RP it impedes the flow.
Third-person writing scraps these first-person pronouns for names and epithets as well as pronouns like he, she ,they etc. And this makes room for more descriptors as well. Third person or omnipresent writing makes it easier to RP multiple characters as well if that floats your boat.
To clarify what third person is like, here is a small sample post:
She made her way over to the tall man, approaching him slowly and carefully. He seemed dangerous, and she made sure to show respect, her head low. "It's nice to meet you," she said quietly.
The use of third person is beneficial and contributes to a more literate RP.
Although there are no hard-set rules this is something I would like to see implemented at least slightly more.
Other rules such as proper grammar are more loose, but efforts on that part would be appreciated as well.
Another push can be made for longer posts, at least a few sentences in length. With the new post limit implemented, no one benefits from one-liners, although no one will be booted from the RP for them.
Remember not to god-mod. Controlling another person's character is intrusive and rude.
Remember to try and balance your character, no one likes an overpowered character who lacks flaws and weaknesses. Mary Sue's and Gary Stu's are no one's friend and make for a weak plot and little character development. Characters too saturated with power are another form of god-modding in the end. If you need help with this you can use this handy little chart as an aid.
Remember to try and keep characters that are part of the canon as in-character as possible.
This is not a threat or ultimatum, (not on my end at least), all of us started somewhere and most of us started where some of you are right now. But learning is part of the process and an effort must be made on everyone's part.
There is always room for improvement.
Thank you for your time, and happy RPing.
