Post by Maruno on Jan 21, 2007 18:42:37 GMT
(Note to Mods: Please make this a Sticky. Thanks.)
Play nice!
While I'm sure everyone here is above behaving crudely, this is still Rule 1. Be friendly and courteous to each other. This applies mainly to forum members, since roleplay characters can sometimes behave indifferent or even badly to other characters. Don't use your characters as an excuse to be mean to anyone.
Grammar and Spelling
Bad spelling and grammar is not a pleasant thing to deal with. You're in no rush to make your posts, so please take the time to proofread what you say. There will occasionally be some typos - nobody's perfect - but try your best.
Imagination, Man!
Anyone can walk into a bar and say "ouch", but for added interest give some description. What kind of bar is it? Mood? Was it the walking into the bar or the bottle smashing on your head that made you go "ouch"? Lots of descriptions and detail are lovely. Associated with this is post length. Try not to write one or two sentences if you can write 300 words about the surroundings, about the character and exactly what he's doing with that egg. A sentence or two isn't much to work from, but lots of detail and actions is.
The Plot So Far...
When starting up a roleplay, feel free to write anything you want. From space-age warfare to Harry Potter slash, go ahead and write what you want to write. Remember, though, to give enough detail in the first post that everyone else will know what kind of roleplay you intend it to be. Leaving things open-ended could end badly if another person decides the roleplay is about something you don't like. Because of this, the first post of a roleplay can tend to be much longer than most other posts, simply because it has to pack in the history of the world as well as introduce a character.
Don't get put off if people haven't joined your roleplay. Perhaps you just picked a genre they don't like. Perhaps you only gave them 20 minutes to reply before you grew impatient. Either way, having no one respond to your idea is NOT implying it's a bad one.
My Preciousss...
The creator of the roleplay has the last word on the descriptions of the world. If they don't want a horrific biogenic war to have happened 600 years ago, then that's final. If they don't want a mountain range to the East, then that's also final. Generally, though, everyone will be nice and accommodating, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
God-Moding
God-moding is where a character possesses God-like powers or resistances, and/or is amazingly skilled in every area (from swordplay to knitting). Don't do it. Your characters are allowed their powers, but far too many of them just retract from the story. It's not very exciting if everyone knows the next orc attack will be foiled quickly and effortlessly.
Who Am I?
If you think it's necessary to write a description of your character that isn't a part of the actual story, go ahead. You can put it at the bottom of a post, clearly sectioned away from the actual story (a big line or double brackets usually does the trick). The more details you give about your character, the easier it will be to get into the mindset of your character and decide what they would do. Descriptions are not vital, of course. Just do them if you want to. However, you should provide at least a basic description of your character as standard - basic appearance, age, gender, held weapon, etc. The only exception to this rule is when your character is an anime character who can easily be looked up online. Everyone knows what kind of person Suou Tamaki is already.
Also, repeating bits of descriptions throughout the roleplay helps remind the other roleplayers what your character looks like.
Who Am I Again?
How many characters are you allowed to control in any given roleplay? Well, however many you feel comfortable with, as a general rule. However, it should be obvious that controlling a whole bunch of people can both be confusing/tiring, and leave you talking to yourself a lot. Minor characters (e.g. shopkeepers) aren't a problem, because you're unlikely to encounter them again, but as major characters are concerned, keep it reasonable. If you are controlling multiple characters, make sure it's obvious who's doing what (like you would in any story).
Play as your Character(s)
This might be a bit of an obvious one, but while you can read what everyone else is doing or thinking, your character can't. Don't have your character randomly decide to throw a grenade around the next corner "on the off chance" that an ambush has been set up. Just because you've read everything and know what's about to happen, doesn't mean your character does.
Play ONLY as your Character(s)
You've created your character, and the other people in the roleplay have created theirs. So don't start taking control of them and dictating what other people are doing. It's just rude. This extends to such things as: "Vash threw a rock at Tiane and hit her squarely in the face, knocking her unconscious". Let the other characters decide what they want to do. If you ask the Controller nicely, they might even go along with what you want to happen. Ask in PMs.
You are Not your Character(s)
Your character has their own mood, which is almost certainly separate to yours. If you find yourself giving your character a sudden bad mood, you should stop and wait until you feel you can keep your character in their character.
About Popular Roleplays
A roleplay that has been going for a while is not an excuse to jump in with your own character. At the least, you should read the story that's already happened, and ideally you should ask the creator of the roleplay if you can join.
Reading. It's Good for You
Another obvious point to make, but it's here anyway. Read what other people say and do. Make sure you know what's happening. If something is unclear, you can ask the relevant Controller to explain or reword their post.
Beyond the Call of Duty
If you want to mention something in a roleplay, but not have it a part of the story itself, there are three ways to do it. The first is to PM everyone in the roleplay. The second is to write it in a post, but section it off away from the story itself (like you did with your big character description). The third way is to create (or look for) a thread in the Roleplay Cafe part of the forum about it, and talk there. What you mention is up to you, of course, like announcing a new part of history that fits the story, or asking a question about something. Because of that third way, it's important to check the Roleplay Cafe as well as the roleplay itself, just in case.
Stick To It!
You could be in the middle of an interesting scene, when all of a sudden the roleplay dies. That's annoying. If for any reason you need to leave the roleplay for a while (lack of Internet connection, work, etc.), then inform the roleplay. Or, if you're going to be away for a while, and you trust someone enough, you can ask them to take over your character for that time. If you've decided you've had enough, though, or you feel you just don't have the time to continue for at least a long time, either get rid of your character or give them to someone else. It's better than having a character suddenly stop responding in the middle of a conversation.
Anything Else?
If you want a roleplay with very specific extra rules ("You must sign up to this roleplay in a different thread first" or "Magic is forbidden" or "Everyone is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, no exceptions", etc.), then mention them at the very start of your roleplay thread.
Play nice!
While I'm sure everyone here is above behaving crudely, this is still Rule 1. Be friendly and courteous to each other. This applies mainly to forum members, since roleplay characters can sometimes behave indifferent or even badly to other characters. Don't use your characters as an excuse to be mean to anyone.
Grammar and Spelling
Bad spelling and grammar is not a pleasant thing to deal with. You're in no rush to make your posts, so please take the time to proofread what you say. There will occasionally be some typos - nobody's perfect - but try your best.
Imagination, Man!
Anyone can walk into a bar and say "ouch", but for added interest give some description. What kind of bar is it? Mood? Was it the walking into the bar or the bottle smashing on your head that made you go "ouch"? Lots of descriptions and detail are lovely. Associated with this is post length. Try not to write one or two sentences if you can write 300 words about the surroundings, about the character and exactly what he's doing with that egg. A sentence or two isn't much to work from, but lots of detail and actions is.
The Plot So Far...
When starting up a roleplay, feel free to write anything you want. From space-age warfare to Harry Potter slash, go ahead and write what you want to write. Remember, though, to give enough detail in the first post that everyone else will know what kind of roleplay you intend it to be. Leaving things open-ended could end badly if another person decides the roleplay is about something you don't like. Because of this, the first post of a roleplay can tend to be much longer than most other posts, simply because it has to pack in the history of the world as well as introduce a character.
Don't get put off if people haven't joined your roleplay. Perhaps you just picked a genre they don't like. Perhaps you only gave them 20 minutes to reply before you grew impatient. Either way, having no one respond to your idea is NOT implying it's a bad one.
My Preciousss...
The creator of the roleplay has the last word on the descriptions of the world. If they don't want a horrific biogenic war to have happened 600 years ago, then that's final. If they don't want a mountain range to the East, then that's also final. Generally, though, everyone will be nice and accommodating, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
God-Moding
God-moding is where a character possesses God-like powers or resistances, and/or is amazingly skilled in every area (from swordplay to knitting). Don't do it. Your characters are allowed their powers, but far too many of them just retract from the story. It's not very exciting if everyone knows the next orc attack will be foiled quickly and effortlessly.
Who Am I?
If you think it's necessary to write a description of your character that isn't a part of the actual story, go ahead. You can put it at the bottom of a post, clearly sectioned away from the actual story (a big line or double brackets usually does the trick). The more details you give about your character, the easier it will be to get into the mindset of your character and decide what they would do. Descriptions are not vital, of course. Just do them if you want to. However, you should provide at least a basic description of your character as standard - basic appearance, age, gender, held weapon, etc. The only exception to this rule is when your character is an anime character who can easily be looked up online. Everyone knows what kind of person Suou Tamaki is already.
Also, repeating bits of descriptions throughout the roleplay helps remind the other roleplayers what your character looks like.
Who Am I Again?
How many characters are you allowed to control in any given roleplay? Well, however many you feel comfortable with, as a general rule. However, it should be obvious that controlling a whole bunch of people can both be confusing/tiring, and leave you talking to yourself a lot. Minor characters (e.g. shopkeepers) aren't a problem, because you're unlikely to encounter them again, but as major characters are concerned, keep it reasonable. If you are controlling multiple characters, make sure it's obvious who's doing what (like you would in any story).
Play as your Character(s)
This might be a bit of an obvious one, but while you can read what everyone else is doing or thinking, your character can't. Don't have your character randomly decide to throw a grenade around the next corner "on the off chance" that an ambush has been set up. Just because you've read everything and know what's about to happen, doesn't mean your character does.
Play ONLY as your Character(s)
You've created your character, and the other people in the roleplay have created theirs. So don't start taking control of them and dictating what other people are doing. It's just rude. This extends to such things as: "Vash threw a rock at Tiane and hit her squarely in the face, knocking her unconscious". Let the other characters decide what they want to do. If you ask the Controller nicely, they might even go along with what you want to happen. Ask in PMs.
You are Not your Character(s)
Your character has their own mood, which is almost certainly separate to yours. If you find yourself giving your character a sudden bad mood, you should stop and wait until you feel you can keep your character in their character.
About Popular Roleplays
A roleplay that has been going for a while is not an excuse to jump in with your own character. At the least, you should read the story that's already happened, and ideally you should ask the creator of the roleplay if you can join.
Reading. It's Good for You
Another obvious point to make, but it's here anyway. Read what other people say and do. Make sure you know what's happening. If something is unclear, you can ask the relevant Controller to explain or reword their post.
Beyond the Call of Duty
If you want to mention something in a roleplay, but not have it a part of the story itself, there are three ways to do it. The first is to PM everyone in the roleplay. The second is to write it in a post, but section it off away from the story itself (like you did with your big character description). The third way is to create (or look for) a thread in the Roleplay Cafe part of the forum about it, and talk there. What you mention is up to you, of course, like announcing a new part of history that fits the story, or asking a question about something. Because of that third way, it's important to check the Roleplay Cafe as well as the roleplay itself, just in case.
Stick To It!
You could be in the middle of an interesting scene, when all of a sudden the roleplay dies. That's annoying. If for any reason you need to leave the roleplay for a while (lack of Internet connection, work, etc.), then inform the roleplay. Or, if you're going to be away for a while, and you trust someone enough, you can ask them to take over your character for that time. If you've decided you've had enough, though, or you feel you just don't have the time to continue for at least a long time, either get rid of your character or give them to someone else. It's better than having a character suddenly stop responding in the middle of a conversation.
Anything Else?
If you want a roleplay with very specific extra rules ("You must sign up to this roleplay in a different thread first" or "Magic is forbidden" or "Everyone is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, no exceptions", etc.), then mention them at the very start of your roleplay thread.