How To, Tips, & Warnings

How To

1} Think of a character. This character can be anyone and anything, depending on the roleplay you're getting involved with, for example if you're in a medieval roleplay, your character could be a mage or a king or a knight. Give them a name, an appearance, some special trait or ability, possibly even more frivolous things like their favorite food. Keep in mind that your character must be able to play a role in the story, hence the term "roleplay."

2} Think of the setting and time period they're in. If it's a fantasy roleplay, you can even create your own setting. However, if your roleplay is based on a series or book, you might want to stick to a familiar area.

3} Know the lingo. When the roleplay is literate, don't use ** == [] -- <> for actions! Make it like this -> Ken walked to his house and sighed, "I wish I ate my bagel this morning." If a roleplay is "yaoi" or "shounen-ai," it is asking for a homosexual relationship between two men. When it is "yuri" or "shoujo-ai," it's asking for a homosexual relationship between women. There are sites with full lists of the terms, so look into those.

4} An intro can mean everything. Try to include who your character is, what they're doing, what they look like, and perhaps a bit about their past if that's needed.

5} Never kill someone unless you have the permission of the person who created the roleplay and/or the person who's character you are thinking of killing.

6} When you are talking regularly (as in not roleplaying), always use some form of brackets to denote being out of character such as ((text)) or [text]. You can also use abbreviations like 'OoC'.

7} Think of things you wouldn't say so you can make your roleplay more fun.


Tips

*The person who made the roleplay rules everything, so you shouldn't pick a fight with them if you don't like a rule. If you don't like the rules that have been set, you could just leave, or discuss it -politely- with the roleplay's creator.

*RP is short for Roleplay. RPG stands for Roleplaying Game.

*OoC is short for Out of Character which is used for comments not part of the roleplay. IC is short for in character. BiC stands for Back In Character.

*There are many different types of roleplays. If you do not like one, you may find another you like better. Make sure what you write goes along with the type of roleplay you're doing.

*In order to maintain a more enjoyable atmosphere, remember to treat others with respect. You will be treated with respect in return. Ex. Never curse someone out; it gets you nowhere.

*Remember that you can only control your character (not those of others), unless you have the other person's permission. People are apt to be annoyed if you control their characters without warning.

*In roleplaying, many people enjoy the "skirt" rule. "Long enough to cover the essentials, short enough to be interesting." This will mean what it does, but it usually means three or four sentences that give your fellow roleplayers what they need to know to respond while keeping it short and sweet.

*In literate roleplays, length can be an issue. Many advanced roleplayers expect several paragraphs. If they are the GM (Game Manager), the person who made or is in charge of the roleplay, then, again, discuss it politely or leave if you can't write that much.

*Have a way that you can contact with your other roleplayer(s) on a regular basis. This varies for different people, so discuss it before you begin the roleplay if you think it might become an issue.

*When responding, make sure to take the RP further than the last person. If the first person ends their post with, '...walking up the steps to the library,' make sure your last post doesn't end with the same thing. Sometimes at the beginning of RPs it might be alright, but if the RP has been going on for a while, both characters need to come up with the ideas instead of leaving it to just one person.


Warnings

*Never GodMode. This is acting like you rule over everyone -- people find it quite annoying.

*You can kill yourself at anytime [virtually]. However, you can not kill other player's characters at anytime without their permission.

*No one likes a character that's too powerful for their own good. Make sure your character has faults, and their powers are on a more normal scale. And please, never, ever make an all-knowing character unless you, yourself are all-knowing. Which, most likely, you are not.

*Never powerplay. No one likes to roleplay with someone who is in one place, then is mystically in another without moving, or has actions completed that they have not included in their post.

*A lot of roleplayers prefer you to have a certain standard for how much you write, and it always varies. You might aim to write three good sentences while someone else wants three good paragraphs, or vice versa. It's important to stay in your writing group.

*No one likes someone who makes two or three posts and doesn't post forever. If you have to go on a trip, have a job or something, then inform your fellow roleplayers so they don't sit on their butts waiting for you all day. Also, if you don't like how a roleplay is going, work it out with the people you're roleplaying with, instead of just leaving.

*Another thing to avoid is creating a Mary Sue/Marty Stu. You do '''not''' want your character to be 'cliche' or unoriginal. A character who is too perfect, too powerful, without weaknesses or overburdened by a tragic past may be seen as a Mary Sue if these elements are not very well thought through or considered. http://www.onlyfiction.net/marysue2.html is a good source for consideration- this website provides a test to help one determine how original and creative a character is, compared to common Mary Sue traits.

Tips section updated. One tip added.