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Your Own Roleplaying Guides

#1 {lang:macro__useroffline}   Cspace {lang:icon}

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Posted 02 January 2008 - 09:03 PM

Reply with your own guide for good roleplaying in a forum situation. There's no single view that is absolutely true, and because of that, everyone's guides could differ.


Here's mine:


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- Roleplaying is about weaving a story alongside other people. It's not about leveling, stats, or the concept of defined "quests" like in MMORPGs. You try to influence the collective story by controlling your own characters.

- Try to make your character interesting, and not just powerful. There may be a draw to create an indomitable character due to that being the focus of many PC and console RPGs, but that defeats the purpose of an actual roleplaying game. Of course you could make a character just for fighting in the Colosseum, but if you choose your main characters' race, classes, factions, or anything else based entirely on stats, then try to reconsider what you're doing. If that's what you want to do, then it's up to you, but I'd recommend otherwise.

- Since roleplaying is about writing a story, you should describe what your characters are doing, and not just abilities and numbers like in other RPGs. Try to make it interesting and creative, because if you don't, any roleplaying game will probably become stale from your perspective after a short while.

- On the subject of describing your characters' actions, try to be concise and to the point. You should include details which benefit your story, but shouldn't go crazy with it when your characters are doing something rather simple. Think of how it would appear in a book. Paragraphs of descriptions don't usually appear between every line in a conversation, swinging a weapon doesn't usually require a big explanation unless your characters are doing something complicated, and flashbacks don't need to be described everywhere. If you take things too far, you run the risk of boring others into not reading it. This is just my suggestion, but the length of a post should depend on how much is actually happening. Go ahead and write a long post if it makes sense, but don't feel obligated to do it every time.

- You can introduce your characters multiple times if it makes sense, as if the reader has never seen them before. My recommendation is to introduce a character every time a new player first encounters him/her, so the person's own story seems more seamless. I wouldn't recommend too many re-introductions for the same player, however, just so you don't make things boring for others.

- Use quotation marks to show what a character is saying, even if your post just includes your character's words. Anything else that is in-character, such as actions, can be written like normal.

- Use "OOC: " or parentheses when talking out of character. If you use parentheses, put it at the top or bottom of your post, separated from the rest of your text by a blank line(s).

- Feel free to name your weapons if you see them as strong or important to your characters' stories. I would not recommend re-naming weapons that already have unique names, but anything else is fair game.

- Try to make your characters interesting. Absolute overlords are unfortunately common in these types of games, and it's not usually interesting to have a battle between two of them who refuse to be defeated ("You hit me with the moon? Well then I will throw you into the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy!" bluetongue.gif). It may just be me, but it's usually more interesting to fight a desperate battle than to be able to snap your fingers and make all your enemies turn to dust. There's nothing wrong with retreat or even defeat in a story, even for the hero. It often makes things interesting. Only a certain few "leaders" should really be this overwhelmingly powerful, and even among them, most aren't like that.

- In DarkStorm, your characters won't be forced to actually die in battle. The concept of "resurrection" is being removed from the game because it doesn't fit the story, as death is permanent on Earthia (it's always funny in games with resurrection, how anyone fears battle at all). When your characters "fall", they retreat from the battle. That's how you should roleplay it if you're defeated. I'm even thinking of changing the names of "Vitality" and "Health" to reflect this. You can roleplay your characters as wanting to kill their enemies, but they won't actually die if they are controlled by other players. Only GM-controlled NPCs can die in battle. If you want to roleplay your own character's demise, then you can do that, but just not to other players' characters.

- Try to give your characters some sort of goal, instead of just making them wander from event to event.

- If someone provides no name, and has not been seen by your characters yet, then they should not call him/her by name. Also, it's an easy and harmless mistake, but remember not to call other characters by the username of whoever is controlling them. bluetongue.gif

- This is just me, but I think it's best to speak in the present tense.

- Feel free to create your own situations, even if you're not a GM. thumb.gif
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#2 {lang:macro__useroffline}   Darkness {lang:icon}

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Posted 03 January 2008 - 03:45 AM

... some posts from a topic about what good roleplaying is bluetongue.gif

QUOTE(Darknessâ„¢ @ Apr 14 2007, 08:54 PM) {lang:macro__view_post}
Good roleplaying is not in length, as many seem to think (though often times good roleplaying is found in length -- a good roleplayer often can write about simple things for a long time, and make it unboring). Good roleplaying is not in using four descriptive words for each object. It's not in using italics for thoughts or quotation marks around dialogue (though if you don't do that, your post will be pretty hard to read o.O) And good roleplaying does not involve rambling either.

Good roleplaying is in using the right words. Good roleplaying is in fact in quality, not quantity (though I do say, most people 'round here lack both -.-; ). Good roleplaying is in having an in depth character who actually makes his choices based on his character, not because the one roleplaying him thinks it would benefit him. Good roleplaying is in knowing that you can't (and shouldn't) win every fight, and in fact welcoming a loss or two every once in a while.

Good roleplaying comes in describing what your character sees. What he smells. What he feels. What he hears. Perhaps even what he tastes (bloood? TheSmile.gif). A good roleplayer should always strive to incorporate all five senses into his posts (though often, depending on what your roleplaying, this can be far from possible or quite illogical). Good roleplaying will tell you what the character is wearing, and this probably shouldn't be the same in every topic you're in.

Good roleplaying describes the landscape. It tells what plantation is around the character. It tells what animals are around the character. Good roleplaying describes the weather, and not just to the extent of it being cloudy or raining, but in depth -- describe the shape of a cloud as it passes by, or how the sun seems to be a red hot furnace beating down on you. That's a lot better than saying 'It was hot as he walked.' or even 'He stumbled along in the sweltering heat.'.

Good roleplaying will describe a character's thoughts. It will describe your characters emotions. It will describe why your character is where they are. It will describe where they are in the landscape. Good roleplaying will describe what posture your character is in. It describes what your character has with them. It describes where your character was before this, and where they plan to go.

A good roleplayer will have made a descriptive character profile that clearly describes their character. A good roleplayer can use this to give them inspiration when they have writer's block or similar diseases. While most roleplayers may prefer roleplaying in certain kinds of environments (usually a sort that matches their characters personality), a good roleplayer is not afraid to try something new -- and this will usually help quite a bit with having ideas.


Err... I could continue, but Snowy's bugging me to post in that 'A score to settle....' topic XD



QUOTE(Nuu™™ @ Apr 14 2007, 11:06 PM) {lang:macro__view_post}
Good roleplaying is storytelling, not just showing the differences in stats or going on about insignificant things for lines and lines.



QUOTE(Nazy @ Apr 14 2007, 11:28 PM) {lang:macro__view_post}
*Feels an odd compellation pulling toward the topic*

Good roleplaying is not solely the ability to write, and neither is it the ability to act. It's both, with -being- your character when roleplaying, and finding the ways to act them through words. And a good roleplayer normally knows how to make his or her posts alive, not dull, winding ramblings, nor one-liners such as "sarah sat down by the lake and smiled at the fish. she hoped someone would come talk to her." XD

Oh yeah, and actually -enjoying- writing the posts. bluetongue.gif








“In the valley of hope, there is no winter.”

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#3 {lang:macro__useroffline}   Ruckus Fox {lang:icon}

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Posted 31 May 2008 - 04:17 AM

Quality
Quality is really important when making a post. If your post is composed of sentences that are...well...simply not sentences. It will suck. No one will want to read it, and thus, no one will care about your character. Likewise, you can overshoot quality. If you spend thirty minutes, racking out lots of ridiculous words from www.thesaurus.com that are so obscure and insane that even Webster couldn't figure them out--then...you have a problem. Once again, no one will bother looking up those words and your post will cease to be important. Not to mention some people might think you are trying to show off...and...well...I'anno. I guess some people don't like that.

Quantity
Greed can be good...but once again, everything in moderation. If your post includes three paragraphs describing how your character is tying their shoes...you may have a problem. Keep in mind that a paragraph is about 3-5 sentences long...but...you will know when they get too damn long. Again, I, for one, hate short posts. I can understand if there isn't much to do...but...try to do something with your post. If you are rushed for time, don't post. Wait until you have more time, then make a move. There's no reason to make a post saying something like--"I laugh."

Speech
Discovering a proper way to deliver speech can be tricky. I personally prefer to put my speech in a separate paragraph, in quotes ("") and then color code it. If you are going to color code it, be sure that you always use the same color...it can be really freakin' confusing when everyone is talking in the same color and you can't separate one person's post from another's. Above all, there is no wrong way to do speech. Just keep it consistent, separate it from your action text, and be sure to label it somehow; be it with quotations, arrows, whatever. Just label 'em.

Realism.
This world is based around rules. You are not Neo, you aren't God, and you definitely aren't the super devil. You need to keep in mind the laws of the REAL world when you are making attacks, acrobatics, and other types of actions. This isn't Kingdom Hearts, I'm sorry. You cannot keep yourself aloft for minutes on end by attacking monsters and baddies in the air. However...there are some things that very talented people could do, but others could not. Let's say, for example, running up a wall...then jumping off of it to a ledge on the opposite wall. A warrior in armor can't do that...try it, I'll laugh. But let's consider someone who has an ability specifically for getting around--Ah! Assassins! An assassin would be an ideal choice for performing such a feat of athleticism. So...you have to consider your character's limitations, be it temporary or permanent, when making a choice of an action.



Darkstorm Characters: Scaffard Crimsonflame , Zikora Yooki
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#4 {lang:macro__useroffline}   Jake {lang:icon}

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Posted 31 May 2008 - 05:31 PM

Godmodding

No, don't do it. You're not a gunweilding mymadon with marksman skills, uber 1337 bad {expletive antidisestablishmentarianized by Cspace} sword skills, the ability to regenerate, and a fire mage. You're also not a Blacksmith: One who works metal into weapons, armor, and tools. You're also not a master of like... 7 of the trades. A master blacksmith with the ability to fish and do minor woodwork is fine.
Also, don't go "I swing my sword of the 1337h4x +3 at you, cutting you in half."

You. Are. Not. God.
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