The Hitch Hikers Guide to The Gateway

[Demon Deej]

The Gateway: The RP Forum

Thank you for joining us today in this great day. The Sun is shining brightly, the breeze is ever so slight and it carries with it the delicious aroma of the sea with it. As you stare off into the sky, all you can wonder is: "What could possibly go wrong today?"

Wait... Where are you in the first place? Can you even tell where the direction towards the sea is? Are you lost or do you know where your feet are taking you? Are you even walking? A car, bicycle or skates?

All of a sudden you realize you know nothing of what is going on.

So do many players when they join an RP that was posted without much thought and under developed. Here are a couple of hints that might help you show people you know what you are doing when you post.

Hope you like it.

 

[Demon Deej]

The Hitch Hikers Guide to The Gateway:
An RP Help Guide

So you have joined our guild and you can't wait to fire off the old imagination and share that great RP you have been dreaming of for a while. Here are a couple of Hints that will help you get the most out of that proverbial 1st post.

Hints for RP Creators:

arrow Do not rush the RP creation Process.
Many people make the mistake of rushing through the most important stage of an RP, the Creation, and end up forgetting some of the most important aspects of their story and Role Play. We recommend typing everything in a word document as you would like it to appear in the post. BB codes and all. This will wipe away the fear of someone stealing that much needed 2nd or 3rd post.

arrow Do not click on the "New Topic" Button just yet.
At least not until you have sorted out your RP to at least 90%. A well thought RP can help players get into it with more enthusiasm.

arrow Always be on the edge.
RPs are just like a story, just played out by other people who help your story advance. Don't be afraid to drop important plot devices when needed . When the players seem to hit a slant with what they want the story to look like on their side, it is good to surprise them with your elements.

arrow Keep a Story Update post free.
The Story Update post can help new players get in with the story faster than reading through old pages. This also keeps the element of a new character somewhat virginized. After all, how is that new character that just arrived, supposed to know we got the Holy Grail 3 weeks ago? This helps new players jump in on the fun fairly fast while having that fresh new player smell to them.

arrow Keep a Character Update Post.
This is a most for any online RPs. This allows all players to keep tabs on what their partners in crime look like. Lets face it. Who wants to be described as the slightly overweight guy in a cloak when your character looks so much bad a**. Also helps players who are told to find you for a quest, based solely on your appearance. A good Idea for this post is to host all images yourself and shrink them down, to avoid screen strech.

arrow Keep your RPs a certain size.
We all know that the saying goes: "The more, the merrier". But, how much is too much? It is horrible when an RP has over 35 players all trying to post multiple points of view, and end up contradicting the story in the process. We recommend to use a nice number between 7 and 11 players. This allows a degree of control to the RP. But this is your choice. If you can handle 35 people, go ahead.

arrow Stand back as creator and enjoy.
Just cause you created the RP, doesn't mean you have to be a Playable Character (PC). There is much fun in being the god of your own world and manipulating the Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) as you wish. That and it becomes easier to drop important plot devices to advance the RP. We recommend that if you are a creator with little RP experience, that you sit as a Master and not a PC.

arrow Keep a story.
As an experienced RPer, I understand that the downfall of many RPs is the lack of a meaning to the PCs of a goal. If you set a goal and story to the RP, players will have a higher morale and a knowledge of what to do to keep going.

arrow Do not be afraid of detail.
There is no such thing as too much detailing. Sure it is nice to leave somethings to the imagination, but you sometimes have to give the imagination something to work with. Do not be afraid to use slight details on your 1st post or story post. The players will thank you for it.


There are many more hints out there. Don't be afraid to hit the Help Line and ask your fellow members for their opinions. And if you got a suggestion to add a hint here, drop us a line at the Help Line too!  

[Demon Deej]

The Hitch Hikers Guide to The Gateway:
An RP Help Guide

So you have decided, the creators path is not for you and the pressure might make your head "asploode" in the process. It's ok... I wasn't much of a creator either. lol
Here are a few hints for the players.

Hints for RP Players:

arrow Do not rush the Character creation Process.
Many people make the mistake of rushing through the most important stage of a Character, the Creation, and end up forgetting some of the most important aspects of their story and Role Play. We recommend typing everything in a word document as you can dream it up, that way you can review it after completed and decide if you are happy with it.

arrow Do not click on the "Reply" Button just yet.
At least not until you have sorted out your Character to at least 90%. A well thought Character can help RPs grow and give other players incentives to interact with you more often. Let's face it... The spotlight is amazing.

arrow Always be on the edge.
Characters should have a story, play it out and let others help your story advance. Don't be afraid to drop important plot devices about your character when needed, specially if it seems others are treating him/her in a way the character would hate. When other players seem to hit a slant with what they want their story to look like on their side, it is good to surprise them with your elements.

arrow Keep your Character within the main story.
The best part of the RP is that we can create our own story within someone else's, but no one likes a character who acts out of story. It would suck for you to be the Goose in the "Duck, Duck, Goose" game.

arrow Follow along with the RP creator.
If the RP Creator has posted a general plot device that seems to affect some players but not all, determine if you are within the affected. Do not be afraid to ask your creator in an OOC forum. This way you can advance your story correctly along the main story and avoid counteracting the main story.

arrow Follow RP Rules.
If the creator said to follow certain rules, by god's sake, please do. Nobody wants to deal with trouble makers. And the Crew would hate to have to take disciplinary measures.

arrow Stand back as a player and enjoy.
Just cause you created the character, doesn't mean you have to be an active Character at all times. There is much fun in sitting back, letting your character relax and watch the RP world unfold in front of him. This also gives you time to think up your next move.

arrow Do Not God Mod.
Plain and simple. You character can not be almighty. Plot and other story devices must affect it. God Moding is a reportable offense.

arrow Do not be afraid of detail.
There is no such thing as too much detailing. Sure it is nice to leave somethings to the imagination, but you sometimes have to give the imagination something to work with. Do not be afraid to use slight details on your character posts. The Creator and other players will thank you for it.


There are many more hints out there. Don't be afraid to hit the Help Line and ask your fellow members for their opinions. And if you got a suggestion to add a hint here, drop us a line at the Help Line too!