Role Playing is basically in essence a group story. Each person uses a character of their own creation, and writes as said character.
The Basics: Character Creation
First off, you need a character to role play with. You need to figure out their name, what they are, what they look like, their history, and anything else you think you would like to envision about them. Therefore, it may be wise to make up a basic profile skeleton of this for your own personal use, detailing these features.
Often role play creators will have a skeleton you should follow and fill in about your character, and although perhaps phrased in different ways, and laid out differently, they will all on the most part contain the same categories as listed:
Name:
Age:
Race:
Gender:
Personality:
History:
Appearance:
Therefore, always try and have a clear idea in your head as to how to fill this in according to your character. Also leave your character free to be able to be moulded and changed! Your original history for a character may not fit in with the actual role play plot, so you may need to adjust it accordingly, along with their appearance. For example, carrying the exact skeleton from a medieval fantasy to a modern office role play would not work very well.
Also, try not to make your character perfect! Perfect characters, if not only irritating, are also not that fun to role play, and are referenced as Gary Stus and Mary Sues.
Here is a definition of a Mary Sue (as cited from wikipedia):
Wikipedia Definiton
A Mary Sue (sometimes just Sue), in literary criticism and particularly in fanfiction, is a fictional character with overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors or readers.
Mary Sues can often be frowned upon in the role playing world, so it is wise to frame your character away from this typeset. For example, perhaps your character has an odd obsession with nail polish, is allergic to cats, has major commitment issues or will try and insult everyone they meet! It is up to you - but flaws are good things, and can be very entertaining to write about.
The Basics: Making Your First Post
Now characters are out of the way, it is time to make your role play post. But where to start?
When joining a new role play, it is wise to note what has previously happened, and where other characters are at that moment. Not only does that mean you can position yourself so that you can engage with other role players, but you are also not distorting and contradicting what has previously taken place.
When I say to place yourself so that you can interact with other characters, I do not mean to just appear randomly beside them and start talking, or challenging them to a duel. Be inventive, yet also sensible! For example, if another character is sat in a café, or a tavern, have your character perhaps sat at another table. If in the middle of a great calamity in the storyline, perhaps have your character investigate an explosion they just heard (if appropriate).
When it actually comes to writing this down, it is wise to note a few details. Most role plays will operate in the third person (he, she, Bert, Jane), etc., and so therefore it would be wise to write according to this narrative voice.
When role playing, your aim is to continue the story, and so that means responding productively, and also allowing people to be able to bounce off of your post and write a good post of their own.
Therefore, I have a golden rule of posting. Always aim to include all (if applicable) of the things in this list in your post:
• The main action (eg. sitting on a chair)
• A description and placing of the character in the setting (eg. in a café, with lime green walls, and steel tables)
• A physical aspect of the character (eg. pulling their blonde hair from their face)
• Their thoughts/reactions/allusion to current situation (eg. musing over whether to buy a latte or cappuccino and whether they have enough money to (showing economic status), giving a small chuckle at a barista dropping a coffee cup)
• Dialogue response (if in conversation)
• Further concluding action (if needed, eg. getting up to purchase a drink)
For example, think how much you could write if responding to each of the following:
Undetailed, Plain Post
She sat down at a table.
Detailed, Productive Post
Jane found herself a seat in the crowded café, and sat down. Her eyes surveyed the garish lime green walls, and she placed her hand upon the steel surface of the table. She pulled her blonde hair from her face, deliberating in her mind as to whether she should get a latte or a cappuccino, or indeed, anything at all, for she was not sure if she had the money.
She then heard a smash of china, as a barista dropped the coffee cup she was ferrying to a table. She gave a small chuckle as the woman emitted a rather funny squeal when try to avoid the flying shards of the cup and the steaming liquid within. She watched the commotion for a few moments, as the barista began to clean up the spillage, before slowly rising from her seat, purse in hand, deciding to buy a cappuccino.
She then heard a smash of china, as a barista dropped the coffee cup she was ferrying to a table. She gave a small chuckle as the woman emitted a rather funny squeal when try to avoid the flying shards of the cup and the steaming liquid within. She watched the commotion for a few moments, as the barista began to clean up the spillage, before slowly rising from her seat, purse in hand, deciding to buy a cappuccino.
There should be no contest.
The Big No-Nos
There are some things which are deemed shameful and unacceptable in the role play community, and these are as follows: godmoding, power playing, puppet mastering, and auto-hits.
God moding - This is considered to be when a character is of godlike power, capable of things which do not seem plausible or feasible. For example, for a character to be able to destroy whole worlds with a single touch would be considered god moding.
Here is a more potted definition of god moding, yet again from Wiki:
Wikipedia God Moding Definition
It is also used to describe the act of creating or playing with an invincible character or using "perfect" equipment (such as unbreakable armor or weapons), possessing limitless power, or extremely powerful skills and attacks, etc. Some players will create a brand new character, and that character is automatically gifted with skills, and nearly impossible to take on right from the start. In many cases, this happens when a newer character goes against an established one: the newer player may roleplay his or her character as if it were equal in power and rank to the more experienced one.
Power Playing - power playing, otherwise known as power gaming, involves making a character as powerful as possible to the detriment of other players. Yet again, here is a conclusive definition of power playing:
Wikipedia Power Playing Definition
a player can be described as a powergamer if he or she presumes or declares that his or her own action against another player character is successful without giving the other player character the freedom to act on his own prerogative. They may also be a player who tries to force others to participate in role-playing they don't want to engage in. For instance, a player who unilaterally describes his character as doing something with (or to) another character that would usually require the other to play along — such as having a fight or a sexual encounter — is considered to be powergaming.
Basically, in this example, players will use and influence events around other players for their own character's power gain.
Note how similar this is to auto-hits and also puppet mastering, which I shall move onto in a moment.
Puppet Mastering - puppet mastering is the control and changing of other people's characters without their consent. For example, you may make up an event to do with that character in their past, thus changing part of their character structure without consent, or make them sit at a chair or follow your character without allowing the other role player to decide and act out their character's movements.
Auto-hits - auto-hitting is where a player makes the attack of their character automatically hit the other player's, without allowing them to respond. For example:
Auto-hit Example
He hit him square in the nose, breaking it and sending him sprawling to the floor.
In this example, the other player is given no time to react and respond to the attack, and their character is placed on the floor without consent.
In the following example, proper etiquette is used:
Good Example
He went to hit him in the nose, hoping that the blow would break his nose if he struck.
See how in this example, the intention is made clear, but also allows the other player to react in a way they see fit.
However, this does not necessarily mean that not auto hitting means that you can dodge every attack thrown at you. This would be verging into the territory of god moding and power playing. Therefore a mutual respect is needed between both combatants, to graciously take hits from time to time.
Literacy Levels
Some role play owners may set a literacy level for their role play. These levels require the role player to write to a certain level. These levels are as follows:
Non-Literate - non-literate role plays tend to consist of poor spelling and grammar, small responses of not more than a few sentences, and also quite a lot of etiquette rules (god moding, etc.) are broken in this category. However, these players are often beginners.
Semi-Literate - semi-literate role plays still are subject to spelling and grammar errors, although much less so than the non-literate. Posts span from a few sentences to a paragraph. Most role players operate on this level.
Literate - in this level, spelling and grammar is expected to be of a good level, and role players can often write between one and four paragraphs per post.
Advanced Literate - here, grammar and spelling are expected to be faultless. Writing is often much more sophisticated and a lot more 'purple prose' is used. Average responses range from around three to seven paragraphs in length, and upwards.
It is wise to remember these categories when searching for a role play. It would not be a good idea to join an advanced literate role play, when you know you can only meet the expectations of a semi-literate one.
If there are any further comments, suggestions, or questions about this guide, then please mail beckithewatermage. Thank you.
