Beginners Roleplaying guide

~~Special announcement~~~

When making a roleplaying game on the title write [Roleplaying]!

Reserved.

~~ Summary ~~

This thread is going to be a little different than what we’ve come to expect from the roleplaying forum. Instead of offering you a story, a rant, or an OOC thread, the goal of this thread is to help all-comers with any questions or problems they have encountered whilst surfing this forum.

In the following pages, you will find guides on how to make better biographies, how to make more realistic characters, how to engage the plot in a proper and enjoyable way, how to get out of sticky situations, and much, much more.

Questions are welcome, as are suggestions as to what you would like to see added. Thank you, and good luck!




~~ Thread Purpose ~~

Along with being here to provide you with information on how to pursue a fun and inviting roleplaying career, this guide will offer the following opportunities to new and old role-players alike:

-Biography critique.
-Character aid.
-Personalized tips on writing.

If you need someone to give you a hand with your writing, give you a nudge in the right direction, or help you out with making a tricky bio, this is the place for you. No one here is going to judge you. This is a safe environment where you can ask questions to help further your writing and roleplaying ability.

~~ Table of Contents ~~

--PAGE 1:

Posts 1-2: Introduction
Post 3: Summary and Thread Purpose
Post 4: TOC
Post 5: Rules
Post 6: QFCs for Threads of Related Topics
Posts 7-8: Introductions
Posts 9-10: Rules


--PAGE 2:

Posts 1-3: Character Biographies
Post 4: Character Sheets
Post 5: Extra Explanation Charts
Posts 6-9: Roleplaying ‘Lingo’
Post 10: Genres


--PAGE 3:

Post 1: Introductions
Post 2: Rules / Character Sheets / OOC
Post 3: OOC Posts / OOC Threads
Posts 4-5: Entrances
Post 6: Power-Playing / Overpowering
Post 7: Godmodding
Posts 8-10: Understanding What the TM Wants


--PAGE 4:

Posts 1-3: Understanding what the TM Wants (continued)
Post 4: Reserved
Posts 5-10: Making a Good Biography


--PAGE 5:

Posts 1-5: Reserved.
Post 6: Entrances
Post 7: Keeping the Plot Rolling / One-Liners
Post 8: One-Liners
Posts 9-10: Rejection


--PAGE 6:
Posts 1-3: Romance
Posts 4-10: Reserved.


--PAGE 7:
Posts 1-3: General Tips
Posts 4-8: Player Additions
Posts 9-10: Reserved


_____________________________________________




~~Concentration Subdivisions~~

General Thread Information:
* Introductions
* Rules
* Character Biographies
* Character Sheets
* Extra Explanation Charts
* Roleplaying ‘Lingo’
* Genres


Common Courtesy:
* Introductions
* Rules
* Character Sheets
* OOC Posts / OOC Threads
* Entrances
* Fights
* Power-Playing / Overpowering / Godmodding


Engaging the Thread:
* Understanding What the Owner Wants
* Making a Good Biography
* Entrances
* Keeping the Plot Rolling
* One-liners


Rejection:
* How to Handle it and Better Yourself From it

~~ Rules ~~

Every thread has them and this is no exception. First thing’s first, if you are new to this forum—or the forums in general—you should make yourself familiar with both the general forum rules and the forum specific rules. Most people think they are generic and dull, but understanding and abiding by the rules is vital to being accepted into the community of any forum, especially one with as much interaction as this one.

Aside from official forum rules, there is only one specific ‘rule’ to this thread for the time being:

* This is a safe environment. People come here for unbiased, helpful reviewing on problems that they might be having engaging in this forum. Any harassment of posters will not be tolerated and any incidents will be dealt with by moderators. Likewise, please do not post to comment on what is being said unless you have constructive criticism that can be conveyed in a positive manner.

~~ Some Enjoyable Threads of Related Topics ~~

~~ General Thread Information ~~
* Introductions
* Table of Contents (TOC)
* Rules
* Character Biographies
* Character Sheets
* Extra Explanation Charts
* Roleplaying ‘Lingo’



* Introductions

In your traditional setup, the thread begins with an opening story that sets the time, scene, and general purpose of the thread. These can range from a single post to multiple pages in length. Needless to say, they are all very different; mystery threads probably will not tell you as much as a thread where there is a very established plot.

Length, too, varies by author and necessity. Simple threads or threads that are open to interpretation typically have short introductions, while threads that take some explanation or ground rules are longer.

A problem that many, many role-players (both new and old) run into is the trouble of reading long introductions. This is made particularly difficult when you do not know whether or not you are interested in the thread, especially if the thread owner has not provided you with a summary. Please note, however, that while reading the summary is all well and good (that is what it is there for) you should always read the introduction. Chances are the thread master put time and effort into making it, and if you don’t want to have your writing ignored, you should never shortlist someone else’s. We will talk more about this in the ‘Common Courtesy’ section.

Main Points: When considering the introduction, pay close attention to the TIME, SETTING, and GENERAL PLOT.

The TIME of the introduction will let you know what your character should be like. If it is set in medieval times, it would be inappropriate for your character to have guns or anything else modern.

The SETTING of the introduction will typically let you know where you are allowed to go. If the setting is in London, you’re not going to be able to role-play with the characters if you make your person in New York. You should also note the nationality of the location. If the story is set in a small village that has never seen much of the outside world, chances are you are not going to be some outlandish fellow that has lived there his whole life.

The GENERAL PLOT is not as easily distinguished as the others, particularly if the thread master wants to keep it a secret. What you should look for, however, is what is generally expected of you. If the story centralizes around a quest, make your character part of that. It is often very difficult for the plot to run smoothly if a character just does not fit in. Characters might have to go out of their way to involve you and it really takes away from the story. Understand what is being expected of you and your character before developing a person to play.

* Rules

Rules, rules, rules... They’re there for a reason. As I noted in the rules of this thread, every person on the forums should have an understanding of the forum rules

In each individualized thread, the rules can vary a great deal. Sometimes this is based on the owner’s preference, other times it is based on need from within the thread. One way or another, you should make it a point to follow all the rules if you want to be appreciated as a member of these forums. Those who break the rules are often not welcome back on threads and certainly are not appreciated by the moderators.

Please note that in the rules, owners often will highlight things they do and do not want in threads. An example you see quite often is what they’re looking for in the character’s race. If a thread owner made a story that is set current time with a realistic plot, they would not want you entering the story with a fantasy character, like an elf or dwarf. They might say something in the rules like ‘no unrealistic/inhuman races’. This includes aliens as well.

Make sure you respect the rules set forth and read them each time. Oftentimes, owners will hide information in the rules that you need to know about the thread to insure that you have read them. The most common trick is hiding a ‘code word’ in the rules that you later have to add onto the end of your bio to be accepted. Make sure you keep on the look-out for this!

If you have an issue with one of the rules or disagree with it, do not make a scene: contact the thread owner civilly. Ask them if you can talk to them ingame to talk it over in privacy, or, if you are unable to do that, see if they have a thread designed for talking—this is often called an OOC, or ‘Out of Context’ thread. If worst comes to worst, ask the thread owner if you may talk to them about the issue on the thread. Do not push the issue if they say no. If the person is that disagreeable, they’re not worth your time anyways.

If you see a rule that you do not understand, follow the same procedures as the last step. . Chances are, if you don’t understand something, someone else might not understand as well. You’re doing everyone a favor by asking what you don’t know instead of just pretending like you do.

Remember: While thread owners cannot deny a PLAYER based on age, gender, race, or other like conditions, they are entitled to denying characters for such qualities under certain circumstances (for example, if the thread is about an all-male school, female characters would most likely be declined).

On the same token, if you feel as though the rules discriminate you on a personal level—that is, it says something that prohibits people with real-life characteristics from joining—make sure you alert a moderator via private messages.

To sum up, just follow the rules and you will be fine.

Last edited on 02-Jan-2011 03:17:05 by Thranon
* Character Biographies

This division is going to cover the general biography layout. Making your own bio will be coming up later, in the “Engaging the Thread: Making a Good Bio” section.

Typically on the first page of the thread, there is a character sheet that looks something like this:

--------------------

-Name:
-Age:
-Gender:

-Appearance:

-Clothing:

-Weapons:

-Personality:

-Short History:

-Other:

--------------------

This is just a general biography—others may add or omit certain sections.

The owner is looking for you to fill out the characteristics on that sheet about the character you are making. Please note that you should never make these characteristics completely reflect yourself. If you want to use your FIRST name, personality, and taste in clothing, that is all fine.

-NAME, AGE, GENDER. The name, age, and gender are pretty self-explanatory. Depending on what the owner is looking for, name and age may be realistic or unrealistic (a current-time thread vs. a fantasy thread).

-APPEARANCE, CLOTHING. The appearance and clothing sections are oftentimes joined together. When they are not, the owner is looking for you to separate your character’s physical appearance (height, weight, body type, eye color, hair color, etc.) from their clothing (tee-shirt, jeans, shoes, etc.). If it is separated and you would prefer to join them together, just ask the owner. This is typically not a problem.

-WEAPONS. A weapons section is not always included, but since it is so common, I will include it in our sample biography. You should always keep your weapons realistic and pay respect to what the thread is looking for. Pay close attention to the time period and the type of character you are playing.

You should also try to limit your weapons a bit. No one likes the guy who has six machine guns, two egg cartons filled with cherry bombs, a belt with smoke grenades, and a backpack filled with nuclear weapons. This begins to branch into what we call ‘power-playing’—we’ll talk about that later in the “Common Courtesy: Power-Playing / Overpowering” section.


-PERSONALITY. Sometimes can be a trip, but is deadly useful when people are considering accepting or declining your characters. Personality talks about what your character is like. Are they friendly? Are they aggressive? Do they enjoy piña coladas or getting caught in the rain? If you get stuck on this, however, remember: this is just a snapshot of what your character is before you mold them. You can easily develop personality as the story goes on; just keep within the guidelines you have set. Don’t make a good guy and then suddenly have him burning down buildings for the thrill.

Try to be as original as you can in here—don’t site clichés or make your guy the ‘friendly but loyal guy who would beat up anybody that threatens his friends’. I know it is hard, but if you can nail the personality in an original manner, you will have a very popular character. Also, remember: you don’t always have to have a good guy. In real life, no one is perfect, so don’t make your character perfect! (Or perfectly evil.)

-SHORT HISTORY. Very often, you will see that this is optional in many threads. Lots of people protest doing this, not wanting to spoil plot twists by revealing too much about their characters. But if you are required to do the short history (or would just like to), try to do just that—keep it short. Narrow it down to important life situations, family origin, important quirks, and just important information about the character. If you are one of the aforementioned people that likes to keep character history a secret, just work around what you are trying to hide.

Also, a very neat way to take up space and give people a background of your character is to try to site the setup of the thread as part of their history—that is, explain how the character is fitting into the thread. Perhaps the story is about a clan of dragon hunters. In that case, you could easily say that your character joined the clan because his upper arm was eaten by a dragon and he seeks revenge. Only... be more original than that.


-OTHER. This is where you fill in any information that does not fit into anything else—or information that you think is very important. This is typically a spot where very little is written. You can sometimes just write ‘none’ or leave it blank. Often, this is where people will put the aforementioned code word that was hidden in the rules.

* Character Sheets

Often, character sheets immediately follow the blank bio that the thread owners will provide for you. I’d say that not filling out a character sheet is easily one of the top five reasons that people do not get accepted. It is such an easy task, however, that negligence is the only thing that makes people not do it. After filling it out, put it below the ‘other’ information on your bio sheet.

Here is an example of your typical character sheet:

Name / Age / Gender / Player Name / Page

The main point of a character sheet is so that the thread owner can add your character up to the list of names of people playing on the thread. It gives them general information about the character and a reference number so that they can find out more easily without having to search through the threads.

NAME. Pretty self-explanatory, this is the name of your character.

AGE. Your character’s age.

GENDER: Your character’s gender.

PLAYER NAME: Your screen name (not your real life name).

PAGE: The page number where your bio is. Often, people edit this after they post so that they know for sure. If you are between pages (say, the first part of your bio is on page 5 and the second part is on page 6, you can write 5-6).

* Extra Explanation Charts

Sometimes in threads, you will see extra posts beyond the main ones mentioned above. As these are thread-exclusives, we cannot go over every single type, but typically, they are created to do one or more of the following:

-Provide a list of all the players and their characters.
-Provide a list of people of power (POPs).
-Give players a list and description of playable races and characters.
-Give players a list of alignments (what sides they can be on).
-Give players a list of items that they can use.
-Give players a list of locations they can visit in the thread (that is, physical areas).
-Provide a calendar of events (either within the time frame of the real life thread or the story).
-Give players a list of areas where they can go (that is, locations like buildings).
-Provide a chart of relationships between characters (like, love, dislike, hate, etc.).
-Provide a list of available clubs/activities.
-Provide a list of dorm/housing arrangements.

There are many, many more, but that is just a baseboard for you. All you have to take from this section is that that information is there solely for the purpose of helping you. You should always read it, especially if you are instructed to do so by the TM or in the rules. Remember: You are in a thread to have fun, but it is not fair to everyone else if you do not follow the rules.

* Roleplaying ‘Lingo’

Here is a list of general abbreviations and terminology that are used commonly in role-playing. They are listed alphabetically. If there are any that I missed, just ask and I will add them.



AA = (Noun). Action and Adventure, or Action/Adventure. This is a genre of writing that is pretty much self-explanatory within the name. Sometimes you’ll see this in the title, other times in the opening paragraphs. Either way, it gives the reader a general idea of what type of thread they will be perusing.


Auto-Hit = (Noun, Verb) Typically not abbreviated. This is simply when one character attacks another and makes the strike hit the character without giving the other person a chance to fight back. This is not usually a big deal with NPCs, but if the character is PO (player-owned), it can become an issue.


Auto-Kill = (Noun, Verb) Typically not abbreviated. This is when one character kills another without giving the other person a say in the matter or a chance to fight back. This is not usually a big deal with NPCs, but if the character is PO, it can become an issue.


BIC = (Noun, Adjective) Back in Character, or Back In Context. Typically, when a person makes an OOC post, they then follow it with the BIC notice to let you know that they are no longer talking personally, but everything that follows the BIC notice is back in the context of the role-play—what the character is saying, doing, feeling, etc.


DP = (Noun) Double Post. You’ll typically see this alone in a post; it means that, because of lag or impatience, a person’s post was accidentally sent through twice. Rather than keeping both posts up, they remove one and write ‘DP’ or ‘Double’.

(c)

GM = (Noun) General Manager, or Game Master. They’re basically interchangeable, but Game Master is much more common. The GM’s power varies thread by thread, but they are typically the thread master’s right hand man.

* Roleplaying ‘Lingo’

Here is a list of general abbreviations and terminology that are used commonly in role-playing. They are listed alphabetically. If there are any that I missed, just ask and I will add them.



AA = (Noun). Action and Adventure, or Action/Adventure. This is a genre of writing that is pretty much self-explanatory within the name. Sometimes you’ll see this in the title, other times in the opening paragraphs. Either way, it gives the reader a general idea of what type of thread they will be perusing.


Auto-Hit = (Noun, Verb) Typically not abbreviated. This is simply when one character attacks another and makes the strike hit the character without giving the other person a chance to fight back. This is not usually a big deal with NPCs, but if the character is PO (player-owned), it can become an issue.


Auto-Kill = (Noun, Verb) Typically not abbreviated. This is when one character kills another without giving the other person a say in the matter or a chance to fight back. This is not usually a big deal with NPCs, but if the character is PO, it can become an issue.


BIC = (Noun, Adjective) Back in Character, or Back In Context. Typically, when a person makes an OOC post, they then follow it with the BIC notice to let you know that they are no longer talking personally, but everything that follows the BIC notice is back in the context of the role-play—what the character is saying, doing, feeling, etc.


DP = (Noun) Double Post. You’ll typically see this alone in a post; it means that, because of lag or impatience, a person’s post was accidentally sent through twice. Rather than keeping both posts up, they remove one and write ‘DP’ or ‘Double’.

(c)

GM = (Noun) General Manager, or Game Master. They’re basically interchangeable, but Game Master is much more common. The GM’s power varies thread by thread, but they are typically the thread master’s right hand man.

OP = (Verb, Adjective) Overpowering. Overpowered. Pretty much the same thing as power-playing. This is when a character or weapon is far more powerful than it should be.


POC = (Noun, Adjective) Player-Owned Character. Refers to a character made either with a formal bio or non-bio that is owned and played by a real life person. Sometimes just called PO.


POP = (Noun) People of Power or Person of Power, if it is singular. This is simply a GM/TM—basically anyone who has power on a thread.


PP = (Noun, Verb) Power-Play, Power-Playing, or Power-Player depending on the context. A situation in which a person makes their character too powerful, usually by being excessively resilient to attacks or excessively powerful on the offense. A Power-Player is a person with a history of making characters unrealistically and unduly powerful.


RP = (Verb, noun). Roleplaying. Role-play. When you craft a character to play in a story—you’re ‘playing’ their ‘role’ in society or whatever situation the character is in. This is what this entire forum is about.

TM = (Noun) Thread Master or Thread Manager. Typically Thread Master. This is the person who created the thread and has all the power in the world over it. They accept and decline bios, make up the plot, and basically decide what the thread is going to be like. They get to pick and choose who will stay and go and can lock the thread if they wish to.


TOC = (Noun) Table of Contents. Typically on the first page of the thread, this outlines the TM’s posts as to where things are laid out. Not every thread has one, particularly if it is not very big or clearly labeled.


TS = (Noun, Verb) Time Skip. Typically done by the GM, thread owner, or other person of power, a TS can range from a few minutes long to years. In some threads, these are universal for all writers, even in different places, in others, they only apply to the characters that are together for the time. Make sure you ask if you don’t know the owner’s particular policy.

~~ Genres ~~

Please note, many types of threads simply cannot be squeezed into one—or even two—types of genres. These are just general thread types and any reader is welcome to add to the list.


* General Genres:

Action

AA (Action and Adventure)

Adventure

Fantasy

Fighting

Medieval

Horror

Sandbox

Sci-Fi


----------------------------------------


* Popular Subdivisions:

Academy

Apocalyptic

Crime

Dragon

Prison

Steampunk

Superpowers

Survival

Vampires

Werewolves

Zombies

~~ Common Courtesy ~~

* Introductions
* Rules
* Character Sheets
* OOC Posts / OOC Threads
* Entrances
* Fights
* Power-Playing / Overpowering / Godmodding




~~ Common Courtesy ~~

In this section and its subdivisions, we’re going to go over things that owners and role-players expect everyone else to do in and around the threads. Not following these unwritten rules is a good way to become alienated from the community and have people wonder whether they really want you on their thread or not. As they are unwritten, however, it is often hard for new players (and certain old ones) to understand what they should and should not do. Here I’m going to outline the basic concepts of courtesy.


* Introductions

This section will deal with the introductions on the threads--that is, the provided introduction that the thread master has created to open the story. Most people skip over these introductions (especially if they are lengthy), instead choosing to read the much-shorter summaries.

If you’re serious about a role-play, you should never take this shortcut. There is nothing wrong with reading a summary to get a feel for a thread, but you should never go into a thread that you potentially are going to join without reading the opening. The owner spends about as much time reading your bio as you will reading the introduction—if she/he is willing to do that, give them the same respect.

Chances are they put hard work into writing the introduction. If you want to join their thread, then read it.

* Rules

We have pretty much already covered the rules in the first section. I’m only noting them again here to reiterate that you should always read them for each new thread. Not only is there thread-specific information that you might need to know, but there could be a code word hidden within the message.


* Character Sheets

In many threads, players are required to make character sheets to help the thread owner list them on the main page. Not only is this important to do to get accepted, but it really makes the TM’s life easier. Some are more lenient than others and will accept you even if you do not make them, but if the owner asks for one, make sure you do them a favor and make it correctly.


* OOC Posts / OOC Threads

This is another quirk that usually results from negligence or sheer ignorance. New players to the forums do not understand that they have to post in OOC (or Out of Character) when talking normally on the thread. Once or twice it is typically not a big deal, but it is respectful that, when talking on a thread when you’re not adding anything to the story, you talk in OOC.

Basically all that means is that when you ask questions that are directed to any of the role-players, you either put double-parenthesis around the writing, or write the letters ‘OOC:’ in front of or above what you are saying.

Here is an example:

-----------------

(( Can I join this thread? ))

-------OR--------

OOC: Can I join this thread?

-----------------


Thread participants--that is, those who are already accepted—can also speak in OOC, though they typically pair that with IC (in character) writing.

Here’s an example of that:

-----------------

Billy swung his sword hard, just grazing the werewolf’s neck. It growled angrily and knocked the sword out of his hand. He whimpered and dashed towards a tree to climb out of its reach.

(( You guys can save Billy if you want. ))

-------OR--------

OOC: You guys can save Billy if you want.

BIC:

Billy swung his sword hard, just grazing the werewolf’s neck. It growled angrily and knocked the sword out of his hand. He whimpered and dashed towards a tree to climb out of its reach.

-----------------

As you can see, this just helps those writing the story to differentiate what you are saying to them as opposed to what your character is saying to their characters.

OOC threads are essentially to the same purpose, except they are solely for the purpose of talking in OOC, usually about the thread. You don’t actually write posts for the story there.

Sometimes, when there is an OOC thread available, the TM will ask that no OOC is posted on the IC thread. Depending on what the TM’s preference is, bios may also be posted on the OOC thread. The link to the OOC thread is usually added on the first page of the IC thread.

* Entrances

One of the most important things to remember about roleplaying is that timing is everything. Timing is never more important than it is in your entrance. It is always exciting when you get accepted into a new thread. You want to jump into things immediately and join in the fun. Right? Of course—but only if the opening is proper for the moment.

Sometimes, when we really want to get started on writing, we disregard what is already going on in the story. That or we seize a moment that we think will be perfect, when it actually is intrusive.

The bottom line: if people are already roleplaying, do everyone a favor and wait until there is a proper opening before jumping into the story.

Oftentimes, especially in the very beginning of threads (as well as in exciting, climatic points), people flock to the thread. They try so hard to all cram in at once to get a jumpstart on the plot, soak up some of the action, and get their characters out there. It’s a natural reaction. At the same time, however, it is also disrespectful. Sometimes those big exciting moments we want to use as our entrance—the ones that would be just perfect for our introductions—are scenes that people have been working on for ages—working painstakingly to get to that big, entertaining moment. They deserve that moment. Let them have it.

The nice thing about introductions is that, when you do them right, they really help the thread along. So instead of taking away from a great moment or piling it at once with everyone else, take a step back and wait for the thread to slow down a bit. When things have calmed down, that’s typically the perfect time for a new character. New blood in a thread is what keeps it alive and keeps it going. If you spread out introductions so that the arrival of characters is realistic, the introduction will really go a long way, and actually add to the story. Keep that in mind when you’re planning your next big one.

Last edited on 02-Jan-2011 03:31:52 by Thranon
When in doubt, ask. If you think an entrance would be perfect for your character, but are not sure if something is going on, just ask. The people who are roleplaying will be more than happy to answer your questions. At the same time, if you do not know where to come in, they can offer helpful examples.

Do not be discouraged if you cannot be taken into the thread immediately. There are not always openings. Do not get impatient with the TM or other role-players—just continue to let them know that you are around and ready to get into the story. Make sure that your alerting posts are not excessive; nobody likes the new player that nags.

Sometimes, when making entrances, you can also leave them open, if that is the way you prefer to do them. Instead of waiting for someone to set you up, you can set up your own character—having them nearby doing something. If you make your introduction interesting and engaging, chances are very good that people will not only want to role-play with you, but they will flock to you.