Post by illogicalillusions on Jul 30, 2010 16:56:32 GMT -5
Since I'm too lazy to write out a whole thing on how to role play, I'm borrowing explanations from other sites who have already done so. I'll add some to it if I feel the need.
~~~
What is RP?
Roleplaying, or RP for short, allows you to step into the life of another persona via written word.
In forum roleplay, you have the opportunity to develop your own character and interact with other people's characters in a setting that resembles fictitious writing.
This is the primary RP genre that MNI uses.
Thanking Alura (MNI) for a more elaborate response to this question see below:
Pretty much RP, as we do it, is text-based story telling. You create a character, put that character in a situation or setting with other characters and let them interact. You write, however, solely from your characters' perspective. So even if you know, for example, that my character is a werewolf because it's in my character's bio, if I or another character has never mentioned it to your character, then your character wouldn't know. Your character only knows what they can perceive, so pretty much a limited, third-person, subjective narrative mode if that helps.
What is OOC and BIC?
OOC stands for "Out of Character," and is used to indicate text outside of the context of the roleplay. For instance, if you want to say something in a roleplay thread that is not part of the roleplay, you type OOC before hand. Afterwards, type BIC ("back in character") to go back to typing your roleplay post.
Example:
What is Godmoding?
Godmoding is a disgusting practice that is frowned upon by all roleplayers.
In general, any character that is portrayed as invincible or has numerous supernatural abilities (whether justified or not) is considered to be godmoding.
In addition Godmoding is also when you have your character getting out of situations all the time when they clearly should have no way out. Mary Sue and Gary Stu who never ever get hurt when clearly they would.
For example: Say there is a one on one duel and then a third and fourth person enter so it's now three on one. Firstly, all RPers should discuss the outcome of this duel to prevent PP and GM, secondly if you haven't discussed it and your character manages to 'slip away' with no injuries whatsoever when clearly they should be maimed or whatever is realistic, don't be surprised if no one RP's with you anymore.
What is Power Playing?
Power playing is when you do something to someone else's character that they have not “authorized” you to do.
Examples can be found below. Do NOT power play. If you want to power play someone’s character then you need to get their permission FIRST and there should be a OOC note at the bottom or top of your post that generally says something like “Permission to PP granted.” Then it will be understood to all who read your RP that permission was granted and all parties involved are okay with the powerplay.
This is power playing explained, please be sure you understand. If you have further questions then you need to message an admin and ask them to explain it in other terms so you understand.
Now what about that is wrong some of you ask? Well it’s written as a fact. So Escy has no chance to defend himself here or anything else and this is bad. You've essentially taken away all of his power to do anything for his own character. If you want this kind of post to fly you have to write it the right way...
There are two different things in the second one. I have said what I’m trying or attempting to do and I have not taken the power from Escy to reply or to fight back.
This also works for simple things.
This is wrong:
This is wrong because Viresse has not given Escy or Iou a chance to respond or react. They are now swordless and probably not what the RPer's wanted to happen to their characters.
This is right:
At this point, Escy and Iou can either allow Viresse to steal the swords:
(If allowed... a small OOC is added saying permission to PP was granted.)
If they do not allow Viresse to steal their swords, the post would look something like:
You as a RPer and your characters are NOT all powerful and cannot control others. As RP is fake, we all have free will and if we choose to not let you do something then that is our choice to make, not yours.
Please, if you still don’t understand what power playing is... ask someone! Admins are available for just this sort of thing, to get rid of any misunderstandings of our rules. We’d rather have to explain it 1000 times then have a thread full of angry OOC posts yelling that someone is power playing their character and manipulating them into doing something they don't want them to do.
Another thing that you can do is ignore someone if they powerplay your character and did not ask permission. You are well within your RP rights to ignore. Use it especially if you have contacted the other person and asked them not to do this to your character.
Also, "mind-reading" is not allowed. It is considered to be power playing and will not be accepted.
Why is mind reading considered to be power playing? Because thoughts are thoughts for a reason and they are personal to the character, if somebody wants to express something and have people know it, they will say it out loud. But other than that, thoughts shall remain simply thoughts. It is a matter of privacy, yes, even if written down for all to see.
Exception: You may read minds if only your character is a mind-reader. This does NOT mean that there should be a sudden rush of masters of mind-reading. We don't want every character to have that power It is a difficult art to master so please keep that in mind when you’re role-playing. You also need to obtain permission from the other person to read their mind BEFORE doing it.
In addition to the above about mind-reading, all “OOC reading” will be considered mind reading and power playing. Unless someone says “feel free to use this in your RP” it should always be considered off limits to use.
If you see something in an RP or an OOC that you really want to use in your RP then you ASK FIRST.
*As a side note, if you DO have permission from someone to power play their character, that is fine. Just don't forget to add an OOC note into your post saying you have that permission.
Posting with substance? What does that mean exactly?
When we ask for posts of substance that means that we want to see more 'quality' Role Play. We normally want to see more than only actions or only speaking, but obviously there will be some exceptions to this, depending upon the type of roleplay in which you are engaged. One-liners can be substantial if you're attempting to try to RP and we can tell the difference. When we're asking for details that means expressing how your character is reacting to other people, to their surroundings, and how these many things make them feel. Role Play is about expressing yourself through your character in written word.
Examples:
Bad Post:
Acceptable post:
The first post doesn't really give any information. Who walked in? Where are they sitting? Heck, it's not even a full sentence.
The second post, however, gives the character's name, where they're located (in relation to other characters in the thread), and the general state (chilly/cold). It's not a lot but it sets the basis for a conversation or interaction.
Helpful hints on how to make your RP posts more substantial:
Describe your character’s surroundings, your character's attire, and your character's attitude. Take into consideration the weather, how does it affect your character? Take into consideration the people that may possibly be around your character, how do they make your character feel? What are your characters thoughts on a particular situation if they overhear a conversation?
Have a look about at other RP's and see what others are doing and writing so you can get ideas for your RP. This is by no means the way you have to write out posts, but it just gives you some suggestions and things to think about as you begin to write. It will also help keep you out of trouble with the moderators.
The main thing to keep in mind is what we're looking for is QUALITY not QUANTITY. Sometimes you can have a one liner that is substantial, though this will probably be rare.
If we see that you are TRYING in your RP posts, we leave you alone.
What is canon role play? What is a canon character?
The short, sweet and to the point definition of canon that we all observe refers to RPing within the guidelines that an author set up for us within a certain fandom. That means that if you are in a Canon Harry Potter RP, you follow what J.K. Rowling has set up and don't change anything that has already been confirmed in the books. If the RP is NOT canon, then you aren't restricted to JKR's word, and you can go ahead and change things, like who Harry marries, or have Voldemort still be alive.
A canon character would be a character that already exists in the fandom, created by the original author, such as Draco or Ginny in the Harry Potter series. A non-canon (or "original" character) is one that did not already exist, such as Harvy Furgeson, a muggle-born character that I just made up for a HP role play.
Even if a roleplay is canon, you can include original (non-canon) characters in the RP, as long as they don't interfere with what the author has already set. For example, if you wanted to do a canon HP Next Generation RP, the characters and world that JKR set up in the epilogue would have to remain the same, but you could add other characters, like new teachers or students.
Open, Private, Friends only… what are these words in titles and should I use them?
There are a couple things you need to let others know about when you are starting a new RP thread. People tend to use some key words to convey to people what type of thread their RP will be.
In general an “open” thread will just have a title for the thread and nothing else. If however your thread is just for certain people you might want to put something like “Private” or “Invite Only” or even “Friends Only”. This will let people know that only those you have invited to the RP may post.
Here is a more in depth explanation of the various key words you might put in your thread title.
Open Thread
-Means just what it sounds like, it is completely open for anyone to join in. Which means if you choose to leave your thread open you should not say things like “I have the right to ignore your posts” You CAN however ask that people post literate posts.
Private, Invite, or Friends Only Thread
-This means that only the people you have asked to RP with you can post. If anyone else posts you may politely tell them to leave your thread either via message or by posting a short OOC about it. If the person continues to post after you have asked them to leave, message a moderator of the forum your thread is in and they will take care of it.
Please remember that you should always respect each other, if someone is posting in your thread and you don’t think they are making a good contribution to the thread as a whole you may politely ask them to leave the thread, or seek assistance from a moderator. While you DO have a right to ignore people there are better, more respectful ways to go about letting them know this.
Can I start my own threads in the Role Play areas?
You are welcome to start your own threads. But be sure that the threads you start belong in the areas that you start them in. For example: Say you start a thread in Twilight, keep in mind that the RP must be Twilight based. Just realize where you are about to start your thread and RP appropriately to the forum.
If a staff member decides that your thread does not belong where you have placed it, then it could be moved or simply closed.
~~~
What is RP?
Roleplaying, or RP for short, allows you to step into the life of another persona via written word.
In forum roleplay, you have the opportunity to develop your own character and interact with other people's characters in a setting that resembles fictitious writing.
This is the primary RP genre that MNI uses.
Thanking Alura (MNI) for a more elaborate response to this question see below:
Pretty much RP, as we do it, is text-based story telling. You create a character, put that character in a situation or setting with other characters and let them interact. You write, however, solely from your characters' perspective. So even if you know, for example, that my character is a werewolf because it's in my character's bio, if I or another character has never mentioned it to your character, then your character wouldn't know. Your character only knows what they can perceive, so pretty much a limited, third-person, subjective narrative mode if that helps.
What is OOC and BIC?
OOC stands for "Out of Character," and is used to indicate text outside of the context of the roleplay. For instance, if you want to say something in a roleplay thread that is not part of the roleplay, you type OOC before hand. Afterwards, type BIC ("back in character") to go back to typing your roleplay post.
Example:
OOC: I'm tired of waiting for Kara to post, so I'm going to do another one.
BIC: Elizabeth glared at Mr. Darcy. He was such a prick! Any man who was not willing to dance at a BALL, for heaven's sake, was not a pleasant man in her book.
BIC: Elizabeth glared at Mr. Darcy. He was such a prick! Any man who was not willing to dance at a BALL, for heaven's sake, was not a pleasant man in her book.
What is Godmoding?
Godmoding is a disgusting practice that is frowned upon by all roleplayers.
In general, any character that is portrayed as invincible or has numerous supernatural abilities (whether justified or not) is considered to be godmoding.
In addition Godmoding is also when you have your character getting out of situations all the time when they clearly should have no way out. Mary Sue and Gary Stu who never ever get hurt when clearly they would.
For example: Say there is a one on one duel and then a third and fourth person enter so it's now three on one. Firstly, all RPers should discuss the outcome of this duel to prevent PP and GM, secondly if you haven't discussed it and your character manages to 'slip away' with no injuries whatsoever when clearly they should be maimed or whatever is realistic, don't be surprised if no one RP's with you anymore.
What is Power Playing?
Power playing is when you do something to someone else's character that they have not “authorized” you to do.
Examples can be found below. Do NOT power play. If you want to power play someone’s character then you need to get their permission FIRST and there should be a OOC note at the bottom or top of your post that generally says something like “Permission to PP granted.” Then it will be understood to all who read your RP that permission was granted and all parties involved are okay with the powerplay.
This is power playing explained, please be sure you understand. If you have further questions then you need to message an admin and ask them to explain it in other terms so you understand.
Viresse kills Escy.
Now what about that is wrong some of you ask? Well it’s written as a fact. So Escy has no chance to defend himself here or anything else and this is bad. You've essentially taken away all of his power to do anything for his own character. If you want this kind of post to fly you have to write it the right way...
Viresse attempts to kill Escy.
There are two different things in the second one. I have said what I’m trying or attempting to do and I have not taken the power from Escy to reply or to fight back.
This also works for simple things.
This is wrong:
Viresse steals Escy and Iou’s swords.
This is wrong because Viresse has not given Escy or Iou a chance to respond or react. They are now swordless and probably not what the RPer's wanted to happen to their characters.
This is right:
Viresse tries (or attempts) to steal Escy and Iou’s swords.
At this point, Escy and Iou can either allow Viresse to steal the swords:
Viresse tries to steal her/his swords and succeeds, she/he is now powerless.
(If allowed... a small OOC is added saying permission to PP was granted.)
If they do not allow Viresse to steal their swords, the post would look something like:
Viresse tries to steal his/her sword but doesn’t succeed.
You as a RPer and your characters are NOT all powerful and cannot control others. As RP is fake, we all have free will and if we choose to not let you do something then that is our choice to make, not yours.
Please, if you still don’t understand what power playing is... ask someone! Admins are available for just this sort of thing, to get rid of any misunderstandings of our rules. We’d rather have to explain it 1000 times then have a thread full of angry OOC posts yelling that someone is power playing their character and manipulating them into doing something they don't want them to do.
Another thing that you can do is ignore someone if they powerplay your character and did not ask permission. You are well within your RP rights to ignore. Use it especially if you have contacted the other person and asked them not to do this to your character.
Also, "mind-reading" is not allowed. It is considered to be power playing and will not be accepted.
Why is mind reading considered to be power playing? Because thoughts are thoughts for a reason and they are personal to the character, if somebody wants to express something and have people know it, they will say it out loud. But other than that, thoughts shall remain simply thoughts. It is a matter of privacy, yes, even if written down for all to see.
Exception: You may read minds if only your character is a mind-reader. This does NOT mean that there should be a sudden rush of masters of mind-reading. We don't want every character to have that power It is a difficult art to master so please keep that in mind when you’re role-playing. You also need to obtain permission from the other person to read their mind BEFORE doing it.
In addition to the above about mind-reading, all “OOC reading” will be considered mind reading and power playing. Unless someone says “feel free to use this in your RP” it should always be considered off limits to use.
If you see something in an RP or an OOC that you really want to use in your RP then you ASK FIRST.
*As a side note, if you DO have permission from someone to power play their character, that is fine. Just don't forget to add an OOC note into your post saying you have that permission.
Posting with substance? What does that mean exactly?
When we ask for posts of substance that means that we want to see more 'quality' Role Play. We normally want to see more than only actions or only speaking, but obviously there will be some exceptions to this, depending upon the type of roleplay in which you are engaged. One-liners can be substantial if you're attempting to try to RP and we can tell the difference. When we're asking for details that means expressing how your character is reacting to other people, to their surroundings, and how these many things make them feel. Role Play is about expressing yourself through your character in written word.
Examples:
Bad Post:
Walks in and sits down.
Acceptable post:
After soccer practice, Jane walked into the living room and sat by the fire to warm up.
The first post doesn't really give any information. Who walked in? Where are they sitting? Heck, it's not even a full sentence.
The second post, however, gives the character's name, where they're located (in relation to other characters in the thread), and the general state (chilly/cold). It's not a lot but it sets the basis for a conversation or interaction.
Helpful hints on how to make your RP posts more substantial:
Describe your character’s surroundings, your character's attire, and your character's attitude. Take into consideration the weather, how does it affect your character? Take into consideration the people that may possibly be around your character, how do they make your character feel? What are your characters thoughts on a particular situation if they overhear a conversation?
Have a look about at other RP's and see what others are doing and writing so you can get ideas for your RP. This is by no means the way you have to write out posts, but it just gives you some suggestions and things to think about as you begin to write. It will also help keep you out of trouble with the moderators.
The main thing to keep in mind is what we're looking for is QUALITY not QUANTITY. Sometimes you can have a one liner that is substantial, though this will probably be rare.
If we see that you are TRYING in your RP posts, we leave you alone.
What is canon role play? What is a canon character?
The short, sweet and to the point definition of canon that we all observe refers to RPing within the guidelines that an author set up for us within a certain fandom. That means that if you are in a Canon Harry Potter RP, you follow what J.K. Rowling has set up and don't change anything that has already been confirmed in the books. If the RP is NOT canon, then you aren't restricted to JKR's word, and you can go ahead and change things, like who Harry marries, or have Voldemort still be alive.
A canon character would be a character that already exists in the fandom, created by the original author, such as Draco or Ginny in the Harry Potter series. A non-canon (or "original" character) is one that did not already exist, such as Harvy Furgeson, a muggle-born character that I just made up for a HP role play.
Even if a roleplay is canon, you can include original (non-canon) characters in the RP, as long as they don't interfere with what the author has already set. For example, if you wanted to do a canon HP Next Generation RP, the characters and world that JKR set up in the epilogue would have to remain the same, but you could add other characters, like new teachers or students.
Open, Private, Friends only… what are these words in titles and should I use them?
There are a couple things you need to let others know about when you are starting a new RP thread. People tend to use some key words to convey to people what type of thread their RP will be.
In general an “open” thread will just have a title for the thread and nothing else. If however your thread is just for certain people you might want to put something like “Private” or “Invite Only” or even “Friends Only”. This will let people know that only those you have invited to the RP may post.
Here is a more in depth explanation of the various key words you might put in your thread title.
Open Thread
-Means just what it sounds like, it is completely open for anyone to join in. Which means if you choose to leave your thread open you should not say things like “I have the right to ignore your posts” You CAN however ask that people post literate posts.
Private, Invite, or Friends Only Thread
-This means that only the people you have asked to RP with you can post. If anyone else posts you may politely tell them to leave your thread either via message or by posting a short OOC about it. If the person continues to post after you have asked them to leave, message a moderator of the forum your thread is in and they will take care of it.
Please remember that you should always respect each other, if someone is posting in your thread and you don’t think they are making a good contribution to the thread as a whole you may politely ask them to leave the thread, or seek assistance from a moderator. While you DO have a right to ignore people there are better, more respectful ways to go about letting them know this.
Can I start my own threads in the Role Play areas?
You are welcome to start your own threads. But be sure that the threads you start belong in the areas that you start them in. For example: Say you start a thread in Twilight, keep in mind that the RP must be Twilight based. Just realize where you are about to start your thread and RP appropriately to the forum.
If a staff member decides that your thread does not belong where you have placed it, then it could be moved or simply closed.