Post by Victoria on Oct 11, 2009 9:11:14 GMT
This site is open to complete beginners in the roleplaying world. As such, this guide has been posted to pave the way for those who have no clue whatsoever.[/b][/center]What is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying, in this context, is interactive writing. Each person invents a character to fit within a certain setting, and then take turns writing (posting) the actions, thoughts, etc. of their character to advance the story.
Do's
• Be aware of the plot and setting. A gun-toting gangbanger has no place in a roleplay taking place prehistoric times, for example.
• Make an interesting character. Give them an eccentricity, make them different. Are they a pyromaniac? Are they a drunk? Do they pass out when noticed by the opposite sex? There are lots of ways to give your character life and interest.
• Think about the relationship between the characters' personality and history. What parts of their history were affected by their personality? What parts of their personality were affected by their history? How does this all lead into how they might react to any given situation in the roleplay?
• Write enough to work from. At least two paragraphs, six to eight sentences each is required on this forum. Describe your character's thoughts, observations, actions and reactions.
• Write in third person: i.e. "He walked" as opposed to "I walked" or "You walked".
• Spell and grammar check. Proboards has a spell check, and so does the Firefox browser (which is automatic). If you don't like either option, try typing your posts in a word processor that has spell check and then copy/pasting them.
• Maintain a posting order. If three people are posting in a thread, allow the order to continue as "Person 1", "Person 2", "Person 3", "Person 1", etc. It assures that no one is left out.
Don'ts
• Powerplay/Godmode. These are terms meaning one of two unacceptable things in roleplaying: 1. Inventing or assuming the actions of another persons' character without their express permission; 2. Being the most powerful, never getting hit in a fight, always landing the hit in a fight. The admin chooses the outcome of fights if it seems the members can't work it out realistically among themselves.
• Make a "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stue". These are characters who are "perfect" or "ideal". They usually have mystical names, unparalleled beauty, unrealistically admirable personalities, and terrible histories that don't effect them at all unless it makes them more appealing. They are annoying and zero fun to play with.
• Write in gibberish. There are a lot of people out there that call themselves "advanced" roleplayers, and they write in gobbledygook and babble on for pages about completely unrelated things. You don't need a 1000 word description of a flower, using grammar and vocabulary people have to stare at for ten minutes to maybe understand. It shouldn't be that complicated.
If you need any help, feel free to post here or pm a staff member!
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