Post by Vhien on Aug 24, 2006 3:37:04 GMT -5
The Original RolePlay Rules
Roleplay. Some of you may be new to this word, this concept of Roleplay. Some of you may be well-seasoned in this field while others may just now be beginning to experience the new dimension in writing. Regardless, there is one underlying fact. Roleplaying is an art. Yes, an art. There are few words that better describe Roleplay, for it is rich in skill, integrity, creativity and pure competence.
As an art that stresses creativity, there are numerous ways by which one can express themselves with Roleplay, yet there are some criteria that often ensure a stable and well rounded set of Roleplays. The most integral of elements shall be listed and it is encouraged that all follow these simple parietal rules.
Legibility | How Easy It Is For Others To Read
The basic elements in Legibility revolve around how well one is able to write. There are numerous writing styles and thus no clear cut way of defining this, for some of the confusion may simply be a result of the reader’s incompetence, or the writer’s awkward style. When writing in English however, it is expected that the writer acknowledge the grammatical laws. Exempli Gratiae [For The Sake Of Example]: Sentences should end in Periods, Question Marks, or Exclamation Marks (Occasionally Elipses). Also, dialogue should be set off by “Quotation Marks” and actions should NEVER be set off by Asterisks (***).
Keep in mind that while Roleplaying, it is okay to use the Enter key and allow new paragraphs. Matter of fact, when dealing with dialogue, it is most encouraged that one space consistently. Keep in mind that the beginning of sentences should be capitalized and “Internet Speak” is not permitted unless the Roleplay speaks to that specific element.
Acceptable
It was that time of day. Tenshi, the moderator of the Roleplay Section, had established the rules. As he read over the law, he checked for errors. His hands were shaking with excitement as he rested the documents of law on his desk.
The moderator rose to his feet and shouted with the utmost joy, “At last I have finished the rules! After weeks of procrastination, I was able to force myself down and finish work.”
”Darn!”
A voice rang out from across the damp room in which Tenshi worked. The candle lit in the corner of the room flickered and an eager Roleplayer stood with his thumb in his mouth.
“Who are you?” Tenshi kindly asked, his eyebrow rising slowly.
The Roleplayer looked up in shock, and as he pulled his finger from his mouth, it appeared as though he had been cut.
Tenshi approached the Roleplayer and softly comforted him.
“I’m the new moderator. Welcome to the world of Roleplay. Cold, damp, foreboding at times, yet with the soft flicker of candlelight, there is nothing to fear. Nothing to fear except the rage of that flame, the flame that is the passion and the dedication of a Roleplayer. If you abide by the laws, yet allow intellect to serve as your chariot, you’ll succeed.”
Unacceptable
He stood theer And then fighting ensured!
*Tenshi teleports*
Tenshi then said, I knew it couldnt be true. Youd best get out of here
tHe other man stood there and took out his sword and he cut him and then they fought for a long time and blood sprinkled all over the battlefield and then at last, they agreed it tobe a stalemate.
*other man teleports away*
--There is a spell checker on our forums. I would suggest that you make full use of it each time that you post to avoid any missed errors--
Post Length | How Long Each Post Should Be In The Roleplay Section
While Roleplaying, you will undoubtedly be required to post your response to the creator’s call, his opening post. As you see a new thread, you may be overjoyed and quickly join as many Roleplays as possible. This is a great thing, for one should be eager to expand his or her horizons beyond simply one or two Roleplays. However, then we as a community, run into a problem. Not all can join a Roleplay for a Roleplay suffers the risk of overcrowding, lack of interest, or perhaps unskilled Roleplayers. The Mark of an Unskilled Roleplayer, is there inability to produce detailed posts. Now, detailed in one thing where as rambling crap is another. Remember that one who produces a page of jargon may not be as skilled as one who produces a sentence of brilliance.
In short, I hope that when you Roleplay, you wait until you can get the most out of the experience and have a well thought out response to what another Roleplay had done. The rules are simple.
Your Roleplay Post Is To Be At Least Two Paragraphs without Dialogue. This Is Not Negotiable. If there is any likelihood of an Advanced Roleplay Section, such rules will have more added, yet at this time, Two Paragraphs Without Dialogue is Mandatory.
Profile | Who Are You?
This is the typical template for creating a character:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
Weapon(s):
Abilities/Magic:
Other:
Link: Original Character Creation Template
When creating your Roleplay Character, keep in mind that the character is usually going to only have this profile apply to them in the one specific Roleplay. You could always reuse a character yet creating one is great fun. The name, age, and gender are relatively easy to interpret. For Appearance however, you are granted two options.
Appearance Option 1: You can type a detailed description of your character’s face, body type, clothing, etc. Generally you want to paint an image of your character, using words. This can be difficult to many new Roleplayers as well as the experienced Roleplayers. This serves great challenge and great accomplishment for many.
Appearance Option 2: Find a picture online. It can be either one that you think accurately depicts your character or perhaps something you’ve drawn. For what words can not picture, A Picture Is Worth A Million Words.
For the character’s Personality: This is one aspect of a character profile that I personally dislike. You are allowed to include this in a template however it is up the Creator of that Roleplay. If his intended template for a character specifies that you include Personality, for that Roleplay it is required. However, my personal stance is that the Personality should be expressed subtly through actions and dialogue.
History: This should be more than two full paragraphs of information speaking to the life of a character. This allows others to know a bit about the character and perhaps Private Message the character’s creator and ask for an intertwining history, et cetera.
Weapons: You are allowed one standard weapon. Twin daggers, Twin pistols, and other pairs of weapons are allowed. Twin Broadswords is completely ridiculous and would not be permitted.
Abilities/ Magic: You list the magic and abilities of your character. A paragraph is requested so that the explanation of the attack is full and complete. Skills and magic are purchased on their respective boards with our forum currency.
Other: Anything else that does not fall under these categories.
Joining and Creating A Roleplay | There Is A Way To Follow As Well As a Way To Lead
[you]Joining[/you]
When Joining a Roleplay it is common courtesy to Private Message your profile to the Creator of the Roleplay and then await a response, quietly and patiently. Do not hector and harass the creator begging for him to make haste in his decision. If he allows you to join, graciously thank him and post your Character Profile as directed. If your Character Profile is Rejected, more than likely the creator will read it over and give you constructive criticism. Any comments along the lines of, “You’re a disgrace to Roleplaying. BURN IN HELL,” will not be permitted. This falls under the category of flaming. If you are a victim of such rude comments, Feel Free To PM the entire case to me, Tenshi.
[you]Creating[/you]
The most difficult part of any Roleplay is creating an in-depth, detailed, beautiful work of art that many will desire to join. Creating such a Roleplay is complex and requires that one think the whole objective through. For example, what category of Roleplay will the Roleplay be in? This is decided generally by the target audience as well as the details. There will be a guide to Creation that will be posted before the end of September. The guide shall provide an in-depth layout of what usually happens during the creation of a Roleplay. For now, it is necessary that one knows the basics.
The Name: The one thing that gives the reader a choice to click and check out the Roleplay or not.
The Category: Is The Roleplay going to be a romance, a high school drama, a post-apocalyptic tale of heroes? The choice is up to you creator, yet keep in mind that you generally want to strive for something new and different.
The Audience: Are you targeting the younger of the Roleplayers? Is there going to be sexual content, profanity, and those matters that are generally perceived as Adult? You must decide what age group you are targeting with this Roleplay and keep in mind that the sexual content should not reach a point where it may be erotic or unacceptable.
The Division: Is This For Novices, The General Roleplay Demographics, or Advanced? Keep in mind that some Roleplays may rest on the border. For example, a Roleplay may appear as Advanced among the Novice Roleplays yet only Basic in the Regular Roleplay Section.
Dictionary | Dang! There Is More
Aye. There are a few basic things I want to get out of the way and they are not in alphabetical order yet. I’ll do that later when it isn’t 1 A.M.
Double-Posting This is not allowed. The only instance in which you are allowed to Double Post, would be if the Roleplay you are double posting in has been inactive for at least twenty days. The reason that the waiting period is so long is because some Roleplayers simply take a long time to reply. In the Advanced Section, the wait time is extended to a month. Aye. Double Posting should not be allowed in most cases. Also if the Creator uses their first post to create the thread and storyline, there is room for another post over time for the creator to post their character profile if it had not been done already in the initial post.
God Modding This is not allowed ever. It is usually used to describe a character who is never hit, has perfect accuracy, never receives wounds, spontaneously revives, and controlling another’s character beyond a realm of reason.
Character Control The ability to control another Roleplayer’s character. This is generally looked down upon and in most cases it is not allowed. In such instances, the one that takes control of another’s character is allowed to have the character do small things. For example, the character that is being controlled would be able to shake his head, frown, maybe scoff at a rude comment or if requested to help lift a box, that character would be allowed to do such. The character that is being “possessed” by another would not be allowed to kill a major character, with the exception of some NPC’s. Also, the character would not be allowed to be killed, fly off to some unknown region, et cetera. In most cases, the control of another’s character would be discussed between the two Roleplayers and if the action is rather drastic, perhaps the Roleplay creator would need be consulted as well.
Non Player Character These are the characters that go unnoticed or are not really important. They can range from a storekeeper, to a villain’s henchman, to a sexy assassin, perhaps even a mentor. These characters are usually not “owned” by a specific Roleplayer and they can be controlled by many. However, depending on the importance of a Non Player Character, their death may need to be consulted with the creator.
Out Of Character These would be the dialogues between Roleplayers, not the characters. Some Roleplays make separate threads for such conversations to occur and they are serious events. The OOC events discuss the storyline of a specific Roleplay and serves a meeting room for the participants of a Roleplay to discuss the future of the said Roleplay.
Meta-Gaming This is not allowed. This is a combination of out of character knowledge paired with in character knowledge. For example, if a character holds a concealed weapon, yet it is not hinted or even referenced in a rather subtle way, it would be considered Meta-Gaming. Also, for the lack of finding a proper word for such, there is the difficulty with “power spikes”. These would be best described as unreasonable, or just plain stupid strokes of luck. For example: If a character’s car breaks down, it is not natural for a swordsman with a low IQ to instantly repair the vehicle and then jump upside down and shoot missiles from his sword. Among all things, there is the guise in such an event that the character, “Just remembered this ancient technique from his grand mentor,” for such a claim would result in instant expulsion from a Roleplay.
Duel Combat. There are going to be fights between characters perhaps. A fight between two characters controlled by Roleplayers can be quite the thrill. Of course there are basic rules. The aggressor, being the one who throws an attack, does not decide if it hits or misses. This is up to the decision of the receptor, the one who is being attacked. Now, this does not balance the equation for there is the over looming threat of God Modding. Please refrain from God Modding. Not every attack can be dodged and your characters get hurt. They bleed, loose consciousness, and maybe even break a limb. Remember that in combat, all should pertain to at least most laws of physics.
