Post by Arynielle on May 4, 2008 21:11:24 GMT -8
**Please feel free to use this for your own purposes as long as they are noncommercial. HOWEVER, I do ask that you credit myself, Arynielle of TalesCollection, as the author of these guidelines. As long as you provide the credit, then you may repost this wherever you wish. On the off hand that you don't honor my request, I will hound you until you either remove my written work or add the credit. Easy enough, right?
So what exactly is Role Playing?
Role playing is often abbreviated as RP (Role play) or RPG (Role playing game). The process of RPing is fairly simple-- it's basically co-writing a story with other people, where each player creates a character and writes about his/her adventures. Generally, unlike novel-writing, RPs are made for character development. The characters interact as the RP begins to take depth and a tale forms from the writing of the RPers.
How do I create a character?
Simple enough. Just think of someone you'd feel comfortable constantly writing about and let your character be based off of this person. Be creative when you create your characters. They need to have personality and that spark in their eyes. Sometimes, it's best to write out that character's history before beginning to RP. Of course, this is just a suggestion to give your characters more individuality. Normally, before you join an RP, you are required to fill out information about your characters to inform the other RPers about their personalities, behaviors, etc.
**Ok. I am TRUSTING you guys not to steal my character. Miss Arynielle Fallyce is a very dear RP character to me -- and is copyrighted to ME so using her without explicit written permission in anything other than these guidelines is a violation of my copyright. I will be irritated if you use these guidelines without crediting me but I will be absolutely FURIOUS if you go stealing my character, and I will personally hunt you down. 'nough said?
Your character does not have to be this complicated, nor do you have to know this much about him/her. I have been RPing this particular character for years and have rewritten the application and multitude of times so I know her very well. You should simply have a basic idea of what he/she is like and how he/she would react in certain situations. Of course, detail never hurts and I suggest being on the specific side if you're hoping to impress.
How do I Role Play?
The actually RP is quite easy to produce. After creating a character (and getting it approved by the host), you may join the RP. The process of RPing is extremely straight forward... Someone (most likely the host) will start the adventure by writing up a prompt, which you or another player can work off of. Like RP video games, the process is turn-based. A player will write up a post-- then another player-- and another.
This is an example from Tales RPG - Feathermoon: Gravity where I play both Arynielle (aka Ari) and Elaviel, while my friend, Kriven, plays... Kriven. Once again, steal our characters and you WILL regret it.
Elaviel/Ari posts:
Kriven posts:
Elaviel/Ari posts:
And so on and so forth until the thread ends or the direction of the plot changes...
How many people participate?
Honestly? It depends on the level of literacy. If the RP is complicated and requires a number of extremely literate individuals for success, the players are usually limited through a series of auditions and such. On the other hand, if the requirement is only semi-literate, then various numbers of players can participate.
It's generally easier to RP with fewer people, as the host will have less people to keep up with. Less players also means less reading for everyone in general. Of course, this only applies with a thread-RP, where all of the events take place in a single thread. For whole-forum RPs, there's a difference.
There have been cases, where two friends decide to do a one on one RP, which is perfectly acceptable; although there is not as much variety as there would be if more people join.
What are the rules of RPing?
This varies from host to host and where you decide to RP. The more literate an RP, the more likely the rules are to be strict. Also, it depends on whether the whole RP takes place in a single thread or an entire forum. Of course, the obvious rules that apply to any RP include:
1. No powerplaying. This means that your character is not invincible and during combat, he/she will not always win. Attacks will not hit 100% of the time and your character won't be able to dodge everything coming his/her way. Also, when creating a character, don't give them super powers. This simply ruins the RP for everyone else, who wants a fair game.
2.No godmodding. This includes excessive knowledge and ability-- no one in the world is perfect! Characters shouldn't be able to do everything... such as moving whole mountains or hearing through sound-proof doors. Don't make your character superior to the others in any way.
3. No spammage or chatspeak. M3 7h1nk5 7h15 15 d1ff1cul7 70 und3r57and... Catch my drift?
4. When you want to speak out-of-character, show it. You may use brackets ((TEXT)) or OOC: TEXT. Either way, make sure the other RPers know when you're not in character.
5. If you are known to be an atrocious speller, please run your posts through spell-check and/or word.
6. A note on literacy-- try to be literate! Have your posts actually make sense and make sure than they contribute to the plot.
7. Don't try controlling over people's characters. If a RPer didn't say his/her character did something, the character probably didn't!
8. Respect the host of the RP. Unless they are being completely unreasonable, do as they say and abide by his/her rules.
9. Please don't be obnoxious and go post-crazy. Even if you aren't technically breaking any rules, it's still a pain to roleplay with someone who doesn't provide enough time for others to reply. If it's unnecessary to respond, then it's probably best to wait for a cue. Keep in mind that you don't need to make every other post in a six-person RP.
How long should my posts be?
Again, this varies from RP to RP. Depending on player literacy and what you have to work off of, post length can be from a few sentences to many well-carved out paragraphs. Personally, I don't believe that post length should matter all that much-- literate posts and post length are usually correlated but that is not always the case. A short post can be perfectly literate and I don't think that people would rather read a rambling eight-paragraph post as opposed to a concise, three- paragraph one.
Use your better judgment to decide how long your posts need to be. Also, take into consideration of how much someone else has written in direction to your character(s). If that person writes ten, beautifully-carved paragraphs, then I don't think a measly, single paragraph is going to cut it as long as you are capable of producing better writing.
Anything else?
Everything above is the stuff I'm used to hearing. If you have questions, please ask them in this thread. Thanks! Hope this helps.
(c) Arynielle, Tales Collection
So what exactly is Role Playing?
Role playing is often abbreviated as RP (Role play) or RPG (Role playing game). The process of RPing is fairly simple-- it's basically co-writing a story with other people, where each player creates a character and writes about his/her adventures. Generally, unlike novel-writing, RPs are made for character development. The characters interact as the RP begins to take depth and a tale forms from the writing of the RPers.
How do I create a character?
Simple enough. Just think of someone you'd feel comfortable constantly writing about and let your character be based off of this person. Be creative when you create your characters. They need to have personality and that spark in their eyes. Sometimes, it's best to write out that character's history before beginning to RP. Of course, this is just a suggestion to give your characters more individuality. Normally, before you join an RP, you are required to fill out information about your characters to inform the other RPers about their personalities, behaviors, etc.
**Ok. I am TRUSTING you guys not to steal my character. Miss Arynielle Fallyce is a very dear RP character to me -- and is copyrighted to ME so using her without explicit written permission in anything other than these guidelines is a violation of my copyright. I will be irritated if you use these guidelines without crediting me but I will be absolutely FURIOUS if you go stealing my character
Name: Arynielle Fallyce (Ari for short)
Race: Half-elf
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Class: Spell-caster/fighter
Appearance: Lavender, semi-wavy hair falls elegantly to Ari's shoulders as neatly-cut bangs rest upon her forehead. The half elf's eyes are a clear turquoise color which may vary in hue depending on her mood. Her facial expression is normally cheerful and warm which allows her eyes to sparkle in both the day and night. Ari's skin is neither dark nor pale, and although her original complexion may lean toward the paler side, years of training under the sun have caused her to become slightly pinkish compared to those of her race.
She stands at about 5' 6" and is quite athletic. Her legs and arms are well toned because she is almost always active, unable to sit still for more than fifteen minutes. Ari's normal clothing consists of a tight tank top and a loose pair of pants that come down to her ankles. On her feet, she wears a pair of sturdy sandals, made from the woven fibers of tree bark and other plants. A belt made of woven reeds rests around her small waist and Ari wears no other accessories. She cares little of physical appearances.
Personality: Ari is possibly one of the most stubborn creatures alive. She will stop at nothing to see that her goals are reached-- of course, this is naturally a good thing, seeing as this half-elf has a heart of gold. She always reaches out to others in need of aid and won't hesitate to volunteer herself for nearly any sort of task. Willing and loyal, she smiles as she works to pass the time. Ari is diligent with what she is passionate for... she adores animals and enjoys working with them. In fact, to show her devotion toward living creatures, she is a vegetarian!
As eager as she is to learn, however, she is also very fanciful and naive. When she was a small child in school, she often missed the professors' lectures, daydreaming and thinking about other things. Naturally, the teachers weren't particularly happy but they understood that Ari's intentions were still pure and that she meant to personal offense to her mentors. Her favorite activities include star gazing and exploring the natural world while making animal friends. ^-^
Although Ari is abnormally cheerful about things, she does have a darker side. For the most part, she is chipper... the other part of her is confused and filled with sadness. There are somethings in this world that she simply can't grasp and understand-- like how she and her brethren are treated by the general public. She is rarely angered by others and gets along with most people. The half-elf does have a sarcastic side... but it's mostly used in good humor.
In general, Arynielle is simply a sweet person who wants more than anything to be at peace with herself and for the entire world be devoid of racism. Yes, she is a bit hopeful, and many people point this out. Yet her wish remains the same. Currently, she is traveling the world in hopes of making her dreams come true... she knows that it'll be difficult and that her journey will be difficult but all the same, she knows that she needs to keep on trying.
Fighting Style: At a young age, Ari was taught how to fight with a bo-staff (basically a long stick) and she practices martial arts regularly. Though she knows little of the etiquette of martial arts, she is familiar with even the most advanced of techniques. Because of her lithe and agile body, she is able to use speed to her advantage in battle.
She always carries a rod with her for physical protection though she is also educated in spell-casting. While in Exire, she was taught how to cast the most simple of spells, mostly those of the elements. Since then, she has learned more complicated forms of magic simply by trial and error.
A note of caution-- As talented as she is, Ari will not be able to fight in the presence of a spider. Just to let you know.
Skills and talents: Ari has the ability to spread her cheer to others and remains optimistic in nearly every situation. Another skill which proves useful to her allies in battle is her knowledge of the healing arts. She was trained just a little although her skill in healing has increased quite a bit.
Inventory: A small, woven pouch which she keeps at her side at all times, holds a number of herbs for healing purposes, a small knife for tool purposes, a few gold pieces for cash and maybe a snack or two. Ari carries a flask of water in a leather pouch (as much as she hates killing animals for something like this, she has little choice) and her dependable bo-staff.
History: There really isn't much to be said about Ari. She was born with no siblings, her mother a elf and her father a human-- or vice versa, the world may never know. Her parents were persecuted for their love of one another because such relationship between the two races were forbidden. Ari somehow wound up in Exire, the floating island in the sky and was raised by the townsfolk.
) and she practices martial arts regularly. Though she knows little of the etiquette of martial arts, she is familiar with even the most advanced of techniques. Because of her lithe and agile body, she is able to use speed to her advantage in battle.Your character does not have to be this complicated, nor do you have to know this much about him/her. I have been RPing this particular character for years and have rewritten the application and multitude of times so I know her very well. You should simply have a basic idea of what he/she is like and how he/she would react in certain situations. Of course, detail never hurts and I suggest being on the specific side if you're hoping to impress.
How do I Role Play?
The actually RP is quite easy to produce. After creating a character (and getting it approved by the host), you may join the RP. The process of RPing is extremely straight forward... Someone (most likely the host) will start the adventure by writing up a prompt, which you or another player can work off of. Like RP video games, the process is turn-based. A player will write up a post-- then another player-- and another.
This is an example from Tales RPG - Feathermoon: Gravity where I play both Arynielle (aka Ari) and Elaviel, while my friend, Kriven, plays... Kriven. Once again, steal our characters and you WILL regret it.
Elaviel/Ari posts:
"You hungry?" Elaviel pushes the door open to find Kriven in the kitchen, acting as if he hadn't eaten in days. She goes back to the two pots of stew on the stove, stirring them thoroughly with a mixing spoon. "Right now both of these guys are filled with just vegetable stew. If you can wait a bit longer, I'll have some chunks of pork added." Looking around for the basket of meat Ari brought in, Elaviel took a few slices out and began to dice it into square pieces. When she finished after a few minutes, she scooped all of the bite-sized chunks into one of the pots. Ari was still a vegetarian and she respected that fact.
With a small "clank" of a closed lid, Elaviel skipped to the sack of potatoes which she had previously ignored to help the collapsed Kriven. She quickly tossed the potatoes into the oven on a small tray and heated the fire. "There we go! They should be ready in an hour or so."
Meanwhile, Ari comes in from the garden with a basket of various fruits and vegetables. "Thought you might need something else," she said to Elaviel with a smile. "Silver has the nicest garden you have ever seen. And there are so many fruit trees around the house-- I'll have to show them to you sometime!"
"Why don't you slice some of that fruit up for dessert, Ari? You can arrange them like I had that one night... in a fruit pyramid!"
"That's a great idea! I'll give it a go!" The half-elf pranced off after tossing Elaviel a few onions, some garlic and other vegetables she could work with. She found her place at the cutting board and began her experiment with the fruit.
The angel went back to her own cooking, mixing up a concoction of soy sauce, garlic, onion, pepper, vinegar and salt for the roast. It was then that she noticed Kriven again. "Oh! Sorry for the wait. The stew's ready by now, I'm sure. Help yourself! You wouldn't mind giving it a small stir while you're at it, would you?" She continued whipping the sauce into a thick ingredient. Placing the pork into a tray, she drizzled the meat in the sauce and shoved it in next to the potatoes in the oven. "Whew! Do you do this every night, Ari?"
On the other side of the counter, Ari's artistic side bloomed. A rather large platter had a colorful array of apples, peaches, pears, plums and assorted berries, sliced and and diced into various shapes and stacked neatly into a pyramid. Elaviel blinked at the utter size of it. "Nice job, Ari! That looks great!"
"Oh, thanks, Lavi! Not bad for my first time, right? And, no, I don't do this every night... usually we take turns making the meals."
Kriven posts:
"Except for Aleu." Kriven adds, as he walks towards the stew.
He dips the serving spoon into the combination of vegetables and meats and gives it a quick stir, as he was asked to do. He then went about pouring himself a bowlful of the warm smelling food, making sure that meat overpowered the vegetables. Kriven snickered to himself as he thought of the word carnivore, then pictured himself as a large lion.
He walked across the wooden floor, which quietly creaked as he did and placed his bowl on the table. Just before he sat he realized: Spoon!
He made his way over to where the spoons were kept, which so happened to be next to Ari and her pile of fruit. He reached forward with his gloved arm, grabbing a spoon. A sudden surge sent his arm into it's usual spaz, however this time it was much worse. The arm knocked into a loose banana peel that had been sitting on the counter. The peel landed on the ground with a splat, and Kriven, not noticing slipped on it while attempting to calm his hand.
As Kriven went down, he hit the fruit plate with his hand, which sent the entire thing rocketing into the air. The plate clattered to the floor, now covered in various fruits. Kriven sat-up. He too was covered in various fruits and ate a small piece of a peach that had landed on his face.
"Peachy..."
Elaviel/Ari posts:
Ari's eyes went wide as the plate suddenly fell from the counter top, shattering as it hit the ground. A wild array of colorful fruits spilled everywhere, splashing sticky juices about the floor of the kitchen. The half-elf climbed down from her sitting position on the counter to look at the mess and at Kriven, who appeared to be more than fine. "Erm..." A sweatdrop formed on her head. "Kriven, what did you do?"
Elaviel, however, was laughing at the scene. Her melodious voice rang out around the kitchen as she did so, walking over to where Kriven had fallen. "Had a little fall, didn't you?" She clicked her tongue, scanning the mess. "Now we need to clean this up..."
"But... my beautiful pyramid..." Ari could never find herself to be angry with anyone for wrecking her fruit design even if it wasn't an accident. All the same, she was saddened by the fact that her creation was ruined. But all's well that end's well. "I'll get the mop!" she said quickly, racing from the kitchen and towards the broom closet. She returned in a few seconds, with a bucket and mop. "Here we are!"
The angel tilted her head to the side as she looked at Ari. "We could use that... or we can follow the ten-second rule." She shrugged. "The floor looks pretty clean to me. You probably mop it everyday of your stay here, don't you? Don't deny it, we all know you're a neat freak."
"..." Ari sweatdropped yet again.
And so on and so forth until the thread ends or the direction of the plot changes...
How many people participate?
Honestly? It depends on the level of literacy. If the RP is complicated and requires a number of extremely literate individuals for success, the players are usually limited through a series of auditions and such. On the other hand, if the requirement is only semi-literate, then various numbers of players can participate.
It's generally easier to RP with fewer people, as the host will have less people to keep up with. Less players also means less reading for everyone in general. Of course, this only applies with a thread-RP, where all of the events take place in a single thread. For whole-forum RPs, there's a difference.
There have been cases, where two friends decide to do a one on one RP, which is perfectly acceptable; although there is not as much variety as there would be if more people join.
What are the rules of RPing?
This varies from host to host and where you decide to RP. The more literate an RP, the more likely the rules are to be strict. Also, it depends on whether the whole RP takes place in a single thread or an entire forum. Of course, the obvious rules that apply to any RP include:
1. No powerplaying. This means that your character is not invincible and during combat, he/she will not always win. Attacks will not hit 100% of the time and your character won't be able to dodge everything coming his/her way. Also, when creating a character, don't give them super powers. This simply ruins the RP for everyone else, who wants a fair game.
2.No godmodding. This includes excessive knowledge and ability-- no one in the world is perfect! Characters shouldn't be able to do everything... such as moving whole mountains or hearing through sound-proof doors. Don't make your character superior to the others in any way.
3. No spammage or chatspeak. M3 7h1nk5 7h15 15 d1ff1cul7 70 und3r57and... Catch my drift?
4. When you want to speak out-of-character, show it. You may use brackets ((TEXT)) or OOC: TEXT. Either way, make sure the other RPers know when you're not in character.
5. If you are known to be an atrocious speller, please run your posts through spell-check and/or word.
6. A note on literacy-- try to be literate! Have your posts actually make sense and make sure than they contribute to the plot.
7. Don't try controlling over people's characters. If a RPer didn't say his/her character did something, the character probably didn't!
8. Respect the host of the RP. Unless they are being completely unreasonable, do as they say and abide by his/her rules.
9. Please don't be obnoxious and go post-crazy. Even if you aren't technically breaking any rules, it's still a pain to roleplay with someone who doesn't provide enough time for others to reply. If it's unnecessary to respond, then it's probably best to wait for a cue. Keep in mind that you don't need to make every other post in a six-person RP.
How long should my posts be?
Again, this varies from RP to RP. Depending on player literacy and what you have to work off of, post length can be from a few sentences to many well-carved out paragraphs. Personally, I don't believe that post length should matter all that much-- literate posts and post length are usually correlated but that is not always the case. A short post can be perfectly literate and I don't think that people would rather read a rambling eight-paragraph post as opposed to a concise, three- paragraph one.
Use your better judgment to decide how long your posts need to be. Also, take into consideration of how much someone else has written in direction to your character(s). If that person writes ten, beautifully-carved paragraphs, then I don't think a measly, single paragraph is going to cut it as long as you are capable of producing better writing.
Anything else?
Everything above is the stuff I'm used to hearing. If you have questions, please ask them in this thread. Thanks! Hope this helps.
(c) Arynielle, Tales Collection
