Post by Ramok on Jul 21, 2008 8:31:54 GMT -6
Ramok’s Guide to Roleplaying[/size][/u][/i]
Hey guys, Ramok here! This is just a little RolePlay guide I made to help myself and some of my friends. While I’m not an Advanced roleplayer, I do consider myself at least an Intermediate. I hope this helps! Good luck and good reading! ^^
Gathering Information:[/u][/b]
The first step to roleplaying (when replying to a thread/subject or staring a new one) is to gather information from the other player/s’s post/s and/or the place you plan to set your roleplay. This can give you details such as setting, time of day (or night), what temperature it is and generally the mood of the area. For Eg.
A dry, barren land with little to no signs of life during the day.
With this description, you get a general idea of what the area is like and what to expect there.
With no information save for what I imagined a god’s meeting place would look like, I came up with this is a post for a starter:
He lounged idly on the alter, black satin hanging from his hips. Long, slender fingers toyed idly with golden locks from a rather quiet pet who sat by the god. A small smirk graced the deity’s lip, his thoughts turning to the darkness. Oh how he loved the sensations of a shadow. A sound similar to a moan left his throat as he fantasized of the solar eclipses. Oh how delicious they were.
The pet looked up at the sound, a confused look on his face. "Master?" he asked quietly, almost afraid to speak. This brought the god from his musing, his dark eyes landing on the boy again. "Hush pet, don't worry your pretty little head" he soothed, stroking along his jaw line with his fingers. The god's wings twitched slightly, their crossed forms covering his back and legs.
A long, forked tongue snaked from between his teeth, the end flickering in thought. "They should be here soon" he muttered; whip-like tail swaying slowly. Looking towards the center of the room, he clicked his fingers at the hearth, a black flame springing to life. The black died away to a normal flame, the light making the atmosphere a little more cheery.
It lit the rest of the room, revealing 6 other alters, each for the other deities. A red one for the Fire Goddess, a blue one for the Water Goddess, a white one for the Air Goddess, a yellow one for the Light God, a green one for the Earth Goddess and a maroon one for the Chaos Goddess. His own was black in color, his preferred shade. Of course, he didn't expect the Maroon alter to be occupied this afternoon as the Goddess of Chaos seemed distant to the rest of them.
"Privy, my pet. Make yourself scarce. The other deities find my keeping of such beautiful creatures... unnerving. I will call should I need you" he said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. The pet hesitated for a moment before standing and disappearing through one of the doors among the columns. The god sat up, leaning back on his hands as he waited for his favorite females to show up.[/sup]
The first paragraph tells you that the main character we’re focusing in on is male. It tells you some of his features, but not all of them. He also has a pet and he finds darkness rather enticing. It does not, however tells you the setting, time of day or the mood. You can assume that it must be fairly moderate because he has only a cloth of satin around his hips.
The second paragraph now has speech. Notice how the boy speaks quietly with a confused expression on his face. This backs the statement that he is ‘almost afraid to speak.’ And why wouldn’t he be afraid? He’s interrupting a god from his thoughts! However, the god in question is obviously not upset as he speaks soothingly and touches the boys in an intimate way. It tells you a little more about the god, however there is still no setting, time of day or mood.
In the third paragraph, we are exposed to more about the god. He now has a snake’s tongue and a long, thin tail. We are also introduced to a mood; cheery.
The fourth paragraph holds setting. You can assume that it’s inside as it has alters and the word ‘room’ is mentioned. It also describes the colors of the alters and who they are for. At the end of this paragraph, it describes the relationship between the 7 gods. Chaos is obviously not in the good books.
The fifth and final paragraph contains more communication. ‘Privy, my pet’ can be assumed that the god is saying Privy as a word or as a name. In this case, it’s a name. The god explains why he is dismissing his pet, also saying that he’ll call if he needs him. This is reassuring. The pet hesitates, but obeys anyway, disappearing from the scene. The rest is fairly simple.
When you have gathered enough information, you can move onto posting.
Posting:
So you got your information need to start posting, eh? Forgetting about all the jazzy stuff to make your post look pretty, the first thing to do is make your opening sentence or paragraph. It can be physical, it can be emotional/sensual, narrative or commentary.
Physical is when you describe what your character is physically doing. They could be running, reading, sleeping, jumping, swimming ect.
Emotional or sensual is when you describe what your character is feeling. The is a difference between emotion and sensual feelings, however. Emotional is if your character is sad, scared happy, tired ect. Sensual is what they actually feel with their body. This can be helpful if your character is blind. You could describe them feeling something with their hands.
Narrative is when you describe what you character was previously doing. For eg. He had just finished working out with his friends and was now walking home.
And Commentary is you describe things like how office work can be boring or how hard it is to live in poverty. It’s describing things without it being personal to your character.. Eg. Oh, the life in office work is so dull. One sat in a small box all day, staring like a zombie at a screen or paper.
My favorites are physical and sensual.
When you have done your opening sentence or paragraph, you can stick with the category or change it. I prefer to change it, though this is just personal preference.
However, at some time in the post, you will have to do physical. If not, then the other characters have nothing to reply to. They don’t know what your character is feeling or thinking. They can only see and hear what your character is doing.
It’s good for your character to react to what is happening, but you also what them to do things by themselves. This helps to progress the roleplay.
Details:
Use detail! It gives others an idea of what’s going on and it makes things more interesting. Describe what your character looks like. Do they have black hair? White hair? How long is it? It is curly? Or is it dead straight? What color is their eyes? Are the human eyes? Are they cat eyes? How tall is your character? How thin? How thick? What body type do they have? What color is their skin? Are they wounded? If so, where?
What does the setting look like? Are they in a city? Is it hot? Is it cold? What colors are there? Dull colors? Bright colors? A mixture of the two? Is it dark? Is it sunny? Is it windy? Is it calm? Is it spooky? Is it beautiful?
How does your character feel about the surroundings? Do they like them? Do they loath them? Are they indifferent? Do they like some of it? Is it loud? Is quiet? What noises can you hear?
All of these are questions you ask yourself when posting. Don’t answer them all in one post. You won’t have anything left for the other posts. You can use a question more than one of something changes. Like if the sun rises. It goes from dark to light. However, you don’t have to use all of these questions to answer details. After all, this is only a guide.
Grammar and Spelling:[/u][/size]
Grammar and proper spelling are essential if you want to be taken as a serious roleplayer. Like the words your and you’re. Your is a possession word. Like Your dog, your hat, your song ect. You’re is short for you are. Like you’re a liar, you’re my best friend, you’re blue with purple dots.
Double check your posts for spelling mistakes or word confusion. Use spellcheck or, if the site you’re using doesn’t have one, use Microsoft word. Sometimes, even these programs can miss grammar. But that’s ok. Your can edit posts. That’s what the edit or modify button is for. And don’t be embarrassed by this! Even novelists still make spelling and grammar mistakes once in a while. All you need to do is practice!
Realism:[/u][/size]
All RPG’s have some realism. Be realistic about what you post. If someone has a knife pressed to your throat, you would be scared right? Most likely, your character will be too. Unless, of course, they are cocky or they know what they’re doing.
You don’t fall in love within a matter of hours, do you? It takes weeks, months even years to fall in love! Of course, this doesn’t mean your character can’t crush. Of course they can! It’s healthy to crush. They can even have some fun if they really wanted to.
And fighting! C’mon, you can’t have your character counter every attack thrown at them. Unless they’re a god versing a mortal. Then you can be unrealistic. But for the rest of them. Even if they’re immortal, they’re still going to have weaknesses. I doubt a character without weaknesses is fun.
Also time. If your character is in the future, you won’t see them carrying around swords and shields. Unless, of course, that’s common for the era. Modern times. You don’t see people riding around on horses, speaking with thees, thys and yonders (unless they’re A. From the past B. An impersonator or C. Mentally screwed up.)
Characters:[/u][/size]
When it comes to your characters, you have to understand that they react to different situations in their own way. For example. I have two characters, Olaf and Richard (yes, these are real characters that I have.) If faced with a sexual situation, say…. some hot girl started hitting on them, both would have different reactions. Olaf (being gay and modest), would likely blush and stutter, trying to explain that he doesn’t swing that way. Richard, on the other hand, is major perv and would likely flirt and do the charming routine. However, if the situation was when someone came crying to them, asking for help, it’d be different. Olaf would help whoever it was, but Richard would look at them as if they were crazy.
DON’T BREAK A CHARACTER FOR THE SAKE OF A PLOT. Plots can be modified. Characters cannot. Besides, the new plot might be better suited to your likings.
Another thing. Characters have their little oddities. Using Olaf again, he likes doodle little drawings while thinking. Richard likes to hum songs he makes on the spot. Your character might like to play with their hair, or tap their fingers on their chin or maybe even move their ears or nose if they can. I know I do! The weirder the more fun!
Still on the topic of characters, I’m now going to talk about strengths and weaknesses. Having some strengths is ok, but don’t go over the top. Your character can be good at say… swordsmanship and jousting. However, it is highly unlikely that they can sing like a bird or paint things with ease. It takes years and years of practice and motivation to become good at things.
Weaknesses… well, when you’re thinking of weaknesses, think of your character’s personalities. Another of my characters, Tyr, is a major nerd. He’s always liked reading books and things. I highly doubt he’d have a chiseled body with the strength of an ox… unless he broke into a stash of steroids. Or Tore. He’s 6’4” and built like a truck. He also happens to be smart, but there’s no way he’s going to be as flexible as a gymnast. In fact, he can’t even sit in a normal sized chair without some discomfort.
Well, that’s all for now folks. Be sure to check back for any new info, because knowing me, I’ve forgotten something. Hop this helped, love ya! <3
Hey guys, Ramok here! This is just a little RolePlay guide I made to help myself and some of my friends. While I’m not an Advanced roleplayer, I do consider myself at least an Intermediate. I hope this helps! Good luck and good reading! ^^
Gathering Information:[/u][/b]
The first step to roleplaying (when replying to a thread/subject or staring a new one) is to gather information from the other player/s’s post/s and/or the place you plan to set your roleplay. This can give you details such as setting, time of day (or night), what temperature it is and generally the mood of the area. For Eg.
A dry, barren land with little to no signs of life during the day.
With this description, you get a general idea of what the area is like and what to expect there.
With no information save for what I imagined a god’s meeting place would look like, I came up with this is a post for a starter:
He lounged idly on the alter, black satin hanging from his hips. Long, slender fingers toyed idly with golden locks from a rather quiet pet who sat by the god. A small smirk graced the deity’s lip, his thoughts turning to the darkness. Oh how he loved the sensations of a shadow. A sound similar to a moan left his throat as he fantasized of the solar eclipses. Oh how delicious they were.
The pet looked up at the sound, a confused look on his face. "Master?" he asked quietly, almost afraid to speak. This brought the god from his musing, his dark eyes landing on the boy again. "Hush pet, don't worry your pretty little head" he soothed, stroking along his jaw line with his fingers. The god's wings twitched slightly, their crossed forms covering his back and legs.
A long, forked tongue snaked from between his teeth, the end flickering in thought. "They should be here soon" he muttered; whip-like tail swaying slowly. Looking towards the center of the room, he clicked his fingers at the hearth, a black flame springing to life. The black died away to a normal flame, the light making the atmosphere a little more cheery.
It lit the rest of the room, revealing 6 other alters, each for the other deities. A red one for the Fire Goddess, a blue one for the Water Goddess, a white one for the Air Goddess, a yellow one for the Light God, a green one for the Earth Goddess and a maroon one for the Chaos Goddess. His own was black in color, his preferred shade. Of course, he didn't expect the Maroon alter to be occupied this afternoon as the Goddess of Chaos seemed distant to the rest of them.
"Privy, my pet. Make yourself scarce. The other deities find my keeping of such beautiful creatures... unnerving. I will call should I need you" he said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. The pet hesitated for a moment before standing and disappearing through one of the doors among the columns. The god sat up, leaning back on his hands as he waited for his favorite females to show up.[/sup]
The first paragraph tells you that the main character we’re focusing in on is male. It tells you some of his features, but not all of them. He also has a pet and he finds darkness rather enticing. It does not, however tells you the setting, time of day or the mood. You can assume that it must be fairly moderate because he has only a cloth of satin around his hips.
The second paragraph now has speech. Notice how the boy speaks quietly with a confused expression on his face. This backs the statement that he is ‘almost afraid to speak.’ And why wouldn’t he be afraid? He’s interrupting a god from his thoughts! However, the god in question is obviously not upset as he speaks soothingly and touches the boys in an intimate way. It tells you a little more about the god, however there is still no setting, time of day or mood.
In the third paragraph, we are exposed to more about the god. He now has a snake’s tongue and a long, thin tail. We are also introduced to a mood; cheery.
The fourth paragraph holds setting. You can assume that it’s inside as it has alters and the word ‘room’ is mentioned. It also describes the colors of the alters and who they are for. At the end of this paragraph, it describes the relationship between the 7 gods. Chaos is obviously not in the good books.
The fifth and final paragraph contains more communication. ‘Privy, my pet’ can be assumed that the god is saying Privy as a word or as a name. In this case, it’s a name. The god explains why he is dismissing his pet, also saying that he’ll call if he needs him. This is reassuring. The pet hesitates, but obeys anyway, disappearing from the scene. The rest is fairly simple.
When you have gathered enough information, you can move onto posting.
Posting:
So you got your information need to start posting, eh? Forgetting about all the jazzy stuff to make your post look pretty, the first thing to do is make your opening sentence or paragraph. It can be physical, it can be emotional/sensual, narrative or commentary.
Physical is when you describe what your character is physically doing. They could be running, reading, sleeping, jumping, swimming ect.
Emotional or sensual is when you describe what your character is feeling. The is a difference between emotion and sensual feelings, however. Emotional is if your character is sad, scared happy, tired ect. Sensual is what they actually feel with their body. This can be helpful if your character is blind. You could describe them feeling something with their hands.
Narrative is when you describe what you character was previously doing. For eg. He had just finished working out with his friends and was now walking home.
And Commentary is you describe things like how office work can be boring or how hard it is to live in poverty. It’s describing things without it being personal to your character.. Eg. Oh, the life in office work is so dull. One sat in a small box all day, staring like a zombie at a screen or paper.
My favorites are physical and sensual.
When you have done your opening sentence or paragraph, you can stick with the category or change it. I prefer to change it, though this is just personal preference.
However, at some time in the post, you will have to do physical. If not, then the other characters have nothing to reply to. They don’t know what your character is feeling or thinking. They can only see and hear what your character is doing.
It’s good for your character to react to what is happening, but you also what them to do things by themselves. This helps to progress the roleplay.
Details:
Use detail! It gives others an idea of what’s going on and it makes things more interesting. Describe what your character looks like. Do they have black hair? White hair? How long is it? It is curly? Or is it dead straight? What color is their eyes? Are the human eyes? Are they cat eyes? How tall is your character? How thin? How thick? What body type do they have? What color is their skin? Are they wounded? If so, where?
What does the setting look like? Are they in a city? Is it hot? Is it cold? What colors are there? Dull colors? Bright colors? A mixture of the two? Is it dark? Is it sunny? Is it windy? Is it calm? Is it spooky? Is it beautiful?
How does your character feel about the surroundings? Do they like them? Do they loath them? Are they indifferent? Do they like some of it? Is it loud? Is quiet? What noises can you hear?
All of these are questions you ask yourself when posting. Don’t answer them all in one post. You won’t have anything left for the other posts. You can use a question more than one of something changes. Like if the sun rises. It goes from dark to light. However, you don’t have to use all of these questions to answer details. After all, this is only a guide.
Grammar and Spelling:[/u][/size]
Grammar and proper spelling are essential if you want to be taken as a serious roleplayer. Like the words your and you’re. Your is a possession word. Like Your dog, your hat, your song ect. You’re is short for you are. Like you’re a liar, you’re my best friend, you’re blue with purple dots.
Double check your posts for spelling mistakes or word confusion. Use spellcheck or, if the site you’re using doesn’t have one, use Microsoft word. Sometimes, even these programs can miss grammar. But that’s ok. Your can edit posts. That’s what the edit or modify button is for. And don’t be embarrassed by this! Even novelists still make spelling and grammar mistakes once in a while. All you need to do is practice!
Realism:[/u][/size]
All RPG’s have some realism. Be realistic about what you post. If someone has a knife pressed to your throat, you would be scared right? Most likely, your character will be too. Unless, of course, they are cocky or they know what they’re doing.
You don’t fall in love within a matter of hours, do you? It takes weeks, months even years to fall in love! Of course, this doesn’t mean your character can’t crush. Of course they can! It’s healthy to crush. They can even have some fun if they really wanted to.
And fighting! C’mon, you can’t have your character counter every attack thrown at them. Unless they’re a god versing a mortal. Then you can be unrealistic. But for the rest of them. Even if they’re immortal, they’re still going to have weaknesses. I doubt a character without weaknesses is fun.
Also time. If your character is in the future, you won’t see them carrying around swords and shields. Unless, of course, that’s common for the era. Modern times. You don’t see people riding around on horses, speaking with thees, thys and yonders (unless they’re A. From the past B. An impersonator or C. Mentally screwed up.)
Characters:[/u][/size]
When it comes to your characters, you have to understand that they react to different situations in their own way. For example. I have two characters, Olaf and Richard (yes, these are real characters that I have.) If faced with a sexual situation, say…. some hot girl started hitting on them, both would have different reactions. Olaf (being gay and modest), would likely blush and stutter, trying to explain that he doesn’t swing that way. Richard, on the other hand, is major perv and would likely flirt and do the charming routine. However, if the situation was when someone came crying to them, asking for help, it’d be different. Olaf would help whoever it was, but Richard would look at them as if they were crazy.
DON’T BREAK A CHARACTER FOR THE SAKE OF A PLOT. Plots can be modified. Characters cannot. Besides, the new plot might be better suited to your likings.
Another thing. Characters have their little oddities. Using Olaf again, he likes doodle little drawings while thinking. Richard likes to hum songs he makes on the spot. Your character might like to play with their hair, or tap their fingers on their chin or maybe even move their ears or nose if they can. I know I do! The weirder the more fun!
Still on the topic of characters, I’m now going to talk about strengths and weaknesses. Having some strengths is ok, but don’t go over the top. Your character can be good at say… swordsmanship and jousting. However, it is highly unlikely that they can sing like a bird or paint things with ease. It takes years and years of practice and motivation to become good at things.
Weaknesses… well, when you’re thinking of weaknesses, think of your character’s personalities. Another of my characters, Tyr, is a major nerd. He’s always liked reading books and things. I highly doubt he’d have a chiseled body with the strength of an ox… unless he broke into a stash of steroids. Or Tore. He’s 6’4” and built like a truck. He also happens to be smart, but there’s no way he’s going to be as flexible as a gymnast. In fact, he can’t even sit in a normal sized chair without some discomfort.
Well, that’s all for now folks. Be sure to check back for any new info, because knowing me, I’ve forgotten something. Hop this helped, love ya! <3
