Post by Arynielle Fallyce on May 24, 2006 15:47:39 GMT -6
So what exactly is Role Playing?
Role playing is often abrieviated as RP (Role play) or RPG (Role playing guild). 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. 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 character. They need to have personality and that spark in their eyes. Sometimes, it's best to write out his/her history before beginning to RP. Of course, this is just a suggestion to give your character more individuality. Normally, before you join an RP, you are required to fill out information about your character to inform the other RPers about his/her status and behavior.
**Note: Do not create a character named Chuck Norris, unless you want to get your head bitten off by f0n9. On a more serious note, yes, your character should be creative. No one wants to see a Harry Potter running around, unless you're in a Harry Potter RP, of course.
This is an example of a character sheet:
**Sometimes these character sheets are used as auditions, so always put forth your best effort in writing them.
This is an example of a character sheet (also known as an audition) from Fell.
Character Information
Name: Zaunithe Bailone (ZAW-nith By-LONE)
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Jewel Level:
Yellow
Jewel Casing:
Zaunithe prefers to carry his jewel as close to him as possible at all times, wearing it around his neck on a leather cord. It's quite a simple method of holding his gem, although very useful, since it allows full and quick access to the jewel at all times.
Animal Approved By:
Appearance:
The loner seems to have a calm aura surrounding him, along with a somewhat unemotional expression on his face. He has piercing, icy blue eyes and soft white hair that often falls into his eyes, though he never bothers to brush his cascading bangs away. Being light haired, he has a fairly pale complexion. Zaunithe stands just a bit below six feet-- around 5' 11" to be exact.
Zaunithe has never thought much about physical appearances. At least not after he stumbled across the mysterious Fell. That's the reason why he's not very picky about what he wears, or how other people view him, for that matter. Just a simple collared t-shirt and a pair of jeans will do. Normally, he's quite the practical type.
The white mage is well-built and physically strong, which basically comes from the previous occupation of being an assassin. Before he found Fell, or rather Fell found him, Zaunithe had aways carried a light katana on the right side of his waist, usually attached to his belt. When he (in one of those seldom cases) feels threatened, he reaches for that now non-existant weapon out of pure habit.
Personality:
Zaunithe is quite a complicated person, if I do say so myself. Although he is actually much older than his current state appears to be, he is also possesses the wisdom that someone would expect from one of his true age. As will be explained in his history, Zaunithe has had numerous experiences and encounters with various people and worlds. Even though he wasn't exactly the same person has before, some things still never change.
Zaunithe had never truly given up his calm and brooding disposition. The only difference is what he's thinking of. The loner's never been one to behave socially or to show much emotion. He seems to wear a mask, never showing his hidden fear or sorrow to the public. He is well-liked by most people, although few know the Zaunithe that lies behind the mental barrier he puts up in order to conceal his true feelings and self.
Since he appeared in Fell, Zaunithe has always had a kind and sincere personality-- characteristics he felt he ought to have in order to to redeem himself from a cruely-lived past life and to start a new life. So far, he's been doing quite well, keeping his older and absolutely ruthless aspect at bay. Has Zaunithe cured himself of his former bitter malice? There's only one way to find out. Dun dun dun...
History:
Oddly enough, Zaunithe has been reincarnated multiple times in his existance, each time narrowly escaping the clutches of hell. (I'm in the process of fully writing his exceedingly long and complicated biography, which will probably take a while to finish. *shifty glance* But I'll see what I can do in a nutshell...)
In the beginning of time, there existed a world of dragons. If that mythical land still remains intact today, I'll never know, but either way, this world was literally torn apart by beasts, ravaging for dominance and control. Zaunithe was among the dragons. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, he was once an ice-breathing reptilian beast. Although extremely strong, he was assassinated by his "ex-followers," falling from a mountain crag and, as rumored, into the depths of hell itself.
Years later, he reappeared, although very different-- the once mighty dragon was now a human! Yes, he was the filthy human he once despised. Zaunithe was absolutely appauled, but gradually discovered that being human has its perks. He had reincarnated, not only in a different physical form, but also in another land, where humans reined supreme. The loner learned how to use his talents, particularly his crafty mind to gain stature as a human and to live a satisfying life. Mostly honing his physical strengths, learning how to weild man-made weapons and the like.
In his most recent life, before discovering Fell, he took on the task of being an assassin. Zaunithe was pretty darn good at it too, allowing him a lucrative career and infamous reputation. At least, until he met a certain girl, who changed his view of... well, everything. No longer did he feel the constant need to kill and slaughter. It was odd. Not even Zaunithe could understand why this girl could change his personal thoughts so effectively. The two became close friends, as the once cruel loner learned from his new companion. They quickly became attached to one another, willing to do whatever they could to ensure simplicity in their futures.
Of course, it was not as simple as the two had thought... Years later, the girl, who Zaunithe had gotten to know so well and befriend, was mercilessly murdered. Feeling a potent mix of grief and anger, he attacked the eradicator with the skills he had come to possess from endless years of training and perfecting his combat abilities. The clash that night avenged his dear companion, but also led to his own demise...
Until he was reborn again... in the land of Fell.
Your character does not have to be nearly this complicated, nor do you have to know this much about him/her. However, you should have a basic ideal of what he/she is like and how he/she would react in certain situations.
How do I Role Play?
The actually RP is quite easy to participate in. After creating a character, 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.
Another example of this from Fell:
Yasmin posts:
Zaunithe posts:
Yasmin posts:
Zaunithe posts:
And so on... until the conversation 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, from three to ten.
It's much 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.
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. 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 moutains 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... (Translation: Me thinks this is difficult to understand.) 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.
That about covers the basic rules every RP has.
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 eight well-carved out paragraphs. Use your better judgement to decide how long your posts need to be.
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.
Role playing is often abrieviated as RP (Role play) or RPG (Role playing guild). 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. 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 character. They need to have personality and that spark in their eyes. Sometimes, it's best to write out his/her history before beginning to RP. Of course, this is just a suggestion to give your character more individuality. Normally, before you join an RP, you are required to fill out information about your character to inform the other RPers about his/her status and behavior.
**Note: Do not create a character named Chuck Norris, unless you want to get your head bitten off by f0n9. On a more serious note, yes, your character should be creative. No one wants to see a Harry Potter running around, unless you're in a Harry Potter RP, of course.
This is an example of a character sheet:
**Sometimes these character sheets are used as auditions, so always put forth your best effort in writing them.
This is an example of a character sheet (also known as an audition) from Fell.
Character Information
Name: Zaunithe Bailone (ZAW-nith By-LONE)
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Jewel Level:
Yellow
Jewel Casing:
Zaunithe prefers to carry his jewel as close to him as possible at all times, wearing it around his neck on a leather cord. It's quite a simple method of holding his gem, although very useful, since it allows full and quick access to the jewel at all times.
Animal Approved By:
Appearance:
The loner seems to have a calm aura surrounding him, along with a somewhat unemotional expression on his face. He has piercing, icy blue eyes and soft white hair that often falls into his eyes, though he never bothers to brush his cascading bangs away. Being light haired, he has a fairly pale complexion. Zaunithe stands just a bit below six feet-- around 5' 11" to be exact.
Zaunithe has never thought much about physical appearances. At least not after he stumbled across the mysterious Fell. That's the reason why he's not very picky about what he wears, or how other people view him, for that matter. Just a simple collared t-shirt and a pair of jeans will do. Normally, he's quite the practical type.
The white mage is well-built and physically strong, which basically comes from the previous occupation of being an assassin. Before he found Fell, or rather Fell found him, Zaunithe had aways carried a light katana on the right side of his waist, usually attached to his belt. When he (in one of those seldom cases) feels threatened, he reaches for that now non-existant weapon out of pure habit.
Personality:
Zaunithe is quite a complicated person, if I do say so myself. Although he is actually much older than his current state appears to be, he is also possesses the wisdom that someone would expect from one of his true age. As will be explained in his history, Zaunithe has had numerous experiences and encounters with various people and worlds. Even though he wasn't exactly the same person has before, some things still never change.
Zaunithe had never truly given up his calm and brooding disposition. The only difference is what he's thinking of. The loner's never been one to behave socially or to show much emotion. He seems to wear a mask, never showing his hidden fear or sorrow to the public. He is well-liked by most people, although few know the Zaunithe that lies behind the mental barrier he puts up in order to conceal his true feelings and self.
Since he appeared in Fell, Zaunithe has always had a kind and sincere personality-- characteristics he felt he ought to have in order to to redeem himself from a cruely-lived past life and to start a new life. So far, he's been doing quite well, keeping his older and absolutely ruthless aspect at bay. Has Zaunithe cured himself of his former bitter malice? There's only one way to find out. Dun dun dun...
History:
Oddly enough, Zaunithe has been reincarnated multiple times in his existance, each time narrowly escaping the clutches of hell. (I'm in the process of fully writing his exceedingly long and complicated biography, which will probably take a while to finish. *shifty glance* But I'll see what I can do in a nutshell...)
In the beginning of time, there existed a world of dragons. If that mythical land still remains intact today, I'll never know, but either way, this world was literally torn apart by beasts, ravaging for dominance and control. Zaunithe was among the dragons. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, he was once an ice-breathing reptilian beast. Although extremely strong, he was assassinated by his "ex-followers," falling from a mountain crag and, as rumored, into the depths of hell itself.
Years later, he reappeared, although very different-- the once mighty dragon was now a human! Yes, he was the filthy human he once despised. Zaunithe was absolutely appauled, but gradually discovered that being human has its perks. He had reincarnated, not only in a different physical form, but also in another land, where humans reined supreme. The loner learned how to use his talents, particularly his crafty mind to gain stature as a human and to live a satisfying life. Mostly honing his physical strengths, learning how to weild man-made weapons and the like.
In his most recent life, before discovering Fell, he took on the task of being an assassin. Zaunithe was pretty darn good at it too, allowing him a lucrative career and infamous reputation. At least, until he met a certain girl, who changed his view of... well, everything. No longer did he feel the constant need to kill and slaughter. It was odd. Not even Zaunithe could understand why this girl could change his personal thoughts so effectively. The two became close friends, as the once cruel loner learned from his new companion. They quickly became attached to one another, willing to do whatever they could to ensure simplicity in their futures.
Of course, it was not as simple as the two had thought... Years later, the girl, who Zaunithe had gotten to know so well and befriend, was mercilessly murdered. Feeling a potent mix of grief and anger, he attacked the eradicator with the skills he had come to possess from endless years of training and perfecting his combat abilities. The clash that night avenged his dear companion, but also led to his own demise...
Until he was reborn again... in the land of Fell.
Your character does not have to be nearly this complicated, nor do you have to know this much about him/her. However, you should have a basic ideal of what he/she is like and how he/she would react in certain situations.
How do I Role Play?
The actually RP is quite easy to participate in. After creating a character, 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.
Another example of this from Fell:
Yasmin posts:
Yasmin entered a long hall, with a table stretched out before her. There were no people there, just a long, clean sheet of wood. Her eyebrow raised in interest and only then did she realize the hunger in her belly. Sitting down on the chair in front of her, she realized too, that she wasn't quite sure what this place was meant for.
"Hello??" Now with a growling stomach, she was in dire need of perhaps a bar tender. She began to call out randomly, but gave up after the last shout. "Vodka please??" The green stared about, and when she curiously turned back to the table, she almost jumped at the martini glass full of the clear drink.
Being that she had never really consumed alchohol, the girl felt a sort of temptation creep through her. Daintily, she picked the delicate cup off of the table and examined it before letting the addicting liquid rush past her lips, down her dry throat. Yasmin felt revived, and longed for another one. She was rather surprised at herself, and she wondered if her trick would work again. "More please??" Sure enough, more appeared in the glass and in delight Yasmin drained it again, though slowly this time, as to get the taste.
Glass after glass, swallow after swallow, without requesting something to eat, she had had more than just a "few" glass fulls. Now she was quite hooked on the dangerous luxury and she coninued to chug it down, not noticing what was really happening around her, or that she began to get dizzy. After a while, her dizziness grew and it came with a headache. She coughed, her eyes closing when she put a palm on her head. Carefully making sure she could see straight, her hand came away to reveal the glass of Vokda that shimmered in the light coming in from the window. She cried out, falling back onto the floor with her legs still on the chair. "crap."
"Hello??" Now with a growling stomach, she was in dire need of perhaps a bar tender. She began to call out randomly, but gave up after the last shout. "Vodka please??" The green stared about, and when she curiously turned back to the table, she almost jumped at the martini glass full of the clear drink.
Being that she had never really consumed alchohol, the girl felt a sort of temptation creep through her. Daintily, she picked the delicate cup off of the table and examined it before letting the addicting liquid rush past her lips, down her dry throat. Yasmin felt revived, and longed for another one. She was rather surprised at herself, and she wondered if her trick would work again. "More please??" Sure enough, more appeared in the glass and in delight Yasmin drained it again, though slowly this time, as to get the taste.
Glass after glass, swallow after swallow, without requesting something to eat, she had had more than just a "few" glass fulls. Now she was quite hooked on the dangerous luxury and she coninued to chug it down, not noticing what was really happening around her, or that she began to get dizzy. After a while, her dizziness grew and it came with a headache. She coughed, her eyes closing when she put a palm on her head. Carefully making sure she could see straight, her hand came away to reveal the glass of Vokda that shimmered in the light coming in from the window. She cried out, falling back onto the floor with her legs still on the chair. "crap."
Zaunithe posts:
Zaunithe opened the great door into the main hall, peering at the great walls around him. It certainly seems like an eternity since I've explored the castle... The hoary white walls vs. the pitch black ones didn't appear to be glaring at him, boaring through his very mind as they first did when he stumbled upon Fell. That initial trip through the halls... it almost seemed that the walls were alive, trying to gain a new apprentice to their own powers, magnetically pulling anyone into their tight grasp. The yellow simply walked past them now, paying little mind.
A small cry interrupted Zaunithe's silent train of thought, as he wandered the main hall. Whatever could that be? The sound came from behind another pair of large double doors. The white mage had been here twice before. The first when he met the young Kiari and the latter when he came across Zayreih. He hadn't seen either of them since their original encounters in the dining room... His stay in Fell seemed like it had been ages... timeless, if anything. Zaunithe grew neither older or younger, but seemed to learn all the same.
He grasped the knob of one of the doors and slowly pulled it open, revealing another girl he had never seen, sitting at the long dining table, appearing rather... intoxicated? Drunk? Inebriated? Heh... Either way, it would be rather cruel to leave the mage in her current state. I had no idea the dining hall could serve such... vile drinks. Zaunithe nearly chuckled at this thought, as he approached the girl, rather cautiously, afraid that her drunken condition might prove even slightly hazardous for the both of them.
A small cry interrupted Zaunithe's silent train of thought, as he wandered the main hall. Whatever could that be? The sound came from behind another pair of large double doors. The white mage had been here twice before. The first when he met the young Kiari and the latter when he came across Zayreih. He hadn't seen either of them since their original encounters in the dining room... His stay in Fell seemed like it had been ages... timeless, if anything. Zaunithe grew neither older or younger, but seemed to learn all the same.
He grasped the knob of one of the doors and slowly pulled it open, revealing another girl he had never seen, sitting at the long dining table, appearing rather... intoxicated? Drunk? Inebriated? Heh... Either way, it would be rather cruel to leave the mage in her current state. I had no idea the dining hall could serve such... vile drinks. Zaunithe nearly chuckled at this thought, as he approached the girl, rather cautiously, afraid that her drunken condition might prove even slightly hazardous for the both of them.
Yasmin posts:
Yasmin blinked hard, hoping to clear her sight. She remained woozy, and seemed to look up at the sound of footsteps. Noticing a figure above her, she forgot her dizziness and used what was left of the strength inside her pink boots to pull herself up. She coughed and realized she regretted drinking that addicting achohol. Vision still a bit wonky, the dark struggling to get off her tired butt.
A muffled, soprano "Hmmmm.......??" Escaped her closed mouth as she sleepily raised an eyebrow, forcing the opposite one down. She rubbed her eyes, still with a blurry view. Now standing, she took in what she could of the man in front of her. Though she tried to keep her balance, Yasmin stumbled and tripped over the bench behind her, causing her to fall on the seat backwards and then suddenly jump over it before she could, helping her land on her feet.
Something in her stomach churned, gurgling and she blushed to the ear tips. From red, her face went to a blank color whiter than her normal paleness, and she winced. Heat crept up her throat, scorching her tongue with a bad taste. She held her belly and bent forward a little, trying to hold it in a little but finally gave up. Out of the pale green's mouth spewed a foul, clear substance and a wretching noise.
A muffled, soprano "Hmmmm.......??" Escaped her closed mouth as she sleepily raised an eyebrow, forcing the opposite one down. She rubbed her eyes, still with a blurry view. Now standing, she took in what she could of the man in front of her. Though she tried to keep her balance, Yasmin stumbled and tripped over the bench behind her, causing her to fall on the seat backwards and then suddenly jump over it before she could, helping her land on her feet.
Something in her stomach churned, gurgling and she blushed to the ear tips. From red, her face went to a blank color whiter than her normal paleness, and she winced. Heat crept up her throat, scorching her tongue with a bad taste. She held her belly and bent forward a little, trying to hold it in a little but finally gave up. Out of the pale green's mouth spewed a foul, clear substance and a wretching noise.
Zaunithe posts:
"Ah..." Zaunithe watched the poor girl as the liquor's effect took over, forcing her stomach to relch and spit the toxic drink back out. "Miss?" The white mage made his way around the large table, scooting a wayward chair back in place-- something another magic user had apparently discounted to do out of a lack of time or just plain laziness.
He finally managed to reach Yasmin, who appeared to be more than just a little drunk. Doubting that the girl could do much to harm either of them in her current state, Zaunithe stepped up to her, placing one hand on her back and the other on her forehead. The hand on Yasmin's brow began to glow in a faint white light, as Zaunithe concentrated on removing her dizziness and vertigo. Most likely, her stomach would get rid of any unwanted vodka. As long as the yellow removed the effects, the girl would be fine and able to think clearly.
"Miss? Are you feeling alright?" he asked, removing his hand from her forehead, although keeping the other on her shoulder, if she should lose her balance and fall. Without waiting for an appropriate answer, Zaunithe added, "I will escort you to your room if you feel the need to rest."
He finally managed to reach Yasmin, who appeared to be more than just a little drunk. Doubting that the girl could do much to harm either of them in her current state, Zaunithe stepped up to her, placing one hand on her back and the other on her forehead. The hand on Yasmin's brow began to glow in a faint white light, as Zaunithe concentrated on removing her dizziness and vertigo. Most likely, her stomach would get rid of any unwanted vodka. As long as the yellow removed the effects, the girl would be fine and able to think clearly.
"Miss? Are you feeling alright?" he asked, removing his hand from her forehead, although keeping the other on her shoulder, if she should lose her balance and fall. Without waiting for an appropriate answer, Zaunithe added, "I will escort you to your room if you feel the need to rest."
And so on... until the conversation 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, from three to ten.
It's much 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.
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. 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 moutains 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... (Translation: Me thinks this is difficult to understand.) 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.
That about covers the basic rules every RP has.
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 eight well-carved out paragraphs. Use your better judgement to decide how long your posts need to be.
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.