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The Roleplay World and You; Chrono T.'s big bad guide to Roleplaying
Topic Started: Monday Nov 9 2009, 12:04 AM (213 Views)
Chrono T.
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Now I know that many of you are either unfamliar with roleplaying or worried about overstepping your bounds. This is OK, and it happens to everyone. We all wonder, at one point or another:

"What is powerplaying?"
"What is a 'God Mod,' and how do I avoid it?"
"Can I manipulate my friends? My enemies?"
"What if nothing is happening? Can I make a plot point?"

If you have not asked these questions, a few things might be to blame.

1. You are too unsure of your RP abilities to even consider worrying about complex problems like this.
2. You are not too worried about overstepping your bounds.
3. You go out of your way to never even come close to breaking any RP convention at all.
4. Or you do something else entirely, making sure that these problems never arise at all.

Theorhetically speaking, it can also be spurred on my apathy... But I doubt that...

So, I am here, making this topic, to try and answer the questions that need answering. That being said, I will begin with the first question in my series, and perhaps the most important one that can ever be asked when it comes to RPing: What should I do to make my Character?


Section 1 :Character Profiles:
How to make and break them


This may seem like a daunting question to some of you. It might seem quite self evident to others. However, it still must be addressed!

When it comes to characters, there are certain topics that need be discussed, the main categories being: Name, Age, Size, Appearance, Personality, Skills, and History.

I think that it would be best to examine each topic seperately, in this week's breakdown.

Name: The name that you wish to give your character... Simple as that. Requires little to no information to comeplete it other than a basic idea of the setting of the RP world.

Age: Depending on the setting, a seventeen year old kid won't be accepted. That is, you need to find out where your character is going and what he is supposed to be doing in order to find out his age. For example, one doesn't expect to have a 16 year-old kid leading an arctic expedition. The same goes for the aged, however, in that you won't see a forty or so old man enrolled in boy scout summer camp.

There are ways to get these characters approved, but make them reasonable (perhaps a researcher's son for the first, and a camp councilor or owner for the second) that doesn't involve them being really out of place.

Size: We need to have an idea of what your character would look like, and this part helps. It will tell us the height and weight of the character, and perhaps other things like shoe size (rare and stupid) or malformities, like a larger than normal head (hillarious and useful). In short, it will help us, in conjuction with the appearence section, to know how your character looks (and whether or not they are "imposing" or "weak" looking).

Appearance: This is the part that most people pay attention to. That is, it is the most used part of the profile! To not have this is a very disheartening thing, indeed, because it is the basis of how we can all explain each other. If we don't know what the character looks like, how can we truly describe them? The answer? We can't.

And believe it or not, when you write, your sentences should reflect not only your character's actions, but the actions of other characters from your character's perspective. That is to say, you are weaving a story, using bits and pieces from the former posts [past] and your actions [present] to move along the story [future].

Personality: This defines every which way your character acts. Is (s)he funny? Happy? Dull? Bitter? You may ask why this matters, and I'll tell you.

The personality affects everything that the character does. Even the innoculous things that don't even seem worth posting. If you know how a character will act, you can tell how they will respond, and thereby, you are able to control, to an extent, what that person will say, simply by playing to their personality.

Skills: This is used in most RPs. It is the abilities, powers, skills, or whathaveyou that makes you a valuable member of the team. Skills may be magical, social, physical, mental, or mechanical in nature. Regardless, if you think it sets you apart, it should be put here.

Some Creators may replace this section with a point system, although it is still advised to put skills, as many of them are not hindered by the point system.

History: Depending on how much character development you want to have in your character's posts, this can be either the most or least important part of your profile. The history is what made the character what they are today, and that is why many people view it as a very important piece of the puzzle.

However, some RPs do not require an in-depth history, instead asking that you only elaborate on how you ended up in the setting. This is not a bad style, IMO, although some would disagree, it simply lacks the flavor of having the history in the first place.

Histories should be at least two paragraphs.
Edited by Chrono T., Wednesday Nov 11 2009, 12:29 AM.
:Characters:
Infection Posted Image Nikolas
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Chrono T.
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Section 2.1 The RP World and You
Your Character and the Story


When it comes to RolePlays, it is important to note everything about the story. That is to say, you must be aware of your setting.

When you enter a roleplay, as a knight in shining armor (literally), you will seem out of place in a present-day or futuristic setting. The converse also applies, that you cannot have lazer beams and bionic arms in the past (although these rules are obviously very flexible with different story types [ like starwars and the warriors], you get the gist) unless you have good reason and have that reason approved by the DM (yeah, I used the term... :lol: )

So, this may seem pretty simple... And it is. Just try to make your character fit in.

Section 2.2 The RP World and You
The World in Which We Live


Some people may think to themselves, "I know where everyone is, everyone knows where I am, so why put detail?" or something similar to that at one point or another.

And it actually, really makes me think... Why do we need to have detail? I suppose that if we simply let our imaginations fly about where we are and all the situations of the world, we don't need too much detail... And then I realize that the freedom this style offers is the exact problem that makes me cringe.

You see, when you are given a great big empty room for each character to fill as they see fit, the world becomes a chaotic place. Each character sees the world differently, and things simply don't mesh. That is why we need detail, to, if nothing else, give us a sense of commonplace in our surroundings.

An example of this problem is as follows:

Player 1: Ok, so I leave the bar and the sun shines brightly in my face as I skip away.
Player 2: Yeah, well, it's really dull and gloomy out as Rumisiel steps off of the boat and walks up to the skipping man.
Player 1: Wait, we're not by a dock... What are you talking about? And for that matter, it was sunny just a few seconds ago.
Player 2: Yeah, well, that doesn't fit with who my character is (he's a pirate, btw).
Player 1: Your character's personality and job doesn't matter, that sunny day in the landlocked town was the scene!
Player 2: Yeah, well, if my character isn't important then I'll just stop posting.

:END SCENE:

Ok, that was an extreme dramatization, but you get the picture. If you don't be specific about the world around you, things end up intermingling and then fights might or might not break out. Or we could just have compromise after compromise until everone is so confused about what is going on that we all stop posting, more or less because we have no idea what is there and what is not.

So, I suggest that you describe the area each time you enter a room. Be both descriptive (as to give an idea of where the party is now at) as well as vague (so that there is enough leeway in your setting that other can add to the description) so that everyone can be happy. The main exceptions to this rule are areas that are not meant for outside characters (such as private rooms, secret areas, so on and so forth, as to discourage unwanted interference [although interference still may be made])

And remember, technically, anyone can describe a scene, not just the DM (unless specifically noted by the DM).
:Characters:
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