Post by Emmarie on Jan 12, 2011 4:15:43 GMT -5
Note: I found this online somewhere and saved it, I don't know where I got it, but I think it's an excellent little thing about roleplay.
Guide to Text-Based Roleplay
(Author Unknown - if you know let me know and I will give credit)
Length of Posts
Whether short or long, posts should be meaningful. Generally, it is a good idea to type out as much information as you feel that your roleplaying partner or partners need in order to keep playing with you, and then stop (but see the Descriptions heading below).
Opening Posts
As a general rule, it is a good idea to start a roleplaying session with a post of decent length - something big enough to provide at least the beginnings of a setting, the first sketch of a word-crafted playground for all the participants to enjoy. In chatrooms, the length should be about two "blocks" of text, however much that might be, depending on the program used. This is roughly a good-sized paragraph worth of information if it were translated into a word processing program. More may be required, depending on the situation, or less if the other roleplayers already have a decent idea of the setting, or want to flesh it out as they go along.
Specific Post Lengths
Short posts are sometimes acceptable in chatroom-based roleplaying, so long as they are not the only sort of post that is done. This is because chatroom roleplaying can be rather conversational in nature, and sometimes our sentences in conversations can indeed be quite small. But too many short posts, or short posts in awkward places, can leave other roleplayers unable to find any 'footing' to continue playing, and creates an unpleasant taxing on their imaginations to try and keep the short poster entertained. This is especially true of forum-based roleplaying, where short posts might be considered a waste of time, considering how much time and effort can go into a single post. Thus, posting too little can be a serious problem: it indicates that you are not taking the roleplaying seriously, and are making unfair demands of the other players.
Long posts are usually preferred by all online communities. This allows plenty of time and space to draw out and develop ideas, and also to provide the other players involved with plenty of details to work with when they make their own posts. However, long posts can also be tedious or even rude in certain situations. It is best to avoid long posts in the following circumstances:
Before you have the complete attention and enthusiasm of other players, long posts might overwhelm them. This is especially true in chatrooms where a wall of text can be like a bombshell, though usually less of a problem in forum-based roleplaying, where the only ones who might get involved in a thread are those who are ready and willing to read through everything that is written.
It is usually considered a good idea to have posts of roughly the same length as your roleplaying partners. This shows everybody that you are as interested in the roleplaying as they are, and creates a roleplaying rapport that can develop into understanding and friendship. Some people just naturally prefer to post at a certain length and speed. People who tend to post at similar rates and quantities are those who usually get along the best.
Some long posts can exclude other players from roleplaying, rather than include them. This is because, when a post gets exceedingly long, especially in chatrooms, it means that you are taking up time and space for others. It is the natural inclination of most healthy individuals to be somewhat narcissistic, or to care about themselves and their characters at least a little bit more than about other people and their characters. This is fine and healthy, in controlled amounts. However, it can quickly get out of hand, especially with massive posts that focus primarily on one's own characters. Doing things like this is demanding attention and is very, very rude.
Descriptions
Descriptions are the meat and drink of roleplaying. Without them, very little actually gets done. This is because, in text-based roleplaying, there are usually very few pictures available, except, perhaps, for a few still images or animations that are linked within a thread or roleplaying session. In order for people to do any of the actions of their roleplaying, there has to be an understanding of the setting in which that roleplaying takes place. Additionally, whenever actions are taken, it is important to establish where in that setting a player is having a character do things, and how. It is the responsibility of all players in text-based roleplaying to take part in creating this sense of solid-state realism.
The following senses might be invoked by a roleplayer, to provide inspiration, besides others not mentions:
Character Development
This is another very difficult subject to review, but it is nevertheless a very important one. Think back on your own life. Now consider: how many times can you recall where you went through a very significant, life-altering event? Now consider a little deeper: how many times did you enjoy this significant, life-altering event? And still deeper: did this significant, life-altering event make you a better person? Generally, the answer to the middle question is no, when real, permanent change was involved. The answer to the last question can vary radically, depending on the individual and the change involved.
This brings us to the next consideration, however, which is that most of the books and movies and other forms of entertainment that we enjoy so much usually have characters that undergo periods of sometimes very intense change, be it for good or ill. Very often this change is the focus of the story being told. Character development can be as satisfying in roleplaying as it can be in other forms of entertainment. However, because making a character requires some significant thought, and because playing a character requires a certain amount of immersion in that character, this is something that is often intensely difficult.
Character development might be seen as the most mature thing that can be done in roleplaying. It carries a significant risk: some changes will make a character unplayable, and others can affect you almost as much as they affects the character. On the other hand, moments of character development can be some of the singly most satisfying, emotionally rewarding moments in gaming. They tend to be rare, just as they are in real life, but when they are present, it is best to reach for them.
On a smaller level, most changes in character happen over time, by gradual degrees. To do this in roleplaying requires that you be an active, or even proactive, roleplayer, and go out of your way to play with others, to experience new things, and to create new situations, rather than simply having them handed to you by others. In this way, you will develop your characters, and also gain skill as a roleplayer, and maturity and confidence as a person.
Conclusion
The most important part of online roleplaying is that you should be having fun. As in most games, there is usually some transition, which can be painful, as you learn the rules of the game, and then practice to get good at them. But once you start to get the basics down, enough so that you can play without annoying the other players, then online roleplaying can be quite a lot of fun. This is an opportunity to explore new worlds with other people, and because of this, it is an effort that must be taken seriously, because the seriousness of the act is also a part of the fun that comes from being a part of a roleplaying community.
Guide to Text-Based Roleplay
(Author Unknown - if you know let me know and I will give credit)
Length of Posts
Whether short or long, posts should be meaningful. Generally, it is a good idea to type out as much information as you feel that your roleplaying partner or partners need in order to keep playing with you, and then stop (but see the Descriptions heading below).
Opening Posts
As a general rule, it is a good idea to start a roleplaying session with a post of decent length - something big enough to provide at least the beginnings of a setting, the first sketch of a word-crafted playground for all the participants to enjoy. In chatrooms, the length should be about two "blocks" of text, however much that might be, depending on the program used. This is roughly a good-sized paragraph worth of information if it were translated into a word processing program. More may be required, depending on the situation, or less if the other roleplayers already have a decent idea of the setting, or want to flesh it out as they go along.
Specific Post Lengths
Short posts are sometimes acceptable in chatroom-based roleplaying, so long as they are not the only sort of post that is done. This is because chatroom roleplaying can be rather conversational in nature, and sometimes our sentences in conversations can indeed be quite small. But too many short posts, or short posts in awkward places, can leave other roleplayers unable to find any 'footing' to continue playing, and creates an unpleasant taxing on their imaginations to try and keep the short poster entertained. This is especially true of forum-based roleplaying, where short posts might be considered a waste of time, considering how much time and effort can go into a single post. Thus, posting too little can be a serious problem: it indicates that you are not taking the roleplaying seriously, and are making unfair demands of the other players.
Long posts are usually preferred by all online communities. This allows plenty of time and space to draw out and develop ideas, and also to provide the other players involved with plenty of details to work with when they make their own posts. However, long posts can also be tedious or even rude in certain situations. It is best to avoid long posts in the following circumstances:
Before you have the complete attention and enthusiasm of other players, long posts might overwhelm them. This is especially true in chatrooms where a wall of text can be like a bombshell, though usually less of a problem in forum-based roleplaying, where the only ones who might get involved in a thread are those who are ready and willing to read through everything that is written.
It is usually considered a good idea to have posts of roughly the same length as your roleplaying partners. This shows everybody that you are as interested in the roleplaying as they are, and creates a roleplaying rapport that can develop into understanding and friendship. Some people just naturally prefer to post at a certain length and speed. People who tend to post at similar rates and quantities are those who usually get along the best.
Some long posts can exclude other players from roleplaying, rather than include them. This is because, when a post gets exceedingly long, especially in chatrooms, it means that you are taking up time and space for others. It is the natural inclination of most healthy individuals to be somewhat narcissistic, or to care about themselves and their characters at least a little bit more than about other people and their characters. This is fine and healthy, in controlled amounts. However, it can quickly get out of hand, especially with massive posts that focus primarily on one's own characters. Doing things like this is demanding attention and is very, very rude.
Descriptions
Descriptions are the meat and drink of roleplaying. Without them, very little actually gets done. This is because, in text-based roleplaying, there are usually very few pictures available, except, perhaps, for a few still images or animations that are linked within a thread or roleplaying session. In order for people to do any of the actions of their roleplaying, there has to be an understanding of the setting in which that roleplaying takes place. Additionally, whenever actions are taken, it is important to establish where in that setting a player is having a character do things, and how. It is the responsibility of all players in text-based roleplaying to take part in creating this sense of solid-state realism.
The following senses might be invoked by a roleplayer, to provide inspiration, besides others not mentions:
Sight: What parts of the world does your character see? How about your character - what do you characters look like? Do they change their clothes from time to time, maybe use different hair styles, or are they fairly consistent in their dress and grooming? Colors are very important, as are the visual textures of things.
Sound: What does your character's voice sound like? What about other characters? Sound is excellent, as in movies, for creating an essential sense of atmosphere in a region. Peaceful bird chirpings and babbling brooks and whispering winds create more serene environments, while blaring trumpets, tromping feet, and the cries of battle create a very different environment indeed.
Scent and Taste: Scent and taste are connected, and are also some of the most primal, instinctive senses we have. Because of this, they are excellent ways to create truly effective descriptions, in a way that others can relate to that goes beyond mere words.
Touch: Describing the sensation of sunlight on one's face, or the wind blowing through your hair and clothing creates a layer of depth to descriptions that can really help your fellow roleplayers to immerse themselves in a setting.
Spatial: Where is something? And, more importantly, where is it in relation to everything else? This is especially important in establishing where your character happens to be at any given moment, so that you know how close you are to things, and how close they are to you, which can greatly change how you might interact with them, and they with you. Besides this, it gives other characters a good idea of where things are, so that they can make similar decisions.
Kinetic: This has to deal with the movement of objects and characters through space. Where are you going, and what are you doing while you go there? Be sure to describe directions, degrees of force, and acts of violence in as much detail as you can manage so everybody else knows exactly where something started, where it ended up, and what happened to it in the middle.
Emotional: While it is important to describe things, it is often equally important to describe how your characters feel about what is sensed. This helps you to establish what sort of person that your character really is, both to others, and also to yourself, besides allowing others an opportunity to react to what is experienced in similar fashion, especially if they can sense what you are feeling.
Character Development
This is another very difficult subject to review, but it is nevertheless a very important one. Think back on your own life. Now consider: how many times can you recall where you went through a very significant, life-altering event? Now consider a little deeper: how many times did you enjoy this significant, life-altering event? And still deeper: did this significant, life-altering event make you a better person? Generally, the answer to the middle question is no, when real, permanent change was involved. The answer to the last question can vary radically, depending on the individual and the change involved.
This brings us to the next consideration, however, which is that most of the books and movies and other forms of entertainment that we enjoy so much usually have characters that undergo periods of sometimes very intense change, be it for good or ill. Very often this change is the focus of the story being told. Character development can be as satisfying in roleplaying as it can be in other forms of entertainment. However, because making a character requires some significant thought, and because playing a character requires a certain amount of immersion in that character, this is something that is often intensely difficult.
Character development might be seen as the most mature thing that can be done in roleplaying. It carries a significant risk: some changes will make a character unplayable, and others can affect you almost as much as they affects the character. On the other hand, moments of character development can be some of the singly most satisfying, emotionally rewarding moments in gaming. They tend to be rare, just as they are in real life, but when they are present, it is best to reach for them.
On a smaller level, most changes in character happen over time, by gradual degrees. To do this in roleplaying requires that you be an active, or even proactive, roleplayer, and go out of your way to play with others, to experience new things, and to create new situations, rather than simply having them handed to you by others. In this way, you will develop your characters, and also gain skill as a roleplayer, and maturity and confidence as a person.
Conclusion
The most important part of online roleplaying is that you should be having fun. As in most games, there is usually some transition, which can be painful, as you learn the rules of the game, and then practice to get good at them. But once you start to get the basics down, enough so that you can play without annoying the other players, then online roleplaying can be quite a lot of fun. This is an opportunity to explore new worlds with other people, and because of this, it is an effort that must be taken seriously, because the seriousness of the act is also a part of the fun that comes from being a part of a roleplaying community.
