A Guide to RPing.
14
Roleplaying Guide and Resources
I. Introduction
Are you a beginner who’s wondering just what the hell roleplaying is? Are you a current roleplayer who just wants to improve their skills? Are you a veteran who wants to contribute their thoughts? Whatever the case, this thread is for you!
Most of this guide is written with the help of another Gaia RP Guide with contributions of my own.
Navigation
I. Introduction
II. What is Roleplaying?
III. Common Roleplay Terminology
IV. Common Roleplay Etiquette
V. Joining a Roleplay
VI. What Makes a Good Character Profile?
VII. What is a Game Master’s Responsibility?
VIII. Character Development
IX. Mary Sues
X. Advice on Combat
XI. Creating a Roleplay Thread
XII. Literacy Levels
XIII. Anti-Munch Guide
0
II. What is Roleplaying?
Are you hearing about Roleplaying for the first time? Have you seen some roleplay threads and thought, “What the hell is this? How is this fun?” Fear not young padawan. Your questions and maybe more will be answered in this short section.
[color=red]1. What is roleplaying?[/color]
At its simplest, roleplaying is where you embody a different person. Perhaps you are a timid, young man in real life. In roleplay however, perhaps you are an evil pirate who pillages from the nobles and party with your maties. Roleplay is very easy. All it takes is an imagination. However, it can still be quite difficult for first timers. Here we go!
All roleplays have one thing in common. That is you create a character you “play” as and along with other people and their own characters write a collaborative story. This can take place throughout all sorts of mediums from emails to instant messaging to the most common, forums. It’s an interactive and fun way to play pretend in writing. You never know how the other characters will respond and that’s the beauty of it! Epic battles, dramatic scenes, romantic sagas. The only limit is your imagination.
Bah. Who cares? I’ll just play games or read a book for that crap.
Video games are restricted by their programming. You can’t change what’s written in a book. Even RPG games are restricted in their rules and mechanics. Roleplaying gives you the freedom to ignore these rules and do what you want! Plus, it lets you meet new people and have creative fun with your friends.
[color=red]2. Are there any rules?[/color]
Roleplaying technique and rules are different depending on the game master and the roleplay. However, don’t let that turn you off! There are a lot of freedoms in writing and if you’re making your own roleplay, you make the rules!
In most cases, what you’re restricted by are things like settings and your own character. An example would be a medieval type roleplay where you’re surrounded by knights and you escape using a jetpack. Your fellow roleplayers won’t be very happy. It’s also very important to take roleplay etiquette into account, but other than that, just remember to be courteous and have fun!
[color=red]3. What do I need to roleplay?[/color]
There are two simple and obvious things you’ll need. The first is your imagination. The second is a basic grasp at writing. Roleplaying is like writing a book, but with other people taking part. There isn’t a set plan or an outline. Things happen and you go with it.
If you’re a first time roleplayer, it’s always good to look at other roleplays and watch how things are set up and how the roleplayers respond.
Are you hearing about Roleplaying for the first time? Have you seen some roleplay threads and thought, “What the hell is this? How is this fun?” Fear not young padawan. Your questions and maybe more will be answered in this short section.
[color=red]1. What is roleplaying?[/color]
At its simplest, roleplaying is where you embody a different person. Perhaps you are a timid, young man in real life. In roleplay however, perhaps you are an evil pirate who pillages from the nobles and party with your maties. Roleplay is very easy. All it takes is an imagination. However, it can still be quite difficult for first timers. Here we go!
All roleplays have one thing in common. That is you create a character you “play” as and along with other people and their own characters write a collaborative story. This can take place throughout all sorts of mediums from emails to instant messaging to the most common, forums. It’s an interactive and fun way to play pretend in writing. You never know how the other characters will respond and that’s the beauty of it! Epic battles, dramatic scenes, romantic sagas. The only limit is your imagination.
Bah. Who cares? I’ll just play games or read a book for that crap.
Video games are restricted by their programming. You can’t change what’s written in a book. Even RPG games are restricted in their rules and mechanics. Roleplaying gives you the freedom to ignore these rules and do what you want! Plus, it lets you meet new people and have creative fun with your friends.
[color=red]2. Are there any rules?[/color]
Roleplaying technique and rules are different depending on the game master and the roleplay. However, don’t let that turn you off! There are a lot of freedoms in writing and if you’re making your own roleplay, you make the rules!
In most cases, what you’re restricted by are things like settings and your own character. An example would be a medieval type roleplay where you’re surrounded by knights and you escape using a jetpack. Your fellow roleplayers won’t be very happy. It’s also very important to take roleplay etiquette into account, but other than that, just remember to be courteous and have fun!
[color=red]3. What do I need to roleplay?[/color]
There are two simple and obvious things you’ll need. The first is your imagination. The second is a basic grasp at writing. Roleplaying is like writing a book, but with other people taking part. There isn’t a set plan or an outline. Things happen and you go with it.
If you’re a first time roleplayer, it’s always good to look at other roleplays and watch how things are set up and how the roleplayers respond.
0
III. Common Roleplay Terminology
If you’re new to roleplay, some terms veteran roleplayers may use can be confusing. Below are common ones they may use.
†¢ Roleplay : To assume the role of. Example: I am roleplaying a knight. I am pretending to be a knight.
†¢ RP : An abbreviation of the word Roleplay. Example: I'm going to RP for a bit.
†¢ Profile : A character sheet depicting the qualities and information about a certain character such as name, gender, inventory, powers, etc. Example: Name: --- / Age: --- / Appearance: --- ...
†¢ Out-Of-Character (OOC) : Means to talk outside of one's role; to talk as yourself rather than the character/role that is being roleplayed. Commonly is surrounded by symbols such as (()), []. Example: ((I spilled coke on my keyboard… T_T))
†¢ In-Character (IC) : Means to talk/post as the character/role you are roleplaying (i.e. To resume the role I was roleplaying as.)
†¢ Godmodding : Roleplaying in-character but ignoring all rules of roleplay, dictating what happens to other roleplayers' characters, making their own character a super-being who can't die. Generally used to describe a character being roleplayed in battle situations (e.g. every attack they perform hits, they dodge every attack directed at them, they are unfairly powerful compared to other characters).
†¢ Non-Playable Character (NPC) : Also referred to as Non-Player Characters. A character that isn't controlled by just one roleplayer, such as an innkeeper in a tavern or a guard at a gate. An NPC may be controlled strictly by the person in control of the roleplay, or the roleplay creator may let anyone control them.
†¢ Puppeteering : If a roleplayer has to leave for an extended period of time, sometimes they may permit their character to be 'puppeteered', or controlled by other roleplayers, so that everyone else can continue with the story without waiting.
Example: ((I'm off on holiday for a week now, guys! Feel free to puppeteer my character if you need to))
†¢ Storyline : Every roleplay has a story in it...read the first page of every RP you're going to participate in before jumping in. Also called the plot.
†¢ Closed RP : A closed RP means that it is restricted to ONLY the users that were invited. It's best not to disrupt other RPs that you're not involved with.
†¢ Open RP : An open RP means it's open to anyone who wants to join.
†¢ RP Rules : Every RP made by different users has their own set of RP rules, please follow them to avoid embarassment.
†¢ Quest RP/Long-term RP : These RPs are very committed. If you're not the 'serious' role player than this isn't recommended for you. The reason is a Quest RP can go on for a long time, with a very carefully crafted story. These RPs are often organized by "serious" roleplayers who know their stuff.
†¢ School RP : A place for those that would enjoy a good educational RP. Class is in session!
†¢ Anime/Manga/Game RP : These RPs are mainly based on the series itself. For example: A thread was created called "Final Fantasy RP" and that means the RPers on that thread may RP in character as Cloud or Tidus or be original characters that they have made up RP with the FF characters.
†¢ Original Characters (OCs) : Often used in roleplays based on existing book, cartoon, game or movie series. Just because you choose to roleplay in the world of Final Fantasy VII doesn't mean that you have to play one of the game's main cast, like Cloud or Sephiroth. You could make up your own character within the Final Fantasy VII world e.g. a shopowner who works in Midgar called Claude. Claude would be an OC, or original character.
†¢ Canon Characters : 'Canon' characters are those which already exist in an existing series. If you play Cloud in a Final Fantasy, he would count as a canon character. The word 'canon' can also be used to describe anything already established within a game, book, movie or cartoon world. For example, Squall and Rinoa's relationship in Final Fantasy VIII is considered 'canon' because it happens in the game. Sometimes people will want to roleplay scenarios which are not canon - for example, roleplaying a romance between Squall and Selphie instead.
†¢ Symbols : Sometimes you will see those asterisks * used during an RP. Those often times by most users are used to describe motion/action. But not everyone uses it like that. Some may use color on the text and others will use slashes / or make it to italic or small text or :: or ~.
If you’re new to roleplay, some terms veteran roleplayers may use can be confusing. Below are common ones they may use.
†¢ Roleplay : To assume the role of. Example: I am roleplaying a knight. I am pretending to be a knight.
†¢ RP : An abbreviation of the word Roleplay. Example: I'm going to RP for a bit.
†¢ Profile : A character sheet depicting the qualities and information about a certain character such as name, gender, inventory, powers, etc. Example: Name: --- / Age: --- / Appearance: --- ...
†¢ Out-Of-Character (OOC) : Means to talk outside of one's role; to talk as yourself rather than the character/role that is being roleplayed. Commonly is surrounded by symbols such as (()), []. Example: ((I spilled coke on my keyboard… T_T))
†¢ In-Character (IC) : Means to talk/post as the character/role you are roleplaying (i.e. To resume the role I was roleplaying as.)
†¢ Godmodding : Roleplaying in-character but ignoring all rules of roleplay, dictating what happens to other roleplayers' characters, making their own character a super-being who can't die. Generally used to describe a character being roleplayed in battle situations (e.g. every attack they perform hits, they dodge every attack directed at them, they are unfairly powerful compared to other characters).
†¢ Non-Playable Character (NPC) : Also referred to as Non-Player Characters. A character that isn't controlled by just one roleplayer, such as an innkeeper in a tavern or a guard at a gate. An NPC may be controlled strictly by the person in control of the roleplay, or the roleplay creator may let anyone control them.
†¢ Puppeteering : If a roleplayer has to leave for an extended period of time, sometimes they may permit their character to be 'puppeteered', or controlled by other roleplayers, so that everyone else can continue with the story without waiting.
Example: ((I'm off on holiday for a week now, guys! Feel free to puppeteer my character if you need to))
†¢ Storyline : Every roleplay has a story in it...read the first page of every RP you're going to participate in before jumping in. Also called the plot.
†¢ Closed RP : A closed RP means that it is restricted to ONLY the users that were invited. It's best not to disrupt other RPs that you're not involved with.
†¢ Open RP : An open RP means it's open to anyone who wants to join.
†¢ RP Rules : Every RP made by different users has their own set of RP rules, please follow them to avoid embarassment.
†¢ Quest RP/Long-term RP : These RPs are very committed. If you're not the 'serious' role player than this isn't recommended for you. The reason is a Quest RP can go on for a long time, with a very carefully crafted story. These RPs are often organized by "serious" roleplayers who know their stuff.
†¢ School RP : A place for those that would enjoy a good educational RP. Class is in session!
†¢ Anime/Manga/Game RP : These RPs are mainly based on the series itself. For example: A thread was created called "Final Fantasy RP" and that means the RPers on that thread may RP in character as Cloud or Tidus or be original characters that they have made up RP with the FF characters.
†¢ Original Characters (OCs) : Often used in roleplays based on existing book, cartoon, game or movie series. Just because you choose to roleplay in the world of Final Fantasy VII doesn't mean that you have to play one of the game's main cast, like Cloud or Sephiroth. You could make up your own character within the Final Fantasy VII world e.g. a shopowner who works in Midgar called Claude. Claude would be an OC, or original character.
†¢ Canon Characters : 'Canon' characters are those which already exist in an existing series. If you play Cloud in a Final Fantasy, he would count as a canon character. The word 'canon' can also be used to describe anything already established within a game, book, movie or cartoon world. For example, Squall and Rinoa's relationship in Final Fantasy VIII is considered 'canon' because it happens in the game. Sometimes people will want to roleplay scenarios which are not canon - for example, roleplaying a romance between Squall and Selphie instead.
†¢ Symbols : Sometimes you will see those asterisks * used during an RP. Those often times by most users are used to describe motion/action. But not everyone uses it like that. Some may use color on the text and others will use slashes / or make it to italic or small text or :: or ~.
0
IV. Common Roleplay Etiquette
Depending on the type of roleplay that you are taking part in (futuristic, present, medieval etc) there will be different rules. Most roleplays will outline any rules that they in particular wish you to abide by, but the majority of roleplaying rules are common sense.
[color=red]1. Don’t cheat[/color]
This is probably the most important rule. There are far too many ways to cheat in a roleplay. The most common would be godmodding and munchers (refer to the Anti-Munch Guide: Section XIII).
Godmodding, a type of munching, is where a character is basically… god. They can do anything and can’t die. Terrible. Nobody likes a godmodder and it just gets annoying. The worst type of munching really.
[color=red]2. Be realistic[/color]
In some roleplays, this can just be thrown out the window, but usually… you want to keep this in mind. Physics is phun.
[color=red]3. Stick to the story[/color]
Those set by the game master, and your own. The ones set by the game master can evolve over time as the roleplay goes on, but yours will never. Don’t say you grew up with rich parents but later say you grew up an orphan. Keep your history straight!
[color=red]4. Only control yourself[/color]
It’s encouraged that you interact with other characters, but you must never control them. It’s fine to do something such as throw a knife at a character or offer a stick of gum, but you can never say that the knife hits them or they’ll take the gum. People don’t like it when others use their characters. You wouldn’t like it either would you?
[color=red]5. Offline? Leave them alone![/color]
If somebody says that they are going offline but you want to continue roleplaying, then the best way to do it is to pretend that the character started to ignore you or went off to do something else. Just because somebody has gone offline without making excuses in character does not mean that you can attack them, kill them, draw funny faces on them with pen, or anything like that.
Depending on the type of roleplay that you are taking part in (futuristic, present, medieval etc) there will be different rules. Most roleplays will outline any rules that they in particular wish you to abide by, but the majority of roleplaying rules are common sense.
[color=red]1. Don’t cheat[/color]
This is probably the most important rule. There are far too many ways to cheat in a roleplay. The most common would be godmodding and munchers (refer to the Anti-Munch Guide: Section XIII).
Godmodding, a type of munching, is where a character is basically… god. They can do anything and can’t die. Terrible. Nobody likes a godmodder and it just gets annoying. The worst type of munching really.
[color=red]2. Be realistic[/color]
In some roleplays, this can just be thrown out the window, but usually… you want to keep this in mind. Physics is phun.
[color=red]3. Stick to the story[/color]
Those set by the game master, and your own. The ones set by the game master can evolve over time as the roleplay goes on, but yours will never. Don’t say you grew up with rich parents but later say you grew up an orphan. Keep your history straight!
[color=red]4. Only control yourself[/color]
It’s encouraged that you interact with other characters, but you must never control them. It’s fine to do something such as throw a knife at a character or offer a stick of gum, but you can never say that the knife hits them or they’ll take the gum. People don’t like it when others use their characters. You wouldn’t like it either would you?
[color=red]5. Offline? Leave them alone![/color]
If somebody says that they are going offline but you want to continue roleplaying, then the best way to do it is to pretend that the character started to ignore you or went off to do something else. Just because somebody has gone offline without making excuses in character does not mean that you can attack them, kill them, draw funny faces on them with pen, or anything like that.
0
V. Joining a Roleplay
Want to join a roleplay, but don’t know where to start!? This is the place for you!
[color=red]1. Looking for a roleplay to join.[/color]
When looking for a roleplay to join, one must consider several factors.
- Is the theme something I want to do?
- Is the RP active?
- Is the scenario interesting?
- Are there too many players?
- Do you think you can get along with those players?
- Is the game master actively recruiting?
- Do I have the time to commit to this RP?
Take these questions into account when you want to join an RP. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble in joining these. Be sure to check the first post of the thread. You’ll find nearly everything you need to know about the RP before joining it. It’s also recommended that you read a few pages of the RP to learn how it starts and how it evolves.
[color=red]2. After Choosing a Roleplay[/color]
Make sure you understand the rules before joining a roleplay. And I mean…. Make sure of it. Seriously. Read them. Seriously.
Once you’ve decided to join the RP, jump into the action in an interesting way such that a character can interact with you. For example… let’s say the setting is a beach, try drowning. Unoriginal, but you’ll get help from someone. You could also try and knock down something heavy and struggle to hold it up to keep it from hitting the ground.
If after posting several times, you’re utterly ignored… Leave. The RP sucks ass. It’s not worth it. Douchebags… >_>
Want to join a roleplay, but don’t know where to start!? This is the place for you!
[color=red]1. Looking for a roleplay to join.[/color]
When looking for a roleplay to join, one must consider several factors.
- Is the theme something I want to do?
- Is the RP active?
- Is the scenario interesting?
- Are there too many players?
- Do you think you can get along with those players?
- Is the game master actively recruiting?
- Do I have the time to commit to this RP?
Take these questions into account when you want to join an RP. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble in joining these. Be sure to check the first post of the thread. You’ll find nearly everything you need to know about the RP before joining it. It’s also recommended that you read a few pages of the RP to learn how it starts and how it evolves.
[color=red]2. After Choosing a Roleplay[/color]
Make sure you understand the rules before joining a roleplay. And I mean…. Make sure of it. Seriously. Read them. Seriously.
Once you’ve decided to join the RP, jump into the action in an interesting way such that a character can interact with you. For example… let’s say the setting is a beach, try drowning. Unoriginal, but you’ll get help from someone. You could also try and knock down something heavy and struggle to hold it up to keep it from hitting the ground.
If after posting several times, you’re utterly ignored… Leave. The RP sucks ass. It’s not worth it. Douchebags… >_>
0
VI. Character Profiles
Many roleplays will require you to build a character profile in order to join. This guide summarises everything you need to know!
[color=red]1. Overview[/color]
A character profile tells other RPs and the game master things about your character. Most importantly, it remains as a reference to yourself about your character. Many use your profile to determine if they'll let you into the RP or not.
Sometimes, if your profile isn't long enough and you didn't put enough work into it, you will be rejected from an RP. There are also a lot of RPs that don't really care about a character profile. Some roleplays like to find out information about characters from certain events, and not have it all listed in a profile. This is up to the Game Master.
Profiles are usually a form that you fill out for your character. An example of what a profile might look like:
Age:
Race:
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
That's a pretty good opportunity to give your character a good start. However, a lot of roleplayers tend to give very little info that would be considered beneficial to the roleplay. Take a look at this profile example:
Age: 35
Race: Human
Appearance: Black hair and cloths. Coats with some weapons hidden.
Job: Vampire Hunter
Personality: Loner
This example gives no valuable information besides your name, race, and age. Here are some tips on what you should try to add for the remaining profile:
Appearance
* Apperance is where people tend to make mistakes. You should not say "see sig" or "see avatar". If you do not put effort into describing a character, the game master may take that as you may be too lazy to stay and roleplay for extended periods of time. And then, of course, there are things that you can't show just by a picture. What if your character was missing an arm or had green skin? Your description can also help set the mood. For instance, you can say only that your character wears black clothes, or you can say why-- to blend in with the vampires, maybe? You should take the opportunity to describe your character yourself to show that you care about the roleplay and your character.
* People tend to also paste in a picture for appearance. Usually these images are big and obnoxious. However, explaining how the character looks and giving a link to an image may help improve your description skills. Maybe you have trouble explaining what you want or think, or you know that most people don't know what a yumi is, so you get a picture instead. You should try to be original with your pictures and not use art or photos that you do not have the rights to. Also, try to keep the images sig worthy. Nothing hurts worse than a profile picture stretching the page.
* Say you find a nice picture and want to base a character of that. Then do that! But don't let that be the end-all-be-all of your character: use your imagination! Change things around!
* Maybe you have trouble saying all of it in a paragraph. Make subtitles then! I tend to do the same. It doesn't have to be amazing.
* Also, people tend to do clothes for appearance. You could use up a whole paragraph just doing clothes, so be careful not to bore the reader. Mention clothes in a few sentences and only include what is most important. We don't care what they wear unless it tells us something about them.
* While describing though never refer to something outside the roleplay. Don't say:
-> She wore a battle suit like Lina from Slayers
-> His hair was straight and black like Ross from Friends.
Here is an example of the appearance section in a profile:
Height: 5"2
Weight: 45 - 50 kgs
Eyes: A bright and cheerful blue! Always sparkling. During a fight though they tend to change to a colder colour.
Hair: A long blonde, just short of her waist. Oddly enough, natural pink streaks are mixed through the golden blonde. Her fringe sits high, falling over her eyes.
Build: Slim and slender
Complexion: Smooth and creamy
Civilian Appearance: While at school she wears the middle school Juuban high uniform (depending on which season) often accessorised with a scarf during the colder weather. Outside of school she often wears a pleated purple mini-skirt with a soft yellow blouse. Her clothes often have no labels and are very sophisticated but by the look of them they seem expensive.
Accessories: With her school uniform it's her scarf during winter and her black book bag all through the year. A cloth hangs over her bag distinguishing it from others. It's a small character from the manga Wish. Lucinda also wears star like shaped purple earrings that dangle to about her mid-neck.
Special Markings: N/A
Listed out and easy to understand. Or you can use paragraph form:
Whatever suits your own style.
Personality
* People tend makes mistakes here as well. You should try to avoid writing things like 'it depends on the situation'. If you would like to say something of this sort, use things such as certain situations make your character act differently then they normally would.
The easiest way is to write it out 'novel' style or, in other words, the way a novelist would describe their character's personality.
That covers a lot. In short:
Appears snobbish, is actually quite friendly and generous, wouldn't harm a fly, confident, high self-esteem, rarely gets angry, sometimes flaky, fun, caring and unique.
The last thing I'm going to say is history. Some roleplays will ask for a history. Try to think of different situations that your character has gone through. Try not to use these examples, as they are often used and very cliche.
* Parents died when the character was very young.
* The character has lost their memory, and is trying to find theirselves.
* The character is searching for their love, who was kidnapped.
That should help you in creating your own character!
Many roleplays will require you to build a character profile in order to join. This guide summarises everything you need to know!
[color=red]1. Overview[/color]
A character profile tells other RPs and the game master things about your character. Most importantly, it remains as a reference to yourself about your character. Many use your profile to determine if they'll let you into the RP or not.
Sometimes, if your profile isn't long enough and you didn't put enough work into it, you will be rejected from an RP. There are also a lot of RPs that don't really care about a character profile. Some roleplays like to find out information about characters from certain events, and not have it all listed in a profile. This is up to the Game Master.
Profiles are usually a form that you fill out for your character. An example of what a profile might look like:
Profile Example wrote...
Name:Age:
Race:
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
That's a pretty good opportunity to give your character a good start. However, a lot of roleplayers tend to give very little info that would be considered beneficial to the roleplay. Take a look at this profile example:
Under Developed Profile wrote...
Name: Van HelsingAge: 35
Race: Human
Appearance: Black hair and cloths. Coats with some weapons hidden.
Job: Vampire Hunter
Personality: Loner
This example gives no valuable information besides your name, race, and age. Here are some tips on what you should try to add for the remaining profile:
Appearance
* Apperance is where people tend to make mistakes. You should not say "see sig" or "see avatar". If you do not put effort into describing a character, the game master may take that as you may be too lazy to stay and roleplay for extended periods of time. And then, of course, there are things that you can't show just by a picture. What if your character was missing an arm or had green skin? Your description can also help set the mood. For instance, you can say only that your character wears black clothes, or you can say why-- to blend in with the vampires, maybe? You should take the opportunity to describe your character yourself to show that you care about the roleplay and your character.
* People tend to also paste in a picture for appearance. Usually these images are big and obnoxious. However, explaining how the character looks and giving a link to an image may help improve your description skills. Maybe you have trouble explaining what you want or think, or you know that most people don't know what a yumi is, so you get a picture instead. You should try to be original with your pictures and not use art or photos that you do not have the rights to. Also, try to keep the images sig worthy. Nothing hurts worse than a profile picture stretching the page.
* Say you find a nice picture and want to base a character of that. Then do that! But don't let that be the end-all-be-all of your character: use your imagination! Change things around!
* Maybe you have trouble saying all of it in a paragraph. Make subtitles then! I tend to do the same. It doesn't have to be amazing.
* Also, people tend to do clothes for appearance. You could use up a whole paragraph just doing clothes, so be careful not to bore the reader. Mention clothes in a few sentences and only include what is most important. We don't care what they wear unless it tells us something about them.
* While describing though never refer to something outside the roleplay. Don't say:
-> She wore a battle suit like Lina from Slayers
-> His hair was straight and black like Ross from Friends.
Here is an example of the appearance section in a profile:
Appearance wrote...
Gender: FemaleHeight: 5"2
Weight: 45 - 50 kgs
Eyes: A bright and cheerful blue! Always sparkling. During a fight though they tend to change to a colder colour.
Hair: A long blonde, just short of her waist. Oddly enough, natural pink streaks are mixed through the golden blonde. Her fringe sits high, falling over her eyes.
Build: Slim and slender
Complexion: Smooth and creamy
Civilian Appearance: While at school she wears the middle school Juuban high uniform (depending on which season) often accessorised with a scarf during the colder weather. Outside of school she often wears a pleated purple mini-skirt with a soft yellow blouse. Her clothes often have no labels and are very sophisticated but by the look of them they seem expensive.
Accessories: With her school uniform it's her scarf during winter and her black book bag all through the year. A cloth hangs over her bag distinguishing it from others. It's a small character from the manga Wish. Lucinda also wears star like shaped purple earrings that dangle to about her mid-neck.
Special Markings: N/A
Listed out and easy to understand. Or you can use paragraph form:
Quote: wrote...
Appearance: Blue-black, as a hair-dye box would say, is the colour of her hair, which is thin and straight. It falls to just below the shoulder blades, and is cut in several angles and lengths, the shortest at her cheekbone. Her eyes are a midnight blue. In daylight they appear to be several shades lighter but at night they appear to be black and almost empty, looking straight through somebody's soul. She's tall, 5'9" in height, and slim. Unlike others she doesn't appear starved and is on the healthy scale of things. Long legs seem to have been obtained from her mother, only told from pictures though. Her only piercing is single in her ears.Whatever suits your own style.
Personality
* People tend makes mistakes here as well. You should try to avoid writing things like 'it depends on the situation'. If you would like to say something of this sort, use things such as certain situations make your character act differently then they normally would.
The easiest way is to write it out 'novel' style or, in other words, the way a novelist would describe their character's personality.
Quote wrote...
Lucinda seems quite snobbish to people who don't know her very well since she's quite wealthy and lives in one of the best apartments in that area of Tokyo. When people get to know her she's actually quite a nice and generous person, not even hurting a fly. She's very confident with a high self-esteem so others say mean things about her and stab her in the back. She ignores it though. Hating confrontation she avoids arguments whenever she can and often will stop saying whatever she was going to so not hurt people's feelings. Lucinda rarely gets angry so if she's angry at you you've done something really wrong. She often gets distracted as well, even stopping midsentence. In three words: Fun, caring and unique.That covers a lot. In short:
Appears snobbish, is actually quite friendly and generous, wouldn't harm a fly, confident, high self-esteem, rarely gets angry, sometimes flaky, fun, caring and unique.
The last thing I'm going to say is history. Some roleplays will ask for a history. Try to think of different situations that your character has gone through. Try not to use these examples, as they are often used and very cliche.
* Parents died when the character was very young.
* The character has lost their memory, and is trying to find theirselves.
* The character is searching for their love, who was kidnapped.
That should help you in creating your own character!
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Well... I have half the guide...
Lol... Other half for later. xD
This post will be edited... Pewpew~
Lol... Other half for later. xD
This post will be edited... Pewpew~
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Need. The. Rest. Of. This. Guide. xD
I think thsi bump is useful because there are 2 RPs going on right now.
I think thsi bump is useful because there are 2 RPs going on right now.
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Very nice, i used to RP on Mmorpg's on small but proffesional scale but i kinda fell out of it.
This was really quite the thing to read. I don't think i would like an RP so strict though, as you in general describe. I prefer flexibilty, alot. Of course not as in one day superman other day batman but you get the point.
All in all, i would give you my rep if i didn't give it away already >.>
This was really quite the thing to read. I don't think i would like an RP so strict though, as you in general describe. I prefer flexibilty, alot. Of course not as in one day superman other day batman but you get the point.
All in all, i would give you my rep if i didn't give it away already >.>
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VII. What is the Game Masters Responsibility?
[color=red]1. What is a Game Master?[/color]
The Game Master or GM is the person who organizes, arbitrates, and officiates rule situations. The amount of work they do depends on the person and on the game. Sometimes, they are not needed. Other times, they are. Again, it depends on the RP type.
[color=red]2. What does the GM do?[/color]
The GMs first job is to organize an RP. They must create a setting and scenario for the players. Once they have that, they create the rules. The rules should make sensible and needed. Then, they must decide which players can join the RP. Hopefully, someone who can contribute and make the story fun. That's usually where profiles come in. GMs look at the profiles and it gives an indicator which can be used to decide if that player can help your RP or not.
A good GM draws the RPers into the story making it enjoyable to everyone. They must maintain balance when needed, intervening when needed. Too much is never good. Sometimes, never is the best to let the RPers work things out themselves.
[color=red]1. What is a Game Master?[/color]
The Game Master or GM is the person who organizes, arbitrates, and officiates rule situations. The amount of work they do depends on the person and on the game. Sometimes, they are not needed. Other times, they are. Again, it depends on the RP type.
[color=red]2. What does the GM do?[/color]
The GMs first job is to organize an RP. They must create a setting and scenario for the players. Once they have that, they create the rules. The rules should make sensible and needed. Then, they must decide which players can join the RP. Hopefully, someone who can contribute and make the story fun. That's usually where profiles come in. GMs look at the profiles and it gives an indicator which can be used to decide if that player can help your RP or not.
A good GM draws the RPers into the story making it enjoyable to everyone. They must maintain balance when needed, intervening when needed. Too much is never good. Sometimes, never is the best to let the RPers work things out themselves.
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VIII. Character Development
[color=red]1. What is it?[/color]
Really? You're asking that? Read more. Just kidding.
Character development is making your character learn and grow through interactions with other, adversity, and events. Your character may start as a loner who can only rely on himself, but becomes someone who learns that his own abilities aren't enough and that friends are awesome.
[color=red]1. How do I do it?[/color]
Interact with others. RPing is about having fun with others. Don't play by yourself. Falling in love is the most cliche, but usually works well. Find something you like. Find something you can relate to. Create a profile that gives your character room to grow. It'll come naturally. It's not too hard. Unless of course.... You're a munch.
[color=red]1. What is it?[/color]
Really? You're asking that? Read more. Just kidding.
Character development is making your character learn and grow through interactions with other, adversity, and events. Your character may start as a loner who can only rely on himself, but becomes someone who learns that his own abilities aren't enough and that friends are awesome.
[color=red]1. How do I do it?[/color]
Interact with others. RPing is about having fun with others. Don't play by yourself. Falling in love is the most cliche, but usually works well. Find something you like. Find something you can relate to. Create a profile that gives your character room to grow. It'll come naturally. It's not too hard. Unless of course.... You're a munch.
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IX. Mary Sue
[color=red]1. Who is Mary Sue?[/color]
Rather than who, what is a Mary Sue? Mary Sue, or Gary Stu for the male counterpart, is an over-idealized, cliche character with no flaws and is usually some fantasy of the creator of the character. They're just perfect. They're beautiful, awesome, super nice, super mean, or whatever. They're perfect. Nobody is perfect... Nobody likes a Sue.
Usually, you can tell if a character is one when you just hate their guts. Not to mention.... They're so unrealistic. It's just not cool. This occurs much more often in fantasy or combat situations when a character is just overly powerful and unbeatable. Don't you just hate fighting these types of people?
[color=red]1. Who is Mary Sue?[/color]
Rather than who, what is a Mary Sue? Mary Sue, or Gary Stu for the male counterpart, is an over-idealized, cliche character with no flaws and is usually some fantasy of the creator of the character. They're just perfect. They're beautiful, awesome, super nice, super mean, or whatever. They're perfect. Nobody is perfect... Nobody likes a Sue.
Usually, you can tell if a character is one when you just hate their guts. Not to mention.... They're so unrealistic. It's just not cool. This occurs much more often in fantasy or combat situations when a character is just overly powerful and unbeatable. Don't you just hate fighting these types of people?