Post by Admin on Jun 24, 2007 23:03:32 GMT -5
some useful information for roleplaying that unfortunetly the source has been forgotten, I will update when I find it again.
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What is roleplay?:
One of the largest differences between roleplaying and writing is that it involves collaboration. This aspect makes roleplaying as much an activity in the social sphere of relationships as it is in the artistic sphere; unlike the latter, the rules of social relationships involve real-time interactions between people. Thus, there are codes of conduct it is usually wise to observe when roleplaying. Here are some of these guidelines.
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Courtesy:
Courtesy is important. This does not mean your character needs to be courteous, but a player must always be courteous to the other . The general rule is to make sure anyone you are interacting with knows and agrees with your character's behavior toward their characters. Don't assume everyone will get it because "it's your style." There are many ways to accomplish this, such as the use of the grams or message boards or even ICQ or email, to discuss the situation in an out of character environment before acting out the situation in character.
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Joining in existing storylines:
If you enter in an existing storyline where a group of people are planning for a specific mood or direction, do not change that mood or direction or story without asking first. Ask if the session is open to others if the mood seems intimate, and if you want to bring in a radically different mood, ask the participants if they would mind the change of pace. Sudden mood-changes by incoming characters can be very jarring to people who are in mid-play.
Conversations, threats by evil characters on good characters, saber rattling, etc. should be fine spontaneously. But attacking another's kingdom, or coup attempts , attempting to steal from them, being the other woman (or man) all require some kind of OOC confirmation before hand. This is a MUST as failure to do so will result in bad feelings, complaints, and in a worse case scenario, get one banned. Basically, think before you act, and be polite and respectful of other players as a player. It will make RP fun for everyone. And may have the added benefit of making friends in the process, even for those with evil characters.
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Sharing the limelight:
Traditionally, in one-to-one roleplaying there is a constant trade off. One person says something, then the other, then the first player has a turn again, etc, etc. It is a good idea to maintain this in two-player situations; allow your fellow player time to react to your words. In larger situations, the feasibility of this guideline breaks down somewhat, however it is still always a good idea to give players time to react to your actions before assuming that they do not react. By nature, roleplaying on the Net is a somewhat time-consuming affair. Don't accidentally cut off the other players in a rush to include everything you want included.
Everyone wants to be in the spotlight; it's human nature to want to be the center of attention. It's an ego-boost. That's why it's especially important to be polite and share the spotlight with others while playing with them. If you absolutely cannot stand being in the background in group stories, then you need to seek out more one-on-one RP which, by nature, puts both participants in one another's spotlight the entire time. But while in large groups, remember that you're not the only one there to have fun, and let other people have their moment in the sunlight...or better yet, manufacture ways to put different people on center-stage. You'll be surprised how often people will drag you up with them in gratitude.
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Liberties:
You can never assume that you know how a character will react to any given situation--unless that character is yours. Just as you wouldn't want other people to take liberties with your characters, you mustn't take liberties with theirs. Don't spoof other people's reactions unless you have their permission.
The number 1 rule is:
never, ever, maim or injure someone else’s character without their express permission.
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and that's it for now.
--------------------------------------
What is roleplay?:
One of the largest differences between roleplaying and writing is that it involves collaboration. This aspect makes roleplaying as much an activity in the social sphere of relationships as it is in the artistic sphere; unlike the latter, the rules of social relationships involve real-time interactions between people. Thus, there are codes of conduct it is usually wise to observe when roleplaying. Here are some of these guidelines.
--------
Courtesy:
Courtesy is important. This does not mean your character needs to be courteous, but a player must always be courteous to the other . The general rule is to make sure anyone you are interacting with knows and agrees with your character's behavior toward their characters. Don't assume everyone will get it because "it's your style." There are many ways to accomplish this, such as the use of the grams or message boards or even ICQ or email, to discuss the situation in an out of character environment before acting out the situation in character.
--------------
Joining in existing storylines:
If you enter in an existing storyline where a group of people are planning for a specific mood or direction, do not change that mood or direction or story without asking first. Ask if the session is open to others if the mood seems intimate, and if you want to bring in a radically different mood, ask the participants if they would mind the change of pace. Sudden mood-changes by incoming characters can be very jarring to people who are in mid-play.
Conversations, threats by evil characters on good characters, saber rattling, etc. should be fine spontaneously. But attacking another's kingdom, or coup attempts , attempting to steal from them, being the other woman (or man) all require some kind of OOC confirmation before hand. This is a MUST as failure to do so will result in bad feelings, complaints, and in a worse case scenario, get one banned. Basically, think before you act, and be polite and respectful of other players as a player. It will make RP fun for everyone. And may have the added benefit of making friends in the process, even for those with evil characters.
---------------------
Sharing the limelight:
Traditionally, in one-to-one roleplaying there is a constant trade off. One person says something, then the other, then the first player has a turn again, etc, etc. It is a good idea to maintain this in two-player situations; allow your fellow player time to react to your words. In larger situations, the feasibility of this guideline breaks down somewhat, however it is still always a good idea to give players time to react to your actions before assuming that they do not react. By nature, roleplaying on the Net is a somewhat time-consuming affair. Don't accidentally cut off the other players in a rush to include everything you want included.
Everyone wants to be in the spotlight; it's human nature to want to be the center of attention. It's an ego-boost. That's why it's especially important to be polite and share the spotlight with others while playing with them. If you absolutely cannot stand being in the background in group stories, then you need to seek out more one-on-one RP which, by nature, puts both participants in one another's spotlight the entire time. But while in large groups, remember that you're not the only one there to have fun, and let other people have their moment in the sunlight...or better yet, manufacture ways to put different people on center-stage. You'll be surprised how often people will drag you up with them in gratitude.
--------------
Liberties:
You can never assume that you know how a character will react to any given situation--unless that character is yours. Just as you wouldn't want other people to take liberties with your characters, you mustn't take liberties with theirs. Don't spoof other people's reactions unless you have their permission.
The number 1 rule is:
never, ever, maim or injure someone else’s character without their express permission.
--------
and that's it for now.