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DRAFT: Roleplay rules / guidelines
Topic Started: Feb 5 2011, 05:16 PM (183 Views)
Todd McCloud
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I'd like to draft up some general guidelines for roleplay here. Feel free to RP while we're doing this, as I'd imagine some of this we'll learn as we go. Plus, I'm aware that my RP background is different from other people here, so I'll get something started and other RP'ers can and should feel free to critique or question it. My goal is to come up with rules we all can agree on. Let's see what we can do!

Quote:
 
Good stuff:
  • Interact with other characters. If you want to write a story, write a story. The whole point of roleplay is interaction! If someone's character is sitting down somewhere and he or she is accessible to your character, maybe your character should visit him or her? Don't get me wrong, your character's alone time can really be useful too. But too much alone time can really disconnect you from a roleplay. Just be aware that roleplay = interaction!
  • Communicate! For the love of all that's holy, communicate out-of-character ((OOC)). If you don't know how powerful a character's gun is, ask them. If someone's character has put a bomb in a building your character is in, ask if your character might be able to hear something ticking or if the bomb has an unusual smell to it that could be traced to the bomb. OOC communication is absolutely essential for good roleplay because it ensures everyone's on the same page.
  • At the same time, be clever. If your character is in a tough bind, let him or her get themselves out of it based on what you gave that character. Don't suddenly give your character an awesome skill that solves the problem. Use the tools you gave him or her in their personality, talents, etc. If you can cleverly get him or her out of a bind without resorting to creating sudden abilities, you'll gain the respect of other roleplayers around you, and will gain their trust.
  • Defined personalities trump defined backstories – Don’t rely heavily on a backstory for your character. That's not to say a backstory should be avoided - all characters need at least a small bit of a backstory, because they probably had lives before the roleplay started.
  • For every awesome thing you give your character, give him/her an equal flaw. Let's say I made a character that’s huge and muscular, like the Juggernaut. He's probably not going to run as fast as a thinner, leaner character, right? If he's a fighter, he's going to have battle scars, and not the cool type - more of the "eww, that wound is seeping" type. If he's a thin character, he's probably not going to be very strong as a “tank” character, right? Just be fair and don't make an awesomely-cool character. Good characters have flaws, and develop “character” from their flaws!
  • Be bold! Having your character sit around and waiting for something to happen isn't going to really get them anywhere. You can do that every once and a while, but if it looks like no one's paying attention to your character, maybe it's time for your character to reach out and jump into a conversation or event. Add in some plot twists, make the story interesting. After all, it is at least partially your story. And, if someone provides an entrance for your character, take it. Don't be afraid to be aggressive and take the initiative!
  • Respect other roleplayers around you. Roleplaying means you won't always get to have your storyline played out, and you won't always get your way. Be cognizant of this and allow other roleplayers to hash things out.
  • If someone calls you out on something, and they have a point, take your medicine. Roleplay should be an escape from drama, not a source. If your character godmods, for instance (see the section below), admit it and move on. Just easier that way.
  • Create conflict. Conflict is waayyy more interesting than all characters getting along fine and everyone being happy all the time. How boring. Make something happen!
  • Losing can equal winning. If your character lost a fight, but it was roleplayed out well, that’s way better than the roleplay turning into a “who has the biggest (whatever)” contest. Having a character lose a battle or overlook something can be used to actually build them up, change them, and make them into a much better character. No character is perfect, of course, and in any conflict involving two groups one group has to win and one has to lose. Losing in a roleplay, or taking hits, if done well, can gain you mad respect.
  • Additionally, read what’s going on in other people’s plots. Doing this keeps you aware of any openings you could potentially exploit and get involved in. Plus, you never know if something big is going to go down from that plot that could end up affecting your character. But, remember, do not give your character knowledge of a situation if he or she is not present or doesn’t have the means to know about it on their own.


Bad things
  • Avoid sensational characters. What I mean by that is try to avoid making your character a marysue, or a character that's way too sensationalized (he's god a cool Japanese-sounding name, is the best fighter from his nation and knows all sorts of martial arts, knows seven languages, is a heartthrob, AND blames himself for the death of his parents even though he had nothing to do with it. He's soo cool even his enemies want to be like him and be his friend!). Yeah. Avoid that. There are a lot of marysue litmus tests out there, but if your character is going to merit a lot of rolling eyes or chatter like 'well there that character goes again!’ it might be time to kill it with fire and start anew. There’s no shame in that, better you kill off a bad character than perpetuate it.
  • No godmodding. Don't give your character an amazingly cool ability he or she should not have because no character should have it. Like, if someone made a character that could catch missiles with his bare hands. I don't care what kind of character he is, ain't no one going to catch a missile.
  • Never Rp another person's character without their permission. This is just common Rp etiquette. Let them respond. Sometimes an Rper might allow you to roleplay little things, like their character nodding their head or engaging in small talk, however. Just ask beforehand.
  • No metagaming. Basically, this is when you give your character out-of-character knowledge. Say my character has secretly planted a bomb in a sealab and no one was around to see her put it there. If your character immediately goes to that spot to deactivate that bomb without any prior in character knowledge that it’s there, that's metagaming. That's not to say you can give your character some cues. What I mean by that is maybe by communicating OOCly you find out from the roleplayer whose character planted the bomb that the bomb ticks. Maybe your character could get quiet and if he's near the bomb hear it ticking?? Or maybe it’d be cooler to have the place blow up! It’s up to you!
  • Avoid having a set plan for your character. Good roleplay is unpredictable. You can talk with others to discuss what you'd like to happen and people might help you with that, but if you are determined to have your character do what you want them to do and not react to the situations they're in, you might find yourself Rp'ing alone.
  • Don’t hog a plot. Roleplay is something where everyone should take initiative. Don’t keep playing out your storylines and expecting everyone to go along with it. Let others get a chance to get things going and add some plot twists of their own. As with everything else, no one likes a hog.
  • No ‘rear pulls’. If my character is underwater, stuck in a cave, and her air tank is almost out of air, I can't give her the ability to breathe water. That is, of course, godmodding. But alternatively I can't even give her the ability to allow her to hold her breath for over five minutes, for example. Unless I explain earlier either ICly or OOCly she has an ability to really hold air in her lungs and used to do a lot of freediving, for instance, I can’t suddenly give her that ability.
  • Don't take things personally. If my character is attacking your character, or just doesn't like them, that in no way shape or form means I don't like you or am mad at you. It's just my character. My character is separate from who I am and my interactions with you. Heck, if my character is mad at your character, consider it a compliment: that means that I feel like I can trust you that you won't take it personally. So please, don't take it personally.
  • Alternatively, don't take OOC anger out ICly (in character). If you’re mad at someone, don't suddenly have your character hate the character of the person you're mad at for no reason. That's just very bad form. Bottom line in all of this: keep a divide between OOC and IC, both in knowledge between you and your character and feelings between you and your character.
  • No retconning / reneging. If your character does something that causes them to look stupid or gets them in a tight bind, don't delete any of your posts. Leave it and let your character solve the problem or learn from it. If you don't want to have your character look dumb, analyze a situation critically so he or she won’t be as prone to doing that. Or, maybe you don't mind that happening. Regardless, do not delete a post if someone has posted after it. That's reneging, and will get people pissed.
  • Avoid killing other people's characters off. Unless you have their permission, just don't do this. You can kill your own character off, but avoid killing other characters. Now, by all means, feel free to create conflict and somehow put a character in a tough spot, but don't blatantly kill them!



This might be a bit too long. Feel free to tear it apart and we'll see where it goes!
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