Courtesy in a Roleplay

[Chevaleresse]

As we've been having some issues with it lately, I've decided that it couldn't hurt to go over some of the basic guidelines one should follow when interacting with one another in this forum.

EDIT: I'll be updating this thread and removing the other rules thread.

1. Respect the host.

The host came up with the world. Ultimately, their word is law. It's completely unacceptable to disrespect the host of a roleplay you're involved in; without it, the game wouldn't happen. If you have a major issue, bring it up CALMLY via private message.

2. Respect other players.

Pretty similarly to the host, this would be entirely pointless without the other players. If you've got an issue with another player's action, again, discuss it without hostility via PM, or, failing that, with the host or the resident section moderator. (i.e. Hukuna.) Cursing at another player outside of casual conversation is unacceptable and rarely leads to anything productive.

3. Be aware that other players have plans.

If you do something that affects another character in a significant way, ALWAYS discuss it in the OOC thread or via PM first. I've noticed a few RPers (that I will not name) do not stop to consider this, and this ends up being extremely frustrating for the affected player(s). If two PCs are interacting, leave room for them to do so. Tying into this,

4. Big changes need arbitration.

If you ever do something that would significantly change the course of the story's development or the development of another player's character, you absolutely NEED to discuss it with the host or the other player first. This also applies to unusual circumstances in a character's backstory.

5. Strive for quality.

This might seem like a recommendation rather than a rule, but consistently writing extremely short or low-quality posts isn't going to win any friends. It's possible (and quite likely) to get kicked. This is also a matter of respect; poor quality posts can indicate that you don't particularly care about the people you're RPing with.

6. Follow the global rules.

This should go without saying.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Pinning right away. I really should have gotten to something like this, and thank you for writing it Murdoc.

[Chevaleresse]

If you have suggestions, feel free to give them.

[Supernovae]

Well said Murdoc. These are all very important things to remember in any RP, but I do have a few that I think can be added.

1. Ambiguity is important:

When you're directly RPing with another PC or an important NPC don't actually follow through with an action. I.E. if you were to say shoot at another character, don't actually say that the bullet hit, just mention that you shot at said character and mention where your character was aiming. This gives the other player a chance to react and save their character, rather than just having you blatantly murder them.

2. When a rule is broken tell the other player, but tell them with kindness:

Their are a lot of times when you can get in the way of another character's plans without even realizing it. Instead of getting upset about what the other player posted, just tell them with a friendly reminder. If you choose not to tell the other player about their screw up then they miss a chance to improve and to see what they did wrong and you lose the chance to take your character where you want them to go. We're lucky that we have an edit button on these forums and we should all use it if we do something that interferes with the over-arching goals of the RP.

3. Have fun:

This is a hobby for everyone here, not a job. I don't know about you guys, but I certainly haven't seen any money come my way for the posts I've made here. So, enjoy yourself when posting and don't take what other players do too seriously. If they do something you don't like just talk to them about it and resolve the issue with kindness. No one likes drama, so don't cause any.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Supernovae

[Flynn]

I'm not sure if it's really required, as I'm not too familiar with this RP community, but a few rules that seem to have an efficient placing are not crashing topics, be they OOC or IC, meaning a couple things. First, posting in the OOC threads with random unnecessary questions or concerns that are misplaced in that topic, and within IC topics, changing the scene to focus on a certain point you desire when the PoV was currently on something else. Grabbing attention away from something that still requires attention, basically. Another aspect of this is "trolling", posting random BS in a topic. It's happened before when a harsh, intense and emotional scene is taking place and another member posts their nasty rash in unmentionable places. It generally comes around full circle. Don't butcher topics.

Second, this one is rather difficult to abide by, as well as enforce. Following your own created reality. Such as, when a character has been created and approved by the host for use, that character should be understood by the user and followed through. A character's personality and antics cannot suddenly change simply because they suit your current IRL mood or situation, unless it's emotionally realistic for that character to feel as such. If your character absolutely hates somebody named Vyraea, and you yourself suddenly love Vyraea because your new girlfriend acts just like Vyraea, your character can't suddenly love Vyraea when absolutely nothing to change their hatred IC has happened. Maybe it's just me since I like to consider my characters their own people, but the gist would be don't bend your character in half just because you changed your mind about them 100 posts into a topic.

Both of these suggestions are based purely on the rules I abide by in other RP communities, and I'm unsure if these rules are already fully acknowledged/not necessary. Just wanted to pipe up, I guess.

Live free and RP hard.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Thanks Flynn, most of those things are definitely important but they are more understood, but it is good to see them posted here, and maybe I should post a complete basics thread here for people who on the off-chance do not know.

[Jory]

I'd almost say this is the most important sticky for one reason:

If someone isn't good at RPing because he/she is new and learns better by doing than by reading, that's one thing entirely. It's difficult for that to actively detract to an RP, whereas someone who does not know the proper etiquette can be Shakespeare himself and be unpleasant to RP with if his posts are ill-timed and detract from each player's planned narrative.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

This is permanently stickied for sure. And so very very true Jory.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Some things also to note.

Know the Scope of the RP You are Participating in.

Know what kind of RP it is and act accordingly. In most cases, unnecessary violence and things of a more graphical nature are not to be done. In an RP labeled as a dark RP, or one that deals with more Morally Grey Subject matter, the rules on this may be a little more lax, in that certain things will fly, but keep in mind they still have boundaries. If you ever think something you want to post could cross one of those boundaries talk to the host about, and let them in on what you are doing. This way if you aren't sure it isn't throw into the middle of the IC when it is something too heavy for the subject matter. Along this lines, know what your Host is trying to convey as well. Know the RP is either a more Narrative style, or that is is a more Snadbox, or Open-ended type of deal. This will help you better react and understand what the host is trying to accomplish with their world.

Talk to your Host.

If you have some criticism, or suggestions you think would help the RP, talk to the host in a civil matter. We aren't prefect, we know that, so we can take it so long as you aren't needlessly doing something, or being plain rude, or making obvious jabs at us. If you think the host could improve in an area let them know, I personally encourage my players to tell me what I am doing wrong in their eyes, and I make sure to ask after every Chapter. This way, I improve as a host alongside them improving as players. We are all here to grow together, and it is best to remember that, which ties into my next point.

Take Criticism on the Chin

If somebody is criticizing how you made a judgement call/anything else, don't get mad at them. They could just be trying to help you improve your RPing as a whole. Learn to take criticism, and apply what you think applies. Use your judgement on that, especially in character related issues as you know your characters best, so you know what they would do in certain situations. Remember, none of us are perfect, we all have things to lear and lessons to take, even I do nobody is an exception. It sometimes helps to have people point out what they think you are doing wrong, becuase sometimes, you can't see it yourself. We are a community, so use each other as a resource. Ask other players, or even your host what tey think of your characters actions, ask them what they think your character is like. See if you can convey truly who your character is better, if they see differences that you didn't intend. Most criticism is here to help you or is at least intended to.

Know your limits.

Know when you just need help, and to have someone try and bail you out. We have all had characters where we end up over our heads and don't know how to RP them properly. We can sometimes lose sight of who they are, and talking to someone you trust about it can help you get them back on track. These will go up as you RP more and more, as you will grow more and more experienced with different kinds of characters.

and lastly some parting words.

Don't be afraid to try things but keep others in mind, they are trying to have fun with you, and we are all trying to grow and learn together. Never lose sight of that. Everyone here is of the same importance as everybody else, no one is more important or less important. We all need our room to shine and grow, but we need to remember that while we shine we cannot choke out the lights of others or keep them from growing. Doing that cheapens what RPing is at it's heart, and that is coming together with others to entertain, and have fun. Trying new things is awesome, but not if it comes at the expense of somebody else's enjoyment. Hukuna Sensei out.~

[Notus]

Great initiative everyone. That sums up all that is needed to have a pleasant RPing experience. I think I don't have anything to add, so kudos guys!

[anethia]

Pretty obvious one, still feeling the need to mention (I'm not sure if this has been posted but just in case!)

If you're in a fight with someone or something, don't pull of ridiculous god move saves or things. It's OK to lose. Also, in combat scenes, it's very annoying if your character magically avoids every single attack thrown at them - let some hit! For example, if a punch was being thrown at you, instead of just full on dodging it, say something like it hit your shoulder. Just make sure you ain't some godly figure that never dies and kills everything.

I explained this poorly, just hope it gets the point across :x

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Yea it does, that one is pretty easy to get across. No need to be a wordsmith like me.

[Sutoratosu]

Well, look at this. very nice...

I can't really think of anything that needs to be added right now.

Great job guys.

[Arkhi]

Less of courtesy, but more of a recommendation to improve roleplaying: be unexpected. I'd wager than many of us read or are involved in some sort of story-telling media. We all know typical stories, but the ones that surprise us are the most powerful. Take risks, but only after receiving confirmation from the host that doing so is all right.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

And don't follow in Hukuna's footsteps......my surprises are pretty nasty, and usually end in pretty grisly deaths.

[Sutoratosu]

well heres one, though it's honestly more of a general forum courtesy thing than it is for RPs specifically:

Please, don't go excessive on things such as "=, +, -, or * " when you are in IC and are trying to mark some type of scene break for your character like a flash back or something. The reason for this is because it ends up adding a lot of horizontal length to the particular thread page where it occurs, Which can subsequently hinder others reading of events in the RP due to the entire formatting of the page being altered, due to whereas you should be able to read just be scrolling up or down, you are now required to scroll from left to right, and vica versa as well, for EVERY post on that page, not just the one where the excess of Scene break markings are.

something like three or so marks is more than enough to get the point across that the two scenes of action are meant to be separate from each other, and this can be made even more clear by centering and/or bolding the marks; for example:

***

or perhaps,

---

See how easy that was? you don't need like a thousand of the things to let the other Role Players know what you're trying to do in a post.

I'm just bringing this up because I have seen this several times in a few threads here, and let me say, personally, it can be very annoying if you have some catching up to do in that RP.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

I have noticed I am the only one you instead of using those, uses headers for scene breaks. XD

It seems to work at least for me.

[Flux]

I'm just bringing this up because I have seen this several times in a few threads here, and let me say, personally, it can be very annoying if you have some catching up to do in that RP.

You wouldn't happen to mean me, would you? I use some hyphens like this:

-------------------------------------------------------------

But I don't think it's terribly overboard...

Edited October 9, 2014 by Flux

[Sutoratosu]

Oh no Flux, much worse than that.

The type of overkill I'm talking about in this matter is when someone pretty much just jams their finger on the key and holds it down for like ten seconds or longer.

I'd take a screen shot of an offending post (and censor out any content except what is relevant to my point, in order to avoid incriminating anyone) but I think it's really such a simple concept that me going out and actually having to give a visual example of what not to do really shouldn't be necessary.

[Flux]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what you're getting at. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't me who was causing problems.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Flux

[Code: PIRULUK]

One small thing to add: always remember that an RP is a collaborative storytelling process; each of the players isnt competing to be the strongest, but rather all are working as a whole for the purpose of creating a story. When characters fight, focus less on how your character can win/fight and more on how the fight itself can help develop your narrative/character.

[GotWala]

Wow, this is an extremely good guide for Roleplaying! I only wish my 15 year old self had seen this, haha.

I have to mention that the idea of Roleplaying being "Collaborative Storytelling" is by far the most important message I try to impress upon people I'm in Roleplays with, whether it's something solid like D&D or something abstract like a bunch of dudes in a basement pretending we're in the world of fantasy! (My dad literally told me I needed to get laid when I was still doing this at 20, haha!)

Remember, treat someone and their intellectual property how you'd like yourself/yours to be treated! It's all a group effort with fun, adventure, mystery, and suspense are all part of the criteria!

[Tacos]

Just felt this needed to be said.

Do not rush the host of the Roleplay or participants in the roleplay to further yourself in the story. The host of the roleplay is trying their best to create quality worlds and events for everyone involved so their experience is enjoyable. Participants in the roleplay are trying to contribute to the story to make it interesting and entertaining for everyone else as well. This will take time and will require patience. The world is not specifically catered to you, but to everyone, even the host.

If something has lost relevance in the OOC, do not bring it up again unless you plan on involving it for something later in the roleplay. The past is the past, and if a participant decides that they would not like to bring it back up, then that request should be honored.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Thank you for the Addition Tacos, is is apt and a good thing to follow.

[Pokelord]

Good points

Two words:

Be original