Roleplaying Guide - Revision history

RubberduckJ35 at 20:39, 8 July 2014

2014-07-08T20:39:21Z

Wraith at 19:31, 15 October 2012

2012-10-15T19:31:29Z

Ricky at 18:31, 15 October 2012

2012-10-15T18:31:25Z

Ricky at 16:17, 13 October 2012

2012-10-13T16:17:48Z

Matt Crossley at 23:29, 12 October 2012

2012-10-12T23:29:30Z

Matt Crossley at 23:29, 12 October 2012

2012-10-12T23:29:15Z

Ricky at 23:26, 12 October 2012

2012-10-12T23:26:51Z

Ricky at 23:26, 12 October 2012

2012-10-12T23:26:07Z

Ricky at 23:21, 12 October 2012

2012-10-12T23:21:18Z

Ricky: Created page with " Special thanks to LittleEvey Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth jux..."

2012-10-12T23:19:25Z

Created page with "<ref> Special thanks to LittleEvey </ref> Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth jux..."

New page

<ref> Special thanks to LittleEvey </ref> Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.

==POINT OF VIEW==

The point of view that a role-player will write in is dependent on what the author is intending to do. Before going into the settings, let's explain the different points of view.

In literature, storytelling, and for these purposes, role-play, what is described are the experiences of the narrator, not the author. There are three classifications of POV: first, second, and third person narrative.

First-person narrative is a literary technique in which the story is narrated by one or more of the characters, who explicitly refers to him or herself in the first person, that is, "I." For example: *I exited the bar and was met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.*

Second person narrative is a literary technique in which the narrator is supposedly the reader, and refers to itself with the second person pronoun, 'You.' This is the rarest of the points of view because, though theoretically possible, it does not work very well. For example: *You exit the bar and are met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.* This point of view is seen most commonly in bar threads especially in the first post where the scene is set. Why doesn't this point of view work well for role-play? Because you're committing the cardinal RP sin of directly impeding the story-telling freedom of other participants. I have seen on many occasions (and admittedly committed myself) the following: *You enter the bar and see the nice white napkins on the round tables.* Now, while it may be true that your bar has nice white napkins and round tables, consider this possibility: *The nice white napkins lay waiting on the cozy round tables, big enough for two.* As the bar owner you've still set the scene, and described what your patrons will see, while making a much nicer setting, and having the description flow like a well-written story. Some people may call this a petty nitpick, but small changes like this can affect the quality of patrons your thread will have. Think about it in a realistic light. If a thread starts with *You walk in and your jaw drops at the beautiful polished bar.* Basically this is telling another character what to do, and impedes on that character's free will. Maybe another character wouldn't be so awed by a polished bar. Maybe they would. Let them decide. Many an experienced role-player looks for small details before choosing a thread to participate in.

Third person narrative is a literary technique with two sub-classifications; omniscient and limited. Third person narrative is similar to the first person narrative, except for the notable use of the third person pronouns, he, she, and it. In third person OMNISCIENT, the narrator expresses the feelings, thoughts, and memories of all characters involved, regardless of which character is the protagonist. In third person LIMITED, the narrator expresses the feelings, thoughts, and memories of only one person, the protagonist, and it is around this character that the story evolves.

Most experienced role-players opt for the third person limited narrative style to establish their character, ESPECIALLY when involved in settings with other independent characters. When everyone writes in first person ( *I this, and I that*) it makes the role-play seem odd and staged. The end result of the role-play is to have a good flowing story that seems to be written by one author. All contributions should flow together seamlessly. It is dangerous for a role-player to use third person omniscient for the reason that it is not YOUR place to determine the feelings and thoughts of other characters. The other players reserve that right to develop their own character's inner workings. When done correctly, the final role-play will seem like it's written by one author, in the third person omniscient narrative.

==TENSE==

When it comes to role-play, tense can be a fickle mistress. Future tense is rarely ever used, and I can't think of a situation where it would even be feasibly acceptable unless when used in a character's SPEECH, but not in setting the scene. The most commonly used tenses are past and present. By no means do I want to offend anyone's intelligence, but to be as thorough as possible, let's review the tenses.

Past tense is a verb tense expressing action, activity, state or being in the past. For simplification, we won't bother with the sub-classifications of past tense. An example of past tense when setting the scene is as follows: *He stared down the barrel of the shotgun as a cold bead of sweat trickled down his temple.* Note the use of starED and tricklED. Both verbs are used to indicate what happenED, not what is happening.

Present tense is a verb tense expressing action, activity, state or being in the present. For example: *He stares down the barrel of the shotgun, as a cold bead of sweat trickles down his temple.* Without going into much more detail, note the differences in the two examples, and you've got the basic idea.

For the most part, tense is only a concern when describing the scene. For example:

*He stared down the barrel of the shotgun as a cold bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He decided to spend his last moments talking to his attacker.* You know, I'm not afraid of guns. I've been shot before, Sonny.

The scene was set in past tense, but speech is generally written in the present tense, regardless of the scene tense.

Selecting a tense is tricky, because role-players find their comfort zones in different tenses. Let your conscience be your guide. If you are joining in another individuals role-play, it is courteous to continue in the tense that they have already set. However, no matter what tense you select for setting the scene, STICK WITH THAT TENSE.

==SETTING THE SCENE==

We've touched briefly on setting the scene in our previous examples, so let's go into more detail now. To break down role-play in its most basic forms, there are two parts: description (scene setting) and speech. It is important when typing, to differentiate between the two. In literature, speech is generally separated by the use of quotations (i.e. Jane thought for a moment before she said next Monday works for me). When role-playing, the scene is usually separated from the speech by characters, most commonly the asterisk (*), or by using italics. You are not restricted from using any characters you want, as long as your scene is separated from your speech and the characters you use do not detract attention from what you're trying to express, so don't use anything difficult like (*&^#@#*&$: He walked into the street. :$&*#@#^&*)

As for actually setting the scene, you want to give the reader (and potential guests to your thread) an idea of the story you're trying to tell. If you want people to join in don't tell the entire plot. Let them join in. One of the most rewarding experiences of role-play is the unique perspective and plot twists guests can bring to your story. For example:

Role-player 1 Writes:

*John flipped up the collar on his coat before he walked out of the door into the brisk evening.* I suppose the boss won't be too happy to learn we lost the entire take at the races today.

Role-player 2 Writes:

I suppose not. *Inwardly, Peter thought it absurd to think that any future would befall them not including a bullet to the head.* Twenty five thousand dollars *Peter sighed and tried to steady his shaking hand; the hand of a man destined to live life six feet under from now on. Concentrating on his own problems, he failed to see the tall lady standing in the shadowy alleyway.*

(NOTICE: Role-player 2 opened the door for a third player to join in the mix, but he did not specifically direct any player to take up the role. He has created the option to a plot twist, without impeding on the free will of another character.)

Role-player 3 Writes:

*She steps out of the alleyway right in front of the two gentlemen casually strolling down the sidewalk.* You'd suppose correctly. The boss is not happy at all.

Each character has their own ideas and personal agendas just like people would in real life. The magic of role-play is how all these ideas come together in a wonderful brew that leads in a direction that most likely, neither of the three expected when starting out. All three described bits about their characters and the scene. We know that it is cold out, that its evening, that John and Peter have just left from the races and are worried because they've lost their bosses money. This tells us quite a bit and starts to paint a picture, but leave open the option for other characters to describe more. Is the street well lit? We know the alley way is shadowy. Are there cars on the road? Any other person who joins your role-play can help describe the scene, all because you thoughtfully did not describe it all.

Just use the appetizer approach: enough to give them a taste, but not enough to fill them up.

==GENERAL ROLEPLAY TIPS==

===Spelling and grammar===

Many people will argue that spelling and grammar are important and will nit pick novices who try to get started in the role-play world. Spelling and grammar ARE important, but not critical to the success of a role-play. AVOID n00b SPEAK AT ALL COSTS, and don't do 1337 speak either. As long as you type in English, and show a good effort at spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar, you'll be welcomed into the world with open arms.

Keep your scene setting script written with the best grammar you can muster. Leniency is granted to typing speech. Not everyone speaks with perfect grammar, so type how your character would generally talk. This said, no one speaks like "n e 1 want 2 go r0b da bank?"

===Staying In Character===

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS stay in character. Its the most important thing about role-playing. If you're not in character, you're not playing a role. To misquote Shakespeare: All the world's a page, and we are but its pen. Your pen must always reflect that character.

===Have Fun===

Good role-plays emerge when the participants are all willing and are having fun. Forced role-plays are obvious, and are often difficult for others to interact in. Role-play when you're in the right mindset, and when you have the time to do so.

So in conclusion, while there are no rules for role-playing, there are generally accepted guidelines to help make role-playing a fun and rewarding experience for all participants. Roll up your sleeves, engage the creative mind, and get typing!

{reflist}

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 {{TOC right}}
 Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view (POV), tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.
@@ Line 123: / Line 121: @@
 So in conclusion, while there are no rules for role-playing, there are generally accepted guidelines to help make role-playing a fun and rewarding experience for all participants. Roll up your sleeves, engage the creative mind, and get typing!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{TOC right}}
-Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.
+Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view (POV), tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.
 <ref>Special thanks to VendettaJames!</ref>
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
-The point of view that a role-player will write in is dependent on what the author is intending to do. Before going into the settings, let's explain the different points of view.
+The point of view that a role-player will write with depends on what the author is intending to do. Before going into the settings, let's explain the different points of view.
-In literature, storytelling, and for these purposes, role-play, what is described are the experiences of the narrator, not the author. There are three classifications of POV: first, second, and third person narrative.
+In literature, storytelling, and for these purposes, role-play, what is described are the experiences of the narrator, not the author. There are three classifications of POV: first, second, and third-person narrative.
-First-person narrative is a literary technique in which the story is narrated by one or more of the characters, who explicitly refers to him or herself in the first person, that is, "I." For example: *I exited the bar and was met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.*
+First-person narrative is a literary technique in which the story is narrated by a character (or characters), who explicitly refers to him or herself in the first person, that is, "I." For example: *I exited the bar and was met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.*
-Second person narrative is a literary technique in which the narrator is supposedly the reader, and refers to itself with the second person pronoun, 'You.' This is the rarest of the points of view because, though theoretically possible, it does not work very well. For example: *You exit the bar and are met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.* This point of view is seen most commonly in bar threads especially in the first post where the scene is set. Why doesn't this point of view work well for role-play? Because you're committing the cardinal RP sin of directly impeding the story-telling freedom of other participants. I have seen on many occasions (and admittedly committed myself) the following: *You enter the bar and see the nice white napkins on the round tables.* Now, while it may be true that your bar has nice white napkins and round tables, consider this possibility: *The nice white napkins lay waiting on the cozy round tables, big enough for two.* As the bar owner you've still set the scene, and described what your patrons will see, while making a much nicer setting, and having the description flow like a well-written story. Some people may call this a petty nitpick, but small changes like this can affect the quality of patrons your thread will have. Think about it in a realistic light. If a thread starts with *You walk in and your jaw drops at the beautiful polished bar.* Basically this is telling another character what to do, and impedes on that character's free will. Maybe another character wouldn't be so awed by a polished bar. Maybe they would. Let them decide. Many an experienced role-player looks for small details before choosing a thread to participate in.
+Second person narrative is a literary technique in which the narrator is supposedly the reader, and refers to himself/herself with the second person pronoun, 'You.' This is the rarest of the points of view because, though theoretically possible, it does not work very well. For example: *You exit the bar and are met with the cold, crisp kiss of a wintry gust.* This point of view is seen most commonly in bar threads especially in the first post where the scene is set. Why doesn't this point of view work well for role-play? Because you're committing the cardinal RP sin of directly impeding the story-telling freedom of other participants. On many occasions, something similar to this is displayed: *You enter the bar and see the nice white napkins on the round tables.* Now, while it may be true that your bar has nice white napkins and round tables, consider this possibility: *The nice white napkins lay waiting on the cozy round tables, big enough for two.* As the bar owner you've still set the scene, and described what your patrons will see, while making a much nicer setting, and having the description flow like a well-written story. Some people may call this a petty nitpick, but small changes like this can affect the quality of patrons your thread will have. Think about it in a realistic light. If a thread starts with *You walk in and your jaw drops at the beautiful polished bar.* Basically this is telling another character what to do, and impedes on that character's free will. Maybe another character wouldn't be so awed by a polished bar. Maybe they would. Let them decide. Many an experienced role-player looks for small details before choosing a thread to participate in.
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
 Most experienced role-players opt for the third person limited narrative style to establish their character, ESPECIALLY when involved in settings with other independent characters. When everyone writes in first person ( *I this, and I that*) it makes the role-play seem odd and staged. The end result of the role-play is to have a good flowing story that seems to be written by one author. All contributions should flow together seamlessly. It is dangerous for a role-player to use third person omniscient for the reason that it is not YOUR place to determine the feelings and thoughts of other characters. The other players reserve that right to develop their own character's inner workings. When done correctly, the final role-play will seem like it's written by one author, in the third person omniscient narrative.
@@ Line 93: / Line 100: @@
 Keep your scene setting script written with the best grammar you can muster. Leniency is granted to typing speech. Not everyone speaks with perfect grammar, so type how your character would generally talk. This said, no one speaks like "n e 1 want 2 go r0b da bank?"
@@ Line 99: / Line 108: @@
 ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS stay in character. Its the most important thing about role-playing. If you're not in character, you're not playing a role. To misquote Shakespeare: All the world's a page, and we are but its pen. Your pen must always reflect that character.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:31, 15 October 2012
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	Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.		Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.

−	Special thanks to ~~LittleEvey~~!~~<ref>LittleEvey~~</ref>	+	<ref>Special thanks to VendettaJames!</ref>

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-==POINT OF VIEW==
+==Point of View==
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-==TENSE==
+==Tense==
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-==SETTING THE SCENE==
+==Setting the Scene==
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-==GENERAL ROLEPLAY TIPS==
+==General RolePlaying Tips==

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:29, 12 October 2012
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	Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.		Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.

−	~~<ref>~~Special thanks to LittleEvey!</ref>	+	Special thanks to LittleEvey!<ref>LittleEvey</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:29, 12 October 2012
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	So in conclusion, while there are no rules for role-playing, there are generally accepted guidelines to help make role-playing a fun and rewarding experience for all participants. Roll up your sleeves, engage the creative mind, and get typing!		So in conclusion, while there are no rules for role-playing, there are generally accepted guidelines to help make role-playing a fun and rewarding experience for all participants. Roll up your sleeves, engage the creative mind, and get typing!

		+
		+	References:
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:26, 12 October 2012
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	Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.		Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.

−	Special thanks to LittleEvey!	+	<ref>Special thanks to LittleEvey!</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:26, 12 October 2012
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	{{TOC right}}		{{TOC right}}
−	~~<ref> Special thanks to LittleEvey </ref>~~ Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.	+	Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.
		+
		+	Special thanks to LittleEvey!

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 <ref> Special thanks to LittleEvey </ref> Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules for role-playing, but there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure the smooth juxtaposition of story lines from multiple parties. These guidelines fall into several categories to include point of view, tenses, setting the scene, and general tips. Let's start with point of view.
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 So in conclusion, while there are no rules for role-playing, there are generally accepted guidelines to help make role-playing a fun and rewarding experience for all participants. Roll up your sleeves, engage the creative mind, and get typing!
-{reflist}
+{{reflist}}