As the thread title says, I'm new to RP, and though I might like to give it a shot, I'm a little intimidated. I'm hoping to gather some tips and answers to a few questions I have about RP in general. Ideally, this thread will also serve to break the ice for others like myself.
Any general tips or advice would be appreciated in addition to any answers to the below questions. Thanks!
[b]Open vs. Closed RP[/b]
This almost seems self-explanatory, but just so I'm clear, I assume that an open RP is one in which anyone may join while a closed RP is restricted to a predetermined set of characters. I've seen a few recruitment threads for closed RP's, so this seems about right. Am I on the mark?
[b]OOC Threads[/b]
These threads appear to be meta discussions about the characters and events happening in the associated RP thread. Seems pretty straightforward, but not every RP seems to have one. Is there any reason why an OOC thread may or may not exist for a given RP? Also, when should (( OOC text )) be used, if at all, instead of a dedicated OOC thread?
[b]Latecomers[/b]
Some of these RP's seem pretty interesting, but many are already pretty far along. For open RP's, are latecomers generally welcome to join? To me, it almost seems like a faux pas to barge in after the ball is already rolling. I might not mind joining an active RP, but I don't want to be "that guy."
[b]Background[/b]
Is it generally expected that you have a complete character already prepped to join an RP, or is it OK to develop a character concept during the course of an RP? The latter seems like an interesting idea at first blush, but not if it's a hindrance to other players or is seen as a sloppy excuse for being lazy about one's characters.
[b]Taking the Fall[/b]
While no character should be invincible, a player may not necessarily want their character killed or otherwise removed from the story. This seems like a tricky predicament for players, especially villains. How are stories typically expected to be resolved if there's an understanding that no character will ever be permanently defeated? Or do some players submit characters to the story who are meant to be killed off?
[b]Inactivity[/b]
Is it frowned upon if you don't give any input for a long period of time? I'd feel awful if the story couldn't progress because I'm not able to immediately participate for whatever reason. Still, real life can intervene at any time, so I imagine this must be tolerated to some extent.
Open v. Closed: Spot on.
OOC threads get made when someone thinks an ooc tag wouldn't be appropriate, or would get confusing.
Latecomers: When in doubt, ask. ^_^
Background: If you have backstory for your character, feel free to post it. Otherwise, I'll assume it's someone about whom little is known.
Taking the fall: It's up to the player. We should only be posting what we do, not what effect this has on other players' characters. Be as honest as you can. Try to avoid "god-mode" as much as possible.
Inactivity: Life happens, and it trumps RP. Warn us if you can, and let us know when you're back.
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
A little more clarification (and some personal opinion):
For Players and Game Masters
Unless you are editing a thread because of a spelling mistake, try to avoid major changes once someone has replied to your post.
For Players
If you want to remain mysterious, very little background is needed. One idea is to create a bio for your character and expand upon it as more and more becomes known about your character.
If the players in a thread are currently involved in a situation where it would be inappropriate for your character to just "show up", it would probably be a good idea to let whomever is running the thread know that you wanted to join, they may even be able to fit you into the current scenario more fluidly than you would have been able to do yourself.
If you don't have a full background ready, but are interested in getting started in an RP, try to remain consistent in your actions; if your character has been playing as a speedster for the last week, and suddenly develops the ability to breath underwater, you'd better have a good explanation or your going to start drowning.
Character Abilities
This is the trickiest part of a character. Because we are not confined behind the rules inherent to a game, our imagination is the limit on what we can do. Foradain mentioned "god-mode" and this can be particularly difficult to avoid with such an open ended situation. Put limits on what your character can do. This may seem odd, but if your character has no upper limit to their abilities, it can radically imbalance the game.
This is especially true for magic type characters. Given that magic can do anything, try to steer clear of a character that has made themselves magically invincible, remains constantly undetectable, warps reality, and can set off magical nukes that level several city blocks, all without any effort.
One special note when jumping into a game, is to make the character you want to create, don't make a character that is specifically designed to trump whatever encounter is going on.
AVOID CHARACTERS THAT MIND CONTROL OTHER PLAYERS!!! Nobody likes this character. It's a neat concept, but if your character starts messing with a players perceptions or actions, you are going to make a lot of people angry. Illusions are one thing, if they are done correctly, but if you don't give a player or NPC any way to see through them, you've entered into "god-mode".
For Game Masters
Game Masters vs the OOC thread: If you are running an OOC thread along with your RP, try not to use knowledge from one thread to affect the other. Be watchful for players that try and take advantage of the situation provided in the thread as well.
Game Master Characters: If you have created a character to run in your own campaign, be as fair as possible. If every goon is shooting at your group, your character is going to take shots as well. Likewise, remember that there is a difference between what you know and what your character knows. If your character goes to the bank every Tuesday, and its robbed on Thursday, your hero shouldn't "just happen" to be in the bank at that time.
Game Master vs. Characters: Your players are the main characters in the story. You are merely there to provide background. If you want to create a powerful NPC or two, that's fine, but give the players a fair shot at defeating them, don't just take everything the group does with a shrug and an "oh well, it didn't really hurt him". You want the situation to be challenging, not frustrating.
Don't abuse character flaws. You want situations involving character flaws to come up, but don't keep pounding characters over the head with their flaws. This is especially true if an NPC you have created abuses the character's flaws so completely they feel that they can do nothing other than walk away from your RP. Nothing is more frustrating to a player than the feeling that the Game Master is bullying their character.
READ THE THREAD!!! As a game master, you probably have some idea of what you want to happen, but if the events you describe don't coincide with what the player has done -- perhaps they punched a hole through a wall instead of using the door -- you will create inconsistencies that may be hard to reconcile.
NEWBIE! Welcome! Please can I get you a drink? Something to eat?
Anyway you seem to grasp the basics. Background not as needed as one might expect. I come up with ideas all the time and some don't have any bio's written up. Half the time is because I'm learning the character as well. David in the Whitehold RP for example is new no bio. Just the basic idea of a guy who's imagination can manifest in reality, not just illusions but constructs like a Green Lantern Energy constructs. So if you don't have a bio written down no problem, like Foradain said be consistent. It's fine to make stuff up, once it's made up make sure that stuff sticks! (insert S word for stuff in that sentence it still works).
It's considered bad form to post what happens to someone. There a big difference between *Punches Foradain's in the nose* and *Throws a punch for Foradain's nose*. The first has you dictating what's happens. The second gives Foradain a chance to react.
The opposite is also true it's considered bad form for your character to not be hurt by anything. The "GODMODE" using the punch from before and Foradain comes out and says "HA that punch bounces off my forcefield that I put up just in time." would be godmodding at no time before hand would there be mentioned of a Forcefield or it's activation.
Like Lost_in_Thought said having Godlike abilities in a Superhero context isn't unheard of. Just try to balance them with flaws and weaknesses. Superman known to be one of the most powerful superheroes. Kryptonite is well known weakness, a lesser known weakness is normal human level resistance to magic. It's a fun game trying to think of ways to turn what others would take as an advantage and figuring out disadvantages for them. My Character Rotten Luck is immortal he can't die, some would think that a plus. Well when he gets to the point where he normally would die he blacks out and goes insane. Only to come back mentally after he ate something it doesn't matter what as long as it meat, human included. Another way is trying to struggle with to much power, random destruction by mistake, powers going off on their own.
Personality flaws can help enhance a character. The Superhero who does want to do good but also a jerk is common. (See Captain Hammer in Doctor Horrible's singalong blog.)
NEW COMERS ARE VERY WELCOMED!
Sometime a new player entering the RP can bring life to a thread that fizzled out. So new ideas and thoughts always a good thing.
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Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
Yes backgrounds are not necessarily needed if you had a base concept already down. My first RP character ever (Sebastian Greene) had no actual backstory for the longest time, just little side notes. What you do no need to do is post those concept ideas in the OOC threads so fellow RP players could know ahead of time.
And yes godmode-ing is indeed something to look out for as it is a very easy pitfall to fall in in especially with magic characters or characters that have some form of invulnerability. If you want your character to do something drastic in a specific situation then I would let others know in the OOC thread and then give your character big consequences for that drastic action thereafter. That would clear up any possible threat of godmode-ing.
Formerly known as Bleddyn
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WCqnt88Umk]Do you want to be a hero?[/url]
[url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/nyktoss-character-cove] My characters [/url]
Thanks for your replies, everyone! I'm still thinking about where to start, but all of this advice helps a lot. Most importantly, this...
...gives me the warm fuzzies. Not that I had any doubts about the community whatsoever, but it feels good to know that everyone here is welcoming to newbies in what I might consider to be a niche activity with unique manners and conventions. I guess I'm most afraid of making a misstep somewhere along the line, but I think I can get over it.
Anyways, I don't want to stop the thread here. I'd like to keep it alive to collect additional support and information for myself and others who stumble into these parts. So...
[b]Swearing[/b]
Any big no-nos here? I personally use clean language, but I'm not a total prude. I might be inclined to sprinkle a coarse word or two into my dialogue if it suits the character, but I wouldn't want to offend anyone if folks are particularly sensitive around here.
[b]Selfish Goals[/b]
Does it ever occur that characters in an RP have their own independent goals? It seems like most RP's start with a specific situation or setting, and I would guess that characters of a common alignment should be "in it together" more or less.
Of course I ask because I have a character who came to Titan City for a specific reason, and while I would gladly put her in situations with other characters, it wouldn't make sense for her to join a conflict out of sheer benevolence or heroism because she's not really a "hero" yet. I'd most likely want to introduce her as crossing paths with others if that sort of thing is acceptable. And helpful as she may be, her heart is set on a very personal mission.
[b]Gender[/b]
I'm a dude and one of my main characters is not. I hope that's OK. I don't want to make it weird.
If this was a problem for anyone, I really wish they had let me know. I'm a guy, and so are a few of my characters. ^_^
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
I'd say, quite often. Even setting aside obvious Hero v. Villain conflicts. Usually heroic types will set aside their differences for the greater good, but sometimes they'll disagree on what that is. Villains even more so.
Also, some threads seem to be intended to have folks with different goals interacting...
Foradain, Mage of Phoenix Rising.
[url=https://cityoftitans.com/forum/foradains-character-conclave]Foradain's Character Conclave[/url]
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Avatar courtesy of [s]Satellite9[/s] [url=https://www.instagram.com/irezoomie/]Irezoomie[/url]
Swearing we try to keep it clean. More due to the rules of the forums i think then an unified goal. Unlike a chat room or in game RP these are long term and can be good reading so we do try to be aware of that. Lighter on the language, violence, and sex. These are public and misuse of the forums can get you banned not by us but by the Moderators. Yeah I know it's a bunch of $@&%. Notice in the other post I used stuff instead of another S word.
Write for your character if it has selfish goals, go for it. If that character willing to set something aside for a greater goal go for it. I never had fun trying to force a character in a direction that he/she/it wouldn't normally take.
I'm with Foradain I play what makes sense for the character Male, Female, being of undefined gender, or even both. Unknown is a shapeshifter and has both Male and Female forms. No problem for me playing a gender other than my own.
First and foremost HAVE FUN. If Rp not enjoyable something is wrong. Don't get stressed if things aren't going as expected like my personal rules say... 1.) Nothing goes as planned. 2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
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Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP
I don't really find swearing in RP all that troubling. After all, it's out characters responding to something, not us.
But swearing OOC is a different thing, especially if directed at another person.
I don't exactly remember, but i think I've said 'shit' in a few of my OOC posts, but I have changed, [s]i swear[/s]. I mean, i don't swear anymore.
[b]Selfish Goals:[/b] Absolutely! As long as it is in-character. Explaining the goal in the OOC channel is almost always helpful so that the other *players* can react accordingly. Players just need to be sensitive to letting each other have the spotlight and sharing the attention.
[b]Gender:[/b] *snicker* Yeah, lots of variations and personal player preferences. Player gender and character gender (and orientation) do not necessarily have anything to do with each other.
[b]Profanity:[/b] I would say that we keep an All Audiences-tending-to-Teen rating. I think that matches the forum rules.
Also, [b]Welcome![/b] Good to see you here!
A Wing and a Prayer, A Strong, Strong Wind, All Forests are One, Power Struggles - Venture City metahuman novels in the spirit of City of Heroes and other comic book superhero fiction. (http://bit.ly/sdpbooks)
I reckon I should poke my head in here to at least say hello. As you can see, the name's Xselcier, but most folks just call me X. I guess I'm the old man around these parts since I was the one that really got RP rolling here with [url=http://cityoftitans.com/forum/patrol-rp]On Patrol[/url].
*peers at the date of On Patrol* Oi, few more months and it'll have been two years. Yeesh.
Anywho, looks like there isn't much more to say that this pack of miscreants hasn't already covered, so... welcome to the Madhouse!
[color=#FF7F50]Putting yourself in another persons shoes emotionally is something that everyone has to experience eventually. It's part of learning to be a human being. Roleplayers do it for fun.[/color]