(If any mod reads this, I hope you sticky this in the RPing forum.)
Zardoch's Extensive Role-playing Guide
Introduction
Welcome to my extensive guide to role-playing. I’m your host, Gravis, and I’ll be revealing to you the secrets of role-playing and how to become a better role-player. There’s just one (actually many) thing(s) I’d like to say before starting.
[WARNING: DISCLAIMER]
Role-playing is two things: acting and writing. If all you’re looking for is to ‘just have fun’, this guide is not for you.
No, really, role-playing is serious business when it comes down to it. Do you know why? Because there is one thing all games should have and that is challenge.
If you’re simply wanting to **** around with friends and do a bunch of stupid shit, then you should either stop RPing or go RP where no one cares how terrible you are. Don’t get me wrong, ALL games are meant to be FUN, but NO game should be EASY. That’s the whole point of video games and role-playing as you play through the game facing many types of difficulty, and then finally beating a game knowing how hard you worked to get there. Yet for every untrained noob, their filthy hands cheapen it by cutting corners and taking shortcuts in order to get past the hardest parts of the journey, only ending up with a temporary satisfaction that leaves them feeling empty and bored. But because these kinds of people have become conditioned with never really having to do any of the work that is required to finish what they start, they never are able to enjoy what it means to be apart of a story that develops their characters and most of all, understand how joyful it is to RP with other people and help create a great story.
In other words, this quote in the movie Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (awesome movie btw) puts my point into perspective.
“Greed had burned a hole in their hearts that will never be filled. They will never have enough…”
This greed is their wish for the prize at the end of the maze without having to go through it. It has burned such a hole in their imaginations that cannot be cured by simply continuing to ‘just have fun’ without any of the work. It is that mentality that holds these people back and enslaves their ability to bring themselves to greater heights. For that, they will always be one stick short every…single…time…they use the excuse “I just want to have fun”.
In role-playing, to extend your imagination, to improve your ability to create, all of it takes work. Don’t want to work? Then why do you play video games, role-play or do anything that requires you to practice? Think about that.
Lastly, there’s one more thing I’d like to add to all of this.
Literary role-playing was created by people who love fiction, fantasy, and above all the books that made it possible. Even above that, however, was their love of the freedom their imagination gave them when they role-played together to create fantastic stories. That hasn’t changed when it comes to role-playing today. The only thing that has changed is these people have become rare among even in the most popular role-playing sites and more often then not, they are already gone after many years of trying to stick with it. Why have these great people and writers turned away from the very thing they’ve loved since before they can remember?
…You…
You ask to whom am I referring to when I say ‘you’?
Noobs, munchkins, fanboys, fangirls, wannabes, trolls, power gamers, god modders, meta gamers, and lastly, unmotivated brats who have nothing better to do than waste everyone’s time. The role-playing world has become LITTERED with these types of anti-role-playing vermin and with them they carry the black plague that destroyed the once beautiful world of fiction and imagination. That’s not even the worst part because while these rats roam free, the people who have the ability to do anything about it pander these pesky spoiled children, all the while making thousands of excuses all ending up with “Oh, they’ll learn”. Well, THEY HAVEN’T LEARNED AND THEY CONTINUE TO NOT LEARN ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT SUITS THEIR NEEDS OR COMFORTS!
Anyway, these incredible role-players who have sometimes even put their entire lives on hold to help create a fantastic story no longer can find the love they once had. Yet now because of those vermin, everything has become so cheap that role-playing has lost its value. To them, it was like watching a magnificent statue made of fine gold slowly rust into nothing over time. And then—POOF—the statue loses its beauty in the flash of an eye.
Lastly, and this is a fair warning for anyone who fits such descriptions: Stop—reading—this—guide. If you are unwilling to learn how to write and work at this great game we call role-playing, there is no point for any of you to continue. In fact, run…run far away. For I am the Angel of Death and when you look upon me as you take one step into my realm, nothing will keep me from making you cry and suffer.
[END DISCLAIMER]
Chapter 1: Writing
I'm going to make this short. Role-playing is based upon acting and writing, and writing takes knowledge of grammar and spelling. The more you know about writing, the better you can create a unique writing style that people enjoy when you make a post in an RP. You don't have to be a writer who slumps dozens of paragraphs together, but a basic knowledge is necessary to role-play with other people. In fact, you should practice writing whenever you can or at least role-play a lot if you're not a writer. For example, here are some links to better help you understand grammar.
Guide to Grammar and Writing
How to Use English Punctuation Correctly - wikiHow
Also, the acting part is essentially the definition of ‘role-playing’. You are playing a role in a story under the mask of a character that interacts with others. But remember, acting takes the understanding of emotions, so the better you master emotions, the easier it will to act efficiently in character.
DragonHeart's guide has similar tips and more links if you need them.
P.S. - Try to expand your vocabulary. Not in a sense that you need to know a lot of big words, but knowing a lot of different words that have the same meaning can help quite a bit. Shit, I always have dictionary.com and thesaurus.com in my firefox tabs whenever I write in anything. It's easier than looking through an actual dictionary.
Section A of Chapter 1: Flow
- This is just going to be a short discussion, but I’d like to point out one of the most important things ALL writers and role-players must understand. YOU NEED FLOW! What is flow you ask? It’s how well your writing reads to the person reading it. Writing that has great flow is easy on the eyes, can be read easily, and can even make 10 paragraphs feel like 2 (think Loco said that once, lol).
So how do you know your writing has flow? Read it to yourself! Whenever you are done with a post, read it out loud and see if it reads smoothly or all cut up and edgy. Smooth flow is one of the keys to successive writing.
This also reminds me of one other thing. Write your post in Word programs. It is very wise to write up a post you’re going to post in an RP on a forum before doing so. This assures that if you hit enter, you won’t have to go back a million times to edit something you missed. The idea is that your post is a rough draft and you need to proofread it before posting it. This includes seeing if it flows well and finding grammatical mistakes. Spellcheck is great too.
Chapter 2: Practicing RPing and your Writing
Alright, so what’s the best way to practice RPing? Since you’re probably new, getting into RPing can be a bit overwhelming since you don’t know where to go or what to post. Well, I’ll try to help you as best as I can.
Honestly, in the easiest way I can put it, practicing is best done with one other person. This means RPing just between you and a friend (one on one). This is best because it will help you get a feel for RPing and since there’s only one person, you don’t have to remember every little detail of this and that. Furthermore, if you’re RPing with someone who is more skilled at writing, they can help you advance your writing as they give you tips along the way.
Also, make sure to not just make short post or get into a dialogue because if your RP becomes nothing more than two people talking to one another, this can disrupt the flow of the RP and doesn’t really keep the story rolling. Try to balance out the dialogue and the action. Being very creative with your descriptions of things can also help, but don’t go overboard. The idea is to create a smooth flow that is not only fun, but also something you can learn from.
Next, when you’ve settled into RPing you’re going to want to graduate from the small RP to a bigger one with more people. This can be a daunting task, so I suggest reading Section A of the next chapter.
There’s also one thing that as I said, really helped me develop my abilities and that is RPBs. Role-play battling can be a very important factor and sometimes even quicker in improving your writing, descriptions, and ability to interact with people. With no real story behind an RPB, you’re focus will be to outsmart your opponent and since most RPs do have a good portion of moments where there is action, knowing how to fight is an advantage. That is if you’re character is a fighter because sometimes it might be better to create a normal character that has no training. In most cases, people do have training in some form of fighting. I’ll get into this in Chapter 4 since RPBs are no simple thing.
Section A of Chapter 2: Finding your Creativity
- When it comes to artistic people, they all usually have a sense of creativity that makes them unique in whether they paint, draw, write, sing, or play music. This creativity is their core foundation that gives them the will to create the things they do and the same can the said about RPing. RPing takes a certain amount of creativity as well, just like athleticism is needed for people who play sports. So for you (the reader) to write or role-play, there needs to be that spark of ingenuity that only you can burst into a flame of uniqueness.
For example, one thing I’m very good at is creating completely original characters, weapons, and just about anything seen in RPing/RPBs. The TFF member Sinister put it best in that this ability is like writing synthesis where you take two subjects / objects and mix them together to make something unique in itself. Like in FF9 where you go to this specific blacksmith and he can create stronger weapons or armor using weapons and armor you already have (i.e. synthesizing). This is apart of my creativity that makes me unique in the RPing world and so for you, the person reading this and wanting to become a skilled role-player, you need to find your gift. That’s the whole point of Section A of C2 in that if you want to ascend to that level, you must search yourself for that one thing that makes your writing and your role-playing stand out. Once you found it, you can begin building your mountain.
Chapter 3: Building a Character
Now, when you at least know the basics of writing, the one thing you're going to need most is a creative imagination. This usually stems from your experiences with final fantasy or maybe even comics and popular books like Harry Potter. That’s great and all, but what makes role-playing great is working with OTHER people's imaginations to make role-playing even more unique. So you really want to do a lot of research on the things you love and role-playing itself. Read as much as you can (this goes for writers too), and never conform yourself to the cliché unless you're really good. This usually begins when you create a character for a role-play and I have to tell you, this should be one of the most important parts you will want to work at down to the greatest detail.
When creating a character, there are many factors you'll need to consider.
First, what setting is the role-play in? Once that's figured out, you can find a basis for your character.
Second, what kind of technology does this setting have? Understanding the technology of a specific setting is very important as the more you know or figure out about the setting, the more creative you can be when your character is finished.
Third, what is the character's personality? Simple labels like warriors, knights, mages, or even knight mages will give you a foundation for what kind of character this is going to be. Once you have that, creating a unique personality can be fun as you take the basic ideas of what something or someone is and then mix it together with your own personality. Most people's characters are, in a way, reminiscent of themselves. In fact, I recommend you base part of the personality on yourself, as it will make it easier to describe who this person is.
NOTE: Do not create cookie-cutter personalities. What is cookie cutter? Copying a personality like Cloud (FF7), Garnet (FF9), or any other one-dimensional (personality-wise) characters that are very dull in the FF world. Unless you’re acting ability is outstanding, try to make it interesting.
Fourth, put together an appearance. Don't just look at some awesome looking anime/video game character and say, 'I want my guy to look like that', but actually sit there and think of what kind of details this character is going to have. Again, you'll want to mix things up to paint a description that people will like and you like.
Fifthly, create any weapons, armor, or regular items your character is going to have. A good amount of time in role-playing is spent within a fight or some sort of confrontation so having a weapon and some armor will definitely help.
This actually ties in with my second point of understanding the technology because when you create weapon/armor/items, it has to be from the setting of the role-play. Despite that, you can do many creative things by researching weapons and how to use them like creating an ancient flamethrower or a sword that acts like a crossbow. This also means you should have a knowledge of how to fight, so taking some lessons in RPB (role-play battling) is important. RPBs are in the end like chess. The better you are at it, the smarter you role-play (and fight) and the more interesting things can become in regular role-plays.
Sixthly, now come your character's abilities. This also takes some decent knowledge of RPB's because knowing what your character can and can't do will allow things to add a realistic flavor to the mix. Think of creating a character like creating something for Stan Lee in X-Men and your character is some great mutant who can do something no one else can. Of course, be sure to limit your power because no one likes a noob who tries to go overboard with power.
Lastly, write the biography. I always save the biography last because after I'm done with my character, it makes it easier to create a history for my character that's a little more complete. I mean if you write a history then later add a sword to him, you're going to have to explain how you got that sword. Save the best for last. Also, if you're creating a character for an RPB, leave out the history. You can create a biography, but when it comes to RPB's, biographies are generally useless unless you're going to make an RP out of the fight.
Section A of Chapter 3: Knowing what to do
- Once you've finished with a character, you're going to want to act with him/her, right? Well, getting into a role-play isn't as easy as it use to be. Simply jumping into an RP and hoping someone will pay attention to you usually doesn't give anyone good results. So when you're done with a character for an RP, FIND A BUDDY!
What I mean is it's important to partner up with people in RPs because then it'll make it easier for both of you to interact and thus expand the RP, but also interact with everyone else who's joined the RP. It gives you a starting point as you can plan out what you want to do with your buddy. It's also wise to partner up with someone who has a character who would react well with your character. A thief and a goodie-two-shoe knight aren’t going to work together well, though two skilled RPers can make it interesting.
So the point to this chapter is INTERACTION because without it, nothing happens. INTERACTION is the key to the doorway of all successful role-playing. Don't ever play it solo or my foot will go up your ass.
Chapter 4: Role-Play Battling!
RPBs take a certain understanding for most people. Honestly, anyone can RPB, even people who are not generally inept with martial arts or any basic training.
The advantage here is that most battles are generally beyond the mundane laws of reality. From fireballs to telekinetic powers, most action is done with superhuman beings that can bend the laws of physics. There are even certain types of RPBs such as low-level fighting (e.g. Street Fighter), average level (e.g. Final Fantasy--Cloud vs Sephiroth), and then uber level (e.g. Dragon Ball Z). For the most part, battles lean in-between low to mid level abilities.
Now, as a beginner you’ll no doubt try to copy your favorite warrior-like characters from an anime of final fantasy and then go straight to uber level fighting. This is the wrong approach. For most new fighters, you’ll need to find a teacher who specifies in RPBs and can help you around the ropes.
To begin with you need a fairly decent writing ability and a focus to write clearly. One of the most important things for ANY fighter is that whenever they describe their actions, it must be clear enough to read! That’s one of the first things you should work on.
Another thing that’s very important is actually understanding some level of physics. Most of the time, two veteran fighters know exactly what kind of power and speed is going to be seen and used. It’s instinctual, but for newbies, you have to pay attention to what kind of characters both you and your opponent have. Specifically, if you’re more of a speed and agility fighter, you’re generally going to be as fast as let’s say a thief.
So for an example, you’re fighting the heavy armored Steiner as Zidane. You’re goal will be able to find the weak spots in his armor and wear him out. At the same time, you have to realize that if he is able to hit you, it’s—going—to—hurt. Zidane has no armor. This means there's also a greater sense of realism too since two people don’t just trade off hits. If a sword cuts at the back of your thigh, you’re not going to be able to run or dodge as effectively.
One of the last things I’ll make note of is RPBs is not just a battle, it’s a form of writing. This means you have to describe almost everything using your preferred writing style in detail. Not like how your hair or cape blows in the wind or how shiny the sun reflects off your sword, but details that are both important and beautiful. This is how some people are able to write huge post filled with so many paragraphs. You’re goal here, however, is to not write as many paragraphs as you can. Just simply write as well as you can while describing almost every detail. This also ensures the other person understands you much clearer while appreciating the art.
Section A of Chapter 4: Research how to fight!
- While most people don’t really know martial arts, it’s good to at least get an understanding of how martial arts works. One thing I do is watch experts on youtube who upload videos of techniques on martial arts. They even upload some advanced techniques too. All in all, understanding the basics will help you in RPBs.
Don’t forget, weaponry is martial arts too. So understanding how to use a weapon (i.e. sword) is important too.
Section B of Chapter 4: Weapons, Armor, and other Items
- Being that I’m an expert myself when it comes to weapons, armor, and miscellaneous items, here is a section that will help you develop your own items for your characters.
First, however, you need to know your characters limits. It’s fairly obvious to figure out whether or not your character is built for this or that weapon. Once you’ve established that, it makes it easier to decide.
For weapons, depending on the type of setting for an RP, you’ll want to be creative. Weapons are meant to have an advantage in battle, so your sword shouldn’t just be able to stab or slice. Nor should you just make some elemental weapon that can shoot lightning or whatever.
You should also take into account what type of what weapon you want to use. For example, there are long swords, broad swords, short swords, and other various types. This goes for all other types of weapons too. If you don’t want a simple sword, making a new type is completely a sane thing to do. Above all, don’t make something too powerful.
As for armor, researching that is important too. Chain-mail protects you from slicing weapons, pads can protect smaller parts of your body, or knight armor can protect most of your body while slowing you down. Mostly understand that whatever kind of armor you use, be sure your character can wear it effectively.
Lastly, items like potions, food, or clothing is usually completely optional. Though healing items are banned for the most part, having other things for your journeys in RPing is great. You don’t need any when it comes to RPBs themselves, but there are certain things that can be important. Like having a ring that enhances your strength or speed. Smaller items like such is something that can overall help give you an edge in battle. Just don’t go overboard.
Oh, and don’t forget to look at my munchkin list in the Role-Play Battling forum to find out what not to do in any RPB.
Chapter 5: Munchkin List – RP Version: What not to do in an RP
If you’ve read the munchkin list in the RPB forum, you’ll have a pretty good idea what not to do in a battle. However, a lot of newbs would probably like to know what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable in an RP. Below is a list of all the types of things and/or people we generally hate.
The people who create characters who are no more than a clone of a movie / video game / anime character. (Doppelgangers)
The people who force themselves into an RP and try to take over. (Mad Scientist)
The people who can’t describe anything in more than a few sentences. (One-liners)
The people who jump into an RP without reading or understand the genre or setting of the RP. (Tourist)
The people who decide to do things themselves without really adding anything to the RP. (Lone wolves)
The people who tend to use asterisks to mark their actions instead of giving descriptions. (Gaia Locals)
The people that have no depth to their personality (Mary Sues, Goodie-Two-Shoes, etc.)
NOTE: I may and probably will add more in the future.
Now, to further explain each type of RPer you do not want to imitate, we’re going to have RPer A, what kind of RPer we suspect, and then RPer B the noob.
Doppelgangers
RPer A: My character is a hero who swerves in-between good and evil as I fight both temptations while living life at the tip of a sword everyday.
RPer B: My character has, um, blonde spiky hair, carries a big sword, and—um—has a deep troubled past that I forgot, lol! DID I MENTION I HAVE A DEAD GIRLFRIEND?!
Mad Scientist
RPer A: I will do my best to work with everyone in the RP, particularly the people who interact with my character.
RPer B: My character is the only important character in this story and this tale isn’t big enough for the two (or more) of us. –god mods and kills anyone who resist-.
One Liners
RPer A: –writes a couple of paragraphs in detail about his/her actions, the setting, and what interactions he/she has with other people- (I don’t feel like writing a couple paragraphs for this, lol)
RPer B: “So like where is your character going?” *sits on rock wagging retarded-looking fox tail (<--entire post)
Tourist
RPer A: After reading the RP information thread and talking to a few people, I shall now write an informed introduction!
RPer B: -in wannabe emo samurai gear- “Hey,” –swishes hair-, “where can I—like—play the mysterious sword dude?” –suddenly gets crushed by a mecha’s foot-
Lone Wolves
RPer A: Refer to RPer A of Mad Scientist.
RPer B: With a Vincent-imitating dark warrior, I slide myself into a tale of heroism…without talking to anyone and doing whatever I please, even if it screws up the RP. I—AM—BATMAN!
Gaia Locals (refer to most people on gaiaonline.com)
RPer A: Refer to RPer A of One Liners.
RPer B: *swings sword at U!* “DIEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!!!!!!11111111oneoneoneoneone
Mary Sue—Goodie Two Shoes—Etc
RPer A: Refer to RPer A of Doppelgangers.
RPer B: “Teehee, I’m a princess from some rich kingdom coming to join your gang to save the world AND SAVE EVERYBODY! I HATES PEOPLE DYING!” / or / (insert line from Steiner)
Anyway, those are simple, yet straightforward examples of what kind of RPers we both accept and don’t accept. You can get a gist of the idea when it comes to role-playing too in that interaction is important and having cookie-cutter characters only hurt your improvement as well as the RP itself, though an experienced veteran can use a cliché in an original manner.
Closing Statement
When it comes to role-playing in this day and age, most of the time you’ll honestly find yourself in some sort of disappointment. Whether it’s for yourself or the people around you, modern RPing has lost a lot of steam that made it very exciting back in the day. What I’d like to expand on in my closing argument, however, is the one theme I’ve had this entire guide: interaction and communication are the most important keys in RPing. This is one thing you must burn into your very bones until it is almost second nature because without these two things, RPing wouldn’t exist. You must interact with other characters and you must communicate with the people who are using those characters. It’s fundamental. And so every time you step onto this field of acting, take a good look around and think to yourself, ‘What can I do to make RPing better?’
In the end, it all comes down to the forming of bonds with your RP mates. One of the only reasons true RPing has survived for as long as it has is because a certain type of people have said no to commercialization and stuck together to keep it real. Even when these people who never knew each other came together, they understood who they were dealing with and gained respect for their ability to contribute and create. Someone like Andromeda here on TFF who has worked very hard and been apart of a lot of things over many years. His dedication is one reason why I do what I do.
Still today that kind of professionalism, that kind of motivation is a small flicker of light in the eyes of many people such as myself. I don’t know how many times I’ve quit telling myself, ‘I’ll never come back! RPing is dead!’ and yet here I am writing a guide and working on a major project for TFF itself. And again, nearly everyday I just feel so waned and worn from being someone who tries so hard to revive what I feel is lost. I look around and see an industry profiting from the young minds of so many people who have potential to become apart of something greater than a number, and yet they skip on by not even realizing what their doing or even why. To them it’s simply a hobby of sociality where they put on a mask and talk to people they like, having no room for a story. Most of them don’t even read and even when they do, they only have read Harry Potter, or Twilight, or Anne Rice. Ultimately, these people have forgotten why RPing was born from the depths of imagination or even what inspirited those minds to create what they did.
And now I come to you, whoever is reading this and is preferably new to RPing and wanting to better themselves, to step out of the box. Remove your mind from the cubical. Put yourself into a new pair of shoes and walk in a light that is more real than anything you have experienced within the current RPing world. Take a moment to feel that mental sweat that is found when you work with your imagination, and then take a moment to enjoy a group of fellow RPers who make you feel special when you run through a journey and are rewarded with a tale that is only found in books. Not because you killed the villain or saved a world, but because you helped your friends destroy a villain and saved the world.
You know, that is the one redeeming thing everyone feels when they beat a Final Fantasy game and then taste the accomplishment and emotions from the heroes. They suddenly realized how much time and effort they gave to this video game in order to come out on top, all the while caring about these fictional beings that they walked every inch of the way to make sure they completed their goal. They dove into the story, they watched battle after battle of these heroes push further towards the end, and then they sat the controller down and watched it all unfold. To me, this is why I became a role-player.
In fact, in my beginning, it was one similar realization that brought me forth into RPing. I was playing text-based games with friends where I’d go into a chatroom, create a character, and then fight monsters. Then a ref would take my stats and the monsters stats and tell me how much damage I did; it was basic stuff. It was when I felt the urge to instead of just saying “Attack”, I wrote a small paragraph of my character attacking the monster. It was so strange to me at first because all that happened was the ref ignored it and typed how much damage I did. And yet in that one moment I felt like it was more than just some basic form of D&D. I eventually found my first RPing forum where I quickly jumped into this small community of people who taught me how to RP, fight, and write. So finally, you (the newb), I want you to think about this the next time you practice role-playing or even think about writing.
Basically, every role-play is an adventure like Final Fantasy where you and a group of people come together to learn about why evil is in the world and what you can do to stop it. And then I want you to empower yourself with this feeling and try your best to help your role-playing mates or friends when you pick up your sword or rod or gun, to figure out your goal and march towards it. Forget about looking or sounding cool. Forget about trying to satisfy your needs. Find your heart and your imagination and then use it. Role-playing is about what you do with your friends and how you do it. Don’t ever forget that.
Thank you.
NOTE: I may and probably will edit or add more chapters in the future! Deal with it.
Originally Posted by from the CPC8
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