Stryfe's Guide to Role-Playing

[Stryfe]

This guide is unfinished and most likely to be edited from here on out. Enjoy, though.

Role-Playing: The basics
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Table of contents:
I. Welcome
II. Introduction
III. Role-Playing Definitions/Grammar
IV. Anatomy of a Role-Play
- Plotline
- Detail
- Characters
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I. Welcome:<o></o>
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First off, welcome to the Role-Playing section. Here is where you can bring your dreams to life, the feel for writing, and be in a world full of your favorite characters. Now, as of that, I welcome you to role-playing at FFF. Let’s get on to the guide, shall we?
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II. Introduction:<o></o>
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Now, this is the RP section, or better known as the Role-Play section. I am sure you have been to many forums and have heard of this marvelous section. However, the question remains, what is role-playing? It’s quite simple, actually. It’s where you make a character or play one out in literacy form. NO WAI. Yea, that’s basically what there is to Role-Playing.
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Now, when I mentioned the word character above, what do I mean? Pick someone, anyone. Yes, that’s a character. Think outside the box, and if you can’t, then maybe role-playing isn’t for you. What I mean by thinking out of the box is creating a character. Yes, that’s the beauty. You can create your own personal character to battle the heartless, minions, or other players. This is also known as originality. In essence, who do you want to be?
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Now, if you want to act someone out, there’s something you got to know first: Literacy. Yes, this basic concept makes it known to everyone what you’re trying to say. Grammar is the utmost importance in this section. The RP section is so vast that you may be swarmed with what-to-do. That’s why you need literacy. You need to explain what you’re doing so other people don’t get swarmed and confused. On top of that, you need creativity and such to stand out. So, without grammar and creativity, you are nothing and considered a n00b.
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With that, don’t expect your RP to kick off the ground immediately, either. You need to work at it constantly to attract people. Not everyone may have the same interest as you, so you just got to start changing things in minor detail as well. Secondly, it also needs the essentials as seen above. Let’s recap, though. What are the essentials?
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-Creativity
-Grammar and Literacy
-Originality
-A good idea
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Now, to finish things up for clarity, we will not be working on originality. That’s YOUR department. I can’t dictate what you think.
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III. Role-Playing Definitions/Grammar<o></o>
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Definitions:

• Role-playing - Playing a character in reality or in writing.
• God-moding - Turning a character so invincible that they can kill everything with one shot or can take no hits.
• Power-playing - Taking control of another character, even if it’s for a moment. [This could be in fights, just doing actions, ANYTHING.]
• Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu - A guy [Gary-Stu] or girl [Mary-Sue] character that is popular, has special gifts, anything that is basically what you want where there are no flaws.
• Canon Character - A character that is from a video game, movie, TV show, anything.
• Original Character - A character that you created to use in a Role-play. [These are sometimes called "made-up" characters.]
• Literacy - Using correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, and the like.
• Literate – A person who uses literacy.

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Abbreviations:

• RP – Role-Play
• RPing – Role-Playing
• RPer – Role-Player
• OOC: Out of character. Used after you write your RP post to show you are speaking out of context. [“( )” , “[ ]” , “{ }” also work]
• IC: In character. Your basic RP post

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Yes, there are a lot of definitions and this is the most commonly used ones! There’s more, but you don’t need to memorize them. This will just be stuck in your head over time.
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On to the grammar portion:
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(This portion is copied by the infamous Zetsumi from KHI. Not my work, but he is a genius at this sort of thing)

The use of paragraphs is something that not everyone understands entirely, and even fewer people use properly, especially in regard to role-play. In the Rules, a paragraph is described as 'Five sentences or more'. I'm here to tell you that this is complete and utter [expletive]!

A paragraph can range in length from a single sentence response to a page-spanning article, and there's no set limit to the length. The only true limit on a paragraph's length is how much you feel inclined to type.

Each paragraph should revolve or centre on a single idea or concept. A new concept is a new paragraph, and sometimes it's hard to tell one idea from another, especially in role-play. One method is to separate your posts by action and inaction, for example, if your character performs an action, and then reflects upon this action, the action itself should be a separate paragraph to the thought process. You can see an example of this simply by observing this passage. When I was talking about the length of a paragraph, it was a separate passage to when I began talking about how it should focus on a single concept. Displayed below is a graphical representation.

(1st Idea or Character Action)
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(2nd Idea or Character Thought)
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Punctuation

Many role-players are deemed 'n00bs' or 'illiterate' simply because their posts are difficult to read due to punctuation errors. Simply by correcting your punctuation, you can make yourself seem a much better role-player. I'll list several of the common mistakes.


Capital Letters
One of the most abused functions of the modern keyboard: The Caps Lock key. In my experience, role-players either over capitalise or under capitalise, detracting from their role-play.
Several basic rules of capitalization follow.

Capital letters are used at the start of a sentence:

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Capital letters are used to denote names or titles:

The quick brown Fox jumped over the lazy Dog
(Assuming that the fox's name is Fox, and the dog's name is Dog)

Capital letters are used to denote places or important words:

The quick brown fox lived in England, which is ruled by a King.


Capital letters are not used to denote shouting or the like:

"THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY DOG."

Instead, create something like this:

"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog!" shouted Zetsumi.


Full Stops:

Full stops are used at the end of a sentence. They denote that the sentence has finished, and that the reader should take a pause. Every time you read something in your head, and pause before starting the next sentence, that is where you need to place a full stop in your text. After a full stop, you may put one or two spaces. I, out of habit, use two spaces, but the choice is really yours.


Commas:
A comma is used to denote a pause mid-sentence. Use one if you feel that you would pause in that place while speaking it, or before such words as 'or'. They can also be used to separate items in lists.


Apostrophes:
An Apostrophe is used in several situations, two of the main ones being it's use to demonstrate a conjunction (he's, she's, won't), and the other being a herald of ownership, eg: Zetsumi's Guide to Grammar
Usually in this circumstance, the apostrophe would be placed before the S, however, in some circumstances this isn't possible. Take for example the username Morpheaus. Morpheaus ends in an S, so if we were to talk about something he's done, how would we use an apostrophe to show ownership?
Would we use something such as: Morpheaus's Roleplaying Rules?
In a situation where the object or person who is the owner of the subject's name ends in an S, we simply add the apostrophe after the S, eg: Morpheaus' Roleplaying Rules.


Exclamation and Question marks:
Ah, one of the more overused methods of punctuation. Often, people feel compelled to stress their point by doing something like this:

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111one!

If there's something I cannot stress enough, it's that when it comes to exclamation and question marks, ONE will suffice.
In case you didn't understand that, let me say it again. You only need to put ONE exclamation or question mark at the end of your sentence.


Quotation Marks:
Often referred to also as '66' and '99', quotation marks are used to denote speech. I'm sure you've used them at some point in your life, and if you haven’t, please, take the cords out of the back of your computer and stick them in your mouth right now. You have no place role-playing.

One of the things not many people realize about using quotation marks to denote speech is that each new speaker should be on a separate line...that is, each time someone begins talking, you need to press the enter key. Like thus:
"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," said Zetsumi.
"What is it with you and this fox?" inquired Mitsukai.

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[/End Zetsumi’s part]
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Now, let’s go back my guide for your enjoyment. Sorry, that part is just so tedious to explain.
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IV. Anatomy of a Role-Play<o></o>
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This is the basic structure of a Role-Play. You need this in order to make it through. Look at the following:
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<!--[endif]-->Plotline
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<!--[endif]-->Characters
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<!--[endif]-->Plot Twists
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<!--[endif]-->Literacy (Can’t stress this enough)
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Plotline: <o></o>
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This is a very simple concept, really. This is the grounds of a role-play. This holds it together and creates the twists/turns one needs to make for a very fulfilling experience. Since most are familiar with FF, look at that for example. What keeps you interested in the story- the plotline. The constant twists and turns make you wonder what will happen next. It’s the same thing for a Role-Play.
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To create a RP, you must first think of what you will do to make these events happen. Here’s to separate the good and the bad:
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Bad: No twists and bad literacy. It makes it hard for the reader to follow.
Mediocre: A lot of twists and turns, but it makes the readers confused and to the like; hard to follow.
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Great: A sufficient amount of twists and turns. It is well written and holds true to the reader’s liking.
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You need everything put down on paper before creating an RP. That way, you can judge yourself what will be good and easy to follow. No matter what RP, even if it is common knowledge like FF, YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN. Where are the characters? Where are the places located? Is there anything in the background? You can easily stretch that into a paragraph or two for a good opening to a RP.
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-Intermission:
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No, I am not insane. I am just…..stressed? Yea, let’s go with that.
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-/End Intermission
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Anatomy of a Role-Play cont:
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Detail: <o></o>
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For detail, I am going to use an old guide on how to construct a post. Here it is:
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[Old stuffs]
As people tend to complain a lot about how short RP posts are and all that, I am here with a guide o help expand your thoughts into longer evaluated posts. It seems that people are either lazy or having writers block a lot of the time when posts in an RP, such as leaving maybe one to two line sentences and saying it is a “good” post. Well, that isn’t very good is it? Let’s get started, shall we?
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The first thing you need to know in posting any RP is the fact of being descriptive and using proper grammar. I’ll start off by talking about grammar and flowing of posts. When posting in an RP, it is best used to have the best grammar you can write to show clarity. The flowing of the posts is better as well so we know exactly when you change scenes. This will make it easier to understand for any reader of that post.
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Here’s an example from a friend:
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"I have to leave for a bit. Just....summarize whatever you tell these people in shrot words when I come back." <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> left and drove to his house. Inside, the walls were lined with guns, crates of ammo and grenades, and a small bed. He opened the slot, and emptied everything in his house except the bed into it. "I love bottomless containers. This suit's the only one with them." <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> laughed and drove back.

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Now you see it, don’t you? It looks as though there are hardly any mistakes, but in reality it is a choppy post. We should fix that up, shouldn’t we? Here’s the cleaned up version:
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"I have to leave for a bit. Just....summarize whatever you tell these people in short words when I come back," said <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> as he exited the room.
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<st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> entered his car and drove to his house. Once he arrived at his house, he quickly went inside. The house’s walls were lined with guns, crates of ammo, grenades, and a small bed. He sliced the walls open and emptied everything in the house, except the bed, into his car. "I love bottomless containers, “he said with a smile,” This suite is the only one with them." <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> laughed and drove to the meeting.

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As you can see it is touched up and has a better flow going along with it. This creates a better and more efficient view than before. As you read this, didn’t you notice something? I did. I noticed it lacked description. For those who are just getting started RPing, try and describe what your character does; the motions, movements, how the environment effects your character, etc. It isn’t that hard, but if you continue to write, you will get better at descriptions. Now, let’s look at this post with descriptive nature. I won’t add major descriptions like some of my posts, but rather what a new person will do. Here it is:
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"I have to leave for a bit. Just....summarize whatever you tell these people in short words when I come back," muttered <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> as he exited the crammed room of people. The night was still young, so he had plenty of time to get the equipment from his house.
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<st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> entered his rusted car and drove to his house, a suite that was located just on the outskirts of town. The ride wasn’t that long from his given position, but it still was tedious. Traffic always was congested around his suite. Within 30 minutes of his last words, he arrived. Stepping out of his car, he looked at the fabulous building that he lived in. The building was old, but still had that gorgeous feel, much like a raggedy doll that you love. He quickly went inside and up to his given floor. The smell of the building danced around his clothes as he made his way through to his door.
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The suite’s walls were lined with guns, crates of ammo, grenades, and a small bed. It was quite convenient for his line of duty. He sliced the walls open and emptied everything in the house, except his bed, into a small bag. He proceeded back the way he came and deposited everything into his car. Stepping back inside his care, he let out a smirk and began to talk to himself.<o></o>
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"I love bottomless containers, “he said with a smile,” This suite is the only one with them." <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state></st1lace> laughed and drove to the meeting.

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Now, as you viewed that, didn’t you see the overall feel of the environment? I did for such a basic editing. Again, I can’t stress the importance of description in RP posts. It is not that hard so take the time and do so. Imagine what you would do in a situation and type out everything you see, feel, etc. Think to yourself that you are in your characters shoes before you posts. I hope this guide comes in handy when you are writing. Thanks and good luck. Happy Role-playing.
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-If you need extra help, don’t be afraid to contact me. PM, MSN, AIM, anything is fine. I will help with a 1 on 1 segment.
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[/end old stuffs]
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Characters: <o></o>
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The characters are the heart and soul of the RP. These must be according to your RP and stuffs. These create the twists and such. Can you imagine a world without any characters? Utter boring. Now, onto how to create/edit things:
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Character template:
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Name:
Age:
Weapon:
Gender:
Appearance:
Personality:
Bio:<o></o>
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Name: Easy. You know your name, right? You put their name in this slot, of course! So, if their name is, let's say, Zero Everwood. You'd put that name in this slot. You can, only if you want to or know it, put an explanation of what their name means. But, an explanation on their name is NOT necessary.

Age: Their age, of course! Normal characters, or the ones I know at least, have their age around 12 - 20, or maybe even higher. Sometimes it can even be 83,000 or more... which is nuts. Just put a number here. If they're REALLY old, like past a normal person's age, then explain why. If they're 2,000 years old, explain why.

Weapon: In this slot, you put what their weapon is. It can be an ability they have, or it can be an actual sword. You can even put a description on what the blade, or whatever it is going to be, if you want!

Gender: Guy or girl
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Appearance: This explains what your character looks like. If you don't have a picture, you'll need a description. Don't go off looking for pictures; use your mind to imagine what they'll look like! Besides, appearances with images only are NOT allowed in this forum. You need to describe, which is why I enforced that to the bios. Use adjectives, adverbs, and any type of word under the sun.

Personality: I hate nothing more than a personality with three words. When I say personality, it usually means description. And, it's the part where you'll need a thesaurus handy. Words like quirky, angry, mischievous, happy-go-lucky, and others should be found here. Describe when they act like that, what they act like when they meet new people, etc.

Bio: Now, for the biggest part of them all, the biography. This explains their past, present, and possibly future. It describes why they have that weapon, why they have that ability, and what's happened to their past life, if there are any changes. Do NOT say that are mysterious. You can make them mysterious in the role-play, just not in the biography. Don't be clique and don't make them mysterious. That's just an excuse for "I can't think of anything". Start with something small and link it outwards. Attach on things that the certain idea have in common.
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This is a basic template. You have probably seen others lying about, but nevertheless this is the bare minimum of a template. Everything should be explained fully, nothing pointless and rambling. I’ll provide some good characters and some bad ones. Let’s begin:
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Good: http://www.finalfantasyforums.net/hall-of-warriors/crane-8846.html
Bad: http://www.finalfantasyforums.net/hall-of-warriors/leon-6699.html
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Do you see the difference here? Yes, there’s a huge difference. See what description adds? Quite helpful.
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Now, I hope this guide helped in some ways. It is for those new comers that wish to participate.

 

[Drachnon]

God-moding - Turning a character so invincible that they can kill everything with one shot or can take no hits.
Power-playing - Taking control of another character, even if it’s for a moment. [This could be in fights, just doing actions, ANYTHING

I usually use those definitions the other way around.

 

[Rise Against]

I usually use those definitions the other way around.

Now you know which is which. ;D

- Comments -

It's good. The approach was a little.. awkward, but, I do think it could help quite a few people. *Votes for a sticky* ;D

And - lmao @ my character referrence. Thanks xD

 

[Dean Winchester]

I agree, someone with the power please stick this thread. It will be useful for future role players.

Also:

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">God-moding - Turning a character so invincible that they can kill everything with one shot or can take no hits.
Power-playing - Taking control of another character, even if it’s for a moment. [This could be in fights, just doing actions, ANYTHING

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


I usually use those definitions the other way around.

erm,yeah...me too

 

[Shenorai]

Not bad, Stryfe. Although you could add a link to the new character template as well: Miss Rhea didn't go through the trouble of typing it up for it to be overlooked.

*stickies*

 

[Howl]

Yep. The character template isn't complete, but we've been working mondo hard on it. XD

I like this. <3
It's nice and organized. XD

I don't know how to compensate. XD