Post by Fawkes on Nov 26, 2010 9:48:17 GMT
RP Guidelines**
[/size][/b]Since a quick look around the board proves that some of us are either slipping in our role-play skills, or we’re new and haven’t quite gotten the hang of it, we figured that a quick role-play guide would help.
1. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
The first thing I notice about a post is whether or not it’s legible, of course. I don’t even want to continue the thread, really, as soon as someone starts letting their grammar slip. There are plenty of websites* out there that will help you out, should English be your second language, or maybe you just forgot those long ago English lessons.
As for spelling and minor grammar problems, first writing out a post in a Word Processing program can help. It should catch all of your spelling right off, and some grammar issues. Should that not be available, the latest Mozilla Firefox comes equipped with a built-in spellchecker, though it will do absolutely nothing for your grammar.
2. Write in third person.
When typing posts, it’s best to always write in third person. The exception, of course, is in dialogue.
Example:
-Right:
Lily ran her hand through her hair. She idly noticed that it was becoming tangled and would probably give her a fair amount of fight the next time she tried to brush it. It was unimportant, though, compared to the problem at hand.
“I’m not so sure,” she said, sighing and taking one more look. “You think it’s really dead?”
Here, I’ve referred to myself consistently in third person, keeping my actions in the past tense. Note that the dialogue (where I’m speaking) is in first person, as it’s more natural to speak that way. This post is pleasing to read and easily understandable.
-Wrong:
Lily ran her hand through her hair. Lily idly noticed that it was becoming tangled and would probably give her a fair amount of fight the next time she tried to brush it. It was unimportant, though, compared to the problem at hand.
“I’m not so sure,” Lily said, sighing and taking one more look. “You think it’s really dead?”
Here, I’ve referred to myself constantly in second person, always using my name. It’s irritating to read.
-Wrong:
I run my hand through my hair. I idly notice that it is becoming tangled and will probably give me a fair amount of fight the next time I try to brush it. It is unimportant, though, compared to the problem at hand.
“I’m not so sure,” I say, sighing and taking one more look. “You think it’s really dead?”
Here, I‘ve not only referred to myself constantly in first person, but also placed my actions in the present tense. This isn‘t inherently wrong, but again, it‘s irritating. It‘s difficult to follow at times as well.
3. Be true to your character.
Your character should be consistent at all times. It’s best to keep your celebrity the same for this reason, too. It’s easier for others to relate to your character if he/she is consistent in look and feel. So that means that if your character is nice, keep them nice. If they’re a Death Eater, then let them be true to that role. That doesn’t mean that your character can’t change over time, with sufficient reason, of course.
This includes age. If your character is a teenager, then allow them to act as such. If they're an adult, then don't act like a child.
4. Be true to the world of Harry Potter.
Yes, it’s role-play, and yes, you can bend the rules a little, but no, you can’t have every ability known to me, JK Rowling, and you. Dumbledore himself can’t do everything and I highly doubt your character is as or more powerful than him. We have a registration board here, for you to register up to three available abilities. I would suggest utilizing this, as well as The Harry Potter Lexicon for understanding what you can and cannot do.
5. Have a plot.
You should always think about where your character is going. In real life, we develop our personalities over time, and often change depending on what happens to us. Your character should do the same.
Plotting events helps, too. Do you want your character in a relationship? Do you want them to be a Death Eater? Should they have an accident that scars them, and maybe they change their personality a little accordingly? I wouldn’t go overboard in your plotting, however. Your character isn’t single one day and suddenly, the next, they’re married with twelve children. Give it time. It doesn’t have to happen on real time, of course, but overnight changes are difficult for others to keep up with, and could hurt your character’s other relationships on the board and how people interact with them.
6. ‘Chat speak’ is inappropriate in character.
This should be apparent in number one, however, it needs to be reiterated sometimes. Things like ‘lol’, ‘rofl’, ‘ttyl’, and ‘brb’ should be left to chat rooms, instant messaging services, or even the cbox. This applies to ‘kkerz’, ‘shizz’, and other such words that don’t exist in the English, or any other language for that matter, dictionary.
7. Don’t God-mode.
Your character is only responsible for him/herself, and no one else. You cannot control the actions of others in real life, so you shouldn’t be trying to do it in your posts, either. You’re more than welcome to suggest what the other character should do (in character, not out), but don’t RP out their actions or dialogue in your post. It’s not fair, and you wouldn’t want someone else doing so to your character.
A simple note, however, is that if you have a specific goal worked out between the two of you, you can sometimes RP a few of their actions, to get the thread moving.
8. Read everything there.
Before joining a thread, or even while you’re there, be sure and read everything already written, so that you can react properly. You need to know what’s already gone on as well as what’s going on at the moment. If you don’t, you might very well end up either repeating what someone else has already said or done, or even end up not realizing what’s going on.
9. You don’t always have to post next.
Assuming you’re in a multi-character thread, you don’t always have to post in order. If you can’t add anything to what’s been said, then just don’t post. You don’t have to refrain from posting, of course, if you stay out of the dialogue and only post actions. That’s fine, as it’s nothing that anyone else has to react to while other things are going on. It’s irritating when the characters are having a conversation, or doing something specific, and out of the blue, someone steps in and just says a quick, “Hi,” or something else just as off-topic.
This is also true if you’re joining a thread for the first time. If you can’t add to what’s going on, but still want to post in the area, then go ahead and start a new thread there, and leave the other characters to themselves.
10. Closed topics are just that: Closed.
If a topic has the word ‘Closed’ in or after the title somewhere, or a name that isn’t yours, then let it be. It was obviously not meant for you, or you would know about it. You can always PM the person responsible for the thread to see if you can join, but accept their decision one way or another.
11. Creativity counts.
A post that’s all dialogue is rather boring and difficult to react to. Just be creative in what you say and do. Whether it be humorous, serious, or grave, then just elaborate. It’s not all that difficult to post a good amount when you’re creative about it. Just tell us what your character feels, sees, thinks, etc., and reacting to what the other character(s) in the thread is doing is a must.
12. Role-playing is a game.
Since it first began, role-playing has always been a game. Let’s keep it that way. This isn’t real life, and it’s not really happening to you. If you want to have your character have a violent or dramatic reaction to something, then that’s fine, but remember that whatever has happened isn’t meant as a personal insult in any way.
Also, try to keep in mind that each person’s character has a plot of their own. Maybe whatever happened that upset you was part of that, and getting upset about it isn’t fair to them. Disrespecting them over it, whether on the board or off, isn’t fair, either.
13. If you’re new, get help.
This isn’t mandatory, of course, but it always helps. Just taking a really good look around the board helps, too. Read some of the threads. Take a look at what you do and don’t like about posts, and try to mimic what you do like. If you still need help, just try any one of the administrators for help. They’re fairly easy to find, as the title ‘Administrator’ appears below their name in their profile. If you can't find one, or they're not responding in a timely manner, then any one of the other active members should be able to help you.
Also, don't be afraid to make a new, open thread. Someone will come along, join, and give you some practice.
*Grammar and punctuation sites you might find useful:
OWL - Online Writing Lab
English Pluse
**These guidelines are loosely based on those by Daniel at New Hogwarts, and have been used with permission.
Character Creation Password: ireadtherules
hopefully you read them all