by The following content can be found here: http://www.fairytail-rp.com/t5130-tips-and-hints-on-mature-rolepay
I have simply copied the content for the sake of all roleplayers. I hope you can learn from this as I have. Enjoy!
~ Kaseki
Hello!
I have decided to write down a little guild on role playing. Guides like this helped me to grow up and mature (title!) as a role player, and I hope to help someone else like other helped me.
Some parts may sound condescending or ranting, but when I do that it shows that those a big problems in the role play community as whole, not just this site or any other single place.
My first tip to anyone who wants to really be a serious role player is to learn to judge yourself harshly and be willing to grow. Spend time reading post by lots of different people. As you do you will learn different people techniques and the unique personality they bring to their style, and it can help you learn what kind of role play style you think fits you. No matter how great you think you are there will always be someone who can teach you something. Really great role players usually spend years perfecting their personal style despite what some may want you to think
1: Don't me a Mary Sue or Gary Stu.
These are terms used by role players to define ''perfect'' characters.
Mary Sue is a grade A student, cheerleading captain and soccer, softball star! Every girl wants to be her, every guy wants to bang her, but she's saving herself for marriage (tehe~). When she plays the good guy she always wins and saves the day.
Gary Stu is also a grade A student. He is captain of the football, baseball and basket ball team. Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to bang him. We he is the villain his plans never fail!
In serious RP communities it is a major insult to be called a Gary Stu or Mary Sue. They are just not fun characters to role play with. Everything about them is perfect and well...boring.
----------
2: Don't be a Malicious Metagamer.
Metagaming is one of the biggest crimes you can commit in RP. Some site may even outright ban you if you do it.
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions.
So lets say you are in an RP thread. Someone is posting their thoughts on attacking you, but do not perform any actions in their post. It is Metagaming for you to use your OOC (Out of character) knowledge that they are thinking of attacking you to affect your own in character thoughts of actions....unless your character is a mind reader.
Just because you know it does not mean that your character does.
----------
3: Don't be an Out Of Character Andy.
This one is one and Metagaming are ones that people fall into the most. It is so easy to slip sometimes, right?
Lets say your character is Loyal Larry, loyal member of Fairy Tail. You as an RP one day get bored of Loyal Larry's loyalness so leave Fairy Tail out of the blue without even showing any hints or signs that Loyal Larry wasn't so loyal.
Its understandable to sometimes get bored in role play. Sometimes you find your favorite character it a rut and want to do something to spice things up again...but performing an action completely against character out of the blue is not how a mature RPer does it. Instead you talk it out with others and make a plot about Loyal Larry starting to become Unloyal Larry. Sounds like hard work huh? Well sometimes role play can be hard work.
To put it simply...if I were to go back and read all your post as Loyal Larry and never find one mention of him ever even having wavering thought about Fairy Tail...then you have just acted out of character by leaving Fairy Tail.
Role playing is an art of natural progression. The best role players know how to be patient and take their time building up characters thoughts and feelings in order to explain unexpected actions.
----------
4: Learn to accept your spot in the role play world.
This one can also be hard. We all want to be a main character. We all want to be known and feared/respected by characters in rp. But it takes time for a new character to do so. Even if you start off as Captain Captainy of the Super Knights, well known and respected order....you are still new to the role play world. You can not expect everyone to instantly know or respect you just because of your in character position.
So expect things like ''I heard the Super Knights have a new Captain. Wonder what he's like..?'' and not ''Captain Captainy is super ultra special stud squeeee!'' At least for a few months after making the Captain.
----------
5: Don't be a Super Dodgey Dodgerson.
Another thing we all sometimes slip into is the urge to dodge all your enemies everything. Think about it as fairness.
If you do something cool in RP and your partner dodges it you would get a little mad right? Well when you do it they get mad to. It is not a weakness as a character or a RPer to accept injuries in battles. It shows that your a fair role player.
A mature role player also will not kill off another character just because they can, even if their character is evil. It is a sign of respect for your partner as a role player not to for one, even if you hate their guts. Plus you would not want people killing off your character just because they could.
So remember that even in kill enabled topics. Just because you can does not mean you have to.
----------
6: Try to honestly balance your character out.
When making a character it is easy to have the urge to make them as super strong as possible. Its what is called being ''OP'' (over powered).
My personal belief is that many of the role players who have these kind of characters are not actually all that good at role player. Sure, they made be excellent at combat role playing, but ask them to play out a non violent plot and they quickly lose much of that skill.
Mature roleplaying is an art of being able to mix combat role play with noncombat role play. I have seen role players who come right out and say they are around only for combat role play. I personally do not like that kind of role player, but to each his own. If that's truly the style you want then feel free to role play that way.
----------
7: Don't try to play a character out of your skill level.
Sometimes certain positions in the role play world require not just a character of skill but a roleplayer of one. I see positions like captain or Guild Master as one the requires a delicate balance of combat and non combat RP skill that some people just do not possess, though anyway can learn it.
It is tempting to snatch up that super powerful position, yes? But can you honestly say that you can play that position? Or do you just want it for the rank? If you only want it for the rank you should consider a lesser position and plan to one day move into that rank after you have got practice with your character.
----------
8: Always be flexible to new plots and ideas.
Remember how excited you were for your character? Well Lil' John is like that with his. He has asked you to plot with him. Hear him our and see if their is anyway you can work his plot into yours. It might be that spice you need to get out of your role play rut!
----------
9: Learn to role play one character really well.
You can have as many characters as you want, and play any kind of character, but always try to have one character you know you can play. Learn that characters personality. Know that characters skills. It will help you make a great first impression as far as your skills go.
I have met, and am a, Rper who plays the same character no matter where they go. I know her, I am her. I can play her in any setting given the freedom to. This does not mean she is stagnant and never evolves. With each new rendition I make I ad a little bit of outside influence into her personality, appearance, ability and skills.
----------
10: Don't be a disappearing Dan.
If you know you are going to be unable to rp for a while, given personal reasons, sickness or whatever...ALWAYS let your role play partners know you will not be available for post. If you just get bored of the role play or plot in general let your partner know. They have taken the time to post with you and deserve to know if you do not plan to continue the threads. Its just really very rude to up and leave with no word.
----------
11:Don't be a One Line Olly
The art of role play is an art of using your words to create a picture of a world we can not see with our eyes. Writing something like:
Sits down and eats pudding.
is not giving me anything to go on. All I know is you sat down and ate pudding. Where are we? What is the weather like? Is it day or night? What did you sit on? What kind of pudding? What are you wearing while eating said pudding? What did you think of the pudding you ate?
Those are all questions you must ask yourself before you make your post about sitting down for pudding. The more detail you give me the better a reply I can give you. Also the more detail you give the less likely I am to put you in a situation you won't like. I could easily say:
Why is this man eating poo pudding in a blue feather dress on a winter day in Amsterdam?Because you did not give me a setting to work with I was given the opportunity to decide on the setting of the thread. Now you can argue it all day but I will always remember this thread as you eating poo pudding in a blue feather dress in Amsterdam during winter.
----------
12: Don't be an Autohit Alex!
This probably could of gone under Metagaming, but I will just put it in its own number. Something a lot of inexperienced role players do is write that they hit an attack. Some even state that they have broken their partners bone or something.
Now think about it. How would you feel if I posted that I smacked you around and broke you bones with out giving you a fair chance to avoid or counter?
When in a combat role play it is good to state where your attack in aimed, what direction you are coming from and how you plan to move immediately following the attack should it succeed. This gives your partner a chance to react to your attack in a sensible way. Example:
She moved in towards the enemy, throwing a right jab towards their right cheek bone. She would then try to follow up with a left uppercut, aiming to strike at the chin of a possible stunned enemy.
Here I have stated 6 things. The attack was a jab from the right and was aimed for the right cheek. If it hits it may cause them to be stunned. Whether of not it hits I am going to swing of an upper cut from the left. I leave it open from there so that the enemy can react in a fair way. This is just a very basic example as some times you will find people who like to send several different attacks at you in one post.
----------
That is my tips to role players everywhere. All this comes from years of role play experience. Some of the later ones come from personal preferences, but the early ones are things that will help everyone be a better rper. I can not tell you how many times I have seen arguments over players metagaming or acting out of character. I have seen people banned from sites for doing it. The first few ones are the ones that most inexperienced role players fall into. Please take something away from this ranting guide for your future RP experiences.
REMEMBER: I take no credit for this Tip and Hint guide, all credit goes to Otonoshi. She created a wonderful guide and I'm just here (coping and pasting really...) spreading her great word.
Have a nice day!
I have simply copied the content for the sake of all roleplayers. I hope you can learn from this as I have. Enjoy!
~ Kaseki
___________________________________
Hello!
I have decided to write down a little guild on role playing. Guides like this helped me to grow up and mature (title!) as a role player, and I hope to help someone else like other helped me.
Some parts may sound condescending or ranting, but when I do that it shows that those a big problems in the role play community as whole, not just this site or any other single place.
My first tip to anyone who wants to really be a serious role player is to learn to judge yourself harshly and be willing to grow. Spend time reading post by lots of different people. As you do you will learn different people techniques and the unique personality they bring to their style, and it can help you learn what kind of role play style you think fits you. No matter how great you think you are there will always be someone who can teach you something. Really great role players usually spend years perfecting their personal style despite what some may want you to think
1: Don't me a Mary Sue or Gary Stu.
These are terms used by role players to define ''perfect'' characters.
Mary Sue is a grade A student, cheerleading captain and soccer, softball star! Every girl wants to be her, every guy wants to bang her, but she's saving herself for marriage (tehe~). When she plays the good guy she always wins and saves the day.
Gary Stu is also a grade A student. He is captain of the football, baseball and basket ball team. Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to bang him. We he is the villain his plans never fail!
In serious RP communities it is a major insult to be called a Gary Stu or Mary Sue. They are just not fun characters to role play with. Everything about them is perfect and well...boring.
----------
2: Don't be a Malicious Metagamer.
Metagaming is one of the biggest crimes you can commit in RP. Some site may even outright ban you if you do it.
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions.
So lets say you are in an RP thread. Someone is posting their thoughts on attacking you, but do not perform any actions in their post. It is Metagaming for you to use your OOC (Out of character) knowledge that they are thinking of attacking you to affect your own in character thoughts of actions....unless your character is a mind reader.
Just because you know it does not mean that your character does.
----------
3: Don't be an Out Of Character Andy.
This one is one and Metagaming are ones that people fall into the most. It is so easy to slip sometimes, right?
Lets say your character is Loyal Larry, loyal member of Fairy Tail. You as an RP one day get bored of Loyal Larry's loyalness so leave Fairy Tail out of the blue without even showing any hints or signs that Loyal Larry wasn't so loyal.
Its understandable to sometimes get bored in role play. Sometimes you find your favorite character it a rut and want to do something to spice things up again...but performing an action completely against character out of the blue is not how a mature RPer does it. Instead you talk it out with others and make a plot about Loyal Larry starting to become Unloyal Larry. Sounds like hard work huh? Well sometimes role play can be hard work.
To put it simply...if I were to go back and read all your post as Loyal Larry and never find one mention of him ever even having wavering thought about Fairy Tail...then you have just acted out of character by leaving Fairy Tail.
Role playing is an art of natural progression. The best role players know how to be patient and take their time building up characters thoughts and feelings in order to explain unexpected actions.
----------
4: Learn to accept your spot in the role play world.
This one can also be hard. We all want to be a main character. We all want to be known and feared/respected by characters in rp. But it takes time for a new character to do so. Even if you start off as Captain Captainy of the Super Knights, well known and respected order....you are still new to the role play world. You can not expect everyone to instantly know or respect you just because of your in character position.
So expect things like ''I heard the Super Knights have a new Captain. Wonder what he's like..?'' and not ''Captain Captainy is super ultra special stud squeeee!'' At least for a few months after making the Captain.
----------
5: Don't be a Super Dodgey Dodgerson.
Another thing we all sometimes slip into is the urge to dodge all your enemies everything. Think about it as fairness.
If you do something cool in RP and your partner dodges it you would get a little mad right? Well when you do it they get mad to. It is not a weakness as a character or a RPer to accept injuries in battles. It shows that your a fair role player.
A mature role player also will not kill off another character just because they can, even if their character is evil. It is a sign of respect for your partner as a role player not to for one, even if you hate their guts. Plus you would not want people killing off your character just because they could.
So remember that even in kill enabled topics. Just because you can does not mean you have to.
----------
6: Try to honestly balance your character out.
When making a character it is easy to have the urge to make them as super strong as possible. Its what is called being ''OP'' (over powered).
My personal belief is that many of the role players who have these kind of characters are not actually all that good at role player. Sure, they made be excellent at combat role playing, but ask them to play out a non violent plot and they quickly lose much of that skill.
Mature roleplaying is an art of being able to mix combat role play with noncombat role play. I have seen role players who come right out and say they are around only for combat role play. I personally do not like that kind of role player, but to each his own. If that's truly the style you want then feel free to role play that way.
----------
7: Don't try to play a character out of your skill level.
Sometimes certain positions in the role play world require not just a character of skill but a roleplayer of one. I see positions like captain or Guild Master as one the requires a delicate balance of combat and non combat RP skill that some people just do not possess, though anyway can learn it.
It is tempting to snatch up that super powerful position, yes? But can you honestly say that you can play that position? Or do you just want it for the rank? If you only want it for the rank you should consider a lesser position and plan to one day move into that rank after you have got practice with your character.
----------
8: Always be flexible to new plots and ideas.
Remember how excited you were for your character? Well Lil' John is like that with his. He has asked you to plot with him. Hear him our and see if their is anyway you can work his plot into yours. It might be that spice you need to get out of your role play rut!
----------
9: Learn to role play one character really well.
You can have as many characters as you want, and play any kind of character, but always try to have one character you know you can play. Learn that characters personality. Know that characters skills. It will help you make a great first impression as far as your skills go.
I have met, and am a, Rper who plays the same character no matter where they go. I know her, I am her. I can play her in any setting given the freedom to. This does not mean she is stagnant and never evolves. With each new rendition I make I ad a little bit of outside influence into her personality, appearance, ability and skills.
----------
10: Don't be a disappearing Dan.
If you know you are going to be unable to rp for a while, given personal reasons, sickness or whatever...ALWAYS let your role play partners know you will not be available for post. If you just get bored of the role play or plot in general let your partner know. They have taken the time to post with you and deserve to know if you do not plan to continue the threads. Its just really very rude to up and leave with no word.
----------
11:Don't be a One Line Olly
The art of role play is an art of using your words to create a picture of a world we can not see with our eyes. Writing something like:
Sits down and eats pudding.
is not giving me anything to go on. All I know is you sat down and ate pudding. Where are we? What is the weather like? Is it day or night? What did you sit on? What kind of pudding? What are you wearing while eating said pudding? What did you think of the pudding you ate?
Those are all questions you must ask yourself before you make your post about sitting down for pudding. The more detail you give me the better a reply I can give you. Also the more detail you give the less likely I am to put you in a situation you won't like. I could easily say:
Why is this man eating poo pudding in a blue feather dress on a winter day in Amsterdam?Because you did not give me a setting to work with I was given the opportunity to decide on the setting of the thread. Now you can argue it all day but I will always remember this thread as you eating poo pudding in a blue feather dress in Amsterdam during winter.
----------
12: Don't be an Autohit Alex!
This probably could of gone under Metagaming, but I will just put it in its own number. Something a lot of inexperienced role players do is write that they hit an attack. Some even state that they have broken their partners bone or something.
Now think about it. How would you feel if I posted that I smacked you around and broke you bones with out giving you a fair chance to avoid or counter?
When in a combat role play it is good to state where your attack in aimed, what direction you are coming from and how you plan to move immediately following the attack should it succeed. This gives your partner a chance to react to your attack in a sensible way. Example:
She moved in towards the enemy, throwing a right jab towards their right cheek bone. She would then try to follow up with a left uppercut, aiming to strike at the chin of a possible stunned enemy.
Here I have stated 6 things. The attack was a jab from the right and was aimed for the right cheek. If it hits it may cause them to be stunned. Whether of not it hits I am going to swing of an upper cut from the left. I leave it open from there so that the enemy can react in a fair way. This is just a very basic example as some times you will find people who like to send several different attacks at you in one post.
----------
That is my tips to role players everywhere. All this comes from years of role play experience. Some of the later ones come from personal preferences, but the early ones are things that will help everyone be a better rper. I can not tell you how many times I have seen arguments over players metagaming or acting out of character. I have seen people banned from sites for doing it. The first few ones are the ones that most inexperienced role players fall into. Please take something away from this ranting guide for your future RP experiences.
________________________________
REMEMBER: I take no credit for this Tip and Hint guide, all credit goes to Otonoshi. She created a wonderful guide and I'm just here (coping and pasting really...) spreading her great word.
Have a nice day!
