Roleplay Classroom

[Turkey]

[table of contents]
*[Basic] OOC vs IC
*[Basic] Punctuation, Grammar, Language
*[Basic] Proper /me Usage
*[Basic] In Character Behavior
*[Advanced] Advanced /me Usage
*[Advanced] Realizing Limitations
*[Advanced] Passive RP
*[Advanced] Emotion and Attitude


Improtant/useful things
*Sever Rules
*S2K Rules                                                                                                                                                                     

*Character Authorizations Page

[Turkey]

For those of you who don't know,
IC stands for In Character, things that are occurring within the game's universe,
OOC stands for Out of Character, things that are occurring outside the game's universe, mostly things that the Players themselves are talking about.

In no way should IC and OOC be used synonymously with each other, as that would cause things to get very confusing and jumbled on both sides of the conversation, and In Character actions and conversations would be muddles with OOC actions and conversations.

Everything that is reflected in the gameworld as a whole is considered In Character. Everything that happens in the gameworld is In Character. Everyone and Every Character within the gameworld is In Character.

Everything that doesn't directly happen to the gameworld is Out of Character. Everything that is said and done that doesn't actually occur within the gameworld itself is Out of Character. Every player, sitting at their computers, that isn't RPing In Character, is Out of Character.

For a further metaphor,
Imagine the Gameworld as its own little sphere on a table, surrounded by a black void. Everything that is going on inside of that sphere is In Character: everything said and done actually is said and done. Outside, in that void, the players converse with each other, sometimes joking and screwing around, but what they do or say never goes directly into the sphere of the gameworld. There are two different planes of existence, ones In Character, and the other Out of Character.

It is very important that people realize the difference between OOC and IC, as it prevents disorder and maintains the organized thought process that (most) everyone lives with.

[Turkey]

I'm here to teach you how to type out your RP well. Its a very simple concept really.

1. Slow down and spell things CORRECTLY.
Folks, its not a race to see who can type their /me out first, because good RP should involve turns. Please take the time to slow down and spell things correctly, as well as put in proper punctuation and things like that. That means capitalizing properly, too.

2. Punctuation, please!
If you get into the RP, like me, things like missing punctuation are pet peeves (to me, at least). Take the time to end your sentences with the correct punctuation. If I see someone type with no punctuation at the end, it kinda feels like the sentence doesn't end. Hence why I said its a Pet Peeve, I'd just like you folks to be able to show you're a better RPer, by having proper grammar and shit. Good RP communities enjoy the proper grammar (punctuation, too), and it shows you're seasoned, serious, and mature RPers.

3. No e-abbreviations or emoticons!
Act as if you're in real life. Do you say "lol", "wtf", "lmao", "", or ":V" in real life, to any random stranger you may approach? Chances are no. If you do...then you've gotta stay away from the internet awhile...But anyways, try to portay your character's dialogue as something any human being would say in real life.

Basic English and grammar:

Noun - A word that names a person, place, or thing. Ex: cow, John, White House, eraser (That is a duckling.)

Verb - A word that tells an action of a noun. Ex: walk, hide, jump (The duckling walked across the road.)

Adverb - A word that describes how something is done (a verb). Usually accompanied by the suffix "ly". Ex: shyly, merrily, happily (The duckling walked merrily across the road.)

Adjective - A word that describes a noun. Ex: brown, tall, small (The small, brown duckling walked merrily across the road.)

Preposition - A word that describes where a noun is. Ex: on, in, around (The small, brown duckling walked merrily across the road behind its mother.)

Subject - The noun in the sentence that is performing the action. Ex: The book is sitting on the shelf.
Predicate - The action the subject is doing. Ex: The book is sitting on the shelf.
Object - A noun in the sentence that has an action being performed on or to it. Objects usually follow prepositions, and make up a prepositional phrase. Ex: The book is sitting on the shelf.

Passive Voice - When the object and subject switch places in a sentence. Ex: The shelf is being sat on by the book.
Active Voice - The standard form of sentences with an object and subject. Ex: The book is sitting on the shelf.

[Turkey]

The /me command works like this: in your chat box, you would type in /me, followed by the action you describe, with /me being the character you currently are.
Some examples (The subject's name is Kenny Kilik):

Code: [Select]

/me opens the doorWould translate automatically ingame to,

***Kenny Kilik opens the door.

/m e acts as your character's full name, and anything you put after that is the action taking place.

The action can be just about anything, too, and can be used to describe or add detail to anything as well.

Feeling or Emotion:
***Kenny feels sick to his stomach.
Personal Opinion:
***Kenny thinks this is fucking retarded.
Additional detail to another object:
*** Kenny touches the object, noting that it is cold to the touch.
Even describe something happening,
*** Kenny listens in as the loudspeakers spit to life.

However, out of general rules, we prohibit a few things when using /me's:
- Powergaming. "/me shoots you in the head and you die."
- E-motes and E-moticons. "/me "
- Internet acronyms. "/me lols"

The /me tag can be a great asset to use to anyone who uses it, and it is something that can be quickly picked up.
Whoever invented /me tags is a fucking genius.

[Turkey]

In Character Behavior: Easy enough to understand, right?

Well, a Character's actions and personality often aren't reflected in that of the Player. I've seen characters who were lost, poor, vulnerable amnesiacs who willingly went on the most dangerous missions available at the time without so much as a thought or hesitation.

Behavior really is a defining characteristic for Advanced and Expert RPers.
So let's go over a few tips to remember how your character would behave.

1. You are an Actor.

Yes, I'm refering to You, Mr. I'm Reading the [Basic] In Character Behavior Thread while Scarffing Down a Handful of Cheetos at the Same Time.

Life: You act like how You act.
RP: you play a Character who you have to act like.
Acting: You play a Character who you have to act like.

You cannot act like You, when you're acting: then the character just isn't the character, they're You. The same goes for Inserver: you are acting as a Character, not as yourself.

2. Get a set Personality down for your Character.

Experienced RPers don't have to worry about this, since this is something that often comes from Experience. However, newbies often worry with this one.

A Personality is the general demeanor someone has; some examples would be Angry, Suspicious, Curious, Passive, Conservative, Sly, Obtuse.

It is generally advisable that, after creating your character, you decide what the person acts like, taking on a select few characteristics such as the ones stated above.
Without a good personality to adhere to, your character will be a bland, unremarkable, and unbelievably flexible with situations. As a result: Make a Personality, and Stick to it.

3. Attitudes Towards Others in Words and Action.

Your Attitude towards others is how people will decide who your character is and how they act. This is basically projecting your character's Personality.

I cannot tell you HOW to act for your specific character, but that is something that you should come up with yourself, especially in chat and actions.

Hostile Characters can be Pushy, Demanding, Derogatory.
"Hey Skinny, keep moving. You're holding up the whole damn line!"

Nice Characters can be Nice, Endearing, Courteous.
"Oh, sorry about that. Would you like to go ahead of me?"

Passive Characters can be Shy and Quiet.
"/me sits in the corner and watches everyone in the bar."

Every character should be a combination of character traits, and as a result, should have multiple angles to be approached.

4. Remembering Mortality: Not everyone's a Hero.
And especially not the new guys who just arrived on an extremely hostile planet with the clothes on their back and a few dollars.

So, you're alone in an alleyway in Real Life. A mysterious character with a gun blocks the only exit out of the alleyway. He puts the gun to your head, and demands your money. You can't see his face, but his voice means business, and his grip on the trigger is a hair away from spraying your brains across the wall.
The logical things to do: Give him your money, and hope all goes well.

That should happen Inserver too: I'm seeing too much Heroics from the people who they shouldn't be coming from.

*** Carl Sigman turns and kicks the gun out of the robber's hands.
Should not be Happening, and its a powergame, too.

*** Carl Sigman shakely pulls his wallet out of his pockets, constantly looking down the barrel of the gun.
Is much more likely.

*** Batman turns and kicks the gun out of the robber's hands.
Despite the unlikely circumstances (Seriously, who would rob the Goddamn Batman?), this may be considered legitimate. The reason? Batman is not the average person: he possesses superior fighting skills, and would be able to pull off such a move; average joe Cal Sigman would not be able to, and would probably be eating a Lead Sandwich.

As a result of this, I've had to put this in here.
Look, we do not want to start handing out PKs, but if this continues, we'll have to up the threat level for this sort of stuff so that it DOES result in PKs. Let's not have that happen: Don't be a Hero 24-7, and give in if you know your character can't win.

Update: due to the new enhanced PK rules, this rule is more important than ever! You will be PK'ed a lot easier if your unskilled character suddenly adopts a Rambo mentality.


5. Weakness: we've all got them.

Let's accept it, alright?
We're not Supermen.
We have Weakness.
We aren't Perfect.
We aren't always Brave, Valiant, and Flawless
And, finally, and worst of all:
We aren't the Goddamn Batman.

So, as a result, take into consideration what your character CAN'T do, and be sure to apply them.

[Turkey]

The usage of Emotion and Attitude in a character's demeanor and interactions with others are pivotal to advancing to a higher stage in RP. Every character is like a tasteless bowl of soup at first: basically nothing but its bare, tasteless essence. Emotion and Attitude really add flavor and vigor to a character, turning them from a bowl of boring water to a soup that has its own unique taste and texture, whether it is spicy, sweet, mild, or meaty.

1. Emotions

Emotion is a fairly simple concept that does not, and should not, need a large lecture to explain. What is being asked is that you are able to have your character respond properly when approached with an emotional scene.

Let's take a scenario and some additional responces: Your character's best friend was just killed in a firefight as you watched.

*** Douglass Amigo falls to the ground, dead from a gunshot to the heart.

Improper Responses:
"/me ignores it" - Your fucking friend was just shot dead. There's no way you'd ignore it without any sort of response.

Barely Passing Responses:
"/me feels sad." - It displays emotion, but does so so amateurishly that it seems very Basic-Level.
"/me laughs at his death" - Unless your friend is some sort of crazy, sadistic psychopath, or unless they've just had neurosurgery, this is a very unlikely response. I mean.... holy crap....

Proper Advanced-Level Responses:
"/me lets out a tear from his/her eye, but continues to fire back." It displays a strong and indirect emotional response, but also shows action as well.
"/me sees his death, crying out and scrambling over to their body." While the action may or may not have been the smartest thing to do, the emotion and strong action is there. This also can lead to further displays of somber emotions as the body is reached.
"/me sees his death, crouching behind cover and covers his/her face with her hands, wiping the sweat and tears away." Perhaps nearing the Expert level with this one, this displays multiple actions and several intertwined emotions: sadness, stress, vulnerability.

-----
2. Attitude
One thing I hate: characters that are as bland as a piece of white bread.
Whenever I see one of them, or even interact with them, I just feel like shouting, "Come on, Are you even Trying?!" Attitude is something that should be easy: we all have one, it's part of our personalities!

I've broken down Attitude into a few categories:

Code: [Select]

-Interactions
-Reactions
-Speaking
-Interactions

Interactions is how characters would interact with an object or a scenario. A character's attitudes could be reflected with their interactions with such things.

Let's say a character finds an empty box on the desert, just lying in the sands. There are a few general interactions based on some general attitudes:

Good Characters: pick up the box and take it with them, maybe using it to carry things.
Neutral Characters: leave the box where it is and walk past it.
Bad Characters: Destroy the box for the fun of it.

-Reactions

Your character has just been insulted by a drunken guy at the bar. Let's see the reactions:

Good Characters: "Whoa there. You've had a little too much to drink. Maybe you should sit back down and keep to yourself."
Neutral Characters: "Hey, I don't want any trouble here..."
Bad Characters: "/me smashes a bottle against the drunk's head."

Reactions to interesting situations do tell quite a bit about your character, perhaps one of the major resorts to discovering your character's attitudes, if not your own. Their immediate actions as a reaction to earlier actions tells others how their minds react to such things, which is a strong indicator of true attitudes.

-Speaking

What one says is just as important as how you say it: you could even mix things up for some effective results, such as complimenting someone in a sour manner, or insulting someone in a polite one. As a player with a known DETS character, there's plenty of speaking interaction going on, and from personal experience, what is said from simple character to character interactions is one of the best ways to show what the character has to offer.

I can give a general overview of things that each general category of character would possess, more or less. Remember that these are very broad generalizations, and the more you appropriately break away from these, the better and more unique your characters will appear:

Good Characters are patient, easy to throw out compliments, and well-mannered. They don't want to fight when it is unneeded, and they obey all the laws.
Neutral Characters are quiet, unspectacular, and don't like to be tossed into the spotlight for all to see. They are simple, silent, and self-reliant.
Bad Characters are rude, crude, and trigger happy. They like to pressure, insult, and don't usually have boundaries when it comes to ethics or manners.

A great test for testing for attitudes is a simple conversation. It could be small-talk at the bar, ordering a weapon at a DETS stall, or chatter while in a gunfight.

-----

Emotion and Attitude are the first, maybe the primary, steps in etching out depth in any character. Every character is a blank page, but with some drawings and perspective, there will be depth in that page.

[Turkey]

So, you know how to pull of regular /me's, but that's just not getting the point across enough? Want to express something more than just simple actions? If so, then you've come to the right place.

Let's repeat what a Basic Level /me is: a simple sentence with a simple, one task action.

***Carl Sigman ran around the room.

***The vase fell off the bookshelf.

***Carl regained consciousness.

Well, after that, the sky's the limit when it comes to improvement, but to make things easier in terms of successful searching, the main things that characterize Advanced /me Usage are the following:
-Compound Actions
-Stronger Vocabulary
-More Personal actions
-A move into Emotional /me's.

1. Compound Actions
Multiple Actions: One Sentence.


This should be a simple enough concept to understand: start compounding your sentences! Unless you're 7 years old, you should know what a compound word is, so you should start using them! Compound Actions, put simply, are multiple actions put into one /me sentence.
This allows for quicker, more rhythmic execution for /me's, and can greatly increase the effect of the /me, as opposed to individual /me's.

Simple /me:
*** Carl Sigman ran around the room.

Compound /Me:
*** Carl Sigman ran around the room, soon crashing into a bookshelf.

Simple:
*** Carl bought a Gun from the DETS.

Compound:
*** Carl tossed his Mesi on the table, picked up his prize, and walked away.

Simple:
*** Carl loves Dogs.

Compound:
*** An avid dog lover, Carl gave strips of bacon to the neighborhood dogs; he was soon overrun by a mob of sniffing noses and wagging tails.

2. Stronger Vocabulary
Must I define it?

Run, Jump, Said, Looked, Sat, Scratched, Fart.
What do these words have in common?
BOOOOORING! (With the possible exception of Fart).

Another way to strengthen /me's is with a greater vocabulary, and usage of more descriptive and thought-provoking words.
So, for the above words, here are some of their superior synonyms:

Run: Sprint, Jogged
Jumped: Lunged, Leaped
Said: Chatted, Told
Looked: Glanced, Glared, Watched
Sat: Relaxed
Scratched: Itched, "Cured his Itch"
Fart: Good as it is! Flatuated?

3. More Personal Actions

Basic /me's revolved around objects or others, but not always yourself. Part of the RP progression is the realization of the self, just as a child becomes self-aware of themselves. Remember that you are interactive as well, so remember to incorporate yourself in /me's at times.

Examples:
*** Carl Sigman dusts himself off.

*** Carl wipes the blood leaking from his nose.

*** Carl puts the gun in his holster, tapping it at his side to make sure it's secure.

*** Sigman stares up at the clouds, dragging his hands against his face and breathing in deep.

4. More Emotional /Me's
(But do try to keep it PG-13. *Looks at Press)

Very much related to #3, the progression from the Basic Level to Advanced includes the realization of interaction with yourself, and with that comes the invocation of Emotion.

Do remember: Emotions are complicated, and they go beyond just Anger and Love.

So, how do you show Emotion with a /me? There are two straight-out methods:

Directly Describe it:
*** Charles feels sad.

Indirectly Describe it:
*** Charles covers his eyes to hide his tears.

The latter is much more preferred, as it is more imaginable and conveys stronger feelings than just a vague description of feeling.

The same Advanced rules for /me's apply for Emotional /me's as well.

*** Charles feels sad.
This is a short, simple, and thus Basic Emotional /me.

*** Charles wipes his tears away, gazing in disbelief at his mother's gravestone.
This is an Advanced /me. It is a compound /me, and has a stronger vocabulary.

*** Charles grimaces at the engraved rock at the foot of his mother's casket, shuddering out a tear from his eye. He hardly knew her, and would never get the chance to.

This is an Expert /me. For a further explanation, check out the Expert Lesson Thread.

Vocabulary and Verbage used can greatly enhance the idea being put across.
Munroe provided this example:

*** Bob doesn't trust that man.
This is another Basic level /me, that lacks description. Why doesn't Bob trust the man? Who is he? What does Bob have against him?


*** Bob is distrusting of that scoundrel.
Keep in mind that as a /me, this is showing your character's opinion/perception, not necessarily yours. Bob sees the man as a scoundrel, and doesn't trust him.


*** Bob distrusts the hooded, gun-toting scoundrel.
This /me explains Bob's reasons for distrusting the man and considering him a "scoundrel". He is apparently hooded, and carries a gun around.

A Quick Note about Romantic /Me's:

Mature up, but whether you're willing to go there or not is wholly your choice. You cannot be forced into doing something that you aren't wholly comfortable with, and you make the decision as to whether or not you feel you should.

Remember: Advanced /me-ing is achieved through emotional /me's, but romance isn't the only emotion to be touched on. The Advanced Level is the acquisition of certain RP Abilities, not a To-Do list with, "Go Kiss so-and-so" On it.

[Turkey]

For any of you who didn't know and decided to skip over the [Basic] In-Character Behavior thread, there was a tiny section about Batman. (I believe his name only appeared 3 times or so.) Before we all start humming the themesong, let me get the introduction out of the way:

Welcome to the [Advanced] Realizing Limitations section of the RP Guide.

By "Realizing Limitations" means exactly what it says: know what you are and are not capable of doing, admit them, accept them, and utilize them.

I would like to begin with a simple thing to remember:
Characters come in 3 "ability-levels", along with a respective RP level that they should be associated with: Those who Can't, Those who Might, and Those who Can.

Those who Can't.
These people are primarily composed of new citizens and civilians. They are people who would probably fail in attempting a complex move.

Include: Civilians, New Characters, Pets
Set RP Level: Basic

Those who Might
These people are the partially experienced citizens, veterans, and trained persons. They have a chance of successfully pulling off a complex move, depending on the move, the circumstances, and the skill of the opposing character.

Include: Anyone with conditioning, experience, or training. CEs, Bandits, Imperials, and similar characters would be part of this group.
Set RP Level: Advanced.

Those who Can.
These guys are the Batmans of the skill-tree. They can do next-to anything if they specialize in it. They are composed of the elite few who are deathly experienced, and are mature enough to lose a few times for fairness sake.

Include: The Recognized and Elite few RPers and authorized characters.
Set RP Level: Expert.

Seeing as this guide is in the Advanced section, the majority of this thread will address the Might audience.

Think about your character. Ask yourself the following questions. Be fair, be rational, and don't alter the circumstances in your character's favor.

-Has your character seen combat before?
-Is your character an expert in some sort of field?
-Could they perform a complex operation under duress.
-Are they Strong, Smart, and Quick-Witted enough to get out of an at-gunpoint situation?
-Have they received some sort of specialized training in the past?

By the fact that you are here, you should have answered Yes and No to some of these questions: saying Yes to all of them would mean that you're probably overdoing yourself, and No meaning your character is a Can't, which is acceptable but their limits are already known then!

Let's create a character, someone other than Carl Sigman.
Let's call him Sig Carlman!

Sig Carlman is an average guy, not overly strong, smart, or fast, and has some combat experience. He has had no experience with any of the following scenarios.

*** Sig Carlman is being held-up at gunpoint by a lone bandit. An option arrives in his head to attempt to disarm the bandit.

Carl is Average, and probably has a 50-50 chance of either succeeding or a bullet to the face. A major tipping point would be the characteristics of the bandit: if he is big and tough, there's little chance that Sig would be able to disarm the man; if the other man was weaker, than Sig's chances would definitely improve; if the other man is shaking and worried, then Sig has the upper hand in disarming the man.

On a side note,
If he were being held up by an Entanglement, trained and expert killers, then he would have a substantially lower chance.
-----
*** Sig Carlman is attempting to open a doorway, but the electronic bulk-head is fried. He attempts to fix the door.

Sig has 0 electronics experience, and it is never, "Connect the two severed wires" situation: an experienced person needs to do it. Sig would not be able to fix the box.
-----
*** Sig has been shot by a sniper, and has been downed in the sands. He thinks about ignoring the pain and getting up.

I highly doubt that you, the reader, have been shot before; for those of you who have, you know that it isn't a Hollywood, "IGNORE THE PAIN, BACK ON YOUR FEET RUNNING" situation. Sig would be alive, but down for the count, caught by the pain, surprise, fear, and confusion of what happens next (remember that Sig has only had SOME combat experience, probably not enough to regard a gunshot wound as a papercut).

Side Note:
Body Armor would stop the bullet from a low-caliber round, but the kick is still present. It's like getting hit by an SUV. Sig would still be down, but not on the verge of dying.

1. Illegal Uber-Characters.

Uber-Characters are characters that are made by lower-level RPers, while still having the "Can Do Everything" capabilities that belongs to Expert RPers. Uber-Characters get their IC powers and abilities usually by illegitimate and unauthorized means, such as, "Oh, I just wrote it in his biography, so it's true!"

What types of characters does this include? (All of the following belong to lower-RP players)

-Robots/Cyborgs/Androids.
-Ex-Special Forces Persons
-Insta-Magic Ass-pulling Inventors
-Supernatural Characters
-Ass-Pull Rich People (That includes people who say they have ships, houses, gangs, ect.)

These types are highly discouraged for the possibilities that are likely to occur for the worse.
Think of it like giving a gun to a 9 year old: they have the capability to do anything with that gun, and they're definitely not going to use it with maturity, thought, and fairness.

Remember all of these things self-explanatory things, and you'll have taken a definite step towards better, fairer RP.

[Turkey]

The currently understood definition for Passive RP, as I see it, it this:
It is RP that isn't primarily Running and Gunning; if that were considered RP at all, then CounterStrike would be a widely popular RP, and DarkRP would be considered Canon.
In another sense, it is RP of regular life and regular interactions.

A Defining part of determining Advanced RPers is the ability to RP regular life, without a gun or weapon of any sort to distract from the actual character elements.

Passive RP is not as hard to get involved with, quite frankly: it is all a matter of participation, really.

-If you see a group of people, go see 'em and possibly join in the conversation.
-Go into the bar, start up a conversation, maybe get something to drink and see what happens.
-Take time off and start tinkering with something IC, see some reactions. -Chat up the local traders or CE officers.
-See if some locals can answer some random questions your character might have.

The whole point of Passive RP is to RP without Violence or Aggression as a central theme.

I know this doesn't seem like much of a lesson: Passive RP usually kicks in naturally for regular and experienced RPers. However, for people who haven't RPed much, aren't used to Non-Gang-ViolenceRP, or are new to RP altogether, PassiveRP isn't something that comes naturally nor easily.

As much as possible, PassiveRP should be a major facet for RPing.

Newbies and beginners should be introduced through PassiveRP as much as possible, as it is the best way to create interactions while still using RP in a controlled environment.

[alaskan thunderfuck]

Unbanned OP. This is his guide and from my understanding he posted it at IG on the 11th of sept and it was posted by someone else on another forum on the 19th. Unless someone can prove me wrong, he remains unbanned.

[Augmented Cock Man]

I enjoyed reading this. I've found that over time HL2RP, (and just roleplay in general), helps a lot with acting. I do drama clubs, (One Act, Stage Play, etc.), and It actually has improved my skill at doing so. Easy way to learn about connecting to a character. It's even made me a better writer as well. Just a few reasons why HL2RP is a truly unique experience.  Good guide regardless.