Community Field Guide for RP 101

[coolcoyote]

Howdy folks!

This is a field guide for players to drop tips for new role players, sharing their experience and tips of the trade with the next generation of role players.

Feel free to leave a comment on things you think role players should know, or avoid in a format like this.

1) Topic
2) why this should be followed / avoided
3) How do players follow this / improve / fix this problem.

Since this is all player generated things bere should of course be taken with a grain of salt. This should also NOT be a placd to bash players for their mistakes. Keep it civil, keep it professional and keep it free of spam.

I will start us off:

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Read, don't skim.

You would think this goes with out saying but a good majority of problems can be solved if players slow down, read what was posted, more than once if needed, THEN post.

Be civil.

Another one that goes with out saying and yet due to the nature of the internet can easily be overlooked...to put it politely. Use the golden rule. Treat others like you wish to be treated and we can be sure that you did not log on wanting to be yelled at.

This also applies to thinking ahead an avoiding situations that might cause rifts between players. Obviously since this is the internet you are going to be offended by someone eventually, or eventually do something to offend someone.

So try to be civil. After all, the best way to avoid a flame war is to avoid entering one.

Pose length and detail

How long should I make my posts? The age old question. In truth, the answer is 'as long as it takes to say what you need to say and contribute to the rp. A post should answer where a player is, how he gets there, and what is he doing. Anything less and you risk confusion when people try to figure out where your character is or who they are talking too.

That said if players have to drown themselves in a sea of details that contribute nothing to the rp just to find out that you didn't really say anything at all...they wont be happy...

Sentence length

Run on sentences can cause people to skim and miss details in your post. To avoid this make a sentence no longer than one natural breath. In other words, when you read this post every sentence will end when you take a breath. Every time you take a breath there is a period.

Tey it out. See if that works for you.

Demi God moding
Everyone knows what god moding is so I wont mention it here. But demi god moding is a real problem every where you go. It is a self made term to describe players who make a character who is not powerfull enough to break the rules and become a god moder, but still powerfull enough to unballence the game.

Imagine if someone was running a game with only human characters and someone brought Batman into the mix...while everyone else played normal people. You can see how that would cause problems.

The simple solution is bring a ballenced character. Don't bring the 'best' equipment or skills. Limit yourself to less than 3 major skills or qualities. This may also require you exit your character to fit better with another players.

Fatal Flaws that work

A character flaw is just what it sounds like. A flaw. Something your character does not do well that everyone else can do just fine. Players often asume that a flaw is not being able to use a certain weapon or skill. That...isn't really true. A flaw actually has to come into play for it to be a true character flaw.

Saying that your archer is flawed because he can't use a sword to save his own life is not really a flaw because in reality not that many people know how to sword fight, even in the middle ages. Now if your character was /expected/ to use a sword, but have no skill to do so, then yes, that is a true flaw

Tense and writing style

Tense referse to past tense or present tense. I freely admit that I am horrible at this myself. Past tense is 'he walked to the car and opened fhe door. The alien then lunged at him and ate him.' Compared to present tense 'He walks to the car and opens the door. The alien lunges at him and eats him'

Its important to use the same tense through out the story, meaning that it should be the aame as otber players. Otherwise you get : 'he walked to the car and opens the door. The alien then lunges at him and ate him.'

Yes. This bothers people.

On the aame note if the story is in 3 person it is not recomended for a player to spoof himself in the first person nor is it recommended that a player use ** marks to show that he is posing.  Both are not needed and can cause confusion.

Wall o text
Much like this post actually. Imagine if this entire post was only ONE paragraph. Yes...please...please avoid that


Now, with ky fingers falling off from typing so much I open the thread to others to share thwir whisdom or whimsy with the rest of the community.

[Drakeyboy]

getting along with the game master

Also a side note on the post length. If the GM (game master for those who don't know) says you need a certain amount of sentences do not go under it. if he says four sentences you must do minimum four sentences.

Also whatever rules that the GM lists listen to them because the GM is law in the RP. It's his game so you play by his rules. Usually most GMs are flexible but don't purposefully try to push your boundaries it is agrivating for everyone involved and you risk pushing away the GM.

If your GM gives you advice listen to him he knows the RP better than everyone else in the RP.

being a good game master

When you are being a GM a lot if things will not go exactly as planned, trust me on this one, so for each planned scenario have a large variety of outcomes planned out that will keep your story roughly on track. Even then you will be guaranteed that the players will throw you a curve ball from time to time so you will need to think on your feet from time to time so instead of throwing a hissy fit and telling your players on how to proceed leave clues (sometimes a little obvious) but make it discreet so the players still feel like they still have some control. That way you still get to tell the story you want and the players still feel that thier choices matter letting everyone have fun.

[Angder]

Do not plan your stories and plots too much

Regardless of if your actually the GM, or just given the ability to write your own event, it is VITAL you don't end up plotting things out too much, characters do unexpected things, and your default response should be to take it in your stride NOT attempt to undo the actions before your plot collapses. This is not to say you can't call bull to certain actions that are stupid/godmodding, but you MUST allow the characters to do what THEY want. If your plot is too rigid to allow variance you need to adapt it until it can handle some variance.

The way I do things is to just have a bunch of characters with motivations. I then leave the players to sort out the mess made by these characters, the plans I make are the characters plans, not mine, so its much harder to end up in a situation where I don't know what to do. This is not the only way to avoid the problem, but its my personal preference