Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 19:55:57 GMT 1
Credit goes to World-Garage.com member House for these tips. I didn't write them.
RPG Newbie Tips
I know from personal experience just how daunting it can be when you first enter the RPG thread and try and work out what's going on, where you're meant to post, characters, stories, rules, so on and so forth.
So here's a little bit of advice from the creator of this RPG thread to help out. Total newbies to RPG-ing should read this if you need to, and also anyone RP-ing in this thread for the first time might find this helpful.
RPG? What the...
An RPG (Role Playing Game) is a text-based game that we play by constructing a story through individual posts.
Players must choose an RPG they wish to join(currently this is the only one), create one or more characters (see below for more info) and then take it in turns with the other people in the RPG to post the actions your character carries out, moving around the area, interacting with other characters and the environment and so on.
You might find it useful to read a few pages of the existing RPG to get you in the mood of things.
Making and posting a character
Obviously the characters you make are going to be very important for you and for the RPG you join. It annoys people a lot and can mess up an RPG story if you create a character and then kill it off quickly or just leave it standing without ever doing anything with it if you change your mind about the character you want. Also making lots of characters very quickly is a bad idea, especially if you're RP-ing for the first time. My recommendation would be a maximum of three characters or less when you join. Wait until you're settled in to start making more. Think about your character carefully before you make it so you know you'll be happy once you start.
To make a character, fill in a character profile. Most RPGs should give the frame for the profile in the first post. Here is a general idea what a profile might look like:
Name: (Your character's name)
Species: (human, alien, cat, dog, etc.)
Age: (How old you character is, some people do it in comparison to a human. You don't have to be precise)
Gender: (Male or Female, or something else)
Appearance: (What the character looks like)
Personality: (likes, dislikes, quirks, what makes the character interesting)
Equipment: (What the character carries)
History: (Your character's past)
For this RPG, the specific profile will be described below.
You don't have to include all of these, but the more there is, the more we know of the character. Equipment and History are probably the least important two, as these can be developed during the RPG. Also, you don't have to confine yourself just to the things I've listed. If you have any other ideas you can add them.
The profile can be short, but it's good to take the opportunity to describe your character well here. It might help to read the profiles of other existing characters to give you an idea.
If you do want to get rid of one of your characters after a while, make sure it fits in with the story and make a good reason for him/her to leave. Sometimes there are times when it makes sense for a character to leave the RPG.
RPG-ing
The first thing you should do is check the RPG rules section. Then check the first post of the RPG you want to join as this may include additional rules and information. If you're joining a longer RPG it’s a good idea to read the past two or three pages so you can get the idea of what is going on. Make sure you understand the story of the RPG you are joining.
Once you start, be aware of others and stay open to the advice of other players. One of the most important things to do is be patient. Many members can't get on every day so don't expect a reply to your posts straight away. If you start to find almost every second post is one of yours, slow down a little. Also avoid having a series of short posts between yourself and another member when you can include a longer, more detailed post. It's easier for other players and makes the RPG appear friendlier for players who join later. More information can be found in the rules.
Remember, RPG-ing is about interacting with other people and their characters. Avoid making a string of posts where you don't interact with other characters. There might be times when your posts are based around your characters alone, but try to interact with others, or give others the opportunity to interact with you.
How do I set out my posts?
If you want to speak with the other players begin with
'OCC:' (out of character)
Once you start with the game, type
'IC:' (in character)
There are two main ways of laying out a post. First is the script format which goes something like this.
Character: "Character says something"
Character: (Character does something)
Character's thoughts: 'Character thinks something'
So for example:
Quote
Garth: (Raises gun and begins beating worker) "This is what you get for slacking off!"
Garth's thoughts: 'I love beatin' criminals!'
The second way of laying out a post is the story format where you lay out the post like you would a story.
Example:
Quote
Garth raised his gun and began beating the helpless criminal. "This is what you get for slacking off!" He continued to beat him.
'Odd, I love beating them,' He thought cheerfully.
You can experiment with them, most find script better at first. Some people use a combination of them both. By reading existing posts you can get a better idea of how RPG-ing works.
If you have any other questions or problems, post them here and I'll try and get back to you. Any thoughts posted in this thread should be moved into this post.
Questions answered...
Q. "Can I join more than one RPG?"
A. Yes, you may join as many as you wish.
I know from personal experience just how daunting it can be when you first enter the RPG thread and try and work out what's going on, where you're meant to post, characters, stories, rules, so on and so forth.
So here's a little bit of advice from the creator of this RPG thread to help out. Total newbies to RPG-ing should read this if you need to, and also anyone RP-ing in this thread for the first time might find this helpful.
RPG? What the...
An RPG (Role Playing Game) is a text-based game that we play by constructing a story through individual posts.
Players must choose an RPG they wish to join(currently this is the only one), create one or more characters (see below for more info) and then take it in turns with the other people in the RPG to post the actions your character carries out, moving around the area, interacting with other characters and the environment and so on.
You might find it useful to read a few pages of the existing RPG to get you in the mood of things.
Making and posting a character
Obviously the characters you make are going to be very important for you and for the RPG you join. It annoys people a lot and can mess up an RPG story if you create a character and then kill it off quickly or just leave it standing without ever doing anything with it if you change your mind about the character you want. Also making lots of characters very quickly is a bad idea, especially if you're RP-ing for the first time. My recommendation would be a maximum of three characters or less when you join. Wait until you're settled in to start making more. Think about your character carefully before you make it so you know you'll be happy once you start.
To make a character, fill in a character profile. Most RPGs should give the frame for the profile in the first post. Here is a general idea what a profile might look like:
Name: (Your character's name)
Species: (human, alien, cat, dog, etc.)
Age: (How old you character is, some people do it in comparison to a human. You don't have to be precise)
Gender: (Male or Female, or something else)
Appearance: (What the character looks like)
Personality: (likes, dislikes, quirks, what makes the character interesting)
Equipment: (What the character carries)
History: (Your character's past)
For this RPG, the specific profile will be described below.
You don't have to include all of these, but the more there is, the more we know of the character. Equipment and History are probably the least important two, as these can be developed during the RPG. Also, you don't have to confine yourself just to the things I've listed. If you have any other ideas you can add them.
The profile can be short, but it's good to take the opportunity to describe your character well here. It might help to read the profiles of other existing characters to give you an idea.
If you do want to get rid of one of your characters after a while, make sure it fits in with the story and make a good reason for him/her to leave. Sometimes there are times when it makes sense for a character to leave the RPG.
RPG-ing
The first thing you should do is check the RPG rules section. Then check the first post of the RPG you want to join as this may include additional rules and information. If you're joining a longer RPG it’s a good idea to read the past two or three pages so you can get the idea of what is going on. Make sure you understand the story of the RPG you are joining.
Once you start, be aware of others and stay open to the advice of other players. One of the most important things to do is be patient. Many members can't get on every day so don't expect a reply to your posts straight away. If you start to find almost every second post is one of yours, slow down a little. Also avoid having a series of short posts between yourself and another member when you can include a longer, more detailed post. It's easier for other players and makes the RPG appear friendlier for players who join later. More information can be found in the rules.
Remember, RPG-ing is about interacting with other people and their characters. Avoid making a string of posts where you don't interact with other characters. There might be times when your posts are based around your characters alone, but try to interact with others, or give others the opportunity to interact with you.
How do I set out my posts?
If you want to speak with the other players begin with
'OCC:' (out of character)
Once you start with the game, type
'IC:' (in character)
There are two main ways of laying out a post. First is the script format which goes something like this.
Character: "Character says something"
Character: (Character does something)
Character's thoughts: 'Character thinks something'
So for example:
Quote
Garth: (Raises gun and begins beating worker) "This is what you get for slacking off!"
Garth's thoughts: 'I love beatin' criminals!'
The second way of laying out a post is the story format where you lay out the post like you would a story.
Example:
Quote
Garth raised his gun and began beating the helpless criminal. "This is what you get for slacking off!" He continued to beat him.
'Odd, I love beating them,' He thought cheerfully.
You can experiment with them, most find script better at first. Some people use a combination of them both. By reading existing posts you can get a better idea of how RPG-ing works.
If you have any other questions or problems, post them here and I'll try and get back to you. Any thoughts posted in this thread should be moved into this post.
Questions answered...
Q. "Can I join more than one RPG?"
A. Yes, you may join as many as you wish.
