Role-playing Tutorial - Everyone must read

[Raeda]

Role-playing isn’t always easy to do. Some people get it in a snap and have a natural flair for it. Others, it takes time and practice to get started. But you can’t simply role-play without knowing how, correct? This guide here is a FAQ for all your role-playing needs. The first half will be general explanations and examples, the second half will be questions and their answers.
So, enjoy and have fun!

~Raeda; Y Teigr Gwyn Admin

Basics to Role-playing
I’m a lazy admin and therefore, go to this link here. It’ll tell you what you need to know about what exactly role-playing is, without me having to do the arduous task of copying and pasting. It’s got dictionary references too.

*gasp*

Spoiler:

Step One: Creating your character
No, you do not need to know how to role-play to make your character. Honestly, making your character will get you into the mood. Role-playing mood, that is.

*coughs*

Usually most role-plays will include a character sheet in which to make your character with. This goes by a few names, including BIO, bio, skelly or skeleton. Any one of these means the same thing, so don’t be intimidated.

Also, depending on the level of the thread creator you might have a ridiculously simple character sheet asking only for name, age, gender and a three word description or image. Advanced role-players can give you a ridiculously long character sheet going from occupation to whether or not your character smokes.

And much of the time your character won’t be accepted until most of the important parts are filled. Don’t be so surprised, it’s been known for people to not put in the age or description of their character because they’re lazy. So don’t be lazy. Pitchsporks and torches will appear.

Now then, as my link explains all advanced, expert or intermediate role-players hate Mary Sues, as typically it is the beginners who create them. A similar name is a Gary Stu, which is simply the male form. This means no absolutely amazingly perfect characters. At all.

If you do a horde shall gather, complete with the aforementioned pitchsporks and torches. Yes, pitchspork. Didn’t you know your admin had a sense of ironic humor? No? It was on my profile before, until PJ edited it. Ignore her. Except for the fact she is coding Y Teigr Gwyn. I give her that much.

*hands out chocolate*

What? I could see you guys getting restless from my rambling. Now shush and listen up.

Spoiler:

This covers everything important and is used the most often. Next up is an example of a very simple character sheet and a preposterously long one. That I have filled out and used before, so it isn’t too hard. Just time consuming…and a test of your imagination.

Spoiler:

You notice the personality, history and other missing? While other isn’t too important, since it only covers things that the character sheet misses, most people dislike not mentioning the personality. After all, you want to know as much as you can about someone else’s character, no? If not for role-playing purposes then because you’re nosy, because I can tell you are. I just can; no buts.

Spoiler:

Scared? I don’t doubt it. Surprisingly, these are rather fun to write out, since you can pretty much explain your character in short sentences and no one cares about paragraphs, which the basic character sheet often asks for.

Okay, so you’ve got your character typed down, now what?

We get onto the real part of this tutorial. How to role-play. Since I’m assuming that you’ve read my post about what role-playing is, I shouldn’t be asked any questions here other than the ones related to what I’m talking about. Otherwise I’m going to answer with a link and call you a derp. I will, don’t put it past me, child.

How to write a post:

So we’ve got the character down pat and now we’ve moved onto the actual role-playing. Fun, no? And you’d better have read that above section because if not you’re going to fail big-time and die. Why? How many times have I mentioned this? Pitchsporks and torches, my young padawan.

Okay, okay, simmer down. No need to get violent. I get enough of verbal bullying from PJ.

First we’ll start with examples. And by the way, these are written by me for my own character, Raithe. If I find them plagiarized I will banhammer you. Beware, thief.

Horrible Example:

so raithe gets out of car and say hi how are you to the person and then walks over to somone else and takes a knife to them and kill that charatar and stuff ad thenn goes an d kils mre peoples

Middle Example:

Raithe got out of the car quickly and muttered a quick “Hello,” to the other person standing close by. Walking over to another person she hit them in the shoulder with one fist then drew out a knife, glaring at that person. “Ready to die?” she asked with a grin. The other person shudders and draws back from Raithe with a frightened expression on their face.

Good Example:

The black sedan drew up by the curb and out stepped a slight young woman, her brow knitted with anger as she nodded hello to Wynter, who stood nearby. Shaking her head with a sort of sadness the woman, whose name was Raithe, padded over to Kiran who stood a ways back with his head down, the expression on his face brooding as he studied the ground by his feet.

“Kiran,” she said smoothly, sliding up next to him with a sharp knife hidden in one hand. Gazing at him appraisingly with her strange green-brown-amber eyes the woman put her hand on one of Kiran’s shoulder and shook it gently.

“Missed me, no?” she asked, whispering gently in his ear. She was positioned behind him and with one quick movement she brought the point of her knife up to the small of his back, the steel pricking through his shirt. “You left me with something that I treasured. Could I have it back? You know what happens if you don’t give it me, correct?”

The wicked smile that spread broadly across her slightly freckled face only made it seem more likely that she would stab him whether he gave back her item or not, but Raithe was counting on the fact that he thought he would actually go free if he simply handed her back her object.

Fool, she mused, narrowing her eyes, the corners crinkling slightly with the malevolent amusement she felt.

I’ll debrief what went wrong in the first two.

In the Horrible Example there was no grammar, little syntax and about one or two periods. It did not describe the scene or the names of the two other people. Also, it involved godmodding. Godmodding is when someone does something to another character without asking the user’s permission first. In the first example Raithe simply went and stabbed the guy. Don’t role-play like this, please. Someone will hurt you, badly. This is a beginner example too, so I suppose those other beginners won’t mind.

The second one is moderately alright, but it introduces no characters, only a setting, and includes powerplaying. Powerplaying means that someone controls another character. The post mentioned the other person shuddering and drawing away, which means that I ‘controlled’ the other person. Another aspect is also introduced. Unfortunately, in this paragraph the time changes. When it first began in the past tense (did, said, walked etc.) it switched the present tense (does, says, walks etc.), meaning this post is confusing and does not flow well. I would advise sticking to past tense as most role-players prefer using it.

The last one could be considered flawless. Scene, characters and personalities are introduced. There is no godmodding or powerplaying and the grammar and spelling is perfect. Of course, you’re always improving and many an advanced role-player would point out little minute flaws such as the flow and other such miniscule details. Don’t feel offended though, this is more than acceptable for most people.

So now you know what a post would look like. There’s not much I can tell you, however. Role-playing can be impossible to explain, as there are so many rules, forms and other such details that are unexplainable in words.

In other words, role-playing is completely hit or miss. If you miss, however, it’s not the end of the world. Just read some posts from other users, work on your writing a bit and then try again…and again…and again. As many times as you need.

FAQ

What’s role-playing?

Okay, that’s it. I’m getting out my pitchspork. Seriously, I mentioned this like, fifty times. Read the tutorial, omg.

https://yteigrgwyn.rpg-board.net/role-playing-forum-f5/welcome-an-intro-to-role-playing-t7.htm

People are complaining about my character!

Then you’re obviously powerplaying, godmodding or you’ve made a Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Fix this immediately. I mean it, fix it. Or I’ll come after you. Nobody likes rule-breakers, even if it’s not in the rules.

Omg, I don’t understand! D8

o.o I’m getting mad now. I shouldn’t even have a FAQ, seriously. Just…go press the above above link. I mean it, you derpfais. I’ll hurt you if you don’t. And if you’re still mr/ms. Clueless, then read the tutorial. If after that you still don’t get it then I don’t know what to do with you. D<