Index
- I Introduction
- a. Welcome
- b. Mission Statement
- c. Suggestions for Reading This Thread
- II. Rules
- a. Guidelines on the Game Master
- b. Guidelines on God Modding
- c. Guidelines of Death/Killing Characters
- d. Guidelines on Out-Of -Character Text
- e. Guidelines on First/Third Person
- f. Guidelines on Respecting Other Player's Style
- g. Guidelines on Controlling Multiple characters
- h. Guidelines on Post Content/Size
- i. Guidelines on Power-Playing
- j. Guidelines on Players Becoming In-Active
- k. Guidelines on NPC Activity
- l. Guidelines on Smut, Gore, and Drug Usage
- III. Global
BlocktopianRoleplay Rules- a.
Blocktopia's Law Comes First - b. Game Master is Second Law
- c. Play Fair
- d. No Copyrighted Characters
- e. Keep it PG-13
- f. Fit the Genre
- a.
- IV. Tips for Roleplaying
- a. Intro to Tips
- b. Character Creation
- c. First Person
- d. Third Person
- e. Controlling Multiple Characters
- f. Dramatic Irony
- g. Speaking in Different Languages
- h. Speaking to/from Animals
- i. Godmodding
- j. Power Playing
- k. Open Roleplays
- V. Defintions
- Character Bios
- Character
- Closed Roleplay
- First Person
- Godmodding [GM]
- In-Charcter [IC]
- Non-Playable-Character [NPC]
- One-Liner
- Open Roleplay
- Out-of-Character [OOC]
- Para [or Multi-Para]
- Player
- Power Playing [PP]
- Roleplay Thread
- Roleplay Universe
- Third Person
- Time-Breaks
Hello my babygurl. Welcome to a pretty average thread about common Rules & Tips that you would find apply to the nearly all Roleplays you would find across the entire internet. Although I have optimized this thread for the specifics of the Blocktopian Community. Most other Forum/Message Board Portal Communities also have their own Roleplay thread for their own community.
I've been involved in various Roleplays for around eight years. I could be seen on Eddsworld Forum, LackadaisyForum, and other websites lost. What I believe that Roleplaying is intended for is to improve the writing skills of the player and to being able to collaborate in bringing a story to life. After all, writing is a skill that I believe any average person can obtain. This thread is in the long run like a huge guideline book that I want people to be able to reference so they have more of a foundation on what they are supposed to be doing. Do I require you to read all of the thread? No, it would help though. There are some specific that only apply to Game Masters and I will clarify that. Overall, I hope this thread will help you to help you excel in your roleplaying ability.
Near the very bottom will be defintions. I highly suggest opening another tab and keeping that open while you read this. It will greatly help your understanding.
Caution: this section is not Blocktopia's Global Roleplay Rules. This section is a crashcourse for both Game Masters and players alike. I will be explaining the rules that a GM may have in place within each thread. Certain genres of Roleplay require different rules each time. A GM's job is to place rules that will keep order to the genre of Roleplay.
a. Guidelines for the Game Master
Game Masters are expected to create Character Bio Applications, whether the Roleplay is an Open Roleplay or a Closed Roleplay, set specific Rules for the Roleplay Universe, maintain/allow the change of weather/day, control of resources, or other variation of the Roleplay Universe that need monitored. Game Master's word is Law.
Certain genres of Roleplay require different rules each time. A GM's job is to place rules that will keep order and make sense to the Roleplay Universe. It does not mean their Character is some over-sightful god. Each person who has a character within the Roleplay should also be able to check the Game Master's own character. A GM's character should never overstep the boundry's of a Roleplay Universe.
b. Guidelines on God Modding
God Modding is when a Character is an all powerful being. How this happens is either the Game Master had allowed a Player to submit an all powerful being or events within the Roleplay Universe have allowed the character to ascend to an all powerful being. God Modding can also be classified as causing environmental changes, avalanches or weather patterns, and the full control of another character.
If you happen to become an all powerful character there are some things to follow, such as are you even allowed to be this powerful? Communicate effectively with other players and what you want to do and would it excel the Roleplay Universe in some way that makes sense? Using God Modding in a Roleplay means you must be specific and doesn't mean you suddenly get to do everything you want. With permission of other players the God Modding player becomes such.
Other times God Modding may become necessary is when another player is not able to roleplay anymore and their character has halted the Roleplay.
c. Guidelines of Death/Killing Characters
Sometimes the death of another Character is necessary to a plot or just the Player in general. Maybe a Player can't roleplay anymore and they need to kill of their Character or a Player has become inactive with their character halting the Roleplay. The Death/Killing of characters should be greatly discussed in OOC. You may never kill another character without permission of the player, Majority Vote, or GM.
Each situation can be different. Please communicate effectively before making this decision.
d. Guidelines on Out-Of-Character Text
Out-Of-Character Text (OOC) is when the Player is speaking instead of the Character. The ways OOC can be identified is commonly through brackets such as: ((text)) {{text}} [[text]]
Gamemaster: It is your responsibility to detail whether specific brackets should be used for your Roleplay thread or not. It is highly suggested for better reading and consistency. Otherwise you are in control of the thread and can decide whether or not to use uniform brackets.
Player: Listen to the Game Master's Guidelines. Be very clear on what your OOC brackets are and where they being/end. It can become very confusing when your brackets keep changing or there is not clear way to identify your In-Character text from your Out-of-Character text. Be clear.
e. Guidelines on First/Third Person
It is the Game Master's responsibility to decide if the Roleplay Thread requires the usage of First Person or Third Person. Otherwise you can make it anyone may Roleplay however they please. Please respect the Gamemaster's guidelines for First or Third Person usage.
f. Guidelines on Respecting Other Player's Style
This section is to generalize how to react to other player's Roleplay Style within Open Roleplays.
Every person can have different variations of Roleplaying. Some people may have visual aids such as color or pictures. Some have their text aligned to the right or centered. Some characters use third person or first person. Whatever the case is you as a Roleplayer are expected to adjust and respond accordingly to a player's Roleplay Style. You should not have to compromise your own style. The only thing a player's Roleply Style should come under scrutiny is when they are so sporadic/spontaneous that their style is not legible or understandable. Each of us carries the responsibility to be efficient, clear, and give an enjoyable roleplaying experience.
g. Guidelines on Controlling Multiple characters
This section refers to a single Player controlling Multiple Characters.
You must be clear, specific, and concise. One of the simplest ways of roleplaying with multiple characters is to seperate the Character's post as if you were posting with one Character. For example:
A Game Master is responsible for deciding if Players can control Multiple Character or not and setting guidelines for defining how each different Character will be clearly stated. Rule of thumb: your multiple Character's posts should not overlap. Be clear to other Players on who is being described, speaking, etc.
h. Guidelines on Post Content/Size
One of the Game Master's responsibilities is to clarify if One-Liners are acceptable or not and how much a post should hold. Now, it doesn't mean you should be requiring SIX PARAGRAPHS for each post, but if you want an intense Roleplay you would ask posts to be two sentences or more. Game Master's can decide what is acceptable in their Roleplay Thread.
Players: be conscious of what the Game Master and other Players want. The more content you give to your posts the more Players have to work with and react to.
i. Guidelines on Power-Playing
Power-Playing may become necessary to describe another Player's actions or excel the story. Say Character A knocks another Character B's cup over and describes Character B's face as angry. That's mild PPing and most wouldn't be upset over that. One serious case of PPing would be full on describing another Character's actions and motions. Probably would not be alright and in this instance it would be classified as God Modding.
Sometimes it may be required as in a Character is sleeping and you need to move that Character. Simple things where another Character's action is required to make the story make sense. A Player may be asked by another Player to temporarily control their character for whatever reason. Rule of thumb though is to ask another Player first.
j. Guidelines on players Becoming In-Active
Game Masters can set how long a Player can be In-Active. A suggested time for optimal roleplaying is one week.
Sometimes Players just can't roleplay for a long period of time for any reason. Players are expected to communicate this and possibly place their Character in a way that would not halt the Roleplay Universe.
In cases of Open Roleplays that could happen a lot. If a Player suddenly stopped Roleplaying the other Player(s) who were interacting with that Player are expected to try to contact them in any way. If nothing happens it's up to you to make the ultimate decision of how to react through either Power-Playing, Godmodding, or etc to continue the Roleplay.
k. Guidelines on NPC Activity
Non-Playerable-Character does not always necessarily mean they are unplayable. Sometimes NPCs are described as temporary characters who either leave the Roleplay or die once they have finished being a critical piece for a Roleplay. NPCs can bring more life to a Roleplay and can either just be a background Character or a Character controlled by a Player.
As always, use NPCs responsibly. An example would be Character's coming onto a burning town and watching people run away or ask them for help. An NPC should never become a core piece otherwise they become basically an extra Character under a player. Always communicate with other Players in OOC what the purpose of the NPC is.
l. Guidelines on Smut, Gore, and Drug Usage
This is Blocktopia. You should not be describing anything over PG-13. There are Time-Breaks in which over PG-13 actions are implied through word usage. You can should be careful and look at the thread's mood to understand what other Players are comfortable with. Still, be wary of overdoing it.
Blocktopia's full Terms of Service and Rules can be found here. Otherwise as a Blocktopian member yourself you should know better.
b. Game Master is Second Law
A Roleplay Thread's Game Master is basically the leader. While Players are expected to also check and balance the Game Master overall the Game Master calls the big decisions. Please follow them because they've allowed you into their Roleplay Thread.
c. Play Fair
Don't do things that will irritate other Players off. You all have the ability right now to create a compelling story with your characters. Everything should not always go to plan because you are roleplaying for sporadic events. Otherwise go write a novel or something. Appreciate other Player's creativity and respond with things that make sense. Other basics is no GMing or PPing without permission. Communicate effectively with other Players.
d. Keep it PG-13
Tread carefully. I myself do not wish to limit your creative ability but take in what kind of community of Blocktopia is and reflect that in your roleplaying.
e. Fit the Genre
Unless a Roleplay Universe/GM calls for it, Characters should fit the timeline. You wouldn't see a mecha-machine in 1600 Medieval or vice versa. Keep to the story and make sense.
a. Character Creation
A GM is generally expected to create a fill out Character Bio to give all Players an idea of what kind of character they are. An example Character Bio would be:
Code:
[b]Name:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Build:
Origin:
Languages:
Ethnicity:
Eyes:
Hair:
Attire:
Accessories:
Personality:
Special skills:
Weaknesses:
Fears:
Likes:
Dislikes:[/b]b. First Person
Let's get this out of the way: seasoned RPers will almost always choose Third Person over First. The reason being is because Third Person allows to communicate more information like internal emotions and thoughts or give a more descriptive post that gives over Players more to work with. There are reasons to not using Third Person because of preferences and because a Player may not want other Players to react to a Character's internal dialogue. Third person backfires in a sense that Players are given privy to information and know then how to make their character react to draw that information from the other Player's character.
It's really convoluted but overall, my suggestion with First Person is to do it if you're comfortable with it. No one should really be trying to police your Roleplay style (unless they're the Grand Master or they can't understand you at all). First Person is a clear, to the point style of Roleplaying. First Person is a perfectly fine style to anyone just entering the art of online Roleplay.
c. Third Person
I myself highly suggest Third Person for anyone who wants to take improving their writing seriously. Otherwise, continue with First Person. Third Person allows for more omnipresence and that it allows you as a Player to be more specific in typing. Third Person is a less individualistic form of Role Playing and more or so depends on the continuation and respect from other Players alike. As aforementioned, a major flaw would be Players taking in other character's internal thought processes and expressing their Character's reacting to that rather than the outward appearance.
Third Person is highly preferred in large group settings. When you have multiple Players constantly reminding other Players what they look like, what their name is, etc it allows for more solidification of a Character and more clear, cut definitions of who is being referenced and who is speaking. More or less, it allows for diversity. First Person can only express Character attributes generally only through the language of the Character talking. Having to say things as, "I like apples," or, "I would not do that." The ability to be more nuance and more compelling is generally, not always, lost in a First Person style if done incorrectly.
Third Person is for people who are serious about improving their writing skill and who want to have the most optimized experience with their Character(s) and story. Highly suggested.
d. Controlling Multiple Characters
As aforementioned, when a single Player is roleplaying/controlling multiple characters those character posts should not overlap. They should be kept separate and have clear indicators of who is speaking. This can be done through visuals.
Multiple Characters can be fun and more engaging because it will always probably feel like you are Roleplaying. Sometimes some Players aren't available while others are. Be wary of confusing Character's together or falling into the trap of producing the same Character exactly. Highly suggested to look into creating an individual Character Bio for any Player to help differentiate. Multiple Characters can create more exploration for Players and allow a Roleplay Universe to be more concrete. Not suggested for beginner or novice Roleplayers.
e. Dramatic Irony
Dramatic Irony is in literature, a plot device in which the audience's or reader's knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the characters. The words and actions of the characters therefore take on a different meaning for the audience or reader than they have for the play's characters.
What this means exactly is sometimes a Player will have a Character's internal thoughts and emotions consistently posted to create more life and feeling for the Character. Other Players, not usually on purpose, begin to define the Character by this instead of the Character's decisions and what they say. There is a clear line between what Players know and what Characters know in a Roleplay. Be understanding of this. This is one of the key aspects to having a successful Roleplay experience.
f. Speaking in Different Languages
Speaking in different languages can range from legitimately speaking in a real life different language or in a made up language. Majority of people are not going to completely make an entirely new, translated language for the purpose of Roleplay so clear ways to express a Character is speaking in a different language is by simply saying they are speaking a different language or the use of double-semicolons.
"::I do not know what you are saying,::" the man told the barkeep.
The reason anyone would do this is so that Players continually get an idea of what type of character the man in the example is, but would still have their Characters react as if they had heard someone speak a different language. If other Characters can understand another language be sure there are realistic ways they do. Either through knowledge of the language or supernatural reasons.
g. Speaking to/from Animals
The same could be applied here from the above. Using the double-semicolons anyone can express the difference of a language through the same method. Again the rules of Character's understanding applies here.
h. Godmodding
Most of this has already been previously discussed. It is relatively clear what is usually wrong and right to Players when another Player makes an critical event happen in a Roleplay. This guide itself can not decide for each Roleplay Universe what is correct or what is not. It is up to each Player to decide what other Players will find acceptable. Communicate effectively and nothing should go wrong.
Godmodding can be an effective way to fix real life issues such as Players no longer able to Roleplay or have major plot events occur.
i. Power Playing
About the same as the text above. Copy and paste but replace "Godmodding" with "Power Playing."
j. Open Roleplays
(in construction)
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