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Post by The Chels on Dec 26, 2010 12:47:01 GMT -5
[under construction - Will take a while to complete!]
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Post by The Chels on Dec 26, 2010 12:56:52 GMT -5
Table of ContentsSection One:
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Post by The Chels on Dec 26, 2010 13:10:48 GMT -5
Introduction: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello users, welcome to the ultimate role play guide created for you by your amazing admin, Chels. I am sure all of you are looking over this guide and thinking, "My god that is a lot of reading" but I assure you, it is all going to help you in the long run - and avoid any unnecessary brawls from the other literate role players on the site. I am encouraging you to read all of this guide, since it has taken me a very long time and a lot of research to create. I have created a list of content which you can quick - link to the post that you would like to read. For example, if you know you are having trouble in one area, but you are familiar with the rest, do not go through and assume you have to read it all. Just click the section in the table of contents and it will take you to that post. Credits: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please do not redistribute this guide with my permission. If I see you have ripped or stolen this guide without giving me credit, I will have your head. This guide took a lot of time, and if someone passes it off as their own I will be a very unhappy camper! Please and thank you, with much love, Chels. Also, I would like to thank any of the users on Portray or Gaia that have helped create this guide.
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Post by The Chels on Dec 26, 2010 13:23:00 GMT -5
Apostrophes For those of you that do not know, ` is NOT an apostrophe. ' is. Now I am sure you are probably wondering what the difference is, and I will surely explain that; ` is more slanted than the proper apostrophe, '. PLEASE do not use `, this is the key that is located on the ~ key when you press shift. Use the one in between your semi colon button and your enter key.
Apostrophes have two purposes in life - to complete contractions, and to show ownership. A contraction is a combined form of two words, such as do and not. Now, I know that when we PM or talk to our friends outside of roleplays we do not use apostrophes when we are combining contractions such as don't, won't, and can't. In fact, just today I was talking to my friend Kyle and I found myself saying, "I dont understand." Which is WRONG in the role play world.
The second purpose - showing ownership - is the one where I see most people messing up. If something belongs to someone else, then an apostrophe and an S follow the word. For example, Saul's dog. Saul owns the dog, so there's an apostrophe S. However, there are many people who tend to throw in an apostrophe in words that are simply plural, that seem to sound wrong in their brains. For example,
Roleplay's Computer's PM's
All of the above are completely WRONG. Roleplays do not own anything, nor do Pms or Computers. Now, I can understand why sometimes people do not catch these errors, but please do try to pay attention enough to realize non-living things cannot own a something! Punctuation I know a lot of you think that you are being cool when you write a question with a period as the punctuation, well let me assure you...you're post goes through a lot of effects when you forget to put proper punctuation.
Who are you. Why was he there. Who am I.
When said out loud, some people tend to say these sentences with their voice dropping in pitch (as opposed to rising, like it does when you're asking a normal question). Might I add that role players do not know what your character's pitch is unless you add proper punctuations. For example, if I write, "Who am I?" it has more tone and meaning than, "Who am I."
Some people tend to make this mistake a lot despite knowing the rules of questions - they simply forget it's a question halfway through the sentence. A good way to prevent this from happening in your final product is to read over your post again before you submit it, especially dialog, where most of the questions will be. It's easy to miss while you're still writing, but if you re-read it you're sure to catch most of those mistakes.
Alternatively, there are times when people make statements questions that aren't supposed to be questions You'll have a statement of uncertainty, like so:
I wonder why they went to the store.
Now, since the user used "I wonder", it is not considered a question. I use the "I wonder" statement a lot because I hate when I type up a question and the people in my role play do not answer it.
I personally hate when people type up one million punctuations for one sentence, it is just unnecessary while writing. Now, if you would like to do that in the Cbox, or in OOC, I will not stop you, or even if you just write two punctuations, but no more! "Holy cow!!!!!!!" "Holy cow!"
The more professional would be the second one, good job if you noticed that ^^. Again, if you really must, you could write, "Holy cow!!" with no more than TWO punctuations. The same goes for question marks.
You don't need to create the mental image of your character standing there, head sideways, and a puddle of drool forming under their mouth. Commas click commas to view credit Used whenever you pause in a sentence, commas can either make your sentence flow nicely and allow you to make them longer than they usually could be, or they can make your sentences choppy and mediocre. We're going for the former, here, so let's talk about how to use them correctly.
The first time you would use a comma (or more) in a sentence is when you're listing things. This can either be the list you take to a grocery store, or a list of adjectives you use when describing a noun.
I spent five hundred dollars on socks, tissues, and bell bottoms. Then, she ran into a big, fuzzy, terrifying grizzly bear.
These are probably the easiest ways to use commas, and the ways I've seen the least amount of problems with. There's a little debate in my head right now about whether or not you're supposed to put one final comma after the last adjective in describing something or the last item in a list before the word "and," but I'm pretty sure that it's optional in both cases. I'm not 100% sure, though - if there's an English major out there or someone who knows, feel free to correct me. (I've just had two separate people tell me it's optional and that it isn't - for now, I suggest adding the last comma just in case. xD)
Anyways, another case where you'd use a comma is to separate the first word in a sentence from the rest. This is called an introductory clause. I can give you about a billion examples - I use these so often whenever I write (if you scroll through the guide I'm willing to bet every other paragraph starts with an introductory clause.) Here are a few official examples, though:
First, you pick up your foot and swing it in a circle. Really, I'd prefer it if you didn't touch me there. Anyway, I'm continuing with my thought.
The biggest mistake I see with commas is when people use a comma in a sentence that doesn't need one. For example:
At Royal Caribbean, reducing waste and conserving resources such as water and electricity, is a large part of the company's Save the Waves program. example from a flier in the Royal Caribbean Cruisline bathroom: photo evidence here
Read the sentence out loud. Does the pause sound awkward to you? Did you even pause at all? You're supposed to pause whenever you see a comma (or a period), and splitting up that sentence breaks the flow of your writing. There are specific grammar terms and whatnot I'm too lazy to think about, but really, what you need to remember to do to prevent this is read through your work before submitting it. It's amazing how many mistakes you can catch just by re-reading - especially if you do so out loud. Whenever you find an awkward pause like the one above, just get rid of the comma. It doesn't need to be there.
Paragraphs:
Proper Sentences:
Dialogue:
"Oh my god!" she screamed. "Are you OK?" (correct) "Oh my god"! she screamed. "Are you OK"? (incorrect)
Verb Tense:
Other:
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Post by The Chels on Dec 26, 2010 13:58:53 GMT -5
Creating a Character / Or Characters:
Things to Avoid Mary Sues & Gary Stus: Power Playing: God Modding:
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Post by The Chels on Jan 4, 2011 0:14:26 GMT -5
Role Play Etiquette
1. Don't Cheat
This is arguably the most important rule. There are many different ways to cheat whilst roleplaying (sometimes referred to as 'munching' or 'Godmoding'), too many for me to go into here, but I recommend that you read the Anti-Munch Project. If you're new to roleplay then it outlines several things that you should avoid. Think of the AMP as a list of roleplaying guidelines. In certain situations it's ok to break them, but I wouldn't recommend it until you've been roleplaying for a while and know how to recognise these situations.
As well as being a term interchangable with munching, Godmoding also refers to a particular type of munching. Godmoders are arguably the worst form of munchers, because their characters have powers akin to Gods. They can dodge bullets, fly, run incredibly fast, do martial arts... Basically, a Godmoder can do anything. It should be easy to see why this can get annoying.
2. Be Realistic
In some roleplays you might be able to get away with bending the laws of physics, but in 'realistic' roleplays in particular you will have to bear what can and can't be done in mind.
3. Stick to your Story
It can get increasingly annoying if somebody that you are roleplaying with keeps changing their character, saying that they grew up with their parents on a farm one day, then claiming that they watched their parents die at the age of 1. Once you've got a story going in a roleplay, stick to it.
4. Only Control Yourself
There's nothing wrong with interacting with another user's character when roleplay (in fact, it's encouraged ) but don't control them. For example, it's fine to say that you offer another character a beer or that you throw a knife at them, but it is not ok to assume that the character takes the beer or that the knife hits him. I'll go into battles themselves in more detail later on, but the basic idea is that you let people control their own characters. After all, you wouldn't like it if somebody was controlling your character, would you?
5. Offline? Leave Them Alone!
If somebody says that they are going offline but you wish to continue roleplaying, then the best way to do it is to pretend that the character started to ignore you or went off to do something else. Just because somebody has gone offline without making excuses IC does not mean that you can attack them, kill them, draw funny faces on them with pen, or anything like that.
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Post by The Chels on Jan 4, 2011 0:16:27 GMT -5
Mary Sues What is a Mary Sue, and why do I care? All these questions and more answered in the following guide!
1. What is it? Short Definition
The Mary Sue is a term in writing for a certain type of character. This character is an extension of the author's ego. That means it is a copy of everything (or at least a lot) of what the creator wanted. In Role Play terms, it is a powerful, 'perfect' character. There are few true Mary Sues, but there are way too many normal Mary Sues.
2. What is it? Detailed Definition
The Mary Sue is an ideal character. Strong, attractive, popular, and cool, the Mary Sue (Gary Stu for male characters) is a huge pitfall. Everyone wants to play one, but no one ever should. These characters are, bluntly, stupid.
The characters often have a great number of skills. They don't have to be masters, but they have a lot, and they are great at most of them. In simple terms, the character is a Jack of All trades, but is as good as someone who specializes in that sole trade.
The Mary Sue is also highly beautiful (in more than one aspect). They appear to be heavenly, and are often exquisite in many different types of clothing. Their soul tends to be 'beautiful' (to the creator, which means it may not be innocent). That can make for a wicked personality.
The Mary Sue is a huge part of any story or Role Play. They suck up the other character's roles, hogging the plot to them. The Role Play dies because of it, and the Mary Sue brought everyone down with her.
3. What to do with a Mary Sue?
If a Mary Sue is detected, please tell the Role Player politely. If they ignore or even flame you (which is against the TOS), then you can gesture a Spork, the mighty weapon against Mary Sues, at them wildly, but realize that they may be to fearful that they made a bane of characters.
At this point, send them the Mary-Sue Litmus Test for them to test the Mary Sue. A good character (in Role Play sense) should follow this table: Role Play Type - Score Non-Literate - 50 Semi-Literate - 40 Literate - 30 Advanced - 20
The scores are the maximum allowed. However, some of the questions in the test are asking about a story plot. For that, simply tell them what has happened (and if the answer does not score you a point, then what you plan to happen).
If you do get a Mary Sue, then you must figure out what to do. Sometimes, the best way to eliminate a Mary Sue from a Character is to look at the things that gave you points. Choose a few, and then adapt your character so that those things do not apply anymore. Then the score would go down.
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Post by The Chels on Jan 4, 2011 0:17:48 GMT -5
Battle Advice
For some reason or another, roleplay battles are one thing that people often find to be quite hard. They take a little bit of getting used to, but once you've roleplayed a fight a couple of times and you've gotten used to the way that they work, you'll learn that roleplay battles are often the most fun part of roleplay that there is!
1. Main Pointers
As with roleplay of any kind, users take it in turns to described their action and speech. The only difference with battles, really, is that users are describing their attacks. The more that you can elaborate upon your attacks, the easier it is for people to roleplay with you; if you say that you shoot them, it's hard for them to respond. If you said that you shot them but indicated what gun you used, where you were aiming the gun and gave a brief idea of what might happen if the bullet hit them (in case the user is not familiar with guns), then obviously it becomes easier for the user to reply properly.
Never assume that your attacks hit the target. If everybody assumed that all of their attacks went through, then roleplay would be incredibly boring and a lot of characters would die. A good roleplayer will always leave some way for their opponent to counter the attack, or at least give them a chance to do so; unstoppable attacks are seen as 'godmoding' and people will not want to roleplay with you if you never let them do anything.
Take a few punches. This is exactly the same as assuming that all of your attacks hit the target, really; if you avoid all of a user's attacks then they're not going to want to roleplay with you. Just because you think that your character should be able to do a backflip or dodge bullets, or that you think that they would be good ways to get out of attacks, bear your character in mind, again trying to remember to be realistic. Just because dodging bullets would get you out of a sticky situation doesn't mean that you should do it. Rather than trying to avoid everything, accept the fact that once or twice your character might get their ass kicked.
Accept defeat. If your character gets shot in the head at point blank range, or gets a knife through their heart, accept that your character is dead. Depending on the type of roleplay it may be possible for your character to be revived later on, but you shouldn't count on it. Coming back from the dead can be done well in certain situations, say in a roleplay centering around the use of magic, but just because you know that your character would be revived eventually is no need to do it too quickly. What I mean by this is that if your character dies, don't bring them back to life instantly if at all. If your character dies, then you've officially lost the fight, too.
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Post by The Chels on Jan 4, 2011 0:20:45 GMT -5
Literacy Levels
Many roleplays have "literacy" requirements, hoping to attract those who roleplay at their level. How should you define yourself?
What is literacy, besides being able to read and write?
Literacy on Portray typically means your skill as a roleplayer. Just about every group roleplay and one on one request will mention a certain literacy requirement, and it is crucial to get to know the system. The levels aren't set in stone, which sometimes creates confusion, but there's always a general range where a roleplayer can fall.
What's it based on?
As mentioned before, each definition isn't set in stone. The terms are always the same, but they don't mean the same to every roleplayer. Be sure to pay attention to any side notes to a literacy requirement for more specific instructions. Such specifics include post length, grammar, and the ability to help carry out a plot. These are all important to any roleplay, but post length typically bears the most weight in determining how literate a roleplayer is. To some, how much you can write per post is the most important thing, while to others your ability to move the plot is most important. Pay attention to these details to avoid any misunderstandings.
The Different Titles
You'll see these terms all over Portray, no matter what forum you enter. It's best to prepare yourself by knowing these beforehand.
Non-Literate
Non-Literate is typically known as the style of roleplaying where one doesn't usually use complete sentences, and actions are marked by asterisks (*). You may also hear this style referred to as Semi-Literate, but that level usually requires fully written sentences. These roleplays typically move a lot faster than the others due to their incredibly short post lengths. Non-Literates are usually beginners, and therefore do not deserve any sort of scorn. Everyone has to start somewhere, and everyone almost always begins to move up in the ranks.
Semi-Literate
Semi-Literates are usually regarded as those who write out complete sentences with decent grammar, but don't write more than a few sentences per post. Roleplays at this level are quickly moving as well for the same reasons as Non-Literates, but require a bit more thought in putting those actions and dialogues into words. Post length isn't so much of an issue in Semi-Literate roleplays, but grammar usually is, so make sure you're up to date in English class.
Literate
This class makes up the majority roleplayers in Portray. There are higher grammar standards, but you're not normally expected to be absolutely perfect at this level. The typical post length averages at a well-rounded one to three paragraphs, making for a relatively quickly moving yet slightly challenging roleplay. At this level, one is expected to know the etiquette and other standards required of them as a roleplayer, even if those specific rules aren't stated in the roleplay. These roleplayers also typically have a good sense of plot and character.
Advanced Literate
These roleplayers mean business, and make a bigger deal of their standards. You're expected to make as little grammar errors as possible if any at all, as well as write anywhere from three-four paragraphs on, depending on the roleplayer's preference. While this title is stretched quite widely, and some who claim to be such don't think others deserve to be called such, it basically means that you can help with a compelling plot, have real, interesting characters, and describe everything with fluent detail. These roleplays aren't always necessarily the best, however. Every title has their weakness, and sometimes Advanced Literates get so caught up in detail and pretty language that they forget to advance the story sufficiently with their post. Therefore, some prefer lower level roleplays just to bypass all of the fluff.
Elite
Roleplayers rarely call themselves Elite in this day of age, but you'll occasionally see someone or a roleplay that does. Elites bypass Advanced Literates both in post length and in substance, their posts equating to pages on a word processing program. These roleplayers are extremely serious, but it's rare that you'll come across one, so don't feel intimidated.
Mirror Literate
This title applies to one-on-one roleplayers only. It's a somewhat rare title, but it is occasionally used, so it's good to know the terminology. Mirror Literates simply roleplay with anyone of any level, and adjust their level in that certain roleplay to match their partner. The number of these is slowly growing, as post length isn't so important to some as it is to others.
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Post by The Chels on Jan 4, 2011 0:24:35 GMT -5
Game Master Duties
The Game Master, or GM, of a roleplay can have great responsibilities in terms of guiding and maintaining the roleplay. This guide will help you understand these responsibilities and advise you on how best to handle them.
1. Overview
The creator is usualy considered the GM of the game, and they do have unquestionable control in most cases. They are the referees in fights, they are the controllers of NPCs (unless they are created by others), and they are the controllers of the plot/storyline. But I'll do my best to address each case individually.
Just how much control over the story does the creator have usually?
Like I said, the creator usually has indefinite control over the story, though it really depends on the GM. There needs to be leniency, and there needs to be space for sub-plots to fall in. In essence, you really just need to trust in their judgement before doing anything about it. I myself was left with control over a guild at once point when the leader left for a bit, and I ended up moving the story along as I saw fit. How ever, the story was already in place and I just had to work the others through it. I did the best I could with the absence of the guild leader and ended up doing a pretty good job in the opinions of my comrades. The reason for that is because I allowed space for each of their characters, I took questions and answered them, and I took charge in a way that I deemed justifiable.
The best you can do is trust the GM knows what they're doing, though don't be afraid to put a little of your on stuff in (within reason of course).
2. What to do when:
You have a lacklustre roleplayer?
While I question the definition, I believe there are more than a few things to do here. If by lacklustre you mean he/she is illiterate by your standards, then there is something you can do. While it does tend to push them away from what I've seen, you could ask them to put more work into their writing and try to follow the story more so, as well as being more exuberant in their posting style. This isn't an actual insult so much as a constructive criticism in my opinion. I've had it done to be a long time ago, and I grew from it. I've told others that and they've bettered themselves as well. Problem is that most users see it as an insult and a stab at their own pride as a roleplayer.
A roleplayer is going against the plot?
If some one goes against the plot, it's not always a bad thing unless it's to an extravagant extent. If they change the entire storyline with what they're doing, then yes it is the GM's duty to step in. Before they can do that, they need to have permission from the GM first and THEN move into it.
Now, I said it's not always a bad thing also. Sub-plots make for an interesting read also. If there is a romance brewing, then that's a sub-plot. If by chance the roleplayer found out his/her lost sister was still alive, then yes that's also a sub-plot. They go on and on, and they can improve upon the actual story itself.
Someone isn't posting very often?
There is a matter of how lenient the GM is in posting. More so, how active the actual thread itself is. I know a few roleplays where the GM only asks that the users post every week to every two weeks in very advanced roleplays. Also, there are roleplays that don't merely go into paragraphs, but dwell into short stories themselves. A rarity indeed in Barton Town, though there are a number of threads out there dedicated to that form of roleplaying. On the opposite of this is the threads that have posts every 10 minutes from different users. These are more likely to get the roleplayer reamed if they post one once a day or even every few days. Not only does it make the person look bad in the eyes of the others, but it also makes for a lack of story knowledge. Story is vital for all participants to know. For one thing, knowing the plot would help many to avoid these issues I'm discussing.
Someone just doesn't give a flip?
If they don't care then there is nothing you can do about it. Kindly ask them to leave, have the GM ask them to leave, and if that doesn't work, then you may report the user and have a site moderator step in. And don't be scared to use that 'Report this Post' button, but just use it wisely.
Do we just inform a mod and let them handle it or should we try to get them back on track on our own?
If the roleplayer has been repeatedly asked to change what ever it is they are doing wrong by the GM, and there is no reconciling on the defendant's side, then there is the chance of having to call a moderator to step in. This is, however, a last resort and you can only do it if he's breaking site rules. Harassment, however, is one of the rules that needs to be upheld, and if the person continues without care or regard of his actions, is actively hurting the plot or the other users' sub-plots and stories, all without the permission of the GM (and especially if in spite of the GM), then there is justification to report the user in question.
This is, like I said, a last restort. More times than not, it's better that the people participating ask the user to control him/herself. If it's by PMs or even by OOC posting in the thread itself, the users are the first persons that the individuals in question must face. If you can do something to prevent mod interference, then it should be done. For more info on how to use the "Report this Post/Thread" button, click here: Link
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