Tips for Roleplaying
Just a couple quick notes before I get started.
1. This isnt meant to sound like Im trying to dictate how others roleplay. I've just noticed certain patterns that have formed and lead to hurt player feelings and unnecessary Rl drama.
2. Please also note that some of the tips Im giving arent related to anything I've seen in game I just think they're worht mentioning.
Tcei's Roleplaying Tips!
1. OOC Communication is Important!
I dont see this issue crop up very often here, at least compared to other games. But it's still worth mentioning. When it comes to anything with strong emotions whether its fighting and arguments (between characters), "bedroom" situations, or romantic involvement, or anything else of that nature. Its important to keep the lines of ooc communication open. A simple tell to the parties involved, "Hey we're still cool right?" Or "Im not comfortable where this scene is going can we end/change it?" Or even just "Lol! I wish I had a camera ! My cat is sooo funny!" This will go along way to making sure no one gets their RL feelings hurt. Often if my character is having a screaming match with someone else's I'm sending tells and laughing it up behind the scene with the other player.
The same holds true for scenes involving many people or in public channels. Either open up a separate ooc channel for everyone to talk in or use brackets (()) < > ect.
Remember there's a person behind those characters you play with.
One last thing, if you really truely just have to be 100% in character all the time, dont be an butt head to someone who says somehting out of character, "What's Aee Eff Kay mean? *scratches head* and what's a cell phone and why is it on fire?", it's the second fastest way to end up on my ignore list permanently
2. Separate yourself from your character.
We all tend to put a little of ourselves in our characters, but its important to remember that we are not our characters. Its easy in the heat of the moment to get caught up emotionally with whats happening to our characters, its human nature. Its why we feel fear watching a horror movie or sad durring a tragic scene. This is actualy ties into my first tip, and why ooc communication is so important. If an emotionally charged situation is starting to get to you start up some ooc, you dont have to tell those involved you need a break if you dont want to, or even walk away from the computer for a little bit. When you've grounded some and are feeling calmer come back and pick up where you left off or start on a new tract.
If you ever get to the point where, for instance, your character is in a romance with another character and you feel you have to be in a romance with that player, even though you've never met and dont know hardly anything about them. Please step away from your computer and seek professional help. I know it sounds rude but remember, you are not your character.
3. The "Line".
Once again this is another reason for ooc communication.
We all have lines, those thresholds where if someone crosses over it things are suddenly not ok anymore. Often times we have lines for different situations.
A roleplaying community I was once apart of (Got bored with WoW) , used movie ratings to describe where our lines are. For me when it comes to violence it often depends on how Im feeling at that time. I often range from PG13 to R, I can handle alot of violence tho detailed gore tends to make me queasy. Romatic relations ships I keep towards the Pg or a very low PG13 rating if I dont know you that well, I may be willing to kick it up to a higher PG13 rating if I know you well, but "bedroom" scenes are always scene fade to black...sorry folks :P Things Im absolutely not ok with are ****, child molestation, and infanticide. Most likely I'll report ya if I see these.
Generally speaking, if your threshold for what's going on is higher than the other person(s) you have to keep it down to their threshold. Also, if someone is doing something that you cant handle send them a tell and politely ask them to stop or tone it down. If they refuse walk away and/or put them on ignore, unless its that bad (Re: ****, ect.) then report them.
4. This is Tcei's longest post ever!
Enough said.
5. "Bedroom" Situations.
This is a touchy subject. Obviously keep it out of public channels including say and emotes. I recommend tells or if you're misstell **** set up a separate private channel. Also I'd recommend not doing "it" in a public place, if you and your "special" friend are sitting naked on the landing pad in Bristugo everyone is going to know what your doing *giggles* errm.. sorry.
Another thing to consider is age of the player, unless you know the person in RL or are absolutely beyond the shadow of a doubt 100% sure you know the person is an adult, DONT DO "IT"!!!!
6. 1337, d00d, and inernet speak.
This probably leans more towards pet peeves than anything.
Unless your character is meant to sound like that, and yes I've met a few that were, they're hilarious characters! Dont use it in your rp please. Ooc...eh.. I dont mind LoL and afk and things like that. But if every other word is internet shorthand or d00d sp3/-\k. I hope you can run fast because Im about to come flying out of your computer screen.
AlSo ThIs Is VeRy AnNoYiNg DoN't Do It.
7. Speach Patterns.
I dont see this issue here actually, but its another worth mentioning. Sometimes a character will have particular speech ticks, these are great and add flavor to the character, but its a bad idea to cloud your characters speech to the point no one can understand you...Unless thats the way you intend it. On a similar note if your character is a swearer try being creative with it, "Drulkar's scales that hurt!" is better than !$#@!%%!#%#$@!% !@#$@! and actual words that are filtered here on the boards.
8. Global Channels.
I read somewhere once that the chat channels (dragon, market place, ect) are actually ooc, player made chat channels depends on the players and the reason it exist. Though most of us tend to rp in them as we are so spread out over the game world, please dont get up set if others start talking ooc. Most of us try to use brackets at least some of the time.
When it comes to fights and arguments, try to be respectful of the others who are not involved, if people start requesting you to take it else where, do so. When it comes to romance. Im fairly sure most of us dont mind the occasional snuggle or smooch but keep the heavy petting to private channels.
9. It sucks when you forget what you were going to type.
It really does... I think Im just going to end it here... there were a couple other subject I was going to touch on, but as you can see...*nudges brain with foot* I hope I havent offended anyone, I tried to avoid sounding like this is how you have to roleplay.
Originally Posted by Pharcellus
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Character death can make things interesting in RP.
