Any tips for roleplaying?

CrowFace

CrowFace

Member
I've never rolepleyed seriously before so therefore i ask for some tips and opinions on how to do certain things in roleplay like introducing and killing off characters and stuff like that.
 
Follow the rp rules and dont try to bend the rp guidelines for your character, some GM's/OP'S allow it but generally it is disliked. Will add more if i can think of any.
 
I am new to forum rping so I can't give you something super useful, but there are a few caveats that apply to most rps:

1. Keep in mind that all GMs / DMs / hosts / etc are different and expects different things from participants. This is why it is very helpful to read all the rules and recruitment pages - sometimes these expectations will be outlined in detail, but even when that's not the case you could get a general sense of what they are looking for.
2. Affecting other player characters directly is a definite no. Try to stay away from stating how other character feels or what they do at all costs.
3. Make a character that fits the setting of the roleplay, and make sure your character is reasonably acceptable to other players in the rps. It's probably fine (depends on the rp, really) for characters to dislike each other, but your characters should not be the source of conflict among the players. Make sure you stay away from Mary Sues.
4. Remember that rps are a collaborative process. As long as everybody is enjoying themselves, any rules can be broken - if everybody wants to have overpowered characters with their Mary Sues and wreak havoc on everything, and agrees that this will be fun, then by all means, go ahead!

Take this list with a huge grain of salt though - I am new to this format so my advice might be not so sound...
 
Here is some
Communicate and work with the other players.
Remember that things aren't always going to go the way you planned.
Be ready to take responsibility for your stuff.
Be proactive.
Make your character approachable, or at the very least reasonably available.
Do not insist that other players accept your character as a lover or spouse.
Do not throw in relatives out of nowhere without talking to the other player's character first.
Do not retcon your character into another character's history without talking to the other character's player first.
Do not make any other retcons that would significantly alter the other player's character without permission.
Don't throw other characters into the story expecting other people to play them.
 
Here is some more advic, from an acwuaintance of mine on another rp site:

Well, it really depends on the person. Good RP'ing is partly about being a good writer, which is a skill you have to learn, and partly about knowing how to write a good story. That second part is about experience, but also about choices. You have to maintain a balance between various personal aspects that make for a good story-maker. Be kind, be inquisitive, and strive to become better. Try not to win, but try to show something interesting. You are a god in your own world, and to see a god perform miracles is not interesting. If your character can kill 15 men in a minute, that character is not interesting. You can make a character as powerful as you want. It is far more interesting to make them weak. That can be weak physically, but also weak mentally. We all have mental or emotional weaknesses, and when making a character, you have to take that into account.

When writing, write like a real human. Every human is complex, and to undercut that by making cardboard cutouts is a show of arrogance. Other people feel just as much as you, and you have to know that to write like a real human being. Have faults, make mistakes, have memories, have thoughts. No-one is evil for the sake of evil. Everyone is good in their own eyes. That has to resound from a character.

Basically it depends upon the rp type, as well as whether it is a 1x1 or group rp.
 
What about being a good DM/GM? I agree with your player advice but am curious as to what would help a creator of the craft.
 
I say first and foremost is don't be discouraged and dont let the others change your vision till ti is unrecognizable, unless of course it is needed. It may take you a while to successfully run an rp, i mean i didnt get a workable player base till my 3rd rp and still that only lasted a month or so. Also never be afraid to ask for advice from your senior rpers.
 
Avoid basing your character around a cliché, but don't be afraid to incorporate some clichés into your character with a few little complexities to make them more believable and interesting. Sometimes trying too hard to avoid an archetype or cliché just makes you a different kind of cardboard cut-out.

Have fun, but try not to ruin other people's fun.

Spell check may catch obvious errors, but proof-read anyway. This is one that I need to practice myself. I often am so eager to hit 'submit' or 'enter' that I don't proof and then make a lot of embarrassing yet amusing mistakes. Admittedly, I have also been praised for puns when they were actually typos. Ahem.
 
My tip is to make sure your characters or character is a strong one, but not in the sense of ability. Make sure they are something you want and can hold up under judgement. Characters are the core to any role-play and I advise to build them up.
 
Personal experience is your friend, if you can incorporate it into your character do. It'll make the character easier for you to play convincingly.

Try to keep a steady concept in mind for your character, but be ready to bend the rules as well as they face new challenges that might make them react different than expected. (In example, a hard ass having a soft spot for children or dogs is more interesting than just a hard ass.)

Take the time to get to know your character outside of roleplaying. Consider different situations, even fully alternate universe level of different situations, to get a feel for how they may react and act depending on what kind of setting you're in. Learn what is just their nature, and what's nuture. What is learned specifically due to a specific incident? Can you translate it? If not, what changes about your character?

You want to be as intimately familiar as possible with your characters, where you're no longer making up things like favorite color, potential careers, and other small facts that may come up on the fly but rather they're as deeply ingrained in you as the fact they are quick to jump to conclusions. (As an example)
 
Here's just some advice to roleplaying overall...

Be creative and have fun with it! I've seen a lot of people take RPing so seriously as if they have to write an essay or do something difficult. Then before you know it, you've lost interest in it and/or it's become a burden to you. Just relax and let the ideas flow, there are no limits when it comes to RPing. :3
 
For forum role playing, learn how to write. No, really. Learn the structure of a plot, learn how a premise works, learn how characters work. Become familiar with storytelling tropes you enjoy. It will spare you a lot of frustration.

Also, don't beat yourself up for writing crap. We're all essentially writing first drafts with no editors--it's all gonna have holes and flaws and errors in it. Just write it. Push yourself, force yourself if you have to.

Lastly, remember that when you join a role play, you are making a commitment of time to everyone else around you. Don't just bail without a word. If you can't muster the energy or effort anymore, tell people you're leaving. Otherwise, stay. Stay, and write, even when you don't want to. It's courtesy, and, at the end of the day, it's the right thing to do.
 
All great advice given above. I can only add have fun. Write in the areas that catch your fancy. Write with people who can inspire you. And never compare yourself to others in a way that you're overly critical of your skills.
Role play is meant to be enjoyable for you and those around you. Remember that they should be having fun too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top