Project Roleplay: Hollywood

General Information => Forum & Server Rules => Topic started by: Jess on April 16, 2009, 02:11:37 pm



Title: Roleplay Manual
Post by: Jess on April 16, 2009, 02:11:37 pm

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(http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2331/12385184.png)
[size=18]Terms/Definitions[/size]
Role Play: Role play is the creation, development, and 'living' of a character that you create. Before entering the server, you should have considered what character you want to role play. For example, is your character a criminal, or a law abiding citizen? What kind of attitude will he/she have? Where is he/she from? What languages does he/she speak? What is the character's race, ethnicity, and education background?
The most common mistake that people make is role playing themselves. Your character shouldn't act as you do. You are not playing a virtual version of yourself. Your emotions/thoughts should be separate from those of your character.

In-Character (IC): Your character's 'world' and life. Your characters
thoughts, actions, and words: not yours. In-Character chat is used in normal chat, /t (text messaging), /ad (advertisements).

Out of Character (OOC):Your 'world.' Basically real life: your thoughts, your actions, and your words. OOC chat is /w (pm'ing), /b (local OOC), /o (global ooc).

Death Matching [DMing]: Killing for an out-of-character reason or for a non-role play reason.

Revenge Killing [RKing]: Killing someone after your character was killed in revenge.

Metagaming: Using OOC information IC. Basically knowing someone's name in character because you read the name tag instead of RPly meeting them, etc.

Powergaming: Using /me's to force someone into a situation, basically using a /me that doesn't give someone the opportunity to respond. For example, /me strangles John. Instead, do /me squeezes John's neck tightly, trying to strangle him.


What shouldn't be used in In-Character Chat?

Anything that is Out of Character!

Any Abbreviations or internet-lingo such as "lol, wtf, u, omg, fu, rofl, stfu, gtfo, "
Your thoughts and words. IC Chat is only for your character. You are acting as your character, not yourself!

What do I do if I need help?
The best thing to do is type /admins, and then whisper an admin in game with your question. Be patient, kind, and mature: don't use caps, don't pester the admin, and be sure to say thanks! Remember, admins are often very busy and may not immediately respond.


[size=18]What exactly is role play?[/size]
Good question. The answer is relatively simple, but a bit long. Role play is the creation, development, and 'living' of a character that you create. Before entering the server, you should have considered what character you want to role play. For example, is your character a criminal, or a law abiding citizen? What kind of attitude will he/she have? Where is he/she from? What languages does he/she speak? What is the character's race, ethnicity, and education background?

The most common mistake that people make is role playing themselves. Your character shouldn't act as you do. You are not playing a virtual version of yourself. Your emotions/thoughts should be separate from those of your character.




Ok. I've got that down, now what?
Good, we're making progress. Now, don't hop on the server just yet, still some more things to go over. Lets consider a few things. In real life, do you see name tags and health/armor bars floating over everybody's head? If you answer yes, I suggest googling "where to find urgent help for severe mental issues." If you answer no, congrats. You aren't crazy. Anyways, back on topic. Since you don't see that information in real life, your character cannot see it either. Therefore, you should ignore them on the server. For example, if you meet a new person on the server, you should not refer to them by their name until they introduce themselves. Why? Simple. Your character couldn't possible know the other person's name without it being told to you: using the information provided by sources that aren't available in real life, IE the name tag and health bar, is called metagaming. Metagaming is against the rules, not to mention horrible RP.

Ok. Now that metagaming has been explained, lets consider some other basics that are easy to miss. Lets say you, in real life, are in a busy city walking down the street. You don't own a car, and your legs are tired from the long walk. Think about what you, and any normal person, would do in this situation. The first thing that should come to mind is calling a taxi, or calling a friend to pick you up. Good! Don't let something like this slip away while RPing. A common mistake is that people carjack incessantly, probably because it is GTA. However, doing so is not realistic in any manner. If your character is a criminal, feel free to role play carjacking. But don't over do it. Call a cab once in a while!




Ok. I think I get the point. Common sense should be used...think of it as being real life, right? So... What's next?
Great! Lets get in depth. Now that you have the bare-bones of role play down, lets address the qualities that will separate a bottom-of-the-barrel RPer from a good/great RPer.

First, lets talk powergaming. Powergaming is simply taking advantage of /me commands to force someone into a situation that could have been avoided. For example: in real life, lets say you want to strangle me. Actually, for my well being, lets say you want to strangle somebody! Anyways. So, you want to strangle somebody. Lets say you decide to go through with it. So you are behind some person. Is strangling someone a done deal? Are you able to successfully strangle someone regardless of the circumstance? Is it impossible for Danny to fight back, and maybe protect himself? Exactly. If you simply do /me strangles [NAME], you are ignoring the possibilities of a defense.

So, what's the right way to go about it? Easy. /me wraps his hands around [NAME] neck, squeezes tightly. Give him an opportunity to respond. Then, assuming things go well for you, /me squeezes more tightly. When the time is right, he will do /me passes out (or dies?). That's how its done! Now, don't just think powergaming only happens in cases of a strong desire to strangle someone, like the server owner. There are endless amounts of situations that you could slip up with.

Ok, I think I got this. Anything else?
Absolutely. You could write a book on the art of role playing; however, no one has the time, patience, or desire to write one. This is here to give you the main idea of role play, and the basics to help you get on the server and learn without making stupid mistakes in the process. But, before you go, a few last tips:


Use the /me command to add detail and depth to your roleplaying. Use it to show emotion, actions, and other such things while roleplaying.

Use common sense. Don't go on the server and do a half ass job. Don't pull guns out of your ass, and just remind yourself "is this realistic? would I pull a shotgun from thin air in real life?"

Accept help when someone offers it. Don't go in thinking you are an infallible RPer. Everyone slips up, and everyone has room to improve. If someone gives you a tip, thank them and pay attention.
Be respectful to other players. People go on the server to have fun, not to deal with insults and drama. One of this community's best features is its friendly atmosphere.
Things may not always go your character's way in role play. Yes, you might die, you might get robbed, etc. Shit happens, don't let it bring you down. Role play isn't about the in game money, or "winning." Its about roleplaying your character to the best of your abilities.