Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Locked
User avatar
haveyouseenmyhat
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:29 pm
MC name: haveyouseenmyhat

Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 884Post haveyouseenmyhat »

Greetings, everyone! My name is Xander Blaze. Today we will be learning how to communicate with fellow citizens in Toro.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's start with the basics of RP controls. There are four chat "modes" available for you to use. They are as follows:

1. /t - Talking. This chat mode is the one you should use most of the time while RP-ing. Anyone within 20 blocks of you can hear what you say.
2. /s - Shouting. Use this to talk over a crowd of people, or to get someone's attention from afar. Anyone within 40 blocks of you can hear what you shout.
3. /w - Whispering. Use this to keep secrets, or to talk in areas where you are obliged to speak quietly. Only people within 3 blocks of you can hear you whispering.
4. /ooc - Out Of Character. Use this when you want to speak to other players, as opposed to other characters (more on the difference between these later).
Select a chat mode by simply typing its command.

/toggleooc will completely disable/enable OOC chat. While OOC chat is disabled, OOC messages cannot be sent or seen.

Furthermore, /msg and /r are used to send private messages, which are another form of OOC communication.

/chatstyle is another very useful tool. This command will toggle between "Default" and "Quotation" styles. When in Quotation mode, any non-emoted dialogue that is NOT in quotes will be colored yellow. This is useful because it allows you to "emote" without actually using the asterisk (*) - More about that later.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next, let's define some general vocabulary, specifically as it applies to RP:

Player - A human being who is playing on the server. Players have usernames (i.e. haveyouseenmyhat, peachi3xx, etc.) and can be addressed through OOC (Out Of Character, see below) chat and messages.

Character - A person who is part of the server's universe, whose thoughts, words, and actions are controlled by a player. Characters have names* and can only be addressed in character (NOT OOC)
*(Use the /nick [name] command to set your character's name that will appear when talking in character)

OOC - An acronym that stands for Out Of Character. Words (or actions) that take place Out Of Character do NOT affect characters around you. (This is why it is important to use the /t mode when addressing other characters, as an experienced RP-er will ignore any OOC dialogue)

IC - An acronym that stands for In Character. Other than in the starting house, you should be In Character as much as possible (walk on sidewalks, don't jump around indoors, etc., unless your character is specifically known for rebellious behavior). Talking, shouting, and whispering all are In Character, and therefore affect characters who hear them.

Meta - A very, very bad thing. Simply put, Meta involves bringing information that is known OOC into an IC situation. For example. Suppose that I (the player) know about the whereabouts of a hidden item. Using that information to obtain said item In Character would be Meta, because I (my character) would NOT know where the item is, without finding out through RP.
Another example: If you shift-rightclick someone in the server, it will give you their character's basic info. You CANNOT Meta this information. Unless you've met "Bob" before, you have no idea his name is Bob! If you are unable to tell if someone is a boy or a girl by looking at them, don't Meta it, just ask them, or take a guess and hope you don't offend them!

Powergaming - The bane of RP. No, seriously. Powergaming, in general, can be described as any action done In Character that stops other players from being able to RP (or, stops other characters from taking action).
Here's an example. Suppose there is a player RP-ing as a security guard, and he/she is blocking a standard wooden Door.
The following actions are considered Powergaming:
Walking through the door with no character interaction,
walking through the door after saying that your character "walks through the door",
deciding that your character "knocks out the guard and walks through the door",

and much more.
In all of the above situations, the intruding character either ignored a previously stated RP action (that the door was being guarded), or took an action without allowing the guard to respond to said action. See below for ways to reduce Powergaming in your own RP.

Retcon - a term that is short for "Retroactive Continuity". Simply put, it means changing the facts of a situation after they have already occurred.
For example: A man is shot, and his body is dumped into a lake. He is presumed dead. Later, it is revealed that he actually survived being shot, and washed up on the shore after some time.

According to Wikipedia, there are 3 types of Retcon.

Addition - Retcon via addition is often used to fill in a character's backstory, for example. I have used retcon to add things to Xander's backstory that were not originally a part of it; his mother is a nurse and author, and his father is a businessman.

Alteration - Retcon via alteration allows a fresh perspective of an event, as seen in my original example.

Subtraction - Retcon via subtraction is not often used, except in cases where an event could NOT have happened in the first place, so it will be retconned that it never happened, and current circumstances may change.

The primary danger of Retcon is something known as a "continuity error". This is a result of Retcon that blatantly contradicts current, canonical fact. Suppose in my original example, that the man was "shot in the heart". If someone were to retcon that the shot "missed his heart", that would be a continuity error.
It is generally forbidden to retcon a subject that does not relate directly to ONLY your own character's experiences.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now. Let's go over the specifics of actually interacting with other characters. Simply switch to the proper IC chat mode (/t, /s, /w) and type your message.

Have you seen Ms. Kyra? I need to speak to her.
[GM] Xander_Blaze: Have you seen Ms. Kyra? I need to speak to her.

To use an emote, start a line with an asterisk.
*smiles at the charming young lady.
[GM] Xander_Blaze smiles at the charming young lady.

If you want to use an emote -and- dialogue in one line, use quotes ("") to specify the dialogue.
In fact, using quotes for -every- spoken line is highly suggested, as it will make your dialogue easier to understand.
*nods and replies, "Yes, Xander is my name. May I help you?"
[GM] Xander_Blaze nods and replies, "Yes, Xander is my name. May I help you?"

You can use emotes to expand the range of phrases you can use when describing actions In Character:

*'s eyes widen in surprise.
[GM] Xander_Blaze 's eyes widen in surprise.
*'s Gengar floats about, looking for people to scare.
[GM] Xander_Blaze 's Gengar floats about, looking for people to scare.
*and Kaitlyn prepare their Pixelmon for battle.
[GM] Xander_Blaze and Kaitlyn prepare their Pixelmon for battle.
(this one should be used with caution, since the other person may not be completely with you on what you are doing)

A way to make your actions more specific is to use Adverbs. Adverbs make a big difference as to what you are trying to convey:

*walks away merrily.
*walks away sadly.
Notice the difference? These two sentences are completely different, despite only a one-word difference.

Speaking of "one word," always try to find different ways to say the same thing.
It's as simple as changing up whether you say "Yes", "Yeah", "Uh-huh," etc.

Another important tool at your disposal is being able to speak OOC without having to use the global chat (and therefore broadcast your RP to the whole server!). This is handy for resolving misunderstandings, or fixing your own typos. You can signify this using double parentheses.
((sorry didn't realize you were dc'd at the time))
[GM] Xander_Blaze: ((sorry didn't realize you were dc'd at the time))

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every action you take while IC should be emoted beforehand, especially sending out your Pixelmon (especially near other characters), so that other characters within range can be aware of what you are doing. This is a way to try to avoid powergaming.

There are also many different words that you can use in order to reduce powergaming in your own RP.
"attempts" and "tries" are words that indicate that you are about to perform an action, but are giving an opposing party a chance to respond. Sometimes RP-ers will use the word "would" to describe similar actions. Although it may seem that this is giving whoever acts second an advantage, this back-and-forth dynamic allows both players to get a feel for each other's characters, and resolve the conflict as "realistically" as possible.

For more on avoiding powergaming, and just helping your RP run smoothly, check out Chobbit's guide in the Roleplaying Guides section of the forum.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More to come, and feel free to reply if you'd like me to add anything.

Thank you all for coming! This message has been brought to you by Pix Co.

~Pixelate Life~
Last edited by haveyouseenmyhat on Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:27 am, edited 7 times in total.
User avatar
HailfireAlicorn
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:09 pm
MC name: HailfireAlicorn

Re: Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 909Post HailfireAlicorn »

Great guide!~ That. Last. Phrase. I never want to hear it again. I've heard it too many times this week... Brought to you by Pix Co. Brought to you by Pix Co. Brought to you by Pix Co. Also, cameos! I'm in it! For one bullet point! I feel so accomplished. :roll:

Ok, I kid, I kid. On a more serious note, I've got some stuff you can add to the guide if you want.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A good way to make your RP better and clearer is to use Adverbs. If you don't know, an Adverb is a word that modifies an adjective, verb, or another adverb. Most adverbs end in "ly". It gives more detail on an action.

An RP action without an Adverb: "Kaitlyn_Blaze walked away". While this is a perfectly acceptable way to write an action, it doesn't give much detail on how she walked away and it can be interpreted different ways.

The same action with an Adverb: "Kaitlyn_Blaze walked away quickly". This gives a much better idea of how she walked away. Changing the adverb can also change the meaning of the adverb. "Kaitlyn_Blaze walked away sadly". When you imagine the two actions, they look much different just by changing one word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another tip. Mix it up! There are lots of different ways to say the same thing. If you want to say "Yes", you can use "Yes", "Yeah", "Yep", "Yup", "Yea", "Uh-huh", ect. If you use the same word every time, it'll start to get boring and doesn't give much personality to your words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well that's all I got. Keep up the good work!~

~HA
User avatar
haveyouseenmyhat
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:29 pm
MC name: haveyouseenmyhat

Re: Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 927Post haveyouseenmyhat »

Editing the guide to include HA's tips on adverbs and variety.
Also added another example of Meta.
Last edited by haveyouseenmyhat on Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Griff
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:09 am
MC name:

Re: Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 928Post Griff »

What a wonderful guide! Stickied for visibility. =D
User avatar
haveyouseenmyhat
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:29 pm
MC name: haveyouseenmyhat

Re: Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 1155Post haveyouseenmyhat »

Edited guide to correct definition of /toggleooc and add the explanation of /chatstyle
User avatar
haveyouseenmyhat
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:29 pm
MC name: haveyouseenmyhat

Re: Xander Blaze's Roleplaying Guide (In Progress)

Post: # 1361Post haveyouseenmyhat »

Edited guide to include a definition of Retcon
Locked

Return to “Archives”