Roleplaying Policy

Roleplaying Policy
This page show what you can do and what you can't do on a roleplay. It also shows you how to start a roleplay.

Role Playing Don'ts
Role-playing can be a fun and entertaining way to pass the time. With so many MMORPGs (Massively Multi-player On-line Role-playing Games) available today, more people turn to this form of on-line entertainment. Role-playing gives you freedom other types of gaming lacks. If you are a creative type looking for a way to hone your writing skills while having a good time, then role-playing might be for you. However, before roleplaying in your chosen area, read this list of "don'ts" to help you make a good first impression. Obviously, godmodding, OP characters and metagaming are some obvious don't's.

Don't God Mod
The term "godmodding" is used to cover a variety of role-playing faux pas. Other terms may be used in place of godmodding, however it all means the same thing. When a player god modes, they essentially commandeer the situation and dictate what all characters do and how they are affected. There is no choice left for the other players. This takes away from the draw of role-playing with others, because one person is governing the entire story. Before you add your next turn in the role-play, consider the other role-player's point of view. If no choice is left, then you probably need to edit your contribution.

Godmodding also refers to a situation where one player acts in such a way that makes their character immortal or invincible. This can be very frustrating, especially in role-play fights. Avoid this problem by always staying realistic. Your character will not be able to dodge every blow or withstand every attack. Once in a while, he will end up flat on his face. Let it happen and react accordingly.

Don't Speak Out of character
The term "out of character" (also called "OOC") means to speak as you normally would, without your fictional persona. Avoid doing this while in the midst of a role-play. Even if you are not currently involved in a role-play, do not speak out and interrupt the role-play of others. If you have something to say to another player, do so in whispers or other chat channels.

If you must say something in the same chat channel as other role-players, make sure you follow the preferred out of character format. For some it is a punctuation indicating the beginning and end of OOC speak to separate what you are saying from the story. Even then it would be best to try and leave OOC talk on the user talk pages or in chat.

Don't Take it Personally
Conflict is a regular part of role-play. It is what makes a story interesting. One of the biggest problems some people have is carrying role-playing situations over into real life. Remember, when another player's character insults or harms your character, it is all a part of the fictional story. It is not meant as an attack on you personally. Always keep role-play conflict in the story and out of real life.

Don't Do Things without Reason
Any time your character does something significant, you should have some reason behind it. Your character should not suddenly sprout wings and fly, nor should he or she suddenly hate or love another character that they did not previously love or hate for no reason. Everything should happen due to the story.

That does not mean everything must be outwardly obvious. It is possible two characters had a secret meeting that you were not aware of, or some major event may have occurred while your character was not around. As long as there is a story behind it, then it is OK. However, do not do something dramatic just to do it. This will only confuse the story and make experienced role-players avoid your characters.

Always stick with your character's story when you role-play, and you will do well. You may not realize it, but other role-players will notice your ability to develop a strong persona and create an interesting story. By avoiding these "don'ts" you will help create an intriguing story line or add to an existing one. Your fellow role-players will appreciate your consideration and dedication to the art of role-playing!

Examples
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Auto-Hitting
Arguably the most common form of Godmodding. It should be clear what this one means, but for those that are uniformed, Auto-hitting is saying your attack hit, without giving your opponent any time to react.

Now, in order for me to demonstrate, imagine two people in a forum Role-Play; Player A, and Player B. Their respective characters are ‘Joe’ and ‘Bob’.

Anyway, these two are busily role-playing, when their characters get into a fight. Here’s what transpires:

Player A   Joe punched Bob, hitting him in the jaw and sending him flying. Joe then used his knife to stab Bob in the shoulder. After which, Joe kicked Bob in the shins.

Player B   Bob punched Joe, sending him to the ground. He then brought out his shotgun and shot Joe several times, killing him.

Hold it. What? Okay, there are several things wrong here-and they all have to do with auto-hitting. Player A had his character punch, stab, and kick Bob, without giving Player B any chance to react! And what of Player B? He went so far as to have his character kill Joe? What?! These two both need a lesson in how to RP fights-definite godmodding going on with these two.

Now, imagine that the lesson I mentioned has been given and both players find themselves Role-playing together again. Just like before their characters get into a fight. Only this time, things are a little different:

Player A

Joe aimed an uppercut at Bob, hoping the attack would connect with his jaw and send him to the ground.

Player B

Bob ducked to avoid the attack, then came at Joe with a powerful right chop, aiming for his face.

Player A

The attack hit head on, sending Joe flying a ways. His head slammed against a tree, knocking him out cold.

Ah, now that…that is how you RP fight scenes! As you can see, neither of them forced a hit and they each let the other player react to their attacks. This is a huge improvement in both Player’s styles.
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Dodging Everything That Comes Your Way
In one of the first rp's I've ever been in, I had the unfortunate luck of experiencing something like this. Sometime during the course of said RP, the characters of two other players got in a fight. What transpired, was dodging, after dodging, after everlasting dodging! Seriously, for the longest time, neither character got a hit in-the other would just keep on dodging. This lasted for several pages and got kind of annoying.

The battle never finished.

So yes, having an instance where someone dodges every single attack can be rather annoying. Look people, it’s okay to have a character that’s good at avoiding attacks-heck. However, let at least some attacks hit you so that it’s not being OP.

In this new RP they are in, the characters once again get into a fight. This is what happens;

Player A   Joe moved in with an uppercut, hoping to catch Bob by surprise.

Player B   Bob dodged the attack with ease, then shot at Joe multiple times. With any luck Joe’s body would be peppered with bullets.

Player A   Joe quickly sidestepped out of the way, avoiding the attack.

…And so on.

This goes on for pages upon pages upon pages. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but the fight did last for quite a while.

Now, the way to avoid this should be rather obvious; take some hits. Yes, I know you may not want to lose or anything, but be reasonable; is it at all fair to avoid every single attack that comes your way? Not at all. So while you can have characters that are great at avoiding attacks, it’s still a good idea to take some hits.

Let’s get back to our players now. After a quick lesson in why one should not dodge every single attack, they go back to their RP;

Player B   In an attempt to stop Joe once and for all, Bob shoots several arrows at him.

Player A   While Bob managed to avoid a couple of the arrows, the rest of them shot into his body like the projectiles they were.

See this? While Player A dodged some of the bullets, the rest of them hit them. And that’s another thing one could do, with certain kinds of attacks. Melee are good moves where you can dodge some of the attack, but get hit by the rest.

Noting Other Characters in Your Roleplay
As you know, before you roleplay, make a list of all Characters part of the roleplay, all of them that have valid pages made for them.