Forms of Roleplay: One-liners and Script

[Ricia]

<p>


<em>Please do excuse any major spelling errors. xD </em> As far as I know, there are four forms of roleplaying: One-Liners, Script, Pararaph, and Novella. Here are some short and to the point descriptions of each other four styles: </p>


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<strong>Script</strong>: A very IM style roleplay. The posts in a script-style roleplay will usually look like this; <ul><li>Ricia: (Sad) <strong>*</strong>Sulking in the corner with her pet octopus<strong>* </strong>Why won't user-senpai understand me? </li></ul></li></ul><p> </p>


<ul><li>


<strong>One-liners</strong>: This refers to any response that is under a paragraph. So 1 to 4 sentences. Sometimes even 1 paragraph. </li></ul><p> </p>


<ul><li>


<strong>Paragraph / Multi-Para</strong>: Generally 2-5 full paragraphs. More descriptor words, generally more substance then a one-liner or Script. </li></ul><p> </p>


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<strong>Novella</strong>: Upwards of 6 or more paragraphs but generally you can get away with it with 5 lengthy paragraphs full of descriptor, thoughts and substance. </li></ul><p> This thread will be discussing more specifically one-liners and script. I've noticed a lot of hatred surrounding the techniques themselves. I want to bust some of the biggest 'myths' I see around RpN. Before you even comment on this post know that we are not talking about one-liners or script being posted on a novella or paragraph roleplays. It is the same as posting paragraph to novella posts. Or Script to one-liners post. This is just rude to the roleplay creator and the expectations that they had put for the roleplay to be run at. One thing I have to say is there are some people who do write one-liners that sometimes fall into the popular stereo types. There will always be that person. Just how religion is good, but there will always be that ass hole. Just how stereo type in general are fake... there are people who just ruin it for everyone else. However there will always be an exceptation to the rule. There are several people who can write paragraph or novella posts that are just awful and mean nothing with tons of pointless fluff and a time line that makes no sense. Just because you can write a billion paragraphs doesn't mean it is good. Lets look at a few things I've seen: "<strong>They kill the role play.</strong>" or "<strong>It causes people to want to leave the game.</strong>" </p><div style="margin-left:25px;">No, they don't. One-liners are not usually the death of a roleplay. I'm not saying it is NEVER the cause of death. However, I'm sure I can go dig around RpNation and find several roleplays that were both novella or paragraph roleplays had also died. Why? People didn't post. There was the one role-player that typed a billion paragraph response to the 2 paragraphs and people couldn't keep up. The Role-play moved too fast. The roleplay moved too slow. The GM was awful. That awkward couple who only made kissy faces during the roleplay. Oh god, there are so many reasons for failure in a roleplay. Someone posting a one-liner is really low on the list. What kills a roleplay are incompatible players. If you do happen to find your roleplay Waifus/Husbandos then you are a very lucky person. With a good partner who likes a similar roleplay style and lots of working together, I'm sure you guys will make something great.</div> "<strong>They are only written by people who don't know how to write anything more.</strong>" or "<strong>They are just people starting out roleplaying.</strong>" <div style="margin-left:25px;">This isn't true. Just because someone writes less doesn't mean they write bad or don't know how to write more. Just because someone doesn't write the way you do doesn't mean they are bad either. Lastly, just because someone DOES write a lot, doesn't mean they are good. I personally find a lot of stress relief and enjoy myself more when roleplaying one-liners. I enjoy the simplicity. I'm sure people who roleplay script may also feel better roleplaying the way that makes them comfortable. Same goes for people who like paragraphs and novella. To each their own, right?</div> "<strong>There is no plot/character creation/setting in one-liner and script Roleplays.</strong>" or "<strong>They have no thought.</strong>" <div style="margin-left:25px;">I can sit here and argue that every roleplay has some kind of plot, character and setting just by existing. Does that mean it is good? Probably not. Now is that to say that all one-liners and script roleplays lack this? Absolutely not. My Waifu and I, as one-liner roleplayers, have several roleplays that are fun and thought provoking with heavy character development. Plenty of action, romance and magic. We put emphasis on the relationships between character's parents, friendships and lovers . Our roleplays also features adventures and character growth with complicated settings and lore. Point is. Don't judge a roleplay based off of how much is written until you read it.</div> I could go on and on with all the things I see and hear about one-liners and script roleplaying. I think it just mostly comes down to elitist thinking. The more they write, the better people feel they are. Of course that may not even be the case. Maybe it is just not their style. I know some people who has just had bad experience with one-liners/script and associate them with failure or all other stereo types. Fact is, there is no reason to be so hateful. I can't help but feel like I am the worst person on the site because of my choice in roleplaying style. "People who RP one-liners/script are dumb." "People who do one-liners/script are incapable." "People who do one-liners/script are just 13 kids who don't know better." "I hate people who do one-liners/script. They are the worst!" Not everyone roleplays the same because people are not the same. What I hopped for this to achieve is so that people could not be so harsh in their judgment on people who roleplay in a way that is different then their own. <strong>Edit</strong>: Opinions and thoughts welcome. Even the disagreeing kind.

 

[Mordecai]

I think this was a wonderfully crafted post with a lot of points that people should read and understand. Awesome writing is awesome writing, whether it's two lines or twenty pages. That said, I've seen oodles of magnificent prose in all the roleplaying styles and the amount of text you'd like to write per post just comes down to personal preference.


My favourite colour is blue, but I'm not going to tell someone they're bad because they prefer green. That's just silly.


Anyways, thank you for this post! It was a great read. (:

 

[InsaneTruth]

I am in total agreement. I am a one liner roleplayer most of the time because I like the fast pace and simple detail. I can write paragraphs and can enjoy it at times but, I have rped with people who desired long posts and in return gave you a bunch of useless words and it made me dislike the rp in general.


I think all styles have pros and cons. All writing should be taken as an art form weather you wrote a sweet script or an epic novelistic rant.

 

[Xenonia]

I don't like one liners because they either don't leave room to work off of, like, it's literally just a person saying a thing, or they're fight scenes that go something like "I TELEPORT BEHIND YOU" "NO I TELEPORT BEHIND YOU" and that always bothers me for some reason. I just want to find the sweet spot between one line of text and seven paragraphs. It feels like there aren't any roleplays that really fit that because the "Advanced" ones tend to be TEN PARAGRAPHS type of stuff, and "Simple" and "Casual" both mean one to three lines max.

 

[InsaneTruth]

One liners are not all that bland. Xenonia.


Ex. The wind blew causing the trees to scratch at the window. "Mama, I'm scared," a small voice cried out.


That is one line. However it brings room for a reply.


Ex. A worried mother rushed in to comfort her crying child. There was a day long ago when she too was afraid of the sounds at night. "It's ok," she cooed pulling her loved child to her chest.


So they do leave room granted not as much as a paragraph but, it's not without it's own charms.

 

[Ricia]

See, that is what you prefer. But that is not really a reason to be down on people's writing. I really hope you do find that sweet spot!

literally just a person saying a thing, or they're fight scenes that go something like "I TELEPORT BEHIND YOU" "NO I TELEPORT BEHIND YOU" and that always bothers me for some reason.

This is a stereo type. It does happen, yes. But not always.


For me, I don't need all the details to go off of when writing. But, that is just me. I like to be really imaginative with the details instead of being told what they are. It doesn't trap you in a box. I tend to be that way with the books I read as well. The more detail I am told about an object, the more constricted I feel. However I do love inner character thoughts. I do enjoy that quite a bit.

 

[DennisR]

I totaly agree on this one, roleplaying should be fun not a thing that makes you think otherwise (i'm bad at explaining things xD ) Not everyone is perfect on this site and neither am i.

 

[Enuky]

I must say I'm a little confused. You write this as if there is an abundance of people hating on "casual" roleplays, when in actuality the number of simple and casual roleplays vastly outnumber the detailed category. So where you're getting the impression that there is so much "hate" against these simplistic roleplays I'm not too sure (because they're the majority....)


Now with that being said, I had to remove casual as an rp preference because almost every post would be 1-2 lines in the threads.


I guess I'm the devil's advocate because I hate roleplays that are filled with one liners. Before you say I "just don't know the truth" know that I read through them on a daily basis for my own personal amusement because of how bad and cringe worthy they usually are. It's cool that you're passionate about them, but to try and say that they're equal is just completely wrong. Note that I'm not *specifically* saying detailed is always better, but I am saying that that's comparing apples to oranges. Never have I read a casual rp where I was impressed.


I also think it's worth mentioning that simplistic rps are more likely than detailed rps to have low-skilled writers. So when trying to decide where to go to find stronger writers the detailed posts are a safer bet. That's not to say there aren't capable writers in the simplistic sphere-- but it is to say that the probability of an rp member being low level is higher in the simplistic category because that's where newbs start out and where the most diversity would be.


So when looking for qualified members I give preference to those who I know can write detailed, and it's a LOT harder to find detailed writers vs simplistic writers.


In summary, the notion that a detailed writer is equally as likely to find a gratifying rp in the simplistic sphere is inherently untrue. It may be possible, but not very likely.

 

[Ecstasyia]

[QUOTE="Enuky K]I must say I'm a little confused. You write this as if there is an abundance of people hating on "casual" roleplays, when in actuality the number of simple and casual roleplays vastly outnumber the detailed category. So where you're getting the impression that there is so much "hate" against these simplistic roleplays I'm not too sure (because they're the majority....)
Now with that being said, I had to remove casual as an rp preference because almost every post would be 1-2 lines in the threads.


I guess I'm the devil's advocate because I hate roleplays that are filled with one liners. Before you say I "just don't know the truth" know that I read through them on a daily basis for my own personal amusement because of how bad and cringe worthy they usually are. It's cool that you're passionate about them, but to try and say that they're equal is just completely wrong. Note that I'm not *specifically* saying detailed is always better, but I am saying that that's comparing apples to oranges. Never have I read a casual rp where I was impressed.


I also think it's worth mentioning that simplistic rps are more likely than detailed rps to have low-skilled writers. So when trying to decide where to go to find stronger writers the detailed posts are a safer bet. That's not to say there aren't capable writers in the simplistic sphere-- but it is to say that the probability of an rp member being low level is higher in the simplistic category because that's where newbs start out and where the most diversity would be.


So when looking for qualified members I give preference to those who I know can write detailed, and it's a LOT harder to find detailed writers vs simplistic writers.


In summary, the notion that a detailed writer is equally as likely to find a gratifying rp in the simplistic sphere is inherently untrue. It may be possible, but not very likely.

[/QUOTE]
I agree completely. Simple and casual roleplays are full of one liners and I hate them. They never seem how to know how to use the roleplaying tabs and always seem to just be put together lazily imo. Post detailed, or get out of my roleplay. I'm not saying I hate the person that is writing the one liners, but be respectful enough to write more than one post.

Not everyone is perfect on this site and neither am i.

So you are saying you have to be perfect to write more than a one liner? That says a lot.

 

[Enuky]

I agree completely. Simple and casual roleplays are full of one liners and I hate them. They never seem how to know how to use the roleplaying tabs and always seem to just be put together lazily imo. Post detailed, or get out of my roleplay. I'm not saying I hate the person that is writing the one liners, but be respectful enough to write more than one post.

I just don't think they understand us. There is no substitute for "detail" in writing when you're a detailed roleplayer... There's just absolutely no substitute. It's nothing personal against them; that's nature of the beast.

 

[Ecstasyia]

[QUOTE="Enuky K]I just don't think they understand us. There is no substitute for "detail" in writing when you're a detailed roleplayer... There's just absolutely no substitute. It's nothing personal against them; that's nature of the beast.

[/QUOTE]
Exactly. There is absolutely no way to be detailed in one liners. No way. If you like one liners, that's fine, but don't call yourself a detailed role player when you are far from it.

 

[SentinelSevn]

I generally stick to the third category, with paragraphs, as they seem to be enough to get the point across while also getting enough information out to be descriptive. But even though I try to stick with paragraphs, it gets extremely hard to keep writing paragraphs when the person you're interacting with makes a line or two instead of an equal or lengthier piece of writing.


Don't get me wrong, writing one-liners or script is perfectly fine with me, you do you. But if your partner is not writing in one of those shorter styles, take that hint to either write more or avoid the interaction. Unless of course, the other person is willing to cut down their posts to be much shorter.

 

[DennisR]

I agree completely. Simple and casual roleplays are full of one liners and I hate them. They never seem how to know how to use the roleplaying tabs and always seem to just be put together lazily imo. Post detailed, or get out of my roleplay. I'm not saying I hate the person that is writing the one liners, but be respectful enough to write more than one post.
So you are saying you have to be perfect to write more than a one liner? That says a lot.

That's not what i meant, what i meant was everyone has there flaws.

 

[Ecstasyia]

That's not what i meant, what i meant was everyone has there flaws.

Either you can write more than a one liner, or you can't. I wouldn't call that a flaw,just laziness. imo it just seems lazy to write short one liners to a roleplay I put so much effort in.

 

[Enuky]

Exactly. There is absolutely no way to be detailed in one liners. No way. If you like one liners, that's fine, but don't call yourself a detailed role player when you are far from it.

Thanks. I couldn't believe the number of people agreeing wholeheartedly with this post??? You can't substitute one-liners for detail and expect a detailed writer to be impressed hah.


Now I just have to ask my other detailed friends out there: do you all also skim through the simple and casual rps snickering at them the whole time? Because thats what I do sometimes when Im bored... xD

 

[Ecstasyia]

[QUOTE="Enuky K]Thanks. I couldn't believe the number of people agreeing wholeheartedly with this post??? You can't substitute one-liners for detail and expect a detailed writer to be impressed hah.
Now I just have to ask my other detailed friends out there: do you all also skim through the simple and casual rps snickering at them the whole time? Because thats what I do sometimes when Im bored... xD

[/QUOTE]
I get second hand embarrassment alot so I tend to sit there and cringe.

 

[Mordecai]

Guys and gals, this is very quickly turning into a bashing fest and it's unfortunate. Being detailed roleplayers/writers doesn't make you better than anyone else. For most people, roleplaying is a hobby. It's a great way to relieve stress at the end of the day, so, who cares how someone else decides to spend their time? I'm disappointed to see roleplayers making fun of other roleplayers because that's not what roleplaying should be about.


It should be about supporting one another, even if you're not interested in writing with that person. It should be about encouraging creativity and writing in another person, not trying to rip it down.

 

[DennisR]

Either you can write more than a one liner, or you can't. I wouldn't call that a flaw,just laziness. imo it just seems lazy to write short one liners to a roleplay I put so much effort in.

So what? If i write One-liners so be it. You can't always write a paragraph sometimes One-liners happens.

 

[Ecstasyia]

Guys and gals, this is very quickly turning into a bashing fest and it's unfortunate. Being detailed roleplayers/writers doesn't make you better than anyone else. For most people, roleplaying is a hobby. It's a great way to relieve stress at the end of the day, so, who cares how someone else decides to spend their time? I'm disappointed to see roleplayers making fun of other roleplayers because that's not what roleplaying should be about.
It should be about supporting one another, even if you're not interested in writing with that person. It should be about encouraging creativity and writing in another person, not trying to rip it down.

We aren't bashing anybody. We are just expressing our opinions, just like the others. So they are allowed to defend their writing style, but we can't express our opinions? We have expressed our annoyance about one liners, just like they have about people hating one liners. It's all preference, bud. We don't like one liners, that is the point we are trying to get across. This whole thread is about discussion, nothing else.

 

[Ecstasyia]

So what? If i write One-liners so be it. You can't always write a paragraph sometimes One-liners happens.

I've said this multiple times, I could put care less about you writing one liners. Just don't come in my roleplay and do it. In my opinion, it is disrespectful. ESPECIALLY saying that people that write one liners are as detailed, because no. We take time to write the important details which make up the 3 paragraphs. If one liners did that also, they would also have 3 paragraphs. They are just not as detailed.

 

[Enuky]

We're not ripping anyone down... we are simply disagreeing with the post.


Simplistic writers vs detailed writers are two totally different breeds. Trying to sell them as the same thing is not going to work, hah... I'm simply using evidence to support that our dislike for casual rps isn't out of "meanness" or "not giving them a chance"; it's because they're totally different styles.

 

[sakigamis]

Thank you! I just have a couple things to say:


1. Script-style =/= lacking in detail. It just means you put **, [], etc. around actions. It can be just as detailed as para or novella if necessary.


2. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, GUYS. Not everything warrants multiple paragraphs in response! If you're in a fight or a conversation, two scenarios that tend to be fast-paced, it might be in your best interest to use shorter posts.


Personally, depending on what I'm doing and what site I'm on (I use para on forums and script pretty much anywhere else), my responses can vary from a single sentence of dialogue to lengthy paragraphs setting the scene and getting into my character's head. I understand the hate on one-liners because there's a time and a place for those but all the hate on script kills my poor script-loving heart. :<

 

[Enuky]

We aren't bashing anybody. We are just expressing our opinions, just like the others. So they are allowed to defend their writing style, but we can't express our opinions? We have expressed our annoyance about one liners, just like they have about people hating one liners. It's all preference, bud. We don't like one liners, that is the point we are trying to get across. This whole thread is about discussion, nothing else.

Exactly. This. I get so tired of hypersensitivity on this website over simple disagreements. No provocative language, no insults, no indication of anger (ie exclamation points) = no problem.

 

[DennisR]

I've said this multiple, I could put care less about you writing one liners. Just don't come in my roleplay and do it. In my opinion, it is disrespectful.

That's your oppinion and this is mine, and disrespectfull? Excuse me? No sir it's disrespectfull that you think One-liners are bad.

 

[Meredith]

Guys, cool it.


Each of you are free to have your own opinions - but keep it civil, please.


Disagreeing is not a bad thing, being disrespectful to one another is.


This is a roleplaying site. We're all here to have fun and get along.