Thing
Luminari
Luminary of the Stars
Title
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~How Text-based Roleplaying Normally Works~
Names/pseudonyms: text-based roleplaying, RP, RPing, rp, rping, forum roleplaying (I don't know what else you would call it except maybe "joint storytelling" lol)
Types of text-based roleplays: group, 1x1, public, private
Public group roleplays: these are the majority of roleplays on most sites. Someone, who is by default the admin [administrator] or mod [moderator] (or DM or GM) of the roleplay, posts a thread on a forum. The thread tells about the roleplay, its setting and general plot, and what is required from the roleplayers. Anyone who the roleplay interests "applies" (in quotes because no one calls it that) by posting their character sheet. If the mod is pleased by their character and sheet formatting, they accept them. If the mod doesn't like what they've done, they can either flat-out reject it or ask them to edit specific things before reevaluating. Once enough people (characters) have been accepted into the roleplay, the roleplay starts. Someone (typically the admin) begins with the first post, which tells of how their character has gotten to where they are or how their day has begun. Posts continue, which describe what their character is doing and who they're interacting with. The RP continues until enough people get bored/busy and stop posting.
Private group roleplays: these are sometimes referred to as Invite-Only. Typically a group of friends who are tired of the death rate of the public rp life and start one together. Before starting, they privately discuss what the roleplay will be about. Everyone posts their character sheets (though these are sometimes more condensed than ones for public roleplays) and no one has to be accepted because everyone was invited. Then they roleplay as per normal.
[Private] 1x1 roleplays: these belong to the second most popular type of roleplay on most rp sites. There's usually a forum for posting threads where one person searches for a partner. The seeker (again, no one calls it that) posts about (a) what they look for in a partner (such as availability, post frequency, and post length) and (b) what settings/plots they are looking to rp. Once someone responds and the two decide they are compatible, they discuss everything that was in the post and what sort of roleplay they will be doing. Because there are only two people, each has a main character, and the roleplay focuses on these two characters. (A popular motif therefore is romance between the two main characters but it is not the subject of all 1x1s) Secondary characters can either be controlled by one person only or by both people as needed. They then roleplay as per normal.
Typical elements of text-based roleplaying: setting, plot, characters, posts
Setting: The setting of the roleplay describes, of course, where the roleplay takes place.
General Setting: (again, no one calls it this) The general setting of a roleplay involves what universe/fandom it takes place in (only explicitly stated when not like reality). Examples of these include fandoms: Harry Potter, Marvel, multifandom; fantasy: supernatural creatures exist, magic exists; other: futuristic/sci-fi, historical; and modern, slice-of-life, reality-based roleplays. The general setting also includes any place where the characters typically meet, such as a town, an island, or a high school. The general setting is normally described in the description of the roleplay that the mod puts out to attract applicants; however, if the roleplay is private, it is decided upon by the participants before they begin.
Specific Setting: (no one calls it this either) Where a character is or a "scene" (my own term once again) is taking place, such as a classroom or outside near a tree. RPers normally include the specific setting of their posts somewhere in their text.
Plot: what's going on in the roleplay that motivates characters to move forward and advance their lives.
General Plot: (another of my terms) a vague, guiding storyarc that is decided upon beforehand. Can be as simple as "we go on a road trip" or "everyone fights to the death". Can also be specific as "chosen one climbs a mountain and receives the prophecy and on the way down he and his friends encounter a demon bear, a troll under a bridge, and three harpies". Roleplays, especially multifandom roleplays, die much more quickly if there is no general plot.
Specific Plot: (take a guess lol) things that each character does in their posts that further the action, or things that the writer decides and says happens in their post. An example of the first would be one character insulting another, an example of the latter would be a power outage (or an action by an npc, like assigning homework).
Characters: the vessels by which the writers change the story to their will. Can be canon or original, depending on the setting and the application process. Most RPs allow each writer to control multiple characters if they desire.
Character Sheets: Also called forms. They are the bulk of an application to a roleplay. Normally includes basic and somewhat in-depth information about a character, such as: name, age, sex, sexuality, occupation/grade, history, and personality. Many people spend hours coding to make a good character sheet template, and many are fairly unique. Because coding can take a while, as can coming up with information about a character, most people develop a template and then change the color scheme and information to fit each of their characters. These forms are so unique that it is impolite to steal someone's code without asking, though sharing with permission is quite common. Character sheets are what BBCode is really for; once the posting actually starts the prettiness/formatting decreases and it's all about the text. But character sheets are about looking good, and should be more about readability than they normally are. See here for some of my own examples of character sheets (and be mindful that I was young when some were made): http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1026290&start=30. You can see the progression through the years that a lot of roleplayers have taken. Character sheets start out basic, then get a lot more in-depth and formatted as time goes on because you learn how to do all sorts of things and plan out a lot about your characters. And lastly you realize that all that information is supposed to come out in the RP and all the formatting just makes the [important] information less accessible anyway. My character sheets now are fairly simple and sleek unless I'm in a coding mood.
Applications: when looking for people to join the rp, the GM will specify what information is required of each character (name, age, hogwarts house, etc.) and what other information they would like from each person (username, preferred pronouns, writing sample, etc.). The GM can accept, deny, or ask the writer to revise a character. Normally about 3/4 of the maximum or preferred number of characters have been found and accepted when the rp starts, and the last few hopefully join before it goes too far. When the maximum amount has been reached the GM "closes" the RP, normally designating in its title that it is no longer accepting characters.
Posts: everyone takes turns posting some amount of text when their character has an opportunity to further the plot by saying things or taking actions. If anyone tries to set up a turn order it normally falls apart very quickly. Posts describe where a character is (specific setting), who they are with, what they are doing, and what they say.
Post Length: how long posts typically are dictates the "literacy level" of an rp. Simple/casual roleplays have no minimum but normally a maximum of a decent-sized instant message. Semi-literate (also called casual sometimes) roleplays typically measure their post length in lines and usually amount to two paragraphs at max, one paragraph at min per post. Literate roleplays (also called detailed) typically measure post length in paragraphs and range anywhere from 2-5 paragraphs per post. [People who do literate roleplays are crazy imo. how the hell do you have a conversation or a fight?] Expected post length is often explicitly stated in the rules of the roleplay, and some variation is allowed. Expected post length also correlates directly/positively with frequency of posting, ease of posting, duration of life/interest, and number of participants.
Post Frequency: (and still no one calls it this) how often people post. Can be anywhere from maybe 5 times a day to once a week. See above for correlation with post length.
Out-of character
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~How Text-based Roleplaying Normally Works~
Names/pseudonyms: text-based roleplaying, RP, RPing, rp, rping, forum roleplaying (I don't know what else you would call it except maybe "joint storytelling" lol)
Types of text-based roleplays: group, 1x1, public, private
Public group roleplays: these are the majority of roleplays on most sites. Someone, who is by default the admin [administrator] or mod [moderator] (or DM or GM) of the roleplay, posts a thread on a forum. The thread tells about the roleplay, its setting and general plot, and what is required from the roleplayers. Anyone who the roleplay interests "applies" (in quotes because no one calls it that) by posting their character sheet. If the mod is pleased by their character and sheet formatting, they accept them. If the mod doesn't like what they've done, they can either flat-out reject it or ask them to edit specific things before reevaluating. Once enough people (characters) have been accepted into the roleplay, the roleplay starts. Someone (typically the admin) begins with the first post, which tells of how their character has gotten to where they are or how their day has begun. Posts continue, which describe what their character is doing and who they're interacting with. The RP continues until enough people get bored/busy and stop posting.
Private group roleplays: these are sometimes referred to as Invite-Only. Typically a group of friends who are tired of the death rate of the public rp life and start one together. Before starting, they privately discuss what the roleplay will be about. Everyone posts their character sheets (though these are sometimes more condensed than ones for public roleplays) and no one has to be accepted because everyone was invited. Then they roleplay as per normal.
[Private] 1x1 roleplays: these belong to the second most popular type of roleplay on most rp sites. There's usually a forum for posting threads where one person searches for a partner. The seeker (again, no one calls it that) posts about (a) what they look for in a partner (such as availability, post frequency, and post length) and (b) what settings/plots they are looking to rp. Once someone responds and the two decide they are compatible, they discuss everything that was in the post and what sort of roleplay they will be doing. Because there are only two people, each has a main character, and the roleplay focuses on these two characters. (A popular motif therefore is romance between the two main characters but it is not the subject of all 1x1s) Secondary characters can either be controlled by one person only or by both people as needed. They then roleplay as per normal.
Typical elements of text-based roleplaying: setting, plot, characters, posts
Setting: The setting of the roleplay describes, of course, where the roleplay takes place.
General Setting: (again, no one calls it this) The general setting of a roleplay involves what universe/fandom it takes place in (only explicitly stated when not like reality). Examples of these include fandoms: Harry Potter, Marvel, multifandom; fantasy: supernatural creatures exist, magic exists; other: futuristic/sci-fi, historical; and modern, slice-of-life, reality-based roleplays. The general setting also includes any place where the characters typically meet, such as a town, an island, or a high school. The general setting is normally described in the description of the roleplay that the mod puts out to attract applicants; however, if the roleplay is private, it is decided upon by the participants before they begin.
Specific Setting: (no one calls it this either) Where a character is or a "scene" (my own term once again) is taking place, such as a classroom or outside near a tree. RPers normally include the specific setting of their posts somewhere in their text.
Plot: what's going on in the roleplay that motivates characters to move forward and advance their lives.
General Plot: (another of my terms) a vague, guiding storyarc that is decided upon beforehand. Can be as simple as "we go on a road trip" or "everyone fights to the death". Can also be specific as "chosen one climbs a mountain and receives the prophecy and on the way down he and his friends encounter a demon bear, a troll under a bridge, and three harpies". Roleplays, especially multifandom roleplays, die much more quickly if there is no general plot.
Specific Plot: (take a guess lol) things that each character does in their posts that further the action, or things that the writer decides and says happens in their post. An example of the first would be one character insulting another, an example of the latter would be a power outage (or an action by an npc, like assigning homework).
Characters: the vessels by which the writers change the story to their will. Can be canon or original, depending on the setting and the application process. Most RPs allow each writer to control multiple characters if they desire.
Character Sheets: Also called forms. They are the bulk of an application to a roleplay. Normally includes basic and somewhat in-depth information about a character, such as: name, age, sex, sexuality, occupation/grade, history, and personality. Many people spend hours coding to make a good character sheet template, and many are fairly unique. Because coding can take a while, as can coming up with information about a character, most people develop a template and then change the color scheme and information to fit each of their characters. These forms are so unique that it is impolite to steal someone's code without asking, though sharing with permission is quite common. Character sheets are what BBCode is really for; once the posting actually starts the prettiness/formatting decreases and it's all about the text. But character sheets are about looking good, and should be more about readability than they normally are. See here for some of my own examples of character sheets (and be mindful that I was young when some were made): http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1026290&start=30. You can see the progression through the years that a lot of roleplayers have taken. Character sheets start out basic, then get a lot more in-depth and formatted as time goes on because you learn how to do all sorts of things and plan out a lot about your characters. And lastly you realize that all that information is supposed to come out in the RP and all the formatting just makes the [important] information less accessible anyway. My character sheets now are fairly simple and sleek unless I'm in a coding mood.
Applications: when looking for people to join the rp, the GM will specify what information is required of each character (name, age, hogwarts house, etc.) and what other information they would like from each person (username, preferred pronouns, writing sample, etc.). The GM can accept, deny, or ask the writer to revise a character. Normally about 3/4 of the maximum or preferred number of characters have been found and accepted when the rp starts, and the last few hopefully join before it goes too far. When the maximum amount has been reached the GM "closes" the RP, normally designating in its title that it is no longer accepting characters.
Posts: everyone takes turns posting some amount of text when their character has an opportunity to further the plot by saying things or taking actions. If anyone tries to set up a turn order it normally falls apart very quickly. Posts describe where a character is (specific setting), who they are with, what they are doing, and what they say.
Post Length: how long posts typically are dictates the "literacy level" of an rp. Simple/casual roleplays have no minimum but normally a maximum of a decent-sized instant message. Semi-literate (also called casual sometimes) roleplays typically measure their post length in lines and usually amount to two paragraphs at max, one paragraph at min per post. Literate roleplays (also called detailed) typically measure post length in paragraphs and range anywhere from 2-5 paragraphs per post. [People who do literate roleplays are crazy imo. how the hell do you have a conversation or a fight?] Expected post length is often explicitly stated in the rules of the roleplay, and some variation is allowed. Expected post length also correlates directly/positively with frequency of posting, ease of posting, duration of life/interest, and number of participants.
Post Frequency: (and still no one calls it this) how often people post. Can be anywhere from maybe 5 times a day to once a week. See above for correlation with post length.
Out-of character
OOC
chat:[/I] As with all roleplaying, there of course needs to be talking that's not part of the rp. In text-based roleplaying, this is differentiated from the text of the post by ((double parentheses)) [sometimes brackets] [[double brackets]] {whatever these are} {{two of them}}. Anything within those is not treated as part of the RP and instead is OOC. OOC is also a term used to describe anything that's out-of character, including actions a character takes that don't fit in with their shown personality.
[I]First Post: [/I]The first post of the in-game day or scene, especially of the rp itself, is typically 1.5x longer and more detailed than the rest of the posts will be. As the roleplay goes on and the scene becomes more established, the post length typically lessens. Typically the admin will make the first post.
[I]Scenes:[/I] (my term, really) A scene is a scene, a series of chronological posts. It ends with a timeskip or a change in location.
[B]Endings:[I] [/I][/B]I've never actually seen a roleplay survive long enough to end. Typically people just get bored and remake them. I'm sure one has ended at some point. 95% (an accurate statistic that I just made up) die within a month so it's hard to tell. I've never been in a long-running roleplay before and look at how much I've managed to pick up.
((If anything's grossly inaccurate or something needs to be added please comment below. I made this for a friend of mine that I'm trying to convince to join the text-based RP crowd and I figured it was too long to keep to myself.))
[URL="https://www.rpnation.com/tutorials/writing/intro-to-text-based-roleplaying-by-someone-who-hasnt-done-a-whole-lot-of-it-r15/"]View full tutorial[/URL]