Well-written guide, mon ami. But keep in mind that the Bio character limit in Champions Online is only 500 characters, so you may not be able to get too detailed with your hero. This is mines. It is just about 500 characters:
The Unbreakable Beatrix Heartz
The spiteful inspector of Millennium City Police Department. She holds both a cold and carefree disposition, undergoing her objectives without consideration for citizens or the environment. With incomparable wit and elite gunning prowess, Beatrix is able to hold her own against a multitude of criminals.
Although she is assumed to be an unstoppable force, Beatrix periodically suffers from a heart disease that deteriorates not only her health, but her mind. Occasionally, she falls short in combat as she succumbs to excruciating pain and figments of her imagination.
You can also copy and paste your bio from your favorite word processor into the text box on the User Interface in Champions Online. So get cooking, and customization will only take you 12 hours rather than a day straight.
Well-written guide, mon ami. But keep in mind that the Bio character limit in Champions Online is only 500 characters, so you may not be able to get too detailed with your hero. This is mines. It is just about 500 characters:
You can also copy and paste your bio from your favorite word processor into the text box on the User Interface in Champions Online. So get cooking, and customization will only take you 12 hours rather than a day straight.
dear lord i hope that number goes up... isent that smaller then CoX?
dear lord i hope that number goes up... isent that smaller then CoX?
I was guessing the same amount, actually. If not, then maybe bigger than CoX. Remember, the width of the text is always smaller compared to the look on here and on your Word processor, so my bio only seems smaller.
Great guide! Here are some tips that I've learned over the last 2+ years GM'ing for a large RP guild in WoW
* Less is more. Give your character a crystal clear motivation, this way you know how to react in character to ANY situation. If you're character is greedy, then you always have the "what's in it for me?" fallback. Or if your chosen personality is altruistic, "how can I help here?" will fit you into most scenarios. Conversely - If you're character is a conflicted sociopath looking for redemption but unaware of an inherent self destructive fear of success, you may find your self stumped when someone asks you "how ya doing?"
* Good scenes have good supporting actors. Try not to hog the spotlight! If you enter a scene and someone is involving details of their backstory, hold off on launching into your own. More often than not this creates a situation where two players are simply taking turns typing monologues. It's a rough reality, but for most RP'ers your backstory is like the details of an illness or the description of a dream: IT's ONLY INTERESTING TO YOU. Other folks are there for the interaction, NOT to hear about how fascinating you find your creation!
* Use Catchphrases! This makes your character memorable. Players will recall a catchphrase with more accuracy than detailed particulars of a backstory. Popular characters in comics are notorious for this device. Whether it's a big orange rock guy declaring "Clobbering Time!" or a short brawler calling his opponent "bub" - it renders the character immediately recognizable.
* Wait for a response! This is HUGE in text RP. Allow some time to pass between your tells. Nothing deads a scene faster than three or four rapid-fire tells in a row from the same player. Letting folks respond also sets a pace to the scene, and allows other players to get involved.
* Brevity wins. Considering the speed with which text scrolls and the size of the chatframe is important. Learning the shortcuts can really aid you in getting your message across clearly and succinctly. Instead of: Wendigo inclined his head and sighed, his patience with the snitch now entirely gone. "Cut to the chase rat," he said, adding "I haven't got all day!"
Try: ::annoyed:: Cut to the chase rat, I haven't got all day! This kind of shorthand cuts down considerably on lost lines due to scrolling, and is just as effective as a paragraph of prose!
And that's all I got! Looking forward to playing CO in character, and perhaps meeting some of you folks in-game.
I remember a previous, and likely still widely available, guide to text-based rp inspired by the legacies of players behind the original Twink and Mav.
Mav is simpler to explain.
It's where too much is shared because the player misses by a world.
In Mav's case, it was accidentally putting text intended for private channel conversation into open roleplay rooms or public broadcasts.
In the MMO world, it may be something like having a loud argument in the real world while using VOIP with a game group.
Keeping the roleplay world on stage, and what's backstage out of the roleplay, is a courtesy that helps others enjoy the game.
Unless the very infrequent mav is especially embarassing, in which case it's good clean fun for all.
Twinking is more complex, because it's something of a many-headed hydra that is ever-evolving.
The original Twink player used to godmod relentlessly and inappropriately, posing not just the result of Twink's attempts, but the reaction of others to Twink's actions (generally in ways that flattered Twink and humiliated the person force-fed lines).
Players who so live in their own world, as opposed to the shared fiction of the roleplay world that they can't agree on light/moderate/heavy RP convention, go over-the-top without regard for others, must play Mary Sue idealized versions of themselves to the extent that they can't separate reactions to their characters from reactions to their RL selves, and bully or bulldoze individuals, teams, or scenes.. are a fact of life.
Everyone from time to time has a momentary Twink impulse that escapes them without realization.
Letting it continue is what defines a Twink.
Guides like Pathstalkers, patient OOC negotiation, and setting a better example are good ways to cut down on these problems.
Then again, in some game cultures, Anti-RP is considered good RP. Mavs, twinking, flaming, trolling, exploits and other antisocial behaviors are how some 'hardcore' players prefer to manipulate other players to get their own way, gain perceived advantage, or from their point of view make others 'play right'.
Since CO has a one-shared-world model, as opposed to a server-by-server view, the sort of conflict-laden server-infestation by Anti-RP cliques and L337-RP cliques seen elsewhere may not happen.
Also, I've never been inside the CO world and there's an NDA, so I literally have no idea how RP is done there. I'm hopeful that it's a rewarding and fulsome experience, with ample courtesy and respect shown for players of all types and preferences.
This is a really awesome guide and it's got my interested in roleplaying. I played CoX for about a year and a half and i never considered RP because i was confused by it, but because of this guide i think that i might try it in champions, thnx again for the guide Pathstalker!!!
I guess I can see that it evolved. Twinking, when I started text-based rp on the WoD boards, was outright cheating.
The werewolf/changeling/vampire/mage who had 5's in everything? He was a twink.
Interesting.
/e pats Subteran on the back with such force that he flies across the room, hits the wall, knocks out and when he wakes up believes he's Chester A. Arthur. All of the forumites look upon datawais with fear, lust, and awe.
I guess I can see that it evolved. Twinking, when I started text-based rp on the WoD boards, was outright cheating.
The werewolf/changeling/vampire/mage who had 5's in everything? He was a twink.
Interesting.
/e pats Subteran on the back with such force that he flies across the room, hits the wall, knocks out and when he wakes up believes he's Chester A. Arthur. All of the forumites look upon datawais with fear, lust, and awe.
Subteran wobbles weakly to his feet, asserting, "Madam, I may be President of the United States, but.." he shakes his head, looking around slowly.
"Elf?" he says, peering vaguely at datawais. "Elf? Is that you?"
He then slaps himself around a bit. "I think I'm pulling a Mav. My bad. This really would belong in RP."
OK still some ambiguity it seem as to what is Liight RP," "Moderate RP" and "Heavy RP."
So I refer to the respected and ancient RP Scale, that I just made up a few moments ago.
THE ROLE PLAYING SCALE
0 - RP Prohibited- What U TalkN Ab00t!!!??? RP????!!! DaTs FuR L4M3r5! Gr1Nding & ButN PRe55inG RuleZ! HarDKor3 4 eth W1N!
10 - RP Tolerant - Yah you can RP. But don't be surprised if everyone ignores you. It is kinda creepy after all.
20 - Minimal RP You can pretend to be your character in game if you want. Its just that most of us are not into that.
40 - Light Roleplay You can pretend to be your character in game if you want. Thats cool.
50 - Moderate Roleplay - Cool, my guy got powers X, Y, and Z and can do A, B, and C. Origin? Personality? I'll come up with something later. Its not that important.
60 - Heavy Roleplay - Never, never talk out of character when your playing a MMORP. if you really have to use parentasis. Oh and we have a forum for fanfic too. Origin and Personality is important.
80 - Primary RP - We RP on our own forums, and play most of our RP there. But we still maintain lor links with the game and have a thriving community there. Origin and Personality is essential.
90 - Intensive RP Yah we may still have some people who still play the on-line game. But most have since moved away from the MMORP. Origin and Personality is EVERYTHING!
100- Exclusive RP - What is a MMORP? Neverheard of them. We are ROLE PLAYERS! That means playing in stories on our forum or for those Old-School, with a pencil and paper game. Like Champions and Dungeons and Dragon before there were PCs. Heck we RP using origin and personality alone, and the only game aids we had were sticks and rocks, which served as as our minatures, maps, and dice. Our rule books were written on clay tablets in cuniform! We dreamed of one day being able to see on of them fancy futuristic lead painted miniatures! And all we had to fight were Orcs! We had it hard in my day. Stupid kids. And get off my lawn!
When i was playing the other day i dicovered that my character Gus had such a high defence that on criticals i was only taking 1 damage, does this defy the Godmoding rule or is the Godmoding about in character emotive interactions?
Great guide! Here are some tips that I've learned over the last 2+ years GM'ing for a large RP guild in WoW
* Less is more. Give your character a crystal clear motivation, this way you know how to react in character to ANY situation. If you're character is greedy, then you always have the "what's in it for me?" fallback. Or if your chosen personality is altruistic, "how can I help here?" will fit you into most scenarios. Conversely - If you're character is a conflicted sociopath looking for redemption but unaware of an inherent self destructive fear of success, you may find your self stumped when someone asks you "how ya doing?"
* Good scenes have good supporting actors. Try not to hog the spotlight! If you enter a scene and someone is involving details of their backstory, hold off on launching into your own. More often than not this creates a situation where two players are simply taking turns typing monologues. It's a rough reality, but for most RP'ers your backstory is like the details of an illness or the description of a dream: IT's ONLY INTERESTING TO YOU. Other folks are there for the interaction, NOT to hear about how fascinating you find your creation!
* Use Catchphrases! This makes your character memorable. Players will recall a catchphrase with more accuracy than detailed particulars of a backstory. Popular characters in comics are notorious for this device. Whether it's a big orange rock guy declaring "Clobbering Time!" or a short brawler calling his opponent "bub" - it renders the character immediately recognizable.
* Wait for a response! This is HUGE in text RP. Allow some time to pass between your tells. Nothing deads a scene faster than three or four rapid-fire tells in a row from the same player. Letting folks respond also sets a pace to the scene, and allows other players to get involved.
* Brevity wins. Considering the speed with which text scrolls and the size of the chatframe is important. Learning the shortcuts can really aid you in getting your message across clearly and succinctly. Instead of: Wendigo inclined his head and sighed, his patience with the snitch now entirely gone. "Cut to the chase rat," he said, adding "I haven't got all day!"
Try: ::annoyed:: Cut to the chase rat, I haven't got all day! This kind of shorthand cuts down considerably on lost lines due to scrolling, and is just as effective as a paragraph of prose!
And that's all I got! Looking forward to playing CO in character, and perhaps meeting some of you folks in-game.
^This should definitely be added to the guide. Words of RP wisdom there.
Also I like to think about these things, too, when developing a roleplay character:
Focus is good. Your character needs goals, even if they change, there should be a reason for what he or she's doing.
Open ended back story. Nothing kills a character faster than having everything worked out right up front. As a creative writer of your character's story, it will get very boring very fast if there are not new things for you to discover about the person you are playing.
Personality. Read about some different personalities. See how people are emotionally shaped, find something interesting to you, and don't be afraid to be vulnerable.
The Hook. Above he said "Catch phrase" and that is definitely one type of hook. I had one character one time that was blind and that was a hook. I had another that was a very very bad womanizer. Something that draws people into your character or gives them something to talk about with your character. It doesn't have to be anything big, but another thing that kills characters quickly is the lack of social interaction. Without other people, you're basically writing a novel.
The only thing i have to add to this is to keep the 'adult' stuff in VERY private places, mind the pun, minors could very well be playing this game and im sure the last thing their parents would want to see is their children participating in....well....the stuff that goes on in the red-light district of Second Life so to speak.
Thank you very much for this guide! For a long time Ive been out of the RP scene but have always wanted to get back into it. However, it seemed as though I was caught on something that held me back. Regardless of what it was your guide has helped me refresh my ideas! Its helped me approach RP'ing in a different way and I thank you greatly for it.
100- Exclusive RP - What is a MMORP? Neverheard of them. We are ROLE PLAYERS! That means playing in stories on our forum or for those Old-School, with a pencil and paper game. Like Champions and Dungeons and Dragon before there were PCs. Heck we RP using origin and personality alone, and the only game aids we had were sticks and rocks, which served as as our minatures, maps, and dice. Our rule books were written on clay tablets in cuniform! We dreamed of one day being able to see on of them fancy futuristic lead painted miniatures! And all we had to fight were Orcs! We had it hard in my day. Stupid kids. And get off my lawn!
*loool* I guess I will cite you sometime, somewhere
Hum... I'm a littlebit confused here. I am playing P&Ps for ... 16 Years now, D&D, AD&D, Earthdawn, Shadowrun, Rolemaster, some GURPS Worlds and a lot more...
But I never played RP in an MMORPG. Just every now and then in a city or on a marketplace.. A few sentences. But i wonder how this works.... Didn't met somebody who was actually RPing during a mission though.
Is it really possible to read, write and fight, buff debuff and heal in parallel?
I'm not an RPer, so when I RP in CO, its definitely trial and error. However, I am very good at talking to people, so I get by on that. I made my character Frontline, pure motivation, believing in unwavering justice, but definately not super serious. Think, Steve Rogers meets Wally West. I've been trying to fit in to the RP scene, but quite frankly, most the time I get pretty heavily ignored. I stay passive, and do not question others, as this is not my world, I'm here to observe and try to fit in. Every group I encounter, seems to just reject my characters attitude. I notice, there are a lot of batmen (serious, brooders, or terrible past) and a lot of what seem to be godmoders. It seems like the opposite has happened and my friendly, sometimes ignorant, flawed hero, is shunned behind these glorious beings of power and sob story sallies. Not to say Frontlines back story isn't tragic, he just doesn't burden others with it.
I did find one group that seems like a pretty original ragtag ensemble. I think I annoy them, but I do make a lot of really lame puns ( Gotta love the silver age comics) :P
Excellent guide, Pathstalker. These kinds of helpful hints and guidelines are absolutely integral to keeping RP the fun hobby that it is, and it helps get the new folks involved, as well as a preview to the RP-curious.
I've written one or two such guides in the past, and I sorely wish more people who claim to be "veterans" would read them. You can be a fantastic writer, with perfect grammar and spelling and a Nobel prize for literature, and still be the absolute worst RP'er in the world.
I've always wrapped the "respect your fellow gamers" and "don't powergame" concepts into what I call the "Wil Wheaton Rule". The basic tenet of which is, simply, "Don't be a d*ck!"
Not much I could suggest adding that hasn't already been mentioned. I can think of a couple of things, though. To the notes about OOC vs. IC I would add the following:
Try to avoid using emoticons in in-character speech. This is, of course, tied to personal tastes and is in no way elitism or a dictate on how to RP, but from my personal standpoint, nothing breaks immersion faster than a character popping-up a speech bubble with "(:" in it.
Also, I'd add the following two sections.
OOC knowledge vs. IC knowledge
One of the cardinal rules of RP is that what you as a player knows should be set apart from what your character would know in terms of the world they live in. Breaking this rule, known as "metagaming", is something that will get you shunned by RP'ers in a hurry.
As a player, you may have played a particular story arc before, and know about that secret reveal at the end, or the surprise objective that comes later in the mission. You may know that a particular company in Millennium City is a front for a villain organization. You may know end-game content. You may know the intimate details of a fellow player's background from reading their bio and their story posts. You may know their secret weakness. You may know the full details of a plotline being brewed by a guild GM.
That does not mean your character knows that.
In fact, unless you have a logical and realistic reason for it, your character should not know any of that. This comes back to this all being about acting, so you have to act as though you don't know when you portray your character. Act surprised by the thing you're supposed to be surprised by, etc.
Never, never, never use metagame knowledge to gain an upper hand in an RP conflict, to gain a shortcut in a plotline, or to make a character that is specifically designed to counter another character. If, in the course of playing your character, the character has a chance to learn those things, then by all means, use them.
Representing Actions
The game is obviously limited in what you can make your character do, so it's always helpful to know how to convey your character's actions for those around you. There are two ways to do it.
The emote is the primary way, and the first to learn. Most modern MMO's come with pre-made emotes that can be fantastic for RP, but you can usually use /e or /em to create your own actions, which don't pop-up a speech bubble from your character to break immersion. This is portrayed in-game as "Captain Character does something." The underlined section is what you come up with, keeping in mind it's meant to start with your name.
Typing "/em focuses his power, then takes to the skies"
will come across in-game as:
"Captain Character focuses his power, then takes to the skies"
The secondary way to portray actions is with what I call in-line actions. Using *asterisks* or :colons: or some such symbols, you denote actions, attitudes, or non-spoken information within what your character says. This is usually done in third-person.
For example:
"I really don't know. *sighs* We may just have to try and hope for the best."
or
"I really don't know. *he sighs and rubs his chin* We may just have to try and hope for the best."
After reading this. I am toying with the idea of roleplaying in an MMO. I have been playing MMOs for years, but have always been reluctant to roleplay. However, I enjoy creative writing, played much PnP as a youth, and I'm actually a Thespian...I think I will go home and work on a bio this afternoon. Thanks for this post.
-Make sure your character makes sense. If you explain yourself to me, and I'm at my keyboard raising and eyebrow... chances are my character's going to give you the same reaction.
-Don't think that a rude character always means a rude player. While some people do use a character as a blank check to be a jerk and genuinely are jerks- some characters are just not 'super-nice'. However, if you do have a character like this, it is important to balance it by giving him or her a -reason- to be as he is, and perhaps let people understand him and connect to him. Playing a character who walks into Caprice and treats everyone like dogs doesn't bring in a lot of roleplaying fun. It's just in-character trolling.
-Don't be afraid to walk up to people or make conversation. You can make good friends this way. You can also make -fun- rivalries. A good enemy is sometimes more fun than a good buddy in roleplaying.
-Remember that while you can't duel or be attacked in Caprice, it's still not wise for Heroes or other patrons to cause problems. It is established that the place does have security measures. The same should go for heroes threatening to fight others- while some antihero types are less morally grounded than some, good guys (and most people with sense and knowledge of the law) know that a death threat isn't always the best response to an insult. In real life, adults who make threats and fight over an insult go to jail and don't have many friends.
-While you Roleplay, remember that you do need to project yourself into the character. Even if it's something you would do, your character may not be in the best position to do so, and vice versa. While it's easy to say 'it's just a game, they can't do nothin'!", you should remember that it makes for a far greater roleplay experience if you can weigh consequences as they are likely to occur in real life or a more realistic situation.
-Don't clone, hijack, or tamper. Not many people feel comfortable roleplaying with an unoriginal creation.
-Be aware of your surroundings. While some characters swear, make out with a lover, and slap butts- it's more appropriate to keep these things to a minimal crowd to avoid collateral damage. More risque' roleplay should be kept in a team chat or private channel.
-ERP toons. These are a joke. I'd say stop it, but people won't listen. Let me again emphasize as I did in my own thread- children are playing this game and do not need to read about Futas, Doms, sexual cravings, etc. An ERP toon is usually a level 6 with scant profile information and is obviously not interesting. If you are inclined to ERP, it would be far more rewarding as it is in real life to meet someone who has an identity, rather than a cheap blow-up doll with nothing more than measurements and skin tone.
-Remember that mind-reading isn't an easy superpower, even for Charles Xavier. It takes mastery, and it isn't something an ametuer can do. Usually, the mind-reader makes the subject of the reading aware that they are prying through their memories, and even normal persons can complicate this for the mind-reader. In other words, don't Metagame by using profile information.
-Costumes matter. If you see a character once in his mask and cape, you wouldn't recognize him in a t-shirt and jeans. Unless you're aware of his identity, remember that peoples' names in real life don't float above their head and talented heroes in disguise often take measures to alter their voice (Batman).
Very nice guide, and i must add that the general reception in Champions Online is very welcoming for new roleplayers like myself.
I recently made one of my chars a dedicated RP char and i have had a blast just hanging out in Club Caprice in between missions and just observing other RP
All very good and thought out replies. I am encouraged.
I'd like to add....there is no -real- right or wrong way to RP. It's all pretty subjective and...being different people.....we all have different flavors. I'd say the biggest rule is to be respectful of others. If someone is bothering you with their misspelling....say so politely. Then move away so you don't have to "listen". Ditto with the ERP characters. Although it's EXTREMELY poor taste to do something like that in local, no matter what game you're in.
Personally, I detest past or future tense. It's happening -now-. Keep it present tense.
Also, I get twitchy when someone emotes "I hold your hand", or something similiar. Making it personal is...bad. Makes me think you can't distinguish fantasy from reality and might just try to stalk me down across thousands of miles. Those people get a WIDE berth from me.
All very good and thought out replies. I am encouraged.
I'd like to add....there is no -real- right or wrong way to RP. It's all pretty subjective and...being different people.....we all have different flavors. I'd say the biggest rule is to be respectful of others. If someone is bothering you with their misspelling....say so politely. Then move away so you don't have to "listen". Ditto with the ERP characters. Although it's EXTREMELY poor taste to do something like that in local, no matter what game you're in.
Personally, I detest past or future tense. It's happening -now-. Keep it present tense.
Also, I get twitchy when someone emotes "I hold your hand", or something similiar. Making it personal is...bad. Makes me think you can't distinguish fantasy from reality and might just try to stalk me down across thousands of miles. Those people get a WIDE berth from me.
So I wanted to create/co create a super group called the cavaliers where some gamers help RP some characters I've been throwing around in my head... Here's what i got so far plz post if a can go somewhere with this
Members
Yankee Samson- Near Immortal Super Soldier M
Tetra- conduit for 4 Elemental Primordials(Earth,Wind,Fire,Water) U
Ink- replicating alien being F
All-Knighter- night vigilante, title passed down from 5 generations M
Hanged Man- demon cursed 19th century cowboy M
Gearloga- Techno Sage, Emissary of Omnissiah M
Cerise- immortal thief, served under Robin Hood F
Weirlock- Teleporter, Void Magic user U
Numan- Telekinetic mastery M
Comments
You can also copy and paste your bio from your favorite word processor into the text box on the User Interface in Champions Online. So get cooking, and customization will only take you 12 hours rather than a day straight.
dear lord i hope that number goes up... isent that smaller then CoX?
I was guessing the same amount, actually. If not, then maybe bigger than CoX. Remember, the width of the text is always smaller compared to the look on here and on your Word processor, so my bio only seems smaller.
* Less is more. Give your character a crystal clear motivation, this way you know how to react in character to ANY situation. If you're character is greedy, then you always have the "what's in it for me?" fallback. Or if your chosen personality is altruistic, "how can I help here?" will fit you into most scenarios. Conversely - If you're character is a conflicted sociopath looking for redemption but unaware of an inherent self destructive fear of success, you may find your self stumped when someone asks you "how ya doing?"
* Good scenes have good supporting actors. Try not to hog the spotlight! If you enter a scene and someone is involving details of their backstory, hold off on launching into your own. More often than not this creates a situation where two players are simply taking turns typing monologues. It's a rough reality, but for most RP'ers your backstory is like the details of an illness or the description of a dream: IT's ONLY INTERESTING TO YOU. Other folks are there for the interaction, NOT to hear about how fascinating you find your creation!
* Use Catchphrases! This makes your character memorable. Players will recall a catchphrase with more accuracy than detailed particulars of a backstory. Popular characters in comics are notorious for this device. Whether it's a big orange rock guy declaring "Clobbering Time!" or a short brawler calling his opponent "bub" - it renders the character immediately recognizable.
* Wait for a response! This is HUGE in text RP. Allow some time to pass between your tells. Nothing deads a scene faster than three or four rapid-fire tells in a row from the same player. Letting folks respond also sets a pace to the scene, and allows other players to get involved.
* Brevity wins. Considering the speed with which text scrolls and the size of the chatframe is important. Learning the shortcuts can really aid you in getting your message across clearly and succinctly. Instead of: Wendigo inclined his head and sighed, his patience with the snitch now entirely gone. "Cut to the chase rat," he said, adding "I haven't got all day!"
Try: ::annoyed:: Cut to the chase rat, I haven't got all day! This kind of shorthand cuts down considerably on lost lines due to scrolling, and is just as effective as a paragraph of prose!
And that's all I got! Looking forward to playing CO in character, and perhaps meeting some of you folks in-game.
Mav is simpler to explain.
It's where too much is shared because the player misses by a world.
In Mav's case, it was accidentally putting text intended for private channel conversation into open roleplay rooms or public broadcasts.
In the MMO world, it may be something like having a loud argument in the real world while using VOIP with a game group.
Keeping the roleplay world on stage, and what's backstage out of the roleplay, is a courtesy that helps others enjoy the game.
Unless the very infrequent mav is especially embarassing, in which case it's good clean fun for all.
Twinking is more complex, because it's something of a many-headed hydra that is ever-evolving.
The original Twink player used to godmod relentlessly and inappropriately, posing not just the result of Twink's attempts, but the reaction of others to Twink's actions (generally in ways that flattered Twink and humiliated the person force-fed lines).
Players who so live in their own world, as opposed to the shared fiction of the roleplay world that they can't agree on light/moderate/heavy RP convention, go over-the-top without regard for others, must play Mary Sue idealized versions of themselves to the extent that they can't separate reactions to their characters from reactions to their RL selves, and bully or bulldoze individuals, teams, or scenes.. are a fact of life.
Everyone from time to time has a momentary Twink impulse that escapes them without realization.
Letting it continue is what defines a Twink.
Guides like Pathstalkers, patient OOC negotiation, and setting a better example are good ways to cut down on these problems.
Then again, in some game cultures, Anti-RP is considered good RP. Mavs, twinking, flaming, trolling, exploits and other antisocial behaviors are how some 'hardcore' players prefer to manipulate other players to get their own way, gain perceived advantage, or from their point of view make others 'play right'.
Since CO has a one-shared-world model, as opposed to a server-by-server view, the sort of conflict-laden server-infestation by Anti-RP cliques and L337-RP cliques seen elsewhere may not happen.
Also, I've never been inside the CO world and there's an NDA, so I literally have no idea how RP is done there. I'm hopeful that it's a rewarding and fulsome experience, with ample courtesy and respect shown for players of all types and preferences.
The werewolf/changeling/vampire/mage who had 5's in everything? He was a twink.
Interesting.
/e pats Subteran on the back with such force that he flies across the room, hits the wall, knocks out and when he wakes up believes he's Chester A. Arthur. All of the forumites look upon datawais with fear, lust, and awe.
Subteran wobbles weakly to his feet, asserting, "Madam, I may be President of the United States, but.." he shakes his head, looking around slowly.
"Elf?" he says, peering vaguely at datawais. "Elf? Is that you?"
He then slaps himself around a bit. "I think I'm pulling a Mav. My bad. This really would belong in RP."
So I refer to the respected and ancient RP Scale, that I just made up a few moments ago.
0 - RP Prohibited- What U TalkN Ab00t!!!??? RP????!!! DaTs FuR L4M3r5! Gr1Nding & ButN PRe55inG RuleZ! HarDKor3 4 eth W1N!
10 - RP Tolerant - Yah you can RP. But don't be surprised if everyone ignores you. It is kinda creepy after all.
20 - Minimal RP You can pretend to be your character in game if you want. Its just that most of us are not into that.
40 - Light Roleplay You can pretend to be your character in game if you want. Thats cool.
50 - Moderate Roleplay - Cool, my guy got powers X, Y, and Z and can do A, B, and C. Origin? Personality? I'll come up with something later. Its not that important.
60 - Heavy Roleplay - Never, never talk out of character when your playing a MMORP. if you really have to use parentasis. Oh and we have a forum for fanfic too. Origin and Personality is important.
80 - Primary RP - We RP on our own forums, and play most of our RP there. But we still maintain lor links with the game and have a thriving community there. Origin and Personality is essential.
90 - Intensive RP Yah we may still have some people who still play the on-line game. But most have since moved away from the MMORP. Origin and Personality is EVERYTHING!
100- Exclusive RP - What is a MMORP? Neverheard of them. We are ROLE PLAYERS! That means playing in stories on our forum or for those Old-School, with a pencil and paper game. Like Champions and Dungeons and Dragon before there were PCs. Heck we RP using origin and personality alone, and the only game aids we had were sticks and rocks, which served as as our minatures, maps, and dice. Our rule books were written on clay tablets in cuniform! We dreamed of one day being able to see on of them fancy futuristic lead painted miniatures! And all we had to fight were Orcs! We had it hard in my day. Stupid kids. And get off my lawn!
A different definition of godmod.
^This should definitely be added to the guide. Words of RP wisdom there.
Also I like to think about these things, too, when developing a roleplay character:
Focus is good. Your character needs goals, even if they change, there should be a reason for what he or she's doing.
Open ended back story. Nothing kills a character faster than having everything worked out right up front. As a creative writer of your character's story, it will get very boring very fast if there are not new things for you to discover about the person you are playing.
Personality. Read about some different personalities. See how people are emotionally shaped, find something interesting to you, and don't be afraid to be vulnerable.
The Hook. Above he said "Catch phrase" and that is definitely one type of hook. I had one character one time that was blind and that was a hook. I had another that was a very very bad womanizer. Something that draws people into your character or gives them something to talk about with your character. It doesn't have to be anything big, but another thing that kills characters quickly is the lack of social interaction. Without other people, you're basically writing a novel.
I hope that helps someone out there. :-)
Keep up the good work!
*loool* I guess I will cite you sometime, somewhere
Hum... I'm a littlebit confused here. I am playing P&Ps for ... 16 Years now, D&D, AD&D, Earthdawn, Shadowrun, Rolemaster, some GURPS Worlds and a lot more...
But I never played RP in an MMORPG. Just every now and then in a city or on a marketplace.. A few sentences. But i wonder how this works.... Didn't met somebody who was actually RPing during a mission though.
Is it really possible to read, write and fight, buff debuff and heal in parallel?
Hum... I would like to test it sometime.
Greetz,
Sahtep
I did find one group that seems like a pretty original ragtag ensemble. I think I annoy them, but I do make a lot of really lame puns ( Gotta love the silver age comics) :P
I've written one or two such guides in the past, and I sorely wish more people who claim to be "veterans" would read them. You can be a fantastic writer, with perfect grammar and spelling and a Nobel prize for literature, and still be the absolute worst RP'er in the world.
I've always wrapped the "respect your fellow gamers" and "don't powergame" concepts into what I call the "Wil Wheaton Rule". The basic tenet of which is, simply, "Don't be a d*ck!"
Not much I could suggest adding that hasn't already been mentioned. I can think of a couple of things, though. To the notes about OOC vs. IC I would add the following:
Try to avoid using emoticons in in-character speech. This is, of course, tied to personal tastes and is in no way elitism or a dictate on how to RP, but from my personal standpoint, nothing breaks immersion faster than a character popping-up a speech bubble with "(:" in it.
Also, I'd add the following two sections.
OOC knowledge vs. IC knowledge
One of the cardinal rules of RP is that what you as a player knows should be set apart from what your character would know in terms of the world they live in. Breaking this rule, known as "metagaming", is something that will get you shunned by RP'ers in a hurry.
As a player, you may have played a particular story arc before, and know about that secret reveal at the end, or the surprise objective that comes later in the mission. You may know that a particular company in Millennium City is a front for a villain organization. You may know end-game content. You may know the intimate details of a fellow player's background from reading their bio and their story posts. You may know their secret weakness. You may know the full details of a plotline being brewed by a guild GM.
That does not mean your character knows that.
In fact, unless you have a logical and realistic reason for it, your character should not know any of that. This comes back to this all being about acting, so you have to act as though you don't know when you portray your character. Act surprised by the thing you're supposed to be surprised by, etc.
Never, never, never use metagame knowledge to gain an upper hand in an RP conflict, to gain a shortcut in a plotline, or to make a character that is specifically designed to counter another character. If, in the course of playing your character, the character has a chance to learn those things, then by all means, use them.
Representing Actions
The game is obviously limited in what you can make your character do, so it's always helpful to know how to convey your character's actions for those around you. There are two ways to do it.
The emote is the primary way, and the first to learn. Most modern MMO's come with pre-made emotes that can be fantastic for RP, but you can usually use /e or /em to create your own actions, which don't pop-up a speech bubble from your character to break immersion. This is portrayed in-game as "Captain Character does something." The underlined section is what you come up with, keeping in mind it's meant to start with your name.
Typing "/em focuses his power, then takes to the skies"
will come across in-game as:
"Captain Character focuses his power, then takes to the skies"
The secondary way to portray actions is with what I call in-line actions. Using *asterisks* or :colons: or some such symbols, you denote actions, attitudes, or non-spoken information within what your character says. This is usually done in third-person.
For example:
"I really don't know. *sighs* We may just have to try and hope for the best."
or
"I really don't know. *he sighs and rubs his chin* We may just have to try and hope for the best."
All-in-all, though, great stuff.
I've been wondering this exact same thing. I'd love to try interacting with someone IC on my cowboy gunslinger character.
There's an IC custom chat channel (a radio frequency) 'Champions RP' and an OOC channel, 'CORP'.
-Make sure your character makes sense. If you explain yourself to me, and I'm at my keyboard raising and eyebrow... chances are my character's going to give you the same reaction.
-Don't think that a rude character always means a rude player. While some people do use a character as a blank check to be a jerk and genuinely are jerks- some characters are just not 'super-nice'. However, if you do have a character like this, it is important to balance it by giving him or her a -reason- to be as he is, and perhaps let people understand him and connect to him. Playing a character who walks into Caprice and treats everyone like dogs doesn't bring in a lot of roleplaying fun. It's just in-character trolling.
-Don't be afraid to walk up to people or make conversation. You can make good friends this way. You can also make -fun- rivalries. A good enemy is sometimes more fun than a good buddy in roleplaying.
-Remember that while you can't duel or be attacked in Caprice, it's still not wise for Heroes or other patrons to cause problems. It is established that the place does have security measures. The same should go for heroes threatening to fight others- while some antihero types are less morally grounded than some, good guys (and most people with sense and knowledge of the law) know that a death threat isn't always the best response to an insult. In real life, adults who make threats and fight over an insult go to jail and don't have many friends.
-While you Roleplay, remember that you do need to project yourself into the character. Even if it's something you would do, your character may not be in the best position to do so, and vice versa. While it's easy to say 'it's just a game, they can't do nothin'!", you should remember that it makes for a far greater roleplay experience if you can weigh consequences as they are likely to occur in real life or a more realistic situation.
-Don't clone, hijack, or tamper. Not many people feel comfortable roleplaying with an unoriginal creation.
-Be aware of your surroundings. While some characters swear, make out with a lover, and slap butts- it's more appropriate to keep these things to a minimal crowd to avoid collateral damage. More risque' roleplay should be kept in a team chat or private channel.
-ERP toons. These are a joke. I'd say stop it, but people won't listen. Let me again emphasize as I did in my own thread- children are playing this game and do not need to read about Futas, Doms, sexual cravings, etc. An ERP toon is usually a level 6 with scant profile information and is obviously not interesting. If you are inclined to ERP, it would be far more rewarding as it is in real life to meet someone who has an identity, rather than a cheap blow-up doll with nothing more than measurements and skin tone.
-Remember that mind-reading isn't an easy superpower, even for Charles Xavier. It takes mastery, and it isn't something an ametuer can do. Usually, the mind-reader makes the subject of the reading aware that they are prying through their memories, and even normal persons can complicate this for the mind-reader. In other words, don't Metagame by using profile information.
-Costumes matter. If you see a character once in his mask and cape, you wouldn't recognize him in a t-shirt and jeans. Unless you're aware of his identity, remember that peoples' names in real life don't float above their head and talented heroes in disguise often take measures to alter their voice (Batman).
I recently made one of my chars a dedicated RP char and i have had a blast just hanging out in Club Caprice in between missions and just observing other RP
I'd like to add....there is no -real- right or wrong way to RP. It's all pretty subjective and...being different people.....we all have different flavors. I'd say the biggest rule is to be respectful of others. If someone is bothering you with their misspelling....say so politely. Then move away so you don't have to "listen". Ditto with the ERP characters. Although it's EXTREMELY poor taste to do something like that in local, no matter what game you're in.
Personally, I detest past or future tense. It's happening -now-. Keep it present tense.
Also, I get twitchy when someone emotes "I hold your hand", or something similiar. Making it personal is...bad. Makes me think you can't distinguish fantasy from reality and might just try to stalk me down across thousands of miles. Those people get a WIDE berth from me.
Just my two cents.
Occam's Razor makes the cutting clean.
......
Wut.
Members
Yankee Samson- Near Immortal Super Soldier M
Tetra- conduit for 4 Elemental Primordials(Earth,Wind,Fire,Water) U
Ink- replicating alien being F
All-Knighter- night vigilante, title passed down from 5 generations M
Hanged Man- demon cursed 19th century cowboy M
Gearloga- Techno Sage, Emissary of Omnissiah M
Cerise- immortal thief, served under Robin Hood F
Weirlock- Teleporter, Void Magic user U
Numan- Telekinetic mastery M
PS- I have more indepth bios if you need them