Post by Devioux on Oct 28, 2009 16:40:34 GMT -8
Welcome to Organization XIII- The Rising!
This is a general guide on what to do if you are a new member, or if you are simply confused (like I usually am). The latter part contains tips and links to roleplaying guides and examples of high-quality roleplaying, for those of you who want to learn to be a better writer (and by default, roleplayer).
::Note:: This guide is designed with links embedded into the text itself. Look for words that are darker than the rest--they are generally links, which opens up a new tab/ browser. Generally, you should click them.
1) Have you registered? What about logging in? You can't post a topic or poll unless you are a registered member.
What about setting up your profile? It's not required, but having a signature and avatar is a way of displaying what kind of person you are. :::A note about "display names", which are different than your "login name", though they are the same by default::: In case this wasn't obvious, all the Organization XIII members have an "X" somewhere in their name; once the "X" is removed, the remaining letters are an anagram of that person's life when they were alive (i.e. Roxas with the "X" removed is Sora). While this is not required for a forum name, it's cute and fun to try and do. Don't worry about not using your real name; I certainly didn't. ^.^
If you answered "yes" to both of these questions and completed the above, move on to the next step.
2) Have you read the general forum rules? What about the roleplaying rules? If you break any of them... be prepared to be
3) Strangers = BAD! Feel free to introduce yourself! We're quite open and friendly and we don't bite
4) If you have any questions, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK ANY ACTIVE STAFF MEMBER (Acilex, Ehntrix, or Myself)! That's what we're here for~ But before you click the "PM" button, take a look at the FAQ and see if your question has already been answered.
5) Whew! Now that everything has been (hopefully) cleared up, "What's next?" you're probably wondering. Well, that's an easy question to answer: you create a character. It can either be a member of the new Organization XIII (a Nobody) or a Heartless. You can also create a race of Nobodies all for yourself. Once this character is examined by a Staff Member and either approved or marked with a few suggestions, you are free to start roleplaying as him/ her/ it.
6) "But where do I start?" you're probably asking. Well, that's also an easy question to answer. You can start (wait for it) *Bangs on her desktop in a manner reminiscent of a drum roll*
ANYWHERE!
There is no set location for starting out with your character, though it's best to start off with everyone else. Where in the worlds are these people? Well, check out this topic for a current update of the plot as events progress, as well as a general summary of what's happened so far.
7) Need help with roleplaying itself? I can give tips on grammar, punctuation, style, and whatnot. By no means am I an Advanced roleplayer, but I'm Literate enough to know that if you type 800+ words for a post, you're not that bad.
Here are links to some guides, created by the Elite roleplayers that are my RPing teachers:
- Super RP rulebook and tips Somewhat lengthy and repetitive in spots, but generally helpful in almost every regard; HIGHLY SUGGESTED
- Guide to longer posts; there is a more informal one below, written by yours truly
- More to come; any suggestions are loved
Here are some tips from me:
A bit of description goes a long way. A good roleplaying post should answer:
~Who the person is: information on their background, morals, defining traits, mannerisms, features. Also, describe what they look like. Try not to use relative adjectives like "pretty" or "nice", but don't just go to the nearest thesaurus and look up random synonyms (words can have different connotations).
EXAMPLE: If you're character is lazy, explain how they act as such. Do they make excuses for everything? Is there thought-process delayed or slow? How can you show that?
His half-gloved hands rested lazily on his lap, since the sword hilt they usually held was over a hundred feet below at the base of the tree, hopefully magicked to prevent the wandering hands of an Apprentice from stealing it... unless he forgot... like he usually did... not that it was really of consequence, now that he thought about it, since... it was not an easy weapon to use, since it weighed quite a bit... and... he loved that sword... so... no one would steal it... they had been together for around five decades... their bond was special...
The leaders of the Animagi had probably droned on about the duties his laughable position as a Master held when he first enlisted, but... was he really expected to remember them all? There must have been at least twelve, an amount far larger than his feeble mental capacity could process.
~What[/b] they are doing: are they fighting? Talking? Plotting or scheming? With whom? Generally, characters DO NOT just stand around doing nothing. If they're waiting for someone or something, what are they doing? Fidgeting? Reminiscing? Details!
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~How[/b] are they doing it: are they reluctant for some reason? Are they moving slower because they are tired? Are they angrily waving their fist? Details.
EXAMPLE:Are they waiting impatiently for someone? How are they showing it?
His foot tapped rapidly, almost in time to the pounding rhythm blasting through the small plastic buds in his ears, but it did not change even as the clanging cymbals sped up. Was he still chatting to that mysterious person? If it wasn't a vital tool for their survival, he would have crushed the orange cellphone into little pieces. It would serve the prissy-boy, though a weaponless Partner would only mean suicide, and he had to win this Game for her sake.
~Where[/b] are they doing it: even if you have a general description of a location or world, describe in detail how your character would see things. Is a dark, gloomy beach a frightening thing to them or is it a reminder of their home? Is the area different then how they expected? Why? Details!
EXAMPLE: I have a habit of describing the setting as it pertains to my characters, often involving how it affects their appearance, clothing, etc. If a character is in a tree, the objects on the ground below would look very tiny and it would probably be uncomfortable, unless a character is wearing thick clothing.
The scurrying figures below mere ants, he thought with a small smile. Or maybe, they were actually said insects and he was merely on the ground looking down at the bright green grass... Then again, he mentally said to himself, that would do little to explain the rough bark against his tunic and breeches, nor his precarious position well over a hundred and thirty feet in the air, the kind of dizzying height that would make most people tremble. It was his favorite tree around the complex, a sturdy oak wonderful for viewing the serenity of the forest unperturbed by the wonts of humanoids. Up here, life was defined by eternal silence, broken only by the occasional songbird alighting on a nearby branch and the soft rustling of leaves. Perfection like this was impossible to find in the world down below. Up here, there was no war, no toil, no strife, no grief, no bloodshed, no whining students or blabbering compatriots... his mental list continued, even as his steel-coloured eyes slowly drifted shut.
His half-gloved hands rested lazily on his lap, since the sword hilt they usually held was over a hundred feet below at the base of the tree, hopefully magicked to prevent the wandering hands of an Apprentice from stealing it...
His half-gloved hands rested lazily on his lap, since the sword hilt they usually held was over a hundred feet below at the base of the tree, hopefully magicked to prevent the wandering hands of an Apprentice from stealing it...
~Why[/b] is your character doing it: are they doing it because they were ordered to do so or are they doing it of their free will? Is it because of some moral or belief? Because of their memories or past experiences? Characters do not just do something merely because they "felt" like it, unlike regular people!
EXAMPLE: My character, though lazy and prone to taking a roundabout method to things, is motivated by his pacifism and reluctance to fight. Because of this MOTIVATION, his ACTIONS are geared towards helping others, whether immediate or in the grand scheme of things.
Despite the calming atmosphere, he could not shake the need to act, to do something, to not simply go about as if everything was right with the world. People were dying, people were injured, people were missing... and here he was, reveling in the luxuries of nature like some higher being, distanced from the realities of life. He was a warrior, a solider, albeit a reluctant one, but a Master all the same. And Masters generally didn't take noontime naps in trees, he decided, fluttering his fingers in an easy motion, only to find himself seated on the ground next to his sheathed broadsword...
...he hated fighting. He hated war. He hated his contradicting mental process. But all of that could wait for a later time. Someone was injured. He could actually do something, here, now, for real. Something that would have an impact. Something that would admittedly require actual effort, but it would be energy well-spent. Carefully, he touched gentle fingertips to a section of unmarred skin on her cheekbone, calling up that languid, unhurried feeling that was his magick and letting it trickle into the female in front of him.
...he hated fighting. He hated war. He hated his contradicting mental process. But all of that could wait for a later time. Someone was injured. He could actually do something, here, now, for real. Something that would have an impact. Something that would admittedly require actual effort, but it would be energy well-spent. Carefully, he touched gentle fingertips to a section of unmarred skin on her cheekbone, calling up that languid, unhurried feeling that was his magick and letting it trickle into the female in front of him.
To sum everything up, detail is key. A good roleplaying post should answer the five Ws and one H (who, what, where, why, when, how)--to use elementary school terms, though that isn't to say that a good post cannot be a paragraph or two and not the 800+ words of text I like to create on occasion.
