RP Rules, Tips and Guidelines « Thread Started on Dec 4, 2005, 12:17am »
1. No one-liners allowed. One-liners are prohibited from all RPs. I repeat no one-liners period. All RP posts should be at least three paragraphs long. A paragraph is 5-7 sentences. If the paragraph holds good descriptive content then fewer sentences are required. But if the sentences aren't so good then you would need more sentences for the paragraph. Three paragraphs is not a lot, plus the more you RP the better you will get. (I know that not everyone RPs the same way. Some people make their RPs one huge paragraph, while others have a lot of really small paragraphs. Just note that we, the admins and RP Mods, know this and can tell whether you have 3 full paragraphs no matter how you type it up, so no worries! )
2. No God-Moding. God-Moding is where you have an RP character that cannot be hurt in any way, whatsoever. Spells cast at them always miss, their spells always hit their target, and they overpower everyone.
3. No Autoing. Autoing is where you take control of someones character. An example of autoing is speaking for someone else or having someone character act without the owner's permission.
4. Please use proper grammar and spelling. We understand that not everyone's first language is English, but it is hard to RP when the user has no knowledge of grammar, whatsoever. Also when posting there is a "Spell Check" button when making a new thread and in the quick reply, use it!
5. We ALL RP in Third Person on this site. Please do not post in First Person. It can get confusing.
6. A student character may not be over the age of 18. Eighteen is as old as a student can be.
7. When a RP says (Closed) in the title, or has someones names in the title, that means its closed and you shouldn't post in that RP. It's rude to interrupt someones RP without permission, so please refrain from doing so. If you don't see a lot of (Open) RPs, then go to the Personals and request someone to RP with you, trust me you'll get a reply.
8. Also please do not RP until you've been sorted or have a job. Until then you can post OOC, but no RPing!
9. When RPing, do not post a few lines and then say something along the lines of 'Not finishes Yet'! If it isn't at least within the limit of the rules then don't post it. If you never finish it then you still get the post count and that isn't fair. If caught doing this you will lose a post count. If you start a post and don't feel like finishing it then save it in wordpad or notepad. Then you can finish and post it later.
10. No 'Bagging Posts'. Which means when you're posting with multiple people you are not allowed to post and say something like 'I call this post' and so on... Only post when its a completed RP post.
>>Please note that these are subject to change, or have things added to them, at any time. So check back often.
Re: RP Guidelines « Reply #1 on Jan 21, 2007, 12:28pm »
Here are some guidelines and tips for RPing... I want to thank Ling Woo for these..
Quote:
Yeah, this is an RP guide I wrote a bit of and a member of the site of my friend. It might be usefull...
What is RPing anyway? Welcome to the magical world of RPing. A game were you play someone totally different than you, or perhaps like yourself.
When you RP, you basically play a character that is totally the way you want it to be and you let it go through dramas or happy moments, whatever you want. You're totally free to develop your charries personality and let him explore the world of the RPG you are playing.
But, How do I RP? It's very simple. In every post, you describe your characters feelings, movements, and the things they say. From what I have experienced when I started RPing myself, I know it's hard to come up with long posts when you just start. That's ok, but you can practise that. But it's better if you don't post one-liners, since that can be quite annoying for the person you are RPing with. That reduces the options for your fellow RPer to reply.
Here is an example of what you shouldn't do if possible:
Lisa walked in, "Hey guys," she said to her friends..
Nothing wrong with that, but the next RPer has to think of all kind of actions to keep it interesting. Besides he doesn't know the way your character feels, so it's hard to interact..
It's better if you do it like this:
Lisa walked inside the common room. She was exhausted. She had tons of homework and that meant she wouldn't be able to hang around with her friends a lot. And that also meant she had to cancel her date with Tom. That made her furious. Lisa noticed her friends in front of the fireplace. She sighed, while sitting down in the only free chair there was left. "Hey guys," She said, in a rather annoyed tone..
That's way better, since you are describing the emotions and actions of your characters.
I'm sure you've asked that question before if you've clicked on this. "How do I make my posts longer?" Or you're just curious to know if you can spice up your posts a bit more. Well, I'll show you how to take your simple one-liner:
i.e. "Emily walked into the common room and couldn't see anyone around."
And turn it into a post worthy of JK Rowling herself:
i.e. "Emily walked into the common room. She had, had a hard day and the stress was starting to take its toll. She sighed as she looked around, seeing that the place was empty. Taking a seat she pulled out her homework and began to work on it but she couldn't concentrate. She hadn't spoken to her friends all day long and that was something she didn't like, being stuck in a classroom with a bunch of idiots and not being able to complain to her friends afterwards.
She began to pace, unable to think clearly enough to continue writing, she had already written the same word about 10 times. She got slightly distracted as she passed the window but something caught her eye, a small speck flying across the grounds. It became clear as she saw it was her owl Spot coming in and she smiled, taking the letter from him but hiding it quickly as someone entered the common room."
Okay, here's the general thing that makes this work: ELABORATION. You have to use heavy-description, and get inside the mind of your character. It's a matter of steps, and I'll show you them.
Step One: Generalizing Your Character's Mood
The first step is setting your character's mood. What mood are they in at the beginning, middle and end of your post? Are they happy, sad, depressed, anxious, upset, eager? What? This is one of the easiest parts. Just think of how you want your character to feel- let's say they'd just recieved news that their mother was attacked by Death Eaters and was killed. Instead of-
"Louise sat by the fire, she as sad her mother had died"
You might want to say-
"Louise sat silently in the common room, her cheeks stained with tears and her eyes reddened. She had just recieved a letter from her father saying that her mother, the one person she was closest to, had just been attacked by Death Eaters, not coming out on the good end of it either. She crumpled the parchment in her hand, not wanting to read the letter anymore, it was too upsetting for her to think that her idol was no longer around."
See? It gives readers more of a good feel on how the character is actually feeling. He went from just a one-dementional happy to very plainly vain and smug about his win the night before.
Step Two: Describing Your Character's Surroundings
The second step is a bit more difficult than the first for the simple fact that you have to describe more than just one thing about the area your character is in. For example-
"Judy walked into the library, it was noisy"
Could easily be lenghtened to-
"Judy walked into the library, carrying a load of heavy books. She sighed as she listened to all the noise that was surrounding them and frowned slightly. So this was what the library was like when people were getting ready for exams, the one place she thought she could get away from the hussle and noise of the main school and it was packed with students, talking and generally disrupting things. Disappointed she sat in her usual seat and tried to work."
Also describing the feelings and textures of a characters surroundings helps make your posts longer and sound better. For example-
"Emma lay on the cool grass. It was still slightly wet from the morning dew that had coated each blade elegantly. Her eyes darted to the sky, it looked like a bed of soft cushiony pillows."
Step Three: Adding Your Character's Personal Thoughts
The third, and most important and challenging, step in this guide is adding a bit of your characters own, personal thoughts into your post. It gives it a more personal and charming touch to your posts and gives the readers a closer connection to your character. If you character normally has a smug personality, such as Draco's, add that to your post. If your character normally has a witty personality, like Hermione's, add that to your post. Here's an example of each:
Draco's: "Draco had finished an assignment that he had reluctantly sat down to do and decided to go on a little stroll afterwords. He hadn't seen much of Pansy, which he regretted. His thoughts had been on her a good deal lately since they had become more than just friends. Her image always seemed to dance in his mind even when he was trying to think of other things. Many people could probably never believe that Draco Malfoy, of all people, was in love... Or something like love. Whatever it was, it was delicious and yet haunting.
He crammed his hands deep into his pockets and wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the handle of his wand, doing it purely out of habit. Draco took slow and steady steps, kicking a small rock along as he did so. And then he grew tired of it and decided to step over the small stone and ignore its existence. This was something he had been doing to a lot of ideas and objects, stepping over them (physically or metaphorically) and pretending they didn't exist.
He came to a near-by tree and leaned against its trunk before taking out his wand and wondering what he could do to occupy his time. Even in a school of magic, one could easily become bored. Draco find someone to pick on perhaps, or maybe try doing something constructive.
Yet, as he stood there, nothing entertaining came to mind. Since the courtyard was void of other life for the time being, especially someone good to talk to, he found that there was little hope of being relieved of dull happenings about him. "
Hermione's: "A pink tab meant Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a blue on Arithmancy? Yes, that was right, Hermione determined as she checked her Class/Color key. Biting her lip in concentration, Hermione pulled off several pink tabs, marking them on May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. Now for the blue tabs. She pulled five blue tabs off, and placed them on the day just after the pink tabs, on May 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th. One day each week would be dedicated to studying for the exams for two classes, and every Sunday would be dedicated to studying for all of them. While Hermione knew she needed to be studying for each exam often and a lot, she also knew that if she studied for only two a night, she would be able to go into much more depth, and cover the material thoroughly.
Now green would certainly have to be Herbology, to fit in with the theme of the class. Pulling off more green tabs, Hermione marked them just after the blue tabs, on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st. Now she would have to start doubling up on days. It was a wonder to Hermione that Ron and Harry hadn't started to follow her lead yet with preparing for their exams in such a manner. They never usually studied until the week before their exams. Such a thing was unheard of for Hermione. In fact, she was even deathly surprised that she hadn't started making her studying guide until just then. Four months in advance was suitable. Three months though? How could she have ever let herself slack off in such a manner? If she missed something on the final that studying could have prevented, she would never forgive herself. Never. It was unheard of."
Step Four: Putting Them All Together
Now, take all the things we've learned from the previous three sections and you should have, at least, a good paragraph or two to reflect on. Following these steps will really help, and with time, you may even get to posting things with lengths like this:[/color]
Hermione sat twirling a long strand of her fluffy brown hair around her fingers snapping off spilt ends, and just watching the sun bounce off her hair, causing different colors of brown highlights with dull reds. When did she get red in her hair? Oh that time she had been in Charms and Malfoy had figured it would be fun for her to look for like ‘a traitor like Weaslette’ in his words. He was such an arrogant, ugly, try-hard, greedy, conniving… She took a deep breath and stopped thinking about that twit. Looking down, resting her chin on her chest, she looked at her jumper. She flicked off pieces of fluff and minor hairs from Crookshanks. Her half-Kneeled, Half-cat, pet. He was always very playful and gorgeous. She never wanted to see him the way others did as ‘a fat hairy fluff ball’. And well…she was feeling very restless, constantly shifting her weight around, playing with the threadbare couch and checking for other people in the Common Room. Who'd have thought it? All her homework done to the tee, and re-checked by the dozens of Spell checks and cursive checking spells, so in other words, many spells she had found during her trips to the Library. She began tapping her fingers on the couch arm to a small tune. All her books read, considered, and, if necessary, returned. She had even written out a small summary about each, describing how they had made her feel.
Yes, she had been awfully uninterested in anything like Quidditch or Dueling Club, like you can’t tell already. All her other extra-curricular things were put aside like S.P.E.W and Dumbledore’s Army for their own reasons, like being un-popular or the runner was un-prepared. You guess which one’s which... Hermione was so extremely bored of a lot of things. She was bored of the magical, enchanting school, all of it being all too easy for her, bored of her reputation as the goody-two-shoes Gryffindor. May have been a phase, but it was true, she was a bloody goody-two-shoes. That’s why she’d skipped both Lily’s, and James’ parties, all because of that little fact ‘known’ to everyone. Perhaps she could start becoming more partying. Hermione laughed to herself at the thought. Me? ‘Partying’ like Sarah or Ad? She shook her head and slowly glanced at the room again thinking that she could make this time worth it and clean up for the House-elves so they didn’t have so much stress. She pushed up off the couch, and evaluated the room. Completely and simply bloody bored of it all.
She hadn't felt so bored to death since her first year of Hogwarts, before, becoming friends with Harry and Ron, although then she was more likely to be crying or winging or blaming them for things. She shuddered at the thoughts of her old self as the annoying, priggish, rule-enforcing, Percy-loving first year, as everyone did at that thought... She laid back into the couch and kicked her feet up on the arm rest, wondering everyone... ANYONE was. I mean the Common Room was always filled with little students here and there but today there was absolutely nothing. Nothing! She laid her head back on the couch arm and looked around the room vaguely. When was that Potions assignment due in? I'm sure I finished it but I might've left it in the library, when I was in there earlier... Hermione tapped her chin with her finger continuing to glance around the room hoping someone she knew would bloody hurry up and come in. Hermione had obviously forgotten about cleaning as quickly as she had decided too because of the scraps of parchment lying around and snapped quills. A few wrappers, probably left by Ron… He was such a tremendously bad role-model to the younger students. Making the other good, honest, hard-working Prefects seem like pigs and using their power to hand out detentions and such out.
Suddenly she heard the soft purr of her pet cat, Crookshanks, running his tail around her fingers elegantly. She watched him slowly simper up at her with his smooth face. He seemed to know something by the looks of him. Like he knew something she didn’t. He always did that to her. Making her think and wonder. That’s why she loved him so dearly, ‘Crooky,’ She said softly tapping her lap, giving him a small smile. ‘Come on baby, come to mummy,’ She added giving a mock forceful look, sitting up, and tapping her lap again. He slowly began to walk towards her, but stopped several feet away looking up at her seeming like he was trying to make her work to get him to come to her. ‘Crookshanks, I can’t be bothered, hun,’ She said, tiredly. Reaching out for him, waving her fingers towards her, trying to get him to move closer. She had always treated him as though he was human. Though, you probably already had that impression about her. She sighed annoyed with him. She laid back down on the couch yawning and giving a side-ways look at the fat little cat. He seemed to have picked up slightly and walked towards her, mocking her in a way. ‘Fine, hop up, Crooky,’ She said, scooting over the couch letting him hop up next to her. He slowly pushed her more and more into the couch.
She rolled over and shook her head as he stretched out as far as his itty bitty paws would stretch. ‘Pig,’ she said, jokingly. She gave him an affectionate scratch behind the ear before sitting up and switching ends. Hermione turned back to her hair, flicking it around and trying to think of where Ron or Harry had gotten off too… She felt like either yelling out in boredom or crying, right now. She felt so lost all alone, she bet that Ron had gotten off to Holly, who he’d spent Valentines Day with at James’ party. She kept telling herself she didn’t care, which she didn’t. She knew she didn’t like him that way, and never would, unless he did and he didn’t, she knew that so…she just didn’t…
Her eyes narrowed, as her mind trailed back to when Ron had ‘gone out’ with Lavender, though it wasn’t going out, literally, because they never really went on any dates that she knew about…wait she didn’t want to think about their dates, seeing how they acted in public was bad enough, imagine what would happen behind closed doors. Hermione shuddered again and covered her mouth, feeling her back go rigid, and her lunch trying to come back up. Taking a few seconds to regain her disgusted front she relaxed back and went towards her previous thoughts. If they were going out Hermione didn’t want to be sour towards Holly but she knew she would end up being sour. ‘Hey maybe they aren’t going out…’ Her small stupid voice of hope inside her head sounded. He had asked her out on Valentines’ Day so it must mean that they are and…
Hermione couldn’t stay in the common room, to many memories of the past and it was just slowly starting to make her want to cry more and more. Maybe she could go down to the gardens or, the lake or… no she couldn’t bring herself to go anywhere near those places. It would just make things worse for her. She jumped up and left the hollow, boring Common Room alone. It was kind of sad that she couldn’t stay here. She sighed and picked Crookshanks, rubbing her eyes angrily. She was too over this whole relationships, and school and it was all too pointless. She should be able to leave whenever she felt like it. She was old enough and.. Wait have was she thinking!? Why would she leave school without a good reason, besides that Ron was here. She hopped down the few steps and found herself in an abandoned hallway. She walked over to the wall and flopped down leaning against the wall petting Crookshanks and felling slightly upset and confused about all the boys in her life.
[i]I Did Not Write All Of This, Some Of It Was Sent To Me By A Member Of My Site. Copyrighted to Hogwarts Clandestine Chambers and The New Hogwarts
Re: RP Rules, Tips and Guidelines « Reply #2 on Feb 7, 2007, 10:48am »
There are 8 RP Mods right now:
Anouk Bardoe Scarlett Bennet Asahria Ryek Charlotte Menegat Noemi Lefèvre Agnes Betacourt Aife Argent Peyton Sommer
First Offense: Warning from a RP Mod Second Offense: Warning from me Third Offense: Post count cut in half Fourth Offense: Post count brought to 0 Fifth Offense: Temporary Ban from the site Sixth Offense: Possible ban from the site forever
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