Role Playing for Dummies 3.0

**GamiSB**

*disclaimer*

By saying dummies I are not calling you a dummy it is a joke and a parody if you will of the common book series. Also nothing here is set in stone and is all up to the player to go so as he pleases just understand that the majority of RPers will follow most of these guidelines and will be expecting for others as well.

Part I. The Golden Rules of RP

Rule 1. Thou shall not take control of another player’s character unless given permission to do so.

Translation: You can’t do harmful or have another player in any story, event, or fight without there permission or unless the work themselves into it.

Rule 2. Thou shall not make thine self out to be God or god like

Translation: YOUR NOT NEO!

Part II. Character Creation

Now that all the legal junk and major rules are out of the way lets get into the fun stuff.

So you want to be a role player. Well technically you are as this is a mmoRPG. However if you are like me when I first started you have no story set up no background or anything. Heck you might not even have a Handle yet. So what are you to do? Well first things first we need a name. Use something personal to you or if you have a story set up use a name that can symbolize what his mission is. Really this is an area where there are no limits. However just a word of warning most handles that are rip offs of Major characters just as Neo or Morpheus are for the most part looked down on. This being cue to people out there creating names like M0rp|-|3u5 and running around like an idiot.

Also when creating a story it is completely acceptable to use a character such as Niobe or Ghost in your background but you may find that should you ever run into them they may or may not remember such an event that you describe. If done right however it can make a very interesting story. However claiming to be a direct descendent of such character (Example being Neo and Trinity’s kid) this will also be looked down upon and give everyone the impression that you are a n00b.

Part III. Guide lines while in MxO

Now then you have a story you have a name. Well its time to jack in and start meeting people. However first you need to know the basic chat types you will be seeing a lot of in the presence of other RPers

First off In character or IC chat.

When another player is talking IC there chat will look to be normal chat

“This is an example of normal chat minus the quotes”

When a player is talking out of character or OOC there chat will be like this

“((another example but once again minus the quotes))”

Lastly when a player is making an action such as picking up something, pulling out a gun and so forth there chat will be in these two forms.

“*example one*”

“::example two::”

People tend to use one of these however others may choose something different.

Now then while in game however you need to be aware of these signs. Anything said in an OOC manor can not be used in anyone’s story. As it could ether ruin it or cause a few problems with it. A player needs to make sure that he has the proper marks with any text that he is saying as anything without the OOC marks is far game to use to the fullest.

Also when talking IC it is best to stay away from any abbreviations of works. Such as saying “ne1” instead of any one or brb instead of be right back. When it is OOC feel free to do whatever. Also l33t speak is just a no no in any case for most. If you want to talk l33t go to Mara C with all the others.

Part IV. Guide lines for the Forums

The forms are basically the same as they are while in game however on the forums it is much harder to remember not to god mode (act as god) and take control of other players. Other then that the same chat functions apply when responding to any thread unless stated that it is OOC somewhere in it. Especially in any of the Next Renaissance or LET boards, in the general boards it will more then likely be taken as OOC but it never hurts to just make sure everyone knows that it is.

Part V. Guide lines for Role Playing PvP
(May very depending on the people or situation)

So you have a character. You have friends and enemies and now it has come down to a fight. However this is if not the most complicated and hardest area to right guidelines for. However a few of us got together and came up with somewhat of an idea of a normal RPvP fight

Rule 1 - Both parties should meet before the battle to determine if hackers should be allowed into the battle along with TBs health pills and any other Items. If the hacker tree is said to not be allowed then confirm if the patchier side is or is not also along with any other addition you may wish to bring up.

Rule 2 - Both parties should give an easement as to how many people will be there back up. Also back up should be a group of known RPers but you are on an honor system to enforce this and if there is any question as to if the group does or does not RP it should be brought up to a neutral third party member.

Rule 3 - Once you have died in the fight you are not to join the battle again unless revived by a flagged patchier

Rule 4 - All participants in the fight should be flagged before the fight starts.

I CAN NOT STRESS IT ENOUGH THAT THESE ARE NOT SET IN STONE RULES THEY ARE JUST GUIDELINES!

Part VI. Events

As I was saying we have our character, we have a story, we have had a few fights, but now its time to put everything together. Its time for a PLAYER EVENT! Now for the most part the more experienced players will be have these. However should you wish to have your own there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Keep it simple. You don’t want an extremely complex event that people might loose interest in

2. Make a script for it but don’t make it so that interaction is to a bare minimum. Make it so that everyone can influence the outcome in some way and if needed make alternate endings.

These two things should help you in creating an event however the average newbie to RPing might not exactly be ready to host an event. However partaking in them is encouraged as this just adds to your story and gives your character more depth.

Line events however are a very different story. These continue the story after The Matrix Revolutions. And anything that happens here will be remembered. These it is almost completely up to the player to make there way into. Best piece of advice I can give into making sure that you know about these and know when and where things are going down is the keep a close eye on the DN1 homepage, make friends with people that have been threw a few of these, and always keep an eye on the forums. You may be surprised as to what all you can find.

Part VII. Interacting with LET or LESIG

First off LET stands for Live Event Team. This is now used to describe character such as Niobe, Ghost, The Kid, Veil, Cryptos, and so on. LESIG stands for Live Event Special interest Group there job is to bring feedback to the DEVs on what all is going on as well as play the minor roles in the story liaisons for the orgs, henchmen and so one.

This section is more of a warning then anything. LET and LESIG will respond to everything whether it be IC or OOC in an IC manor. So for the most part you want to be IC around them at all times. There will however be a few that’s mission in life is to ruin events. Now while the most common response is to this it is best to just ignore it. This should also be applied to player events as there’s always one bad apple. Basic sum up is that when LET or LESIG is around you want to make sure not to be OOC, don’t use L33T, and don’t spam.

Part VIII. Role Playing and Real Life

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA TO READ. IF YOU SKIP OVER ANYTHING DO NOT SKIP OVER THIS!

Now then there comes a point in everyone RP or RL life where someone or something pisses them off or effects them.. Should this happen the best thing to do is ether A) stay out of MxO or B) jack out of MxO. I have seen players leave because of the actions of others or just the stressfulness of things going on. A little drama is ok. A lot of drama is not.

Conclusion

As stated before these are just a few things that new and old Role Players need to keep in mind when RPing. None of this however is set in stone as the beauty of role playing is that you can do anything you want to. Also if anyone has anyhtign they wish to add feel free to do so.

-GamiSB

PS is it to much to ask for a sticky?

d4sh · 03/22/2006 02:26:53

Thank you, once again.

I'm sure many players
will find this very useful.

Message Edited by d4sh on 03-22-200611:26 AM

**Zampano1981**

Appendix to Character Creation (Advanced)

Once you have a handle and a background you will have a pretty good idea who your character is, but how does this manifest itself in game? Lets say your story suggests that you are a timid, frightened redpill, scared of the truth of the matrix, in that case your character should not act arrogantly or confidently within the matrix. Another golden rule: Be True to your character.

Think about how your character would react to certain circumstances; Would he rush in gung-ho or would he hang back and be thoughtful. Many of these traits of your character develop as you play and as you progress, but there is no reason that they cannot be in place from the beginning. RP is partially about acting, so when IC act as your character.

The_Commissioner

/clap

(GamiSB FTW!)

Staticzero

As promised, the guide been added to http://www.thecache.net

Once Again, the site is still very bare bones, I want to have more Data before going to accutall layouts and making look good,

So if there is anything else, other guides, or Info to be added send me a pm on the forums, or email in game

Staticzero · 03/25/2006 03:50:11

Readjusted the Rp guide on the cache, ,added Zampano1981 addition

Also Provided By Deathblade on Pb Missions and spawn

http://www.thecache.net

Message Edited by Staticzero on 03-25-200606:50 AM

**Wolfess** · 03/28/2006 06:04:55

Let me dig up a tutorial I have for the Pack..

Preliminary*

What is Role Play?

An RPG is a online game were you can play the life of a certain creature. It can be anything that imagination allows. It's purpose is as most games to entertain and to escape into a different world then that stressful, chaotic place we all call home. But that's not all there's to it. RPG'a are a great way to improve your writing skills, because you're depending on them to write long, good and descriptive posts to your characters.

It's also a great way to learn how to act out a character — be it a human or a dog — who is completely different from yourself, to see through the eyes of another creature and try to put yourself in their place, doing things you know they would do and not what you would. It's truly amazing to see how you start with characters that are similar to yourself and end up with characters that are completely different.

I can assure you: It's all worth it. Start playing. Now.

How to Role Play

Because it's important to understand that you have to write what a character says, does and thinks. When playing you should have some writing skills, but since this is a great way to learn, you can manage with little. Sound harsh? No. Everything depends on you when you write down what your horse is thinking or what your vampire is doing. It's always best to give both thoughts and actions in your messages, because it gives your characters more depth.

Though when you write it's not always easy to tell action from words and words from thoughts. There's many ways to do this, the easy way is to simply write as you should have done with any story. Using " as mark where there's speech and third person to give both thoughts and actions and even character info.

If you don't feel like doing it that way, you can always try out some cool signs. Like * or ~ or # to block your action or speech. It's all up to you, but if you want to use signs, don't overdo them.

The Don'ts

>> Thoughts
One of the most irritating — and most broken — rules is mind-reading. It's incredibly annoying when those you play with just automatically know what your character is thinking. Writing thoughts is just as important as action and speech. The reason is because it tells others how your character feels, things, etc. It's not that we wanted you to know that he had a scar there, or that he liked her, or that she really hated him. Pay attention:

You, as a player, will know all this since it's the player we're sharing this information with, not the character. It's much more fun when you can use this information for a plot, then to ruin it all by suddenly letting your character know everything right away. It's not fair! If you keep on mind reading players will often avoid you because you're boring to play with and a plot killer — so don't do it.

>>Copying
When you meet a character that acts in a special way, or have a interesting history, it's a huge no-no to copy that behaviour. Let them be special, and give your own characters their own unique ways to act. I've seen this done so many times, and I've experienced the stealing, that it ends up being irritating, not interesting - which hopefully was the point of the character stealing. Borrowing is allowed (ask the player), but please don't copy.

>>Lacking Detail
If you can see yourself in this tip, you are one of the things most players hate and fear... You will then: Never use thoughts, barely using speech and only writing a sentance in each post describing action. Just like this example: She walked inside. "Hello, what are you doing?" It has been given the name 'yes or no' posting: Characters that do and says as little as possible.

So why do we hate you? Fear you? Because you never tell us anything about your characters. In a game that's based on writing it's impossible to play with such posts. How shall I know what they're feeling? What they think? How shall I be given a image of what they look like, and most importantly: To see them as living things? You got to write more detailed posts, or you got nothing to do here! That's the brutal truth!

For example are these one of the things we really don't like. No thoughts, little action, nothing.

• Kala walked inside. "Hi..!"
• "Hi yourself," Imin answered.
This next example is better, because it has potential, even though it's really short.

• Kala walked inside. "Hi..!" No, she thought, biting her lip, there's that annoying brat!
• "Hi yourself," Imin answered, smiling crookedly. Did she know he had a crush on her?
Believe it or not, but you can actually start a plot by these lines. Not by letting Kala suddenly stop, glare at him and scream "NOOOOOOOOOO!" and run away in fear, but so we can get them in a situation were Imin might believe Kala likes him too. It's that simple to get a nice little plot going (as long as you don't mind read). People who make their characters say and do as the first example makes me scream! So write. If not you'll end up with boring characters that are extremely hard to play with.

*This prliminary guide was extracted from one of my best sources, the Role Players' Alliance. I did not write it, but I hope you find it helpful nonetheless.

Wolf's Tricks of the Trade

First of all, some terms.

- IC : In Character
This is you, acting as your character. Unless otherwise noted, your words and actions are that of the personality you have taken on.
- OOC : Out of Character
Often there is need to converse as yourself. Anything that is you speaking, and not your character, that is and must be OOC. These cases are defined by "bubbles" to separate the nonsense from the roleplay. These bubbles are usually double brackets on each side, such as ((this)) [[this]] and {{this}}. The double use is important because experienced roleplayers will occasionally relay the thoughts of their characters within single bubbles, under quotes.

Here is an example of all this.

*she smiled at the man but said nothing.* ("God, why does he keep staring at me? Whats his problem?" ) [[Hey man, congrats on getting to lvl 50 btw.]]

In this blurb, my character spoke no words but simply smiled to a man who was watching her. The man is unaware that she is disturbed by his presence, but the insight really helps the character development and makes (her) seem more realistic.

Let me explain this another way. You and a friend are watching a play. The characters portrayed onstage go on with their roles without being aware of the narrator or audience. The narrator sets up the scenes, and dictates the thoughts and moods of the characters. The characters themselves are unaware of this voice, but it helps the audience better relate to and understand the characters. The narrator in this sense, is like the thought/action bubbles. Then we have the audience. The audience, specifically you and your friend, are completely separate from the characters onstage. You two are bickering about which of the characters is the cutest. This is completely irrelevant to the story, and must be spoken in whispers lest you disrupt the focus of the actors. This chatter is OOC.

The purest form of roleplay is achieved when you are watching your character act and speak, as opposed to you controlling him/her.

/end purism

Message Edited by Wolfess on 03-28-200609:04 AM

**ChloeAnn**

smokeydemon1

greta post and yes as a complete n00b at rp this helped a lot

Sephiroth+X

*Chuckles*

Well technically my characters name is a take on a major video game character... even though i have a much more logical reason behind the name 'Sephiroth' in its own... I hopefully wont get frowned upon (even though ive been aroudn for so long anyway in RP SMILEY

)

And if you frown upon me for using an FF7 related name.... well... too bad ^_^

**DeathBlade** · 04/03/2006 02:53:54

talk about names not being applicable for RP...

... mine's bloody D3athBlad3, aka Death as i get people to call me

only purely for the reason that ive used the name online for so long it sticked, and with this being my first MMO where i only first encountered RP later into the game, well im pretty screwed. but ive tried to make him so the name is "sorta" applicaple to him from his bluepill life.

but anyway...

good guides Gami.

-Deah <--- personally used the first guide to scrub up on RP SMILEY

Message Edited by D3athBlad3 on 04-03-200611:53 AM

**GamiSB**

lol i think your names are fine. Anyone who can get a handle that is a tribute to FF7 without making it look all messed up is awesome in my book. As for numbers that one chick in the Novillis had em just as long as there not like just gibberish.

**GamiSB**

*cough* HUGE BUMP! *cough*

jofaty2000

-stumbles and falls over the from the shock waves produced by that enormous bump-

oh...sup guys

sallo

In terms of names.. I currently know no better name for an rp'er than..

ZippytheSquirrel

on ::cough:: Dramursion.