Roleplaying

Roleplaying is the act of playing a character in a fictional world. In Silent Heaven, you will be collaborating with other players to tell a series of interconnected stories. Think of it like you're playing a character in a TV show or a novel: you're playing a part in the overall plot. Sometimes you'll be one of the main characters, and you'll get episodes about your character. Other times, you'll be an extra in another character's story. It's important to give other characters time to shine. Storytellers like seeing characters that get involved and contribute to scenes without hogging the spotlight. The more roleplay you make for other characters, the more likely it is your character will be given extra permissions to do things in-game. SCENE ETIQUETTE In roleplay (abbreviated "RP"), players take turns writing actions and dialogue (also known as "poses") that their characters are doing, and occasionally typing other actions, such as movement, eating, giving items, and so on. When players are done with their roleplay, that's the end of the "scene." There are typically three styles of scenes: Live, Distracted, and Asynchronous. Live: Everyone is actively paying attention and writing. Distracted: Players may be slow to react, due to work, family, or other distractions. Asynchronous: Players may take up to 24 hours to respond. Scenes in public locations are always Live. When it's your turn, we ask that you spend no longer than 5 minutes per pose. After 5 minutes, it's time to hit enter and just send it in. If someone takes longer than 5 minutes, it's okay to assume the character doesn't react or has zoned out. You may continue with the scene if you wish, but please be mindful that we all have unexpected emergencies from time to time, and that it's polite to give someone a few extra minutes. In scenes with 2 or 3 characters, please wait until all other characters have posed before posing again. At 4 to 6 characters, wait until at least 2 characters have posed before posing again. You can always wait longer as a courtesy. At almost any time, you are able to pause your game, which puts your character in a metaphorical protective bubble that prevents anything from happening to your character. Scenes in private locations may be Live or Distracted. You're welcome to take your time and write at your own pace, as long as that pace is comfortable for everyone. After 30 minutes of inactivity, your character automatically zones out and isn't aware of their surroundings. Silent Heaven will be less-than-ideal for players who prefer Asynchronous scenes. For asynchronous play, you may want to consider alternative means of interaction, such as writing letters to your sleeping pals (or enemies) for when they wake. BASIC ROLEPLAYING IN SILENT HEAVEN To roleplay with other characters, you will journey to different locations in Silent Heaven and meet up with them. The basic command to roleplay is EMOTE (message). The shortcut for EMOTE is a colon (:). EMOTE waves to Jane and says, "Nice to meet you." :waves to Jane and says, "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" Assuming everyone in the room knows you're Jeff, everyone in the room sees: Jeff waves to Jane and says, "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" Some eavesdroppers might overhear your dialogue. Others may see your actions. Notice how the writing is done in third person. All character writing should be done in third person. That means you write things from the perspective of she, he, they, and so on. Not sure what third person means? Compare below: First person: I wave to Jane and say, "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" Second person: You wave to Jane and say, "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" Third person: Jeff waves to Jane and says, "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" Roleplaying may be tricky at first if you've never done it before. It's a little like writing a story and a little like improv acting. Whether your write a little or a lot with your poses, remember the acronym RAP: Response, Action, Prompt. Response: Respond to the actions of other characters. This can be as simple as acknowledging what they said, or having your character act in some way that lets the other players know you're taking into account what they wrote for you. Action: Take some sort of action. This could be answering a question, handing someone a drink, or anything else your character does. Prompt: Give a prompt to the other characters. This could be a question, a salacious detail, a suggestion to go exploring, or anything else you can think of, as long as you're giving them openings to respond. There are a few other important guidelines for your RP: - Do not act for other characters. - Give other characters opportunities to react. - Avoid thoughts or suggestions in your actions. - Only show what is visible to other characters. Let's take a look at a bad example and see how it can be improved. Bad example: EMOTE thinks about what it would be like to steal from his employer, Jane, reaching into his pocket, holding a concealed gun. Jane gasps when I grab loose change from her pocket with my free hand, and I laugh at her frown. "Looks like you made a mistake," he says. If she would run, he'd try to grab her. Notice all the issues with this action: 1) "thinks about what it would be like to steal" is a thought and Jane has no way of knowing this. Show an action instead. 2) "his employer" is iffy. If everyone in the room knows that Jane employs Jeff, then it's fine. Don't give away information that isn't made obvious! 3) "holding a concealed gun" isn't visible to the other characters. Describe this another way. 4) "Jane gasps" isn't okay. Don't say what other characters do. Only they can decide what they do. 5) "I grab loose change" is first person. Always use third person. 6) "I laugh at her frown" is getting way too far ahead of the action. You need to give Jane a chance to react to the action and prompt. 7) "If she would run" is discussing future actions. Stick to the present and avoid "would" statements. Taking that all into account, let's fix this into a better emote. Fixed example: EMOTE sports a malicious grin as he advances on Jane. One hand slips into his coat pocket, clearly gripping something held within. "Looks like you made a mistake," he says, preparing an imposing stance. Much better! In the next section, we'll delve into the theme of Silent Heaven to help give you ideas for your RP. Category: HELP 1 (Beginner) < Previous - Newbie | Next - Theme >