Role-Playing for Dummies
Chapter 4: Building a free from role playing game
Building a role-play is not easy and managing one is even less easy. To have control over everything is absolutely impossible and people want a little bit of liberty too you know. I suggest role player newbies to role-play for a while before they adventure themselves in the art of creating a role-play for the simple reason that you must be able to point out the things that go wrong in a game you play in before you make one. If you can't point out the things that go wrong you can't control your game and eventually it sucks.
Managing a role-play takes time and effort as well as devotion.
The storyline
We understand you aren't all novelists and good storylines are hard to find. Many of them look alike and end up going on forever till people start dropping out due to boredom. It also depends on the role-play you want to do.
Some people prefer
sit and talk role-plays where you just chill and nothing really happens. Basically you just develop your character at the same place with the same people. This mainly applies for tavern, school and club role-plays.
Others prefer
adventure role-plays where you get to explore land and face monsters in battle, where something new always awaits. These are also the games that need a good story line and a basic plot to stay alive.
So, make sure that when you create your game that your storyline seems attracting, entertaining, amusing and interesting. Keep in mind that:
- You have a basic plot to lead the players to in order to keep suspense and interest in them.
- Don't center everything on your character if you're playing too.
- Try to make events and such, those are always fun.
Rules!! What kind of rules should I make? Do I really need them?
In role-plays these days, yes rules are rather essential. Why? Because of the huge blinding quantity of newbies lurking around wanting to be part of everything and nothing all at once.
Rule I use and why:
- No god moding!! (This is always the first rule I put in)
We went through god moding and we will again till people learn not to do it.
- When fighting use your sense of judgment. We can all die!!
Yes, we can all die. People don't seem to realize that and this rules somewhat goes back to the god moding one. If you lose your character just make another one, no big deal. It's all part of the fun anyway.
- Use readable English, no internet slang such as: lol, brb, lmao, afk and so on
I've seen this before and I still do, especially in all these three word posts.
- Always check the new, we never know when something important might be announced.
This one speaks for it's self. Being aware of what's going on with the game is a very important thing. If you don't read the news and all of a sudden an even is coming up and you miss it because you went to the movies that night instead of the next day you can't come crying to us about it because we put it in the news.
- Try being active every day, some people here don't have a life and are waiting on you to be able to reply so they can get into the action.
This one also speaks for it's self. You aren't alone in a role play so please try to post at least once a day so we can make it move and not let you fall behind.
- All OOC talk must be down between brackets or announced with OOC:
This is because we don't want people to get mixed up between what is and isn't role-playing and also because if you just start talking OOC the RP can die out and it ruins it. Also, if you talk OOC just include it in you're role playing post, we'll know its not IC because its either between brackets or after OOC:
- All character applications must be sent to the GMs for approval.
This doesn't go for every game but I prefer to have it. It's somewhat like a newbie filter. You'll know when they haven't read this tutorial!
- Be original during your character creations, we won't accept direct copies from characters that have been seen in anime or games.
This is also a newbie filter rule. I personally dislike game base role-plays because they simple aren't all that original. It's like taking someone's novel and rewriting it almost word for word with different character names.
- Respect you fellow role-playing mates and play fair.
You should know why.
Warnings are always good too. Depending on the content of your game, you should consider putting warnings, especially if it contains mature content or same sex relations.
Advice on making a role-playing game
One thing you should always remember when making a role-playing game is to give your players all the necessary precisions on how your game works, what to base their characters on, give them a sheet to do so and be organized. Don’t be afraid to go through the tutorial and steal my basic character sheet in order to modify it to fit your role=playing game
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Role Playing for Dummies
On to Chapter 5.
About dice roleplaying
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