This is a guide not just for new role players but for existing ones who perhaps want to know tips on how to improve. Though it should be noted that the number of ways a person can role play is about as diverse as the number of people who could be role playing.
What is role playing? / What are role playing games?
A role playing game has a lot of different definitions and is widely used, occasionally misused. In the world of computer / console gaming a role playing game (also called an RPG) is found in games like Wold of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online, Planescape Torment, etc.. These games don't really describe what we do here on this server and thus can be a bit misleading as these are narrow in field and scope compared to where the term came from.
RPG Origin
A role playing game has its origin in the idea of adult make believe. Games like Dungeons and Dragons are a lot closer to what we do here on this server than things like World of Warcraft. In these the game takes place largely in ones imagination, much like a book. You have characters and you react and play in that role for the purposes of the game. This is a little difficult for novices to understand, I know that is was for me when I started (back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and cell phones didn't have text messaging).
What does Role Playing mean here?
Here, it means collaborative writing. This server focuses heavily on stories and plot, that means we're not so much about battles or sex as we are about what is going on, building characters, having them interact, and providing storylines in which they can grow and evolve according to where we'd like them to go. Since we use a format called FFRP (Free Form Role Play), we do not use dice except when it is necessary to do so. We would much prefer, overall, to trust our players to react in appropriate ways without using dice to enforce it.
Dice are usually used to ensure things are fare, you roll, random chance decides what happens and this means that (in theory) everyone gets a chance at success. In reality, it seldom feels that way, but dice an provide a good amount of unexpected elements to game play. So we have a dice bot that we use when it might be nice to have random chance decide things. Overall though, this isn't about the dice (or the random number generator) it is about the writing and having fun.
Here, you write chunks of text which describe how your character interacts with the world around them.
How to Write
Before coming here a person should at least be somewhat familiar with the act (art) of creative writing. If one is not terribly familiar with creative writing, I suggest reading a few writing guides.
There are also hundreds of books on the subject. For our purposes we will assume that the players have some idea of what creative writing is and how to do it (even if they don't think they do it well at all).
Perspective
We use a 3rd Person narrative. That means generally speaking one should write as if they are narrating someone else's events and refrain from using personal pronouns like I or me in the narrative text. This allows us to do a few things, for one, a consistent format makes it easier for everyone to read, and secondly it allows more variations as multiple points of view can be expressed easily. Rather than saying "I thought about picking the flower." and have no one know who "I" is referring to, it is better to say, "Joe thought about picking the flower." Now everyone knows who is thinking about picking a flower.
Text and Context
In any chunk of text there should be two primary elements when something is being said. There should be text and context for the text. That is to say, when you're reading a book you don't usually just see characters blurt things out without something about what they are thinking, doing, feeling, as they are speaking. So when typing, on average, a good role player with have some way to differentiate the two parts. This is sometimes called emoting.
Lance was thinking about heading back to his room, it had been a long day today but he didn't want to end the conversation too early, "Oh, no I appreciate the thought, I'd love to." he responded, the smile hiding how tired he was.
That is in opposition to:
Oh no I appreciate the thought, I'd love to.
See how much information is left out? With the first one we have a context, he's tired. We can imagine that his eyes have a bit of a tired look, we can think perhaps his attention or body language shows he's a bit tired and wanting to head back. The smile might appear forced. This gives the other players so much more to work with in coming up witht heir own responses.
Ways to Differentiate
We are not very strict, so any player is going to see a mix of ways to separate what is being said and the context. A lot of people use italics.
Lance was thinking about heading back to his room, it had been a long day today but he didn't want to end the conversation too early Oh, no I appreciate the thought, I'd love to. he responded, the smile hiding how tired he was.
It is a little bit clunky, but it does in fact work. Other methods such as bold text are also used, but less frequently.
What we'd like to stay away from is the multi-line approach:
Lance was thinking about heading back to his room, it had been a long day today but he didn't want to end the conversation too early Oh, no I appreciate the thought, I'd love to he responded, the smile hiding how tired he was.
Where each lines is on its own, that can get confusing and ping people multiple times for one action.
Multiple Characters
Writing in the 3rd person also facilitates writing for multiple characters at the same time.
Lance walks into the bar and slides into his seat, Finny comes over and asks him what he wants. "Oh, just a beer today Finny." Lance says with a smile, Finny responds, "You got it boss." and goes to get him a cold beer.
In this example, we know who is saying what and to whom. It should be noted in this case that both Finny and Lance would be being played by the same person, one should not automate someone else's character by posting actions for their character without permission.
Another example is playing two characters separately:
Finny smiles at Alouette and slides over a plate of fresh tacos, "Enjoy Captain." Lance nods at Scott, "That's a good point, I'm not sure the difference in how it works."
Now we have two characters being played by the same person, but both of them are in separate conversations, by specifying the name of who is saying what to who, it is clear to everyone who is talking and who they are talking to.
Other Ways for Multiple Characters
When doing multiple characters sometimes people would prefer a screen play or script style of writing, this is perfectly acceptable.
Finny: Simples at Alouette and slides over a plate of fresh tacos Enjoy Captain. Lance: Nods at Scott That is a good point, I'm not sure the difference in how it works.
This style makes it clear who is talking, what they are doing, etc... It can be easier for a lot of players to do as well.
Character Creation
There are a vastly wide variety of characters a person can play. There are even a lot of non-standard characters that people can play, races other than the primary found in a given setting (usually humanoid in some way). However, when considering what kind of character to create, it is important to understand the setting itself. This is a science fiction setting based in a space station primarily made for humans and very similar races (similar height, similar size, 2 arms, 2 legs, 1 head, etc..). This means that Doors are going to max out at like 8' tall, size is going to be roughly human size. Corridors, consoles, tables, and chairs are all about the size range for humans.
Size of Character
Characters can rather easily be smaller than humans due to the application of anti-gravitational technologies to allow a person to float around. Of course, the problem comes with characters that are substantially larger than the human norm. Either in width or height, giving issues fitting through doors. This should all be considered and while such forms are not disallowed, the player should be aware of the in-play issues which could company them.
Body Type of Character
A characters body is normally humanoid (as previously stated). This isn't the only kind of character that is allowed, but a character covered in slime that drips trails everywhere is going to be difficult to play and connect with other characters during the game. Similarly, a character without arms or legs would require some method to interact with the world at large, it is difficult to consider a sentient race not having hands (although it is possible to consider). Players should be aware that having a tentacle monster sounds really awesome but could be functionally difficult. Having a character who is a snake with no arms/hands also presents problems, how will the character interact with the consoles, food in the tavern, and other characters comes into play.
Again such characters are permitted, but the player should be aware and have a plan for how to deal with such options.
Physical Characteristics
There are a lot of really amazing ideas that are potential issues. Having a character that maintains itself at sub-zero temperatures or at extreme high temperatures would cause issues of being able to touch or in extreme cases even being around people without some way to protect them from those extremes. In the Babylon 5 franchise one race (Vorlons) would appear as a race's deity if seen without their encounter suits. Characters that are covered in razor sharp scales or spikes would have to have considerations for how these interact with the people around them.
Let me reiterate, these are just things someone should consider before they decide on a form. If you want a character covered in razor sharp scales that leaves a trail of green ooze and has tentacles for hands, you can have that. But you'd better have a plan in place for how to deal with the obvious issues of interacting with the other characters when you do.
Language and Communication
It is advisable to have your character able to communicate complex thoughts with those around them. This means a character should be smart enough to grasp language and be able to use language. Speaking a different language isn't a huge deal due to the science fiction setting and application of the universal translator. However, a character who cannot speak or cannot hear, might have issues - these are solvable issues of course (with the exception of a player character that cannot grasp the concept of language). Players should be aware of the issues and solutions to those problems.
Complications
Overall, a lot of people are introduced to the free form coming away from a more formal setting like D&D, Rifts, or even one of the computer-based settings like World of Warcraft, tend to want to go all out on things for a character in a setting like this (with very little structure). Please keep in mind that even above the lack of wanting a completely overpowered character, you're not going to want to remember and deal with hugely complicated in-game mechanics and the staff are going to have issues keeping up.
It is advisable to remember a cardinal rule of character creation Keep it Simple Stupid.
Inserting a Character
We have a guide on Character Introduction already, but that is more centered on how to assist someone introducing a character. However, even after a character is introduced there is a period of time where they are not really part of the existing role play. Players have to be outgoing enough to insert their characters into the play. Have characters walk over and respond, become part of the conversation. In other instances, a player can ask another player if they mind their character joining. The two players can then work out and communicate about what is going on and what should happen.
This is why we have OOC (out of character) channels where communication can take place easily. Never be afraid to ask to join a role play (RP). When trying to join an RP it is impossible to do so when just expecting someone to follow your character, that will end in disappointment. Players must communicate what they want to do, not everyone is going to want a new character in an active plot, but that doesn't mean that additional plots can't be developed.
This is part of the server rule (see Site Rules) about speaking up for yourself.
Player Communication
Communication between players is key! I cannot stress this enough, when trying to join into the game, if a player wants to do something with their character, talking about it is necessary. To be part of a plot, one has to talk to the player(s) in that plot. To come up with a new plot between characters, again, talking about it is required.
Players should always be respectful of each other, but should also realize that players don't owe each other anything. There is no obligation to play, there are some players who are busy, who cannot come on often, or who have anxiety about new situations. It doesn't matter, if a player isn't into a role play, don't hold it against them just, try to find a new role play.
Collaborative Role Playing
Collaborating on a role play is the same as collaborating in writing. Usually there is a person from whom the idea originates (the person who had the big idea) and this person usually expects to have some amount of control, that being said all parties in a collaborative setting should try to collaborate. That is to say, build a consensus of what should happen, integrate opposing ideas where possible.
The idea is that all parties have something to say about where the role play goes. This diverges significantly form the standard focus of role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, Rifts, GURPS, and similar models where a GM / DM (Game Master / Dungeon Master) has the story and presents it for the players. Collaboration requires a lot more work, it is much easier to just hang out and come along for the ride than it is to be apart of the creative process. Even so, we encourage people to be apart of the creative process here.