How to Roleplay Online
Understand exactly how roleplaying works., Realize your own personal style., Realize your preferred genre., Start to craft your character., Find your preferred medium., Learn the general etiquette of your medium., Learn some basics of the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand exactly how roleplaying works.
It's often different than typical writing in the fact that you are writing with another person, and can't control their character (without explicit permission).
Here's an example of what a roleplay post might look like.
Player1:
Judy felt the hot sun beating down on her neck as she traveled to work.
She didn't know what the day would hold, but she really hoped Mister Smith had fixed the air conditioner.
Player Two:
Ann pulled into the parking lot in her beat up old blue Honda.
She just managed to pull herself out of the car when she seen Judy across the lot, "Hello Judy!" She called hoping to get her attention before she entered the building.
Fighting roleplay takes an even different approach.
Here's an example.
Player1:
Steve pivoted on his right foot just barely managing to dodge the arrow that nicked his shoulder.
He quickly pulled the trigger of the machine pistol he held in his hand.
The bullets shot out of the barrel traveling fast towards the other's chest, if he was unable to dodge this would certainly strike a devastating blow. -
Step 2: Realize your own personal style.
There are hundreds of ways to roleplay and no one should be able to tell you what you should and shouldn't do.
Find your own style and stick with it.
Though, this doesn't mean that people have to play with you.
Post style.
More experienced RP'ers often enjoy the standard book way of writing with text free and speech in quotes. (He bit, "Hi.") While others, even professionals, enjoy the use of action marks around actions. (-He bit- Hi) Post length.
The length of one of your posts typically measured in 'lines' or paragraphs.
This is often one of the more controversial questions floating around, and you will make and lose partners based on this alone.
It ranges anywhere from online which some people frown on all the way to multiple paragraphs.
Post view.
First person point of view (I, me, my) and third person point of view (he, she, they, them) are the two most popular.
Second person is generally seen as godmodding and frowned upon.
An acceptable use of this would be, (When you stepped out of the cave you should be able to smell the poison lingering in the air).
Not controlling the character. , These are the same as story genres.
A few examples of them are action/adventure, mystery, crime, drama, romance, slice of life, etc.
This will better help you find partners if you know what you're looking for., Some people prefer already having a preset character(s) while others enjoy making them on the spot (hubs) for specific plots and recycle the character when the plot is over.
If you don't already have something in mind.
Consider the following.
Name of your character.
Age Gender Orientation Occupation Species.
Human or other.
General backstory.
While this can be explored in the plot it's a good idea to at least have an idea of who they are, where they're from, etc. , Roleplaying is a fairly big event and it crosses into multiple mediums.
Some people enjoy Facebook making posts/comments and the chat.
Some people enjoy more of the actual chat rooms, forums are really big, and some people enjoy apps such as Yahoo, Skype, Discord.
You only need to Google roleplay, roleplay chat, roleplay forums, or etc to find a community., Some places will have rules that you and your character must follow.
If the chat is for vampires only, then you'll need a vampire character.
If the site doesn't allow sexual/romantic play don't go looking for it there.
Generally this will only take a bit of poking around and reading the posting rules, but failure to follow these can get you kicked or banned.
If you don't like the rules of this medium, find another., While this is the easiest, there are some general terms and phrases you'll see thrown out in the communities often.
While you can always ask you'll look more experienced if you already know what some of them are.
RP:
Role-play PC:
Player Character.
Your and the other real players' characters.
NPC:
Non-Playable Character.
Not a real player's character.
Think of it as Nurse Joy instead of Ash Ketchum.
Can be used to further along a story but often not thought of again.
Side character:
Similar to a NPC, a side character can be used to further along a plot.
While they may be smaller in terms of the grand scheme they are often brought back again or expanded on.
OOC:
Out of Character.
You speaking instead of the character.
You could use parentheses to show this, and is generally good form especially when others are roleplaying in the chat.
IC:
In Character.
You speaking or acting as the character.
Powerplaying:
Trying to control other people's characters.
Godmodding:
Changing in-game rules or controlling other characters' actions or reactions.
Mary Sue/Gary Stu:
A character with little or no weakness, an overly dramatic or perfect past, and who is excellent at everything.
Generally frowned upon.
CS:
Character Sheet.
A sheet/form that shows basic information about your character for others to look at.
Literate:
Different from the actual definition this is used to describe a good roleplayer who shows they are able to demonstrate proper use of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and so forth.
A literate role-player knows when long introductions are appropriate, understands the place for short one or two sentence posts and keeps in-character emotions separate from their own.
Semi-Lit:
A decent role-player who has an okay grasp of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and so forth.
A Semi-Lit role-player typically writes (sometimes excessively) long introductions several paragraphs in length and posts of up to a paragraph and longer.
Illiterate:
Different from the actual definition.
A bad role-player who disregards all grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc.
Their spelling is usually equal to chat-speak (also known as "l337 spk").
An illiterate role-player typically writes one paragraph for their introduction, and around one or two sentences per post.
One-word posts are also frequent.
OC:
Original Content/character.
Face claim:
A picture/photograph, animated or not, used to depict a character(s).
One-Line:
Form of posting length typically varying from one word to one-two full sentence(s)/line(s).
Semi-Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically varying from two lines or more.
Usually stopping at half of a paragraph.
Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically one full paragraph or more.
Multi Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically two or more full paragraphs.
Novella:
Form of posting length typically when you start to go past the four paragraph range.
Yuri:
Term to describe lesbian/girl on girl romantic/sexual scenes.
Yaoi:
Term to describe gay/guy on guy romantic/sexual scenes. , Now that you have a medium, a character, and the general rules of said medium.
Go scrolling through active/online user lists, or post an advertisement if the medium allows this.
If you do post an advertisement it should contain at least some general information about what you're seeking and who you're seeing for the role.
While it doesn't have to contain everything you should avoid posting 'Anyone wanna rp?'.
Example include. "Hi there! My name's Bob and I'm looking for a futuristic murder mystery type play tonight! My ideal partner is a woman who can write at least 4 lines per post and is willing to work to come up with a plot with me." You don't have to have a plot/story in mind to post an advertisement, but make sure to make this clear otherwise people may think you're leading. , Tell them about your character, ask them about theirs, ask what they have in mind for the story, and tell them what you have in mind.
Some people enjoy planning things out, while others just like starting off and winging it.
It's a good idea to at least get on the same page about where you're starting though., In many places it's generally considered polite for the person who first contacted to start off (or at least offer) but either one can.
The first post should be as good as you can make it.
This is showing your partner what you can do.
If you are starting the roleplay off, or even if you're not.
Your first post should include Basic information about your characters.
Looks, clothing, etc.
Basic information about the scene.
Setting, time, weather, etc.
Basic information about what's going on, and what your character is doing. , If you and your partner connect well continue.
Add plot devices, characters, etc.
A good roleplay can last anywhere from a couple days to many years with the right partner(s)., Often in RP many people enjoy the skirt rule. 'Long enough to cover the essentials, short enough to keep it interesting.' Your ultimate goal is to keep the RP going, and give your partner something to react to.
One or more partner may start getting bored if someone is not contributing to the storyline.
In respect to the skirt rule, you do not need to have a huge block of text if your character is doing something that can be described in two or three sentences; for example, if your character is in a fight, or a quick conversion between forms. , In literate to semi-literate role-plays, the skirt rule may not apply.
Many advanced role-players expect several paragraphs.
Discuss it politely with your partner or leave if you can't write that much., Have multiple methods of contact.
Discuss it before you begin the role-play. , -
Step 3: Realize your preferred genre.
-
Step 4: Start to craft your character.
-
Step 5: Find your preferred medium.
-
Step 6: Learn the general etiquette of your medium.
-
Step 7: Learn some basics of the terminology.
-
Step 8: Find a partner.
-
Step 9: Collaborate with your new partner(s).
-
Step 10: Start off the roleplay.
-
Step 11: Continue the roleplay.
-
Step 12: Follow the skirt rule.
-
Step 13: Check the length expected.
-
Step 14: Keep in contact with the other roleplayer(s) on a regular basis.
-
Step 15: Notify your partner when you won't be able or willing to contribute to their role-play for a while.
Detailed Guide
It's often different than typical writing in the fact that you are writing with another person, and can't control their character (without explicit permission).
Here's an example of what a roleplay post might look like.
Player1:
Judy felt the hot sun beating down on her neck as she traveled to work.
She didn't know what the day would hold, but she really hoped Mister Smith had fixed the air conditioner.
Player Two:
Ann pulled into the parking lot in her beat up old blue Honda.
She just managed to pull herself out of the car when she seen Judy across the lot, "Hello Judy!" She called hoping to get her attention before she entered the building.
Fighting roleplay takes an even different approach.
Here's an example.
Player1:
Steve pivoted on his right foot just barely managing to dodge the arrow that nicked his shoulder.
He quickly pulled the trigger of the machine pistol he held in his hand.
The bullets shot out of the barrel traveling fast towards the other's chest, if he was unable to dodge this would certainly strike a devastating blow.
There are hundreds of ways to roleplay and no one should be able to tell you what you should and shouldn't do.
Find your own style and stick with it.
Though, this doesn't mean that people have to play with you.
Post style.
More experienced RP'ers often enjoy the standard book way of writing with text free and speech in quotes. (He bit, "Hi.") While others, even professionals, enjoy the use of action marks around actions. (-He bit- Hi) Post length.
The length of one of your posts typically measured in 'lines' or paragraphs.
This is often one of the more controversial questions floating around, and you will make and lose partners based on this alone.
It ranges anywhere from online which some people frown on all the way to multiple paragraphs.
Post view.
First person point of view (I, me, my) and third person point of view (he, she, they, them) are the two most popular.
Second person is generally seen as godmodding and frowned upon.
An acceptable use of this would be, (When you stepped out of the cave you should be able to smell the poison lingering in the air).
Not controlling the character. , These are the same as story genres.
A few examples of them are action/adventure, mystery, crime, drama, romance, slice of life, etc.
This will better help you find partners if you know what you're looking for., Some people prefer already having a preset character(s) while others enjoy making them on the spot (hubs) for specific plots and recycle the character when the plot is over.
If you don't already have something in mind.
Consider the following.
Name of your character.
Age Gender Orientation Occupation Species.
Human or other.
General backstory.
While this can be explored in the plot it's a good idea to at least have an idea of who they are, where they're from, etc. , Roleplaying is a fairly big event and it crosses into multiple mediums.
Some people enjoy Facebook making posts/comments and the chat.
Some people enjoy more of the actual chat rooms, forums are really big, and some people enjoy apps such as Yahoo, Skype, Discord.
You only need to Google roleplay, roleplay chat, roleplay forums, or etc to find a community., Some places will have rules that you and your character must follow.
If the chat is for vampires only, then you'll need a vampire character.
If the site doesn't allow sexual/romantic play don't go looking for it there.
Generally this will only take a bit of poking around and reading the posting rules, but failure to follow these can get you kicked or banned.
If you don't like the rules of this medium, find another., While this is the easiest, there are some general terms and phrases you'll see thrown out in the communities often.
While you can always ask you'll look more experienced if you already know what some of them are.
RP:
Role-play PC:
Player Character.
Your and the other real players' characters.
NPC:
Non-Playable Character.
Not a real player's character.
Think of it as Nurse Joy instead of Ash Ketchum.
Can be used to further along a story but often not thought of again.
Side character:
Similar to a NPC, a side character can be used to further along a plot.
While they may be smaller in terms of the grand scheme they are often brought back again or expanded on.
OOC:
Out of Character.
You speaking instead of the character.
You could use parentheses to show this, and is generally good form especially when others are roleplaying in the chat.
IC:
In Character.
You speaking or acting as the character.
Powerplaying:
Trying to control other people's characters.
Godmodding:
Changing in-game rules or controlling other characters' actions or reactions.
Mary Sue/Gary Stu:
A character with little or no weakness, an overly dramatic or perfect past, and who is excellent at everything.
Generally frowned upon.
CS:
Character Sheet.
A sheet/form that shows basic information about your character for others to look at.
Literate:
Different from the actual definition this is used to describe a good roleplayer who shows they are able to demonstrate proper use of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and so forth.
A literate role-player knows when long introductions are appropriate, understands the place for short one or two sentence posts and keeps in-character emotions separate from their own.
Semi-Lit:
A decent role-player who has an okay grasp of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and so forth.
A Semi-Lit role-player typically writes (sometimes excessively) long introductions several paragraphs in length and posts of up to a paragraph and longer.
Illiterate:
Different from the actual definition.
A bad role-player who disregards all grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc.
Their spelling is usually equal to chat-speak (also known as "l337 spk").
An illiterate role-player typically writes one paragraph for their introduction, and around one or two sentences per post.
One-word posts are also frequent.
OC:
Original Content/character.
Face claim:
A picture/photograph, animated or not, used to depict a character(s).
One-Line:
Form of posting length typically varying from one word to one-two full sentence(s)/line(s).
Semi-Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically varying from two lines or more.
Usually stopping at half of a paragraph.
Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically one full paragraph or more.
Multi Para(graph):
Form of posting length typically two or more full paragraphs.
Novella:
Form of posting length typically when you start to go past the four paragraph range.
Yuri:
Term to describe lesbian/girl on girl romantic/sexual scenes.
Yaoi:
Term to describe gay/guy on guy romantic/sexual scenes. , Now that you have a medium, a character, and the general rules of said medium.
Go scrolling through active/online user lists, or post an advertisement if the medium allows this.
If you do post an advertisement it should contain at least some general information about what you're seeking and who you're seeing for the role.
While it doesn't have to contain everything you should avoid posting 'Anyone wanna rp?'.
Example include. "Hi there! My name's Bob and I'm looking for a futuristic murder mystery type play tonight! My ideal partner is a woman who can write at least 4 lines per post and is willing to work to come up with a plot with me." You don't have to have a plot/story in mind to post an advertisement, but make sure to make this clear otherwise people may think you're leading. , Tell them about your character, ask them about theirs, ask what they have in mind for the story, and tell them what you have in mind.
Some people enjoy planning things out, while others just like starting off and winging it.
It's a good idea to at least get on the same page about where you're starting though., In many places it's generally considered polite for the person who first contacted to start off (or at least offer) but either one can.
The first post should be as good as you can make it.
This is showing your partner what you can do.
If you are starting the roleplay off, or even if you're not.
Your first post should include Basic information about your characters.
Looks, clothing, etc.
Basic information about the scene.
Setting, time, weather, etc.
Basic information about what's going on, and what your character is doing. , If you and your partner connect well continue.
Add plot devices, characters, etc.
A good roleplay can last anywhere from a couple days to many years with the right partner(s)., Often in RP many people enjoy the skirt rule. 'Long enough to cover the essentials, short enough to keep it interesting.' Your ultimate goal is to keep the RP going, and give your partner something to react to.
One or more partner may start getting bored if someone is not contributing to the storyline.
In respect to the skirt rule, you do not need to have a huge block of text if your character is doing something that can be described in two or three sentences; for example, if your character is in a fight, or a quick conversion between forms. , In literate to semi-literate role-plays, the skirt rule may not apply.
Many advanced role-players expect several paragraphs.
Discuss it politely with your partner or leave if you can't write that much., Have multiple methods of contact.
Discuss it before you begin the role-play. ,
About the Author
Justin Lopez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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