The [Politically-Correct-Sorta-Kinda-Ever-Updating] Guide for Ultra Cereal Online Roleplaying

[Saber Lily 1,543]

I'm not gonna give details until this person specifically asks xDOh, so it was an RP that the GM decided to put his fetishes into. Yeah, that's common, and a really good indicator of a not so good GMer.

So I'd be a really bad GM for making a roleplay based around lesbian foxgirl maids, giant warships, angels, and adorable kiss scenes?

[Javelin434 3,164]

Yeah. And my pal did those A LOT. Got really sick of it.

 

 

Now I'm curious. What did happen? If you don't mind me asking!  c:

It's understandable. In the meantime, I'll be working on adding that addendum to the sub-sections...

 

And what happened to that jar of man-milk you may ask? Well after laughing for 12 minutes as the GM went into comical details on how the pilot was dodging the floating thing and finally ended up capturing the majority of it in a jar he found under the cockpit seat [after witnessing a little bit of it managing to short circuit some critical systems... He later fixed it when we were planetside], he stored the jar underneath the seat. It was over for the moment when we decided to rob a museum for some jedi artifacts, which in itself was hilarious.

 

So, after failing at the dice rolls, an alarm, a shootout, and flooding the bathrooms as a distraction, we all escaped into our parked ships and that fun guy went to his fighter craft. We all took off with several Y-Wings in hot pursuit of us [in the universe, this was the time when the Y-Wing was the most advanced and feared starfighter in the galaxy]. So, the comedian pilot was screaming profanity into the comms to us [i had to roll the dices to see if I can successfully shut off the radio while piloting and evading. I failed and ended up tuning the radio to playing that Cantina Music, which every one of our characters hated ] and trying to dodge TWO Y-Wings In a sprawling city with skyscrapers and traffic worse than New York during rush hour. Me [being the pilot of the transport] and him had to roll dices to lose the pursuiters. I won most of mine and shot them down with laser turrets.

 

He, on the other hand, wasn't so fortunate. His dice rolls were neutral, but was good during the critical moments [managed to scrape along a building instead of crashing into it, doing a barrel roll near an orphanage and not crashing, avoided crashing into the space cabbage merchant truck] but then during a close dogfight part, his dices said he got a success but a despair [read: Critical Failure]. We all suggested ways what this meant [The success meant he didn't crash and die, but the despair meant the character wish he did... So like being hit on the engines, tractor beam by the police, crashing into the hospital in front of him] and the GM came up with the best solution. Since he got a critical failure, in-universe what happened was that and I quote: [i remember it all because how how hard we laughed]

 

"Marcus Antoine [the pilot] did a barrel roll to try not crashing into the hospital in front of him and end our session a lot shorter than expected, and to try and lose the Y-wings behind him. You pulled on the joystick as hard as you can and witness the first Y-wing flying past you, and saw the pilot's expression of surprise and anger. But um... Remember that jar of man-milk from earlier? You never said you secured it.... [The rest of us were like "Oh my god..."] Your character also sees his jar of jizz flying across his field of view, and smash into the cockpit glass. The glass is fine, but now there is a large splotch of jizz on your cockpit window that's blocking your view. In utter disgust of how horrid the stench is and the sight of it, your character flips out and inadvertently hits the joystick again all while screaming "OH GOD WHY?!?!?!?", smashing your ship into the other Y-wing and pushing it into an oncoming truck and completely destroying your pursuers. You want to breath a sigh of relief, but yeah... horrible stench... And now you can't see in front of you! Would you like to wipe off some of it so you can see what's in front of your ship?" 

 

 

So I'd be a really bad GM for making a roleplay based around lesbian foxgirl maids, giant warships, angels, and adorable kiss scenes?

Not exactly. But if you start your first RP as a GM around that without any experience with GMing whatsoever, then it's just bad news. It's just that usually the GMs will try railroading steamy scenes and love interests with the foxgirls, angels, and kiss scenes [and railroading is bad]. Giant warships are too OP for players unless they can command one [somehow], and aren't fun for RPing. [because many challenges can be overcome by an orbital strike. Not fun at all.]

 

If, however, you are a veteran GMer, then pulling off an RP with all that and having a decent plotline all the while isn't so much out of reach. 

Edited August 14, 2014 by Javelin434

[Javelin434 3,164]

HargleBlargleboo, thanks to you, a new section has been added to the Guide. Thanks for the contribution!

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

Now that I actually look at this I realize how good it is.

And about your character death part, in "The Experiment" roleplay...

 

 

My two characters died. And not at the same time.

One was host-forced (I really didn't mind)

And the other I did.

 

Both of these characters I had were twins, and after the brother twin died, the sister twin actually made a clone using her powers.

This I know now I should have not done.

 

 

 

Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to roleplaying

Some people are better than others at stuff.

 

You see...

I'm horrible at being a roleplay host.

I love doing 1x1 because I can actually speak to the individual person and we can collaborate.

I mainly control all female characters...which can be bad.

All of my roleplays die.

I've only had I think three actually completed roleplays.Two of those were 1x1's.

I make shorter post because I don't think roleplayers need to make long post.

Quality is over quantity in my case.

[Arya Stark 1,337]

Both of your deaths were fine Neko! At least all of your characters were good in the Experiment! The only person that made a difference in that one was Sylar for me, and well, that's not necessarily a good thing.

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

Everyone has diffrent talents when it comes to everything.

You, Yuffie, are very good at being a villian.

[Arya Stark 1,337]

My trinity of powerful/really good characters has a villain, anti- hero, and hero, so I think I'm decent at a bit of everything. In that particular RP though, I got shortshifted in terms of groups of characters.

 

You're really good at having these female characters that are always unique and weird but still enthrall in to watch. I don't know what it is about them, but I can't keep my eyes off them. That's your talent.

[Javelin434 3,164]

Now that I actually look at this I realize how good it is.

And about your character death part, in "The Experiment" roleplay...

 

 

My two characters died. And not at the same time.

One was host-forced (I really didn't mind)

And the other I did.

Both of these characters I had were twins, and after the brother twin died, the sister twin actually made a clone using her powers.

This I know now I should have not done.

 

 

Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to roleplaying

Some people are better than others at stuff.

You see...

I'm horrible at being a roleplay host.

I love doing 1x1 because I can actually speak to the individual person and we can collaborate.

I mainly control all female characters...which can be bad.

All of my roleplays die.

I've only had I think three actually completed roleplays.Two of those were 1x1's.

I make shorter post because I don't think roleplayers need to make long post.

Quality is over quantity in my case.

I try my best to make this guide not suck

 

In all due seriousness, I'm actually working on a section that addresses post quality vs. post length. if you can give me an example of some quality posts both short and long, and bad quality posts regardless of length, it would really help me out in editing the section. I'm currently working on criteria that constitutes a "good/high quality" post.

Even though I'm still working on it, I'll be sure to credit you if you can show examples so I can analyze them.

 

And in response to your post:

Don't call yourself a horrible RP host. I don't know why you would say such a thing, but if you're basing this solely on "all of my roleplays die," then it is the player's fault for not participating in your RPs. 

Edited December 24, 2014 by Javelin434

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

I will definitely help you in finding good and bad quality post.

It might be a while though.

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

Examples of good post of quality:

 

 

Sampson was taken aback a little when she snapped and looked a little scared. "Right teach. Everyone! My name is Lance and that's all you need to know!" Lance announced. With that, he took a seat behind Lilith noticing Nathan behind him. Nathan knew who Lance was too. "I might need to keep an eye on him," Lance whispered to himself.

 

Lance looked forward at the lesson now noticing the girl he had passed by. She had white long hair and held a presence that hushed the room. She's pretty... almost like... Lance thought shaking his head. His main mission was to find Her, not to fall for some other girl. But.. what if.... Lance shook his head once again. He needed to fulfill all of his duties. However, he could not stop staring at Lilith.

By xXUtopiaXx on http://kh13.com/forum/topic/77312-ao-no-exorcist-memories-of-a-distant-past-1x1-between-utopia-and-neko-chan/

 

 

Ah, parties. Veran enjoyed them. So many people engaging in delightful conversation, and a lot of the ladies seemed to appreciate Veran's looks. Of course, this party was different. They weren't here for friendly banter. This party had Veran on edge. Those two from before....if they were up to something, this would be the perfect time for them to act--when the crowds were thick and Lady Aya was lost in them. To ensure that did not happen, Veran made sure that he was around her at all times.

"If m'lady sees anything out of the ordinary...direct my attention. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it.."

By Silver Kuroi on http://kh13.com/forum/topic/78054-kuroshitsuji-black-butler-7x7-roleplay/page-5 

 

 

 

This next one is by me~ http://kh13.com/forum/topic/82867-joy-and-cheer-rp/page-2

"Ohhh someone is lattee~" Shiiro teased, looking at Aurora.

As soon as Shiiro heard the damned varmill start mocking her chocolates. Shiiro raised her voice, holding her chocolate box in the air. 
"THESE ARE THE FINEST CHOCOLATES ALL THE WAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF JAPAN I DON'T CARE IF THEY ARE INFECTED THEY ARE DELICIOUS." 

Edited December 28, 2014 by Neko-chan

[Javelin434 3,164]

Examples of good post of quality:

 

By xXUtopiaXx on http://kh13.com/forum/topic/77312-ao-no-exorcist-memories-of-a-distant-past-1x1-between-utopia-and-neko-chan/

 

By Silver Kuroi on http://kh13.com/forum/topic/78054-kuroshitsuji-black-butler-7x7-roleplay/page-5 

 

 

 

This next one is by me~ http://kh13.com/forum/topic/82867-joy-and-cheer-rp/page-2

Ok, so what was your criteria that you applied that made these posts fit your definition of 'quality'?

 

Also, since you're the one who hates long RP posts, I wanna ask: Where should the line be drawn for post length, and when is it ok to go over this invisible line of length? I need your definition in order to successfully complete the section.

 

The reason I'm asking you is because I was involved with this one roleplay where all the posts were long, I mean really really long, but fully immersed the RPers [and possibly readers] into the story. The example of what I would love to achieve can be found here: http://kh13.com/forum/topic/65461-light-fall-a-kingdom-hearts-roleplay/

 

Would posts like those in that RP be ok in your book because, despite the length, it is of superior quality, or would it be considered 'excessive' by your standards and thus fail the criteria of a good RP post despite the quality?

Edited December 28, 2014 by Javelin434

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

I'm probably just not going to help you with this Javelin.

[Javelin434 3,164]

I'm probably just not going to help you with this Javelin.

But you already did?I guess I'll have to do this on my own then OnO

[Arya Stark 1,337]

I can help you if you wish Jav

[Javelin434 3,164]

I can help you if you wish Jav

I would appreciate it ^u^

[Arya Stark 1,337]

I would appreciate it ^u^

What do ya need me for?

[Javelin434 3,164]

What do ya need me for?

The same thing I asked Neko: what constitutes a "good" RP post, and since I'm biased towards longer posts, what is an acceptable RP post in terms of length. Like, what makes a good long RP and short RP post, and bad RP post. 

 

I know bad RP posts, but it was mainly because of basic grammatical and syntax errors

Edited January 4, 2015 by Javelin434

[Riys Hassam (TheGamer) 1]

Heh yeah most people are biased to longer posts but that doesn't mean you should delete a post because it's short look for spelling, grammar, and topic if it's off topic entirely then it's not so good

[Javelin434 3,164]

Heh yeah most people are biased to longer posts but that doesn't mean you should delete a post because it's short look for spelling, grammar, and topic if it's off topic entirely then it's not so good

Ok, so basic grammar, sentence structuring, and syntax is a must, which is obvious

 

But what I'm trying to find out is what distinguishes a good RP post from a bad one despite the basics. All I know is that it involves vocabulary used and the way a post describes something [English teacher's "Show, don't tell" shenanigans], but I have no idea how to describe it

[Riys Hassam (TheGamer) 1]

Heh looks like you could learn more from your students then yourself.

[Javelin434 3,164]

Heh looks like you could learn more from your students then yourself.

Which is why I'm asking for help.

 

Any pointers on how/where to start?

[Riys Hassam (TheGamer) 1]

Well look at different rp posts then if you find something that doesn't fit that's one example and you might find things neither of us have found yet.

[Arya Stark 1,337]

A good RP post is one that tells you stuff. Obvious right? But it's true, if an RP post has a point, has decent spelling and grammar, and makes sense in context, then 94.3% of the time it is good. 

 

But for extra help, it is good to keep in mind stuff that you seem to know. Here are a few questions to help you tell if it is really good, or just alright.

 

Is it good writing?

This is stuff that any sensible English teacher will teach you. Use plenty of adjectives, adverbs, complex vocabulary to spice things up, but at the same time, don't make it sound stilted. Keeping the writing fluent should come above any kind of descriptive words. Making sure the writing sounds natural and if it does, go wild with making stuff sound epic with all those complicated vocab words teachers thrust down your throat.

 

Does it have a clear voice?

Voice is one of those fickle things that changes a lot. In my opinion, the voice of a piece of writing comes from the mood/tone it creates. So, one should try to drive that mood/tone home all the time using words and structuring the writing so that the feelings come across in the way you want. Purpose also comes around here. Make sure that the mood/tone matches the purpose of the post. Lets use a Neena example; if say she were to come across the wielders that had massacred her village, and burned it to the ground, then if the post felt happy that wouldn't match right? You can't be using positive words and short broken up sentences in that situation. No, the tone should be as dark as possible, negative and angry. Then the purpose of meeting these dreaded enemies would match the dark vengeful voice.

 

Does it match the character?

This is something that I personally like to think I'm good at. Make sure that the way the post is written matches the character you are writing it for. If you have a dark vengeful character that has trained for years to assassinate those who had wronged her, then make sure that the post matches how the character is. Drive points home using body language and thoughts that the character might have. An excellent example might be a complex emotionally scarred Victorian era inspired biologist with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. I would need to drive the point home every single post just how smart this guy is, just how devoted he is to his work, and just how much he has been affected by the events in his life. So, in order to do so, I might continually use complex words, note factual observations that only barely connect with the events, and have him work every second of spare time he has. Successful driving personality points of a character in the post.

 

Is the dialogue and body language realistic?

This is hard. As ordinary people, we aren't all the heroic, quick witted protagonist that can respond to an insult from a villain with an amazingly clever and demeaning one liner. We stutter and misspeak all the time. But people don't want to read a post with somebody stuttering constantly, or messes up an insult by saying words in the wrong order. So we have to keep it as realistic as possible in other parts. Use spacer words, know what a character might think of in that moment of time, keep it pertaining to the character. Same thing with body language. You don't have to point out every meaningless blink and twitch that a character goes through. Just point out the little ones that make sense. Have them run their hand through their hair or fix their glasses when nervous. Have them blink repeatedly when seeing something unbelievable. Little stuff like that keeps body language potent.

 

Okay, I think that's all on what makes a fantastic post. Now, what is length, and how does it pertain to an RPer.

 

Short posts = death. Pretty simple. If you ask me, a short post is one that is under three lines here on a KH13. If you are writing somewhere else, make it 5 sentences or longer. Shorter than that, is generally unacceptable. Of course, one should be tolerant. If it is one one liner in a storm of decent length posts, then it's okay. No need to be too strict. But if you find yourself or another doing it too often, maybe you should take a step back and look at what you're doing. 

 

Long posts are generally better. Generally. An RP post can be as long as it wants to be, I don't really care. But, if it is going to be long, then it should have purpose. And lots of it. A long post is one that is longer than two paragraphs if you ask me. If it is longer than that, and doesn't have enough purpose to back it up, then it is bad. In my book. Another thing that helps support a long post is fantastic writing, fulfilling and going beyond the expectations outlined above.

 

Okay, now that that's over, what is purpose?

 

Purpose isn't a big mystery. Purpose is the goal of the post. The end. Okay, t's slightly more complex than that. Purpose can be a lot of things, but from the writer's point of view, the main definition of purpose is this: what I intend to accomplish by the end of the post. There is a long list of acceptable purposes, and very very rarely will you find a post that doesn't have some form of purpose in it. Some examples of acceptable purposes:

-Moving from one location to another that will move the story along

-Observing and interacting with the surroundings as they relate to the character

-Noting things about the environment and other characters that will later be useful

-Interacting with other characters

-Characterization through past or present oriented thoughts of a character

-Fighting someone

 

There are my thoughts on stuff. Yuffie's Guide To RPing. *bows*

 

 

 

Heh looks like you could learn more from your students then yourself.

Hey, no need to be a jerk about it. He is asking for input for a reason.

[Riys Hassam (TheGamer) 1]

Geeze I wasn't trying to be rude.

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

Soooo Yuffie, you are saying that post like mine and a lot of other people, even including our moderator Silver's post are unacceptable?

What would you do for these unacceptable post?

 

And Riys was not being rude, he was trying to support other people opinions.