Discuss RPG tips for anyone [help thread]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"][B]Welcome to another help thread by Premontion.[/B]

I've usually had trouble with my RP's. I can never attract any customers as much as others do. Now a lot of these 'unanswered' RP's have great potential. So is there any way to attract people to your RPG? Post any tips here for attracting those great RPers of OB. I could use some for sure, but this is more for the other members. [/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]I'd give you some tips and all Prem, but a cursory look at my last few RPGs show have either fizzled out early in the play stage, or never even gotten out of the Inn.

One I can give you however is to ask/blackmail friends to join, that's always a good way of getting extra people.[/SIZE]

[Tetra of sound]

I must need a lot of help. I made a lot of effort, plenty have looked at it, but nobody responds! I really would like someone to join. I think I'm starting to beg....

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I wish I could offer you tips Prem but to be honest, I wouldn't know what to say. I've only done two rpg's so far and some of the success behind those I believe is that I had people interested in it before it ever went up in the Adventure Inn. So I already knew that people would be part of it. So like Gavin mentioned it might be a good idea to see if you can get some of your friends to join. ^_~

I think it's also a good idea to have a certain amount of plots as well as objectives worked out before you ever post it in the Adventure Inn. But then I like a certain amount of direction so it makes it easier if you already know that you will have lots for the players to do. Though that's no guarantee that people will sign up.

I think another thing that affects it is if people are already doing other things. Personally I absolutely adore Star Ocean but I'm busy enough that adding another rpg to my agenda isn't going to happen. Even though I'm down to the very last post for Silver One, I'm doing a sequel so I'm busy planning for when that goes up in a short bit.

I'm also currently part of Shinigami Dance as well as the dual rpg I'm running with BKstyles, Project Starship. So obviously that makes me more picky about whether or not I'll join something even if it's something I do like. I doubt I'll join the Abyss when Darren puts it up even though it's something that interests me.

Anyway, I wish I had more advice but at the moment I honestly don't know what to tell you. Well other than good luck. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I'm also currently part of Shinigami Dance as well as the dual rpg I'm running with BKstyles, Project Starship. So obviously that makes me more picky about whether or not I'll join something even if it's something I do like. I doubt I'll join the Abyss when Darren puts it up even though it's something that interests me.
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]The abyss will never go up. I'm convinced.

Prem, a good key is for your rp to have a general direction of what it's going to be like beforoe you post the sign-up. I remember a recent rp of yours where you gave the story but no indication as to what players would actually be doing or how the game would be played. Remember, the gameplay of an rp is more important than the story itself.

For example, in Esper Jam I gave a rather thorough description of how the game would be played before starting it. In Shinigami Dance, the game actually began [i]without a story.[/i] i only introduced the mechanics and no one knew how the story would develop until chaper two of the game itself.

It's also a good idea to be reliable and have a good track record. Prem, your rps are known for dying early, and your posts in other rps are judged as well. Look at Esper jam and Shinigami dance - in both of them, you always do your own thing and don't group yourself with other players. Now, I've only ever been n one of your rps, and in that one, all of the other players had already met up and started being chased down and stuff, while your guy was busy with his own completely different agenda.

People look at your old material to judge what they're going to do with you in the future. I was a major player in The Maze, and so people trusted me with the Panopticon, and I did a (relatively) good job on that, so people who saw that joined my newer rps.

As SunfallE said, timing is really important. You don't want to start an rp when everyone who would participate is busy. A lot of the major role-players are currently involved in a lot of projects, so you want to wait for some of them to die out before you make yours. I actually puched Shinigami Dance back a lot from where it would have started beasue of Project Starship and stuff.[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]It's also a good idea to be reliable and have a good track record. Prem, your rps are known for dying early, and your posts in other rps are judged as well. Look at Esper jam and Shinigami dance - in both of them, you always do your own thing and don't group yourself with other players. Now, I've only ever been n one of your rps, and in that one, all of the other players had already met up and started being chased down and stuff, while your guy was busy with his own completely different agenda.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]The others have already given you some good advice Prem, but I'm going to second this one, since in many ways I think it's the most important. You do go off on your own tangent instead of working with the other players. This has been the case for the Panopticon, Esper Jam and Shinigami Dance. When you do that, it takes the fun out of it since it makes your character completely unpredictable. Plus you tend to simply add your own NPC's to interact with.

If you want people to join your rpg's you need to show them that you're going to be a part of the story with them instead of being off in your own world. To be honest, playing with someone who doesn't make the effort to work with your character is no fun. For all intents and purposes it's like your not even in the same rpg when you do that. And people notice that sort of thing.

In the end, I'd worry more about working on your current rpg skills instead of getting people to join one that you created. Start working on being part of the story and having conversations with the other players. Once you get better at that, others will want to join your rpgs. That's a big thing that I look for, how well people work together when they are in an rpg. [/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Well, I intend to join a lot more RPG to get active. I have to make a character for Shy's latest Rp, Weekly World News. I know I drift away form people, mostly becuse when I have gathered with others, I ended up making their characters look bad. For example the RPG Keyblade Wieder made a year back. I used her character and I got thrown out. I just don't have luck with that.

The idea behind the Star Ocean RP was that every member would be in the group together. Which ment no stand alone's in the RPG at all. that's moostly why I wanted to make a sequal to Star ocean: Till the End of Time by using the characters from the game.

But it didn't work so well. The Kingdom Hearts Rp I had a while back was the one with the most interaction with the players. Specifically Tempest's character. I intend to delete my post in Shinigami Dance, and go looking for the player's characters.

The RPG I plan on making next will come after I get some more experience.
Oh, and I plan on joining the Silver One sequal later, I've become interested with the first RPG itself. Thank god it's going to be up in a few months, that gives me the time to get better.

I join DB's RP's moslty because it helps me better than others. Mostly because it attracts the higher quality Rping members.

I'm just glad that my quality has improved. I used to post like this. {WARNIING: may be harmful to the eyes} "hey i really like this RPG, I plan on joing son.KThnx bye!"

But now it's just like those weight loss commercials with the "before and after" pictures.[/COLOR]

[Annie]

[quote name='indifference'][COLOR="Indigo"]
In the end, I'd worry more about working on your current rpg skills instead of getting people to join one that you created. Start working on being part of the story and having conversations with the other players. Once you get better at that, others will want to join your rpgs. That's a big thing that I look for, how well people work together when they are in an rpg. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[size=1][COLOR="Brown"]I concur.

When I first jumped into RPG's, I immediately wanted to do my [i]own[/i] story[s]. But I soon found out that no one joined, or if people did take interest, it never went far. As soon as the RPG hit the Arena/Square, it fell flat on its back and players went totally out of control. The RPG turned chaotic, and there was no way to keep the story on track.....mainly because I didn't have a good idea on how the story should've panned out.

So, after two or three failed attempts, I decided that I should just sit back and enjoy the ride of someone else's creation. In doing that, I was able to sort of "watch" how things were done. I watched how the RPG creator gave direction; sort of like a movie director, if you will. I communicated with other players and bounced ideas off of each other to coordinate. I asked countless questions, no matter how ignorant and wacked they were. I still, as "old" as I am, haven't really got on the saddle and made something of my own that I could be proud. Which is just dandy with me, I enjoy participating in other's stories and help their visions step into the light. It tickles me, especially if it surprises everyone and forges bonds that are unexplainable and unbreakable.

This is always a great start for making your own RPG's. Get involved, become [more of] a team player, collaborate with other OB members, watch how an RPG works, look for your like's and dislike's. Learn.

If you know a member who's pretty good at RPG's, and you have an idea, run it by them. Ask them their opinion, or advice. Maybe they'll like it and will want to expand your idea.[/size][/color]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

I'd like to mention something nobody else has mentioned yet: an RPG's title. I remember one RPG someone (I don't remember who it was) tried to make a while ago. It was titled 'Dragon Heart'. Now, for those of you who don't know, there is a movie by the name 'Dragonheart' (there was also a sequel, 'Dragonheart: The New Beginning'). When I saw the title Dragon Heart, I though I might like the RPG, since I enjoyed the movie Dragonheart. So I read the backstory. The backstory was something about a dragon sealed away or something (this was a while ago, and I don't remember the specifics). Nothing to do with the movie Dragonheart, but whatever. I though that maybe he hadn't heard of the movie (it's not exactly a new movie), and I like dragons anyways, so I kept reading. It wasn't until after the backstory that InuYasha was mentioned. It was an InuYasha RPG that did not mention this in the title or the backstory. Not being interested in InuYasha, I left the thread.

When that RPG didn't really get any sign-ups, the creator made a topic here asking about why it failed and how he could make it better. Meanwhile, I'm thinking 'duh!'. To me, it was obvious why that RPG didn't attract people. The title, Dragon Heart, was one that would attract people who liked the Dragonheart movie and people who just liked dragons in general. But the RPG had nothing to do with Dragonheart. It was an InuYasha RPG. But InuYasha fans weren't attracted to it, because the title made no mention of InuYasha. So not only did people who viewed the thread get something totally unexpected, but the people who would have been interested, InuYasha fans, didn't know it had anything to do with InuYahsa.

When it comes to attracting participants, an RPG's title is one of the more important things. You want the title to have something to do with the RPG's story. If the RPG's story is based on dragons, dragons should be mentioned in the title. If demons are involved, the title should reflect this. If it's based on a movie, book, TV show, etc., the name of the movie/book/show/whatever should be somewhere in the title. The title also needs to be something that catches people's interest. An RPG titled 'Star Wars' wouldn't attract a lot of attention even among Star Wars fans. It's a bland title. It doesn't sound interesting. So Star Wars RPGs on OB have always had attention-grabbing subtitles.

A few general tips about titles:

1: Don't make the title too long. If you've got a huge title, try cutting any redundant words. Some subtitles may also be unneeded.

2: I'll say it again: the title needs to have some relation to what the RPG is about.

3: Don't be unnecessarily vague. You don't want people going, "What the hell does that mean?" The reaction you want is, "I wonder what that's about?" So your title should be vague enough that one can't see what the entire RPG is about just from the title. It should just be enough to get people curious about the RPG.

4: If you're retrying an RPG, add (Second try) or something like that to the thread title. That way, people will know the RPG's being done again. Otherwise, people may think someone revived a dead thread.

Well, that's what I have to say.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Well, I intend to join a lot more RPG to get active. I have to make a character for Shy's latest Rp, Weekly World News. I know I drift away form people, mostly becuse when I have gathered with others, I ended up making their characters look bad. For example the RPG Keyblade Wieder made a year back. I used her character and I got thrown out. I just don't have luck with that.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I guess I just have one question for you then, when you use someone else's character do you pm the person who is controlling that character to see what they think? It is something I have done and the other players in Silver One have done on a regular basis. When we are doing a post that includes the other person's character, often we've pm'd the other person and said, hey, this is what I have in mind what do you think? That helps to avoid making major mistakes, at least until you've been rpging for a while and have a better feel as to how their character would react.

Often they've made suggestions other times they've said that would work. But basically, for most of the major times I've used someone else's character, to some degree I've worked with the other person to make sure I'm not 'making them look bad' as you put it. It's not necessary every single time, but it does help.

That would be my advice, making sure you are communicating with the other players, that way when something is off, no one minds since they know you're putting in the effort to get things correct. And even then, it's easy to use the edit button to correct any glaring mistakes. :catgirl:

[Vicky]

[SIZE=1]Communication! Talking with players and [strike]threatening them to post[/strike] asking their opinions normally works. Making them get involved keeps them alive for longer, and their character. If the player disappears for awhile, and their character is off on some solo quest, then they're likely to die out and never get back in the game.

I'd have to disagree with the whole idea of asking permission to use someone's character. I think the characters are all part of the story, they have to be involved in your posts. If you as an RPGer can't grasp the [i]idea[/i] of a character by their sign-up, then either the person who created the character has one whack sign-up sheet or you're not that good. If you improvise with someone else's character then you should ask afterwards if it's okay, but I find that if you go ahead and try your best to keep everyone in character, the story flows better. It's more interesting for everyone else - no one is picking up from their last post because someone else has posted and changed the direction of the characters to suit the game.

I'd also agree with the title thing. The format of a game also helps, too. I normally leave threads alone if the title looks 'dodgy', the look and feel of an RPG is normally what draws me too it. Good graphics sometimes help and a nicely laid out piece.

Personally, one of my most favourite techniques is have fun. Especially as the creator. If you're laid back, they're normally the same (although I tend to start off my RPGs a bit harshly, looking for the best players and then sitting back). If you make good friends with your players you'll also find your characters doing the same thing - Gifts and Curses, for example. I still miss the players in that, and most of us ended up becoming pretty good friends. When you're friends with them, everything becomes instantly easy and falls into place.

I think that's the most important then, the relationship you have with your players. Obviously it works differently for me because I start off harshly and then mellow down, but I reckon it's easier if you're getting along with the players.

I think that was already mentioned =/[/SIZE]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Vicky'][SIZE=1]I'd have to disagree with the whole idea of asking permission to use someone's character. I think the characters are all part of the story, they have to be involved in your posts. [B]If you as an RPGer can't grasp the [i]idea[/i] of a character by their sign-up, then either the person who created the character has one whack sign-up sheet or you're not that good.[/B] If you improvise with someone else's character then you should ask afterwards if it's okay, but I find that if you go ahead and try your best to keep everyone in character, the story flows better. It's more interesting for everyone else - no one is picking up from their last post because someone else has posted and changed the direction of the characters to suit the game.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]Heh, and I'll have to [I]disagree [/I]with the part I bolded. Though I do agree to a certain extent that one should be able to pick up on other people's characters. [I]However[/I], I think its unrealistic to have that expectation for the players as a whole. It puts, in my opinion, unnecessary expectations and pressure on those who wish to participate and for some that's a huge turn off. Especially when they are new to rpging.

When I first started I avoided rpg's with more elaborate signups since to be frank I had never done it before and I found the level of experience that creators expected to be not only intimidating, but unfriendly as well. It turned me off on being interested in rpgs for the longest time.

So I personally think that if someone is in doubt, especially if its a major event, by all means pm the other person instead of improvising. Once you've gotten some experience under your belt, that improvising becomes a hell of a lot easier and more fun. But definately don't think you have to be able to do that immediately, I think that is something that over time you get better at doing.[/COLOR]

[Vicky]

[SIZE=1]Maybe I should have said that, because I can find the problem now XD

Well I think one of the best ideas is for the first part of a game get everyone to 'get to know each other'. Sometimes, my sign-up sheets are far different from my character. When starting the game I often refer to the Inn to get an idea for the small parts of the story. Then when it comes to big involvement, I've seen the characters in action and I have enough information to go about using them properly. Obviously if I'm unsure, I'll ask them about it.

There's another point to add - intimidation. Sometimes it works well if you want to keep new players out, but I openly admit I do give [i]everyone[/i] a chance. I think I let Premonition in Doomsday (sorry about that game as well, I was under a bit of stress and really, really harsh haha), and I let a very, very new gamer in Gifts and Curses. The problem is, despite this, no one wants to join because it looks intimidating. If you're willing to give new players a hand and trust them (good example: Darren! Best new RPGer I've ever seen haha), then don't try and make your games too intimidating. Smilies and jokes work XD.

And if you portray yourself as friendly you'll get newer people. If you're overly controlling, even arrogant, you can scare the kids off. Offering help constantly works good too, and like I said, giving people a chance if you think you can help the new guys out. I really hate it when new players don't get in games without a chance - how do they get experience, if no one wants to let them?[/SIZE]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Hmmm... I guess I should clarify a bit. By suggesting pming people, I am mainly referring to when you are new. When I first started I had never done rpging before so I often found myself talking to the other players to help me understand what to do. Now for the most part I do not unless I want to be clear on something.

So I guess what I was trying to say is if you're uncertain, don't be afraid to ask. The underground thread is a good place for that as well. To bring up questions or doubts you have about how to proceed. :catgirl:

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I knew Doomsday was... well, doomed. It was fun but it didn't have a sting to it. Sting sounds like I wanted it to be rude! XD But it just didn't feel like it had the 'oomph' that it should have had. I don't remember you being harsh either, but I will miss seeing you in the arena. It feels sorta empty without Vicky there. :(

I make my graphics using MS paint. I started doing this after I saw DB do it, and it looked good. It feels bettter to make a simple graphic than using Photoshop.

I sometimes use pop culture to name my RPGs. One I started a while ago, the Transparent Society, was based after a novel of the same name. Now the new one I'm making in a few months is named after a really good Coheed & Cambria song of the same name.[/COLOR]

[Vicky]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I knew Doomsday was... well, doomed. It was fun but it didn't have a sting to it. Sting sounds like I wanted it to be rude! XD But it just didn't feel like it had the 'oomph' that it should have had. I don't remember you being harsh either, but I will miss seeing you in the arena. It feels sorta empty without Vicky there. :([/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Due to an unbelievable nothing-to-do-ness, I might do another game sometime soon... so screw my original promise, there's no way I can't not do an RPG.

And sorry A_M, I think I was reading a bit too fast. That's a good point especially for new gamers, that when you're uncertain you ask. Most of the time, they either don't jump in because they're not sure, and do jump in and get it wrong. The latter is more irritating...[/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I think it's also a good idea to have a certain amount of plots as well as objectives worked out before you ever post it in the Adventure Inn. But then I like a certain amount of direction so it makes it easier if you already know that you will have lots for the players to do. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]I have to agree with this, especially if you have new players. When I first started, I didn't have a clue what to do even though I wanted to be a part of the rpg I signed up for. And I'm pretty sure Silver One was the first since I joined just so I could be part of it. Heh.

Still having that direction from Beth really made it easier for me to learn how to effectively rpg. She gave us enough to go on and yet not too much either. So if you want to do your own rpg Prem. It's definately a good idea to have plans as to where it will go and what the players will be doing before you even post in the Adventure Inn.

I think I must have spent over a month getting ready for the Maze and that was even with a perfectly good example to build off of. Also, once you write that sign up, send it to someone to look it over. I sent mine to Sandy and he essentially ripped it to pieces [[SIZE="1"]I gave him grief over that but still in the end he was right and I apologized for taking it too personal[/SIZE]] Anyway, what happened though is I was able to revamp it completely and come up with a much better and more focused idea.

In many ways I owe the success to his input as well as Beth's since they helped me to see where I could do things better. So even if you come up with an idea and you want to start having fun immediately, hold off and do the homework first, in the end you'll have a lot more fun since you'll know where you're going.

[Tetra of sound]

Not that this matters to many people, but I would really like for someone to join my rp.
I have had nobody join, no matter what I do! I made a decent story, there is combat, and you don't have to be human. I've been reduced to begging! I've waited a week or more! Should I not make it to where only 7 people will get to play in the end? Please, someone, help me get SOMEBODY to join!:animecry:

[GuyYouMetOnline]

It may be the Phantasy Star part. I don't know how much of a fanbase that series has on OB, but if there isn't a decent-sized Phantasy Star fanbase here, a Phantasy Star RPG isn't going to do very well.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I am a huge PSO fan who would readily join a PSO rp and has tried to create oe here before.

The reason I will not join your rp is because your 'great story' is one paragraph, and you used every color in the rainbow on the sign-up page. i [i]hate[/i] when people do that.[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][quote name='Tetra of sound']Not that this matters to many people, but I would really like for someone to join my rp.
I have had nobody join, no matter what I do! I made a decent story, there is combat, and you don't have to be human. I've been reduced to begging! I've waited a week or more! Should I not make it to where only 7 people will get to play in the end? Please, someone, help me get SOMEBODY to join!:animecry:[/QUOTE]Actually what DB said is correct. You haven't got much of anything to go on for your rpg. You don't have to be as though as this one but it does give an example of a real back story behind an rpg: [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=55992"][U]Silver One[/U][/URL] Or you could look at this one: [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56803"][U]The Maze[/U][/URL] As you can see, both of them though they vary as to how much of a background they have, they do have one, where your's quite frankly, did not. Take this part here:
[INDENT]As recruits of Kari, you must be obedient. Your tests shall be difficult. Those who pass shall become hunters. Good luck![/INDENT]
You could have expanded on why they had to be obedient as well as giving examples of these difficult tests. Just as your opening bit could have been several paragraphs to give people a feel for what they are getting into.

You mention starting equipment and money and yet explain nothing about whether or not they need repairs, how they would earn more money. No lists as to equipment they could earn. In other words, the entire thing is full of holes and confusing and I've played Phantasy Star!

My advise to you would be to take a look at other rpg's review the rules on how to create one and even join a few to see how others do it. Then come back to working on making your own rpg.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]I can't say whether I should pop my head in here and say anything, what since I've basically just started RPing and all, but I did have a few thoughts, so here goes.

[U]Note:[/U] This is directed at no one in general, but at anyone who wants to listen.


[B]1. [U]Keep It Real - characters[/U][/B] In the almost year that I've been browsing around in the Inn, I've noticed that a lot of the people who sign up for RPs (people of [COLOR="DarkRed"]Vicky[/COLOR]'s and [COLOR="DarkRed"]The Boss[/COLOR]'s caliber aside) unfailingly submit carbon-copy profiles. I realize that there will be some element of similarity inherent due to inexperience – I, for instance, tend to play dry characters who grin a lot, since I am dry and grin a lot. Still, when I see sheet after sheet that says,
[indent][I]"She's quiet and doesn't hang around people too much, but she's really kind underneath...."[/I]

or

[I]"He's a gentle person, but get on his bad side and watch out!!"[/I][/indent]
...then I think to myself, [I]—They really don't know who they're playing. They're just using who they think they are or they think they want to be.[/I] The Player and the Character are not the same person, and the Player needs to know exactly how their character would react to any situation, because chances are the reaction is going to be different...but probably not drastically so, unless the Player is just phenomenal at characterization.

Knowing why they are who they are helps. I find a history is essential, especially since our experiences define our personality. So if your character is incredibly shy, ask them why. Maybe you've got a half-feline who can't stand crossing water even in human form. Maybe your mercenary chick balks at fire because of something that happened in her childhood. Maybe you've got the most whacked-out set of triplets ever. ([COLOR="DarkRed"]4815162342[/COLOR] knows what I'm talking about. ;)) Whatever and whoever you've got, know them. They're human, too.

...unless they're alien. But the concept still applies.


[B]2. [U]Keep It Real - story[/U][/B] I haven't actually tried to run an RP yet, so I can't say anything to that effect. Instead, I'll focus on following...([I]*poked by Vicky*[/I])...which I still feel I need to work on.

Don't be afraid of being creative. You [I]are[/I] crafting a story, so there's no reason to hold your muse back. But don't get so involved in your own thing that you lose sight of the Main Author's plan. Doing your own thing is fine to a point; how else are you going to introduce your character unless you flat make it up? But still try to head in the same direction as everyone else, and don't randomly introduce and eliminate copious amounts of Non-players. Not only do you make it easier to isolate yourself that way, but everyone else probably has no clue what you're doing, and so they'll avoid you even more.

But you need to remember that it's not your story. You're just helping. It's the creator's story, and it needs to go where [I]they[/I] want it to. They most likely don't want to spend time incessantly heading you off and pulling you back into their plot. It feels a lot like trying to work with an undead chipmunk; after a while, you just get tired of all the time going, "Heeere, buddy. Focus now. Right here, right – [I]there[/I] ya go." Try to stay with the direction and feel that they set, and if you aren't sure what to do, ask.


[B]3. [U]Keep It Real - posts[/U][/B] You're going to get a truckload of ideas while RPing, but that doesn't mean you have to use them all right away, or even at all. Throwing in twists is fine, but make sure they fit with the story; you're probably not going to all-of-a-sudden encounter fire-wielding sorcerers in a sci-fi thriller, or cyborgs in D&D-style. Stay true to the situation.

As an example, I'll use the Panopticon – more specifically, that post of mine that everyone raved about afterwards. (Which, to be perfectly honest, felt rather odd.) I'll [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=778560&postcount=90"][COLOR="Blue"]link it here[/COLOR][/URL], but for those who don't feel like reading three pages worth of material, the general gist was that I took the environment, got rid of it, made a new one, godmodded a bit, and made a large gratuitous battle out of the whole thing, culminating with a massive explosion of light that was basically completely ridiculous.

The whole reason for the post was that weeks earlier, one of the characters had finally been released from her imprisonment, having been imbued with some sort of dark presence in the process. I saw the massive explosion of light after reading that particular post, as well as the seraphs I used, but I put the idea on the back burner until I could figure out a way to make it feasible and until the story permitted me to do something that absolutely ludicrous.

The post itself took me six hours to put together, but I probably spent only an hour of that time actually typing. The idea wouldn't have worked unless I played everything just right, and transferring this massive visual into writing not only required accuracy, but also a good set-up and multiple timing issues. I also try to write everything as if, given the scenario, it could actually happen, so that took a while to figure out as well.

All that rambling to say: don't rush your ideas. Vomiting a scene onto a page is fine...if you're doing basic notes. Take your time, thresh it out, and make it work. It may take a while to accomplish, but once you get it up, I guarantee you'll sit back at your keyboard and say to yourself, "Hell, yes!" (That, and apparently you get lots of accolades, which is always a welcome ego-booster. :p)


Hope that does something for somebody.

Later,

-A[/FONT]

[Tetra of sound]

About the colors. I was really bored and couldn't think of anything to add, so I added the colors. I'm gonna fix it up. THAT should really help me. I do have one somewhat-out-of-place thing to say, though - I think someone( not mentioning who.) resents me/my work.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Tetra of sound']About the colors. I was really bored and couldn't think of anything to add, so I added the colors. I'm gonna fix it up. THAT should really help me. I do have one somewhat-out-of-place thing to say, though - I think someone( not mentioning who.) resents me/my work.[/QUOTE]If it's out of place, why say it? Also, I'd avoid jumping to conclusions here. Especially if it involves rpging. Assuming someone resents you is silly when the reality is, you don't know what someone really thinks. That's why communication is so important, sure there will be people you don't like rpging with, but sometimes that can be nothing more than having different tastes as to what you like to see in a story.

If what you are saying is related to this thread, not one person has said anything that indicates resentment. So far all you've gotten is good constructive criticism on how to improve your sign up/rpg.

Also, another tip, begging to get people to join usually doesn't work, I'd take what you've been told and try to learn from it, because simply changing the colors isn't going to make it any better. It needs more substance not a change in visual appearance.[/COLOR]

[James]

[quote]he Player and the Character are not the same person, and the Player needs to know exactly how their character would react to any situation, because chances are the reaction is going to be different...but probably not drastically so, unless the Player is just phenomenal at characterization.
[/quote]

[color=#606060]This is [i]so[/i] true.

In some of my RPGs I'm sure that both myself and other players' characters incorproate elements of themselves to some extent...but in my experience, the most fun RPGs are the ones where people create true characters outside of themselves.

There is something immensely satisfying about creating an entirely new persona, as opposed to developing a character that is merely an extension of yourself. This is more interesting (albeit more challenging) to write, but it's also infinitely more interesting to read for others I think.
[/color]

[quote]Knowing why they are who they are helps. I find a history is essential, especially since our experiences define our personality. So if your character is incredibly shy, ask them why. Maybe you've got a half-feline who can't stand crossing water even in human form.[/quote]

[color=#606060]So true. I agree with this 100%.

The key is consistency and realism. "Realism" doesn't mean absence of the supernatural, it simply refers to consistency within the chosen universe.

In Kill Adam we had a really wild and crazy Tarantino-esque world, but that didn't give people license to do [i]anything[/i] - it just meant that your character had to be consistent with that environment.

And because everyone stuck to that, we had something that ended up being really fun to read. I think this is true for all good RPGs.[/color]

[quote]But you need to remember that it's not your story. You're just helping. It's the creator's story, and it needs to go where they want it to. They most likely don't want to spend time incessantly heading you off and pulling you back into their plot. [/quote]

[color=#606060]I think this is partly true.

Again in the case of Kill Adam (but really in any fun RPG I've been in), the key is that it is a collaborative story. Yes, the creator can set a general direction (as I did in KA), but I always basically implied that the story was built from everyone's contribution.

In many cases, my decisions about chapters were based largely on what others had written. So I never set out with everything planned - it was an evolution. And being able to feed from what contributors have put in is a really great thing.

So although I think you can either have a more tightly or loosely controlled RPG, you have to allow all players to be virtually equal members of the story - you have to give up some control and allow people to inject their own back stories and situations into the plot. If you do that, the other writers will feel that they have some ownership over the project...and it will also make for a more interesting story to read, I think.[/color]