Discuss RPGing Etiquette

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Since I became a member and started being a part of the various rpg?s here at OtakuBoards, one thing I have noticed is that what one person considers good etiquette or rather posting rules pertaining to the characters, both player controlled and npc?s, others do not. Now I realize that it will depend on what type of rpg you are in, for example, the death card series. Those had very specific rules. Just as I realize that it also depends on the boundaries set by the creator of the rpg in question.

What I?m curious to discuss here is personal likes and dislikes when you are being part of an rpg, do you like high levels of collaboration? Or do you like more a more free flowing environment where just about anything goes? Also, do you like character driven stories or plot driven? Character driven being that the characters do things because that's how the character would behave, where plot driven has them doing things mainly to advance the plot regardless of whether or not the character really would behave that way.

Personally I like a little of both. In the death card series, the very nature of it gave you total freedom to develop any of the characters however you wished in conjunction with the other players. In the other major rpg I?ve been in Silver One, it?s the exact opposite, it has a much higher level of collaboration in the sense that you are focusing on just one character so you put a lot of work into building them to who and what they are.

Hopefully this can be fun since I?m betting people have very different opinions on what they like and don?t like to see. And I?d like to understand that a little better really.

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Very subjective questions here... Well let's see. When people take charge of other people's characters, in most rpgs I'm in it's usually just a check to make sure that the words they're speaking make sense. And that they're not doing anything massively out of character.

But for that I'm usually just cross checking with their sign ups. I like a free flowing environment with many different plot lines, but highly structured ones have their place as well. But since I'm a hideous jaded misanthrope, I dislike having to talk for very long with others in collaborative fun. Mostly because it's usually either a royal disaster or way too much fun. And fun. Is bad.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]I'm personally a fan of character-driven and collaborated RPGs. I realize that's a mesh of two worlds, but it can be done. I think there was lot of that going on in my old Sonic RPG. It just creates a great atmosphere that gives everyone an amazing sense of accomplishment and is a lot of fun.

That's not to say that I don't like a free-flowing environment, though. It does have its merits and it lets people be a bit more creative, since they don't have to adhere to exactly what everyone else is doing. (It can be more interesting to see what people do with that in some cases, too.)

So, I suppose that as long as what everyone does makes sense, I can enjoy myself RPing (though it's been quite a while since I've been in/hosted one, excluding my current one). ^^;[/color][/size]

[Rachmaninoff]

I like both, ones where the format is defined and ones where it's a little more free flowing. As you said Kathy, it really does depend on the type of rpg and on what the creator wishes. Personally, I think it's important to try and work together in the sense that though you have the fun part of unexpected things on account of others having different ideas, you still have a level of cohesiveness that comes from collaboration and from asking questions to get a feel of what others have in mind for their own characters.

In the end, I prefer character-driven since I like putting the work or thought into understanding why a character would behave a certain way. I like to have lots of ideas in the back of my mind so that depending on how the story flows, I have more than one path to take. I really don't care for plot driven since it's too easy to make a character do something only to serve the plot. I'd rather abandon a particular plot point to stay true to the actual character.

As for etiquette, it's hard to say since as you said people have different ideas. Again, personally, I prefer more collaboration. Because as I've learned from SD, bouncing ideas off of someone else and hashing out said ideas is something I really enjoy. The uncertainty of something like say the death card series was fun, but I like the depth one can get from working together on created a more detailed story. The four way control going with all the players in SD is by far one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had since I started rpging.

[[Sound_Nin]]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]Most of my RP experience is through chat rooms. (Hence saying RP, rather than RPG. Old habits, y'know) So, as such, I like completely character-driven games. It feels more natural, because in reality the personality of a person is a key factor. And they go in whatever direction they go it, no predictions.

As for plot-based, I'm not biased against it. In fact, it's more like acting. Which in itself has its own positive qualities that I enjoy. I just haven't had much experience in that area.

I'm taking it that chat RPGs aren't exactly... smiled upon here. So please excuse, but it's what I'm used to. :animesmil
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[QUOTE='[Sound_Nin];807100'][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]
I'm taking it that chat RPGs aren't exactly... smiled upon here. So please excuse, but it's what I'm used to. :animesmil
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

If you look at the old threads from five years ago, they consist of nothing [I]but[/I] chat-type RPGs. The other variety of games, where there's more descriptive text than dialogue evolved from those games.

In my opinion there's room for both types here. ;D The players are quite strictly divided between them, at least... It's almost as if there are two tribes of players.

But I don't think that has much to do with [I]etiquette[/I]. Etiquette is how you treat other players, no matter what your style of playing is. I've experienced my share of godmodders, powerplayers and dictators, but with some flexibility and understanding they can be usually dealt with. That's not to say I'm a perfect player myself, but experience [I]does[/I] bring talent on how to handle different situations in RPGs.

Losing temper towards the co-players isn't the solution in any case.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Sandy']In my opinion there's room for both types here. ;D The players are quite strictly divided between them, at least... It's almost as if there are two tribes of players.[/QUOTE]Oh I don't know about that, to a certain extent I don't even know what you are talking about since those type of rpg's must have fallen into disuse before I joined. So there's no division on my part, I don't even really know the difference. :p [[SIZE="1"]I'm serious by the way, I really don't know[/SIZE]]

Anyway as for etiquette, I think that depends on the type of rpg you are in as to what would be considered acceptable. A good example is the death card series. In those, no one had direct control over any of the characters so you essentially did whatever you wanted to a certain degree, something you don't do with other rpgs where one controls a specific character.

Now since I enjoy high levels of collaboration, something that I'm currently doing in Shinigami Dance, it's utterly imperative that you don't just post and hope you got it right. It's far less flexible in that respect and yet all four of us in it like working things out in advance. It may sound restricting, but the surprise in this comes from each player having their own agenda for developing their character. So the surprise of where they are going in that respect is a lot of fun.

I can honestly say that after Silver One, it's the second best rpg I've ever been in. I like having all sorts of potential ideas for developing a character and actually getting to use them. Because they weren't derailed by to many other twists being introduced by the other players. This format has lead to a lot higher level of creativity and made it a lot more fun in the long run. It does require a lot more work though and attention to detail. But I'd say it's well worth it. I know I'm looking forward to where we go next.

The next is more free flowing and though it's fun, I really hate it when people post about major events without bothering to say something. Like many people I'm sure, I think about potential paths to take so if someone keeps posting and dragging you along... well that sort of makes it next to impossible for you to do what you wanted. The communication is for that compromise, so that you don't kill off say an npc that the other person was planning to use shortly.

You just have to talk to the other players to find out what they like and stick to it. Or find a middle ground so you don't annoy one another. Though you're bound to have people you don't enjoy rpging with. After all, it doesn't matter how good you are. I have no interest in joining a story I don't care for like say Naruto or Inuyasha. [/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[quote name='indifference'][COLOR="Indigo"]Oh I don't know about that, to a certain extent I don't even know what you are talking about since those type of rpg's must have fallen into disuse before I joined. So there's no division on my part, I don't even really know the difference. :p [[SIZE="1"]I'm serious by the way, I really don't know[/SIZE]][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

You really don't know what I'm talking about? Then let's look at the current RPGs on the front page of the Theater.

One "tribe" of players participate in games like:
- Silver One
- Almagest Legacy
- Gifts and Curses
- Shinigami Dance
- Project Starship
- The Ragnarok

While the other "tribe" plays in games like:
- The Chosen Eight
- Dragon Wars
- Project Restoration
- Naruto: Path to Light
- Into the White
- The Holy Ocean
- Endless Waltz

If you look at the posters in these thread, you see that the same names appear frequently inside each list, but only rarely on both lists. And these are just the games with the most posts on the first page.

Now, it could be that the two tribes are just different cliques - gathering of people who think alike - but if you look at the contents and the style of the games, you can see a clear difference.

Some call it difference in quality, some say it's about approachability, and some say it's just newbies versus oldies. Whatever the difference is, saying it doesn't exist is ignorant in my opinion. Whether this division is a problem or not, that's another issue.

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Sandy's absolutely right, in the sense that there's definitely a division between the more experienced players and the newer groups.

I think some of this may be a quality issue, but at the end of the day, I also think a lot of it comes down to who people know.

For instance, if I was in an RPG with someone at one point and I enjoyed writing with them... then perhaps I'd want to RP with them again.

I think I'm sort of rare in this case because I often try to bring people in who I don't know/haven't RP'd with before.[/font]

[[Sound_Nin]]

[quote name='Sandy']If you look at the old threads from five years ago, they consist of nothing [I]but[/I] chat-type RPGs. The other variety of games, where there's more descriptive text than dialogue evolved from those games.
[/quote]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]Actually, what I'm used to was descriptive. That is, unless there was a typing limit. (On AOL, we used scrollers for that purpose. So it wasn't much of a hinderance.) But I'm not sure you got what I meant... so yeah.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[quote name=''[Sound_Nin];807165'][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]Actually, what I'm used to was descriptive. That is, unless there was a typing limit. (On AOL, we used scrollers for that purpose. So it wasn't much of a hinderance.) But I'm not sure you got what I meant... so yeah.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]

Oh, okay... I just imagine that it would be more difficult to write descriptions rather than dialogue on chat format. The old RPGs here were more like:
[quote]Sandy walks to Sound.
[B]Sandy[/B]: Hi! *waves*
[B]Sound[/B]: Hi to you too![/quote]
That's what [I]I've[/I] become used to call chat format, at least. ;D

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Sandy']You really don't know what I'm talking about? Then let's look at the current RPGs on the front page of the Theater.

One "tribe" of players participate in games like:
- Silver One
- Almagest Legacy
- Gifts and Curses
- Shinigami Dance
- Project Starship
- The Ragnarok

While the other "tribe" plays in games like:
- The Chosen Eight
- Dragon Wars
- Project Restoration
- Naruto: Path to Light
- Into the White
- The Holy Ocean
- Endless Waltz

If you look at the posters in these thread, you see that the same names appear frequently inside each list, but only rarely on both lists. And these are just the games with the most posts on the first page.

Now, it could be that the two tribes are just different cliques - gathering of people who think alike - but if you look at the contents and the style of the games, you can see a clear difference.

Some call it difference in quality, some say it's about approachability, and some say it's just newbies versus oldies. Whatever the difference is, saying it doesn't exist is ignorant in my opinion. Whether this division is a problem or not, that's another issue.[/QUOTE]Hmmm. Apparently I wasn't clear, I wasn't talking about the current rpg's going on, I was talking about Chat rpg's. I thought you were saying there was a division in that we didn't like them when I didn't know what you meant by Chat rpg in the first place. Something your description here:
[INDENT]Sandy walks to Sound.
Sandy: Hi! *waves*
Sound: Hi to you too!
[/INDENT]
Has cleared up so I was right, that style of rpging was gone before I became a member, or before I starting doing much rpging since I don't recall ever seeing one like that or written in that format.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with who's in the rpg by the way, it has to do with whether or not the plot/story is something that even interests me. Take the list you put up, the Gifts & Curses for example. You may list it in the same tribe as you put it and yet it's the type of story I would not sign up for. Quality or even who's in it isn't what I look at when I sign up for a story. It's not even newbie vs oldie. It all comes down to, would I enjoy it or does the story interest me.

There's also the issue of, do I even have time for more? Once I have so many rpg's I'm in, I don't bother to look since I don't have the time for another one. Like Darren's The Abyss. I was already committed to three rpg's. lol But anyway, your other example answered my real question. And my answer is the same, there is no division on my part against "chat" rpg's. I've never done one in that style so I don't know if I'd like it or not. :p[/COLOR]

[Sandy]

Okay, I exaggerated when I said that the players are strictly divided between the two type of games. My mistake. The division between the players is of course not the same as the division between chat format and story format, if one could call them that.

You're right, Crystia, there aren't many RPGs that follow the chat format I was talking about anymore. I've seen some, though. Almost all RPGs are written in story format (familiar from literature) nowadays.

But the playing styles of the two groups of players are still different. I think it comes down to what Kathy said initially about planning things ahead versus going with the flow. I like to plan things to a [I]certain[/I] extent, but I don't want to do it for every post I make. It depends on the game, too.

But this hasn't got anything to do with etiquette anymore, so excuse my rambling. XP

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Sandy']Okay, I exaggerated when I said that the players are strictly divided between the two type of games. My mistake. The division between the players is of course not the same as the division between chat format and story format, if one could call them that.

You're right, Crystia, there aren't many RPGs that follow the chat format I was talking about anymore. I've seen some, though. Almost all RPGs are written in story format (familiar from literature) nowadays.

But the playing styles of the two groups of players are still different. I think it comes down to what Kathy said initially about planning things ahead versus going with the flow. I like to plan things to a [I]certain[/I] extent, but I don't want to do it for every post I make. It depends on the game, too.

But this hasn't got anything to do with etiquette anymore, so excuse my rambling. XP[/QUOTE]I was wondering what you meant by chat rpg as well, so thanks for clearing that up. I can see how that would be quite different, in a way it reminds me a bit of the story format for the short plays for Survivor Four.

Anyway, I think people's preferred playing style factor's heavily into etiquette or rather into what people expect from others. To the point that until you have a clash or disagreement, you don't even realize that you're expecting things of others. For example, I've learned that I love extensive collaboration.

It's ironic that you mention SD, because one, DB pm'd me asking me to join since that's not my thing and two, since he handed it over to me and thus to all four of us, it went from being more free flowing to heavily planned out. And by realizing how much I love that format, I've also gotten to see how much I prefer it over more random game play.

Also, I won't deny that there is some division on my part. I joined OtakuBoards because I was friends with Beth over at myOtaku and I wanted to be able to rpg with her in Silver One when it was going up. I like doing things with her. :p I've since then branched out and done more, but she was my primary motivation to begin with.

Anyway, in the end, I've tried to make sure I'm not being unreasonable with my expectations towards others, after all, unless I tell them, they have no way of knowing what I prefer etiquette wise. And even if I like things that are planned out, I also love surprises too. :)

[[Sound_Nin]]

[quote name='Sandy']Oh, okay... I just imagine that it would be more difficult to write descriptions rather than dialogue on chat format. The old RPGs here were more like:

That's what [I]I've[/I] become used to call chat format, at least. ;D[/quote]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]Haha, nope. I'd say that's more like just everyday talking. But what I mean would be... well, basically RPing, but in a chat. Nawmean? Desriptive, correctly spelt and punctuated, sometimes lengthy.
Although I've not seen much quality in some. But those're just people starting out, so maybe I'll cut 'em some slack.
But I know what you mean, anyway.
Just not what [I]I [/I]meant. :P

Edit: Yes, story format. There's the word. Mostly past-tense (present-tense just irks me. And first-person.) But yes, I see that's pretty much cleared up.

Anyway, etiquette. I'd just say, well, I don't like present-tense and first-person, like I said. But there are other things. Like massive spelling-errors, txt tlk, that I can't stand, but I suppose that's a given. Also, there's those vampire/demon/werewolf/zombie/Oprah/elf/angel people that say 'i cant die im a vamp'. That is completely unacceptable to me. I guess that's a given too. Hmm.
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kenso]

I have a marked preference for character-driven RPGs. I don't like seeing characters bent to work with the plot when their personality says they'd obviously move in a different direction.

For me, it's a toss-up between free-form and collaborative. I really, really like free-form, and that's actually what I'm used to for the most part, but collaborative has its benefits. I tend to RP in something of a middle ground between the two, running free-form for the most part, but collaborating with one or two others when I end up in a group of some sort.

One thing that has taken getting used to for me on OtakuBoards is that most of the RPGs on here grant some form of character control to everyone, though messing with anyone else's character is, of course, limited. I usually play in RPGs where you don't have any say in another character's actions, period.

[Sandy]

[quote name='MoyakuKeramushe']One thing that has taken getting used to for me on OtakuBoards is that most of the RPGs on here grant some form of character control to everyone, though messing with anyone else's character is, of course, limited. I usually play in RPGs where you don't have any say in another character's actions, period.[/QUOTE]

I'm repeating myself here, but your post defined clearly the difference between "chat format" and "story format", MoyakuKeramushe.

See, in story format, it would be nearly impossible [I]not[/I] to control other people's characters to a certain limit - the only way to do that is to have the characters never interact or even meet during the game.

In chat format it goes like "I say a sentence, you say a sentence". That type of gaming is also possible on message boards, but it leads to very short posts and frustration in waiting for other people to post before you can say something else.

Thanks for helping me clear it up to both me and maybe to others as well! ;D

[Allamorph]

[quote name='MoyakuKeramushe']One thing that has taken getting used to for me on OtakuBoards is that most of the RPGs on here grant some form of character control to everyone, though messing with anyone else's character is, of course, limited.[/quote]
[FONT=Arial]Yeah.

To add to what [COLOR="DarkRed"]Sandy[/COLOR] [strike]chattered[/strike] said, it's kind of an honor system, really. Everyone who posts is allowed to take small liberties with other characters because they understand (generally) what they are and aren't allowed to do. Most of the players around here are good at catching and understanding character traits, and play them accordingly.

Plus, one allows one's own character to be used to an extent by the exact same token, trusting that the player who uses him/her won't misplay.

I find that this method allows for massive amounts of creativity, since one isn't hog-tied to a single person. Think of it as writing from third-person limited?from a stuffy classroom sense. =P[/FONT]

[Kenso]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]I find that this method allows for massive amounts of creativity, since one isn't hog-tied to a single person. Think of it as writing from third-person limited?from a stuffy classroom sense. =P[/FONT][/quote]
While I'm finding that I do agree with you on that, in a sense, a lot of my creativity in RPing has been forced simply because in the RPs I've been on, you're usually still required at least a paragraph or two in a post. Granted, many of the posts here are significantly longer than that (I know some of my Sinister Nation posts were insanely long, for example), but 2 sentences of dialogue into 2 paragraphs really makes you think about the little mannerisms your character might have while speaking, etc.