RP Etiquette

1. to assume the attitudes, actions, and discourse of (another), especially in a make-believe situation in an effort to understand a different point of view   verb (used without object)     This is why we're all here. We've proven that time and time again in the characters we've created and the stories we've written together. This is just a basic guideline to help us all continue to write these amazing stories together.  

Engage:

If you want to write a story by yourself, by all means... go be a novelist. Create your own character and your own story and never be bothered by others. But, if you're here to RP, that means you have to actually get out and RP.  

Interact:

Again, if you want to write a story by yourself, go for it. But RP means it's about, all of the story. We all have our individual characters and want to see those characters progress. Help each other along. Help build the story, not just your story. Some of the best adventures come through the unexpected twists and turns that are added in when we combine stories with others.  

Respect others:

It's crucial to treat people with respect and generosity in role-playing communities. To assist people in improving their role play, consider providing constructive criticism as an alternative to just RP checking. The act of critiquing or highlighting errors in another person's role play, in a patronizing or disruptive way, is known as "RP checking." This kind of behavior inhibits other participants' imaginations and inventiveness making the role play experience less enjoyable for everyone involved. It's important to recognize that not everyone has the same background or expertise in roleplaying. Some players might be new to the community and still getting to know the ropes or simply might view a scenario or character in a different way. It is not up to you to dictate how a person should play their character.  

Show patience:

We're crossing a lot of national borders in this melting pot here. Lots of different languages, time zones, customs. Some take longer to translate than others. We also have a variety of role play styles here. You're not required to post paragraphs at a time; but there are those who do prefer that. If you post one line then walk away without waiting for a response, you might as well not leave your house. Most para-RPers will take 5 -10 minutes for a post. If it's creeping up on the 15 minute mark and you're not sure, shoot an IM just to ask before walking away. While it's frustrating for you to wait, it's also frustrating for the typist to work on a detailed post that answers everyone involved in the scene, only to have people leave before it can be posted.  

Try to follow P.O:

P.O = Posting Order. It's simple. Take turns. Remember going to preschool or kindergarten? Yeah, way back when... when you were taught how to share? You're sharing here. You're sharing the story. Take turns. It's easy to get confused in PO sometimes, especially when there are more than 3 people in the scene. Feel free to ask, or to set up a PO marker. If you're in a space where chat range crosses but the scenes aren't joined, such as in the throne room or tavern where there is a scene round every corner. Break off into a separate PO. Communicate with those around you using group chat or an IM. Just remember that the RP happens in local and the OOC happens in IM or group chat. Don't mix them.  

Keep it IC:

Sometimes it's hard to consider what your character would do, and play that true instead of playing it the way /you/ would respond. For example I play Jack, Jack does some things similarly to the way that his typist does things. Jack is a part of my imagination and personality. But he's not me. I am not Jack. I don't live his life anywhere except for in this fantasy world of SL. Sometimes RP is intense. If someone draws a blade and confronts Jack with it, I don't actually have someone sitting next to me, holding a sword to my throat. If you find yourself getting too worked up over a scene or unable to step back and look at it to respond as your character would, it's time to take a break. Either afk or log out for a while and come back when your head is clear.  

ICA = ICC:

Basically, you can do what you want. You will take what comes with it. If you act shady, people are not going to trust you. If you act an ass, people are going to try to punch you in the face or otherwise bring you down. If you are always fun and happy, people are going to freak out when you lose your temper. If a noble woman walks around with her tits hanging out, she's going to lose all her respectability and name. If a man insults another, he will get slapped or challenged. It's bound to happen. Just like in life, there are consequences to our choices. Same for your character. Karma is a bitch.  

Metagaming:

Using out of character information you obtained elsewhere, in roleplay. This may include the character’s bio or listening to scenes you were not a part of, OOC conversations, etc. All that you can know about a character is what you obtain through RP with that character or others who know them. Simple example: If you were roleplaying for the first time with someone you know out-of-character from your friends list, you would not greet them by name, you would introduce yourself and get their name first. Anything you know about them outside of the RP is gone, if you have read theirbio, know them personally, etc. RP starts with a clean slate and the character is a stranger to you until you get to know them and their story through RP.  

Consent:

Do not make a change to another character without the player’s explicit permission. This includes injuring them, touching their body, using magic on them, or declaring how their character behaves in response to your actions. If ever in doubt, ask the player OOC and check on their comfort level throughout the process. Just like in real life, consent may be withdrawn at any time. Two common ways to ask for consent are:

An OOC discussion

Stating that X character attempts to do an action, and allowing them to respond in their next statement;

In some situations like combat, romantic, or sexual scenes, partners discuss and agree upon what is and is not permitted before writing the scene. These rules may cover the entire scene or the duration of the relationship. After a scene, it’s always a good idea to do a quick check with your partner to see how they’re feeling. RP can be intense at times, and some people benefit from support afterwards.

Keep an element of realism:

Yes, this is a fantasy world. Yes, lots can happen. We're basing our setting and our stories on the spirit of the books of GRRM. If you're not sure what would be a realistic injury, IM a mod or a maester. If you're not sure what would be realistically available, check in a shop or with your family. We have people working hard to maintain a by-the-spirit environment for us, footing the bill, creating the setting, presenting the lore. It's just flat out disrespectful to throw that to the wayside and do your own damn thing anyway.  

Say it, don’t think it:

There are times when your thoughts will be relevant to the scene. If you're going to think something, emote a sign of expression. If you're thinking something upsetting, it should read on your face or your body language. If you're thinking of an insult... don’t! Spit it out or keep it to yourself. An insult in a characters head with no outward expression of disdain is nothing but OOC hostility with the excuse of "it was RP." Give other players something to react to. If you want to insult someone, do it out loud or don't do it at all. If you can't RP with someone without getting upset, then don't RP with them at all.  

Excuse yourself:

We all have RL, and all have times when we have to urgently step away. There is a difference between an emergency and just walking away to go make a sandwich for 20 minutes without setting AFK or telling someone. SL provides many options for marking that you're afk. If you're going to be gone a long length of time, let someone know so they don't wait on you. Excuse yourself from the scene, and go somewhere out of the way. If it's going to be more than 20 minutes, log out. You can always log back in when you're done.  

Read:

You can't RP without reading and writing. If you're skimming posts and not reading them, you're missing key details. You might miss a person's mood, a key description of the setting, or mis-read something that will make you respond incorrectly to the post. Remember how actions have consequences? If you're not really reading the RP around you and you respond incorrectly to the scene, you have no one to blame but yourself if your character ends up in some shit. Read it, and re-read it if you have to.  

Have fun:

If you are not having fun whilst you RP then you are doing something wrong. Remember the IC personality is not the person. The typist is probably smiling or singing in my case as they type. So try to do the same, enjoy the story and let it flow. If you let go then trust me the ride is much more fun!