Role Playing Rules

I'm not really an RPG hopper, and the RPGs I do join are rarely RPGs that I sign up just looking at the signup list. They're RPGs my friends plug on the AGOG discussion forums, hence why I'm often around AGOG players.

While I admit it's a bit annoying to sometimes see people drop an RP despite posting in others, I also don't think there should be a rule about that. It feels too controlling.

We can't penalize people for biting off more than they can chew.

I think everyone has that point, where they have a week or two off and can burn it on internet and then when life hits them again they learn why they don't normally do that. It's something that varies too much between individual and the amount of stuff happening to them that's not in their control.

I think people are missing the point that these rules are reasons to bar people from the RP section. Repeated Godmodding, incessantly ignoring the GM, etc, etc. are stuff I support banning people for.

What can you do to someone who is just really attached to write posts a certain way? Maybe say it's grounds to boot them from an RP, but that's covered by two in so far as it needs to be a rule at all.

To someone who has life stuff or too many games and can't RP enough as much because of it? Maybe you can take over/remove their character and give them a smaller role. Again, that's GM decision which fewer would support. There isn't really a point in calling it a rule, though.

edited 16th Mar '13 6:48:05 PM by Fauxlosophe

Like I said, it doesn't have to be a rule; just "use common sense when joining one". People joining lightly and randomly doesn't work well with those that take them just a little bit seriously.

It's understandable that you switch to a new RP if an old one is not working out, but I don't like it when people abandon an RP because there's a new one. That's only short-term excitement that doesn't last.

It's just common sense there though, usually I find people flake worse due to life stuff which makes them unable to RP [sometimes suddenly to the point of not leaving notice for weeks on end].

I'd say Caveat Dungeon-Mastorum; It really sucks when dedicated players fall into a void or outright quit but stuff can be done by simply being slow to make people too plot critical unless you're confidenant that they will stick around.

It's less so than it used to be, but I find the RP section to be very cliquey for just this reason; I join games with the same people who join my games and we tend to know the other will stick around. And I think that's how it has to be, the guideline is unenforcable and not many people deliberately join more than they think they can participate in.

edited 16th Mar '13 6:56:19 PM by Fauxlosophe

Perhaps a new section of the opening post could be dedicated to suggestions to new players, rather than outright rules. Not biting off more than you can chew and the suggestion earlier in this thread of using the watchlist feature could go on there.

And here's another I could throw on for that pile: If you can, try reading any dialogue you write out loud, in the same way you imagine the character saying it. I've found that doing this has helped me re-word what characters are saying, either to better reinforce the kind of character I want to portray or simply avoid them saying something that sounds absolutely weird in the context of the scenario. (Of course if that's what you're going for intentionally... Well, this suggestion still helps, actually.)

So... something like picking fights? Okay then.

I believe this line of discussion would be better suited to the Critique thread that is also stickied up here.

About the "Don't drop out without warning" issue, a common courtesy section would solve the problem without making it a rule. As to the content, the GM should always be informed either by pm or publicly on the discussion thread. It does get somewhat awkward when a dragon tries to bite someones head off and he doesn't react for a few months. Also no matter your real-life situation a quick pm is not that difficult unless you've suddenly decided never to use the internet again.

As for things to add to the current rules, maybe as a subsection to 2., don't try to force an action. If your character attempted to pick a fight with another PC but the guy clearly showed no interest in reciprocating, don't try to force him into it. In extreme cases this can even make someone feel like they don't belong in the RPG anymore and cause them to quit. Similarily if your attempt at picking a lock caused your lockpick to break don't magically produce another ten out of thin air. If a conflict or action is a definite must for you plot-wise, talk it through on the discussion thread first.

edited 2nd Apr '13 6:02:23 PM by HammasHaukka

I've noticed a problem with quite a few of RP's that I'm in, and I feel like a problem that needs resolution would be a thing I've dubbed "stale posting". Stale Posting is when a person posts an action (Only in main RP threads) that leaves no option for the people to continue the story, or follow in their footsteps. So, I suggest an addition to the main list in that we use the "Yes, And" rule, typically employed by Improv comedy troupes. The idea is that the post will encourage more posts, and the story will feel more fluid. Stale posts typically use just the "Yes" part of the "Yes, And" rule, so this rule will ideally remove them. Anyway, I just have had experience with this sort of problem, and would like to see it amended.

I agree that it's a problem, but usually telling someone "Hey, those last five hundred words you posted was just a minor fan fic and contributes nothing to the RP by not letting anyone interact" usually pisses people off, since they don't care and simply wanted to write that scene.

Then how do we keep people from saying "x did y. The end."?

edited 20th Apr '13 9:32:16 PM by mrminun

If you feel someone has said "the end", can't you just try starting something new with their character? Have your post have the "and then.." feel to it and think of theirs as the end of the chapter or something.

Just an idea, and my apologies if it's not applicable to your situation.

I'm a bit new to RP on T.V. tropes so I just want to know if there's any rule of things you can't do while R Ping (Even if the GM says he has no problem with it.). (For example normally on other RP sites they ban things like: mentioning politics, anything involving religion, having an RP that takes control of real people in real life, sex RP, etc.)

Well, for starters, anything that's prohibited under the general forum rules. So that rules out a couple things.

Which includes the sex RP.

That's good, I find Sex RP to be rather Disgusting, and probably wouldn't RP here (at least not as much) if it was allowed. Can I have link to the forums main rules, I wasn't sure if there were any.

Linky

To clarify, a roleplay can have sex in it as long as its offscreen. And with adults.

But it shouldn't be the focus of it. If it's just a part of it, that's fine.

And consensual (afaik)

Nonconsensual is highly discouraged, however.

If by "highly discouraged" you mean "pretty much outright banned". >.> And for good reason.

Since using an Ignore Script is now considered dickish behavior(same as trying to drive any player out), we really should update it somehow with that.

Generally, the purpose of an Ignore Script is solely so one can ignore a player and act like they're not wanted in a roleplay. The issue is this is not brought up to the player in a respectful way, and it makes no one feel welcome when they know another player could simply ignore them on a whit's notice with a program.

In addition, doing that without a program is not favorable behavior either. It's not a good way to deal with a player and doing so also creates quite a lot of drama as is that should not exist.

Also, it appears that every Roleplay perhaps should always have a GM or set of GM's to help prevent or remove drama.

...Forum Ignore scripts were already banned from usage on the regular forum, from what I heard. This subforum doesn't need a special rule for that.

And I don't think every game has to have a GM, just has to have a method that they can use to work out their problems without constant moderator intervention.

edited 24th Jun '13 6:31:05 AM by Raidouthe21st

Could a Moderator confirm that? Sounds like a rumor.

If so, we should still mention the whole "Ignoring and driving other players out" type thing. It wasn't just the Ignore Script alone, but the same type of behavior of it.

Either way, it needs an updating. But I'd wait to see which one to add.

Unfortunately, a GM or set of them do indeed seem necessary now. The huge amount of drama has been coming from GM'less Roleplays quite a lot. Also, I don't know if that's a requirement made by Daltar or if it's a suggestion. It wasn't entirely clear.

edited 24th Jun '13 6:32:34 AM by Irene