Basic RolePlay

Basic Guidelines and Tips for Good Roleplay

In Character (IC)

Conversations that take place IC means that they are part of a roleplay scene and are typed in the local or nearby chat bar. One person speaks to another person, or group of people, and then waits for someone else to type a response. Please be patient, as some folks are slower typists than others.

You should type complete phrases, and not use the "text-speak". For example, you would type "thank you" instead of "ty." Other common no-no's are: lol, omg, idk, yw. These acronyms are fine in IMs or OOC chat, but they take away the realism from IC roleplay.

In roleplay, you should see and hear only things you would be able to see or hear in real life. It is important to remember not to use certain information in roleplay if it would not be realistic to do so in real life, such as name tags, group tags, minimap, flying or camming to places that you cannot see within your view, etc. For example, no one has a name tag floating above their head in real life. So, before calling someone by name in roleplay, if you had not previously been introduced, find out that information through a roleplay conversation.

Out-of-Character (OOC)

Out-of-Character conversation is non-roleplay information that may be needed at times, such as "brb" for "be right back" or "I need to relog." Please enclose it with (( )) if said in local chat. Anything OOC you feel you must say in local, keep it short so that it will not be confused with the roleplay conversation. For example, if you are having computer problems and need to relog you would type: ((I need to relog)). Some viewers will automatically close the typed phrases with )), so you only need to type (( at the beginning of your OOC chat. If you want to use the auto-close parentheses, you'll need to enable it in your Preferences.

Rule of thumb: If it doesn't advance the storyline, then don't do it.

Emoting

An emote is a line of third person narrative with your character as the subject. Typing /me to start a sentence removes the colon after the name in your posts and creates a sentence with the avatar name as the subject. Emotes are the basic tool of roleplay. Use them to describe expressions and actions that can't be clearly seen in the SL interface. They express both motion and emotion.

Roleplay is so much more than just moving an avatar from place to place. It's about creating and interacting within a story and expressing how you think and feel about what is going on around you. Emoting is when you describe your feelings, thoughts, and actions beyond what your avatar can portray. Others cannot see if you are happy, sad, angry, getting ready to shoot them, etc. These need to be emoted.

Emoting is a form of narration, in present tense, and is very simple. You type in the local chat bar the emotion that you are wanting to convey by first typing /me followed by the emotion. Here is an example:

    /me looks down, cheeks flushed, embarrassed at the comment that was just said

Turn Taking

Emoting and turn taking make Role Play the game it is. Sentences don't have to be long to be powerful. Vary the length to add interest and hit the enter key at the first possibility of response. Then give other players a chance to respond before continuing.

Accept the Facts

Accept the facts provided by the scene and the players. To advance, say "yes and"—accept the information and add something to it. This "staircase" is what moves the plot along.

Continuity

Create a character and stick to it, whether through a single session or in immersion play. The character gives you motive. Stay in character, make your character fit like a second skin. Remember your character's situation and try to take your next step from where you left off. Avoid scenes and actions that are out of character or require a back story you don't mean to use again.

God-Moding

God-moding is not fair and it spoils the fun of discovering who other roleplay characters are and allowing them to weave their own story into the roleplay going on around you.

Godmodding can refer to either the act of giving yourself godlike powers (being untouchable in combat, unphased by any spell or ability, etc.), or forcing actions upon another player without their consent and giving their character no time to respond.

Solution – Ask yourself "Is this realistic?" when you are faced with a situation. When in doubt? Tone it down. Take the hit. You do not have to make a martyr of your character (in fact – please, don't.) But taking hits, giving others reaction time… it is the stuff great RPs are made of.

How do you avoid accidentally Godmodding someone? Adding in an "attempt" or an "aim" to your post. Make it clear you have not actually accomplished a movement or followed through – and it is up to them to make it connect. Just as you would prefer for them to do for you. Respect is key in all aspects of RP.

Also, in roleplay you cannot decide what happens to another player by assuming their thoughts, emotions, reactions, or what happens to their avatar or their possessions. You can set up a scene, but then you should allow them to respond for themselves. An example would be if you are an outlaw and wanted to rob someone, you cannot just walk up to that person emote that you've beaten them over the head, they've fallen down, and then you've grabbed all of the money they had in their pockets. Here's an example of what you can do:

 /me sees a stranger walking alone, looks around to be sure no one else is watching or able to help, and sneaks up behind the stranger and puts out his hands to knock the stranger down

You have now given this other person the opportunity to respond. They may choose to allow you to rob them in roleplay, or they may choose to run away. Then you respond accordingly, and thus goes the scene.

[ Use of RLV, or other similar controls necessitate a certain level of God-Moding, minimize it where possible ]

Powergaming

Roleplay – which thrives off of logic, character and cooperation…. building a character without regard for balance or story is a big 'no-no'.

Powergamers come across as immature and insecure, needing to be the absolute best. Powergaming hurts everyone. Playing to "win" makes the RP less fun for everyone involved. Other players are constantly having to make room for the powergamer and their abilities, or dealing with the fact this character will never be on their level (if they deal with a powergamer at all.) And the powergamer is deprived of a well-rounded character and some of the meatiest parts of RP.

Solution – Your character is, more than likely, mortal. Play them as a mortal! Give them room to grow, room to falter…. flaws! Some of the best RP in the world comes from the character grappling with their weaknesses. All Heroes and especially Villains struggle with themselves – with the world around them. Everyone has some kind of balance to them. Take a chance and embrace the weaknesses of your character. Live in the mortal world. It is a much more enjoyable place.

Metagaming

"Meta-gaming is a player using OOC information In Character, or allowing OOC information and opinions to influence their character's decision and speech."

This is a very human mistake – and more forgivable in some ways than the previous two. But it can also be very damaging and break immersion – not to mention require extensive fixing by yourself and others later, and it always leaves a bad taste in the mouth. If you're in doubt as to what information your character is or is not privy to- just ask! IM the player you're working with or who remembers to find out more. Better yet, keep a log of important RPs in your inventory for just such an occasion so you can look it up and be 100% certain what you know and do not know.

The Solution for metagaming is easy if done beforehand. When in doubt – remember less. Be vague. Do not react to mention of the thoughts of other characters that aren't verbally expressed. "Miss" a movement someone does if you're not certain you should see. Do not respond to narration that isn't made explicit to your character's perception. As you type about it you might actually remember more… but there are plenty of reasons your character might not divulge everything about a situation. And, even more, it is very realistic for things – even big things – to slip your mind and require a follow-up conversation to pass along. That happens every day in RL, why not in SL too?

Translator

If you are in a roleplay scene with someone who speaks a different language, it is wise to use a translator. There are several in SL Marketplace.

Teleporting

Do not teleport in or out of a roleplay scene

You can't disappear into thin air in real life, so if you are involved in a roleplay scene in SL and must leave, it's best to roleplay your way out of the scene and then walk off to another area (e.g., inside a building or around a corner) before logging off. Or if you want to take a shortcut to a neighboring sim, you should say goodbye and walk away from the roleplay scene rather than using a landmark and teleporting out.

If you know that you will only be in-world for a short time and may not have time to engage in a roleplay scene, it's best not to start one and then have to leave in the middle of it.

Your Character's Background Story

Everyone comes from somewhere and has a personal history in real life, and the same goes for roleplay in SL. The amazing thing about roleplay is that you can create your own adventure, develop your own unique story as you interact in other players' stories. Other than the limits of the time period and culture in which you choose to roleplay, there is no limit to the possibilities except your own imagination.

Who are you?

Where did you come from, and why are you here now?

Are you looking to settle down or just passing through?

Do you have a family?

Are you rich or poor?

Are you a law-abiding citizen or a ruthless outlaw?

Think about what makes your roleplay character tick, and then put that backstory in your profile but then allow it to be revealed to others in roleplay so that they can get to know you and know how to react to your character. And also allow your character to evolve as you allow other roleplayers to interact and perhaps have influence in the development of your character.

Respect for Other Players

Remember, that not only are you playing out your own story, but your story fits into the bigger picture of the story of the SIM where you are participating and the stories of those who are roleplaying with you. Please be respectful of players, both IC and OOC.

Even if your character is a vicious outlaw or just plain rude and mean IC, please don't carry that into OOC. Remember that there is a real person with real feelings behind every avatar. Stay mindful of the Golden Rule to do to others what you would have done to you.

Another aspect of respect involves your participation in a roleplay scene. When you enter a scene already in progress, it is best to stand on the side quietly for a moment or two to get the feel of what's taking place and then slowly move into the scene, unless someone already in the scene has acknowledged you. Then feel free to jump right in.

Please adapt your behavior to the roleplay scene in progress. If it is a serious scene, don't barge in with a comedy routine. We are here to roleplay not watch a three-ring circus. Let's strive to create authentic roleplay and not be silly just for silliness sake.

Play It Through

Do your best to see a scene through to its natural conclusion. You owe it to your fellow players. Try to avoid unnecessary interruptions of play, understanding RL comes first.

More Ideas to Build a Scene

• Add history. Use or invent a common history to fill in color for the scene. With group rp and long running story lines this comes naturally—but you can also invent it on the spot and your partner can accept the history and play along.

• "If this is true, what else is true?" if you are given a fact about a character, incident, object or scene, ask yourself what else might be true and go from there.

• Add detail. Use details to fill in and color the scene.

• Play a contrasting emotion and raise the stakes by challenging other players to action.

• When stuck, say anything at all rather than nothing.

• When another player is stuck, supply information they can respond to.

• Cut straight to the interesting part. Don't start with "hello", start with "HELP!! SNAKE!!" or the like.

• Start with a characterizing action—an action that defines your character and offers an opportunity for other players.

What Not To Do and When Not To Do It

Power Game Faults

• Godmode — pre-empting the rp choices that belong to other players. Taking the role of the "omniscient narrator" by supplying other people's actions, reactions and thoughts. Rejecting other player's facts.

• Metagaming — building on "facts" that were not presented during rp, including introducing information gained from ooc chat or rl facts. Also: using rp forms to comment on the play rather than staying within the facts of the play.

• Denial — refusing to accept or contradicting the facts presented by other players.

• Turn Stealing: Stringing actions together in a single post so that other players have to choose which to respond to or don't get a chance to respond.

Continuity vs. Accept the Facts

Many discussions of RP conventions have reasons on both sides because at times Continuity and Accepting the Facts come into conflict. Players resolve these conflicts to their own satisfaction in different ways.

• Should I address players by name when I can clearly see their name?

Continuity: No. This spoils the realism of the play.

Accept the Facts: Yes. Hovering names are an sl fact, it's silly to pretend they don't exist.

RECOMMENDATION: Get there first with "my name is __ what's yours" or similar as suits your character. If someone addresses you by name without prior rp, accept it as fact and move on. Don't embarrass other players by meta-gaming your critique of their play.

(Likewise with: Teleports, References to the existence of RL, Profile Statements, Logging in and out, etc.)

• If another player emotes their thoughts, do I respond to them?

Continuity says no, Accept the Facts and Turn Taking says yes. There is another wrinkle to this issue however. Emoting thoughts, especially if those thoughts express emotions, can be a kind of metagaming since it invokes an omniscient narrator. If other players can see the thoughts but can't respond to them without breaking continuity, the player who introduces the thought gains an illicit control of the game.

RECOMMENDATION: The player who emotes the thought prefaces it with a facial expression or gestures that allows other players to "sense" the thought and respond to it. Similarly, a player who receives a thought emote can supply a detail that indicates the emotion being expressed.

RLV, SIN Tracker, & Other Tools and Roleplay

Use of RLV devices raises the stakes of traditional roleplay. Many physical acts of restraint and control can be directly simulated by RLV. Many traditional roleplayers object to the use of RLV because to them it means players can somehow "get away with" pushing buttons rather than posting text. And many players object to having to fumble with menus and touch events while simultaneously producing a smooth flow of dialogue. Here is one moderate approach.

Accept the RLV Facts

If a player is cuffed or restrained in some way by RLV, that is as much part of the scene as any fact supplied by the players or otherwise present in the scene.

For players who have taken the effort and expense to place working gags in RLV shared folders where they can be accessed by other players and forced on, just a text "gags X" falls short.

Likewise, if one player goes to the trouble of using an RLV trap to capture the player, accompanied by a line of rp describing the action, and the other player refuses the trap, that is a form of denial.

On the other hand, it can be quite difficult to manage complex menus and commands while at the same time preserving the flow of play.

Sim Rules, SL TOS, and Questions About Roleplay

Final note, for the most enjoyable and safe roleplay experience, please remember to read and follow the sim rules where you are roleplaying, and you should also be familiar with Linden Labs' Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Standards.

Roleplay Best Practices

• Take turns to post, respect the other player.
• Be patient, good ideas take time to create.
• Enjoy winning and losing, equally.
• Learn by active role playing.
• Write emotes we can react to; thoughts=difficult
• Adjust a bit to your fellow players style of RP.
• Adapt, support, be forgiving and not uptight.
• Be sure to make all situations fun for all
• Try to pick up on hints given to you.
• Celebrate the difference between IC & OOC.
• Know what godmod, metagaming & powerplaying is.
• Put your human on and don't be an asshole.
• Accept that your story can change its path.
• Accept IC responsibility for IC actions.
• Thank people in IM's after intense RP
• Be sure to make all situations fun for all!
• Remember IC enemies are OOC friends
• Let the RP flow with scant OOC guiding
• Acknowledge people who have entered your RP scene
• Be sure to make all situations fun for all! (get it yet?!)