LESSON Recognizing when posts in a roleplay affect your character.

Diana

LOOK HOW CALM SHE IS
Original poster
ADMINISTRATOR
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
10AM - 10PM Daily
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
Genres
Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy, Thriller, Space Exploration, Slice of Life
Sor's Rant on Paying Attention to Posts said:
It's easy, extremely easy to become so enamored in your characters contributions to the RP your in that you fail to recognize the contributions of the other players. Thus we begin this workshop. This workshop is a gentle if not poignant reminder that when we RP we are not the only one the spotlight is on. Granted, it's easy to believe that we are; it's easy to build up that conceited confidence that our posts are the only ones that matter. It's easy to believe that our posts are the only ones that are moving the plot forward.

With that kind of conceit comes the very real, and very annoying quality this workshop is aimed at. Ignoring the physical/personal affects other players have in-game. We'll begin with environmental effects: Explosions, Magick, Weather, etc... How many times have you submitted a post with a weather effect, say a storm? That is “drenching your character” Only to have that weather effect ignored by the next poster as if it didn't happen? Or perhaps you are fighting a number of enemies, you specify how many you've destroyed with your kill abilities, only to have the next poster say in their post that they “took down all the bad guys”. It's at this point you slowly realize your heart has stopped beating, an inevitable face palm follows, and you wonder if reading is no longer a legit requirement for forum based roleplaying.

I'm not sure why Diana told me to write this as a workshop, it's more a rant than anything. It all boils down to a very basic principle, a principle we're taught the moment our parents realize we comprehend what they're saying; Pay Attention! Utilize those reading comprehension skills! If you're in a group RP with three or more people, read what others are writing. If it affects you, respect those effects enough to include them in your post. If you don't, you'll just make the RP feel awkward. Nobody likes an awkward RP.


Diana's Exercises on Recognizing Cues & Details
Sor has just given us one of the biggest rants many roleplayers have about other players when they post. Players that don't pay attention to major details. When it comes to little things, we all accidentally miss details here and there. Sometimes we mix up what time of day it is in the roleplay or character names. The problem comes in with players who have a chronic issue with not paying attention. Here are some things you need to scan for and keep a note of while you're roleplaying!

Location of each player character and non-player character.
Probably one of the most important things to know when you're about to type your post. Where is each character? Are they in the same room as yours? Are they outside or in another room, but within hearing distance? Are they on the other side of town and no where near your character? Many people make huge mistakes with "realistic distances" because they're trying to interact with a character that is no where near them. Or they totally ignoring the comments/actions of a character that is RIGHT THERE. Make sure you know how close they are to your character and whether or not what is happening to their characters also affects your character.

A Game Master's Plot-Posts.
When you see a post by your Game Master, pay attention! They are often posting vital information that is going to directly affect what is going on with your character. See if they have changed the location, brought in or removed dangers/enemies, or even killed off an NPC or character. Take note of how they described the scene you are in. That is how you will know if your character should be scared, entertained, or provide some other emotional reaction.

Avoid being a "psychic player".
A "psychic player" is where a character knows information that -shouldn't- know, just because the player knows it. For example, the character somehow magically knows without any reason that someone on the other side of the city is in danger. Or the character somehow knows what another character is thinking, even though nothing was said or done to let them know that information. Psychic playing like this can be very annoying for other players because it doesn't make sense.

Scene Cues: The Quick List
When typing up your posts, make sure you remember and have taken note of the following:

- Location of characters in proximity to yours. Are they within interacting distance or not.
- Has a character or npc directly spoken to or did something that affects yours.
- What is the "mood" of scene and is your character responding to it appropriately.
- Keep in mind the time of day, weather, or other environmental affects that apply to the scene.
- Remember to keep the information YOU know as a player separated from what the -character- knows.
 
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