Setting Up an IC

[Sir Salty]

So many times, have I witnessed GMs, who setup an IC, and setup their own characters, but not the environment we're in. In the OOC they behave as if we should know what that setting is.

I always take the setting up of an IC as a setup in the movie. Long panning shots of scenery, explaining in a semi length of where they are, who is where, and then zooming in and focusing on one character. It doesn't help your members much if you write. We'll pretend this RP is about Five friends who need to meet at a cafe in town;

Rex woke up to the sunny day. He sprung forth from his bed, and opened the door to his home. He wanted cereal for breakfast, and that's what he did. He wondered if his friends were already at the cafe. Rex opened his cupboard, damn no cereal.

Rex, huffed, grabbed his keys to his car and drove off to the cafe. He was the first one there. He sat down.

I'm horrible at example writing pieces. But that's an extremely bare bone IC post, and trust me I seen some pretty bare bone ICs. It's essentially crucial to draw in your setting in fantasy and science fiction RPs. And RPs in worlds that aren't quite like our own. But for the sake of simplicity instead of writing all about Rex, we really should be setting up;

The fall leaves were crisp in the neighbor, if there was always something a little funny about the neighborhood. Was that Jason lived across from Rex. While Emily was five blocks down in a forest green house.

^Again simplicity for the sake of simplicity.

The point is the laws and rules of writing don't change just because it's an RP. You still have to write Who, What, When, How, Why, and Where of your IC.

Yet, I see many GMs neglect this and get straight into the Who and What. But never answering the how, when, why, and where.

We need a time.

A season.

A setting.

We need our world to be established and that means your character should take a backseat to your IC. Except that you can take my opinions with a grain of salt. Or you can see some value in it. *shrugs*

 

[Brovo]

Ehhh'... I usually chalk it up more to people not grasping how conservation of detail and proper pacing function as narrative devices. Plus, a lot of people will write something and not really understand how others may visualize that something.

But, yes, generally, the GM's job is to establish the setting. Give outlets and things for people to do. Set things up and then allow other players to explore those things. Even if it's linear and devoid of choice, you have to start somewhere and learn. GM's create the road the players walk on.

 

[Dervish]

If any GM wants their game to go anywhere, they kind of have to set the stage and give people an in and some direction, because if they just write like they're a player, they run the risk of starting things off as a bit of a confusing mess.

My introduction posts are usually on the lengthy side out of necessity; players need to have the right amount of information to have any sort of cohesive establishment.

 

[Minibit]

Sometimes Roleplays run in a kind of shared-Worldbuilding style where everyone creates the setting together, in which case I think it's okay if the GM just describes the setting insofar as their character is concerned, because the other players will do the same and - granted there's strong OOC communication - all the pieces will come together!

As a one X one -er, I'm fine with doing it like this, but I've had partners who preferred one of us take on a GM-like role in covering the setting and that's fine too

As with anything, communication is key. I think any style is fine so long as everyone is on the same page!