How To Roleplay Online! (Haven)

   Right, time to confess. Most of you probably think I only draw and maybe play video games when I get home. This is only partly true. What actually takes a majority of my free time is online roleplaying. For me, it's a free range of creativity that allows me to express some pent up feelings. So this is my passion. And I'm willing to expose my "nerdy habit" by sharing some simple rules and guidelines I've learned to make RP-ing enjoyable for everyone. It's probably gonna be a long post, so sit tight. 

   NUMBER 1 - THE SETTING AND THEME

   This needs to be clear and set first and foremost, because without it the in-universe rules are unclear. This can either be the easiest or hardest step, depending on where you are. You can pretty much boil down your options down to three places:

      - Some one else's forum/chatroom with their rules. Easy mode. In a forum     the first post will detail the situation (it's a high school murder mystery!),           usually along with a character form. Chatrooms don't have this luxury, but         most people are kind enough to let your observe the situation before               hopping in. This IS someone else's "universe" though, so you have to play by     their rules. Still, this is a good option for newcomers because it doesn't             require a lot of maintenance and you can stop and go whenever.

      - A fan forum/chatroom. This can go a lot of ways, but it requires intimate     knowledge of the franchise. Because fans can and likely will point out flaws,       especially if you're roleplaying as a canonical character. So it can be risky,         but the good news is if you DO have a lot of knowledge about whatever you     don't have to think about the setting at all, because someone else made it       and it's known to everyone involved already.

      - Your own chatroom. Hard mode. If these restrictions have been getting       under your skin then good news, making your own rules is totally an option!     But they have to be at least somewhat developed, or no one will be                 comfortable on what's okay and what's not. I personally use this system in a     kind of "anything goes with reason" fantasy universe, but there are still             definite places and limits on powers my friend (I'll call her Zasi) and I               created. Your own rules allow the most creative freedom, but allow needs         the most maintenance.

    The theme also helps define the in universe rules of a roleplay. If you're in a romantic themed, for example, murder is probably best kept to a minimum. That's better suited for a mystery or horror. Simple as that. 

   So pick whatever you're most comfortable with, and jump in with your character! Which brings us to...

   NUMBER TWO - CHARACTER.

   Again, depending where you go the difficulty can vary. I'm not going to list the options like I did with number one, but know you don't have to be an artist to describe what he/she/it looks like. But unless you're going to be roleplaying as canonical character in a fan forum, I severely recommend you put as much thought as possible into your character. Too much thought. Who are they and what do they stand for? What would they say this very moment? 

   (Jak: I think you're insane and creepy.)

   You can find character forms easily on just about any corner of google, but these along cannot be the entirety of their being. Roleplay is like a collaborative story, people want to read and interact with interesting and well developed characters. There's also specific guides on this subject alone, so I'll try to be brief and just say you're going to be this or possibly many many people. Not characters - people. So you should think of them as such, and you'll probably have an easier time using them.

   NUMBER THREE - SHORT/LONG FORM

   This is pretty simple, since it's just deciding how you want to write. There's two generally accepted forms and they each give off their own tone. Short form resembles a script, and looks and feels more casual even in the more tense moments. It really boils down to this:

    Jak: What? Why am I an example again? Don't you have any other names? *sigh*

   There's other ways to convey action, but using asterisks is fairly common, and no one's going to attack you for using something different. Alternatively, there's long form, resembling a proper paragraph. It also details the environment and the character's inner thoughts more than short form does:

    Jak glanced around the stark white room, feeling annoyed. There was nothing but words. Words that spelled how to do something or another, but there was a message just for him. Say something. "What?" he said with some annoyance. "Why am I an example again? Don't you have any other names?" He let out a sigh.

   It's a minor point in the end but it can affect your experience in the end. You're just about to start! But like most things there's some universal rules to remember...

   NUMBER FOUR - DON'TS. 

   These are like laws, you just don't do them because it annoys other people. Everybody follows these few guidelines.

   1. No "God Modding." This refers to a character that is invincible. They cannot be stopped or defeated. There's an urban dictionary entry for this exact thing if you need more detail. But it's a solid rule because it's unfair to the other players, not to mention irritating or, at worst, offensive.

   2. No "Puppet Mastering." This means making another player's character say or do something without their permission. This can come up innocently in fight scenes (Zasi and I usually put the action *tries to ...* in these situations with the other confirming if the attack landed or not), but otherwise it makes the offender come off as a control freak jerk face. Don't be a control freak jerk face.

   3. No Mary Sues. This is a complicated issue that is annoying to both deal with and explain. Fortunately, there's a litmus test. It's a pretty good if long form that helps explain what makes up a Mary Sue and helps you avoid making one. I try to take it any time I think of it, just to make sure my main character isn't becoming too unbearable. 

   4. Don't Break "The Rules." The Rules refer to the rules of the in-universe. If there's no dragons you can't have a dragon. Simple as that. 

   5. Don't Be a Jerk. Be polite. Zasi and I swear all the time and have our characters try to kill each other all the time, but this might not be okay with others. Know what's okay with everyone before you act in a potentially ill way.

   And so . . . that's about all you'd need to know! Good to know I was right, this is a really long post. Enjoy your time!