So I'm new here, but not new to rping. I've rped at several sites, with varying topics, and I find the same problems everywhere. I know I have issues with these same issues too! Even experienced rpers make mistakes. So my little guide of awesomeness is here to help you grow into an rper of epic proportions! Woo!
1. Use proper grammar and spelling.
This is a simple enough thought. Using proper grammar and spelling makes it easy for the people you're rping with to understand what you're saying. I know some people might have a bit of trouble with this, but you'd be surprised how more people will work with you if you use proper punctuation.
For Example:
he paddd towerds the cats Hi There he said tale flickng back and fourth.
OR
Appleheart padded towards the cats, tail flicking back and forth, "Hi there!"
See the difference? It helps other people when you talk like you actually know how to spell and write. And if you're having trouble, the wonders of spell check know no bounds! I use Google Chrome and it has spell check nicely inserted in there, so if I do make a mistake, it'll usually pick it up.
Oh, and one more thing, use quotation marks and no asterisks! You could not believe the myriad of ways I've seen people try to get out of using quotation marks. Putting the speech text into bold, using asterisks, italics, commas. If you use quotation marks, everyone knows what you're talking about and that you are actually talking!
2. Know the boundaries of the rp!
This one's an rp killer, folks. I have seen several rps die from what I call, "The Snowball effect." This is when person A creates a character and gives the character powers, without talking about it with their clan, pack, or tribe leader. This creates a vacuum of sorts, since other people, feeling that they are at less of an advantage, give their charries powers too! This is alright in an rp that is based around powered cats, but in a regular rp, there is no better way to tick people off. Because it shows:
1. You didn't read the rules.
2. You trying to become the center of the rp. (More on that later)
3. You have little experience as a strong rper.
For Example:
Sillypaw bounded into camp, eyes glowing blue as she began to mumble about her future
as leader and the powers she would gain. The vision wore off and she found she could fly,
had super-strength, and could see the future.
Appleheart saw and suddenly had a vision of him being her deputy and gaining powers
and could suddenly fly.
There lies the dreaded Snowball effect. So know your boundaries. If you want a prophecy cat, talk to your leader. And I must remind you: The first two sets of warriors had no powers, just strong cats who did their jobs with no powers necessary. So know what you're rp does and doesn't want. If it says no talking to other species, your cat can't do it.
3. Get Involved
This is hard sometimes. You sorta wanna sit around and wait for someone to come and include you. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn't always happen. So you gotta figure out what's going on in the rp and find a way to involve yourself. Otherwise, you get a lot of posts like:
Sillypaw sat in camp, bored.
Then five minutes later:
Sillypaw began to groom himself.
We do know you're there! It's just that everyone's probably in the middle of something and can't get to you right now. I know I do this too, but it's good to go get dirty and get out there on your own to find a situation to join. So don't be afraid to just hop in. First, though, make sure you...
4. Read what's happened!
This is probably one of the most irritating situations in rping. Allow me to demonstrate:
Appleheart and Browntail decided to go out on an expedition to explore the furthest reaches of
the territory. It took them a day and a night to get there.
Once they got there, they started talking about the view.
Sillypaw walked out of camp and over to Appleheart and Browntail, "Hi, what's up?"
. . . . .
Keep up to date on what's going on. If you're in a fast moving rp that's cranking out too many pages to read, ask for a recap! People want you to join in and they won't mind telling you what's going on in the rp. If you don't keep up to date, it's easy to bust the rp.
5. Dead end posts
Yeeah, you know what I'm talking about. Those little posts that for some reason are reaallly hard to reply to. Sometimes, the timing get off or the plot grinds to a halt, but whatever it is, avoid them. Always give the other rpers a door that they can use for their posts. It's hard to pin down what makes a dead end post dead end, but your posts should look something like this:
Appleheart padded towards the entrance to camp, calling out for his apprentice to follow. He
then shot into the woods with a laugh.
His apprentice, Maplepaw, followed him with a mrrow of laughter, "Wait for me!" He sped up
and caught up to his mentor, then sprinted ahead, showering the slower older cat with dirt that
his paws had kicked up.
See? Both posts give the other something the other can work off of. Appleheart can try dodging the dirt and tackling his apprentice. So a door doesn't always have to be dialogue. In fact, rps without it are really interesting and challenging, and they make you a better rper.
6. The Length Conundrum
This is a bit of a puzzle, length. Some people prefer quick posts, one or two sentences that are straight to the point and direct. Others prefer to elaborate and can go up to a few paragraphs. It's all opinion, so don't worry about that. Just remember, your post should have two things at least: The response to the previous post, and a door for the next one. And you can do that with two sentences. Some of my above posts are only two or three sentences and they can be worked off of.
And if you decide you like long paragraphs instead, go ahead, by all means! Just know that you can go too long, where you're just trying to fill space to get more length in. Put in thoughts and reasoning and all that by all means! But be aware that if you overload your paragraphs, you're gonna get a text wall. And I know I just skim those, not sure about everyone else though. But a big wall of text is not friendly. Break it up if you must, into more paragraphs. Make it friendly to read.
7. Being a supporting role
It's very easy to write the rp in your mind and try to fit the real one to yours. But there is a bit of a problem there. You always picture your character as the lead, which isn't true in an rp. There is no main character or lead role. Yes, some roles may play bigger parts, but you have to try and find a way to be a great character, but not be out in front. Don't steal the show or make the rp all about you.
8. Fighting: a tug of war
This is always fun to rp. Who doesn't love a good brawl, with fur flying and claws slashing and all the fun stuff? But it is so easy to get into bad habits here, because your get caught up in the fight. So, little letter list time!
A. Don't flood one person: Oh so hard to do. But try and find one person that isn't fighting
anyone and fight them. Unless a cat is in trouble (Pinned or being ripped to shreds),
focus on your own fight. It's hard enough fighting one cat, when four or five gang up on
you, its not fair. Unless it's an ambush, which most fights aren't, keep focused on one
opponent at a time
B. Two hit rule/two dodge rule: Another issue of fairness. You might have a
stronger/smaller/faster/more experienced cat, but not every hit is going to hit and not
every dodge is going to work. A nice little formula is the two hit rule. If you hit a cat twice in
a row, the next one has to miss. Same goes for dodging. If you avoid a blow twice in a
row, the next one's going to hurt. This can vary slightly, but cats that dodge everything are
just annoying.
C. Invincibility: Your cat isn't going to fight forever. If you've been bitten in the leg or shoulder,
limp. If you've been hit in the head, you might get woozy. If you've been sliced in the
stomach, lose blood! If you've been hit enough times, you might get knocked out. It
happens. Let it. Because a cat that has been attacked multiple times and is still fighting
like he just started is not realistic.
D. One man army: Bringing in random NPCs to get the upper hand. In the recent battle between
Riverclan and Stormtribe, Stormtribe brought in a few cougars, but they had a back story
from before the battle. To fight them, someone from Thunderclan, assisting Riverclan called
in a pack of fifty wolves. What's wrong with this, you may ask. They did the same thing
right? Nope. The wolves had no background with the clans and were made up on the spot
to gain an advantage. What's more, there weren't many cougars at all. Fifty wolves,
not only is a bit of overkill, is inaccurate in terms of the numbers of a wolf pack, which
usually consists of the parents, their young pups, adolescents up to three, and maybe one
or two outsiders. So one man armies: No no.
9. Having fun!
Yes, rping is meant to be fun! So don't stress about it. Relax, joke around. This is a place where you can do whatever you want, since no one here knows you out in the scary place called the real world. So be whoever you want to be and just have fun!
There endeth the guide. And it is a guide, not rules. So look it over and tell me what you think. Tell me to add things or address new issues or whatever floats your boat! Thanks!
-WG
(All above stuff is written by me, so do not copy it without asking me first and provide proper credit. Thanks! Again!)