Tips to Being A Good Roleplayer (Not a Roleplay!)

[F3RR1S]

(Thanks for making this thread sticky [MENTION=1]JoeW[/MENTION].)

I heard that roleplayers are being disliked, I looked at some people's roleplays, some people are really good roleplayers, but others aren't that good, so I made this thread to give tips on how to be a good roleplayer.

Grammar

A major problem is grammar, having terrible grammar makes you seem like a unprofessional roleplayer. Sometimes it seems like people purposely use bad grammar.

I will make two roleplay introductions, tell me, which would you rather join?

Ex. 1:

welcom to my rolplay thred, do watever yu want but remamber, we r on th islands and we must beet maxwel tu scape.

pls put yur char thing below! :D !!!!!!!

Ex. 2:

Hello, welcome to my Don't Starve roleplay thread, the story is Maxwell trapped us on the islands and we must try and find his door so we can find him and escape, so, pretty much just the story of Don't Starve, but with our own characters.

Post your character information below and let's start roleplaying!

Example 2 is what you picked, right?

Another thing is people who use "okay" grammar, but don't put down periods, question marks, and have everything they say bunched up into one hard-to-read mess!

Here is an example:

shut up i said then i shoved bob down the well oh no what have i done i said again

Prevent this by using the ENTER key and spacing out some stuff, and use punctuation!

When your about to post in the roleplay thread, read through what you were about to post and fix any grammar mistakes.

Your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but don't make your whole sentence a mess.

Short Sentences (Requested by [MENTION=5416]ScienceMachine[/MENTION])

No one-worded or even one-sentenced responses.

Try to add as much substance as you can into your response. Use filler or even the dreaded purple prose if you have to. Just don't be bland and emotionless.

Inversely; don't write long essays either. You're suppose to make your light beer manageable, not turn it into some fruity-tooty cocktail.

Off-Roleplay

Only roleplay in the roleplay section! It annoys people when you roleplay outside of the roleplay section, there is no reason for that!

This subject sort of intertwines with the next subject: Roleplay Characters.

Keep your roleplay characters in the roleplay section! Don't act like multiple people in the suggestions, general discussion, off-topic, etc.

Roleplay Characters

Usually in roleplays, people have multiple characters.

Make sure you don't make too many, it may be hard to keep track of all of them.

When you make characters, give them a good personality, don't have them be just bland, roleplaying as a emotionless character isn't fun.

This isn't really much of a major problem, but I'm just saying, just in case.

Also, a good backstory would be good, a reason why the character acts how he acts. There could be the loss of a loved one involved, betrayal, etc.

Godmodding

I was going to have this be a part of the RP characters section but... Eh.

No godmodding!

Godmodding is when you have your character be invincible, act all-powerful, and can kill off other characters without permission. It is really annoying.

You have to ask the character owner's permission to kill their character, you can seriously injure them, but not kill them off! Killing them off can ruin arcs and etc.

Also, don't act invincible, you don't have to die, but at least take a little damage once and a while.

Godmodders also control other people's Roleplay characters, and makes them do whatever, even though they are not his/hers/its.

If you do get permission to control a character for a while, don't have that character do anything stupid.

Don't tell others what to do, got it? I think you understand my point.

Arcs

Although, one can just use the Don't Starve Story as an Arc for their roleplay, trying to escape the islands, it is good to try and make some sort of unique arc/mini-arc in the roleplay.

The Arc can be related to your character's backstory.

An example could be a man killed one of your character's loved ones, and you are hunting him down for revenge.

Or it could be something recent not involved with your past, but it still has to be dealt with.

So be sure to make a good Arc for your roleplay.

Questions

If there is anything I didn't cover, and you have a few questions, ask me and I'll try to answer them!

I hope what I said helped you out.

Edited August 10, 2013 by F3RR1S

[Ellebelly24]

Thanks for the info F3RR1S! It helps! *hugs F3RR1S*

[Battal]

Yes. Just yes.

If I may include a real life example-

woot woot new thread ok u must have a caricter disc. dudes

-Anonymous

Edited August 9, 2013 by Lord_Battal

[Rabbitfist]

Yes. Just yes.

hi battal ^^

[TeoSS69]

DEATH TO ALL R...I mean...Good on you for trying to make a change. I'd rep you but i'd have to spread some around first

[Battal]

Already a stickied thread...Well done!

[Rabbitfist]

good job F3RR1S, now how about some small bawhss battle music, feel free

[F3RR1S]

Added Arcs section.

And now added Godmodding.

Edited August 10, 2013 by F3RR1S

[Tesability]

Also, in regards to godmodding, you should include having characters that are directly related to the ones in the games unless it's a relative directly mentioned by Klei Entertainment. For example, you shouldn't be playing as a relative of William Carter/Maxwell unless you're playing as Jack Carter (whom said company has confirmed to be his brother) or attempting a stab at one of Jack's twin kids and aren't automatically assuming that said twins are Wendy and Abigail. There's a lot of people who would take making up OC blood-relatives as a form of Mary Sue-ism and isn't appreciated just about ANYwhere.

[Ellebelly24]

Also, if you have been given permission by another, to control their character, don't make them do anything stupid. Just pretend they helped you.

[F3RR1S]

Also, in regards to godmodding, you should include having characters that are directly related to the ones in the games unless it's a relative directly mentioned by Klei Entertainment. For example, you shouldn't be playing as a relative of William Carter/Maxwell unless you're playing as Jack Carter (whom said company has confirmed to be his brother) or attempting a stab at one of Jack's twin kids and aren't automatically assuming that said twins are Wendy and Abigail. There's a lot of people who would take making up OC blood-relatives as a form of Mary Sue-ism and isn't appreciated just about ANYwhere.

Ehh, i dunno. Edited August 10, 2013 by F3RR1S

[ScienceMachine]

Another key rule of RP; avoid short responses.I would explain this myself, but I'm just terrible at explaining things. I'll just try to keep it short and simple: No one-worded or even one-sentenced responses. Try to add as much substance as you can into your response. Use filler or even the dreaded purple prose if you have to. Just don't be bland and emotionless.Inversely; don't write long essays either. You're suppose to make your light beer manageable, not turn it into some fruity-tooty cocktail.

[nathanael]

i didn't know there were such things as professional rolplaying. i thought it was about having fun 'n' stuff. i do get your point though, the writing should at least be understandable

[ScienceMachine]

I didn't know there were such a thing as 'professional' role playing. I thought it was about having fun & stuff. I do get your point though; the writing should at least be understandable.

Well, there isn't. It's mostly Grammar Nazi level of preference. It grinds on them, me included.

[spiritcrusher77]

Do the Roleplaying games actually have to be related to Don't Starve? If so, I'd like a section for Roleplaying, or even Forum Games in general in the Other Stuff area.

[Tesability]

Considering this IS the Don't Starve part of the forums, it would make sense that the RPs here are related to the game. This, however, does not stop any crossover RPs from showing up, such as the Pokemon/Don't Starve crossover here. (I would LOVE to see a Danny Phantom/Don't Starve crossover RP, even if it's just to see Danny and Wilson argue with each other over the scientific impossibility that is being half-dead. XP)

[Blewcheese]

Considering this IS the Don't Starve part of the forums, it would make sense that the RPs here are related to the game. This, however, does not stop any crossover RPs from showing up, such as the Pokemon/Don't Starve crossover here. (I would LOVE to see a Danny Phantom/Don't Starve crossover RP, even if it's just to see Danny and Wilson argue with each other over the scientific impossibility that is being half-dead. XP)

I remember seeing a bit of that on your art thread. Or one of them. I could probably revisit that show...

*looks off into the distance.*

[22winston]

 cool. Nice job

[Derpime]

The one that said about punctation marks.It hit me right in the wound.

Also,roleplay subforum.Where you can sharpen your grammar(nazi) skilss

[WhitneyH]

This was helpful thank you.

[_Wendy_carter_]

Sooo just a quick ask….would you normally do a Rp with some one on a private message?

[viberr]

wow, this thread is ancient!

yet it's still not archived? that's really impressive!

On 2/28/2022 at 6:59 AM, _Wendy_carter_ said:

Sooo just a quick ask….would you normally do a Rp with some one on a private message?

I'm not a good roleplayer, but I don't mind me a little roleplay or two!

so long as it doesn't start going into any touchy subjects, I wouldn't mind having a roleplay on a private message( tho I'm actually not all too good at roleplay)