Dyna's Tips for Online Roleplaying
This article is a work in progress, and is certainly not meant to be all-encompassing. These are just a
few of my own personal opinions on what constitutes good (or bad) roleplaying. Please regard them
as such.
My approach to roleplaying is the same as my approach when writing stories, i.e., it's all about the
character. Plot is important, of course, but mainly because it's what causes character growth.
Without plot, you can still have an interesting character. But without characters, you can't have a
plot.
Tabletop vs. Online Roleplaying
For those who are used to tabletop RPGs, there are some important differences when it comes to
online RPGs. The most obvious one is that you're playing in an actual visual world, rather than
around your dining room table. Your actions are performed by virtue of a keyboard and mouse,
which only you see. Battles are fast-paced, without the imposed structure of "rounds" and rolling
dice and conferring with the game master to determine outcomes. Instead of vocalizing, "I pick up
the boulder and hurl it at the monster" or "I walk across the room," you simply click a couple
buttons and make it happen. No distractions to others, no having to explain it. You do it; others see
it.
All this is to emphasize that the online environment is much more immersive than the tabletop
venue. And as such, players can stay "in character" (IC) much more easily, and many players prefer
to. Some extreme players never go "out of character" (OOC). Respect this. If you're with a group that
is not chattering in OOC mode, please don't assume that doing so is okay.
Things That Should Go Without Saying (But Apparently Not Everyone Gets It)
Spelling Counts
And so does grammar. Can't spell? Why not? Don't know proper grammar? Again, why not? For
most of you, English is your mother tongue. Get used to it. (Yes, I know typos happen. That's not
what this is about.) And, of course, if English is not your native language, no one expects you to
be perfect.
Don't Make Others Wait
This is about typing speed. When you're engaged in dialogue with others, every moment counts,
in order to maintain the flow and make it seem like a real conversation. Have a lot to say, but
don't type quickly? Then don't type a huge paragraph. Type a sentence, post it, then continue.
Others will thank you. Or at least not silently curse you.
Be Here Now
Keep in mind that your roleplaying is happening in the present, not the past. So when you do an
emote, do it in the present tense, not the past. For example, "/em laughed at the joke" should be
"/em laughs at the joke." Many role players imagine that they are telling a story. And yes, we are.
But we're doing it as actors on stage, not as the writers of the script. Right here. Right now.
We're Not (Literal) Mind-Readers
Some roleplayers often type in their emotes what they are thinking. But as I said above, you're
acting. Other players/characters don't have a clue what you're thinking, any more than the
audience does at a play. Use emotes as an actor does, with facial expressions and other non-
verbal cues.
Don't Play God
Simply put: you control your character; you don't control those of others. You cannot tell other
players what their characters do, how their characters react, etc. And this goes for how your
characters, and their abilities, interact with others. For example, you may be playing a character
with extremely strong telepathic powers, but this does not mean that you can read every other
character's mind or control their actions willy-nilly. That's not good gaming conduct, for one
thing, but also is very presumptous. Have a powerful telepath trying to read the thoughts of
someone who maintains they have an unbreakable barrier to that? Roleplay it! Break out your
d20s if you have to. Agree to the results, no arguing. Further, to create a character who is "the
most powerful" or "immune to all" is known as "godmodding." In tabletop gaming, this is often
done by maxing out all attributes, choosing the most powerful combinations of spells, etc.
Basically, doing everything possible to make your character unbeatable. While this sounds
attractive, it's also boring. Such characters are too often superficial and uninteresting, and usually
annoying to more serious gamers. Interesting characters are flawed characters. No one wants to
hear of the exploits of someone who can't be harmed, for whom nothing is a challenge. Talk
about a yawnfest. Bring your characters down to earth.
Dismissing Deus Ex Machina
Deus ex machina literally means "god from the machine." It's a term dating back to the plays of the
ancient Greeks, where elaborate mechanical contraptions were used to lower things (such as
representations of gods) to the stage from above. In literary circles, the term is used to refer to any
implausible device introduced to a story to "fix" things. In old Westerns, for example, the cavalry
rushing in to save the day at the last minute would be an example of deus ex machina... unless it was
established earlier that someone had sent for them. And even then, it's a copout of a plot tool. And
that's really what I mean by deus ex machina... any plot device that is too easy, too convenient, for
the story. It doesn't challenge the characters. And it insults the intelligence of anyone who cares
about plot and character development. Some examples:
Magic - This is quite possibly the most frequently abused plot device. Yes, magic certainly has a
place in online roleplaying, but it must have limits. To be able to "magic away" any possible
threats or challenges is a huge copout. For example, let's say a character has contracted a
potentially fatal disease. Another character says, "I can cure you with my magic." No. That's a
copout. And also godmodding (see above). You can be a powerful mage, sure. But the best you
should do is say, "I can attempt to heal you with my magic." Remember, it's up to the player of
the afflicted character to decide if your attempt works.
Aliens - Arthur C. Clarke said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
from magic." And that's true... to the less advanced societies, though not to those actually
developing the technology. Aliens and their tech have the same potential for abuse. To use the
same scenario as above, your teammate-from-another-planet says, "I will go meet with my
people, the Clarkeans. Our medical technology will save you." You get the idea.
Time Travel - Talk about a can of worms. The appeal of time travel stories is huge, of course, but
consider the slippery slope you create by introducing it. "Cancer? I'll pop to the future and obtain
a medicine to cure you. BRB!" Or, "I'll jaunt to the past and prevent you from getting that horrible
disease from that neutronium leak!"
Of course, deus ex machina doesn't have to be anything so grandiose. It can be fairly mundane, but is
still a contrived, unnecessary "fix" to a problem, one that fails to challenge a character. Simply put:
don't go there.
OK, that's all for now. Happy roleplaying!
