Topic: ((How to Play With Us))

LdyBelial

Date: 2006-07-02 17:01 EST
((Many within our group of late have been approached by others wanting to play with us and in our storylines. Many ask the same question over and over and over again: How can I play with you/in your stories"

We've been trying to come up with an answer that everyone can easily understand. It's proven daunting.

The most important thing to remember is that EVERYONE is welcome to play with us! However, there is a catch' you have to do it yourself.

Here are our Ten Golden Concepts, things to keep in mind:

Number One:

Play *with* us, not *at* us.

Playing with is allowing an exchange of interaction, playing at is dictating to us consequences to our character/s or stories without allowing us any interaction. If you want to play with us, don't play at us.

Number Two:

Respect. Respecting the players, the characters and the stories is a golden rule. Treat every writer/player like you want to be treated! Play to our illusions, we play to yours. Try to hijack our stories, or downplay our character/s to make your character/s seem like the-end-all-be-all" Bad idea. You are likely to be ignored. Playing into one another's illusion is what creates the ambience of a shared IC community. We are always happy to weave our stories with others but we expect them to offer the same.

Number Three:

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Post it, put it out there during in-room play, any way you do it, DO IT! If we don't know it, we can't play off of it. You gotta let us know.

We consider OOC a tool, folks, we use it to talk to other players so that in the end everyone gets what they want. If you don't tell us, we can't read your mind, we simply won't know. Where does that leave you and your stories" Out in the freaking cold.

Number Four:

Starring Role; make your character the star of their story. We can't do it, but you can. Build, create, devise a story where your character/s is/are in the leading role/s. You will have a lot more fun if you do so. Remember it isn't up to us to script you, we aren't the Grand Game Masters from the table-top days of D&D, it really isn't our job to tell your character/s stories; it's yours.

What we can do is help you in enriching your stories. Use our character/s, use our baddies, (in respectful ways), we won't mind" In fact, we enjoy it.

Number Five:

Have fun. No matter what you are doing, if it's not fun, then it aint worth doing.

Number Six:

You can't know everything! You nor your character/s can know everything about ours. Heck, we the players don't know everything in our own stories" We keep our storylines open to interaction. We are often surprised by the twists that happen when in-room playing. Every shared interaction has influence over our ongoing stories, whether it is big or small remains part of the mystery.

Our background and history is very solid, true. Most of us have been building our character/s foundations since the early "90's. There is way too much past to try and explain it all. As for the present' How can we tell you what?s happening or going to happen or where your character/s best fits in when we don't have that information'

Number Seven:

Weave your stories into ours. If you don't do it, we can't. We are simply fellow players telling our own character/s stories. No one can expect us to know all about their character/s in such a way as to write them instantly into our stories. But you know your character/s. It isn't up to us to tell you your character/s stories. That, my friends, is up to you and your imagination.

Perceptions are key here, use them, twist them; make them into something that works for you.

Stay open to what evolves. Take advantage of what is being offered by setting, circumstance and situation. Incorporate what occurs in a direction you choose to allow growth that appeases your desires.

Number Eight:

Courtesy is not a four letter word! Player courtesy goes a long way. Be nice to us, we'll be nice to you.

Number Nine:

We don't script, we plot. There is a huge difference. A script involves control over every detail, while a plot is merely a device used to set a story goal. There can be many plots at play at any given time, because every character has their own reason for involvement.

Setting a goal for the story doesn't mean we know how we are going to get there. Much of what we do happens during IC interactions. We simply manipulate our character/s perceptions to aid in building towards our overall goals. Each of us has our own story goals, and each of us strive to work together to collectively accomplish them.

Number Ten:

Remember we are here to have fun too. Please be considerate of our time and attentions. If we are in-room playing perhaps the OOC conversation about story plotting can wait for a better time" Email and Private Messaging on DM are lovely tools; please feel free to use them.



In closing, I wish to reiterate that all are welcome to play with us, but there is a limit to our abilities; we can only offer up so much of our time because the rest of it is focused on us and what it is we want to do.

Thanks, Lanette Player of Bel and many others" ))

LdyBelial

Date: 2006-07-02 17:11 EST
((Weave Your Story Into Ours!

Merging Stories can be as easy or complicated as you let it be. Any detail can be used as a "trigger", a twist in the story, which allows for us to introduce new factors and directions into the game. Something as seemingly inconsequential as a casual conversation overheard in a local tavern can lead to an intense story if you twist the opportunity the right way. How do you do this"

Think about it as if it were the plot line of "Farscape", ok" (ed. - Look, this writer is a Scaper, so deal with the comparison; you can always fill in "Farscape" with your own favorite series") In "Farscape" there is the episode story, the ongoing character bonding stories, and the "teaser" story plots all rolled into each episode; similar in many ways to soap opera's ok" Apply the same tactics to your own plotting.

First you figure out why your character would be involved; this becomes the initial lure. It can be as simple as greed, or perhaps as complicated as a holy cause. Literally anything works here. You base it on what will best suit your character's overall goal in LIFE, not just this story.

Now, figure out what events need to happen to advance the progression in your story. These would be your story goals; things that need to happen to keep your character growing, interested and/or involved. Again, much of this can be based on the initial lure.

Look at the current status of the overall story you are interested in joining (Yes, there will be more than just the one. Each player will introduce different "branches" off the main "tree" SL; thus, creating different options for other players to join in). There are many ways to introduce your character into the story; postings, arranged meetings, random in-room encounters. Find a place in the story that suits your character/s needs the most, the one that supplies you with the lure/s you think most applicable: you are looking for the best character advancement here, so pick what will work for you!

And begin weaving.

There are many ways to weave your story into ours"

Let's say you play a noble paladin and one night in the inn you meet someone who seems to be evil. You decide to further investigate since it is your character's job to take out evil creatures after all. You have a story.

Say your character is a friend of another character already involved in one, (or many), of our sl's. Your character wants to keep their friend safe, or maybe they just want in on the fun too. Hence a story is born.

It isn't up to us to plot your stories; that's your job. We aren't the Game Masters here; we are merely a collection of fellow players working on our own set of stories meant to advance our characters. We don't know all about your character, so we can't tell you where it would best fit in, or what it can do to advance the story. It really is up to you to determine the story you tell; our stories should become merely a vehicle to help you accomplish the telling of yours.

Communication is key here. Once you come up with your story, clue us in so we can help you. We are happy to play off of what you offer, but we need to know about it to play off of it. You can't just expect us to read your mind.

Now, many have wanted a clue as to what?s going on, the postings or in-room play has obviously left them lost and confused. I understand; I get lost in the stories too sometimes. It happens because we have so many of them, and such a long history built through years of role-play. The bad news" We can't give you what you want.

First of all, much of the advancement of our stories happens during in-room interaction. We don't always know what?s going to happen next, what consequences will come of it or what it may mean. We wait with bated breath wondering and watching the screen, waiting for the words to flow by just so we know what to do after that. How on earth are we to tell you, if we don't know it ourselves"

Secondly, if we tell every aspect of our stories to you, then we are done. There is no need to continue because the stories are told.

Confused" I wish I could help you by giving you a guide book to all things Bloods, but no such thing exists. The best thing to do is just jump in and start playing, figure it out like we do; while we're doing it. If you need more motivation, want more of a 'starring role" then please, feel free to create it. We really don't mind, we do it for ourselves all the time.

The only way to weave your story into ours is to just do it. Hop in and start writing.

Lanette Player Bel and many more"

LdyBelial

Date: 2006-07-02 17:20 EST
(("The Face of Evil" (a.k.a.) Our NPC's. Evil wears many faces; Jack the Ripper, Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Hannibal Lecter, and Dracula are some of the more notorious. Yet see that innocent child over there, yes, the one smiling sweetly at you right now" You could never tell from that angelic expression that they are holding a mutilated, dead cat behind their back, now can you?

Evil may come to us in beauty, or in terror. It can offer us glory and riches, or torment us with visions of defeat and torture. It can whisper to our deepest desires or play off our worst fears. Evil does not always look evil.

Some, (not all), of the villains in our storylines are considered by us to be NPC's, Non-player characters. They have been created to be antagonists" in our storylines. They are slated to die eventually, when their use is finished.

Some NPC's are created for the use of horde play, they bring "others" with them that are literally dead meat for the night. These everyone can kill to their hearts content for that is why they exist; to die for the glory of the character/s.

How to tell the difference" It should be obvious through in-room interaction, or in their profile, but if it isn't feel free to PM and ask.

We use NPC's to advance the stories. They collect, exchange and encourage direction of varies stories to which they are related. They also die for the greater cause of our characters. Not all of the NPC in our stories will be evil, but many of them will be. Not all of the NPC's die easily, but their minions are another matter entirely.

NPC's are created for a multitude of reasons: 1. To eventually die for the greater glory of the PCs' and/or the stories. 2. To provide information at the right times or direct the story during weak currents. 3. To Intrigue, entice, and challenge the PCs'.

NPC's are Players too.

Think about this: During a typical in-room event, a NPC player faces a multitude of other players, with their own stories, all merging into one grand story that they, the NPC player, must somehow keep cohesive. The story itself is ever changing, every action, every reaction creates new opportunities yet it also changes the direction of the over all story. The NPC player must adapt all these factors constantly as the scene progresses. Typically there is only one or two NPC's in a room during most in-room events.

The odds are without a heads up, a warning that there is an action being taken, there is a possibility the NPC player might miss something. Don't get mad, communicate. Give the NPC player the kindness of the benefit of a doubt. The room is scrolling, they are doing their very best to keep up but sometimes things do get chaotic and actions overlooked. An IM to let them know or maybe you can write around it yourself"

The NPC player is not your Game Master; it is up to you to write what happens to and with your character/s. If the NPC player declares there are more than one baddies with them, pick up the challenge and make your own baddie/s to slaughter as you will.

NPC's are around to spice up our characters lives, feel free to use them as the vehicles they are. But please remember they have been created for a reason not of your own making. There is a fine line between taking advantage and god-modding, please try hard not to commit that crime. If you want to play the hero, fine, but do not expect the NPC primaries to be your dead victims. Please refrain from modding them, they are here to amuse and further stories, not to die the moment they walk into a room. Write in your own baddie/s and slaughter them if you have such an itch, but do not presume to do the same to the primary NPC sn's. Only the NPC players can make that kind of serious call.

Everyone who FFRP's should know that the principal guideline is respect, this includes the reality that no one save you can control or dictate what happens to your character/s at any given time. Meaning: It's not up to us to tell you what?s happening to your character, it's up to you to tell us. Vice versa, NPC players have the final say on what happens to their characters too.

In the end it comes down to this: write it yourself. Be your own hero' or not. It's up to you and your creativity to do with your character/s and their stories as you will.

Lanette Player of Bel and many others"

LdyBelial

Date: 2006-07-02 17:23 EST
((Building a Story.

The Basics:

Fact 1: Every character needs a concept. You don't need to know everything about your character/s to play your character/s; you just need to know some basics. (See "Flushing Out Your Character/s" below for details.)

Your character needs motivation, without it they have no direction, no drive, no ambitions. You leave yourself with nothing to work with.

Fact 2: All characters grow and evolve. Storyline/s should offer growth for the character/s involved; otherwise it is a rather pointless story to tell. Conflict and resolution are key ingredients in setting the pace for your stories while opening venues for character/s growth. Playing off character weaknesses or flaws allows them a chance towards resolution of the same or, if you wish otherwise, creation of new ones that can add nuance to the stories and add depth to your character/s.

In free form role-play there are no points assigned, no levels to move up, the only way our character/s advance in any way is if we create it. Challenging storylines are great for accomplishing character growth and advancement. The meat of the story confronts the character/s in ways that allow them to overcome their own fears, opening the character/s to change and/or evolution. When designing your stories keep in mind that you want to create these opportunities for growth.

Fact 3: Be careful not to over structure your stories. If your sl is so rigorously structured down to what scenes are required to advance the story, then you may find your sl stalling quite frequently and any IC interactions can derail your original concepts. Leave your sl open for random encounters, let others help and inspire you in the telling of your character/s stories.

Fact 4: There are many tools available that can inspire you towards awesome storylines. Pick something of interest to you and run with it. You don't have to research every detail, (but if you want to that's not a crime either.) How rich or detailed your character/s are really is up to you. However a strong foundation and a good sense of direction will go far; it gives you something to play off of and it gives others something to play back to.

If you have no idea what drives your character/s, the rest of us can't help you. It is crossing the line to dictate to others what their stories should be therefore it really falls on you to make your own.

Fact 5: Preexisting storylines are not there for you to hijack. Time and effort went into the building of others stories. If you want to play in them, work it out with the other players. Do not presume that your character/s can steal the starring role/s, simply because you think it would be fun.

Most players online who participate in interactive free-form roleplay have few qualms in letting others join in on their ongoing stories. The key here is to communicate. It helps if you can introduce to the other players a way your character might help or fit in to the stories. Only you know your character/s, only you know what they can and can't do, or what they want or don't want to do. A good IC idea on how your character/s can benefit the ongoing stories based upon the needs of your character/s will go a long way in getting you what you want. In fact, this is the only way to gain starring role/s for your character/s in ongoing stories.

I reiterate, we can't tell your character/s stories for you, only you have that right.



Flushing Out Your Character/s: (Even if it is only in your own head.)

1. What flaws, weaknesses do they have" 2. What are their strong points" (What can they do well") 3. What do they want out of life" 4. Any special goals" 5. Any longing desires" 6. What is it they think will make them happy" 7. What kind of future do they envision" 8. How do they accomplish these things they want/need/desire"

Can't think of a single thing" Work on it. This is the most important and challenging step in story line creation: Knowing your character. This is where all the roads lead and end, ok" If you don't have a direction for your character then trying to help you gain growth and achieve things for them is somewhat pointless, as we have nowhere to go unless you give it to us.

Please notice that nothing about their past needs to be firmed at time of creation. You don't need to know everything about your new character/s, you just need to know what motivates them.

In Conclusion

Your character/s are your creations, their stories are yours to tell. If you don't have a story, it's high time you thought of something. Having even the most simple of IC goals or objectives will give your character/s enough depth to invite others to interact with them. Shared storylines are what FFRP is really all about so learn the art of interaction.

Interaction isn't a naughty word; it is what we do when we play with each other. It holds the key to your success or downfall. The more you put out that others can play off of, the more you will get back in the long run. You keep it all to yourself" No one can catch a clue; therefore they are less likely to play with you. Write it too abstractly' They are likely to overlook you rather than take up the thesaurus in hopes of figuring it out.

The art of interaction happens on a multitude of levels. There are no sure fire guides on what it is you should do to be the best you can be. It really is built over experience in our genre.

Keep in mind that we can't know it, IC or OOC, unless you put it out there. If you put it out in thoughts" That is considered writing to the player, the character, (unless stated they are psychic), will not know what is being thought at them. Actions are a great way to infer emotional states, frame of mind, what the character is thinking. Actions really do speak louder than thoughts and open the door for further IC interactions.

Play respectfully, be courtesy, play for yourself, and remember above all else, PLAY TO HAVE FUN!

Lanette Player of Bel and many others"