[Dischord]

Lesson Three: Role-Playing Basics

There are generally two different types of role-playing. The good type, and the bad type. Lets deal with the bad type first.

Sample RP Post #1

*wonders in and looks arond*

Sample RP Post #2

*She wandered in, looking around at her surroundings.*

Despite the fact that the second type is more detailed, its still a little short, and leaves room for improvement. This is what our second category of role-players tends to do. And while its an improvement over the grammatically unfit, and generally smashed together first post, it could be better.

Lets move on to another example.

Sample RP Post #1

*Walks in from outside, shaking her head as she pushed the door open. Man, it was cold out there.*

Now, while the above post is much better than some of the previous posts we've seen, lets try that one more time, with feeling, and with some more detail. I'll let you be the judge of which you'd prefer to read.

Sample RP Post #2

Booted feet struggled to find stable footing on ice covered stairs as the young woman ascended to the doorway of her apartment. It had been cold, and unfortunately the weather service had predicted at least another week of abysmal weather patterns. Joy.

She shook her head, and snow scattered from black hair to tumble in a cold and wet mass onto her jacket clad shoulders. Chilled fingers struggled with the door for a moment, before she pushed the door open, feet almost slipping out from beneath her as she entered her tiled hallway.

"Mom, I'm home," she called through the seemingly empty house. Pushing the door closed behind her, she started heading toward the kitchen, as her mother called back a friendly greeting. She hoped there was at least some hot chocolate made. She was frozen clear to her core from the constant snow that had been falling.

Now, as you can see, the second post gives more detail, and lets you have some idea of the girl, and her surrounding. The girl is obviously wearing a jacket, and boots, she lives with her mother, and is hoping for hot chocolate. In addition, we've learned that its been icy where she lives for several days, and will continue to be for quite a while. This gives us some hint that the role-play is taking place during the winter season.

Small details like this can help further a story. They also help give the people you're role-playing with some idea about what's going on around you, and in the same token, what's going on around them. With detail like what's been seen above, you have some ideas about where you can take the role-play, depending on if you're going to interact with that character or not. Even if not, you know more about the weather, and can make your own character react accordingly.

Detail is a wonderful thing to use, but you have to be careful, or you'll use too much. Details should be generalized. Meaning, don't explain just how your character opened the door, using an entire paragraph to do so. Instead, incorporate that paragraph into a larger post, maybe cutting it down to just a sentence. Detail is good, but too much detail can cause the people you're role-playing with to get bored. Its good to moderate yourself, and how much detail you use. Don't worry, this will get easier to determine as you become a better role-player.

Improvement happens over time, not over-night. If you still lack in your skills a little, keep trying to improve them. And don't get discouraged, or allow others to discourage you. You role-play for you, and you alone.