Combat When it comes to combat you need to get to the point with the move, and make it, but there are no auto-connects and no auto-kills. A example of an acceptable move (with basic characters) is as follows:
Character A runs forward and swings his/her sword at character B.
Such a move leaves the following options for your opponent:
Character B has the opportunity to block
Character B has the opportunity to counter
Character B has the opportunity to accept the hit
Character B has the opportunity to run away
All of which are acceptable reactions, and keep the role playing environment fun for everyone, while still allowing player-to-player combat.
HOW TO WRITEWhat follows is only a brief discussion of good writing techniques.
Why should I give a rat's ass about this; I just want to RP!
Following the guidelines discussed above will ensure that threads run smoothly, but will not to make them fun or interesting. The responsibility for this lies with every player involved in a thread, and depends upon the quality of their posts. This is where those writing skills come in: no matter how good an imagination you have, if your posts are boring, or your grammar and/or spelling are so bad that your posts incomprehensible, then you will not be helping to make the thread fun.
Avoid boring other players to deathConsider the following post by player 1:
Alphonso:
*enters the room and shuts the door*
What do you mean I owe you money?
This post follows all the basic rules of role playing, but it's about as much fun to read as the ingredient list on a box of All Bran. If this is what your posts look like then no one is going to enjoy role playing with you. Compare the above example with this alternative post, describing the same scene, by player 2:
Alphonso:
Slamming the door as he entered the room, Alphonso rounded angrily on Hawthor, the imperious looking elf sitting at the table. "What do you mean I owe you money?!" He shouted, waving the paper IOU he had received in the elf's face.
By including descriptive details Player 2 draws the reader into the scene, making it seem real, and thus making it interesting. Descriptions are the key, and every action, observation, or comment is an opportunity for you to make your character come alive. Use these opportunities - it's not hard to do! Let's say your character, Alphonso, is shutting a door, here are just a few things you could describe through this action: how he shuts it, why he shut it that way, what sort of door it is, what notice (if any) do NPC's take of the door shutting, etc.
One caveat to this recommendation is that, unless you are just going for comic effect, do not go overboard on the descriptions. Too much describing will make a scene 'farcical' rather than 'alive', and will make it difficult for readers to figure out what is actually taking place. For example, consider this post by player 3:
Alphonso:
Slamming the stultifyingly solid wooden door, decadently carved with figures of voluptuous naked women frolicking erotically with well endowed satyrs, into its cold steel frame like an enraged beast, as he swept authoritatively into the room; Alphonso wrathfully rounded upon Hawthor.
The almost frightfully tall, and diabolically imperious-looking, elf was sitting sheepishly at the small iron table in the corner of the elegantly furnished chamber, and sipping prosaically from a fine bone china cup, upon which the arrival of the dark, slaughtering hordes of Hell upon the golden beaches of Illian was depicted in loving detail.
"What do you mean I owe you money?!" Alphonso exclaimed vociferously, his flushed face contorted into a mask of seething fury, and waving the paper IOU he had received that morning in the elf's pale, but excruciatingly handsome, dignified face.
Player 3's post is certainly not boring, but it packs in such a ridiculous amount of description that the character's actions (entering the room, etc.) are getting lost amidst the 'frolicking maidens' and 'slaughtering hordes'.
Quick guide to writing, for Online RoleplayingThis isn't RP advice, this is writing advice, because that's what's going on here: you are writing a story. The key word here is story. What are stories? They are long strings of words arranged in an easily understood format to advance a plot and develop characters. A role playing thread is an ongoing story written by a group of people, working together, to create something that's not only enjoyable, but interesting.
1. TensesPick one for yourself and stick with it. Not everyone in the thread has to use past tense or present tense. However, if you start with past tense, stick with it. Don't use a different tense every other post.
2. Point of view What point of view should I write it in? First person or third person? It doesn't matter what POV you use, just pick one and stick with it as well. Again, it doesn't matter what everyone else in the thread is using either.
A caveat for both of these points: If the thread has been predominantly one tense or POV, then it's usually more comfortable to pick those up and run with them.
3. Formatting You are part of a story, so it should be written as a story. Not because the great KM says so, but simply because people will be reading this, including yourself. Using paragraphs, as I've used here, and standard writing, will go a long way to making a better RP. This is a clarity issue, not a style issue: you're communicating not only with me the reader, but with other players, and you don't want them to misunderstand you. Clarity is more important in an RP than individuality.
4. Mechanics of writingIcky things like spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation. No one here expects perfection. No one expects anyone else to go out of their way to make sure everything is as good as it gets. The expectation is, however, that you try to use your best mechanics, rather than just lazily throwing something down and posting it. You aren't working 'real time' here: you have enough time to stop and read over what you've written to correct any glaring errors that crop up. Or, if you don't trust your proofreading skills, you can even paste what you've written into a word processor and run a spell and/or grammar check on it.
There are RPers that I simply will not write with, on the rare occasion that I stick my face in here as a writer. It's not because of their story lines or their characters. It's because they have sloppy mechanics, poor formatting, and no respect for the people who have to read it. Individuality and style are great things, but they should come out with the story and in the characters, not in the way you put the words in the post.
Sorry for the many words in these posts. When I read it, it didn't seem so long. And also again just for clarification I DID NOT write this.