I've found that lurking on a role playing forum and reading through the various games works quite well. Except I get a little intimidated by the advanced role players. Writing frikin' essays for every post. Damn...BloodHenge wrote:Confirmed
Although I'm not sure I'll actually be joining immediately. I haven't technically been in a freeform RP before, and I'd like to get a sense of how it works before I start mucking about in it.
OOC - Starting Point
- DarkIntruder
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Re: OOC - Please Read
- Sareth
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Re: OOC - Please Read
Well as to reading a few other games to get a feel for how to participate, I can provide a couple examples that I participate in.
Here's a Zombie themed game that has smaller, less intimidating posts: http://rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=29289&gn=De ... 1209003695
This one has typically smaller posts which I anticipate (Errant Insert Title Here) to follow, at least initially. It's not too intimidating. It has the issue of "what do you do when separate groups meet up" that Viking-sensei is trying to avoid, but solves that by simply creating a new thread for all involved and locking the older thread. That could get... bulky, I think. But it does avoid those times where a transfer from one location to another, while things are still going on in both threads thanks to other players, results in actions being read out of sequence. Pluses and minuses either way.
(If you're curious, in this one, I play Mark Skinner).
And here's the MegaTokyo the Clans game I referenced during discussions earlier: http://forums.megatokyo.com/index.php?showtopic=1727586
It's one of those with "advanced role players writing frikin' essays for every post." I personally prefer it, as the post rate may be slower, but the actual pace of events is faster. But it also takes a good deal more work, as entire scenes have to be written out on the side then added to the thread(s). If you start reading that one, you may be a bit confused, owing to the fact that game has been going for something like five or six years, and this is only the latest thread of many.
This can give you a feel for the differences between various play styles and give you some ideas about the sorts of things people do in freeform forum based RP...
Here's a Zombie themed game that has smaller, less intimidating posts: http://rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=29289&gn=De ... 1209003695
This one has typically smaller posts which I anticipate (Errant Insert Title Here) to follow, at least initially. It's not too intimidating. It has the issue of "what do you do when separate groups meet up" that Viking-sensei is trying to avoid, but solves that by simply creating a new thread for all involved and locking the older thread. That could get... bulky, I think. But it does avoid those times where a transfer from one location to another, while things are still going on in both threads thanks to other players, results in actions being read out of sequence. Pluses and minuses either way.
(If you're curious, in this one, I play Mark Skinner).
And here's the MegaTokyo the Clans game I referenced during discussions earlier: http://forums.megatokyo.com/index.php?showtopic=1727586
It's one of those with "advanced role players writing frikin' essays for every post." I personally prefer it, as the post rate may be slower, but the actual pace of events is faster. But it also takes a good deal more work, as entire scenes have to be written out on the side then added to the thread(s). If you start reading that one, you may be a bit confused, owing to the fact that game has been going for something like five or six years, and this is only the latest thread of many.
This can give you a feel for the differences between various play styles and give you some ideas about the sorts of things people do in freeform forum based RP...
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Re: OOC - Please Read
I'm not going to be intimidated by large posts. I have been in several interactive stories, in which entries would frequently be multiple pages. The difference is that the contributors to an IS can hijack other contributors' characters, and as long as the characterization is on target nobody complains.DarkIntruder wrote:I've found that lurking on a role playing forum and reading through the various games works quite well. Except I get a little intimidated by the advanced role players. Writing frikin' essays for every post. Damn...BloodHenge wrote:Confirmed
Although I'm not sure I'll actually be joining immediately. I haven't technically been in a freeform RP before, and I'd like to get a sense of how it works before I start mucking about in it.
And to correct myself, I have been in one freeform RP before, although it sort of collapsed.
I actually have two reasons to lurk for a while. First, I'm still not entirely sure of the etiquette. Second, I don't have a clear concept of what I'd want to play.
- DarkIntruder
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Re: OOC - Please Read
Well, it's not that I couldn't write posts of that length, it's just the challenge to make them both entertaining to read, as well as moving the plot along.
However, I can write creatively when I have to. I just don't practice doing so.
Anyhow, I'm also having a bit of difficulty in thinking up a suitable character. I was thinking along the lines of a person from a group that we haven't really touched on yet. An ex-Veracian cop maybe, or a member of a Northern Confederacy Militia.( Or whatever passes for a militia up there, anyways)
However, I can write creatively when I have to. I just don't practice doing so.
Anyhow, I'm also having a bit of difficulty in thinking up a suitable character. I was thinking along the lines of a person from a group that we haven't really touched on yet. An ex-Veracian cop maybe, or a member of a Northern Confederacy Militia.( Or whatever passes for a militia up there, anyways)
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Re: OOC - Please Read
The only idea I'd had so far was a Troll exile.
I might just wind up playing a largely normal person, just for the sake of contrast...
I might just wind up playing a largely normal person, just for the sake of contrast...
- Viking-Sensei
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Re: OOC - Please Read
Character hijacking does happen some in the freeform RPGs, because a ffrpg is sort of an interactive story on it's own, however it can be easily abused and so I try to generally discourage it whenever possible.BloodHenge wrote:I'm not going to be intimidated by large posts. I have been in several interactive stories, in which entries would frequently be multiple pages. The difference is that the contributors to an IS can hijack other contributors' characters, and as long as the characterization is on target nobody complains.
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Re: OOC - Please Read
Yeah, that's the big difference. In an IS, it's pretty much encouraged.Viking-Sensei wrote:Character hijacking does happen some in the freeform RPGs, because a ffrpg is sort of an interactive story on it's own, however it can be easily abused and so I try to generally discourage it whenever possible.BloodHenge wrote:I'm not going to be intimidated by large posts. I have been in several interactive stories, in which entries would frequently be multiple pages. The difference is that the contributors to an IS can hijack other contributors' characters, and as long as the characterization is on target nobody complains.
Anyway, I think I have a pretty good character concept now; just need to flesh it out.
- Sareth
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Re: OOC - Please Read
Well, no one seems to have posted new ideas or characters, so does that mean we have our initial starter group? if so, who's starting this shindig how, I wonder?
- Weirdonian
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Re: OOC - Please Read
I've been a little stumped with creating a character. Course, it doesn't help that I've been in something of a creative slump since the middle of March. I do have one idea though... but I've been letting him roll around my head for a bit, trying to find out more about him. I guess I can post what teeny bit I know about him in the Character Workshop though, it might help prod him into revealing more about himself. I hate it when characters aren't more forthcoming. Some will introduce themselves and then periodically talk your ear off about who they are if you give them half a chance, and others will just show up, maybe state their name and then clam up.
- Sareth
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Re: OOC - Please Read
So, anyone have any ideas about how to start this thing? Does someone have some sort of evil plot they wish to get rolling?