Roleplaying Etiquette

[Alice Locke]

The roleplaying etiquette is meant as guidelines rather than rules, but it is good to have them in the back of your head when roleplaying. The roleplaying etiquette can be of help to correctly follow the forum rules.

Thoughts and opinions about the roleplaying etiquette can be posted in the forum for suggestions. Some etiquettes can be added or changed, which is announced on the news board.

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To join an existing thread where two or more roleplayers has already joined is allowed, but as joiner you are always responsible to contact the pre-existing roleplayers to ask for permission to join. Sometimes, the plot can already pre-determined, or the roleplayers might just want to be alone, and you must respect this upon joining an existing thread.

In case that someone does not respect this paragraph, the original roleplayers have the right to contact an administrator. The administrator will contact the joiner to inform them of the roleplaying etiquette, and will remove the post if so is wished.


¤ Planning a thread
According to §3 in the forum rules, it is not allowed to start a thread with a pre-determined ending if not all joining roleplayers are aware of it. To plot, or analyse a series of events, is however allowed, and it is also allowed to put the wheels in motion in one thread (or more). For planning here on Simplest Tastes, we have a plotting forum, where you can also seek roleplayers interested in your epic idea.

Planning can of course also take room between two roleplayers, or more, by private communication. In this case, regard §3 in the forum rules when taking your plan into action; if a fellow roleplayer joins your thread without knowledge about the plot, as a creator of a thread it is your responsibility to inform them of coming events.


¤ Communication
Communication is the butter to your bread when creating a good intrigue. Communication is about being clear about your character’s intentions, emotions, or actions to avoid misinterpretations, but it is also about having a dialogue with the co-starring roleplayer. Unrelated dialogue between the role-players in a thread is written like this; ((insert commentary here)) or like this; [insert commentary here], but keep in mind that a thread in the roleplaying forums isn’t destined for this type of chat. If you have a lot to say to each other, it’s better to write in The Off Lounge, talk in the chat box, or use personal messaging.


¤ Dialogue
As mentioned above, it’s important to express your character’s intentions, emotions and actions to stay clear of confusion, and to increase coherency. The simplest way to abstain from these things it to avoid something called a double-dialogue. Double-dialogue is when you let your character say two things unrelated to each other, without giving your co-starring roleplayer a chance to respond correctly on this. An example is as follows:

”Do you go out to the boardwalk to watch the fish often?” asked Martin. “What's your name?”

In this example, the co-starring roleplayer's character has no opportunity to answer if they go out to the boardwalk often or not, since a question about their name imminently follows up. Therefore, this dialogue should be divided into two separate posts. In regular, human dialogue, it is rare to speak about two things at the same time in this way. Can you remember that you ever asked someone two completely unrelated questions, and requested an answer on both?

Have in mind that some characters have incoherent speech, or say more than they should, without letting anyone interrupt them. When you are responding to such dialogue, remember that it is not possible to answer to everything that has been said. Be realistic! Let your character speak as real humans do (crazy or not)!


¤ To avoid becoming one with your character
The Forum Rules, §1 states the difference between roleplaying and harassment: but what is to be interpreted as what? First off, if you ever feel personally insulted by another roleplayer through his or hers character, or in any other way, contact an administrator.

Second, as a roleplayer on Simplest Tastes, it is your responsibility to keep a distance between the fictional world of Shangrila Shore and the real world. Nothing that takes place in roleplay here on Simplest Tastes has a plausible connection to the outside world; the purpose of this forum is to allow the players to explore the width of their imagination with others. Simplest Tastes gives the opportunity for personal development in written language and other cognitive abilities. As fictional characters in books does not necessarily represent the opinions of the writer, neither does the characters on Simplest Tastes.

Sometimes, it’s possible that a roleplayer develops a more intimate relationship with their character; as a roleplayer, it is possible to know how your character thinks and feels, and sometimes feel with their character when something happens to them. This does not make your fictional character exist in real life. Your character is a medium for your fantasy, but it does not justify that you satisfy personal needs through your character. A character can get hurt, but you cannot get hurt through your character.[/ul]

Also, please read the disclaimer.

Originally written by Oscar and Alice. Translated to English by Oscar 1/1/12. Edited by Alice on 12/1/12.[/blockquote]