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Roleplay Seminar

(This series of rants was written in July/August 2001 by Reeve, and are presented here in their entirety.)

Jump to:
Seminar #1: Characterization
Seminar #2: Character Interactions
Seminar #3: Pacing and Timing

(In light of a recent chat, and our Ranting Mod's frustration [last night, anyway. Darwin, I hope you're feeling better today ], I present the following: the first in a series of semi-rants about how to make the RP more sucessful. This first installment is about creating good playable characters. Future installments in this seminar will cover character interactions [including the use of outside methods, such as AIM] and passage of time. These seminars are based on my own experience, observation, and conversations)

SEMINAR #1: CHARACTERIZATION

It goes without saying that characters should fit within the Final Fantasy VII universe, but there are other factors involved in molding successful characters.

PERSONALITY: My recommendation, when choosing a character, is to pick/create one that you can feel comfortable with for weeks (or months) at a time. I'd suggest picking a character that is either a reflection of your own personality, or that of your ideal self. Picking a character just because you really like them is not a strong enough basis for roleplaying... there has to be a bit more to it.
BACKSTORY: Have a full and solid knowledge of where your character came from, even if it was not fully explained in the game. If your character is a minor one with very little backstory to begin with, make stuff up! Also, don't be afraid to make stuff up with more established characters; as long as the added history doesn't conflict with the established history. This goes especially for Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth.
GOALS: Your characters must, above all else, have a motivation, no matter how simple. This could be as complex as taking over the world, or as simple as recovering lost memories or looking for old friends. Your characters must, on a daily basis, be after something... whether it be revenge, world domination, or even peace and quiet.
CONFLICT: As in literature, there is usually something to get in the way of what your character wants. Don't be afraid to set yourself up for conflict, especially when interacting with other RPers (just as long as the conflict is within reason). Conflict, struggle, and tragedy make for richly rewarding stories. I will go more into this last topic in the next two installments.

SOME SUCCESSFUL CHARACTERS FROM PAST RPs:
Post Meteor I: BlueJay, Saber, President Shinra, Sephiroth, Jung, Cid
Alternate Universe: All the Quailins, Zack, Dravven, Reeve, Bile, Rufus
Post Meteor II (first version): Jenova X, Sephiroth, Reno

************************

SEMINAR #2: CHARACTER INTERACTIONS

This is the lifeblood of the RP, so pay close attention!

CONSIDERATION: Above all else, respect other players' characters and storylines. If you step on someone, they'll step on you back. Plot twists are okay, but don't toss in a whole monkey wrench that screws everyone else up.
LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS: This is the most common type of character interaction: one leader is the boss and the other the employee. This interaction can be rather effective when used to its fullest. The best examples here are Reeve and Saber from Post-Meteor, and Dravven and Bile from Alt-Uni.
PARTNERSHIPS/ALLIANCES: This is a less common, but still effective form of interaction, when one individual partners with another individual. Some good examples of this are Sephiroth and Jung from Post-Meteor, and Zack and Reeve from Alt-Uni.
ARCH-ENEMIES: A type of character interaction with a great number of possibilities. Makes for exciting battle scenes, for one thing. And for some reason, it's always my character who winds up with the arch-nemeses; I'm still trying to figure this phenomenon out (President Shinra and Tseng from Post-Meteor, and Dravven from Alt-Uni).
OTHER INTERACTIONS: There are many of them, from random conversations, to being an observer, or an unintended victim... the list can go on. Feel free to be creative in your interactions.

SPECIAL POSTSCRIPT- OUTSIDE COMMUNICATION: One of the secrets of Post-Meteor's success was three words: AOL Instant Messenger. Players would meet over AIM to make plans, form alliances, and even just have conversations all while in character. The results of these chats would then make their way to the MB as posts. Another powerful tool is email. And now we have Private Messages via the MB, which could be incredibly useful in making plans with other players (esp. those who aren't allowed chat rooms [just looking out for you, BlueJay!]).

************************

*Darwin Delantri Brand Rant Mode enabled*

Okay... here it is... the Seminar that everyone had damn well pay attention to; because if there's anything I hate about this board, it is it's capacity to become BORING AS ALL HELL for no good reason. There are reasons why the RP gets boring, and it has mainly to do with poor execution regarding this topic:

SEMINAR #3: PACING AND TIMING

Again, pay close attention, because many of the roleplayers (myself included) have commited flagrant offenses in this area. And please keep in mind that these Seminars are to serve mainly as guidelines, and not hard-and-fast rules.

PACING (REPEAT THIS WORD FIFTY TIMES): The thing to remember, above all else, is to keep the story on a good and consistent pace. There is a very, VERY fine line between good pacing and horrible/atrocious/just plain bad pacing. Here are some factors to keep in mind:
-Action: Now repeat after me... EVERY SINGLE IN-CHARACTER POST YOU MAKE SHOULD SOMEHOW ADVANCE THE STORY. It is perfectly valid to write an introductory post with reveals aspects of your characters' personality/situation, but please spare us the agony and don't do this for every single damn post. Every, and I do mean EVERY, post that you make should affect a current event and/or lead up to a future one; otherwise, the post is irrelevant and unnecessary.
-Details: KEEP EXTRANEOUS DETAILS TO A MINIMUM. Since this is a messageboard-based roleplay, a lot of us tend to want to fill our posts with flowery speech... some of us more than others. Oftentimes, such posts can be good for the RP, in that they lead into captivating storylines and plot twists. Other times, however, they can be useless, doing nothing in advancing the story. Such examples of over-detailing include describing everyday activities and objects, everyday conversations (where non-plot issues are discussed), and other things that have nothing to do with the storyline, the plot, or the other characters. The more irrelevant details there are, the more boring the posts become; and I for one don't want to feel like I'm back in English class reading Faulkner, so spare the details whenever necessary, for the sake of my sanity and everyone else's.

TIMING: All roleplayers need to agree and act upon the flow of time within a particular storyline. Generally, RPers should enact a period no longer than a few hours at a time within each single post (the only exception I can think of here would be a flashback/retelling). The amount of time that passes between posts is dependant upon the nature of the thread(s) of that particular story arc.

In summation, I offer the following advice: When you post on the RP, think in a theatrical sense, not a literary one. Remember that this is a rolePLAY.

SPECIAL POSTSCRIPT- USE OF SUSPENSE: Suspense is an extremely powerful tool when used correctly, and can add to the entertainment value of an RP. The most classic uses of suspense in the past RPs wer Darwin's depiction of Tseng in Post-Meteor I (where he stole the Huge Materia; Darwin rarely posted as Tseng and kept us all guessing), and, from Alt-Uni, Saber's thread of single-line details where he brought back Nanaki (a stellar combo of timing and detail, proving that less truly is more).


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*Wallpapers & Goodies* *Shopping Guide* *April Fool's Day* *Fanfiction Clichés* *FFVII Citadel Works* *Roleplay Seminar* *The Quiz Page* *Tiny Sites &* *Mini-Shrines* Limozeen Sakaki Real Ultimate Power!	Roleplay Seminar (This series of rants was written in July/August 2001 by Reeve, and are presented here in their entirety.) Jump to: Seminar #1: Characterization Seminar #2: Character Interactions Seminar #3: Pacing and Timing (In light of a recent chat, and our Ranting Mod's frustration [last night, anyway. Darwin, I hope you're feeling better today ], I present the following: the first in a series of semi-rants about how to make the RP more sucessful. This first installment is about creating good playable characters. Future installments in this seminar will cover character interactions [including the use of outside methods, such as AIM] and passage of time. These seminars are based on my own experience, observation, and conversations) SEMINAR #1: CHARACTERIZATION It goes without saying that characters should fit within the Final Fantasy VII universe, but there are other factors involved in molding successful characters. PERSONALITY: My recommendation, when choosing a character, is to pick/create one that you can feel comfortable with for weeks (or months) at a time. I'd suggest picking a character that is either a reflection of your own personality, or that of your ideal self. Picking a character just because you really like them is not a strong enough basis for roleplaying... there has to be a bit more to it. BACKSTORY: Have a full and solid knowledge of where your character came from, even if it was not fully explained in the game. If your character is a minor one with very little backstory to begin with, make stuff up! Also, don't be afraid to make stuff up with more established characters; as long as the added history doesn't conflict with the established history. This goes especially for Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth. GOALS: Your characters must, above all else, have a motivation, no matter how simple. This could be as complex as taking over the world, or as simple as recovering lost memories or looking for old friends. Your characters must, on a daily basis, be after something... whether it be revenge, world domination, or even peace and quiet. CONFLICT: As in literature, there is usually something to get in the way of what your character wants. Don't be afraid to set yourself up for conflict, especially when interacting with other RPers (just as long as the conflict is within reason). Conflict, struggle, and tragedy make for richly rewarding stories. I will go more into this last topic in the next two installments. SOME SUCCESSFUL CHARACTERS FROM PAST RPs: Post Meteor I: BlueJay, Saber, President Shinra, Sephiroth, Jung, Cid Alternate Universe: All the Quailins, Zack, Dravven, Reeve, Bile, Rufus Post Meteor II (first version): Jenova X, Sephiroth, Reno ********************** SEMINAR #2: CHARACTER INTERACTIONS This is the lifeblood of the RP, so pay close attention! CONSIDERATION: Above all else, respect other players' characters and storylines. If you step on someone, they'll step on you back. Plot twists are okay, but don't toss in a whole monkey wrench that screws everyone else up. LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS: This is the most common type of character interaction: one leader is the boss and the other the employee. This interaction can be rather effective when used to its fullest. The best examples here are Reeve and Saber from Post-Meteor, and Dravven and Bile from Alt-Uni. PARTNERSHIPS/ALLIANCES: This is a less common, but still effective form of interaction, when one individual partners with another individual. Some good examples of this are Sephiroth and Jung from Post-Meteor, and Zack and Reeve from Alt-Uni. ARCH-ENEMIES: A type of character interaction with a great number of possibilities. Makes for exciting battle scenes, for one thing. And for some reason, it's always my character who winds up with the arch-nemeses; I'm still trying to figure this phenomenon out (President Shinra and Tseng from Post-Meteor, and Dravven from Alt-Uni). OTHER INTERACTIONS: There are many of them, from random conversations, to being an observer, or an unintended victim... the list can go on. Feel free to be creative in your interactions. SPECIAL POSTSCRIPT- OUTSIDE COMMUNICATION: One of the secrets of Post-Meteor's success was three words: AOL Instant Messenger. Players would meet over AIM to make plans, form alliances, and even just have conversations all while in character. The results of these chats would then make their way to the MB as posts. Another powerful tool is email. And now we have Private Messages via the MB, which could be incredibly useful in making plans with other players (esp. those who aren't allowed chat rooms [just looking out for you, BlueJay!]). ********************** Darwin Delantri Brand Rant Mode enabled Okay... here it is... the Seminar that everyone had damn well pay attention to; because if there's anything I hate about this board, it is it's capacity to become BORING AS ALL HELL for no good reason. There are reasons why the RP gets boring, and it has mainly to do with poor execution regarding this topic: SEMINAR #3: PACING AND TIMING Again, pay close attention, because many of the roleplayers (myself included) have commited flagrant offenses in this area. And please keep in mind that these Seminars are to serve mainly as guidelines, and not hard-and-fast rules. PACING (REPEAT THIS WORD FIFTY TIMES): The thing to remember, above all else, is to keep the story on a good and consistent pace. There is a very, VERY fine line between good pacing and horrible/atrocious/just plain bad pacing. Here are some factors to keep in mind: -Action: Now repeat after me... EVERY SINGLE IN-CHARACTER POST YOU MAKE SHOULD SOMEHOW ADVANCE THE STORY. It is perfectly valid to write an introductory post with reveals aspects of your characters' personality/situation, but please spare us the agony and don't do this for every single damn post. Every, and I do mean EVERY, post that you make should affect a current event and/or lead up to a future one; otherwise, the post is irrelevant and unnecessary. -Details: KEEP EXTRANEOUS DETAILS TO A MINIMUM. Since this is a messageboard-based roleplay, a lot of us tend to want to fill our posts with flowery speech... some of us more than others. Oftentimes, such posts can be good for the RP, in that they lead into captivating storylines and plot twists. Other times, however, they can be useless, doing nothing in advancing the story. Such examples of over-detailing include describing everyday activities and objects, everyday conversations (where non-plot issues are discussed), and other things that have nothing to do with the storyline, the plot, or the other characters. The more irrelevant details there are, the more boring the posts become; and I for one don't want to feel like I'm back in English class reading Faulkner, so spare the details whenever necessary, for the sake of my sanity and everyone else's. TIMING: All roleplayers need to agree and act upon the flow of time within a particular storyline. Generally, RPers should enact a period no longer than a few hours at a time within each single post (the only exception I can think of here would be a flashback/retelling). The amount of time that passes between posts is dependant upon the nature of the thread(s) of that particular story arc. In summation, I offer the following advice: When you post on the RP, think in a theatrical sense, not a literary one. Remember that this is a rolePLAY. SPECIAL POSTSCRIPT- USE OF SUSPENSE: Suspense is an extremely powerful tool when used correctly, and can add to the entertainment value of an RP. The most classic uses of suspense in the past RPs wer Darwin's depiction of Tseng in Post-Meteor I (where he stole the Huge Materia; Darwin rarely posted as Tseng and kept us all guessing), and, from Alt-Uni, Saber's thread of single-line details where he brought back Nanaki (a stellar combo of timing and detail, proving that less truly is more). Originally written in July-August 2001, and later added (circa 2002) to the FFVII Citadel RP Site. \| Copyright 2001-2002, Reeve.
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