RaZoR LeAf
Night Terror
RPG Forum Rules and Regulations
1. Building an RPG
The RPG board is made for people to create a Role Playing Game for themselves and others to participate in. An RPG is an interactive fanfic, where a plot is set, and the lives of characters are played out to follow the events of that story. Like actors in a film so to speak, you are the script writer for a particular character.
The first thing you'll want for your RPG is a good plot. Originality, Detail and Interest is the key.
Originality: You'll want to draw people to your RPG, so make the story original. Don't make a plot about a group of trainers off to win the league, as it's been over done to death. Put in alternative motives, large twists that make it differ from the norm. It doesn't have to be a trainer RPG, or even a pokemon RPG, but it needs to be original, so it's not just a cheap clone of another RPG that someone else has.
Detail: Like fanfic, you can't write a story in a paragraph, a plot for an RPG has to be long enough for the audience you're aiming for to get an idea what it's about. It doesn't have to be an epic 500 word chapter, but it needs to be more than a few lines strung together in a few minutes.
Interest: You'll want people to join so make sure you're plot is interesting. Expand on small ideas, so you can appeal to everyone's tastes. Listen to other people's advice and criticism. Be sure to look at other RPGs, just to see what they're doing, compare how you're plot is against theirs so you can get a better feel for what you're writing.
Now that the Plot is done, you have Sign Up Forums. You'll need people to create the characters to star in the RPG, so you'll need details. These are the basic fields that are seen in practically all RPGs:
Name: Your character needs a name. Be sure to make the name appropriate for the genre and time period of the RPG.
Age: The age should be obvious. Remember to fit it into the plot. Don't put 15 year olds into a warzone or 50 year olds into a child's adventure
Gender: There's little room to mess up here.
Description: This is how your character looks. Both their build, physical appearence, the clothes they wear and also their presence. Such as if they appear frigthening or kind.
Personality: Again this is how your character acts. Now is the time to be detailed, and not just say 'kind and funny'. Everybody is individual, so be sure to mention mannerisms and personal opinions.
History: Not all RPGs call for a hitory, but the ones that do usually have a reason for it, so be sure to put some effort into writing it. If your character has a good history, then you can build on it.
Other: The Other option is placed for anyone who has any information to add that doesn't fall into the fields provided.
Generally you create an RPG with the words SIGN UPS in the title. When you deem there are enough sign ups, you create a new topic with the words STARTS in it. Then, all rpg posts are kept here.
In the past, people have complained about being turned down from an RPG. This is perfectly within the rights of the RPG creator. If they feel you are not up to the standard they are hping for they can turn you away. Closed Sign ups, are also perfectly acceptable. Should someone already have a set group of people they wish to RPG with, then Closed Sign ups allow them to deny any one else from joining.
2. Other Posts
Since the RPG forum is solely for these interactive stories, both Mystic Lioness, LilyPichu and I would like to keep other posts to a minimum. The RPG Advice will be kept open where anybody can post their own ideas and tips for writing. As the forums come back into their original motions, we will be working on other topics that people can use for means other than roleplaying.
If we find a topic outside of these guidlines, it will be closed and most likely deleted. If you have an idea you want to put forward, please PM it to us mods.
3. Regarding General Posting
As with any forum, this is just as lenient on SPAM. It will not be tolerated in any form. If you don't know what SPAM is it stands for Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages. That means anything to is unrelated to RPGs in any way. It also inlcudes conversations within an RPG itself that have no realtion to the story being played out. While we are not stopping you from making Out of Character posts we and others in the RPG would prefer it, if you kept minor and major disagreements or discussions about certain events to a private message conversation.
On a second note, playing out the role of a character is no simple task. While it does not call for a genious level, it cannot be done by writing a few lines of text that carry across a whole five hours of events. As a general guide, you're posts should be approximatly three paragraphs long. If you have lots to say, then add it. But please, do not post any less thatn this. Not only is it boring to read, but it's making your character a loner and means they are less likely to become involved.
Writing an RPG Post is like writing a fanic, and so you must be sure to include good description of what your character is doing, where they are and what they see. This means that you are not to script in any way shape or form. If you don't know what scripting is, it's basically writing only speech and minor actions in a constant stream of text.
Me: "What are you doing?"
*Walks to the door *
This is scripting and is expressly forbidden. Write your actions and speech properly, in either first (I did) or third (he did) person.
I'd also like to point out that smilies
;109; ;150; ;222; are there to decorate your posts, not to act as a replacement for saying a pokemon's name. 5. Other types of RPGs
While this is a board for all ages, we are in no way stopping anyone from creating a more mature RPG. Ones that involve violence, blood, gore, also mild sexual references (anything too far will be dealt with accordingly) and other mature subjects. These will be allowed, provided they are maintained in a proper and mature manner. Such RPGs MUST come with a Maturity warning in the title. Also all people who sign up for these RPGs must be aware that they have been warned about content, and they too must act accordingly.
Dance or Party RPGs will be posted by the mods on set dates. The idea of the dance it that you don't have to cnoform to any major rules that are stated here, but it is still not an excuse for SPAM. While they are more free, they are still closely moderated.
6. Lost RPGs
Should there be a problem with the forums, such as server downtime, or topics being deleted, as has happened in the past, you will find your RPG's have possibly gone. Because of this, we suggest everyone saves their RPG's into a tet file to keep safe. If need be, copy and paste people's sign up forms too. That way if you choose to continue or restart, you have all the information at hand.
7. RPG Dictionary
During the coures of RPGing, you'll regularly encounter words or phrases that aren't used much in other forums. Since they do not fall into any other category, I've collected as many as I can think of and put together a list explaining them to you.
Twink - A Twink is someone who acts too immaturely. They power play, believe themselves to be more important than other characters and try to make out that they are special in some way. If you find yourself being called this, then your are not a very good RPGer.
Uber / 00ber - Some who acts or is uber (alt 00ber) is power playing. Similar to a twink, they play out their character as unbeatable, usually invincible to all dangers, or able to defeat an enemy in a matter of seconds with little to no effort. If you find yourself being called this, then your are not a very good RPGer.
OOC - An abbriviation standing for 'Out Of Character'. It is sometimes placed before text when a person is explaining things outside of the RPG itself. OOC: is usually followed by further plot information, a comment about someone's post or a question pertaining to something that has transpired.
BIC - Alternativly, BIC stands for Back In Character, and may follow after an OOC post. This isn't used that often though, so don't worry about starting to use it now. It's useful if you make an OOC post in the middle of your character post. Most OOC's are made at the end so it's not usualy required.
Game Master - The Game Master of an RPG is the person who created it. They wrote the plot, they know what is going on in the story. A Game Master has almost Mod like control over their own RPG, and reserve every right to deny a sig up, or throw someone out of the RPG.
LSU - Stands for Late Sign Ups. Often seen in the titles of started RPGs, it means that further sign ups are being accepted, even though the RPG has started. If you are interested, be sure to read the sign up topic completely, and any posts that have already been made in the main topic.
NPC - Stands for Non Participating Character. An NPC is a character that has been maded up simply to perform a pre-designed task or job in a RPG. The NPC is owned by whoever created it, and so controlling the NPC incorrectly boils down to controlling someone elses character. Bad.
Bunnying - To bunny, is to take control of somone's character and not play them properly. If you were to have a conversation with a character, that is fine, but if they were to suddenly do or say something that didn't match their personality that would be bunnying, and it puts the owner of said character in an awkward position. Bunnying someone's character to get your own way is not a good move to make.
8. Regarding Bunnying / Character Control
There's been a lot of misunderstanding about this recently, so here's an expansion on the term.
Now some people are taking this too literal, and seem to think it expressly forbids any form of using another character. It doesn't. It means you can't use a character badly and you can't use them excessively. You will need to use other people's characters in some situations, in order to further plot, or to create dialogue.
Short uses of a character, just to do something small in order to create a thread for interaction or to push them in the direction of the plot is not bunnying, it's a necessary part of role-playing. Character interaction can't be done without it.
9. Bad Behavior
We urge you to report any posts that you see to disregard any of the rules that are posted here. Do not reply to the topic pointing out the SPAM, as you are merely spamming yourself. Instead, PM and mod and the posts will be dealt with accordingly.
10. Stupid Behavior
I have had to just close two threads, which I thought I would never even have to think of doing yet. These two threads were COPIES/THEFTS/DUPLICATES of an already exhisting RPG, that really only needs to restart following the rules. Anyways, that is not the point. This is. Do Not, and I Repeat Do Not Steal or Copy an RPG unless you get the RPGMasters Permision, like a friend of mine did for one of the RPG's I have made in the past. Do not Steal or Copy an exhisting/Already in motion RPG. Do Not Steal or Copy a dead RPG unless you have the owner's permision.
11. Off Board RPGs
This forum is for RPGs that take place only here. It is not to be used as a place to advertise to MMORPGs, RPGs on different sites, forums set up especially for one RPG, or anything that happens through a chat room such as MSN, AIM or IRC, unless you have permission from PorygonX.
12. ACCEPTALS and DENIALS
If you sign up to an RPG and are told to edit something in your post, look CLOSELY at the story and sign up forms so you don't make a second mistake when you EDIT your form. If you happen to make another mistake, Game Masters will be unlikely to want to accept you to their RPG.
This is their right, so do not complain if you are turned down for an RPG. Do not try to suck up to the game master. Flattery doeds NOT work. If you feel you have been denied a space in an rpg for any particular reason then question a game master VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE. Game Masters are expected to provide valid explanations. If you feel you are being trated unfairly by a Game Master, or alternativly being pestered by a rejected Sign up, be sure to retain all PM's sent and forward them all together in sequential order to one of the mods.
13. Creating more the one RPG
Now I realise that people come up with lots of RPGs, but i'm having to force a limit on you. Too many RPGs not only becomes difficult for the game master to handle, but also puhses other RPGs off the first page, where upon they become forgotten and die early. So in the future, can no one have any more than 3 RPGs.
14. Waiting for an RPG
When you sign up for an RPG, it is customary to WAIT for the RPG to start. It is extremely impolite and rude to start asking "When do we start, when does the RPG begin?". The RPG will begin when the game master wants it to begin, and no amount of begging or asking will change that. So stop it already. I'm giving permission to game masters here and now to throw people from their RPGs if they start asking needless questions.
15. Tiny posts
I've said this before and I will say it again. 2 Lines does not, and never will constitute a plot or a decent post. I'm getting tired of seeing 10 page RPGs that are only that long because people sit and refresh the page every 5 minutes and post a line of action just after their friend has. This will stop now, or you will find your RPG on the verge of being closed. It is not hard to read the RPG Advice. It has been recently updated with grammar advice on how to organise your posts, and it will also be updated with tips on description and speech. Besure to read and refer to these when you are typing. Just look at other RPGers, and how they manage to make their posts longer, you should all be doing the same, and aiming for the same amounts of text.
RPGs that start to get long for the reasons of lots of small posts will be warened. After a few days if there is no improvemet, it will be closed until the RPGers can prove they are better.
16. Seal of Approval
The Serebii Seal of Approval can be seen at the bottom of this post.
If you see it in the first post of a sign up thread, you'll know that we mods believe that the plot is well written and well thought out, and that the RPG could well go on to be a great success. You'll know you're joining a good RPG, but that in turn demands that you RPG in it good. People who drag down SOA RPGs will find themselves on the bad side of the mods.
RPGs that do not meet the high standard deserving of the seal will remain open. RPGs that do not meet the basic standards listed in the rules will be closed, but the author given a chance to redeem themselves by PMing an improved plot to either mod.
Sub Forums Rules and Information
Sign Up Forum
The Sign Up forum is your RPG Starting Point. You post your Plot and Sign Up forums there, and it's where you join RPGs.
RPG Cafe Forum
If your new to RPGing, this is the second place you should visit. The first place, should be these rules, which, if you are reading now, good job! Have a cookie. In the Cafe, you can get tips on making your RPGs, or general RPGing itself. You can share ideas, and discuss any RPGs you are currently taking part in.
There is also a teaching/training facility, which is still finding it's feet at the moment, but should be fully running as soon as everyone is done with exams and the stress that come with them.
RPGer Profiles
Are you an RPGer? Tell us about yourself here.
RPG Ideas 2005
Got an idea? Tell us here, and get feedback and suggestions.
RPG Advanced Forum
The RPG Advance forum is no longer in operation.
Further Help and Information
If there is anything you wish to dicuss concerning RPG's, or ideas for the forum please contact one of us moderators through the Private Messaging System. Links given direct to PM us below.
;071; RaZoR LeAf
;172; LilyPichu
;229; Ookami
;128; Dias
;151; Lady Myuu
[seal]center[/seal]
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