Hydaelyn Role-Players
How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Printable Version

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How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - rje - 08-06-2015

SO I have a query for the FFXIV roleplayers: I'd like to join the ranks of the RPers, I have a chara on Balmung (and many on another server that doesn't have as active a community unfortunately but there's SOME Rping there...) but I have yet to do anything with them RP wise b/c I am a longtime forum RPer and am finding the transition to real-time chat-based RP very...difficult. It's definitely not intuitive haha. 

So my question is, how did people that were perhaps more like me, used to long form paragraph RP in a static setting like a forum or email, start the kind of RPing that's common in the game? And what kind of RP IS common? I see many conversations walking around, is it just dialogue? Use emotes for action? Write action? I'm so eager to give it a shot but I'm stymied on how to start exactly...

Although it doesn't help my female roe has a male Hyur type of name since I fantasia'd her but don't have the money to change her name lol. That might put people off...

EDIT: How rude, I should also say hi, haha, this is the welcome forum. Hey! Hope to make some nice connections here Smile

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - McBeefâ„¢ - 08-06-2015

Honestly, the easiest way it to walk up to someone and just go "Hello! I'm a little lost..."

Or any other IC statement. There are often people IC standing all over the world, just walk up, say something, and see what they say back Big Grin

It can be intimidating right at first, but once you get your foot in the door it will become second nature.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Sig - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 04:51 PM)rje Wrote: SO I have a query for the FFXIV roleplayers: I'd like to join the ranks of the RPers, I have a chara on Balmung (and many on another server that doesn't have as active a community unfortunately but there's SOME Rping there...) but I have yet to do anything with them RP wise b/c I am a longtime forum RPer and am finding the transition to real-time chat-based RP very...difficult. It's definitely not intuitive haha. 

So my question is, how did people that were perhaps more like me, used to long form paragraph RP in a static setting like a forum or email, start the kind of RPing that's common in the game? And what kind of RP IS common? I see many conversations walking around, is it just dialogue? Use emotes for action? Write action? I'm so eager to give it a shot but I'm stymied on how to start exactly...

Although it doesn't help my female roe has a male Hyur type of name since I fantasia'd her but don't have the money to change her name lol. That might put people off...

The most common form of public RP is usually 1-2 line dialogue or light emoting.  Single paragraph posts are not rare.  Multi-paragraph is a little more rare. The RP on FFXIV is very diverse - its one of the best things about the server.

There are a number of ways to weave para-form RP into a scene.  It depends largely on the crowd and your personal preferences.  I usually post around a paragraph, sometimes more - sometimes less, even in settings where people are posting one-or-two line dialogue.  Why?  It's what feels natural and brings me the most satisfaction.  It weaves in nice details but keeps things moving nicely.

The most common post conventions I've observed are:

pure emote: /em reclines back in that rickety chair - stuffing the wooden pipe poised between his fingers back into his lips, toking sharply on the sweet fumes, smoke billowing from the corners of his mouth.  The room had started to spin. 

emote/dialogue:  /em || Sig reclined back in that rickety chair - stuffing the wooden pipe poised between his fingers back into his lips, toking sharply on the sweet fumes, smoke billowing from the corners of his mouth as he muttered, "...This is a hybrid post, friend."

Pure dialogue [often used after a pure emote sets the scene or to keep things moving along]  /say "...I love tonberries.  They are cute, and I want to hug them.  And collect them."  

Ultimately, it's about staying flexible.  Some folks who RP 1-2 liners are wonderful, witty RP'ers.  I tone post length down for them gladly.  Others write small novels.  I increase post length for them. Go into the Quicksand sometime and start RPing if it is plausible for your character to do so.  RP what comes naturally.  Good things will follow.  I promise.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Melkire - 08-06-2015

"Paragraph RP" is a practice in real-time roleplay, but it's not something I would recommend to anyone trying to transition from forum RP to real-time RP. For one thing, differing typing speeds means that someone is inevitably going to be speaking or emoting faster than you are, so that precious five or six sentences' worth of emoting is suddenly outdated, which either necessitates a rewrite or for folks to handwave the sudden chronological discontinuity (which happens all the time with "para RPers" in XIV and elsewhere).

I'd recommend mimicking speech in real life as best you can. Rarely do we go on long tirades or spiels unless others have given us their full attention and a silent indication that they'll keep their own mouths shut until we're done talking. Instead, one-on-one and group interactions tend to be far more chaotic, with each person taking their turn to utter as short a sentence as possible.

"Hey, Albert, did you see that guy walking down the street?"
"I sure did, Beth. Wonder why he had a chicken on his head."
"Maybe the chicken is his pet and he didn't want to leave it at home?"
"Maybe."

Short sentences, never more than two or three at most, with pauses thrown in to allow one's partner to respond. Treat emotes the same way.

Albert sighed as he reached for his glass of water. This was going to be a long day.
Beth fidgeted in her seat and glared at Albert who had yet to offer her a drink.
Albert's eyes met Beth's as he took a sip. His eyes widened as he realized what he'd forgotten to do.
Beth blew a raspberry at her "friend". Served him right.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Faye - 08-06-2015

Writing your actions in /em is pretty much the norm, but there's no right or wrong way to distinguish/portray your characters actions and dialogue. And some general tips for someone transitioning from forum RP to in game RP:

- Type quickly and do not afk or tab out unannounced if you can help it; someone is actively awaiting your response
- Use shorter posts; in-game RP needn't be several paragraphs long like a forum RP post may be, especially if you're in a crowded area
- Feel free to type out your emotes first in Word or another program if you wish to spellcheck, or if you need to see your posts more easily for proof-reading

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - rje - 08-06-2015

This is all great advice, thanks guys! It's daunting b/c I'm so bad at cold starts...I never know what to say lol. Probably a universal thing... I'm too used to discussing a setup beforehand, knowing what to go off of. Improv isn't my strongest suite...but I will give it a shot! I saw there's a forum for events so that's def something I'll try to take advantage of, seems like a good way to dip a toe in.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - 13uddy - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 04:54 PM)Natalie Mcbeef Wrote: It can be intimidating right at first, but once you get your foot in the door it will become second nature.

I second this.

Don't overthink it.  It isn't that much different than forum RP, at least not to me.  The biggest difference is that your responses are quicker paced and often a bit shorter, but you are still taking the same basic concepts into account when you are playing the character.  You still try to think of responses and actions that are appropriate to your character, you still think about details and all those things you would do in forum RP, you are just doing it in a slightly different way.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Melkire - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 05:25 PM)rje Wrote: This is all great advice, thanks guys! It's daunting b/c I'm so bad at cold starts...I never know what to say lol. Probably a universal thing... I'm too used to discussing a setup beforehand, knowing what to go off of. Improv isn't my strongest suite...but I will give it a shot! I saw there's a forum for events so that's def something I'll try to take advantage of, seems like a good way to dip a toe in.

You can still discuss setups beforehand! Just poke someone in a personal message via /tell and chat with them out-of-character about the possibility of a scene. Smile

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Klynzahr - 08-06-2015

Having gotten my start in forums like you, I always found small paragraphs to be more natural when in game. The trick is learning how to limit the length and quantity of information to fit the situation.

Unlike a forum, where you must fully describe both the scene and your character, in game RP gives you an avatar and setting, which would be redundant to describe at length. Another general convention, which seems contradictory to many forum RPers, is avoiding emoting your character's thoughts. Opinions do very on this one, but many feel that it can hinder the pace of RP and limit their ability to respond.

When I was first starting out, a particularly smart RPer offered me this advice.

/em Action- "Statement" Flavour

In other words he recommended using /em as a default, with no more than three sentences in every post. The first was meant to set the tone, by describing your character's movements or expression. The second was a statement relevant to the conversation, which other RPers could respond to. The third is a separate statement describing something that might be interesting or  help to provide atmosphere.

One thing to keep in mind with /em is that it forces you to begin your first sentence with your character's name, which can feel a bit clumsy until you are used to it. Here are a few three part examples.

/em squints around the room through thick, round spectacles. "Am I blind, or does this inn have no bloody chairs?" she queries, clearly straining her eyes in the dim light.


/em 's eyes shoot wide open, as she stammers in reply "Brass blades? Where? Me? M'not a Blade I Swear it!" The huge Roegadyn shrinks fearfully back against the door.

The major advantage in this form is that it forces you to keep your posts short, while allowing some room for description and detail. Over the course of a RP encounter you can slowly drop little details about your character, without overwhelming the scene by dumping a huge description all at once.
Cool

It also has the advantage of flexibility. If you find yourself in a fast moving scene, with two or three RPers, you can easily drop the third portion and just use the Action and Dialogue. If you have nothing to contribute to the conversation, you can pull out the dialogue for a non-verbal reaction.


Invariably you will find yourself in a situation with more than three characters (or one uber-fast typing machine) and even keeping up with the three-point format will become tricky. At that point I would recommend using some of Osric's suggestions in order to keep up the pace.

There are also moments which lend themselves to a longer description. For example Klyn had her boots repaired last week by a character, who described her work in careful detail and really enhanced the scene. They should be used sparingly however, unless you are RPing with someone else who prefers long paragraphs.... which leads to my last point.

Every RPer has different style preferences and the worst thing that you can do is pigeon-hole yourself as "only a paragraph RPer" or "only a fast RPer". Your best bet is to start where you feel most comfortable, and try to develop an adaptable style for yourself. Other RPers will appreciate it and you will open more opportunities for yourself.

Good luck!

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Unnamed Mercenary - 08-06-2015

RE: Setting up RP.

Sending people PMs here with interest is also widely used, as well as posting in the Making Connections forum. Sometimes hitting the "random" page on the wiki also helps find interesting people too!

Making Connections is both looking for people and for people available to do stuff. Like....
Example Post: I'm looking for a doctor!
Other Example Post: I'm a doctor look for work!

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Klynzahr - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 05:25 PM)rje Wrote: This is all great advice, thanks guys! It's daunting b/c I'm so bad at cold starts...I never know what to say lol. Probably a universal thing...

Comedy is usually my fallback for unplanned RP and I build a few universal hooks into all of my characters.

For example Klyn has terrible eyesight and will mistake random strangers for someone she knows. She also forgets how big she is and often bumps into people literally.

One of my previous characters was cripplingly shy but owned a huge ferocious looking dog, who would walk up to strangers and beg for snacks. I also had another large character, who was prone to tripping and using random passerby's as handholds.

It's obviously not a necessary part of your character, but having some things like this worked into them is super helpful.

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Zelmanov - 08-06-2015

Also, most RP'ers  in real time tend to respect a "Post order" much akin to a turn in Dungeons and Dragons. You get to say your piece then the person can react, next person involved can react then and then it loops back around to you.

This may help alleviate some of the "stress" you may feel about "keeping up" in real time.

Mind you, people only respect post order for the immediately involved group. If you RP in quicksands for example, those not involved in your scene will be posting willy nilly, having conversations of their own. Chat scrolling too fast is a real end-game level boss in rp Tongue

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - rje - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 06:57 PM)Zelmanov Wrote: Also, most RP'ers  in real time tend to respect a "Post order" much akin to a turn in Dungeons and Dragons. You get to say your piece then the person can react, next person involved can react then and then it loops back around to you.

This may help alleviate some of the "stress" you may feel about "keeping up" in real time.

Mind you, people only respect post order for the immediately involved group. If you RP in quicksands for example, those not involved in your scene will be posting willy nilly, having conversations of their own. Chat scrolling too fast is a real end-game level boss in rp Tongue
Oh tell me about it lol! On top of FC and LS chats, I don't know how anyone keeps up! I guess making one of the chat logs with only say as chat would help that..
but I'll remember that, thank you

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Unnamed Mercenary - 08-06-2015

(08-06-2015, 07:04 PM)rje Wrote: Oh tell me about it lol! On top of FC and LS chats, I don't know how anyone keeps up! I guess making one of the chat logs with only say as chat would help that..
but I'll remember that, thank you

I would highly recommend making a "RP" tab. The game allowed for 4 chat tabs. All of them can be overwritten, but General and Battle cannot be renamed. (I use battle for tells/party and unclick a few things in General. Then there's RP and Linkshells to help split stuff up)

RE: How to transition from forum to real-time game RP? - Caspar - 08-06-2015

This is all very useful to me. It's tough getting used to writing in such a limited amount of space when you come from pbp. I was infamous for my "essays" on the old forum I moderated.