How to transition from forum to real-time game RP?

[rje]

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

[111]

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

 

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

[Sig]

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.

[Melkire]

"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.

[Faye]

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

[rje]

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.

[13uddy]

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.

[Melkire]

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.

[Klynzahr]

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.

8-)

 

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!

[Unnamed Mercenary]

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!

[Klynzahr]

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.

[Zelmanov]

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

[rje]

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

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

[Unnamed Mercenary]

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)

[Caspar]

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.

[Coatleque]

Where in forum RP you are more or less telling a story and have to describe everything and give insight to the reader, in game real-time RP is more like a TV sitcom where you can see everything in the area and can't hear the other person's thoughts.

 

Some people like to express their character's thoughts anyway, and there is no problem with that, but keep in mind if you are trying to run an actual plot-line and accidentally tell your heroes what the villain is thinking you will kind of give away the ending.

 

A good alternative is to focus on subtle movements, hand gestures, and describing facial expressions or mood swings. Perhaps your character's mouth twitched involuntarily when a specific question was asked. Perhaps their nostrils flared almost imperceptibly. Let the other person decide how to take that. This allows their characters to make false assumptions and to develop relationships.

 

Learn your built-in emotes as well and how your character's voice sounds. You can add to a scene by turning off the /em echo and stringing a few of them together.

 

Lastly I would impress that not every response must have an emotion along with it. Sometimes two people can just have a conversation without dramatic effect. If you over-use emotions they will have must less impact when something truly important is happening.

 

Hope this gives a few ideas at least.

[Jana]

I think one thing forum RPers can have difficulty with when transitioning to in-game RP is cutting down unnecessary descriptors. I won't go as far as saying "purple prose" but a lot of what needs to be shown through text in forum RP can be relayed easily in-game. I'll often only use short descriptions in emotes for stuff that isn't obvious or can't be done in-game, like posture.

 

"Jana Ridah slouches against the wall, scanning the Quicksand with tired, baggy eyes."

[ShoggMommy]

Coming from someone who text-rped from 1998-Release of TOR (whenever that was I forget)... Moving from Forum rp to MMO rp is a hell of a thing.

 

Now while I got my roots in live-chat rp back in yahoo's Ayenee realms, I ended up in forums. Both in live chat and forums; people were more patient for paragraph rps, afterall we didn't have visuals and the only thing that could be done was to write or to draw your character. Even then; it was all up to the individual to really paint a mental picture.

 

Since we are now in an MMO, writing out certain things; is easier in the public sense of rp. When I go public I rarely write anything above a three lined response. Mostly because it's very difficult to keep up with a lot of people sometimes.

 

When you're rping with a couple of friends, sure revert back to paragraphs and etc if you'd like. But overall in public I think you will find yourself less pressed and less stressed if you ease back a bit from the heavy paragraph rp.

 

It's a good thing I thing though, learning to adapt to your situation. Otherwise you're likely going to miss posts that are being done frequently and just get flustered. Not to mention it also allows for you to rp with a number of people rather than just one or two.

[D'aito Kuji]

I'm not especially skilled at walking up and talking to people in-game or in life. But what I have done with a lot of success is talk to the NPCs.  I bow to them, react to their words to me, complain about them, or the weather, or whatever else.  And that can sometimes get the attention of others in the area.

 

"Can you believe this guy?," she says to no one in particular.

 

And if people take me up on it and chime in, super good.  If not, that's just fine.  I don't mind RP'ing in my head.  

 

I have caught a little grief from time to time doing this, not everyone appreciates a role player.  But the game is so large and there's so many people, it's not super likely that you'll run into that person again.

 

I also have a RP blog that sometimes (not that often) gets me opportunities to RP as long as I'm able to actually log into the game.  But alas, I was too busy and now I've got computer problems. 

 

But I'll be back sooner or later.

 

Best of luck and if you see D'aito Kuji, feel free to walk up. She's always looking for things she can use, trade, or sell.