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Role Playing Tips (Please Read; Repost)
16 years ago
General
Please at least read the summarized numerical points. If any of these don't strike you as something to not do, read it and think about it logically. I don't post this to offend anyone, I'm just tired of poor quality role players that don't realize they aren't very good.
I figured I would just list a couple of things that annoy me that a lot of new role players do. Some other people do it as well, but it seems more like newbie role players do these more often than others will. I know from some personal experience as being a newbie a while ago and seeing many newbie role players. Remember that a role play can only be good if all parties involved are into it and willing to spend at least a little bit of thought on it.
1. Repeating the same action over and over.
Don't do this, because it's very boring and makes the other person want to stop talking/role playing with you. It makes you seem very unoriginal and not very intelligent. It can even become annoying to the person you are role playing with as you're just wasting their time.
Example:
*rubs your belly*
*slurps you
*rubs your belly*
Fix:
*Rubs your belly and slurps you*
2. Being way too aggressive when you don't even know someone.
I don't understand how people can see it's okay to start touching and feeling you when they don't even introduce themselves. Compare it to real life, would you go up to someone and grope their butt instead of saying "Hi, I'm so-and-so"? This is more for first impression purposes.
Example:
hi, *gropes you*
Fix:
Hi, my name is so-and-so
3. Don't control the other person's character at first.
It can be very annoying to control someones character if you don't know much about them. It can make you look like an idiot and it can be very annoying. If you know someone, however, then it can be different. This isn't a problem in certain role plays.
Example:
*gives you a big pizza and you eat it*
Fix:
Here, have a pizza! *Hands you a big pizza*
4. There's more to role playing than just actions, use words too.
Talking during role plays can be just as important as actions. If you think about real life it makes it very awkward when no one talks unless of course your mouth is preoccupied... with stuff.
Example:
*rubs your belly*
*hugs*
*massages your back*
Fix:
*Rubs your belly* wow, your belly is so big and soft
5. Do not assume someone is into an interest/fetish you are.
This is a very important one, because if you introduce something new you like to a person it can completely ruin a relationship especially a new one. There are certain things that will disturb someone and it can permanently damage your reputation with them. Don't feel like it is a bad idea to just ask someone something such as, "Hey, do you like inflation? If so, what kind?"
Example:
*sticks an inflation tube up your butt*
Fix:
Are you into inflation, if so what kinds?
6. Yiff is not something everyone wants to do.
A lot of people like to yiff and I understand this. However, I don't think everyone wants to yiff all of the time. Generally virgins are the ones that want to role play yiff constantly (no offense) but it can be very annoying and impersonal. Get to know someone before you want to do dirty things to or for them.
Example:
you're so hot *takes off your pants and puts my mouth on your dick*
Fix:
You're so hot, want me to suck your dick?
7. Grammar is important.
Obviously, you don't need to be a major in English/Literature/Whatever to be literate. Using punctuations, multiple sentences, and correct sentence structure helps. They aren't required, but there's a threshold when IM-speak starts to degrade everything you say and are. I personally like to only use periods if there's going to be more than one sentence in my role play line or it's a stern statement. The most important part is being clear in what you are saying, read over your sentence quickly to make sure it is logical before sending it. If you do make a mistake, don't feel afraid to fix it even if it's very minor. A minor thing to note is to not use the same starters of role playing lines as well because they stick out like a sore thumb.
Example:
*he does this*
*he does that*
*he does this other thing*
Fix:
*The big bear waves.*
*He grabs you and hugs you.*
*Kaejer smiles happily at you.*
8. Have multiple people to role play with(not necessarily at the same time).
This is important, because if you only have about two people you role play with all of the time it can be hazardous. If the other people enjoy your role plays a lot then obviously this won't be a problem. However, if you're new and only know a couple of people just look out there on FA to find people into the same stuff as you. Role playing with multiple people can improve your role playing skills and getting to know more people is always nice.
9. Don't do the same role play over and over again.
I tend to do this sometimes and I realize it after it is too late. Don't role play the same situation or a similar situation over and over again. It ends up being very boring for both sides and tends to lead both people no longer role playing with each other anymore since they figure it will be the same role play as always. Try to think of something abstract that you would enjoy and test it out.
10. During a role play, do not hint at a request.
I've had a few times coming across a nice role play and then someone says the horrible words, "hey maybe this should be a comic you do." This is horrible, I feel used via role play and art skill. It makes me normally want to never role play or even talk to people again.
Example:
Wow, this was a really fun role play, maybe someone should draw a comic about it.
Fix:
Wow, this was a really fun role play.
11. Don't stereotype species.
I don't know if species other than bear get this, but do NOT stereotype a species. It's very insulting for people to offer tons of honey to a bear by assuming every bear is Pooh. Obviously stereotyping is pretty lame in general, but based on species is well... racist I guess. If you know the person decently then stereotyping might be acceptable for use.
Example:
hi big bear *gives you honey*
Fix:
Hi big bear, do you like honey?
12. Keep things realistic.
This one is fairly bendable, because well we're furries after all. There are certain aspects that for no reason at all should be unrealistic. This is mostly dealing with something that is impossible unless there are two of you at the same time. There's magic and stuff that some furries have, but generally it's weird if you can do two things at the same time that aren't possible to do at the same time.
Example:
*gets smooshed underneath you and gets some pizza*
Fix:
*Gets smooshed underneath you. Slides out from underneath you and runs to go get some pizza.*
13. Don't let one person do all of the work.
This one is fairly self explanatory, but if someone doesn't understand then I'll detail it a bit here. Basically, if someone writes out a nice description or spends some time to be descriptive in what they do, don't just reply with something extreme simple such as *smiles*. A role play generally can't be fun if the playing fields are unequal.
Example:
Person 1: "Mhmm, I love pizza!" he laughs for a short moment before going back to pizzas. He started to pick up whole pizzas, with paws on both sides, and take big bites out of them instead of tearing up slices. The pizzas were being consumed much faster with this method. His big stomach was growing to become fairly round and massive now as it was stuffed full with so much pizza.
Person 2: Pats your belly.
Fix:
Person 1: "Mhmm, I love pizza!" he laughs for a short moment before going back to pizzas. He started to pick up whole pizzas, with paws on both sides, and take big bites out of them instead of tearing up slices. The pizzas were being consumed much faster with this method. His big stomach was growing to become fairly round and massive now as it was stuffed full with so much pizza.
Person 2: John actually had to climb on the big black bear's growing belly to keep rubbing it! "Go!" he exclaimed.
Things to look out for if someone doesn't want to role play with you at the current moment.
1. The person you are role playing with has short replies.
When a person replies with short answers they either aren't in a very role playing mood or are distracted with something else. You might want to consider halting the role play for right now. If this continues, you could ask them about it or move on to someone who enjoys role playing with you.
This also could be a good indicator of you boring them with your role playing for whatever reason. If people seem uninterested in role playing by replying with short, repeating answers it normally means they don't care and they are just putting up with you at the current time.
Example:
You: Hi
Them: Hi
You: What's up?
Them: Nothing
You: How are you?
Them: Fine
You: Whatcha been up to lately?
Them: Nothing
2. If you get a bad vibe.
If the person you are role playing with seems to be a bit irritated at what you're doing you should probably stop role playing. Either talk with them instead of role playing or just leave them alone. They might or might not be mad at you, but let them cool off before you mess something up.
Make a comment about something you find people do in role plays that annoy you or are tips on how to role play better. I hope people will read and learn from this, because it's nice to find people that are good at role playing. However, don't name any names or any very specific events. We don't want anyone to feel humiliated personally.
I figured I would just list a couple of things that annoy me that a lot of new role players do. Some other people do it as well, but it seems more like newbie role players do these more often than others will. I know from some personal experience as being a newbie a while ago and seeing many newbie role players. Remember that a role play can only be good if all parties involved are into it and willing to spend at least a little bit of thought on it.
1. Repeating the same action over and over.
Don't do this, because it's very boring and makes the other person want to stop talking/role playing with you. It makes you seem very unoriginal and not very intelligent. It can even become annoying to the person you are role playing with as you're just wasting their time.
Example:
*rubs your belly*
*slurps you
*rubs your belly*
Fix:
*Rubs your belly and slurps you*
2. Being way too aggressive when you don't even know someone.
I don't understand how people can see it's okay to start touching and feeling you when they don't even introduce themselves. Compare it to real life, would you go up to someone and grope their butt instead of saying "Hi, I'm so-and-so"? This is more for first impression purposes.
Example:
hi, *gropes you*
Fix:
Hi, my name is so-and-so
3. Don't control the other person's character at first.
It can be very annoying to control someones character if you don't know much about them. It can make you look like an idiot and it can be very annoying. If you know someone, however, then it can be different. This isn't a problem in certain role plays.
Example:
*gives you a big pizza and you eat it*
Fix:
Here, have a pizza! *Hands you a big pizza*
4. There's more to role playing than just actions, use words too.
Talking during role plays can be just as important as actions. If you think about real life it makes it very awkward when no one talks unless of course your mouth is preoccupied... with stuff.
Example:
*rubs your belly*
*hugs*
*massages your back*
Fix:
*Rubs your belly* wow, your belly is so big and soft
5. Do not assume someone is into an interest/fetish you are.
This is a very important one, because if you introduce something new you like to a person it can completely ruin a relationship especially a new one. There are certain things that will disturb someone and it can permanently damage your reputation with them. Don't feel like it is a bad idea to just ask someone something such as, "Hey, do you like inflation? If so, what kind?"
Example:
*sticks an inflation tube up your butt*
Fix:
Are you into inflation, if so what kinds?
6. Yiff is not something everyone wants to do.
A lot of people like to yiff and I understand this. However, I don't think everyone wants to yiff all of the time. Generally virgins are the ones that want to role play yiff constantly (no offense) but it can be very annoying and impersonal. Get to know someone before you want to do dirty things to or for them.
Example:
you're so hot *takes off your pants and puts my mouth on your dick*
Fix:
You're so hot, want me to suck your dick?
7. Grammar is important.
Obviously, you don't need to be a major in English/Literature/Whatever to be literate. Using punctuations, multiple sentences, and correct sentence structure helps. They aren't required, but there's a threshold when IM-speak starts to degrade everything you say and are. I personally like to only use periods if there's going to be more than one sentence in my role play line or it's a stern statement. The most important part is being clear in what you are saying, read over your sentence quickly to make sure it is logical before sending it. If you do make a mistake, don't feel afraid to fix it even if it's very minor. A minor thing to note is to not use the same starters of role playing lines as well because they stick out like a sore thumb.
Example:
*he does this*
*he does that*
*he does this other thing*
Fix:
*The big bear waves.*
*He grabs you and hugs you.*
*Kaejer smiles happily at you.*
8. Have multiple people to role play with(not necessarily at the same time).
This is important, because if you only have about two people you role play with all of the time it can be hazardous. If the other people enjoy your role plays a lot then obviously this won't be a problem. However, if you're new and only know a couple of people just look out there on FA to find people into the same stuff as you. Role playing with multiple people can improve your role playing skills and getting to know more people is always nice.
9. Don't do the same role play over and over again.
I tend to do this sometimes and I realize it after it is too late. Don't role play the same situation or a similar situation over and over again. It ends up being very boring for both sides and tends to lead both people no longer role playing with each other anymore since they figure it will be the same role play as always. Try to think of something abstract that you would enjoy and test it out.
10. During a role play, do not hint at a request.
I've had a few times coming across a nice role play and then someone says the horrible words, "hey maybe this should be a comic you do." This is horrible, I feel used via role play and art skill. It makes me normally want to never role play or even talk to people again.
Example:
Wow, this was a really fun role play, maybe someone should draw a comic about it.
Fix:
Wow, this was a really fun role play.
11. Don't stereotype species.
I don't know if species other than bear get this, but do NOT stereotype a species. It's very insulting for people to offer tons of honey to a bear by assuming every bear is Pooh. Obviously stereotyping is pretty lame in general, but based on species is well... racist I guess. If you know the person decently then stereotyping might be acceptable for use.
Example:
hi big bear *gives you honey*
Fix:
Hi big bear, do you like honey?
12. Keep things realistic.
This one is fairly bendable, because well we're furries after all. There are certain aspects that for no reason at all should be unrealistic. This is mostly dealing with something that is impossible unless there are two of you at the same time. There's magic and stuff that some furries have, but generally it's weird if you can do two things at the same time that aren't possible to do at the same time.
Example:
*gets smooshed underneath you and gets some pizza*
Fix:
*Gets smooshed underneath you. Slides out from underneath you and runs to go get some pizza.*
13. Don't let one person do all of the work.
This one is fairly self explanatory, but if someone doesn't understand then I'll detail it a bit here. Basically, if someone writes out a nice description or spends some time to be descriptive in what they do, don't just reply with something extreme simple such as *smiles*. A role play generally can't be fun if the playing fields are unequal.
Example:
Person 1: "Mhmm, I love pizza!" he laughs for a short moment before going back to pizzas. He started to pick up whole pizzas, with paws on both sides, and take big bites out of them instead of tearing up slices. The pizzas were being consumed much faster with this method. His big stomach was growing to become fairly round and massive now as it was stuffed full with so much pizza.
Person 2: Pats your belly.
Fix:
Person 1: "Mhmm, I love pizza!" he laughs for a short moment before going back to pizzas. He started to pick up whole pizzas, with paws on both sides, and take big bites out of them instead of tearing up slices. The pizzas were being consumed much faster with this method. His big stomach was growing to become fairly round and massive now as it was stuffed full with so much pizza.
Person 2: John actually had to climb on the big black bear's growing belly to keep rubbing it! "Go!" he exclaimed.
Things to look out for if someone doesn't want to role play with you at the current moment.
1. The person you are role playing with has short replies.
When a person replies with short answers they either aren't in a very role playing mood or are distracted with something else. You might want to consider halting the role play for right now. If this continues, you could ask them about it or move on to someone who enjoys role playing with you.
This also could be a good indicator of you boring them with your role playing for whatever reason. If people seem uninterested in role playing by replying with short, repeating answers it normally means they don't care and they are just putting up with you at the current time.
Example:
You: Hi
Them: Hi
You: What's up?
Them: Nothing
You: How are you?
Them: Fine
You: Whatcha been up to lately?
Them: Nothing
2. If you get a bad vibe.
If the person you are role playing with seems to be a bit irritated at what you're doing you should probably stop role playing. Either talk with them instead of role playing or just leave them alone. They might or might not be mad at you, but let them cool off before you mess something up.
Make a comment about something you find people do in role plays that annoy you or are tips on how to role play better. I hope people will read and learn from this, because it's nice to find people that are good at role playing. However, don't name any names or any very specific events. We don't want anyone to feel humiliated personally.
And I just realized one of my RP 'buddies' only follows like 2 or 3 of those rules. Not any of the good ones, though.
"With the guy we're mentioning.. well, here's an idea of what goes on. I'll call him person X.
(Makui is my sister)
X: hi makui can I inflate your boobs?
Makui: Um.. not today, X. ^^;
X: oh thats ok *runs to new place*
*finds a [new character (Person A)] in [place]*
X: hi
A: Who are you :o
X: i'm X
A: Oh, nice to meet you :)
[Something happens after - if Person X isn't scared away, they both go back to person A's home and then either a pleasure inflation happens, ending in an explosion, or person X jumps between person A's boobs, or person A's boobs getting inflated, or person X accidently putting a foot up person A's vagina.]
*finds a [new character] in [place]*
And the cycle continues. Sometimes he goes back to see other characters.. but.. that's really what happens.
I think he's only managed to play as one character other then himself.
He's done it twice. A badguy, and a random.. uh, I forgot what it was. A bird or something.
The badguy is naturally going to get killed off at some point by the main characters.. but the bird.. well, the story went something like this -
There was a bird or something near my house that looked hurt and had nowhere to go. X comforted him, and wished me to play the bird/whatever. I asked him to.. and his reply basically said that the bird was healed and they found his mother.
I gave him one of his characters to play, and he basically gets rid of it in ONE REPLY."
this is useful though, i can see things i do waayy to wrong aswell.