RP Etiquette

BASICS This is something I cannot stress enough. Your characters are your extensions, your creations, but you MUST learn to separate ic from ooc. Just because someone doesn't like your character doesn't mean they don't like you. You cannot take attacks upon your character as attacks upon yourself, and you haaave to be able to keep your ooc feelings/drama out of ic things. For those of you who don't know, Godmodding is when a character has the power to do anything, breaking all limits and laws of physics, lore, etc, etc, it's also known as when you character dodges everything and can never be injured- AND it's also when you rp out an action that another character cannot dodge/get out of, or even deciding how another character reacts to a situation. I'm not explicitly talking about consent for sex or anything- because as you know, I do not allow erping in public RPs. I'm speaking more of communicating with your fellow rpers, especially if you want to plan something, or connect the two characters. ANYTHING that requires the participation of someone else's character requires the consent of the other player. If you wish to collaborate and somehow have your character related to another character, or know them from somewhere in the past, you cannot just have them walk up to their character and say "MY BROTHER HOW HAVE YOU BEEN" or what not. That, is both irritating and a form of God-modding. Similar to that is if you have a specific plot in mind that would require the participation of another character, you must get the consent, and collaborate with the player of that character. Meta-gaming is defined as giving your character knowledge that they would not know otherwise. Bringing information learned oocly, and giving that knowledge to your character. A lowly, uneducated peasant isn't going to know that Night Elves evolved from Trolls, or the inner-workings of an ancient, long-destroyed civilization. Or, if a character has a secret that you learn of oocly, you do NOT suddenly say that your character knows this secret. It's pretty crappy and unfair. This is a tip more than anything. Your characters aren't just blank sheets, they're people. They're living, breathing organisms that are just as complex and deep as yourself. Give them more than just a basic background! Know who they are, know how they think, how they'd react to anything. Give them thoughts and feelings! Give them depth! And if you don't know your character enough to do that? Get to know them! RP with people, develop their story, get their story down to every single minute detail, from what they're allergic to, to their ritual when waking up in the morning. Think about what you do in everyday life, think of all the boring, mundane tasks you do that seem second nature to you- your characters have those tasks too! Think about them as actual people, think about what they do, and I guarantee you, it will be so much easier to connect and play with your character. FORUM RP SPECIFICS It's fairly easy to keep a volley going between replies, and it's fairly easy to find a format you like. I've personally had people who switch formats at random. It's confusing, annoying, and difficult to work with! LIVE RP SPECIFICS The most common format for Live RPS is the "/me" format. Stick to that, and you should be just fine.
 * 1) You are NOT your character.
 * 1) Godmodding.
 * 1)  Consent. Consent is sexy.
 * 1) Meta-gaming.
 * 1)  Make it realistic!
 * 1) Follow a format!
 * 1) Again, follow a format.