Roleplay Discussion Thread

ShinyDiamond · May 8, 2012

Zerin said:
And... Upload!

This picture doesn't turn out so great if you're trying to see the brown in my left eye, but it definitely shows the contrast between the two.

Also, I need a haircut. Soon.

___

People now know what I look like! Anyone have any comments / concerns?

Speaking of which, that brings up another possible topic.

Have you ever seen the face of someone you RP with (possibly including me)? Does it differ from what you were expecting?

I've seen a few I've RPed with before. I have to say, not one looked like what I'd expected. It sounds pretty dumb, but I always assume that people look like whatever their avatar is... (So yes, In my mind right now, Marin looks just like Yellow. Red's is chibi with red all over, TornZero is purple, and Skymin is... Well... Hm... She changes her Avatar to so many very-different things I can't even make a guess.

~~I bet Supervegeta looks like PURE LEGENDARY STUFF.~~

I can't see the photo. :( Can you send it to me on fb?

I've seen some faces of RPers here. Won't say who.

:'( & why don't you mention me too with Marin, Red, TornZero, & Skymin? What about me?

Pkmn Trainer Butthead · May 8, 2012

Zerin said:
Yes, the word I was trying to think of was "diluted". You were overrating him; If that's even possible!

The funny thing is I don't think I've ever RPed with him, but he must be legendary because he is the center of every topic and everyone loves him.

All in favor of replacing Arceus with a Supervegeta, say "I"!

It's level 9001, has infinity plus 1 hp, and knows every move in the game, and also some that aren't, and even the master ball breaks trying to catch him.

I'm pretty sure he's a Centaur. End of Topic.

Anyways, how do you approach making SU's? Like, what sections do you do first and why do you do it?

For me, I do the easy-one line stuff like name, age, gender, etc.. because of the lack of difficulty. Then I do the history, then personality, because the past shapes the present. At last, I do my appearance because my character's persona and past dictate how they may dress.

And an extra, DO YOU LIKE WAFFLES?

Mr. Mammoth · May 8, 2012

Wait what?! People actually know each other on sites outside of Pokécommunity?! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS??!!!!!!1!!1!1!!

Have you ever seen the face of someone you RP with (possibly including me)? Does it differ from what you were expecting?

Well, yes. Yes I have. I don't really expect much about how someone looks, I just imagine them as their avatar! Like the the humble poster of the topic which I am answering right now.

How do I make my SUs?

Well I just go about how the SU-sheet is designed, really...

Do I like waffles?

Do I like waffles? DO I like waffles? DO I LIKE WAFFLES?! I FRAGGLING LOVE WAFFLES!!!!!1!!!111!!!!!!1ONE!!1

Sapphire Rose · May 8, 2012

Mr.mamooth- actually... Yes :D but i knew ShinyDiamond before PC :3 he's the one who recommended it to me~ so thankful to him~

can someone tell me what it means when you're "paired" with someone? I see alot of people with "paired with -----" in their signatures ^^;;

Dawn · May 8, 2012

Anyways, how do you approach making SU's? Like, what sections do you do first and why do you do it?

I generally know the sex of the character first (And I will correct gender as sex if it's listed on the SU as such. ;o That's /my/ pet peeve, yo.) because that's literally a choice that requires almost no thought but still kicks my muse in the shin if I try to skip it. I then go for appearance, because it /sucks/ to do all the other stuff and then realize you can't find an image to represent what you've created.

After that I generally flesh out the character and at the very end I complete any RP samples I might need.

moon · May 8, 2012

PinkSapphire said:
can someone tell me what it means when you're "paired" with someone? I see alot of people with "paired with -----" in their signatures ^^;;

To be paired with someone here can have different meanings. To many people it means that they are best friends on PC, to others it can have romantic meaning. Others just want to pair up just because it seems like a fun thing to do. It's a simple and fun way of showing that you two somehow belong to each other.

PkMnTrainer Yellow said:
Anyways, how do you approach making SU's? Like, what sections do you do first and why do you do it?

I generally know the sex of the character first (And I will correct gender as sex if it's listed on the SU as such. ;o That's /my/ pet peeve, yo.) because that's literally a choice that requires almost no thought but still kicks my muse in the shin if I try to skip it. I then go for appearance, because it /sucks/ to do all the other stuff and then realize you can't find an image to represent what you've created.

After that I generally flesh out the character and at the very end I complete any RP samples I might need.

What is the difference between 'sex' and 'gender' then? I just think the former word sounds a bit embarrassing in comparison to the latter, so 'gender' is the word I prefer to use. My guess is that you're hinting at the difference between having a physical gender and a, well, mental gender?
EDIT: I searched on the web a bit and it seems like I'm just bad with English xD sex does seem to be the most "correct" word.

As for how I create SUs, I normally start out with a general idea of what kind of character I want to play as. The gender is not always the first thing that is decided, but a general appearance is. Then the most protruding personality traits and some history to get the personality to make sense. Gender can often change after I've written personality and history, if I feel like it would suit the other gender better. And appearance changes with gender.

I tend to write one section at a time, but I have an idea of the character as a whole before I start writing.

I love writing SUs, really <3 it's always exciting to create and start something new, I guess, and try things you haven't tried before or revisit old ideas and make them even better than before.

Cirrus · May 8, 2012

PinkSapphire said:
can someone tell me what it means when you're "paired" with someone? I see alot of people with "paired with -----" in their signatures ^^;;

From http://www.pokecommunity.com/faq.php?faq=pc_faq#faq_paired :

The action of pairing is often when two forum members, usually good friends, get together. This can either be in a romantic way (as in, boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.) or as a platonic way to show friendship. People often write who they're paired with in their signatures. To pair, PM or contact the person whom you would like to pair with and if you mutually agree on it, you can post in this thread [editor's comment: now closed] to record it.

That's about it, really. It's an expression of a relationship that two members may have that is particularly close (either excellent friends, or something more than that).

---

How do you write SUs?

I visualize a character in my mind - maybe in the process finding some concept art - and sculpt on different facets as I work (the rougher, more overarching characteristics first, then the finer points). The aura that a character exudes is the most important to me; their personality defines how they behave towards their environment and entities within that, as well as the way in which they reason. Eventually my characters begin taking over, and describe themselves to me. However, if the character doesn't speak to me I will be unable to write a very satisfying sign-up, so there's that too.

Music helps a lot with the creative process.

Sapphire Rose · May 8, 2012

That sounds fun! :D sorry for being too dumb :p i saw alot of people having "paired with ---" in their signatures and couldn't help but wondering ^^;;

Dawn · May 8, 2012

Red's Hawt Chibi Pelippers said:
What is the difference between 'sex' and 'gender' then? I just think the former word sounds a bit embarrassing in comparison to the latter, so 'gender' is the word I prefer to use. My guess is that you're hinting at the difference between having a physical gender and a, well, mental gender?
EDIT: I searched on the web a bit and it seems like I'm just bad with English xD sex does seem to be the most "correct" word.

Yeah, and to be fair the meaning of gender used to be more of a synonym. It was quite recent that there was some social revolution of sorts where people decided they meant completely different things. Basically gender is just a personality trait, whereas one's sex is the actual biological aspect. A tomboy is a type of gender. Therefore a gender field feels redundant to me in that the personality field is already the place to put that stuff. |D

I have hilariously petty pet peeves though. (Maybe pet is short for petty ;o) Two of my other pet peeves are characters that have the power to combat-teleport and characters that have the power to battle-clone themselves without people noticing. I also have a lot of difficulty stomaching clones that can punch people in the face. I blame DBZ for the formermost and Naruto for the latter two. |D

I also blame the internet, because I probably wouldn't've formed half the grudge I have if I hadn't had to sit through at least 100 god modding characters who used the above powers. |D The great war of MySpace Roleplay, or something like that. ~~Or was I on The Twitter? I'm so confused. I'll just go stand over there.~~

Rokusasu · May 8, 2012

Yay, the good ol' sex/gender thing. Gender is a social construct rather than a biological thing - my essay the other week was about Simone de Beauvoir and analysing her work 'The Second Sex' in various pieces of feminine literature. Good times, good times. ~~ONE IS NOT BORN A WOMAN, BUT BECOMES ONE~~

I think people often write 'gender' rather than 'sex' because the former is a bit more family friendly? Because of y'know, the other meaning 'sex' has. I could be wrong mind you. xD

Cirrus · May 8, 2012

I think "sex" is biological in nature as a term, and "gender" is more the set of identifiable characteristics relating to one's personality that tend towards masculinity / feminity (or anything like that). To quote the infamously editable encyclopedia (i.e. Wikipedia):

Sex said:
"[...] genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety, each known as a sex. Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells (gametes) to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents. Gametes can be identical in form and function (known as isogametes), but in many cases an asymmetry has evolved such that two sex-specific types of gametes (heterogametes) exist [...]"

Gender said:
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes that they possess. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity. Sexologist John Money introduced the terminological distinction between biological sex and gender as a role in 1955. Before his work, it was uncommon to use the word "gender" to refer to anything but grammatical categories.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#cite_note-udry-0 However, Money's meaning of the word did not become widespread until the 1970s, when feminist theory embraced the distinction between biological sex and the social construct of gender. Today, the distinction is strictly followed in some contexts, like feminist literature,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#cite_note-2 and in documents written by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO),http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#cite_note-www.who.int-3 but in most contexts, even in some areas of social sciences, the meaning of gender has expanded to include "sex" or even to replace the latter word.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender#cite_note-udry-0 [...] "Gender" is now commonly used even to refer to the physiology of non-human animals, without any implication of social gender roles (for example dogs or cats)."

Swolligator · May 8, 2012

Zerin said:
Yes, the word I was trying to think of was "diluted". You were overrating him; If that's even possible!

The funny thing is I don't think I've ever RPed with him, but he must be legendary because he is the center of every topic and everyone loves him.

Okay dude, quick English lesson, if my view of someone was "diluted" or "watered-down", it would mean that I would make them seem less than what they are; ie; underrating them.

Ergo, your sentence is contradictory and incorrect.

If anything I was overrating him.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to go posting photo's of yourself all over the internet. If people were curious about how you looked or about your 'apparent' Heterochromia, it would be more wise to show them in PM. However we have since moved on making the picture somewhat irrelevant.

Back on topic:

I usually write my SU's from top to bottom. I figure out all the immediate details like height, age, weight, name, etc first, then move onto an appearance. Their personality usually ends up reflecting their appearance and their history stems from that.

Mr Cat Dog · May 8, 2012

Hey everyone! Megan's recent foray into Roleplaying has inspired me to check this forum out, so here I am. I've read the Helpful Guides mentioned in the Rules, so I have a basic understanding of what goes on here (I'm kinda ashamed to admit I had no idea what roleplaying actually meant in an internet context!) but have a few questions, if peeps will indulge me:

How long does an average RP actually last? All of the threads I've looked at so far are decidedly on-going and don't show any time of stopping.
In addition, what percentage, roughly, of RPs actually finish? I imagine if these go on for months on end, that people wouldn't be able to complete them due to real life complications and stuff.
Do GMs always have to roleplay themselves, or can they just stand on the sidelines and control the plot twists and turns without actually making a character themselves?
How upfront do GMs have to be plot twists e.g. can a GM tell a roleplayer at the beginning of the game in secret that their character is going to turn evil when he or she gets to Viridian City, or does that have to emerge later in the game?

Thanks to anyone who answers these. And, as a feeble attempt to stay on topic: yes, I like waffles. :D

Satan.EXE · May 8, 2012

雷影イチロ said:
Okay dude, quick English lesson, if my view of someone was "diluted" or "watered-down", it would mean that I would make them seem less than what they are; ie; underrating them.

Ergo, your sentence is contradictory and incorrect.

If anything I was overrating him.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to go posting photo's of yourself all over the internet. If people were curious about how you looked or about your 'apparent' Heterochromia, it would be more wise to show them in PM. However we have since moved on making the picture somewhat irrelevant.

Back on topic:

I usually write my SU's from top to bottom. I figure out all the immediate details like height, age, weight, name, etc first, then move onto an appearance. Their personality usually ends up reflecting their appearance and their history stems from that.

Aw, look at what you do. You take something fun, and you destroy it.

Okay dude, quick English lesson, if my view of someone was "diluted" or "watered-down", it would mean that I would make them seem less than what they are; ie; underrating them.

Ergo, your sentence is contradictory and incorrect.

I don't need an English lesson, thank you very much. When I say diluted, I mean diluted. I'm simply saying that being paired with him makes your opinion of him altered, not only being an outside opinion but an inside as well; that being paired can alter your judgement of him. Therefore, your opinion isn't quite as significant as those of someone with no involvement.

If anything I was overrating him.

To be quite honest, I can't believe you're still continuing this, even though I made it perfectly clear (more than once) that I was agreeing with what you said, or rather, since I had said it first, you were agreeing with me.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to go posting photo's of yourself all over the internet. If people were curious about how you looked or about your 'apparent' Heterochromia, it would be more wise to show them in PM. However we have since moved on making the picture somewhat irrelevant.

Firstly, I don't have an issue with posting pictures of myself online. I have nothing to hide. Second, my 'apparent' Heterochromia? Are you trying to say that you don't believe me, or that my picture doesn't prove it? I'm wondering what the quotation marks were inserted for. I wasn't reverting to the topic either, I was simply fixing a previous mistake.

Pkmn Trainer Butthead · May 8, 2012

Mr Cat Dog said:
Hey everyone! Megan's recent foray into Roleplaying has inspired me to check this forum out, so here I am. I've read the Helpful Guides mentioned in the Rules, so I have a basic understanding of what goes on here (I'm kinda ashamed to admit I had no idea what roleplaying actually meant in an internet context!) but have a few questions, if peeps will indulge me:

How long does an average RP actually last? All of the threads I've looked at so far are decidedly on-going and don't show any time of stopping.

In addition, what percentage, roughly, of RPs actually finish? I imagine if these go on for months on end, that people wouldn't be able to complete them due to real life complications and stuff.

Do GMs always have to roleplay themselves, or can they just stand on the sidelines and control the plot twists and turns without actually making a character themselves?

How upfront do GMs have to be plot twists e.g. can a GM tell a roleplayer at the beginning of the game in secret that their character is going to turn evil when he or she gets to Viridian City, or does that have to emerge later in the game?

Thanks to anyone who answers these. And, as a feeble attempt to stay on topic: yes, I like waffles. :D

Welcome aboard, hope to see you have fun while you are here.

Anyways, let's get down to business (That's a hint for everyone!):

1. RP's don't always finish. If they do, it depends on the RP. Some may take weeks, months, or there even was one that took years. And it depends on the GM too, some GM's try to rush the ending, while others don't try to rush a finish, instead let it run it's own course.
2. As mentioned before, not a lot of RP's finish. Maybe 15-20%, although the number is in fact slowly increasing.
3. Some GM's roleplay in their RP, while some mediate from the sidelines. Me personally, I like to join in, mostly because I create RP's I want to play in, but that's me.
4. For the most part, GM's reveal plot twists right before they happen in the RP. GM's can't tell a RP'er that the RP'ers character will turn evil because that is god-modding, which is a no-no. But mostly, the plot twists aren't mentioned until the are ready to happen in the RP.

Hope that helps. If you need to know more about anything, just ask me or Skymin or anyone here and they SHOULD (wink,wink nudge,nudge, im looking at you vets) be glad to help you.

ALSO: Everyone stop getting angry at each other here. This is for Roleplay discussion, not hurling insults and complaining about our problems. Seriously, I'm getting tired of irrelevant babble in this thread. It's useless, and frankly I don't really care about someone's problems. I'm not trying to be offensive, but this is getting out of hand. This is a ROLEPLAYING FORUM not the Dr. Phil show. In other words, close your teeth.

but welcome new people =)

machomuu · May 8, 2012

Is all this discussion really going on about Supervegeta? Personally, I prefer General Tao (RIP).

Cirrus · May 8, 2012

@Zerin and other guy who is arguing with Zerin: Guys, I know arguments are fun and everything, but can you please take it elsewhere? There's no need to enlighten the rest of us to your undoubtedly very interesting debate, since it's really only between two people at this point. I recommend VM as a medium. =_=

(Yes, I don't like reading all of these messages that are largely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. My comment applies to future debates as well.)

@machomuu: Alter Ego es #1. ( RIP ;_; )

Back on topic:

Mr Cat Dog said:
How long does an average RP actually last? All of the threads I've looked at so far are decidedly on-going and don't show any time of stopping.

The average RP dies within two or three months. It's an unfortunate syndrome of roleplaying - life wreaks havoc on one's schedule, and one also has the possibility of losing interest.

In addition, what percentage, roughly, of RPs actually finish? I imagine if these go on for months on end, that people wouldn't be able to complete them due to real life complications and stuff.

A very small percentage. A conservative estimate would put it at somewhere between 1-3%.

Do GMs always have to roleplay themselves, or can they just stand on the sidelines and control the plot twists and turns without actually making a character themselves?

I am a person who used to firmly believe in GMs not roleplaying themselves, but I have come to the conclusion that it's very useful for GMs to take part in the story so as to move it along more quickly (i.e. railroad). However, I still do not think it's a necessity, and a roleplay without a GMPC can succeed just as well as a roleplay that does have a GMPC.

How upfront do GMs have to be plot twists e.g. can a GM tell a roleplayer at the beginning of the game in secret that their character is going to turn evil when he or she gets to Viridian City, or does that have to emerge later in the game?

It really depends on the GM. Plot twists on a large scale I like to inform my players of fairly early, but minor plot twists that I spontaneously think of obviously won't have the opportunity to be made known until I actually think of them.

I hope I was helpful! =)

Meganium · May 8, 2012

Mr Cat Dog said:
Hey everyone! Megan's recent foray into Roleplaying has inspired me to check this forum out, so here I am. I've read the Helpful Guides mentioned in the Rules, so I have a basic understanding of what goes on here (I'm kinda ashamed to admit I had no idea what roleplaying actually meant in an internet context!)

OH MAH GAWD. CATDIGGITYDOG IN THE RP CORNER! I am surprised that my recent addiction to roleplay has got you as well! xD For a starter like you, you should check out The Pokemon Trainer Academy. There's two spots open for a trainer and a few for staff members, so you should check it out! (that is, if you're curious like I was!)

After joining, you'll want to join another...and another...and another...

I'm trying to catch up on all the topics, but I'll answer them all later when I have free time. xD This thread is quite active!

Dawn · May 8, 2012

@Mr. Cat Dog: Oh hey. I know yooou!~ I just imagined the entire mod team abruptly trying to get in on roleplaying. |3

...It was honestly slightly unnerving! o.O

Anyway...

1. How long does an average RP actually last? All of the threads I've looked at so far are decidedly on-going and don't show any time of stopping.
2. In addition, what percentage, roughly, of RPs actually finish? I imagine if these go on for months on end, that people wouldn't be able to complete them due to real life complications and stuff.
3. Do GMs always have to roleplay themselves, or can they just stand on the sidelines and control the plot twists and turns without actually making a character themselves?
4. How upfront do GMs have to be plot twists e.g. can a GM tell a roleplayer at the beginning of the game in secret that their character is going to turn evil when he or she gets to Viridian City, or does that have to emerge later in the game?

1. ...Sorry, I /probably/ contributed to popularizing the idea of a long term RP. Though, even my RPs have clearly defined ends in sight in their plots, so I can't take all the credit for what you see. |D Most Rps do not finish for one reason or another. I find that this tends to be for activity related reasons. There's many things you can do to try and reduce the chances of an RP dying, most notably taking precautions. I find it's best to enjoy an RP in the present, rather than waiting for the finale the entire way.

2. That's hard to say because I don't honestly keep track. A very low percentage however.

3. GMs are basically the gods of a roleplay. They can do whatever they want, short of breaking Skymin's rules. So if you like the idea of GMing from the sidelines that's all in your hands.

4. "have to"? Well, you don't. Like I said above you can basically do whatever you want. xD The real trick is having the judgement to know what will and will not irritate or turn away your RPers. Because most GMs don't want that. ||P

For your example, I would not attempt to make such subtantial changes to an RPers character for them, because that would most likely upset them. You could talk to them about it, but I definitely wouldn't even /try/ forcing that sort of thing because of the backlash it could cause.

Quest · May 8, 2012

Off-topic: I kinda dislike sifting through the arguing too...

On-topic: Well, being as I haven't post in this thread much as of late I decided I probably should.

Also as a point of interest, how many people actually look at the Roleplay Library?

I tend to about every two weeks but never that much more.

What is your opinion on bring Social and Political ideologies into Roleplays?

Generally, when I see an RP with these ideologies (as well as RPs with several other types) I'll tend to jump at a chance to get into them. To me, they a lot of RP realistic and definitely more interesting in several ways.

Have you ever seen the face of someone you RP with (possibly including me)? Does it differ from what you were expecting?

Honestly, I've seen a few people whom I've RP'd with, though only by seeing pictures. The pictures surprised me a bit as I constantly always think of people who would RP as being nerds in general. In the few instances, I've been way off base. This brings us to the moral of never judging a book by their cover.

Anyways, how do you approach making SU's? Like, what sections do you do first and why do you do it?

On most occasions I will tend to start with history and personality. These two things can determine so many thing about your character and are, well, your character and is what makes them unique. Appearance can determine a character but honestly, it can be used on many characters. After history and personality, I'll start the appearance and physical aspects of the character.

Roleplay Discussion Thread

[b]The Other Promise[/b]

Proto (Not the *****)

One cool snowman

[I]Only thorns left on this rose.[/I]

[span="font-size:180%;font-weight:900;color:#a568f

dreaming a transient dream.

[I]Only thorns left on this rose.[/I]

[span="font-size:180%;font-weight:900;color:#a568f

Scientist Salarian

dreaming a transient dream.

Butcher of the Sands

Frasier says it best

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Proto (Not the *****)

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dreaming a transient dream.

[i]memento mori[/i]

[span="font-size:180%;font-weight:900;color:#a568f

Veteran Roleplayer