RP Guide;;

[Rant]

General

1. Please use basic grammar and spelling skills! I realize that we will have people of many nationalities here, but try to make it to where we can understand you. [Help can be found here.] Also, please keep in mind that American and British English are different in many ways -- both in spelling of words, as well as in vocabulary/sentence structure. Use punctuation correctly, as well.


2. We have many people of all ages here, so let’s try to keep things at a mild level.


3. Please respect other RPers when you role play. Do not call them names when they don’t do what you wanted them to do. We left it all behind when we grew up. If you have a personal argument, don't bring it onto the boards. Have your private catfight in the PMs.


4. “Marsia is an intermediate to advanced play-by-post online roleplaying forum.” Therefore, we expect more than a one-liner RP post. This means that each post should be at least 100 words and reflect all those lovely writing, spelling, and grammar skills we learned in school! Not very much to ask for, you know. We prioritise detail and fluency above length, though.


5. No godmodding [making yourself unbeatable], autohitting[saying that your attacks hit for sure], metagaming [using what weaknesses you know OOC, like by reading the other character's biography, against the character IC] or powerplaying [controlling another person’s character] is allowed. These will result in discipline, varying from being automatically considered defeated in a battle, to having to change your post, to being suspended for a short amount of time.


6. DO NOT CHAT IN THE ROLE PLAY TOPICS. There are threads made for chatting, and if you absolutely must ask a question, use either (( )) or [ ] around it, or put “OOC:” in bold and type your question. This does not apply to pointing out another person's mistake, however, but make sure it's something along the lines of "Your powerplayed. Let me point out where and why...", not "Your character was acting stupidly!".



Examples:

(Myra is my example character, and Jyx is Bob's.)

1. Bad post:

Me: Myra walked into the clearing to meet Jyx.


Good post:

Me: A young black wolf poked her head through the bushes surrounding a break in the forest of trees, gaze sweeping the clearing, anticipation in her eyes. She sniffed deeply and her eyes lit up as she recognized a scent wafting to her nose on the calm spring breeze. It was Jyx, her friend! She bounded happily into the clearing, waiting for the other lupine to emerge. As he did, she raced across to him, about to rub her head against the other wolf’s shoulder in a gesture of affection. Oh, how have I missed you, she thought. Her tail wagged gently behind her, communicating excitement and joy.


2. Bad idea:

Bob: Jyx was brought up short by the sudden appearance of his one-time friend. Myra had known he was coming? Stupid, stupid! He ought to have approached downwind of her, then drag her off into the bushes and finish his work. now he'd have to speak with her, lure her away... Clenching his teeth, he barked out a stiff "Hello, Myra." Rage swirled in his chest, forcing him to take a step back and readjust himself. Control your impulses, he thought fiercely, trying to combat the overwhelming urge to pounce at her. Then, unable to take it any more, he spun around and strode to one end of the clearing, and began to lick at his chest fur harshly, as if grooming himself.

Me: wtf wuz tht 4 man? r u retared? y didn’t u have him walk ovr 2 me??


Good idea:

Bob: Jyx was brought up short by the sudden appearance of his one-time friend. Myra had known he was coming? Stupid, stupid! He ought to have approached downwind of her, then drag her off into the bushes and finish his work. now he'd have to speak with her, lure her away... Clenching his teeth, he barked out a stiff "Hello, Myra." Rage swirled in his chest, forcing him to take a step back and readjust himself. Control your impulses, he thought fiercely, trying to combat the overwhelming urge to pounce at her. Then, unable to take it any more, he spun around and strode to one end of the clearing, and began to lick at his chest fur harshly, as if grooming himself, effecting a calm appearance as he did so.

Me: ((Why did you have Jyx walk away from Myra? I thought we agreed that they were going to meet here. Do you want to discuss this plot a little more?)) [Proceeds with post]


3. Bad post (combo of both):

Me: Myra and Jyx left the clearing. Jyx suddenly started to attack Myra. However, she exhibited her sense of foresight and jumped out of the way, landing behind a rock several feet away, rolling expertly as she did so. Jyx, annoyed and surprised by the younger wolf's skill, chased after her, snapping at her heels. She scurried up a tree, Jyx close behind, snarling at her in anger. She dodged his attacks almost effortlessly. Finally, Myra jumped out of the tree and raced away so fast that Jyx couldn’t catch her.


Good post:

[Assuming that Jyx had previously spoken to Myra in a dark tone, and had left the clearing.]

Me: Myra started when she heard his tone. It was so harsh! Momentarily surprised, she did not respond, and only when her friend turned and exited the clearing did she follow as well, the wag in her tail dissipating. What was going on? Jyx wasn't his normal self tonight. His brows were furrowed, as she could see; the gaze he'd sent her sent chills pawing down her spine. "Where'we going, Jyx?" She muttered, almost afraid to pose that question. Something told her it wasn't right. Not at all. Shivering again, the black female padded after her friend, senses on alert.

Bob: Jyx glared as his one-time friend made no move to reply, doubt conflicting with determination in his chest. Was it has his brother had said? That she was using him only as a tool, for her own purposes? he recalled the conversation they'd had, about how a wolf from another pack was not to be trusted. And he remembered the events of the past few days with painful clarity. not being allowed to meet Myra, her pack attacking his, her father tearing out the throat of his sister... It sent a fresh wave of rage coasting down his frame, and he shuddered, barely able to control his impulses. Just a little more, into those bushes, and he could exact his revenge... As soon as the black female stepped into the undergrowth, he turned, snapping at her neck. A quick blow would do it. This was too painful for him.

Me: Myra ducked out of the way, but Jyx’s attack scored a gash along a shoulder lightly. Wincing, she rolled to her paws, licking at the wound. It wasn't deep, thank goodness, but blood was already welling up from it, running down her ebony-coloured fur in rivulets. She growled at the stinging sensation in her limb, confused. Why? Why the attack? Surely not because of the battle two days ago? Was he... blaming her for her father's deeds? But a battle allowed her no time to think, as her father had often told her, and with a fresh snarl she pounced at Jyx, teeth bared. A few dark droplets sprayed the soft earth: her blood, spilled by his fangs.


4. Bad post:

Bob: Jyx felt a jolt of surprise as his one-time friend ducked away from his blow. Since when had she gotten so good at battling? Had that traitorous father of hers trained her more in it? The rage returned, dispelling the shock, and he recovered, claws digging into the earth. As she pounced, he dropped into a crouch and rolled out of the way, tail lashing as he stood again. A mixture of guilt, sympathy and triumph assaulted his mind as he saw her blood splatter at his paws, but he focused on revenge once again. Swerving, he plunged into the bushes, out of Myra's reach, gauging her abilities and thinking of a response.

Me: so, bob, how are you today? Did you have a nice day?


Good post:

Bob: Jyx felt a jolt of surprise as his one-time friend ducked away from his blow. Since when had she gotten so good at battling? Had that traitorous father of hers trained her more in it? The rage returned, dispelling the shock, and he recovered, claws digging into the earth. As she pounced, he dropped into a crouch and rolled out of the way, tail lashing as he stood again. A mixture of guilt, sympathy and triumph assaulted his mind as he saw her blood splatter at his paws, but he focused on revenge once again. Swerving, he plunged into the bushes, out of Myra's reach, gauging her abilities and thinking of a response.

Me: ((You seem kinda down. Do you want to talk about it over at the Chat thread?)) [Proceeds with post]