Tips&Tricks for Roleplayers

[Ruin Mage]

There is no real way to post a guide, but I figure I'd post stuff for a crowd. For new roleplayers mostly or for those who may be interested in superhero RP - at least in CoX.

If anyone has any tips to add, feel free to post them. This "guide" only grows with the communities help.

 

LORE RP

Don't really worry about this. City of Heroes' lore is so loose and free that "Lore RP" isn't a thing. It's a superhero universe, and comic books are known for wild possibilities. The lore is also all over the place, constantly contradicted, or outdated. So don't really sweat it about getting details entirely right. Most roleplayers aren't fanatical about the lore in this game in particular. Those that are tend to not be worth the attention. As long as you're not saying you're the lover of a lore character - thats something you want to avoid in public RP. Unless it fits the character to boast such a lie!

 

https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page is a good spot to find the history of the universe, the lore, etc. But again, its all pretty loose and easy.

 

TAGS & TERMS

You see these in bios;

I=Immersive. Not quite sure what this means, tbh.

A=All - this just means they're up for everything.

Mature/Dark = This means mature content. Likely referencing stuff like gore, drugs, sex - adult themes, really. Stuff that is definitely R-rated or higher.

 

Walk-up/Whispers = You see this for people who are a-okay with tells or walk-ups. Generally means they're fine with psionics, etc or people approaching their character.

 

Other terms to consider:

Powergaming/Godmodding - Usually undodgeable attacks, one hit KOs

Metagaming - Knowledge you're told ONLY OOC being brought IC. This can be something like knowing someone's name when its marked as being a secret identity, etc. If its not a-okayed by the other player, its a bad idea to mention it IC. If your character wouldn't know it, then its bad.

 

POWERS

Really, superhero universe. Anything can be anything as long as you can color it or explain it. You don't have to match your build exactly to what the powers are. Just take comic characters as examples when picking out your character's gifts. The same go for origins - science, tech, magic, natural, and mutation are broad. You can do a whole lot within them. Some of them even can blend or overlap.

 

People like to play Warshades/Peacebringers as something other than space-faring aliens that need a host - for an example. Or use x Melee/Blast as magic or x-kinesis mutation etc.

 

CHARACTER TYPES

Anything is possible. Time travelers, aliens, new heroes, anthromorphs. Go wild! Gods too - though the Greek gods themselves are a touch tied to the game. There's alien races, dimensions (Axis America, for example)

 

HOT SPOT

Current hot spot is the tried and true Pocket D. Others hang out in bases, do small group RP, and such. You'll find the most of it in PD - its an inter-dimensional club. If it doesn't fit your character then try to find a group. Look out for events - usually in the forums or the Discords.

 

CITY OF ROLEPLAYERS

https://discord.gg/zaTX4cJ

A discord dedicated to the roleplayers on Homecoming - mostly on Everlasting, but we welcome all.

 

That's it for now - but I welcome more tips and tricks.

[iynx]

hello

is there a site where to upload more verbose character bio, history, art and possibly an ic diary?

[Ruin Mage]

http://www.virtueverse.net/wiki/Special:RecentChanges

This is the best place. To create an account, request here:

https://discord.gg/8NPaFSB

[Zolgar]

 

TAGS & TERMS

You see these in bios;

I=Immersive. Not quite sure what this means, tbh.

A=All - this just means they're up for everything.

Mature/Dark = This means mature content. Likely referencing stuff like gore, drugs, sex - adult themes, really. Stuff that is definitely R-rated or higher.

 

Walk-up/Whispers = You see this for people who are a-okay with tells or walk-ups. Generally means they're fine with psionics, etc or people approaching their character.

 

 

E=Erotic. They are down to detailed RP the sexings.

All and Mature might encompass that, Dark might encompass dark themes within that.

 

In general, regardless of what their tags say, use some caution on approach if the RP you're seeking is something outside the standard bounds of human decency. It is always best, until you get to know the individual behind the computer, to err on the side of caution with how you approach them for RP. A quick Tell saying ((My character is kind of aggressive and doesn't respect personal boundaries- is that going to bother you?)) before you approach can save you, and your potential RP partners, a lot of headaches.

[Ruin Mage]

Good suggestion, Zol

[chase]

I've seen this in a few bio's and it always seemed to be a good idea:

 

Hooks

Think of these as tidbits of information that serve as invitations for RP topics.  Hooks are always optional, but sometimes it's hard to come up with a reason to engage another roleplayer.  Hooks help, and can even help you create something shared between your characters.

 

A cop character may have a hook saying he specializes in Tsoo matters.  You could approach him saying you'd been referred to him regarding the tsoo, or even ask if he recalls when he helped save a friend of yours from the tsoo.

 

A hero may add the hook of "one of the heroes that assisted in the evacuation of Paragon City University during the rikti invasion" and your character could build reference of a friend or family member (or themselves) saved by them that day... or who fell/fought in that battle.

 

Or a hook may be that "looking up x in the PPD database comes up with warrants for X, Y, and Z"

 

 

In general, when nabbing onto a hook, give an out in case the person isn't in the right timeframe to pursue that topic or reach out in OOC first, but usually those that post hooks are interested in engaging on those topics.

 

[chase]

LORE RP

Don't really worry about this. City of Heroes' lore is so loose and free that "Lore RP" isn't a thing. It's a superhero universe, and comic books are known for wild possibilities. The lore is also all over the place, constantly contradicted, or outdated. So don't really sweat it about getting details entirely right. Most roleplayers aren't fanatical about the lore in this game in particular. Those that are tend to not be worth the attention. As long as you're not saying you're the lover of a lore character - thats something you want to avoid in public RP. Unless it fits the character to boast such a lie!

 

https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page is a good spot to find the history of the universe, the lore, etc. But again, its all pretty loose and easy.

 

I usually see this from people that would prefer to engage with players/characters who at least try to tie themselves to the game world events or timeframe, inconsistencies aside.  They're less interested (and sometimes hostile to) things like "dimension travelers" from other MMO's, Jedi,  obvious-homage characters or joke characters. 

 

They can also object to taking the lore TOO liberally.  The illegitimate son of Statesman, for example, may raise concerns.  Claims to be Sister Psyche's clone or a time traveling Faultline/Fusionette child similary may not be accepted well.

 

 

[Zolgar]

They're less interested (and sometimes hostile to) things like "dimension travelers" from other MMO's, Jedi,  obvious-homage characters or joke characters. 

 

 

As a side note, I love breaking these people's brains by making jokey characters or obvious homage characters who are like legit in-world role play characters that fit better in to the lore than most.

 

My Tyreal homage, Sword of Justice, is a great example of this. >.>

[Voldine]

They're less interested (and sometimes hostile to) things like "dimension travelers" from other MMO's, Jedi,  obvious-homage characters or joke characters. 

 

 

As a side note, I love breaking these people's brains by making jokey characters or obvious homage characters who are like legit in-world role play characters that fit better in to the lore than most.

 

My Tyreal homage, Sword of Justice, is a great example of this. >.>

 

Oh, you mean like my Blackarachnia homage character from Virtue who was conscripted into Arachnos and even forcibly given a crab-pack and multiple other 'upgrades' meant to bring/keep her in line for her constant minor rebellions against Recluse from within, who eventually managed to escape blueside?

[NekoAli]

They're less interested (and sometimes hostile to) things like "dimension travelers" from other MMO's, Jedi,  obvious-homage characters or joke characters. 

 

 

As a side note, I love breaking these people's brains by making jokey characters or obvious homage characters who are like legit in-world role play characters that fit better in to the lore than most.

 

My Tyreal homage, Sword of Justice, is a great example of this. >.>

 

I've done the same myself... I've made a SG for myself and anyone else who wishes to join for the Sisters of Battle, of Warhammer 40k fame. Originally it started as playing with the costume editor and realizing I could do an okay replica, and that some power sets fit different squad designs. But I didn't want to just rip out characters from an established setting. Instead I designed the background that the leader trained with the Knives of Artemis but was turned off by their mercenary nature and the questionable means and goals of the Malta Group. So she formed her own group of warrior women to act as heroes rather than mercenaries. And she took inspiration from the table top game she loves.

 

Even if a character is a clear homage that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad RP. Heck comics themselves have a long standing tradition of borrowing from other sources and changing them juuuust enough to not be legally actionable. Or the ever popular 'They came from another dimension where everyone is <insert pop culture trope of the time>'. And that's before even taking into consideration cases like above that people who gained power are deliberately setting out to pay homage to/rip off characters that are fictional in the universe.

[chase]

...

Even if a character is a clear homage that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad RP. Heck comics themselves have a long standing tradition of borrowing from other sources and changing them juuuust enough to not be legally actionable. Or the ever popular 'They came from another dimension where everyone is <insert pop culture trope of the time>'. And that's before even taking into consideration cases like above that people who gained power are deliberately setting out to pay homage to/rip off characters that are fictional in the universe.

 

To be clear here, I'm very much with you in my RP style, but I do want to defend the "Lore" RP'er that I've come to know. 

 

They're expressing their preference in a more strict adherence with the "Lore."  They would prefer to keep operating within the narrative and story that the devs provided.  Adding to that story is natural, and we all do it by the nature of being a roleplayer, but they try to tie in with what's provided first and foremost and distortions of the lore for personal stories is frowned upon. 

 

That may sound a little conceited or elitist, but note that they're not making judgement calls on the rest of us.  They're not saying our RP is "bad" - they're saying they prefer Lore-centric RP, are seeking other Lore-centric, and asking that you accept that interest.  Just like we wouldn't force mature RP on people not interested in the subject, we shouldn't think we're justified in forcing less-lore-y RP on these players.

 

Now, that said, a lot of Lore RP'ers may try to "correct" a less lore-centric character by mentioning something in the lore that contradicts it.  This can certainly seem like someone's trying to impose Lore-based RP on non-lore-centric RP'ers, and sometimes it is.  However most lore folk know and understand that the game's rich backstory is scattered across so many sources that details can often be missed, so they share those corrections among themselves when this comes up.  Among other lore'ers, this helps them learn and adapt and make characters that more accurately reflect the lore (something they value). 

 

Because of this, don't jump to conclusions that a lore-centric player is "correcting" you as negative just because they bring up odd trivia that contradicts what you do- oftentimes it's intended as a constructive invitation to engage further, not an attempt to put you down.  Consider it in that context first. 

 

If they eventually turn out to be total asses, then bring out the heavy artillery.

[Blackbird71]

That's it for now - but I welcome more tips and tricks.

 

As someone with relatively little experience in formal online RP, I'd like to see an explanation/definition of the various tags, codes, etc. used in chat.  I see some of these used and I usually get the general idea, but don't understand the specific meaning.  Such as, what's the difference between using (parentheses) or ((double parentheses))?

 

A basic primer on how to use chat, emotes, or other communication tools for RP would be a huge help!

[Ruin Mage]

I will be doing an edit on this after I'm done moving this Friday, so expect more stuff the weekend and days to come after.

[justicebeliever]

To be clear here, I'm very much with you in my RP style, but I do want to defend the "Lore" RP'er that I've come to know. 

 

They're expressing their preference in a more strict adherence with the "Lore."  They would prefer to keep operating within the narrative and story that the devs provided.  Adding to that story is natural, and we all do it by the nature of being a roleplayer, but they try to tie in with what's provided first and foremost and distortions of the lore for personal stories is frowned upon. 

 

That may sound a little conceited or elitist, but note that they're not making judgement calls on the rest of us.  They're not saying our RP is "bad" - they're saying they prefer Lore-centric RP, are seeking other Lore-centric, and asking that you accept that interest.  Just like we wouldn't force mature RP on people not interested in the subject, we shouldn't think we're justified in forcing less-lore-y RP on these players.

 

Now, that said, a lot of Lore RP'ers may try to "correct" a less lore-centric character by mentioning something in the lore that contradicts it.  This can certainly seem like someone's trying to impose Lore-based RP on non-lore-centric RP'ers, and sometimes it is.  However most lore folk know and understand that the game's rich backstory is scattered across so many sources that details can often be missed, so they share those corrections among themselves when this comes up.  Among other lore'ers, this helps them learn and adapt and make characters that more accurately reflect the lore (something they value). 

 

Because of this, don't jump to conclusions that a lore-centric player is "correcting" you as negative just because they bring up odd trivia that contradicts what you do- oftentimes it's intended as a constructive invitation to engage further, not an attempt to put you down.  Consider it in that context first. 

 

If they eventually turn out to be total asses, then bring out the heavy artillery.

 

I'm somewhat in agreement here...

 

I agree that if Lore-Centric RP'ers want to be exclusive with other Lore-Centric RP'ers they can and should be allowed to..  But a few thoughts on their interactions with others..

 

1.) If you say you are looking for a Lore-Centric RP Group...please be clear in the LFG channel that's what you are looking for...

2.) If you are in Local chat, and someone butts in with a non lore centric comment, be kind...say "LOL", "TY", or whatever's correct, and if you need more privacy, go somewhere else...

3.) Before I would criticize ANYONE in RL or the Game, unless they are asking for criticism, I would first make an investment in getting to know them.  Almost no-one likes off the cuff criticism from a stranger...So unless you are willing to "dumb down" to their level for a mission, or spend 5 minutes interacting with them, non-critically, either OOC in chat, or doing lite RP, you really shouldn't be given off the cuff criticism, period.

[Zolgar]

That's it for now - but I welcome more tips and tricks.

 

As someone with relatively little experience in formal online RP, I'd like to see an explanation/definition of the various tags, codes, etc. used in chat.  I see some of these used and I usually get the general idea, but don't understand the specific meaning.  Such as, what's the difference between using (parentheses) or ((double parentheses))?

 

A basic primer on how to use chat, emotes, or other communication tools for RP would be a huge help!

 

OK, so the thing is there is no "right" or "wrong" way to chat in RP. Some people will put quotes around everything they say in character, things without quotes are used for the narrative, so it's a little more like writing, others will use /me for their narration elements. Some do all their RP in first/second person (the narration using "you" and "me" type pronouns, over gendered, or the use of the name), some RP exclusively in 3rd person. Some treat tells as long range communication (texts, psy, radio, etc), others will RP being 'present' in tells. The list goes on and on.

 

Find a format you're comfortable with, and honestly, you'll start to pick up the style and habits of those you RP with the most. General gist of things though:

Use something close to proper grammar and spelling. (We're forgiving of poor spelling and typos. Not so forgiving of "B CN U. ;)" in character (without good reason))

Don't assume all the information in bios is public knowledge unless it says so.

Be patient and give people time to respond IC (unless your character talks fast without concern for who they're talking to)

Don't be a dick.

 

As far as the (( vs ( question?

There's no difference. Different people use different methods of distinguishing OOC (Out Of Character) chatter. They may use (( )), they may use ( ), they may only open or close the paragraph with brackets, they may say OOC: before anything OOC...

[justicebeliever]

 

Don't be a dick.

 

 

I have to say this is really good advice for Role Play!

 

And Forum Posting...

 

And Teaming...

 

And RL!

 

+1 Zolgar

[Zolgar]

I've been seeing /c/ in some people's bios.. Dahel iz dis?

[Ruin Mage]

F-List, Zolgar. It's an adult website where you can list your character's kinks. Typically for people with fetishes, etc.

[Zolgar]

F-List, Zolgar. It's an adult website where you can list your character's kinks. Typically for people with fetishes, etc.

 

Suspected as much, thanks.

[Blackbird71]

 

Don't be a dick.

 

 

I have to say this is really good advice for Role Play!

 

And Forum Posting...

 

And Teaming...

 

And RL!

 

+1 Zolgar

 

Meh.  While the idea behind it may be good general advice, my experience has typically been that those who proclaim this phrase the most vocally are often also those most in need of following it. 

 

Not always of course, but regularly enough that it raises a red flag when I hear those words.

 

No offense Zolgar; I only know of you what I've seen on these forums, and from what I've seen you appear to be a regularly helpful and respectful individual.

[justicebeliever]

 

Don't be a dick.

 

 

I have to say this is really good advice for Role Play!

 

And Forum Posting...

 

And Teaming...

 

And RL!

 

+1 Zolgar

 

Meh.  While the idea behind it may be good general advice, my experience has typically been that those who proclaim this phrase the most vocally are often also those most in need of following it. 

 

Not always of course, but regularly enough that it raises a red flag when I hear those words.

 

No offense Zolgar; I only know of you what I've seen on these forums, and from what I've seen you appear to be a regularly helpful and respectful individual.

 

Hopefully you view me in the same regard, but regardless, hypocrisy doesn’t make the advice bad or even the advice giver, it just means the person giving it is being a hypocrite.  For myself, I do catch myself having to apologize sometimes for being exactly this.

[Zolgar]

No offense Zolgar; I only know of you what I've seen on these forums, and from what I've seen you appear to be a regularly helpful and respectful individual.

 

Excellent, I have at least one person fooled.

 

In all honesty:

 

"Don't be a dick" is something everyone needs to hear sometimes. I am certainly no exception, and I know and acknowledge it.