Post by Deilakrion on May 23, 2008 13:16:20 GMT -5
I'm out of it anyways, so I figured, why not? Anyhow, this little ditty is to help anyone who feels that they don't know what to type out to rp in a detailed manner. Or, well, anyone who maybe wants to up their game a little. If you feel you need to do that sort of thing. I do. Errr. . . Please note this is for those who like to put a little effort into their writing. If all you want to do is play Pretty Princess Make Believe III except with text: get out. Now. I'm really not in the mood to look at you right now.
So, now that I've thinned the ranks a wee bit, let's get a look at you! You've got fingers and a mind, and that's all you'll need (though I suspect nerves may play into it a little bit, but we won't get into that). The first steps (and only steps) are to pay attention to surroundings, your character, and others' characters around you.
Wherever you choose to rp, there's going to be a description. If there isn't a description, it'd be best for the first poster to set up the area in his post. Look carefully at that description and imagine it. For ease of explanation, let's imagine it's a forest made up of pine trees, with a waterfall and a ledge. That's a pretty bare description, right? Well, with the right amount of tweaking that description is chock full of encounters and items that are interactable with your character. You can ask yourself these questions, in any place, to help you further imagine the location and your place within it.
1.) Is there sentient or non-sentient life within this area?
We've settled in a forest, and unless otherwise stated we can assume there are trees. It is possible, therefore, to extrapolate that yes there is both sentient and non-sentient life in the area. The silent secondary would be: do you wish to interact with it? For show, we'll say we wish to interact with it a little bit. It will play a part, but it will not directly alter the direction we are going in.
2.) What is the climate within this area?
A waterfall and a forest. The common thing for rpers to do is to assume it is spring/summer unless specifically otherwise stated. Go figure, huh? Seeing how there is no other things stated other than 'forest' and 'waterfall' we'll assume it's day and fairly warm. The proximity of the waterfall will mean it's a little bit chilly, but nothing life threatening for most warm-blooded creatures.
3.) What is the ground/sky like?
This is something I use frequently within my rps. Dunno how many others do it, but it is very useful when providing a physical description and for character movement. In this case, the floor of the forest is littered with dead leaves and other detritus. There are brambles, bushes, twigs, roots. Uneven flooring. The ledge to the waterfall is hard with little pockmarks and is also uneven. Closer to the waterfall it is slick with spray.
4.) Who else is here?
Pretty basic. Who are you rping with? What mood is their character in? Useful for all sorts of interaction. In this case we'll assume it's a human.
5.) Who are you?
You may be so familiar with your character that you don't even have to consider this. Otherwise, it's good to recall your characters quirks etc etc for when you start interacting. It's also good to consider your character's state of mind and emotional state. I'll play Deilakrion for this encounter.
6.) What are you doing here?
This is a good one. A lot of the time people hop to rping without any real destination/plot in mind. That's fun, but unless you figure out some things to do you're going to find yourself rping in loops. Boring. So figure it out, and also figure out where you want your char to go.
So armed with those five basic questions, we can move on to the post itself. Also keep in mind that you don't always have to lead off with your name. I use two colons for when I wish to start the post off differently.
Deilakrion :: The forest air was thick with humidity as the two travellers made their way beneath the boughs of the trees. The roar of a waterfall, the cause of the humidity, grew louder as they progressed closer to the water, drowning out the few birds that had risen for the morning. It was damp and clammy, two conditions Deilakrion was not particularly fond of, but she kept moving forward, following the human flesh as she had since before dawn. Who knew why? She scowled at the thought, temper rising quickly despite the coolness of the air. Twigs and detritus cracked in accusation under the man's heavy boots, but the elf was surefooted amidst leaf and bramble: she did not make much in the way of sound. The two reached the edge of the forest, trees growing haphazardly as ground gave way to the water's path. Wordlessly, they went down, and then back up along a rocky edge that had sprouted by the side of the forest. Her feet slipped on the damp surface, and with a tiny growl she put a hand up against the wall as they closed the distance to the waterfall. Her companion remained mute, but Deilakrion gaped in wonder as they passed behind the waterfall. The noise was near deafening, and the spray tickled her thick hide with consistency. She winced, ducking away as water flicked into her eyes. She squinted, glaring at the curtain of water, and for a split second thought she saw a tiny face glaring back. Ahead, the human turned to wait for her, and she hurried to catch up, still staring backwards over her shoulder at the mysterious water.
So. In the matter of sentient and non-sentient life I used it later in the post to cultivate a mischievous water sprite who mimicked Deilakrion's anger only to disappear a moment later. This is something I can bring back in later posts, and perhaps use the theme of sprites continuously throughout the rp. It raises new emotions within Deilakrion, startling her and giving us the option to have her react or think upon it later.
The climate I brought into the picture early in the post by stressing the humidity, time of day, and coolness of the forest thanks to both water and the fact that the sun hadn't yet risen. I also tweaked the description of the climate to include the sounds of the forest, from the dawn-birds to the roar of the waterfall.
The ground I also used to denote sounds, in this case to show the difference between the human and Deil. The human didn't care if he made noise or crushed plants underfoot. Deil, however, was very careful in placing her feet and made little sound. This is a comparison of what is assumed civilization with wilderness, with the two acting as our representatives. Classic comparison, really, and very easy to polarize. I also used the slippery ground to make Deil slip, and her wonder at the water to show that she doesn't do this sort of thing very often compared to her ease of movement in the forest. Note that the human has little trouble.
The human is Deil's companion, and assuming this is the first post we have little information on his personality. However, from the leads I have given with Deil we can assume he is stoic and no-nonsense. He wants to lead Deil somewhere, and he is doing so in a very self-assured manner.
Deil is Deil is Deil. She is never too happy to follow a flesh, and this is shown in her sulky manner. At the appearance of the waterfall/sprite, you'll notice that her mood quickly changes. She is easily distracted by the world around her, and suddenly the man is not so bad to follow.
My character is following the other character to an undisclosed location.
Now, you'll notice the meat of my post is simple one-line descriptions of where they are at and their progression in their journey. This doesn't always have to be the case. The world is large, and there are a million things to notice and interact with. . .even in a desert. Also, don't be afraid to make things you include in your description to be recurring things. Maybe your character notices an odd plant. Later, perhaps someone comes down sick. You can connect the sickness with the plant, either as cause or cure, and then return to the scene to study it. Perhaps your character notices a strange animal and keeps seeing glimpses later on. Later you find it to be a humanoid shifter, who has a story to tell and a need. . .or any myriad of things. Maybe you come upon a bunch of dead birds. Perhaps the woods are too quiet. Perhaps as you near the river you see a boat coming upstream, or a bunch of dead wood. Smoke in the distance? Whatever you can imagine (or perhaps even an experience -you've- had) can be put to use and played out for maximum effect.
Deil, for instance, has got a terrible habit of rescuing little animals. First there was a baby dragon (which was later eaten by a monstrosity before they could get it out of the pit the dragon had fallen into). Then there was the Monster. Most recently there was the three baby griffons and a well-meaning but dumb hunting cat that just couldn't seem to get free. The sky in your mind is the limit, and don't be afraid to twist any rp in a new direction. Sometimes that'll be the funnest experience you'll ever had.
Good luck!
So, now that I've thinned the ranks a wee bit, let's get a look at you! You've got fingers and a mind, and that's all you'll need (though I suspect nerves may play into it a little bit, but we won't get into that). The first steps (and only steps) are to pay attention to surroundings, your character, and others' characters around you.
Wherever you choose to rp, there's going to be a description. If there isn't a description, it'd be best for the first poster to set up the area in his post. Look carefully at that description and imagine it. For ease of explanation, let's imagine it's a forest made up of pine trees, with a waterfall and a ledge. That's a pretty bare description, right? Well, with the right amount of tweaking that description is chock full of encounters and items that are interactable with your character. You can ask yourself these questions, in any place, to help you further imagine the location and your place within it.
1.) Is there sentient or non-sentient life within this area?
We've settled in a forest, and unless otherwise stated we can assume there are trees. It is possible, therefore, to extrapolate that yes there is both sentient and non-sentient life in the area. The silent secondary would be: do you wish to interact with it? For show, we'll say we wish to interact with it a little bit. It will play a part, but it will not directly alter the direction we are going in.
2.) What is the climate within this area?
A waterfall and a forest. The common thing for rpers to do is to assume it is spring/summer unless specifically otherwise stated. Go figure, huh? Seeing how there is no other things stated other than 'forest' and 'waterfall' we'll assume it's day and fairly warm. The proximity of the waterfall will mean it's a little bit chilly, but nothing life threatening for most warm-blooded creatures.
3.) What is the ground/sky like?
This is something I use frequently within my rps. Dunno how many others do it, but it is very useful when providing a physical description and for character movement. In this case, the floor of the forest is littered with dead leaves and other detritus. There are brambles, bushes, twigs, roots. Uneven flooring. The ledge to the waterfall is hard with little pockmarks and is also uneven. Closer to the waterfall it is slick with spray.
4.) Who else is here?
Pretty basic. Who are you rping with? What mood is their character in? Useful for all sorts of interaction. In this case we'll assume it's a human.
5.) Who are you?
You may be so familiar with your character that you don't even have to consider this. Otherwise, it's good to recall your characters quirks etc etc for when you start interacting. It's also good to consider your character's state of mind and emotional state. I'll play Deilakrion for this encounter.
6.) What are you doing here?
This is a good one. A lot of the time people hop to rping without any real destination/plot in mind. That's fun, but unless you figure out some things to do you're going to find yourself rping in loops. Boring. So figure it out, and also figure out where you want your char to go.
So armed with those five basic questions, we can move on to the post itself. Also keep in mind that you don't always have to lead off with your name. I use two colons for when I wish to start the post off differently.
Deilakrion :: The forest air was thick with humidity as the two travellers made their way beneath the boughs of the trees. The roar of a waterfall, the cause of the humidity, grew louder as they progressed closer to the water, drowning out the few birds that had risen for the morning. It was damp and clammy, two conditions Deilakrion was not particularly fond of, but she kept moving forward, following the human flesh as she had since before dawn. Who knew why? She scowled at the thought, temper rising quickly despite the coolness of the air. Twigs and detritus cracked in accusation under the man's heavy boots, but the elf was surefooted amidst leaf and bramble: she did not make much in the way of sound. The two reached the edge of the forest, trees growing haphazardly as ground gave way to the water's path. Wordlessly, they went down, and then back up along a rocky edge that had sprouted by the side of the forest. Her feet slipped on the damp surface, and with a tiny growl she put a hand up against the wall as they closed the distance to the waterfall. Her companion remained mute, but Deilakrion gaped in wonder as they passed behind the waterfall. The noise was near deafening, and the spray tickled her thick hide with consistency. She winced, ducking away as water flicked into her eyes. She squinted, glaring at the curtain of water, and for a split second thought she saw a tiny face glaring back. Ahead, the human turned to wait for her, and she hurried to catch up, still staring backwards over her shoulder at the mysterious water.
So. In the matter of sentient and non-sentient life I used it later in the post to cultivate a mischievous water sprite who mimicked Deilakrion's anger only to disappear a moment later. This is something I can bring back in later posts, and perhaps use the theme of sprites continuously throughout the rp. It raises new emotions within Deilakrion, startling her and giving us the option to have her react or think upon it later.
The climate I brought into the picture early in the post by stressing the humidity, time of day, and coolness of the forest thanks to both water and the fact that the sun hadn't yet risen. I also tweaked the description of the climate to include the sounds of the forest, from the dawn-birds to the roar of the waterfall.
The ground I also used to denote sounds, in this case to show the difference between the human and Deil. The human didn't care if he made noise or crushed plants underfoot. Deil, however, was very careful in placing her feet and made little sound. This is a comparison of what is assumed civilization with wilderness, with the two acting as our representatives. Classic comparison, really, and very easy to polarize. I also used the slippery ground to make Deil slip, and her wonder at the water to show that she doesn't do this sort of thing very often compared to her ease of movement in the forest. Note that the human has little trouble.
The human is Deil's companion, and assuming this is the first post we have little information on his personality. However, from the leads I have given with Deil we can assume he is stoic and no-nonsense. He wants to lead Deil somewhere, and he is doing so in a very self-assured manner.
Deil is Deil is Deil. She is never too happy to follow a flesh, and this is shown in her sulky manner. At the appearance of the waterfall/sprite, you'll notice that her mood quickly changes. She is easily distracted by the world around her, and suddenly the man is not so bad to follow.
My character is following the other character to an undisclosed location.
Now, you'll notice the meat of my post is simple one-line descriptions of where they are at and their progression in their journey. This doesn't always have to be the case. The world is large, and there are a million things to notice and interact with. . .even in a desert. Also, don't be afraid to make things you include in your description to be recurring things. Maybe your character notices an odd plant. Later, perhaps someone comes down sick. You can connect the sickness with the plant, either as cause or cure, and then return to the scene to study it. Perhaps your character notices a strange animal and keeps seeing glimpses later on. Later you find it to be a humanoid shifter, who has a story to tell and a need. . .or any myriad of things. Maybe you come upon a bunch of dead birds. Perhaps the woods are too quiet. Perhaps as you near the river you see a boat coming upstream, or a bunch of dead wood. Smoke in the distance? Whatever you can imagine (or perhaps even an experience -you've- had) can be put to use and played out for maximum effect.
Deil, for instance, has got a terrible habit of rescuing little animals. First there was a baby dragon (which was later eaten by a monstrosity before they could get it out of the pit the dragon had fallen into). Then there was the Monster. Most recently there was the three baby griffons and a well-meaning but dumb hunting cat that just couldn't seem to get free. The sky in your mind is the limit, and don't be afraid to twist any rp in a new direction. Sometimes that'll be the funnest experience you'll ever had.
Good luck!