# Forum Based Roleplaying



## azkul (May 17, 2005)

Do you like this type of roleplaying?  What are your thoughts on this?   

If you're unsure what I'm talking about, this is when you post messages in character on a forum according to a certain setting.

Thanks,
Brian


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## Stormflame (May 18, 2005)

Many people on this thread might not know exactly what forum based roleplaying, or as better known, rp'ing, actually is.  Simply, an rp begins with a writer, or someone like you and I, opening a 'thread', or plotline, and starting a story.  The writer, as I shall call him or her, makes up a plot, number of characters if need be, location, setting- in short, everything that a book would need to get started.  
Thereafter, other people on that site, in that forum, enter with their character.  They make up a name, an age, sex, powers, history, and any other ideas that make their character special and unique.  Once happy with their new-=birth, they enter the 'thread' with an entry known as a 'post'.  After a certain amount of characters enter, the original founder of that thread moves on with the storyline on how the characters meet.  There is not godmoding aloud, that is to say, taking over someone elses character or taking it into ones own hands to kill another character without permission.  In the end, what is made, is a book.  Many writers have banded together to journey through a world, to take on evil forces, or to make it through a day of ordinary life like most teenage rp'r's enjoy doing.  Anyway, the result is, fun.  Nothing more.  
Threads must be kept up, as to say, filled with excitment and surprize.  If it lacks such a thing, the characters get bored.  The thread slows, and finally, all of your work is in vain, because ultimately, it dies.  However, this recurring death of slow threads is in no way a total waste of time.  The golden rule of 'practice makes perfect' comes into strong effect here.  A seasoned veteran of rp'ing, someone with at least 700 posts normally, becomes very aware of whether a writer is new to the rp scene or not.  Certain characteristics show through with ease.  Spelling, being probably the number three killer of a thread, marks the NoObiE to rping.  People do not like a thread that is littered with spelling errors.  Though it does occur.   
The whole logic to rping though is fun.  That is why you do it...


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## Leto (May 18, 2005)

Tried severals, and dropped them all. Not as fun as MMORPG online or better real-life role playing with a good team of friends. Unless you find a really interesting and civil community, forum RPG in my experience soon turns into a puddle of electronic mud.


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## Princess Ivy (May 18, 2005)

um, forgive my ignorance, i'm not a gamer, but in a sense is that not what we do anyway? i mean, on the forum, to an extent we play roles. i  am not accusing anyone of lying. but i know that here i have an edit button. i have time to check my replies and make sure that i am saying exactly what i want to, whereas in verbal conversation i can't go back and change things, and if i say the wrong thing, its stuck there.


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## Tsujigiri (May 18, 2005)

I agree Leto, with such a lack of concern it soon becomes the realm of those intent on describing how marvellous they are in intricately tedious detail, or acting completely inappropriately until the mod cans them.

*yawn* not for me....give me tabletop rpg's anyday


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## Leto (May 18, 2005)

In a sense, you're right Princess. Every Internet forum has its part of role-playing. But what they talk about is a forum dedicated to this. Part of it is "in game" boards, where your character interact with others - the saloon of the village, the plains for the fights, and so on. And part of it is "out game" boards where you post basic data about your character and can chat with other gamers. As an example, you can check there : http://rpg.x-forums.org/


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## Winters_Sorrow (May 18, 2005)

I use to enjoy text-based computer role-playing, but that was more your traditional role-playing moving from locale to locale anyway. Nice idea, but hard to keep up once people lose interest. Forum based war-gaming is easier to maintain in my (limited) experience


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## zorcarepublic (May 18, 2005)

I do so, on the Ferion forums, but I mainly play SDs--large-scale RPGs.


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## Amber (May 18, 2005)

Most of the RP's I've participated in, often turned into intrictely woven stories- rather good actually, and I think we all took a lot of care with writing our posts..



> *yawn* not for me....give me tabletop rpg's anyday


 
Don't I just wish... I have no-one to play them with lol


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## Isolde (May 18, 2005)

I used to play text-based rpgs for years.  There are many Trek-based ones online, the most notable being Bravo Fleet, I believe.  I also played in a Vampire: The Masquerade one.  The trick is to find people who are imaginative and can write well.  However, finding good writers online is rather difficult, and it's a catch-as-catch-can type of process.

I've never played tabletop or live RPGs, though.  Can someone give an account of their experience with those?


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## AmonRa (May 18, 2005)

i've tried looking for RP forums but could never find any that werent tied to some sort of game or TV series... any forums out there who are dedicated to RP in general just for the fun of RP?


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## zorcarepublic (May 20, 2005)

Not really, but there is a forum I frequent that does offer RPGs in a sub-forum--the ferion forums.


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## Rahl Windsong (May 20, 2005)

The best forum RP I ever took part in was when the MMOG Horizon's was first announced as a concept. A good friend of mine set up a forum specifically for some forum RP set in the Horizon world. The setting was an inn at Tanzoon (SP?) and I remember some of those threads were absolutely wonderful to read. This was all well before the concept of that game changed so drastically that when it finally did release it was a severely lacking from what we all thought it was going to be and it really did turn out to be one of the worst MMOG's I have ever experienced. The forum RP before was fun though! 

Rahl


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## Stormflame (May 21, 2005)

All of you on this thread talking about rping forums has me thinking.  If you are looking for a strong rping site with lots of rules and guidelines, and mods who give a 'dang' about spam and vulgarity, check out rpg.chat.  The best 'rping' forum you can possibly go to.  I do believe, this site should open an area with a limited number of rping threads.  Alot of you are on here on here extensively, so, you would put good effort into the threads because you care.  Thats how I see it anyway.  What could be done, like I have noticed rping forums actually do, is have some of the best writers on that site go in, set up a story through extensive pm's, and with notes and maps in hands, start a story that only serious, 'invited' writers are allowed to post in.  This way, it keeps a steady, well crafted storyline that all the others come in and read.  It keeps the site moving with everyone striving to reach the point of entering one of these, almost 'sticky' threads.  Anyhoo...just a thought....


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## Isolde (May 23, 2005)

^ rpg.chat?  Can you give the full url, please?  Thanks.


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