Gaming Tips and Etiquette

[Caine Faerin]

I'm bored. And you know what that means: something random pops up! Though I suppose this doesn't count as too random, since it's on the subject of gaming.

In the years that I've been gaming, both with dice/paper and typing on the 'net, I've found some things that help you make a better game. Some of them help define characters/setting/goals/etc. while others are "rules" of conduct that keep your fellow players from throwing you out and beating you to a bloody pulp.

This isn't a complete list, and anyone can feel free to make suggestions to the list!

LAST EDITED: 29 September 2008

[Caine Faerin]

Etiquette

1. DON'T USE 'NET SPEAK!!! This means NEVER! -- It's fine when you're just chatting randomly or whatever, but a story of any kind (and role-playing IS a story!) should not use acronyms and shorthand such as LOL, ttyl, rofl, etc. Not only is it rude, but in an even some-what serious piece, you'll come off as being an idiot who can't bother to spell properly.

2. WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES, AND SAY WHAT YOU MEAN! -- Allow me to repeat myself here: you'll be seen as an idiot if you can't at least TRY to convey what you want to convey! This means putting a little thought into what you write down. You'll just confuse and frustrate people if you don't TRY to seriously consider the characters' actions, even if the role-play/story/etc. is a comedy!
Example:
I walk over there and talk to so-n-so. = BAD example: Walk over where? Why did you decide to walk over "there"? What do you say?

I decide to walk over to the bar to get a drink, and ask so-n-so if they know what band's playing next. = GOOD example: You've got a specific destination, a purpose for being there, and something another person/character can respond to.

3. In a text-based role-play: DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHAT YOUR CHARACTER IS DOING, AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING! -- If you want to clarify a point, but it's not part of the actual story line; or you want to let others know that you have to go somewhere, make sure everyone knows that it's you talking, not your character! Everyone has a different method, but if you can't think of anything, I personally put my own thoughts inside double parentheses and italicize the text. Example: ((blah blah blah-dy blah blah blah))

4. Use spell check! It's OK if you'll miss something on occasion, but try to spell correctly and use proper grammar. If for no other reason than that it makes your posts easier to read. Firefox in particular has an option of turning on a spell-check feature, so you can tell if something's wrong right away!

5. USING ALL CAPS is the internet equivalent to shouting in a room. Not use it unless that's what you're aiming for! It's hard to read if whole posts are written in all caps, as well.

6. Be considerate: Respect other peoples' views on subjects, both when actually gaming and when simply chatting. Debates are fine, if the other people feel like debating, but don't flame and don't shove your opinions at others and expect them to like what you say. Don't get angry if others don't seem to see your point, and instead try to understand theirs. You can always learn a lot by looking
more than one side of an issue!

7. In-game vs. Out-game: Otherwise known as in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC). What you know and what your character knows can be two very different things. (Think about it, even if our characters know how to fling fireballs around or operate a flying ship, that doesn't mean we could do the same in real life.) What is out-of-character, stays out-of-character. That means even if you know what's going to happen, even if you know the weaknesses (or secrets/abilities/name/etc...) of all the opponents/allies your character encounters, that doesn't necessarily apply to your character as well. If your character doesn't know (or misses their wisdom/intelligence rolls in traditional dice games) then you can have them exploit your foreknowledge except by purest chance.

[Caine Faerin]

Tips

Okay, then. Next is the fun stuff. The focus of any role-play or story is character development. Reacting to events means nothing if the character doesn't have reasons on why they act the way they do. Obstacles mean nothing unless the character changes a little bit after encountering those obstacles and either overcoming them, or failing. People aren't flat objects; they're creatures with distinct personalities. What is true in real life can be put into a story, and the closer you pay attention to the details, the easier (and more enjoyable) it'll be to play the character.

1. What has the character done up to this point? Where have they been, and what have they seen? -- Experiences shape what we know of the world around us; what happens to us in the past, and what we've learned, will be reflected in our actions now and in the future. The influences of schooling, religion, politics, or the lack thereof have an impact on the choices we make. Same goes for a character in a role-play or story, use this fact to create a foundation on which your character will base his/her/its decisions. THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON BEHIND AN ACTION. What one person/character does in a given circumstance will be different from another person/character.

2. Does the character have something they are so frightened of, they'll become paralyzed if they encounter it? Does the character have something that they hate to such a degree they just might go berserk? Does the character have something they adore so much they'd do anything to save/gain/keep it? -- Real people may not go to these extremes, but then again, they sometimes do. Details like this can help: not only by given you something to think about, but also to further the plot by including them.
Example:
One of my characters-- Erye: High Level Elven Mage, Chaotic Good, bookworm (typical of a mage, neh?)
-------> Fear: People with a Chaotic Evil alignment.
------------------> Effect: We once had a campaign where one of the NPC's in our vicinity went through a forced alignment change to Chaotic Evil. He was VERY strong, had VERY good defensive stats (i.e. melee weapons usually bounce off him), and was immune to spells of a certain level and below. (Read: demigod, if not god-like stats.) At the time, Erye was the only spell-caster around, and knew high-level spells, and therefore the only person who could even hope to do any damage whatsoever. BUT! With her fear of all-things-chaotic-evil, she froze; and he pretty much tore up the place............
-------> Hate: Library trashing./ Adore: Libraries
------------------> Effect: Somebody trashes a library in any way, chances are she'll get to them before the authorities... and leave nothing but a smoking pile of ashes in retribution. >.<

3. What's happening? -- When you're writing, don't just say what the character does! Tell us what lead up to that point, what the character sees, hears, and smells. Tell us what thoughts are going through the character's mind; what they're feeling, and what their interpretation of the experience is. Tell us if the character is holding something, or standing near something, and what that something looks like, and maybe why it is where it is. Lead us through the event as best you can; don't assume we know what you're talking about, assume that we don't!

4. Research!-- If you don't want to sound half-assed, do some research. Read books, magazines, newspapers. Draw experience/knowledge from your classes. Use the internet! There's Wikipedia and howthingswork to use as wonderful resources. If you want to figure out how to describe what the flamethrower your character is holding looks like and how it'd work, go ahead and look it up! Knowing a little bit about what you're talking about does wonders!

5. Strengths vs. Weakness-- Everyone in real life, without exception, has something they are absolutely terrible at. So why should your character be any different? The stronger your character is, the greater their deficit. You can't have something without giving something else up, even if it's "only" effort. God-like or near god-like characters are usually considered no-nos in many gaming circles as player characters, but if you feel your character must be that powerful/strong, give them some sort of weakness that could be exploited if others discovered it in-game. That is not to say that the weakness has to be obvious or anything, or even something that's serious. Make it something funny or unusual if you want, as long as you have some way to tone down the character a little and make it more plausible!