I Love....!

[SlytherinSistah]

I haven't been here long by the average standard, in fact I'm only coming up upon my 2nd year anniversary the 14th, but...

Over the past 2 years or so, I've had time to notice a few very amazing rp techniques from the everyday creative individuals to grace this site. I've often tried to incorporate these techniques into my own skill set (though not always successfully, I admit) in hopes of providing a better experience for those that wish to share an rp moment with me.

I thought it might be nice if we opened a thread to discuss techniques that we've observed which we found successful & enjoyable.

I only have some requests: Please try to keep it positive and do not talk of thyne self. The purpose of this thread is to talk about things you've experienced that gave you new insight into how rp works. However, I must ask that you mention no members of SS by name to protect the integrity of our members and their rp skillz.

That said, one of my most favourite things I've experienced on the site's RPG is when a role-play writer will give you and your character something to react to. Sometimes it's something as small as a described gesture or an expression they're wearing or inner-monologue/dialogue, but it gives you a bearing from which you can react.

Feel free to add your personal favourites to this thread. <--random cherry for your thoughts.

[dan arjay]

I love to have the class in uniform time frame. I mean that every class should end not less than 2 day so everyone can have a time to enjoy things.

[SlytherinSistah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan arjay

I love to have the class in uniform time frame. I mean that every class should end not less than 2 day so everyone can have a time to enjoy things.

Should?

This thread is meant for things which have occurred, not ideal situations which might occur. Sorry for the confusion.

[Tommehbell]

I love how some people leave their posts open ended so that anyone can jump in and interact and react to their charrie and what they are doing. Its really fun when they set you up for something really funny or silly...you know who are

[Felixir]

Ooooh, I agree with that.

I love when RPers have their characters totally oblivious to things. Like, when your character thinks something or says something under their breath, they have their character be blissfully ignorant. It's fun and I think awesome when you have a character which is like for a moment.

And I also agree, with giving someone something to react to... even if your character says like, two words. I RP with people who do that, hardly say anything, but give you soooooo much to react to.

This is an excellent idea for a thread

[TeafortheSoul]

Great thread idea Izzy!

I love it when, over time, people show their characters learning new things. I love it when they work at it and it suddenly clicks. I love it when a character has a difficulty with a subject and a realistic idea of what is and isn't possible at the age their character is at.

I love canon-friendly creativity.

[Harmonizer]

I like it most when RPers give out a LOT of details. Little things from facial expressions to small hand gestures, or even the simple waggle of an eyebrow is something that can be expanded and elaborated to give a better RP experience.

I also like it when RPers give off a lot of emotion. Happy, sad, amazed, angry, whatever. Also, I think it complements the facial expressions and body language well. I really really like elaborations since it's so much better to interact with stuff like that.

Aaand, I also like it when a LOT of imagination is placed in the post. Like, when there are certain circumstances that didn't actually happen, but might have happened, and are incorporated in the post. I understand this shouldn't dominate the post as it might be associated to godmoding and such, but giving a little something random to talk about never hurt

The post doesn't have to be soooper long. It just needs to be substantially RPable and interactive. ^__^

[IamSloane]

I love it when someone who is completely aware of the storyline keeps their player from having 'ESP' and figuring everything out. A good story has to play out and sometimes characters 'just knowing' or figuring it out from subtle hints (Like oh I knew cause he paused) LOL

[MoviegoerKinz]

I love it when RPers go into what they are thinking. So, you on the other end of the conversation might not know what is being said...but it helps you better understand their character a little bit better along the way.

Which, also brings me to...I love detail. Just like Harmonizer said. I think it's a great way to show off some creativity and it's better then just a one verbal line.

Also, I love people who "quote" who they are speaking with. I think "quoting" who you are directly talking to really helps because there can be several people in one place, but their not all in on the conversation. It's just easier to follow along who you are talking to.

[StarShine]

I really love it when people write the reasons of their reaction. I don't mean just their thoughts but also the history behind it. So yeah, I'm a detail-fan either. The history helps me with the other characters a lot.

And I agree to all people above^

[Nixy!]

I love it when people RP their charries thoughts, especially if its in alot of detail. I tihnk it really helps you reply to someone, like if their thoughts are all of terror and complete and utter fear, you could reply with you're charry wondering why they seem to be going odd, fidgity etc ... because when you think a scary thought in RL, you show that emotion on your face (most of the time). It really helps me stray away from the one liner RPing ... I find it really difficult tohave a good RP with a charry who sticks to one or two lines.

[FoxFire]

I love when people are descriptive, when they get into every blink and hair twirl of their character. Just like in RL, you can speak volumes with just some movements. You can also tell when people are really invested in and fond of their charries, and it's cute ^^

[Daemon]

While I agree with all of you guys, there's something else that I'd like to add. I really enjoy it when people who reply to long-ish posts read and actually take in what is going on, not just react the way they had planned. As in, for example:
"Cindy was terrified. Pure terror washed over her as the guy slowly walked up to her, but she - being Cindy - was amazing at hiding her emotions so while on the inside she was quaking, on the outside she appeared calm and sure of herself, her fingers not even shaking as she watched him advance."
And someone replies with, "She looked pretty calm *yadda yadda yadda*" and not, "He could see the fear in her eyes as he walked towards her..."

I hope that made sense, because I really do love that!

Oh, and I adore those people who put in their character's personality when they RP as a whole and not only when their characters speak.

[Aris]

I really enjoy when people truly portray their characters through their reactions and thought processes. Though saying words and saying what you're character is doing is basic, it really shows a lot of investment when you allow your character to have an internal process. A lot of people don't understand that "we" as Role Players can only see and understand what another player allows us to see. When Role Playing I look to RP with people that challenge me to express more through my reactions and that leaves it open to many possibilities. I'm sure I could explain this better but bottom line is that its awesome to see a character inside and out and kudos to those who put it all out on the table.

Another thing:

Images. I don't do it. But I enjoy when people supply images of their shoes, clothing, or objects with a hyperlinks. It adds to imagery and fills in the blanks. People around you can definitely understand the image of a character when one supplies detailed descriptions and a picture.

[XanaSnape]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fire_faerie

While I agree with all of you guys, there's something else that I'd like to add. I really enjoy it when people who reply to long-ish posts read and actually take in what is going on, not just react the way they had planned. As in, for example:
"Cindy was terrified. Pure terror washed over her as the guy slowly walked up to her, but she - being Cindy - was amazing at hiding her emotions so while on the inside she was quaking, on the outside she appeared calm and sure of herself, her fingers not even shaking as she watched him advance."
And someone replies with, "She looked pretty calm *yadda yadda yadda*" and not, "He could see the fear in her eyes as he walked towards her..."

I hope that made sense, because I really do love that!

Oh, and I adore those people who put in their character's personality when they RP as a whole and not only when their characters speak.

*high fives fire_faerie* YAYUH! WHAT SHE SAID! (And I love your example. Just sayin': I wanna play with 'Cindy'! Being Cindy, she sounds awesome! )

ACTIVE LISTENING IS THE BOMB. I LOVE it when the RPer I'm playing opposite reads my post thoroughly, paying attention and internalizing my character's observable actions-- nuances of action, words, tone, expression, etc. -- before responding.

Then they only react to what I've indicated his/her character would actually be able to observe... or in some cases, they play their character as purposely unobservant of my actions when appropriate to the characters and the scene, because wow, that can be a rollicking good time, too. But that thing, the 'active listening' and reacting charrie-appropriately to JUST what is being communicated IC? That makes it magic for me.

What makes it even BETTER is when you run across an RPer who really knows how to use everything you give them, wasting nothing. I love RPers who not only pay attention, but are really considerate and volley something back that they think the other RPer can get creative with.

Then, hopefully you can write something back that they will be able to react to again, turning it into something of an epic literary tennis match of sorts. I love this! It is such a gift to be given something to play off! (And I'm not talking at ALL about detailed, lengthy posts here... Some of my favorite people who do this well can do it in a handful of well written sentences... sometimes even less. *jealous*)

I'm still a relative newbie to RP--only 2 years on SS, and only RPing for 18 months of that. But I find I learn so much from RPers who do these things... They teach me so much with every post, whether I'm playing with them or just stalking. Playing with people like that makes for a truly engaging, collaborative experience.

Thank you, all of you who do this! You make the fun!

PS: Great thread idea, Izzums!

[cake.ninjak]

I also love detail, but only to a certain extent. I love it when people tell me the details that matter rather than EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. Succinctness is key here, IMO. That being said, the point of my post is to say that I love it when people provide the details, but they don't have a post that's a mile long. I have a short attention span, so I really appreciate the posts that are written so skillfully that I actually get MORE out of them than I would a humongo post, even though its' fairly small.

[Syd]

Like a lot of others people here, I love it when the people I RP with give long, detailed posts to reply to Even like, only a sentence or two is said, there can be so much to talk about that can give the other RPer stuff to work with so that they can post long, detailed replies. Like your character's thoughts, feelings, actions, inner conflicts - anything! So yeah, long posts are my favorite

[WhittyBitty]

I like detail like a lot of people but I'm not too picky with that. Mostly I love it when people have their characters share a lot about themselves in their posts. Not really through dialogue, but thoughts. I'm more for writing thoughts myself rather than physical description, and I like it when others do that too.

I also love it when people crash in RPs in interesting ways. That can be annoying at times, but often hilarious. I usually love it when people randomly join in and make it a big entrance in the conversation.

[Helios Sunrider]

I love the diversity of the characters, and how seamlessly they blend into the school enviroment. Everybody has something to add to this rich tapestry, that really makes Hogwarts come alive.

And as difficult as I make Helios to get along with, people still accept him and play off him in interesting ways.

I suppose I was expecting more friction in the vein of "How do I interact with this guy/girl?" but everyone seems to do so quite well.

This is why I don't write fan fiction. I'd much rather interact and collaborate with others. A couple hundred minds are better than one.

I love you guys, but I'm not IN love with you. Kidding. I think.

[Tommehbell]

I love it when people allow their charries to be kooky. Not everyone has to be the prom queen on the Quidditch jock. We need the Lunas too Its just all about diversity and its fun to sometimes be the crazy one swinging from a tree or being strangled by a towel.

I also love it when people crash into a an active RP or conversation but they act like they are the crashers and not the stars. You know like they are still therd but they are just observing and allowing the original players to keep RPing but they are adding another layer to the RPer without trying to bosshog their way into it. It gives someone else the opportunity to invite that person thru the RP to join in the fun you know.

[Mrs. Weasley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XanaSnape

*high fives fire_faerie* YAYUH! WHAT SHE SAID! (And I love your example. Just sayin': I wanna play with 'Cindy'! Being Cindy, she sounds awesome! )

ACTIVE LISTENING IS THE BOMB. I LOVE it when the RPer I'm playing opposite reads my post thoroughly, paying attention and internalizing my character's observable actions-- nuances of action, words, tone, expression, etc. -- before responding.

Then they only react to what I've indicated his/her character would actually be able to observe... or in some cases, they play their character as purposely unobservant of my actions when appropriate to the characters and the scene, because wow, that can be a rollicking good time, too. But that thing, the 'active listening' and reacting charrie-appropriately to JUST what is being communicated IC? That makes it magic for me.

What makes it even BETTER is when you run across an RPer who really knows how to use everything you give them, wasting nothing. I love RPers who not only pay attention, but are really considerate and volley something back that they think the other RPer can get creative with.

Then, hopefully you can write something back that they will be able to react to again, turning it into something of an epic literary tennis match of sorts. I love this! It is such a gift to be given something to play off! (And I'm not talking at ALL about detailed, lengthy posts here... Some of my favorite people who do this well can do it in a handful of well written sentences... sometimes even less. *jealous*)

I'm still a relative newbie to RP--only 2 years on SS, and only RPing for 18 months of that. But I find I learn so much from RPers who do these things... They teach me so much with every post, whether I'm playing with them or just stalking. Playing with people like that makes for a truly engaging, collaborative experience.

Thank you, all of you who do this! You make the fun!

PS: Great thread idea, Izzums!

I love you called your role playing conversations as tennis matches. I love it when I can too play off of the other persons comments and movements. I always think of it like playing a game of chess. It not only keeps me on my toes, but also entertained. I can't wait to see what going to happen next. That's one reason I love Professor Kazi to death.

[Biochemkris]

I love it when new (and old) members aren't afraid to just jump on in there and role play with scary people in bold usernames. My absolute favorite moments in the RP are with members who actually take notice of my open-ended posts or drop me a PM with an idea and just take the initiative to start some zany side plot with it without my having to initiate anything.

And I'd also like to take a moment to second the Cake Man's (cake.ninjak) comment. I'm definitely one of those people who prefers a well written, paragraph long post over a novel. It's easier for me to reply in an unbiased manner if I don't know every thought going on behind an action, just the part that might be read in an expression or gesture.

And finally, I really like those people with the long posts who bold their dialog. It's so much easier for me to get the gist of the post if I can just read what they're saying (I get lost and my mind wanders if a post is too long; I'm a bad RPer )

[Tommehbell]

Yes I love bolded speech!

It makes it so much easier to pull out spoken words from thoughts! Yes keep that up people

[Faerilicious]

I love it when people randomly just jump right into the conversation, or respond to people they 'see' around them when they aren't actually talking to them.

And I love it when people add little bits like hand movements and expressions into their posts, it makes it easier for the reader to visualise the situation.

And I love internal chatter - gives us a little insight as to what is going on in the character's head.

[Felixir]

eeeeeeee! i just thought of one! eeeeeeee!

Okay, I know y'all have said... and I think I did xD... about how much you like it when players deliberately have their characters miss some actions, like IC hints and all that

i like it when the players pick up on something that IC the character is trying to hide, but OOC has obviously mentioned it to start a talking point, and then elaborate on it. do... do you understand what i mean? xD