The Etiquette of Roleplaying

Just like in real life, there's always a right way to do things and a wrong way. If everyone does things the right way, like sharing and waiting your turn, things can be fun, and just like in real life, if people don't do the right thing, there can be problems.

While some of these are technically not rules (some of them are), it's always a good idea to keep the following in mind:

1. Don't God Mod. You don't like it when people do it to you, so don't do it to others.

2. Wait your turn. If something's obviously happening between two characters, don't interupt just because you want more screentime for your character.

3. Share the limelight. It's not all about you. Roleplays are a team effort.

4. Be patient. Wait for others. If someone hasn't posted for a page or two, maybe you're hogging the limelight or you're being overzealous in your posting. Take a break and give others a chance to do something.

5. Avoid One-line posts. While they happen from time to time, they aren't good for the health or continuation of a roleplay. If something with the slightest importance doesn't happen in your post, perhaps you should wait until you can post something important. It's better than having one-liners clogging up the works.

6. Grammar and Spelling is a good thing. There's a reason it's been around for hundreds of years. It helps others understand what you're trying to say. Grammar and spelling doesn't have to be perfect, but please make sure it makes sense to the rest of us.

7. Don't limit other people. You wouldn't like it if you went to an RP and were told "No" to whatever you wanted your character to be. As long as it's within the confines of the RP (like a vampire in a magical creature roleplay or a pious person in a Dark Ages RP), it should be allowed. Now, if it's someone trying to play a One-eyed One-horned Flying Purple People Eater in a Vampire War roleplay, then yes, you can turn them down because it work in the confines of the RP.

8. Be creative! Don't copy other people's ideas. If there's already a roleplay for something and it's still going, don't post another version of it.

9. Read what people post in your RPs. Even if it doesn't pertain to you right now, if a character has a broken arm, you might have to comment on it later. People put a lot of work into their posts, so you ought to respect them by reading their posts. And don't skim, please.

10. You can quit a roleplay at any time. If you do, though, there are two things you ought to do: Tell your fellow RPers in the RP so they know, and if it's a Misc. RP, bow your character out. Death is always a good way to bow your own character out, but other good ways include the character leaving the place of action (transferring to another school) or getting too sick to continue (like going to the hospital indefinitely).

If there are any questions, especially about 1, 7, or 8, feel free to ask one of the mods for a ruling. (or if it's with a mod, one of the other mods)