A New User's Guide to RPA(Endorsed)

[Anne Bonny]

Ask as many forum and roleplay related questions as you like! We'd help you with things like joining a role-play or showing you how to put a avatar in your profile.

Being new isn't a bad thing. So don't be embarrassed about asking questions. We're very friendly here and we never yell at anyone for being new.

A few frequently asked questions (and answers) to save us all some time!

Why can't I send private messages (pm), view profiles, view my own profile?
It's because you're a "newbie." When you get to the status of "member," all those options will open up for you.

How do I get to be a member then?
There's no magic post count number or secret password to becoming a member. To put it generally, you have to participate in our community to be concidered a member of it. Join a few roleplays, get to know some people Downtown, try out some of the fun surveys we've got. Just participate a bit and you'll have member status before you know it.

How the heck does this forum work anyway?
Check out this helpful section for some advice and tips on how to get around RPA.

How big can my signature be?
Check that here!

How do I find an rp that is open to new people?
We've got a whole section of the forum dedicated to RPG Recruitment. I highly recommend the directories, pinned at the top of that section.

[PandaCobain]

I'm a major n00b to this type of roleplay and am just wondering how to get started. I haven't been on a roleplay site in a year!! I've been busy. So any advice on where to start would be much appreciated.

[Anne Bonny]

The roleplaying sections of RPA are broken up into genre, which I think it probably self explanatory.

In each genre, there are four sections: OOC, IC, Hall of Fame, and Recycle Box. The Hall of Fame is for rp's that have been finished, so they are all read-only. The Recycle Box is for rp's that have died off. That section is also read-only, but if players want to restart a game, a moderator can move it out of the Recycle Box.

As for the other two sections, that's where the activity happens. OOC stands for "Out Of Character." It's where people post first for a roleplay. The gm (game master, leader and creator of any rp) will start a thread there outlining the plot, what they look for in a character, and whatever other information they also feel is important knowledge for joining their rp.

The IC (stands for In Character) is where the actual roleplaying happens. Players write about what's going on, what their character is doing or how they feel, etc. Everything here is written in character.

The reason for the two sections is to keep the story as simply the story, without all the discussions of plot and side conversations muddling it up. Players can use the OOC to communicate and plan with each other, laugh about the game, or whatever.

ALWAYS check in at the OOC before posting in a rp! Make sure your character and plans are okay with the gm before just jumping in. It's just a courtesy that we hold very dear around these parts.

I hope that helped! Please let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything!

[Damonique]

I just want to know if you can get that image in your opener(The "Where all the Badasses go to get their RP on) as a Siggy for me to use.

[Anne Bonny]

Anything for you Jansen! Incoming pm in 3... 2... 1...

[Stiltzkin]

is there a particular style of RP structure that everyone kind of abides by
or can RP's be structured any kind of way?

[Nazgul]

That is left up to the GM. In most cases the GM will say what they are looking for in the rules in the OOC. But there is never anything set in stone by the site. For the most part, a lot of the GMs are fairly loose with the structure. Few RPs have a posting order. Mind you, in most cases, the structure of an RP can be usually determined by the end of the first page of IC posts. But when in doubt, ask the GM, as everyone has their own particular style. As an example I request that the players in my RPs wait for at least two people to post before posting again. This cuts down on what I like to call power posting.

Hopefully that was the answer you were looking for. And hopefully it makes sense as so little of what I write does Let me know if you have more questions.

[Nazgul]

Disregard

[Reenok]

How do you put those spoiler boxes in posts? >.< lol

[Merry Gentry]

you do it like so - taking out the space before the word hide at the front and the back

[ hide=christmas][ img]http://sacramentoscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/merry-christmas.gif[/img][/ hide]

then it looks like this

Spoiler: christmas