The character testing thread! Formerly the spontaneous role-playing thread

"Ho! Bartender! A can of your finest hat polish!"

The wolf sighed, rubbing his grey fur. "Sir, we don't sell hat polish here."

"Oh?" The robe leaned in. "And why ever not?"

"This is a Snack bar, sir." The wolf gestured. "And it's not even the primary establishment."

"Touche, my friend." The robe returned to his former position. "I did note the dance floor."

"Did you?"

"Indeed. Would you mind turning on the music?"

The wolf rolled his eyes. "Try asking the DJ."

"Oh, I would, but you see, he's not here."

The wolf glanced at the booth. It was indeed empty.

"Late again..." he growled. "I ought to start up the music myself-"

"Then why don't you?"

"What?" He laughed. "Right. Me, play music? I don't think so."

"What's so hard? I'm sure you'll pick it up easy." The robe began waving his sleeves in the air. "Bow chika wop wop wiki wiki fo schizzo!"

"...Okay, that was awful."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not up there!"

(OOC: Yes, it's an RP thread! Jump on board!)

Um...not to be rude at all or anything, but I've done a lot of role playing before, and it's usually a good idea to apply some kind of setting, background, underlying plot, and rules for character making and interaction before just diving in like that. Titles aren't usually neccessary, but are a good addition.

If I were you, I would set up a guideline for what kind of characters are allowed, what time period this takes place in, where you want the plot to go, and some basic rules of interaction. Without that, you kind of open up a door for god-modding, unbalanced characters and over powered characters. Plus, with no pre-designated back-story, you set up your rp for it's death because no one really knows what's going on. With no character profiles, it gets really confusing as to who is who very fast.

If there was a little more structure for this, I might consider joining you.

(Okay, it's a dance club. Structure.)

Pandora wrote:If I were you, I would set up a guideline for what kind of characters are allowed, what time period this takes place in, where you want the plot to go, and some basic rules of interaction. Without that, you kind of open up a door for god-modding, unbalanced characters and over powered characters. Plus, with no pre-designated back-story, you set up your rp for it's death because no one really knows what's going on. With no character profiles, it gets really confusing as to who is who very fast.

If there was a little more structure for this, I might consider joining you.

Quoted for truth.

This is not a violent type of RP! This is a social setting.

We understand. Time setting? Area? Social Climes? What do you want us to do? If you want to just hang out, I'm perfectly capable of hanging out in the forum without RPing, seeing as my fursona is essentially myself.

Masterweaver wrote:This is not a violent type of RP! This is a social setting.

No one said it had to be violent. We're just saying we really have no idea what you want to do here. There's no direction. I am in agreement with Lord Grey in what he said about hanging out as well.

And you two, amazingly, are not the only people on the forum. For somebody who named herself after the world's first chaos, you sure seem to want a lot of order!

Hey hey, don't start a fight. We're posting in this thread because we have interest in RPing with you, but the RP thus far lacks direction. That's all.

I think you're missing our point. We are trying to help you. (And besides, I like my name. Pandora actually means "All Talents." She was the first, and most beautiful, woman, not the first chaos. It was her box that was chaotic. You should read the legend of Pandora's Box sometime. It's very interesting.)

The framework of an roleplay is similar to the framework of a story. You can't just sum it all up in one sentence. That's a formula for having it die really fast. I've seen it happen a lot before on several other forums. One of them didn't even get started because no one had any idea of what the author wanted. I saw that you've written a very detailed and extensive character bio that you posted in the intro thread, so I know that you can do more than just something like this. I know you can do something really well-thought through. We aren't asking for something as long as that perhaps, but something definitely deeper than the single sentences you are giving us.

Here I'll give you an example of a good framework from one of the very successful RP's I've been in. This is what the author of the rp had in his introductory post in a signup thread separate from the rp thread itself:

Plot;

In the city of Selcroft society is split in two. There's Upper Selcroft, well into the age of flying cars and the peak of modern living, where commerce is reaching for the limits, and healthcare is on demand. But then there's the Lower Selcroft, or the Shades as the police and media call it. Long abandoned infrastructures that make up the base of the city, it's a ghost places crumbling and unloved as the city expanded upwards. Over time it became the haunt of rejects of modern society. Anyone from drug addicts to the mentally ill, to just poor broke people made their way down. Forgotten by almost all the authorities, settlements were created, a new code of living was made. Over time a new community altogether was built. Thus the Shadow society of Selcroft was born.

But a new breed of rejects has come to the Shades. Many don't appear to have reason to either, apart from the fact they've all had their DNA treated by genetics labs dotted across the country. They're beginning to get unexpectec side effects, and now the scientists that made them want them back. At any cost. How long can the Shades last against a group that has seemingly limitless resources? Hope the shadows are on their side...

Six months ago a bounty hunter was sent into the Shades in order to track down any experiments that may be hiding in Lower Selcroft. She failed, but that doesn't mean the labs have given up. The settlement she found has moved on, but the threat is as real as ever.

Your characters;

~Standard RP rules apply here. No controlling others characters without expressed permission, no one-line posts, yada yada.
~No super-powered genetically-modified... freaks. Most of the experiments were given powers by accident.
~Your characters can be either Shade, Lightie (Shade slang for Upper Selcroft resident), Experiment or Bounty Hunter. Bounty Hunters are hired by the labs to bring back the Experiments, and are paid big money to do so.
~Characters from the previous RP are more than welcome to make a return! Heck, Lisa Kay likes a familiar face! XD
~Violence and romance is expected,but keep things suitable. PG-13, if you want a rating to go by.
~Please try and use proper grammar and spelling. I don't mind occasional errors, but this is a literate RP.
~Fill out the entire character sheet here.
~Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Code:
Character Sheet;

Full Name; Obvious
Age; We're dealing with fairly normal humans here, no 130 year olds!
Gender; Male or female?
Society status; Shade/Lightie/Experiment/Bounty Hunter (You can include any jobs here if you want)
Genetic Mutations; Only applies to Experiments and a few Bounty Hunters!
Appearance; A detailed description or a picture link.
Personality; A few lines just to give an idea of what your character's like.
Brief history; Just what is says on the tin.
Other; Friends and family? Qualifications? Pet goldfish? Whatever can't fit above, basically.



See? All of that helps set an rp up for a better chance of success, gives a reason for people to be interested in it, and has guidelines for character creation. The more info a role-player has, the better it is for everyone. (Why do you think D&D is so successful? It has loads and loads of plots and information.) I tried to find a specific rp that I had in mind that lasted for about 75 pages before we all moved forums...and started it's sequel that took place six months after the 1st one ended and lasted for another 50 pages. That forum's server crashed so I couldn't get that one for you. Oh well, this one was by the same author.

Role-play. Playing roles. Structure is entirely irrelevant. If you don't want to join in, that's your choice. If I don't want to create many requirements, that's my choice. We do not need to argue over differences in taste.

But if you insist, I will remake this thread with new rules as we've bogged down the discussion with an argument that neither of us appear to be willing to back down on. Curse my pride!

No, structure is entirely relevant to it's survival for more than two pages. Characters can't play roles if they have no stage. (Sorry for the metaphor, I'm a theatre major). I gave you two examples of role plays that I was in (and one example of a large, multinational one) that lasted a very long time that all had plotlines, character bios, and a general direction to take the story. I also gave you testimony to rp's that had none of those, that ultimately failed or didn't even get started. It kind of surprises me that you haven't noticed that the same is happening right now, here, on this forum, with the rp that you just tried to start.

I'm not arguing with you. You're still missing my point. I'm trying to help. I'm trying to make it so your rp has a bigger chance of lasting for a decent amount of time.

Structure is indeed relevant, but I have found that most people instinctively develop a structure on the go and I feel no need to interfere with that process. Granted, people feel more comfortable with forms for some reason.

You're right, of course...

Now, how to sweep this all under the rug is something that really eludes me! Oh well, at least I made a friend named after a myth.

Well, you want this to take place in a night club atmosphere? I'd start with that and go from there. What kind of night club, what city, is it a real or made up city, etc. All the characters receive annonymous letters? Okay, is there a secret organization behind it that the characters will eventually uncover? All up to you.

Actually, I wanted a social setting. And I think you're missing another detail: We've covered up almost two pages in statements not related to the RP's central plot! To start now... would be awkward, to say the least.

Why don't you use this thread as a catch-all for ideas and character bio postings?

That's a really good Idea! Right, this is now the CHARACTER TESTING THREAD, wherein you can post character ideas and have them reviewed by me and Pandora. Check it!

OOC: Oo oo ooh! I could help too! Nevermind that I've done very very very little RPing personally. I'm a habitual lurker though, and I read incessantly. I can opt bios too!

Alright, I'll give it the first go then.

IC:

"I'm feline, obviously. More tabby, house cat-ish than anything else. The black stripes on my face and head are natural fur patterns, to get that out of the way. Nearing my twenties, I wander without any clear goal in life, which is perfectly fine because I'm independently wealthy, for reasons I won't discuss except with close friends. Feel free to ask, as I'm an open person; I've never been known to not answer any direct question truthfully. Without knowing any specifics, however, it is difficult to get to know me at all. Nevermind the tattered clothes or where I live, for neither matter much to me. I'm an unsocial social creature; unless I'm talked to first I won't talk to anyone else, especially in group settings. Many people first cast me as shy, but as soon as I know people I become a completely different person. The broom I carry with me all the time is none of your business. (OOC: If we want to play with magic, magic users can sense an aura around said broom, concentrated especially around the head) Suffice to say, I never go anywhere without it."

Being a group setting, at a bar or dance club, I am sitting in the far corner, with my broom leaned against the wall well within arm's reach.

"Buddy, all I asked were who you were" spoke the bartender.

"Of course. My name is Lord Grey the Second, though you can call me Grey." Grey winked and motioned for more water.

OOC: A picture for you, though many have already seen it. (It's my favorite, but I wouldn't want Liz to get a big head ;D)


That what you're looking for? I can do that. A bit free-form, I will admit, but it was alright.

That's cool. I've got a lot of characters, so I guess I should just pick one then. Once I decide on one, I'll post a character. It's most likely going to be my standard fursona.

I love the character! Quite amusing in her mannerisms, and just androgynous enough to pull off some massive hijinks!

By the by, Pandora, this is the TESTING thread now.

Masterweaver wrote:I love the character! Quite amusing in her mannerisms, and just androgynous enough to pull off some massive hijinks!

...

Her? Long hair does not equate female.

Androgynous. Having no visible gender. I can honestly say I couldn't tell one way or the other.

I know what androgynous means, thank you. Interesting that you couldn't tell though.

Masterweaver wrote:I love the character! Quite amusing in her mannerisms, and just androgynous enough to pull off some massive hijinks!

By the by, Pandora, this is the TESTING thread now.

I know. I was the one who suggested that, remember? XD

And actually, having no visible gender is not what androgynous means. That's a common misconception. Androgyny actually has very little to do with physiological appearance. Androgyny actually has more to do with personality and socially defined traits of both male and female. I am clearly, visibly, physically a woman. However, I am androgynous because I have traits in my personality, interests, and mannerisms that are more socially associated with male. Like, I am a woman, typically I am supposed to be a girly-girl, like pink, be obsessed with makeup and shoes. However, I hate pink, I like playing video games, I swear like a sailor, and I don't care about shoes. That makes me androgynous. Men are typically supposed to be manly, drink a lot, be strong, not show emotion and like cars. I've known some guys, straight guys, that don't care about cars, don't drink, and even have worn pink shirts. That makes them androgynous.

And gender is not the same as sex either.



Anyway, this is my character, Pandora. This is only her head at the moment, but I will have newer pictures of her sometime.

Her personality, well, think Maxine and myself mashed into this. She loves tattoos and art, sex, theatre and foreign horror movies. She cares little about what others think of her, hates being treated like she's dumb, and refuses to take crap from men and stuck-up women. To get acquainted with her, you'd think she is crazy. To get close to her, you become accustomed to her dementia and dark thoughts. But don't be fooled, she is capable of love. Her partner, Thor, is a large mustang, and she is very protective of him, even though he is at least a foot and two inches taller than she, but she is a lioness and therefore she has her affectionate instinct, he is her guarded treasure.

She has four tattoos, which may or may not be alive. Only she knows that, and she carries a small box around her neck. Don't piss her off, you never know what might happen should she open it...