"Role Playing", or RPing for short, is an activity where you take on the role of a character, controlling and describing their actions and thoughts, as well as well as depict what they see, hear, feel, and touch. A particular "Role Play" usually has its own distinct setting, characters, storyline, and participants, which differentiate it from other RPs. Each RP begins with a GM, or "Game Master", who creates the RP's setting and the beginnings of its storyline. Other players then join the RP with their characters, and proceed to play out a story by interacting with each other and the environment.
There are two types of RPs here on Brohoof: forum RPs and server RPs. Forum RPs take place in a thread on the forum, while server RPs take place on the Brohoof Minecraft server.
General Role Playing Rules
1. All Server and Forum Rules apply
This means that standard server and forum rules apply in any RP. No grimdark, gore, or excessive violence, no sexual content, no druggie stuff, no racism or homophobia. Do not edit any builds that do not belong to you without permission.
2. The GM is in charge of their RP
The GM, or Game Master, is the person who creates and runs an RP. They are the person who has authority over the RP, establishing the setting and storyline, deciding who can join their RP, what players can or cannot do, controlling all NPCs and instigating large events. A GM may choose to allow more than one person to GM, or may delegate their roles to players, for example by allowing a player to control an NPC their player is interacting with. If a GM decides something, then their word is final, excepting a decision from an RP moderator or an admin. GMs cannot break the RP rules. GMs can join their RPs as a player.
3. Players control their own characters
A player character, or PC, is a character owned by a player. This as opposed to an NPC, which is either owned by the GM or not specifically owned by any particular player. Every PC in an RP must have an application in the application thread, to be approved or disapproved by the GM. A PC can only be controlled by the player who owns it. No one, not even the GM, can control a PC without their owner's permission.
4. No God-modding
"God-modding" is a catch-all term for players doing things they should not be able to: for example, an Earth pony inexplicably gaining the ability to do magic. God-modding is not restricted to actions characters can take, but also include creating large-scale events that affect more than a player's own character: for example, a player deciding that a massive tsunami will wipe out a town, without the consent of the GM. This also includes meta-gaming, using knowledge that your character should not know to plan their actions.
In general, you should avoid stating the outcome of an interaction, especially if it involves another player. "X punched Y in the face" does not leave any room for Y to respond and thus is god-modding. "X tried to punch Y" is appropriate. Server RPs will generally be more stringent about this, because the GM is usually there and able to respond in real time. This may not be the case for forum RPs, so players usually have more freedom to interact with NPCs without needing the GM's approval for every detail.
5. Out of character content must be clearly labeled as such
Out of character (OOC) content is any text that is not written from an in-universe perspective. For example, if you are referring to other people instead of their characters, you are OOC. The convention on the Brohoof server is to use the /ooc command, which will place any out of character chat, between brackets for you. Eliminating the need for you to add them yourselves.
6. Use tags to specify what your RP is about
Since RPs can be about more than ponies, you must use the tag system when creating a thread to specify whether you have ponies or not. We currently have 4 tags: pony, furry, human, and other. These tags can be selected just under the thread title box when creating a new thread.
7. Do not post in dead RP threads
This also applies to general forum, but here in the RP forum, a thread is formally considered "dead" if it has not been posted in for 1 month, or 30 days. If you were involved before the RP died, then you may attempt to post and revive it, but people not involved in the RP may not.
If a rule has been broken in an RP, or you feel that the GM or another player has been abusing their power, you may report the incident to an RP moderator or an admin, or using the RP reports subforum. Smaller disputes should be resolved by the GM. Breaking the rules may be met with a warning, suspension, temporary ban, or permanent ban, depending on the severity of the infraction.
Role Playing Forum Structure
There are three main types of RP threads here on Brohoof: the main thread, the application thread, and the discussion thread.
Main threads are for forum RPs, and are where the role playing takes place.
Application threads, or sign-up threads, are where the GM posts the setting and story for their RP and where players apply to participate in the RP. These threads also act as an easy place where players can reference another player's character if they forget something about them. Do not role play or discuss things not directly related to the applications here as it will clutter the thread and make it harder to use as a character guide.
Discussion threads, or OOC threads, are for out of character discussion about a given RP. Not all OOC discussion has to go in the discussion thread, but most should to avoid cluttering up the main thread.
A forum RP requires at least a main thread and an application thread, with an optional discussion thread. A server RP will not have a main thread, and does not need an application thread or a discussion thread; however, if the GM wants to continue it for more than one day, these are recommended to help organize the participants. When creating an RP thread, please specify what type of thread it is if it is not a main thread. For example, an RP titled "Adventures in Equestria" might have a main thread Adventures in Equestria, an application thread [App] Adventures in Equestria, and a discussion thread [OOC] Adventures in Equestria. If your RP is a server RP instead of a forum RP, please specify that in the title as well. For example, [Server] [App] Adventures in Equestria.
Forums and Subforums
General
Main RP threads go here. These are obligatory for forum RPs.
Applications
Application threads go here. These are obligatory for forums RPs.
Discussions
Discussion threads go here. Miscellaneous threads, such as those asking for help creating a roleplay, checking for potential interest in an idea, or asking for help with creating an OC go here.
Reports
Reports of problems in RP that need a moderator's attention go here.
Server Role Play Commands
Brohoof's Minecraft server has four RP channels, named rp, rp2, rp3, and rp4. The commands to join and leave are "/ch [channel name]" and "/leave [channel name]". For example, to join rp you would type "/ch rp".
To chat in OOC, Use the command /ooc [message without brackets] That will place your message in the OOC format that we've set up for the RP channels.
Do not use "/me" to indicate actions as it broadcasts to the entire server. RPing in general chat on the Minecraft Server is prohibited and you may be banned or suspended for doing so after a warning. Likewise, do not talk in an RP channel if you are not RPing or trying to organize an RP.
Nicknames
Brohoof uses a nickname plugin that only functions in the RP channels. So if you have a nickname, it will only show up in Rp, Rp2, Rp3, or Rp4. If you are in any other channel aside from the RP channels, your original playername will be displayed, but your nickname will return upon your return to the RP channels.
Here are the respective commands.
Set nickname ----- /nick [blah without parenthesis] ex, /nick Short_Circuit
Remove nickname -------- /nick [nothing here.]
See realname of nicknamed player ------- /realname [nickname] ex. /realname Short_circuit
See realnames of everyone with nicknames online------- /realnames
Only original names will be allowed to be set as nicknames. Ex, Attempting to use /nick to masquerade as another player/admin will not work. [and is disallowed.]
Do NOT attempt to nickname yourself as anything naughty or impersonate another player, etc etc...
And last but not least, Use common sense, and have fun.
Creating a Role Play
If you want to create an RP, the first thing to decide is if it is a server RP or a forum RP. Although the rules for both are mostly the same, the way they are played out is very different.
Server RPs
Server RPs take place on the Minecraft server, and do not need an application or a main thread (but may have one if it's helpful). They are generally less well-described and complex than forum RPs. Because environments are built and actions can be taken in the game itself, there is less need for long descriptions.
Starting a server RP can be as simple as asking in general chat if anyone would like to RP, then moving into an RP channel with the other players. From there, a GM will describe the setting and the storyline, the players will describe their characters, and the RP will begin.
Server RP channels are not to be used as alternative general chat channels. Do not use RP channels for anything else other than RPs. Violators will be suspended.
Example:
Forum RPs
For obvious reasons, forum RPs are generally much more text-heavy than server RPs. They also tend to take place over much longer periods of time. People generally get on at different times of the day, and will usually not always be on at once. Response times will be much longer.
For that reason, it is important to design your RP so as not to be dependent on any one person, including yourself. These RPs are very easily held up by one person, so to make it the most fun, GMs should allow players a great deal of freedom. For example, if one player is a general and others are his subordinates, then the subordinates may not be able to continue the RP without orders from the general. In such a case, if the player controlling the general loses interest or becomes busy with school or work, the entire RP will stall. Remember, an RP is not like a fanfiction. Every character is the hero of their own story, and the storyline should not hinge upon any one character. Do not try too hard to force your own vision of what the story should be. Give players the freedom to influence how the story goes. Players might begin in separate locations or together, but they should have incentive to meet up eventually.
Once the application thread is up and several people have joined the RP, the RP can begin in the main thread. Out of character discussion can go in the main thread or a dedicated discussion thread.
Example:
Creating a Character
Many people have an OC, a character they've created that exists outside of any particular story and may represent them personally. RP characters are not like that. You should not create a character first and then try to shove it into an RP, but rather, create a character that's tailored to that particular RP. This does not mean that you cannot reuse characters, but it does mean that if you do reuse a character, they should be altered in some way to make them more suited for a particular RP.
It is important to avoid becoming too attached to your character. You are not the sole determinant of your character's fate in an RP; other players exist too, and they are all striving for their own interest. Any good story has conflict, and it is inevitable that bad things will sometimes happen to your character. Depending on the RP, they may even die. In such situations, avoid feeling personally slighted that the RP hasn't gone the way you wanted it.
For that same reason, it is important to avoid creating a character that is too powerful or too perfect. Because every player has equal say in the RP, one character should not be dominating over the others--or if they are, it should be because of the skill and effort of the player, not because their character started off more powerful than anyone else. Power is relative; one RP's all-powerful hybrid god-demon monster may be what characters in another RP fight every Tuesday. Look at the setting and what kind of characters other players have before creating your own.
Application forms may differ from RP to RP, but the following is standard for most pony RPs:
Name: The character's name. Pony names tend to one or two words, sometimes joined together, and describe some aspect of their personality, talent/cutie mark, or appearance.
Gender: The character's gender.
Race: The character's race. This is often one of the three basicpony races: Earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn, but may also include other races such as griffons, changelings, or others if the GM allows it.
Age: The character's age.
Appearance: The character's appearance. Ponies generally look pretty similar, so this may just be limited to the color of their coat and hair/tail and what kind of hairstyle they have. Some RPs may want you to describe their cutie mark here as well.
Cutie Mark and Special Talent: A description of the character's cutie mark and their special talent. This is a defining feature for a pony, what their purpose is life is. Ponies usually have only one special talent, and it is in a specific domain. Do not pick two completely unrelated talents, such as "flying, and also healing magic". Nor should you pick a talent that is too broad or vague, such as "my character's special talent is being cool." Keep in mind that just because a pony's special talent is something, does not mean that it is the only thing they are good at.
Personality: The character's personality. This should usually be appropriate for their special talent.
History: The character's history, or "life so far". This section should often change for different RPs if the character is being reused.
Other: Anything else that may be important to the character.
Edited by Shroom Agent, 09 May 2016 - 05:55 PM.
Removed submission guidelines.



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