Vocabulary
Admin:
The owner of a page in a conversation roleplay.
Charrie:
This is an abbreviation for character.
Character Limits:
(Courtesy of Silvereye.)
This is a not-often heard term, but it's usually an unspoken rule in forum-based roleplays. Common Character Limits are things like 'Character Incest,' where you create two characters and make them fall in love with each other, is generally considered unacceptable and bad. First of all, it limits others interaction with those two. Second, it's like brothers and sisters. Hence the word 'incest.' Both are part of your creative processes.
Generally, Common Character Limits are rules that are shared across most forum-based roleplays to keep newbies from doing what experienced players know kill roleplays.
This is a not-often heard term, but it's usually an unspoken rule in forum-based roleplays. Common Character Limits are things like 'Character Incest,' where you create two characters and make them fall in love with each other, is generally considered unacceptable and bad. First of all, it limits others interaction with those two. Second, it's like brothers and sisters. Hence the word 'incest.' Both are part of your creative processes.
Generally, Common Character Limits are rules that are shared across most forum-based roleplays to keep newbies from doing what experienced players know kill roleplays.
Conversation Roleplay/ Convo Roleplay/ Comment Roleplay/ Social Media roleplay:
This is a roleplay style seen mostly on Facebook or Tumblr in which the characters converse the way you would converse with your friends on a social media site. Actions in a roleplay like this are not written out but are put in an aside, like in a script.
In this sort of roleplay, each character has an individual account or page just like real people on a social media site would have.
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Sample:
Alice: *looks around and sighs* I wish we were still home, Matt. I miss out old home.
Matt: *hugs tightly and wipes away a tear* I know. But we'll be ok.
~
Some social media roleplayers tend to write in a prose style instead of a conversational style. See "Forum Roleplay" for more information.
In this sort of roleplay, each character has an individual account or page just like real people on a social media site would have.
~
Sample:
Alice: *looks around and sighs* I wish we were still home, Matt. I miss out old home.
Matt: *hugs tightly and wipes away a tear* I know. But we'll be ok.
~
Some social media roleplayers tend to write in a prose style instead of a conversational style. See "Forum Roleplay" for more information.
Forum/Prose Roleplay:
This is a roleplay that takes place on a forum or in messages back and forth between players. These roleplays are built by posts/ messages made by each player in prose.
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Sample:
Alice looked around the abandoned building and sighed. She turned to Matt.
"I wish we were still home, Matt. I miss our old home."
Matt hugged his sister tightly and wiped away a tear.
"I know. But we'll be ok."
~
Prose is the use of description and scenery along with dialogue, similar to how a story is written.
~
Sample:
Alice looked around the abandoned building and sighed. She turned to Matt.
"I wish we were still home, Matt. I miss our old home."
Matt hugged his sister tightly and wiped away a tear.
"I know. But we'll be ok."
~
Prose is the use of description and scenery along with dialogue, similar to how a story is written.
Godmod:
A person who tries to control the entire game, usually through writing for other peoples' characters or manipulating the situation so that others must act according to their plans.
Literate/ Lit Roleplay
A roleplay, (usually prose/ forum based), where only players with outstanding writing, spelling, and grammar skills are allowed to participate. Also called an "advanced" roleplay.
Mary Sue/ Gary Stue:
A "perfect" character who is never wrong or imperfect. Can also be used for a "perfectly imperfect" character who is wrong or imperfect all of the time. For more information, see the "Important Guidelines" tab.
OC:
Original character, one that the roleplayer has thought up on their own instead of an established character.
(Extra info courtesy of Silvereye.)
OC:
An OC is a character that is special to a user. For instance, I have one I usually call Acacia. She was originally a crazy human mutant shape-shifter. She's branched out, but the important thing about an OC is that they generally have the same personality. A user can have multiple OC's, but most often they actually embody parts of the user's real-world feelings. Acacia was created during a time of high-stress and anger at the world from me.
(Extra info courtesy of Silvereye.)
OC:
An OC is a character that is special to a user. For instance, I have one I usually call Acacia. She was originally a crazy human mutant shape-shifter. She's branched out, but the important thing about an OC is that they generally have the same personality. A user can have multiple OC's, but most often they actually embody parts of the user's real-world feelings. Acacia was created during a time of high-stress and anger at the world from me.
OOC:
Out of character chat that often accompanys roleplay posting. OOC is often separated as seen in the example.
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Example:
(( Hey, what if we had the medic be the real bad guy? ))
Emily looked behind the wall, eyeing the commander in the battle field. He had to be the one they had to take out.
~
Example:
(( Hey, what if we had the medic be the real bad guy? ))
Emily looked behind the wall, eyeing the commander in the battle field. He had to be the one they had to take out.
OP:
The creator of a forum roleplay.
OTP:
While it's not often seen original roleplays, this term is often used within fandoms as an acronym for "one true pairing," or the pairing of characters that a player "ships" the most.
PM:
A private message, often used to help set up a plot device or if a fight or romance scene is too graphic for younger players.
Post:
An entry a player makes in a roleplay.
Prose Roleplay
Writing in a story-like format with details to the character's feelings, surroundings, and actions.
Script Roleplay:
See "Conversation Roleplay."
RP:
This is an abbreviation for roleplay.
Extra Info
Forms:
(Courtesy of Silvereye, roleplayer extraordinaire.)
Ok, this is the basic layout, specific to the roleplay, that you base your character format on. Most forms are roleplay-specific, meaning they heavily depend on the plot-line of the story. Many, however, have these basic components (forum-based of course):
Username: (obvious:your username on a site. Display name)
Character Name/Name: (your characters name)
Age: (Age)
Gender: (gender, sex, whatever)
Appearance: (many people prefer three-lines or more, and no lists)
Personality: (Again, three-lines or more, no lists are preferred.)
History: (this is usually optional, but again, role-play specifics. Sometimes, history is key in a roleplay)
Crush/Relationship: (here's the catch: most of the time, you have to work it out with the other character's creator to see if you should make it a two-way thing. Crushes are ok for one-sided things, but a real relationship should be negotiated between the owners first, then be worked out between the characters)
Other: (this is anything the creator missed in the form. or, a lot of times, they'll put 'catches' in the rules, meaning you have to put something here. Like your favorite ice cream flavor to show you read the rules.)
Ok, this is the basic layout, specific to the roleplay, that you base your character format on. Most forms are roleplay-specific, meaning they heavily depend on the plot-line of the story. Many, however, have these basic components (forum-based of course):
Username: (obvious:your username on a site. Display name)
Character Name/Name: (your characters name)
Age: (Age)
Gender: (gender, sex, whatever)
Appearance: (many people prefer three-lines or more, and no lists)
Personality: (Again, three-lines or more, no lists are preferred.)
History: (this is usually optional, but again, role-play specifics. Sometimes, history is key in a roleplay)
Crush/Relationship: (here's the catch: most of the time, you have to work it out with the other character's creator to see if you should make it a two-way thing. Crushes are ok for one-sided things, but a real relationship should be negotiated between the owners first, then be worked out between the characters)
Other: (this is anything the creator missed in the form. or, a lot of times, they'll put 'catches' in the rules, meaning you have to put something here. Like your favorite ice cream flavor to show you read the rules.)