Aykorn
Inkling Commander
Hello!
As a frequent of the RP Square, I’ve noticed there’s been a number of new RPers, but a narrow selection of games to join. So, (with the help of @ReedRGale and @Rustic) I’ve created this thread to inspire and help anyone wanting to start their own RP.
This is pretty lengthy, but if you need, only look for the parts that interest you. (>.> But I would appreciate people reading most of it. It took a long time to compile). Consult the tips below, but if you have any questions or are looking for specific advice, this is a good place to discuss! GMs of existing RPs would be happy to give people some tips. To start off...
Why GM??
This is a chance to create the story or game that you would want to happen. You get to determine the world, the plot, the NPCs and the conflict!
It’s more difficult than simply RPing, but it’s extremely rewarding and fun. Interacting with players, you may gain friendships that you wouldn’t otherwise!
While it might not be for everyone, between time and attention, it’s something you only learn to get better at by trying.
What makes a GM different than a powerful player?
As a GM, any RP you create is “yours.” It’s your creation, and something you can share with others. Creating and giving structure to an RP allows you to share a story that might have been overshadowed otherwise, and lets you build it up to be something bigger than a simple conversation.
To GM, I need an RP. How do I begin to make an RP?
As a frequent of the RP Square, I’ve noticed there’s been a number of new RPers, but a narrow selection of games to join. So, (with the help of @ReedRGale and @Rustic) I’ve created this thread to inspire and help anyone wanting to start their own RP.
This is pretty lengthy, but if you need, only look for the parts that interest you. (>.> But I would appreciate people reading most of it. It took a long time to compile). Consult the tips below, but if you have any questions or are looking for specific advice, this is a good place to discuss! GMs of existing RPs would be happy to give people some tips. To start off...
Why GM??
This is a chance to create the story or game that you would want to happen. You get to determine the world, the plot, the NPCs and the conflict!
It’s more difficult than simply RPing, but it’s extremely rewarding and fun. Interacting with players, you may gain friendships that you wouldn’t otherwise!
While it might not be for everyone, between time and attention, it’s something you only learn to get better at by trying.
What makes a GM different than a powerful player?
As a GM, any RP you create is “yours.” It’s your creation, and something you can share with others. Creating and giving structure to an RP allows you to share a story that might have been overshadowed otherwise, and lets you build it up to be something bigger than a simple conversation.
To GM, I need an RP. How do I begin to make an RP?
Have an RP Idea
First, have an idea for what you want your RP to be about. Pull from your own interests and other things you’ve seen or read. If you have any scenarios in your head, interesting settings, or story plot ideas, use them.
Example: I like robots and martial arts. I’m going to create a robot fighting RP!
Once you know what your RP is going to be about, start thinking about the Meta. What audience that might be interested in this RP? What can they expect? Ask yourself these questions before making your RP so that you know who and what you’re designing your RP for.
Consider:
Are you trying to get people who are more casual? Or more serious writers?
Do writing limits matter to you?
Do you want something fun and lighthearted? Or gritty and dark?
Does story direction matter to you? Or would you rather play it by ear?
How strict will rules be? How will you enforce them?
This “direction” for the RP should be apparent from the get-go, especially to anyone looking to join the RP.
Example: This RP will be light-hearted! I want to attract emerging writers and have fun.
There are two general categories your RP will likely fall under. Casual or plot driven.
Casual:
Plot driven:
Example: This RP will plot driven. I have a secret reason the robots are there, and players must work towards discovering this while battling robots. I’ll need rules to manage players and progress the plot at a pace I can manage, but I’ll be able to tell a story!
This “level” of RP intensity, should again, be apparent to anyone trying to join simply from reading your recruitment thread introduction. If you don’t know how a recruitment thread works, please refer to the RP Intro Thread.
Create Conflict
Treat an RP like a story. Most every story needs some sort of conflict to be interesting. The players need some reason to take action and be engaged! If everything always goes smoothly, it’s booooring.
For a casual RP, this might be creating prompts and small scenarios for players to interact with, generally designed on the spot.
Example: A robot is attacking a player! This particular robot is flashing lights--it's significant. This robot could be reprogrammed!
Plot driven conflict may also be improvised, however, with a large grand scheme, you might want to set up conflicts so that they gradually lead up to climax. It may involve planning out a number of smaller events or a logical path to build up to this major turning point.
Think of a basic story arc!
I suggest that you start the RP with the most major point, then filling out the middle events after. This way you know what the end goal for players is and have a direction for the plot. Players should feel like they are accomplishing something by moving through the story. You should feel like you have a clear idea of what they are working towards.
Example: Players start in Inkopolis and must find the source of the robots. The source is an evil scientist! On their way, they’ll encounter lots of robots, --like robots that could be reprogrammed-- thrills, and maybe some romance.
Game Flow
Once you have the big picture, start coming up with the mechanics needed to facilitate your RP. To start coming up with good ideas for rules, ask yourself the following questions.
Consider:
(Limits based on number of posts so the RP doesn’t move too fast)
I’ll respond as GM when players tag me with “EXAMINE” or “TALK”, but players can post whenever. (GMvPlayer interaction. This is good when Players need more context, like in a sandbox setting, but the GM only wants to respond to select posts.)
Players should post with an action, then allow me to respond with a GM post. They should not post again before I’ve responded and given them further information on a scene. (How often? This is a GMvPlayer interaction strategy that allows for close attention.)
Players who want to talk to each other need to use a “TALK” command, and talk outside in PM or a chat client. (PvP interactions. This way they can have an uninterrupted conversation without bothering other RPers.)
Pitch your RP/ Make an OOC thread
Now that you have plot, and mechanics, you’ve got one thing left to get this RP off the ground… That’s right, players! An RP isn’t much without people interested in playing it.
Propose your idea in the forum and hook your players! Create a thread that first explains the story of the RP and it’s purpose, explains how it will be played, then begin to recruit people.
A good OOC/recruitment is made up of...
What’s it about: Now is the time to explicitly state what the RP plot is about, regardless of you mentioning it in the hook. State the plot, what the setting will be, and what the genre is. Give some guidelines for what kind of players you’re looking to interest, and what types of characters you’ll accept (should they be able to fight? should they have a reason to be in the setting?) Give players the information they need if you want them to commit to playing your game.
Rules: This is where you explain your game flow, and any other rules that will be used in your RP. If you do not specify the use or prohibiting of rules, (for example, using colored text, writing in first person, having word minimums) players can
Excerpt (optional): Create a mockup scene that follows the rules of your RP and demonstrates how you expect players to post. If you feel like your RP isn’t complicated enough to need an example, be aware that some people appreciate having a reference for their first post.
Character Bios/Roster: Supply a bio for you players to fill out, with some basic criteria like, their character’s name, gender, appearance, and backstory. Ask some additional things to help you get a feel for the player character’s identity, but don’t overcomplicate the bio. If your RP needs information that might not be generic, (like what weapon the character uses, what items they want to start with, what character class they want to be) also include these criteria.
As a courtesy/memory device, once you get players to join, update the first post of your recruitment thread with the current players so that others can see if the RP is still free to join.
First, have an idea for what you want your RP to be about. Pull from your own interests and other things you’ve seen or read. If you have any scenarios in your head, interesting settings, or story plot ideas, use them.
Example: I like robots and martial arts. I’m going to create a robot fighting RP!
Once you know what your RP is going to be about, start thinking about the Meta. What audience that might be interested in this RP? What can they expect? Ask yourself these questions before making your RP so that you know who and what you’re designing your RP for.
Consider:
Are you trying to get people who are more casual? Or more serious writers?
Do writing limits matter to you?
Do you want something fun and lighthearted? Or gritty and dark?
Does story direction matter to you? Or would you rather play it by ear?
How strict will rules be? How will you enforce them?
This “direction” for the RP should be apparent from the get-go, especially to anyone looking to join the RP.
Example: This RP will be light-hearted! I want to attract emerging writers and have fun.
There are two general categories your RP will likely fall under. Casual or plot driven.
Casual:
- People just post however and whenever they want
- Rules are minimal and usually in place to make sure that people don’t start flame wars
- Combat can be incorporated; rules typically need to be set in place to avoid Mary Sues
- Usually just a setting --Setting is the key part of this RP
- GM has minimal control
Plot driven:
- Introduce a conflict
- Don’t be afraid to pace things out
- Give players downtime to, but not too much
- Make sure to give players actual meat, something to cling on to
- Rules are typically more strict
- Doesn’t have to be planned ahead of time, but it helps
Example: This RP will plot driven. I have a secret reason the robots are there, and players must work towards discovering this while battling robots. I’ll need rules to manage players and progress the plot at a pace I can manage, but I’ll be able to tell a story!
This “level” of RP intensity, should again, be apparent to anyone trying to join simply from reading your recruitment thread introduction. If you don’t know how a recruitment thread works, please refer to the RP Intro Thread.
Create Conflict
Treat an RP like a story. Most every story needs some sort of conflict to be interesting. The players need some reason to take action and be engaged! If everything always goes smoothly, it’s booooring.
For a casual RP, this might be creating prompts and small scenarios for players to interact with, generally designed on the spot.
Example: A robot is attacking a player! This particular robot is flashing lights--it's significant. This robot could be reprogrammed!
Plot driven conflict may also be improvised, however, with a large grand scheme, you might want to set up conflicts so that they gradually lead up to climax. It may involve planning out a number of smaller events or a logical path to build up to this major turning point.
Think of a basic story arc!
I suggest that you start the RP with the most major point, then filling out the middle events after. This way you know what the end goal for players is and have a direction for the plot. Players should feel like they are accomplishing something by moving through the story. You should feel like you have a clear idea of what they are working towards.
Example: Players start in Inkopolis and must find the source of the robots. The source is an evil scientist! On their way, they’ll encounter lots of robots, --like robots that could be reprogrammed-- thrills, and maybe some romance.
Game Flow
Once you have the big picture, start coming up with the mechanics needed to facilitate your RP. To start coming up with good ideas for rules, ask yourself the following questions.
Consider:
- Do you intend to be rolling die?
- Will there be combat?
- How will PvGM be handled?
- How will PvP be handled?
- How detailed will your GM posts be?
- Will there be a posting limit to give time to devise a GM post?
- Posting limit based on amount of time?
- Posting limit based on number of posts?
- Posting limit based on number of actions?
- How often do players need to interact with the GM? (Does a GM need to respond before they can post again?)
- Will there be a posting limit to give time to devise a GM post?
(Limits based on number of posts so the RP doesn’t move too fast)
I’ll respond as GM when players tag me with “EXAMINE” or “TALK”, but players can post whenever. (GMvPlayer interaction. This is good when Players need more context, like in a sandbox setting, but the GM only wants to respond to select posts.)
Players should post with an action, then allow me to respond with a GM post. They should not post again before I’ve responded and given them further information on a scene. (How often? This is a GMvPlayer interaction strategy that allows for close attention.)
Players who want to talk to each other need to use a “TALK” command, and talk outside in PM or a chat client. (PvP interactions. This way they can have an uninterrupted conversation without bothering other RPers.)
Pitch your RP/ Make an OOC thread
Now that you have plot, and mechanics, you’ve got one thing left to get this RP off the ground… That’s right, players! An RP isn’t much without people interested in playing it.
Propose your idea in the forum and hook your players! Create a thread that first explains the story of the RP and it’s purpose, explains how it will be played, then begin to recruit people.
A good OOC/recruitment is made up of...
- Hook (why should players be interested in playing this?)
- What it’s about (what are they playing?)
- Rules/ Code of conduct (how it’s played)
- Excerpt/Example (show players how it’s meant to be played)
- Character bio and recruitment
What’s it about: Now is the time to explicitly state what the RP plot is about, regardless of you mentioning it in the hook. State the plot, what the setting will be, and what the genre is. Give some guidelines for what kind of players you’re looking to interest, and what types of characters you’ll accept (should they be able to fight? should they have a reason to be in the setting?) Give players the information they need if you want them to commit to playing your game.
Rules: This is where you explain your game flow, and any other rules that will be used in your RP. If you do not specify the use or prohibiting of rules, (for example, using colored text, writing in first person, having word minimums) players can
Excerpt (optional): Create a mockup scene that follows the rules of your RP and demonstrates how you expect players to post. If you feel like your RP isn’t complicated enough to need an example, be aware that some people appreciate having a reference for their first post.
Character Bios/Roster: Supply a bio for you players to fill out, with some basic criteria like, their character’s name, gender, appearance, and backstory. Ask some additional things to help you get a feel for the player character’s identity, but don’t overcomplicate the bio. If your RP needs information that might not be generic, (like what weapon the character uses, what items they want to start with, what character class they want to be) also include these criteria.
As a courtesy/memory device, once you get players to join, update the first post of your recruitment thread with the current players so that others can see if the RP is still free to join.
- Have an RP Idea
- Create Conflict
- Game Flow
- Pitch your RP/make an OOC
Now, this may seem to go against a lot of what’re written in the thread, but an important thing to note is that no one can tell you how to GM. Everyone is going to have a different point of view and style that they bring to the table and all that is wonderful! It’s all about getting out there and making things happen!
That said… there are some good guidelines that almost every GM should keep in mind as they work out their RP and we’ll try and list them here for good measure.
General Tips
Be Flexible
You may have plans of what you want to do. Keep these general. Chances are that players are going to do something you don’t expect.
Sometimes, this can be silly to you --like trying on every single garment in the store-- but they can be really important to the character. Sometimes they can be something cool you didn’t think of --like checking for hidden doors.
The key here is to be flexible. Know when you need to nudge that shopaholic out to get the plot going. Make a hidden door to reward your players’ creativity. Sure it might not have been the original plan, but there’s more than one way to reach the same ending.
Let the Players Decide
...and this means rolling with bad decisions too.
The important part about an RP is the role-playing. Sounds silly, but its true. People want to be able to live out their character, express themselves through the story. If the GM keepings narrowing their options down until there are only a few reasonable choices, where’s the fun in that?
Sometimes players will make “illogical” or “bad” choices that don’t push along the plot. But as said before, be flexible! Let them have a little fun and play around with the surroundings!
Connect the Players
Connect players to the plot
GMs needs to create situations that push the player into interacting with the plot especially when you introduce a character (or when starting an RP).
Characters that don’t have any connection to what’s going on don’t have a reason to get involved or progress the story. To do this, make sure characters are given opportunities to be interested, and that players are aware what the overarching goals of the RP are.
A good way to personally involve characters is to use the their backstory and bio.
Example: You have a character named Erin. The player provides the backstory:
Erin is a a school journalist by day, but a vigilante by night! Her articles always cover events that she feels are important and sometimes, when she sees the need, she takes justice into her own hands.
As the GM, it is your job to incorporate Erin into your story. Continuing the robot example, perhaps she has found a particularly evil robot has harmed one of her close friends--that might be provided in backstory as well--and she believes that she must hunt down that robot.
Voila, she has a connection to the plot.
Also:
Connect other players to each other
As a GM you should also create situations that let other player characters interact with each other.
There are lots of ways to do this, such as:
Don’t Spoil (Too Much)
A lot of the fun of GMing is coming up with a world for the characters to explore and a story for them to live out. With that in mind, it can get tempting to spoil what’s going to happen with characters.
Some spoiling is okay, but giving away the whole plot can sometimes take the fun out of RPing for the players. To avoid such pitfalls when the RP seems to be going too slow, it might be best to just have a friend to talk things out with.
Don’t Hide Too Much
On the flipside of the coin, don’t keep too many things from the player.
It’s one thing to have a GM that is constantly flitting out casual spoilers. It’s another entirely to have a silent god who judges from afar and keeps the plot ever out of the players’ reach.
To avoid this, reveal to the characters pieces of information. Let them know about a mysterious happening in Inkopolis where a thief took off with a piece from D’Alfonsino. Maybe have another player be a lover of art and notice the piece gone. Yet another can know the thief personally and know it’s part of a deeper plot.
Having all this information around makes it possible for players to piece together the story from the various viewpoints and make guesses about what they should do considering the plot pieces they’ve been given.
Reveal the Lore
So, you made this huge world. Reveal it to your players!
Sometimes, even if it doesn’t add much more to the story, people appreciate a little flair. Talk about that statue and its connections to the Tanuki religion that people seem to have. Explain how the painting was of a famous Ink Battler who had a knack for the supernatural.
Maybe you can make these into subplots, maybe not… but it makes the world seem more alive!
Enforcing rules
As a GM you may have to enforce some rules to keep telling your story the way you would like.
Above all else, the most important rule is to have fun. No rule is more important than making an RP fun, so there may be various cases where you should allow less standard RPing, because the RPers enjoy it! However, if someone is breaking rules, or somehow makes the RP less fun for others/yourself, that’s where you want to step in.
Rule of Fun
If someone is doing something that technically is breaking the rules, but it’s fun to read and generally doesn’t get in anyone’s way. Let it slide. Making a kerfuffle out of it really dampens the mood.
Warning Systems
If someone breaks a small rule, don’t just ban them outright! Let them know in private what they did and let them know that if they do it again there will be consequences. Everyone deserves a second chance.
After that though…
Absent Players
It is always a good way to maintain some other form of communication with players, such as Skype, Email, phone… but for many reasons players will sometimes be absent.
Try to set up a system where players let you know when they’ll be gone and warn them that sudden disappearances can have consequences. If they keep disappearing, that might be the time to pull the “rocks fall, player dies” tactic--the show must go on and it can’t do that with an inactive player.
Communicate!
This shouldn’t just all be a one way street. Ask your players how they feel about the rules. Are they fair? Are they too restrictive? Do they need some editing?
Keep that bridge of communication up; no one is perfect and the rules sometimes need changing. Making sure that people’s suggestions are listened to is always important to make sure everyone feels included.
That said… there are some good guidelines that almost every GM should keep in mind as they work out their RP and we’ll try and list them here for good measure.
General Tips
Be Flexible
You may have plans of what you want to do. Keep these general. Chances are that players are going to do something you don’t expect.
Sometimes, this can be silly to you --like trying on every single garment in the store-- but they can be really important to the character. Sometimes they can be something cool you didn’t think of --like checking for hidden doors.
The key here is to be flexible. Know when you need to nudge that shopaholic out to get the plot going. Make a hidden door to reward your players’ creativity. Sure it might not have been the original plan, but there’s more than one way to reach the same ending.
Let the Players Decide
...and this means rolling with bad decisions too.
The important part about an RP is the role-playing. Sounds silly, but its true. People want to be able to live out their character, express themselves through the story. If the GM keepings narrowing their options down until there are only a few reasonable choices, where’s the fun in that?
Sometimes players will make “illogical” or “bad” choices that don’t push along the plot. But as said before, be flexible! Let them have a little fun and play around with the surroundings!
Connect the Players
Connect players to the plot
GMs needs to create situations that push the player into interacting with the plot especially when you introduce a character (or when starting an RP).
Characters that don’t have any connection to what’s going on don’t have a reason to get involved or progress the story. To do this, make sure characters are given opportunities to be interested, and that players are aware what the overarching goals of the RP are.
A good way to personally involve characters is to use the their backstory and bio.
Example: You have a character named Erin. The player provides the backstory:
Erin is a a school journalist by day, but a vigilante by night! Her articles always cover events that she feels are important and sometimes, when she sees the need, she takes justice into her own hands.
As the GM, it is your job to incorporate Erin into your story. Continuing the robot example, perhaps she has found a particularly evil robot has harmed one of her close friends--that might be provided in backstory as well--and she believes that she must hunt down that robot.
Voila, she has a connection to the plot.
Also:
Connect other players to each other
As a GM you should also create situations that let other player characters interact with each other.
There are lots of ways to do this, such as:
- Situations where people need to communicate
- Ex: they need information from each other, they need to clarify if they should attack/fight each other, they need to decide how to split up
- Situations that require cooperation and can’t be solved by one player
- Ex: someone has to hold the switch while someone else has to go through the door, one person needs to climb up the wall while the other boosts them
- Situations character’s unique skills are needed
- Ex: To get a treasure chest, the mage needs to break a curse and the thief need to pick the lock
Don’t Spoil (Too Much)
A lot of the fun of GMing is coming up with a world for the characters to explore and a story for them to live out. With that in mind, it can get tempting to spoil what’s going to happen with characters.
Some spoiling is okay, but giving away the whole plot can sometimes take the fun out of RPing for the players. To avoid such pitfalls when the RP seems to be going too slow, it might be best to just have a friend to talk things out with.
Don’t Hide Too Much
On the flipside of the coin, don’t keep too many things from the player.
It’s one thing to have a GM that is constantly flitting out casual spoilers. It’s another entirely to have a silent god who judges from afar and keeps the plot ever out of the players’ reach.
To avoid this, reveal to the characters pieces of information. Let them know about a mysterious happening in Inkopolis where a thief took off with a piece from D’Alfonsino. Maybe have another player be a lover of art and notice the piece gone. Yet another can know the thief personally and know it’s part of a deeper plot.
Having all this information around makes it possible for players to piece together the story from the various viewpoints and make guesses about what they should do considering the plot pieces they’ve been given.
Reveal the Lore
So, you made this huge world. Reveal it to your players!
Sometimes, even if it doesn’t add much more to the story, people appreciate a little flair. Talk about that statue and its connections to the Tanuki religion that people seem to have. Explain how the painting was of a famous Ink Battler who had a knack for the supernatural.
Maybe you can make these into subplots, maybe not… but it makes the world seem more alive!
Enforcing rules
As a GM you may have to enforce some rules to keep telling your story the way you would like.
Above all else, the most important rule is to have fun. No rule is more important than making an RP fun, so there may be various cases where you should allow less standard RPing, because the RPers enjoy it! However, if someone is breaking rules, or somehow makes the RP less fun for others/yourself, that’s where you want to step in.
Rule of Fun
If someone is doing something that technically is breaking the rules, but it’s fun to read and generally doesn’t get in anyone’s way. Let it slide. Making a kerfuffle out of it really dampens the mood.
Warning Systems
If someone breaks a small rule, don’t just ban them outright! Let them know in private what they did and let them know that if they do it again there will be consequences. Everyone deserves a second chance.
After that though…
Absent Players
It is always a good way to maintain some other form of communication with players, such as Skype, Email, phone… but for many reasons players will sometimes be absent.
Try to set up a system where players let you know when they’ll be gone and warn them that sudden disappearances can have consequences. If they keep disappearing, that might be the time to pull the “rocks fall, player dies” tactic--the show must go on and it can’t do that with an inactive player.
Communicate!
This shouldn’t just all be a one way street. Ask your players how they feel about the rules. Are they fair? Are they too restrictive? Do they need some editing?
Keep that bridge of communication up; no one is perfect and the rules sometimes need changing. Making sure that people’s suggestions are listened to is always important to make sure everyone feels included.
- General Tips
- Connect the Players
- Reveal Information
- Enforcing Rules