Tutorial: How to Set Up a Roleplay

[size=+1]Tutorial: How to Set Up a Roleplay[/size]​

Here's something to help new members set up Roleplays (shortened to RPs) in the way that's expected. Firstly, the RP forums are located at the bottom of the Forums here:

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Step 1) Click on OOC Chat.

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This is where all the chatting and organisation for Roleplays is done.

Step 2) Read the Rules of the Board then click on the Interest Check link.

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It's always important to read the rules of a new site.

Oh, who am I kidding? It's always important to very quickly skim through the rules, picking up most of the major details. Most rules there are the same for every board on the site. Effectively, be nice and we'll get along just peachy.

An Interest Check is when you post a rough idea for an RP and hope to garner support and interest before you do anything else. While it's not necessary to make one, it is good practice as it's here that you can see if anyone will want to join your RP if you made it was well as get feedback on the idea presented to modify and improve the initial premice. They can be massive essays to quick ads for a One-one-One RP with anypony interested.

Step 3) Check that your RP idea hasn't already been suggested. If it has, join in with that RP. If not, Click the 'Post New Thread' button, circled in red.

Of course, you might just join one of the RPs you find anyway.

Step 4) Add an appropriate title and then describe your RP idea.

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Ha! Tyro, you magnificent beast, you've outdone yourself.

An Interest Check needs to cover all the base information of your intentions. This is where you'll need things like setting, characters, a few plot points and any interesting rules your going to enforce. Some RPs use table-top mechanics and this would be where you'd tell us all about them. What rules are enforce or what have you changed from a rule set we'd already know?

Step 5) Post the new thread and wait for the interest to roll in.

Here, interested members can ask questions, suggest ideas and - above all - pledge interest in joining your RP when it's constructed. This is a pact of honour and dignity, bound in trust and love. Stronger than Steel, tastier than Zapapple Jam and better...than...than...some other thing...

Step 6) Once you think you have enough people interested, begin making the OOC thread for your RP.

First off, you need to post it in the OOC part of the Everypony Theater. Everything must be neat un' tidy, sez I!

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Once found, we pretty much go through the same motions for an Interest Check thread. First off, we clicky-clicky the ringed button.

Again, it doesn't hurt to check that your idea hasn't already been done in the OOC's below. You might like to join in with them instead as you look about. Be warned though: Some RPs will not accept you as they might be in the middle of an RP. Unable to squeeze your character into current events may lead to them extending and offer to include you in any follow up RPs. Please, be patient and understanding. Ponies work hard on RPs and cannot always facilitate everypony's requests.

Step 7) Illustrate your RP with as much detail as needed. Add a Character Sheet for Roleplayers to fill in.

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Ah! That gets better everytime I see it. I forgot to add 'PIN Number: ' to the Character Skeleton though...

A Character Skeleton or Character Sheet is little more than a form that an Roleplayer fills in with details about the character they want to play as.

From here on out, you use this OOC thread to chat about the RP and quell little problems ponies are having with it. Maybe somepony hasn't posted in a while or called somepony the wrong name? Here is where you'd sort that out.

One thing to know it that all RPs need an OOC. Make one along with every RP you create.

Step 8) Collect Character Sheets then dump them in a thread of their own.

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The Character Sheets thread is simply intended to be a store for all these Character Sheets for easy access and reading. There's no need to keep an eye on it as It's not meant to be posted with in. Unless you want to use the alternate way of gaining Character sheets, of course. More on that after these instructions. That's what the blue arrow is for.

To make a new thread here, you clickity on the ringed button.

Some Roleplayers will be rather clever and place a collection of pre-filled-in Character Sheets in a thread of their own called an OC List. They can then simply link you to the character they want to use an add any required information that's missing. Nice and simple, yes? They are found behind the link that Green Arrow is pointing too. They're roughly the same as how the Character Sheets except you made every last character there.

Step 9) Once you have the loyal support of your fellow Roleplayers, The OOC Thread and the Character Sheets up and sorted, then you make the In Character (IC) thread!

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Dependant on whether your RP is with one pony or more depends on where you post your IC thread. If it's just you and one other Pony, then it goes in 'One On One RPs'. Any more than that and we're in 'Group RPs'. Simples!

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Now that we know where we're clicking, let's make that new thread. In this thread, we give the right title and usual and then write an openning post for the RP. Usual fair is to describe the first setting and the first few actions happening in the story for your other Roleplayers to pick up from.

There. Now my master piece is ready to enthral the world. Well, this forum, by any rate.

So...Any Questions? PM them to me or your nearest GM.

 

How to Draw Attention to an OOC Comment

[size=+1]How to Draw Attention to an OOC Comment[/size]​

Here's something that might be nice and handy for keeping OOC discussion out of the IC thread. Occasionally, it's necessary to throw a little message into the thread along with your post in order to make sure that it's read. IC threads are more likely to be checked than an OOC threads as ponies are more likely to feverishly hit the F5 key on the IC thread, waiting for a new post.

I fear I may have embedded mine in to the keyboard with this practice...

So, it makes sense to add a message there if it's a very quick note. Something small like (Haha!) or (I've got to go). But, this can clutter the IC if a discussion breaks out making the RP difficult to read and track with

The solution? How about a little Hyperlink that you can pop into your post that will take the clickee to a relevant post in the OOC thread if the message you wish to convey is larger than a quick note.

Here's how it's done:

Step 1) Make a post in the OOC thread.

I'll assume you can manage this. To be fair, you'll be a tad lost if you can't on a forum where all you can do it post replies.

Step 2) Right Click on the Unique URL for the post you have made and select 'Copy Link Address'.

I'm using Google Chrome for this so the actual command you have to choose to get this URL will probably change. "But where is this URL you speak of", I hear you ask thanks to the mics I have in your speakers?

Here:

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That is a link to that post in particular, not the thread as a whole. Use this in any forum to make a link to an individual post. Handy, huh?

Step 3) Paste this URL into the IC thread to draw attention to that post in the OCC thread.

Simple. The URL you pasted in will be automatically turned into a link. Then people will see this link, click it and be brought to a specific post within the OOC. Easy.

For advanced students, carry on reading.

Extra Step 4) Using a little bit of BB Code, make a link out of the url you just made look a little more presentable.

While there's nothing wrong with just copy+pasting the URL in, it doesn't hurt to make it look a little neater. You can also change the text the link displays.

So, with that URL, your going to need a few bits of BB code. So, the first bit it this:

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This tells your computer what your up to which is making a URL link, in this case. You add the url you just got where it says.

Then, you add this:

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Anything that comes after the first bit of code will then be displayed as a link. Whether that be text or an image.

Then we add this:

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This is just to tell the computer that we've stopped giving it special orders. You need this directly after the text in the middle or the code will not work.

So, the completed text should look sorta like this:

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And the end result should look like this:

I'm a link to one of the comments on Foxy's Community Posts!

There you go. Now go and use what you have learned!

 

Strongly urged more like but yes, optional.