ISRP Basic How-To Seminar

[WizO_Trelian]

At the request of others, this is the slightly modified text of my UnCon seminar.
====================================================
ISRP Basic How-To

Ever been interested in playing in the ISRP rooms? Already playing but looking for more tips? Welcome to the Basic ISRP How-To seminar!

We're going to start with the mechanics of play, then move on to the conventions of play, then some discussion of how to enjoy play.

The most basic part of playing in ISRP is told to you in red type every time you enter. That's the Code of Conduct at http://www.wizards.com/coc. I'm not going to go over this closely but please make sure you read it.

On to the details...

 

[WizO_Trelian]

ISRP Room Settings

You may want to bookmark the FAQ page at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=community/faq. This has links to the Code of Conduct, the iChat commands, the ISRP settings background pages, and other useful stuff.

The ISRP settings pages are a little out of date but the majority still applies. This is where to find out the effects of Juxta on various beings and the price list of the CRT's fare. The ISRP main page has a lot of great links for how-to information in more detail than this seminar.

A quick intro to the rooms. The Emporium of Juxta is a walled market open to the sky, with various merchant stalls, a garden, a central gargoyle fountain, and a food area. The Emporium has portals to anywhere in the multiverse.

Characters brought into the Emporium can be from any setting, but once within the room things should stay in a fantasy setting, not modern or sci-fi. For that, there will be a room called TMP, set in New York City, circa 2030 CE, which is opening soon.

The rooms off the Emporium are the Guildhall and the Arena. The Guildhall building is on its North side and only open certain hours. The Arena is through a gate to a different plane and is open for combat all the time.

The CRT is the CrossRoads Tavern, located on the riverfront docks of Ford Keep in the Greyhawk D&D setting. It also has portals, with the keys hidden in the carvings on the walls. There's a large hearth in the center and various tables, booths, and the bar to sit at. There are no rafters to sit on.

The rooms of the CRT are the Garden, the Clearing, and the Banquet Hall. The Garden is only open certain hours. The west door of the tavern leads to the Clearing that's north of town for combat. The Banquet Hall on the upper floor of the tavern is only open for special occasions.

The screennames that start with "wizo_" are the WizOs, the staff that moderates the site. We're here to answer questions, help newcomers and oldtimers, and deal with any problems that might arise.

WizOs moderating in the Emporium are pretending to be marshals of Juxta, law officers. WizOs in the CRT are often tavern staff but could be there under any excuse.

 

[WizO_Trelian]

Basic iChat Commands

Now that you're in one of the rooms, what do you do? Here's some basic iChat commands including their variants. The easy one is speech. You type /say text or just enter the text. That appears with the word “says” already in place, as: wizo_trelian says “Welcome to the seminar!”

To post actions, type /emote text or /me text or :text (with a colon in front). This appears as: wizo_trelian shuffles the papers and smiles reassuringly “It gets better.”

The speech usually shows blue and action shows pink, so if someone mistypes one for the other you might see them say “blue that” or “pink that”. Try not to do this. People can almost always tell which is action or speech without needing out-of-character correction.

Similarly, only correct typos when there is a clear problem in understanding. If you type “laghs loudly”, people know what you meant. If you type “taps the bear” when you meant “bar”, that's more allowable to correct.

To send private messages (PMs) not seen by others, type /tell name1,name2 message and it will go to all the listed names. Example of what they see: wizo_trelian tells you “play nice with others”

Another way is to right-click on the names (control and shift keys work to select more than one) and pick “send private message”. This opens a nice little pop-up window that sticks around for more messages. Unfortunately it doesn’t work on some iChat clients like Java and html.

Thought balloon text graphics are automatically applied if you type /think text and it appears as this: wizo_trelian . o O (I wonder if this seminar is too boring?)

Thought balloons are not supposed to be easy to read. Telepathy is a short term spell for most. But it's become the convention that you must type “closed” to say you definitely don't want others to pretend to read your thoughts. Example: wizo_trelian . o O (<closed> This -is- boring.)

If you're sending thoughts to someone else as telepathy, include their name or “tp” so that they can tell it's safe to read them. Example: wizo_trelian . o O (tp to Arcia> Remind me not to volunteer for the Trivia next year)

Some people use private messages for telepathy or whispering or hand signals. It helps to indicate that to avoid confusion with out-of-character messages. I would respond differently to a private message “tp>are you a guy or a girl?” than to “((are you a guy or a girl?))”.

 

[WizO_Trelian]

More iChat Commands

The /go location gets you to other rooms. If you forget the exits, /look will show them to you again. The command /goto name can be used to get to where another person (or golem) is located, but it depends on the settings of the room and whether that person has disallowed it.

To see someone's character description, type /look at name. Doing this on the various golems will also tell you how to use their features, such as how to order from bargolem or how to get a dice roll from warden.

The /describe edit command is used to create your own character description and it gives you directions in how to proceed. The easiest way is to type out the description in Word or Notepad first, then copy & paste it.

You don't have to paste it line-by-line, the function will take a small paragraph of text at once (Java will take even more). Make sure to type a “/” in front of each section and a “/.” by itself on the last line to end the function.

Check your description by doing “/look at yourname”. If there are “says “ in front of lines, that means you didn’t start that line with a “/”. If there are posts at the end, you forgot the “/.” to close the description.

If an extra “gettickermsgs” appears, then you ran into the reset of the iChat ticker message up top. Try entering your description from a different room, or just try again and hope you avoid the reset. Or use the Java or html client, they don’t have this problem.

Those are the most used iChat commands. Other ones are /roomlist to tell you how many people per room, /users to tell you which users are logged on, /email youraddress to record contact info, and /url webaddress to link a webpage or picture to your username.

Setting an “/email youraddress” is great for confirming that the name belongs to you in case you forget your password, and for contacting you to discuss any problems so you don't suddenly find yourself locked off site.

If you do forget your password, then you can ask a WizO to issue you a new one. They'll require some proof it's yours, such as e-mail address, matching IP address, detailed knowledge of the char description, etc.

Don't forget the /ignore add name command. If someone is truly bothersome, it's better to ignore their messages than to get into a big open argument with them. If they seem to be harassing you personally, talk to a WizO.

If you have problems on site then even if no WizO is around, you can report them to isrp@wizo.wizards.com. Include the type of problem, room location, usernames, and time and date.

 

[WizO_Trelian]

Some Conventions of Play

Entering a room: when someone moves to a room, everyone sees “Name enters.” This is the player entering, not the character. Wait till the person posts something because they might change their mind or just be there to lurk.

Similarly, if you enter a room and want to indicate your char is available for play, post something even as simple as “comes in.”

Nametags. Characters don't wear them. You as player see the name but your character shouldn't know it until introduced or maybe overheard. You can refer to them by name for actions but not for speech. Posting “goes over to Trelian” is fine, but “Hi, Trelian!” isn't.

If you want to talk to someone whose name you don't know, use direction either in the speech itself (wizo_arcia says “Trelian>How are you?”) or in the action (wizo_arcia looks at Trelian, “How are you?”).

This is great to use in a crowded room no matter what, because it keeps clear who is talking with whom. To avoid an additional confusion, don't use “you” as direction. “Smiles at you” isn't clear to the rest of the people reading it.

Declare intentions, not actions. ISRP stands for “Interactive Storytelling Role Playing”. In ISRP there's no GM or dice rolls to tell you what happens. In a way everyone acts as GMs for their own characters. This doesn't mean "no rules", it means rules such as "respect the other players."

You'll also hear people talk about “freedom of destiny” or “no auto-hits”. Post what you want to do and not what happens. “Throws a punch at XYZ” is fine, “punches XYZ in the nose” isn't, and “punches a hole right through XYZ's middle, killing him instantly” is right out.

Don't forget to post the results of other people's actions on your character. XYZ's player could post that his char "gets hit in the nose" or "dodges in time" or, yes, "has the punch go right through his middle, killing him instantly."

The rooms are for IC (in-character) play. Keep open OOC (out-of-character) posts to an absolute minimum of disruption. If you leave the room type “afk” if you must, instead of “AFK ((Away From Keyboard))” or “((back in a few minutes, I've got a phone call))”.

If you think you need to send more information to the people you’re playing with, send it privately. Remember you can send PMs to more than one person at the same time. When you come back, posting an action such as “takes another sip” is preferable to “back” and has the same effect.

Also, don't make in-character comments about out-of-character things. This is especially tempting (and wrong) to do about other people's playing styles. “Sneers at the fancy dressed elf” is fine, “sneers at the elf with the five page description” isn't.

Keep players separate from characters. If your character is the sort who sneers a lot, make sure people know it's a character trait and not your own opinion. If there seems any doubt, send a PM.

PMs are your friend! If you're looking to join a group already talking or engaged in a storyline, if you have an idea but need someone else to play along, if you want to steal something or attack someone “randomly”, send a PM to the players.

It’s also all too easy to start getting mad at the other person's -player- when it's the char that's annoying your char. If you don't like the way the play is going, PM them to stop. They might be surprised and have felt you were enjoying it too.

 

[WizO_Trelian]

Getting Involved

There are several ways of getting involved in play. I'll discuss some hooks that seem to work and others that don't.

What works? Showing interest in the area and/or in others, talking to someone who's not busy, generally being friendly, doing something that someone else might ask questions about,

Examples: Start commenting aloud on the artistic merits of the gargoyle fountain, ask where someone got their armor, offer to buy someone a drink if they'll tell you about the local customs, start playing a dice game, try to compose insults out loud as if thinking of a fight to come.

Mostly, talk and look interested and interesting. People are here to have fun. Be fun to be with. This doesn't mean your character has to be “nice”, but it does need to have some way of interacting with others outside of combat.

You can even just walk up and introduce yourself. But be prepared for some characters, because of the way they were designed, to act like you're rude if you just approach them for no apparent reason or excuse. It helps if you PM the player first and ask what the reaction might be.

What doesn't work? Asking for sympathy, begging for attention, monopolizing play, interrupting conversations (unless done well and being willing to back out if it's not taken well), designing a great combat char that has no other purpose.

Examples of what doesn't work: Staggering into the tavern with gaping wounds, challenging all comers to combat, sitting at a table by yourself and not posting anything or posting “looks for someone to talk to”, or one of the worst: “looks bored.”

Any of these might work at any given time, but they're not something to rely on. People don't want to be made to feel they're here to entertain you or to keep your char alive. In fact, some characters might help it to a quicker end to remove the annoyance.

Talk to other players. Some people, it's true, are here to play only with their friends and you won't convince them otherwise. But most are willing to talk and interact with newcomers if they think the player will act fairly.

Some long time players will even PM you offering to help. Be nice, even if it’s not done tactfully. If you want the help, take it and thank them. If you don’t want it, tell them you don’t wish any help right now, or that someone else is helping.

Think about what you're doing. Your character is walking into an adventurer's tavern or a busy marketplace. How would they normally act? What's reasonable and realistic?

What it comes down to is that ISRP is a social activity as much or more than a gaming activity. Play well with others and others will play well with you.

======================================================
The End, with many thanks to Dontella and Shenlong for play-testing this.
Additional comments, ideas, corrections, etc. are welcome but remember this isn’t an all-day seminar. Some topics do have to be skipped or shortened.

 

[Shenlong_Gundam]

You’re most welcome for the help Trel. As always I’m available for help with any of these things! You’ve really done a great job at summarizing that seminar! But I’m going to get to my point and make good my promise to you and add some things.

ISRP is great, lets just say that now. And yes it is freeform, but at the same time it isn’t. There are rules to abide by, and know those rules will help you out greatly. I hate saying this, but there are people that SHOULD have been at the seminar. It was a great experience, and even if you are as old as my on site, and the numbers hurt your head, or only a few months into the ISRP areas, you should have attended this. I look at the ISRP rooms these days and think, “This place has degenerated,” and for good reason. Many of our new cousins to the site simply don’t know how to RP well. And it is OUR fault as the old timers for not helping them out anymore.

I’m going to try and follow Trel’s order here and expand and elaborate her words, and try to get this going to be in-depth, more-so than we could get at seminar. Remember, we only had an hour and tons of information to cover. What was hit, was what could be hit, and even then, it could only be touched. Between Trel, Donny and I, we only scratched the surface of each topic! And at the end, we all agreed going further would be a great thing to do! And Trels, we love you, we WANT you to try and get this seminar to be a monthly thing. I know I’d gladly attend and help as I could. It’s my duty as a patron to this site, to make it great.

Etiquette is essential to ISRP and FFRP in general, you can’t freeform without rules. If we did, it would only be Anarchy, and anarchy eventually collapses, and then, where would we go for such fun? [edited]? Believe me, I have heard horrible things about that place, and not to flame the mods there, but a few of the moderators should have been at this seminar, if only for the etiquette portions.

I really can’t improve on Trelian’s words until the description bits, they’re greatly in-depth and more than I could have imagined possible in an hour. Remember, the /describe EDIT command through the iChat and ActiveX plug-ins can only hold 1018 character, including spaces, in a single paragraph. For many iChat screens that equates to about a third of the screen of the default chat area screen, and furthermore, 1018 is a great number to shoot for! It’s just the right bite, most people can read fast enough that they can finish a paragraph to two of that size before they scroll off screen. Remember, people don’t enjoy descriptions that scroll the screen, and they want something detailed but quick.

Standing at three inches short of six feet, this young man comes to view. Topping his head, is a crown of golden blonde locks, the back cropped short, ending at the top of his neck, the bangs however, are pulled into sections, falling before his eyes, actually reaching to his lips. The sides of his head have his well-rounded ear, miraculously uncovered by hair. Over his body he wears a brown robe, held tightly closed at his waist by a black sash. Often seen from beneath the sleeves of his robe, are a couple of red and black wristlets, one about each wrist. The robe comes to a swift halt at his ankles, where a pair of boots is found, looking as if from a lightweight material, for they are indeed, medium soled. On occasion a bit of his pants is noticed, an odd color, almost a dusty-white. Strapped over his back, a short stave, the top of the item delicately carved with runes, continuing until it disappears into a wooden stave sheath.

That is Shen’s description on site, including spaces, it is only 954 characters. It is short, just a nibble for the eyes. It is to the point, but at the same time it has the detail needed, the rest is to your imagination. I’ve hit his class, but didn’t tell you it. Look at his clothing, without using the word ‘Monk’, I’ve said, ‘Shenlong is a monk.’ There are no personal tidbits, nothing about his personality, nothing about his name, no past, nothing but what you see. That is all that is required in a, key-word here, Description .

Like Trel said, the <gettickermsg> comes up when the ticker bar reaches a certain point. I’ve managed to nab it as the “You are in the room” portion. Like she said, there are ways around it. HTML and Java plug-ins don’t have the ticker. I know a way to freeze it, and there is actually a program out that does that for you, it’s called a pop-up blocker, as odd as it sounds, certain pop-up blockers do freeze the iChat ticker. And I’ll add a bit more on another post, easy bites you know, this is already a full word page.

 

[Shenlong_Gundam]

Last time, Dessies, this time etiquette and Freedom

Now then, let’s hit the etiquette parts of this. I’ll start simply by and expand on Trel’s entrance stuff. Like she said, WizO_Trelian enters, does NOT mean that Trel has entered the room. It means that her player is there. Don’t respond to that, seriously, do not. It is bad etiquette because the person isn’t there. And on the flipside, DON’T make that your entrance. This is a bit from one of my entrances to the site once.

[QUOTE="Shenlong_”]
<Imagine "Shenlong_ enters.”>
Dontella smiles, reaching over and mussing with Abby’s hair.
Shenlong_ steps in, shutting the door with his heel.
[/QUOTE]
There you go, that second post, is when Shen has actually come into the room. That was the tavern, by the way. After that the greetings where made. And I have to urge people to actually enter the room by something simple as well, even ‘slips in’ is better than nothing at all.

I’m going to skip her bit on talking to others; it is so well in depth, which nothing can be expanded on! I’m going to skip straight to Freedom of Destiny. This is a big cringer in the ISRP areas. There are no DMs or GMs, you choose what happens to your character. But even then, it is to a point, just be reasonable, use common sense.

Freedom of Destiny
Treat others with respect, as you wish to be treated. It is our desire to provide you with an enjoyable place to rest after travels or while awaiting new adventures. Visitors to Juxta control their own destiny, endowed with free will to engage others, or not, as they like. All interaction is considered voluntary and will be looked on as such by local law enforcement.

That is directly pulled from the ISRP room pages. And let’s go and detail that some. The first rule, goes for fights and for actual talking RP. Be sensible, TAKE HITS. People are going to throw crap at you, and do things to you. And before you decide to make it fail, chew on this. Even the gods get wounded, over-deities take hits. Thus it is impossible for a lesser being to be untouchable when the supreme beings of the multiverse can be harmed! Gods do bleed, gods do die. Immortality only means you do not die by old age, you can bleed to death and a sword through your lungs WILL kill you.

On Gods, and the ISRP areas
Simply put, NO. Gods do not touch Juxta, they can’t, even their avatars find it hard, and those that succeed find themselves cut away from the powers their god imbued them with! They become nothing more than a mere mortal on Juxta. This also goes for Chosens, if Qulie Veladorn (Eislistraee’s choosen, and one of Mystra’s seven sisters {also choosens}) or Elminster, Sage of Shadowdale, one of Mystra’s many choosen where to enter Juxta, they lose the back of their god. Nothing more than any other mortal.

In Oerth, the same goes, the Gods, do not touch foot on the mortal realm, the difference is avatars may walk Oerth, without fear of lose of imbued abilities. But nonetheless, don’t, you will not bring a good light you yourself if you play an avatar.

Magic
Magic is another cringer in ISRP. In Oerth it functions normally, or rather, as normally as the gods allow. In Juxta it is unpredictable.

Mages will find, over-using their magic, can be fatal. Remember that the Balance in Juxta is sensitive, mucking with it can bring massive results. A smart mage learns to hold their magic unless needed. Even the bard will be careful with their bardic musics.

Clerics are hard pressed for spells, because their deity is not able to touch Juxta. Turning is weakened, everything divine from the paladin and cleric are injured by the lack of ability to contact their god. Remember this when you want to play a cleric or paladin in Juxta. Not paying attention to that little bit can get you in heaps of trouble with older players. I’ve already gone over my allotted one page here, so, I will save my next bit, which we didn’t get to touch in the seminar for a later post. I hope you all find these helpful, and Trelly, as always, love you, and get that once a month, if not twice a month seminar thing! It makes this easier!

 

[Shenlong_Gundam]

More, oh gods, it can't be true, but it is!

Last time on “All my ISRP,” we spoke about some quick etiquette rules, based around the Freedom of Destiny, Gods, and Magic. Today, we shall speak of Grammar, spelling, fighting, and a little extra that you’ll have to read on for.

Uh-oh, English class, and you thought you were done.
Grammar, we know, this is a chat site. But use it. Grammar was invented because it makes reading easier. First sentence capitals and punctuation make the reading of the words faster and smoother. Many sentences with good grammar are easier to read than one with bad. Spelling is another one! Use good spelling, even though science has proven that all you need right are the fsrit and lsat lteters, does not mean you can type like that. It slows down the reading process, proper spelling is like proper grammar, easy to read. My final note on grammar and spelling is net-speak. In the TCG Forum and RPG Live, in those places go for it. In the role-play rooms it IS a room disruption, even though it is only a minor one, and only massive over-use of it will get you a warning, is slows the reading. We all know “How are u 2day” is fast to type, but “How are you today” is easier to read. Even when Shen speaks, with his accent, certain sounds do get deleted, that same phrase from him is “’Ow’re ye taday?” And yes, I do get people asking what he says, to me, that is great, because I can teach people things, like the lingo of the day.

My next bit is simple, fights. It is inevitable that a conflict will occur, and there are rules for it as well, the briefest is quoted below.

Fighting
The Arena will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All combats should be taken to the Arena. Any physical conflict taking place in the Emporium or Guildhall that does not move promptly to the Arena will result in a fine of 100 gold for minor scuffles, and 500 gold for major fights; those patrons whose actions result in loss of life will be charged 5000 gold (fine to go to patron's family in this case or to cover undertaker costs). Physical conflict includes, but is not limited to: Offensive Magic, Psionic Attacks and Assault with Weapons. Self-Defense is exempt from said fine; however, the instigator will still pay a fine. (Fighting via Private Messages will be considered conflict(s) outside The Emporium gates, unseen by local law enforcement and therefore not subject to prosecution.)

But let me get to the point, don’t assume you will win, don’t assume things will go the way you want. Referring back to Shen again, he laoths fighting, and yet, he has been drawn into countless ISRP battles, with the Redeemers, the Viyach Lemarg, and many others. And once again, proper battling is to take hits. Discuss things in PM as well, working through the fight in PMs can work out great for the fight. There are things you as a player can also do individually to make it better.

My Shenlong is a monk for example, and I love martial arts. I myself have a first degree black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, the very style I decided Shen would focus in. If you play a warrior, try to learn what they do. It’s enjoyable for you in real life, and other players in a fight, if you know what your character is doing. This goes for weapons as well. Learn them, research them, do whatever it takes and is in your power to know what that weapon is capable of and its flaws. I would rather fight a person that knows what they are doing, than what they aren’t. And example I can give is Shen, again, he uses a jo-staff, I learned how to use a jo-staff, and because martial arts is a passion of mine, it was easy for me to find a place to learn it.

Another thing on this is that don’t assume. Remember, everyone controls their own characters. You can’t force people to do things, or assume they will react. PM them first and ask permission, things go over much better that way. Anyhow, onto the surprise ending!!!

Surprise Time!
This is it, some surprises! NEW COMMANDS!! Oh my god, yes, there are commands other than :, /emote, /describe EDIT, /look at and /email! Remember that the site is built with HTML code. <I></I> and <EM></EM> make italics into your words. <B></B> and <STRONG></STRONG> do bolds. Avoid <U></U> for underlines because of links obviously. But remember these are privileged commands, over using them is like overusing the CAPS lock, it will become a room disruption. And now, I turn the floor over to others, because I’m getting tired, maybe more tomorrow!

 

[Shenlong_Gundam]

One more

I have more to say? How is it possible you ask? Well, I promised Trel to help, and I plan to do all I may. This is my way of making up for all those years I was gone and couldn’t help players with this stuff. Some things you really can only learn from other players, such as attitude. The entire focus of this essay will be attitude. To be a great RPer you need more than just the skills, you need the ‘tude. This section of it will deal with asking permission.

First off, be nice. Just because you play the Chaotic Evil Chosen of Bane doesn’t mean you as the player need to be rude. Remember, you and your character are two different personalities, and while many people do incorporate themselves into their character in some way, there has to be a line drawn between real life and Role Play.

Evil is a great thing, and Wiz certainly needs good evils. That means they need to be planned out, you need an agenda. Don’t be random, and if that if your thing, then get permission first. But be ready to accept a no answer. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, with a DIFFERENT player. If you are told no, be nice about it, thank the player for responding and letting you take some of their time. And then go to ask another person, assuming you still wish to act. If you get a yes, thank them for their time, and explain in further detail your plans, and work through the whole process with them. They need to know just what you plan to do to the last little detail and they as well need to tell you how they plan to react. Not just “Yeah, I’ll let it hit,” but, “Yeah, if you do that, is it okay with you if I do this in response?” Remember that your attitude in how you ask can determine the answer. Tactful and nice don’t be forceful about it, remember that you may get turned down.

You tell Dontella “((Hey, may Shen snatch that bowl of ice cream?))”
Dontella tells you, “((Sure, as long as Don can slap him for it.))”
You tell Dontella, “((Alright.))”

The above is a very proper way to go about something like asking to attack, the only difference in this case, Shen and Don where sitting at a table and Don had a bowl of ice cream. In an attack it would work the exact same way, or more likely, something closer to the following.

You tell SuchAndSuch “((Hey, may Bob Normal appear behind SuchAndSuch and try to bring his dagger to her neck?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((Yes, but, Such is blind, she’d possibly hear him.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((Alright. What would she do if she heard him?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((Well, she’d whip around to bring her fist in at his nose.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((That sounds good, can we do it that way?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((Sure. After you. If this goes well and Such survives, maybe we could build something from it.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((Cool.))”

You tell SuchAndSuch “((Hey, may Bob Normal appear behind SuchAndSuch and try to bring his dagger to her neck?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((No thanks, not right now.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((Alright. Maybe next time I see you around we could?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((Yeah, maybe.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((That sounds good))’
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((Cool.))”

Those three conversations between the players are both good shows of attitude, they’re nice to each other, courteous of the other’s plans, and even had the don’t assume things in there. If you notice, in the first two, both the players would have been willing to lose, and win just based on that. The third was an acceptable way to take a rejection. What actually occurred, I couldn’t say. You’ve seen good, now, what is bad?

You tell SuchAndSuch “((Hey, may Bob Normal appear behind SuchAndSuch and try to bring his dagger to her neck?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((No.))”
Bob_Normal fades from view, rising again from Such’s shadow raising his dagger to bring it in at her throat.

You tell SuchAndSuch “((Hey, may Bob Normal appear behind SuchAndSuch and try to bring his dagger to her neck?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((No.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((Afraid?))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((No.))”
You tell SuchAndSuch, “((Then let me attack.))”
SuchAndSuch tells you, “((I said no. Keep asking and I’ll report you for harassment.))”

Now, as long as you ask first, most players will be willing to go along with it. The ones that say no, generally do have another plan for their characters. They aren’t afraid, so don’t ask if they are, they just have something else in mind. And as seen in the second example of don’ts, pushing it can get you reported for harassment, and that just brings a bad name to you.


Remember, just because they say no doesn’t mean they are being mean either. Maybe they have plans for their character and can’t risk losing them. And if they do say no, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you go through with your attack. Doing such makes you the bad guy, and tosses you that bad RPer title that you don’t want. These rules can also be applied for asking a person if they are busy, after all that direct approach, of just walking up and introducing yourself, yep, just like attacking a person, it can all be done the same way as well.

Your attitude will always make a difference with how people see you as a RPer, and it seems that people just aren’t getting that. Remember, even if your character has a bad attitude, or is in a bad mood, doesn’t mean you need to be in one as well, keeping a good attitude will always make you a person that people like to RP with in the ISRP areas, even if you don’t have the best skills at the art.

Man, that one took me nearly two pages on word, but I think what is said, is worth every sentance, and all the length. The things in that bit alone can quite literally make or break a RPer.
{EDIT: Fixed a interesting spelling error.}