Basic RP rules...a Generalization

[GuardianElite]

There have been some questions about RP and it was brought up again last night at our Guild Meeting. I decided to lay down some basic RP rules. Now these are Global rules meant for a variety of gaming, none of these are SWTOR specific, I will add some of that stuff at the end:

These are the rules to RPing
BASIC RP RULES

GENERAL RULES
1: When you are talking out of RP text, use "(( ))" to indicate such
2: When you are talking with only one character in the same area, you should not skip any lines; if you are talking with more than on character area, then you must separate them by skipping a line after the action and text of the first character, then starting the same thing for the next character [Note: this only applies if both characters are interacting with the same character(s); if they are in the same topic, but different areas of the topic, they must be posted in different comments.]
3: Any speech MUST be indicated with quotation marks and actions should be inidicated by "* *", but that is optional

GLOBAL RULES
1: You cannot skip between different RP storylines
2: You cannot skip between different time frames
3: You cannot declare your character(s) to know someone without permission from the other person(s)
4: You cannot declare your character(s) to share history or a background with another character(s) without permission from the other person(s)

ENTRY RULES
1: You cannot make another person(s) notice something; you have to let them notice it themselves
2: You cannot appear in-between or near other characters unless approved by the other person(s) and allowed to do so (usually for battles or something)
3: You cannot be dramatic, it MUST be a subtle entry (ie: no big flashes into the area, bothering other characters; no screaming; no making other objects fly around when you entry, bothering other characters, etc.) [Note: exceptions are allowed if approved by the other person(s) if you are in a battle or something, but it must still be kept in moderation.]
4: You cannot move or come into contact with another character(s) when you enter

SOCIAL RULES
1: You cannot control the conversation or be the center of attention
2: You cannot interrupt someone else's conversations (unless permitted by the other person(s))
3: You cannot make person say something, nor may you tell them to say something outside of RP chat (your character may tell them to say something in RP chat, but they are allowed to refuse)
4: You cannot relate to someone else's background or history without the consent of the other person(s)

BATTLE RULES
1: No godmodding (ie: being invincible, overpowered, etc.)
2: No controlling other people
3: You CANNOT kill another person(s)'s character without their permission
4: You MUST allow the other person to CHOOSE to accept or avoid an attack [Note: there are some exceptions to this rule once you are familiar with the rules and the feel of RP battles, but you must still keep it in moderation; it cannot be a big attack (ie: cutting someone's head off, stabbing their heart or lungs, etc.) and you must allow the other person(s) to do the same.]
5: You CANNOT say where a character(s) got hit, nor how they took damage (ie: you cannot say that their head exploded from being struck by a Lightning bolt [I'm talking to you, here, Grim. XD], they became crippled, they lost a limb, etc.) [Note: again, there are exceptions to this rule, as well; following the same exceptions as rules #4 and #6
6: You may ONLY make ONE attack at a time, still following rule #4 [Note: again, there are exceptions to this rule once you are familiar with the rules and the feel of RP battles, but you must still keep it in moderation; you cannot go into a frenzy (attacks that count over 5 in this case) and you must allow the other person(s) to do the same.]
7: You may not make any moves without giving the other person(s) a chance to do something (this includes running away, teleporting (not blinking), summoning things, banishing the person(s) (and it must be approved by the person(s), etc.)
8: You MUST take damage at some point

These are all of the basic rules and the owner(s) of the RP are allowed to make additional rules to their own RP.

Now for some TOR rules...and use the word 'rules' lightly. There are really not 'rules' as much as 'guidelines' to make the experience much more enjoyable:

1) Lore is a big part of SWTOR. Lucas has done a lot with the movies series and a variety of writers have done extensive work to make the extended universe rich and incredibly vibrant. That being said, your knowledge of the Lore and the timeframe in which we currently exist in SWTOR will greatly enrich your RP. Depending on how in depth you wish to get, study some of it and play your toon in line with the current Lore as well as create your backstory based off of that.
a) IE...The Sith of this time frame were very into 'external sources' of power. They did not focus on themselves but rather what those external sources could do to increase their personal power. There was no 'Rule of Two'. That didn't come along until the time of Darth Bane. (Just an example of the Lore comment)
2) Understand your role. Jedi and Sith are Force users...if you chose to roll one then that is the role you play. No amount of Cortosis armor and fancy gadgets are going to stop a Jedi Master or a Dark Lord of the Sith from destroying you if you insult one or draw up on one for a battle. Soldiers, Mercenaries, Smugglers and Agents are just that...what they are. Learn to deal with it, learn to play your class in RP accordingly. Unless you have some kind of super-skill in your backstory and even then, you still have to realize who you are playing with. Draw the ire of a more powerful player and you place your RP in jeopardy.
3) If you wouldn't do it in public in RL, most likely you wouldn't do it in public in RP. Gunslingers don't go around drawing their weapons on people standing at a bar. Additionally, a Jedi or a Sith will not just walk up to someone, draw a saber or force choke someone to death without provocation (Or an agreement between the two RPers...again very situational)
4) Learn to walk away. If the RP is not what you want or plan for. Kindly whisper the person you are playing with and have a kind OOC conversation about it. If you still cant agree, thank them and learn to walk away. If they continue to pursue or troll you see my last comment.
5) Trolls will be trolls. Lots of people in SWTOR do not want to or have no desire to RP. They will jump around, say strange things...throw dancing bombs, park their speeder on you. You have a couple of choices in this regard. You and your RP friends can choose to relocate, you can ask them kindly to stop, you can report them for harassment if the behavior continues. Finally, you can place them on ignore and go about your business.

Finally...you CAN die in someone's universe. I will explain.

1) If the person you are RPing with is adamant about being or acting a certain way and the above listed things do not work for them AND you have no other alternative. You can ignore them, thus effectively KILLING them in your own personal universe. BUT...this is always a last resort.

[Zyera]

Thank you so much for this!

[Alystri]

That is a lot of rules! I will have to watch it being done.

Maybe an introductory rp night where those who are interested can watch experienced rp'ers and be allowed to ask questions.

If we had a guild ship that would be a great place for the session so as to not interfere with others.

Aly

[Doz]

The only RP stuff i knew growing up was a stick and rock pretending to play baseball. I have much to learn on this RP stuff.

[Dremmess]

It seems as though there are a few people around that are interested in learning through watching. RT and I often RP in various Cantina's. I don't think it would be an issue to plan a specific day and time to invite those that are interested to come and watch and ask questions.

Aly - Although we don't have our Guild Ships yet, there are ways to work around it and make it more closed off and private for those that wish to learn without other distractions! There are plenty of places in TOR that we can go for some uninterrupted RP and be in a group together for private questions and answers as well.

Also - I wanted to add to RT's post; I didn't see it in there but I could have missed it too. One of the most important things in your RP with other people, especially if you consistently play with someone and talk to them OOC (Out of Character) about your stories and your characters; is that OOC information is just that. OOC. If someone were to tell you OOC that their character was plotting something sinister against yours, you can't take that knowledge IC (In Character). Just because you know something, doesn't mean your character will. So, keep that in mind. Same thing goes with knowing people. Although we know each other in our guild, our characters don't automatically know each other. They still have to be introduced. Hope that makes sense and I didn't ramble too much.