The early sections of this guide are intended for those who
are new to, or only recently begun, their journey in forum role-play. If you
feel confident in where you stand as a beginner, or if you are a seasoned
veteran, you should feel free to skip to future publications. However, if this
is uncharted territory for you, or if you have only just begun to think about
trying this hobby on for size, by all means, please continue reading!
So… What is Forum Based Role-Playing?
Forum based role-playing is all the rage- well, it is among
those who participate in it at least! If you want to find a group of people
passionate about their hobby, you need look no further than a role-playing
forum (that, or a Star Trek convention). Forum based role-playing is a
collaborative effort among numerous writers using a method called, ‘Play by Post Role-Playing’. Taking
turns, those involved in the role-play write from the viewpoint of their
character, building a story with other like-minded individuals participating
within a thread. Role-plays created in this way might be an individual tale or
they may be a small part of something larger- all depending on what the
creators have in mind.
Forum role-play threads differ in duration, with some
intended only for a short-term run while others will go on for years. Writer
motivations vary as well; some write with the intent to create a lasting change
on the cannon world, and others might role-play a simple story-arc created just
for fun. In the same way that duration and motivation depend on the writers, so
will the genres they write. Some find Science Fiction to their liking, while
others strictly adhere to fantasy. We have those who write in the modern world,
and then some that try to bring in elements of all three.
Forum role-play’s design allows for flexibility, giving
players options and the chance to either create something large and great or
simple, light, and fun. By participating on the boards, we post material at our
own pace, in a medium with lasting record of our work, so that we might enjoy
our stories again someday in the future. No matter what path is chosen to
arrive at the end, forum role-play is a way for multiple collaborators to
create something and share it with the world at large.
How is Forum
Role-play Different from Other Role-Play types and Story Writing?
Forum role-play certainly has some differences from Chat
based Role-playing and general story writing, and if you are familiar with
either, you will notice it quickly.
Chat based Role-playing emphasizes speed, each person taking
a turn to write out short pieces about what they are doing and saying. You have
less opportunity to go into detail because you need to keep the pace at a
decent tempo, whereas with forum role-playing, speed is not typically a high priority. Writers have the chance to produce
posts with a larger amount of content, covering things such as character
appearances, environmental details, and the internal processes of their
character- all with a greater level of depth. With forum-based role-playing,
much more emphasis is put on the quality
of a post and not the speed it was
produced. Generally, people consider sticking to a post every day or two
acceptable, but again, quality over speed is the upmost desire of other
players.
Another common form of role-playing is the traditional sense
of it, doing it over the tabletop. In these formats, there is no emphasis on
writing at all, but instead putting focus behind your character and acting out
their traits. Forum role-play requires people to put those voiced thoughts and
actions into written words, although the methodology is very similar- I would
say ‘I throw the ball’, or alternatively, I could state, ‘my character throws
the ball’. Another difference is general lack of a Game Master, with most forum
threads operating under the system of free form- people have equal say and
stake in the story. Of course, exceptions to this exist, but these are
atypical.
Forum Role-play entails a lot of writing, but writing with
others changes the rules to a significant degree. When you write a story, you
have full control over all elements of the story, including all characters,
events, and settings. In forum Role-play, the standard thread operates under the
principle that everyone has an equal say and stake. Multiple people may use a
generic non-player character such as the proverbial bartender. One person might
mention a storm comes in, while the next may go over the ramifications of that
storm. Those who are used to writing stories must be prepared to relinquish
some control, as everyone has an equal say in thread’s direction, and must work
with others to keep it functioning smoothly.
What is Important to
Forum Role-Playing?
Successful forum role-players develop certainly some
important traits as they delve further into their craft. A thorough list would
become so intimidatingly long, you would have no desire to finish reading this
blog! Instead, I will just give you a few that I believe will take you a long
way, if you can even get just ‘okay’ at them.
- Communication- you
absolutely must talk with each other outside the thread, and often. This
is done through Out of Character threads (More on this in a bit), forum
PMs, messenger services, or little out of character notes in the posts
themselves.
- Flexibility- be willing to
adapt to changes as someone might toss them out. If an event occurs or
something is changed, and it is not integral to the wellbeing of your
thread, why make it a big fuss?
- Lending Control- Hey, we
all like having total creative control in our stories, but in our Forum
Role-plays, we have to give everyone the chance to have some control. They
may create and use side characters as they need, they may alter events or
cause a change in the surroundings. You have to be ready to give up some
of that urge to control the process.
- Teamwork- this is
collaboration, and collaboration takes working together. Whether that is
finding a creative solution to a problem proposed by a thread creator, coming
up with something that makes sense and prevents plot holes, or just trying
to make everything seamless, we have to work together.
Why Forum Role-Play?
Why Should I?
Now, this is my favorite part- getting to talk about all the
reasons why someone should come out and give forum role-playing a shot.
Naturally, being a writer and a long time enthusiast, I am tempted to write out
a long-winded and superfluous essay on all the great things about this hobby.
However, I am well aware that when I get going on for too long, people roll
their eyes at me and then quit listening. With that in mind, I will just give
you a quick rundown of some benefits you might gain:
- Increased vocabulary-
regular writing encourages you to find new words to express yourself, and whether
you fish those out of a thesaurus or borrow them from another member, you
will find your vocabulary improving over time.
- Improved writing- practice
makes perfect, as does the chance to write with others who are skilled and
experienced.
- A chance to expand your
creativity- The sky is the limit, and forum role-players encourage each
other to reach for the stars. Create new characters, play with worlds- let
your imagination run free.
A fourth benefit I want to go over in detail is the sense of
community. We not only converge with our threads and stories but as a community
as well. As people with like interests, we take pride in getting a chance to
talk, collaborate, and work together. This holds especially true for the site I
write for- we are not just forum role-players, but a proud community of
writers. From all over the world, we come together for the opportunity to
practice a craft all of us enjoy immensely.
I could list more benefits, continue to talk about my sense
of community, or just do the rambling I’m well known for, but I am going to
hold back. Instead of making you keep listening to me my readers, I am going to
let you take some words from those who participate in forum role-playing.
-
Confused
Objectives- “It used to be to pass
the time until I got out of high school. Then it became just a thing to pass
the time until I got out of college. Then it became just something to pass the
time until I got out of life. I actually enjoy forum based role-play (more so
than chat) because I can literally take just a few minutes to write something
or a few hours for a string of posts. The pace is only as fast as I make it.”
-
Malum- “I’ve used role-play to learn, teach,
practice, and grow. From studying history to looking at cosmology. From
discovering characters to practicing prose. I get to partake in great stories
with great people, many of which have shaped my life forever.”
-
The Hummingbird-
“It is a hobby and exercise, to
strengthen my skills, to work my imagination, to please and if possible impress
others whom I admire and envy. Here I do not excel but am inspired to improve,
nor am I restricted or restrained but encouraged to test the boundaries of
creativity and innovation in writing.”
-
Torment- “When I was a teenager I used to role-play
to escape; now that I’m older I use it to express myself.”
-
Morgan- “I enjoy Forum role-play because I can
create a world of my own imagination, populate it with peoples and creatures as
diverse, magical, and mysterious as the imagination allows, and share my world
with others. What was once a figment of my imagination becomes something real
and tangible and takes a life on a life of its own.
The End of the First Section
Forum role-play does not take too long to get down at a
basic level, but perfecting the craft is a lifelong endeavor that most are
content to pursue. I encourage you to come out and try it, for what do you have
to lose but a little time and some wasted key strokes? One post becomes two,
two becomes four, and soon enough you just might find yourself a regular
member, working hard to create wonderful reads for your fellow members, while
expressing yourself in ways you never knew you could.
I hope to see you out there. :)
In our next addition, we will begin to cover the basics of
writing a forum post, covering some important terminology as well as some
structural aids for making posts fluid and easier to read.
Next time folks-
Acies
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