Roleplay basics

When trying to RP there are a few things that you need to do before you even START to RP.
There are things you need to make sure you're ready to enter your character into the cyber RP.
1) First and foremost, you need to read the rules of the SIM you're on. You'd be surprised at how many people come here and have *never* read the rules but are engaging in RP. This is a question that all the "leaders" of each group should be asking their new recruits and pledges before even taking them in. And if you have any questions ask BEFORE you make the decesion, there is nothing more annoying then having to stop a RP Scene because someone doesn't know what they're doing and they either do something that cause an OOC(Out of Character) issue or they cause something to invalidate a whole scene later on.

2) Understand your role! It is VERY unlikely for a man to *help* a panther and it is very unlikely for a panther to ask for the *help* of a man. It is damn near unheard of for men to waltz around a panther tribe's camp and it was very unlikely that it would ever be found anyways(the panther camp). There are many documents out there in which describe everyone's role very well, if you've never seen them or asked, then perhaps you should ask the group leader if you're unsure as to how your behavior should be.

3) This goes with the above, OBSERVE! Do not rush into things with having no clue of what you're suppose to do, it is always *wise* to watch and learn before you do anything, that is just the nature of being a human, if you think about it, people that usually just "rush into" things, end up dead. This is referring to RL(Real Life) and IG(In Game) situations. Take your time, there is *no* rush. Understand exactly what you're doing before you do it. And should you have any questions, please ask people in IMs. usually asking one of the RP Moderators is a good idea or the leaders of your group.

*After having done the above steps, you should be ready to engage in roleplay. I will list a few things below to the behavior that one should have to making RP go smoothly or atleast try to make it go smoothly.*

1) Always remember that this is roleplay, people are roleplaying characters, they are NOT always the person that their character is being portrayed as. So you should NOT take things so personal when someone roleplays being some sort of asshole or whatever they are playing that is bothering you, that person can be one of the nicest people you have ever met in RL, keep this in mind before you jump their skin OOC and feel like they are attacking you personally. I hate to see great RP'ers stop and tell a person that they are only RP'ing, it's sad, please keep your cool and enjoy the scene.

2) Don't "beg for death". Cause, more than likely, you will get it. People say that killing is a cheesy cope out of RP, yet if a person does nothing then beg for death the whole time, that leaves little RP left. Think about it, a person that is so willing to die, isn't going to submit(which is what 85% of SL revolves around), so the captor loses a great portion of leverage right there. I've heard people say they want to die, before they even get dragged to the location in which they would hold the scene. Begging for death should be a last resort.

3) Do not play a super-character. Everyone feels pain, sure there are people that can control the pain better and tolerate more of it, but everyone DOES feel it. If someone is slashing your back with a dagger, you WILL feel it. Do your best to emote how you feel it, picture what it would be like having it done IRL(In Real Life), and then let your words show it. There is nothing more annoying than a person acting like they don't feel anything, that they are some sort of GOD(Or Priest-King?).

4) Try to do long emotes that "paint" a nice picture. Don't let the RP become one-sided. If someone is emoting a few lines, describing what they are doing to you, you should do your best to emote back, describing what your character would be feeling. And honestly, characters that do short emotes and just seem lazy, have a much higher death rate then someone that tries to emote their best(Short-emoters = 95% death-rate. Well, I just made that up, but you should still try emoting as best you can=p). But hnestly, people enjoy roleplaying with someone that emotes well, if you feel you lack this, then try your best to improve on it. It's not too hard at all and with time you will only get better.

5) Keep OOC to a minimum. OOC for the most part only aggravates people, it's wise to only use it if it is completly needed. You can also do this by simply using IMs. You can make it easy by telling everyone in open chat that you're going to discuss the situation in IMs with so-and-so.

6) If you have issues with some of the roleplay taking place. Then let the person/people know that you are RP'ing with, in a nice manner. This goes with the #1 rule, people are usually not as bad as their character and if you ask someone nicely, they can probably take a different course with the RP.

7) Last but not least for now and a VERY important rule. ENJOY the roleplay, have fun! Try to not let things bother you too much. Go with the flow if you have no restrictions to your RP.

I'm sure there may have been things I've missed, but taking these steps should make your and the person/people you are RP'ing with have a more enjoyable time. Should you have any questions you may contact me freely and I will do my best to give you a helping hand.