A roleplaying game is an act where people come together, each one taking on the role of a character, and acting in order to tell a story. This practice can be done in real life using costumes, or tiny statues as avatars, or can be conducted over the internet via various means. The act of internet roleplaying can be conducted over a forum, using the software to sculpt the nature of the story.
Forums are basically message boards where people can leave written messages for one another, and then others can come and reply to those messages, talking back and forth in threads of conversation that can theoretically go on for as long as people are willing to respond.
In a role playing forum, the first message is usually a description of the imaginary scene of the story, including a written notation about the appearance of at least one character. Other people then reply, as assumed characters, describing the person they’re playing and how that character reacts to the initial situation.
Multiple people can contribute to the story, each adding their own character to the mix. The forum can be separated out into threads, and occasionally, threads can break off to form new posts.
The story continues as each person adds their own imaginative piece to the puzzle. Since the nature of a forum allows people to post when they want, some replies can come days, or even weeks between one another. This allows people to take their time, crafting long, beautiful responses to one another that are creative, and thought out over the course of days sometimes.
Etiquette states that generally all talking should be done “in character“, which means that people should not step outside of their character roles when communicating. Messages that need to be sent to discuss real life issues are done directly, allowing the story to maintain its integrity.
The length of each post and reply may vary, but they should operate around a basic middle. If the other posts tend to be about 3 paragraphs, don’t write either one line, and don’t write 30 pages. You should try to be balanced, using the other written statements as a guide for how you should proceed.
