~General Roleplay Basics~ ++Thread Cloning.

I call it thread cloning for a reason. It's basically a general skeleton of starting an RP thread... What's needed at least to forum a functioning RP.

In general, following these tips are optional, but if you're curious...

Read on. :B

Golden rule: You need willing contenders to RP with. There's really nothing else that is a prior 'necessity' other then this and the plot. If you really want you, you could skip the whole procedure and just start RPing with said person(s). Though, you might run into a couple of snags later. ((Oh, I guess you could post stories up here if there is no one else to RP with. (Or you just don't want to RP with others.) That's completely up to you, however.))

Basic Skeleton:
+Plot summary
-Rules of the thread
+Character Profile Skeleton
-Joined characters
((If you need certain specifications for your thread, it could be added in. *Like special powers, map details, ect.*))

Simple enough, right? No? I'll give an example of each.

+Plot summary+
===========
What goes in here is the main beef of the RP, you could generalize it to something as simple as:
"This is a forest, where dwellers of myth and lore rest within the passage of reality and dreams. Though the silence, soft spoken words waft the tree's limbs to and fro. To protect or destroy what few remnants of this sacred land... Is up to you, dear traveller."
Or, you could narrate:
"Hoarse was her breath as she sprinted away from the corridors of musk and death. Screams echoed from the near distance, her lover being ripped to shreds by a pretentious beast. It's fangs sliced through soft flesh as the scent of the frantic maiden bled through the air. Blood curdled as a horrid voice rasped through the air, "What are little girls made of?" Two bloodshot eyes glistened against the glow of the blue moon. It's yellow pupils dilated in the welcoming light. "Sugar... Spice... And everything nice..." A shriek rang through the crisp midnight air, the sweet blue moon dyed a crimson red."
Or if you like whipping your fellow RPers around in the dark, you could skip it all together and have them scratch their heads on the name of the RP. Be creative, at least. xD

Something of that caliber. Doesn't have to be all too snazzy.

-I don't know what to do for a plot! HELP!-
"You can do anything you like.~" It could be as random as a crack-induced dream or as structured as the written passages above. The content? Also anything. It could be game based, story based, movie based, theme based, blah blah blah. The sky's the limit.

~~~~~~~

+Rules of the thread+
===============
This basically is your moderation for your designated thread. What you want to see, what you don't want to see. Limitations that all RPers must abide to in order to continue the story. Now, unlike Gaia Online, this Forum is a lot... A LOT more lenient in terms of rules. Some examples? Okay... Let me pull up a 'rule' skeleton from a previous RP.

+-- Rules --+
-Really, you should know the rules by now. But as regulations...-
=-- NO MODDING. (One hit wonders.) Please, keeping our butt-hat attitude in the real world.
+-- You can choose to be a Trainer, Pokemon, or a Mirror Pokemon.
-I advise only those choices.
=-- If you are a Pokemon, in reality, I will recommend you control one character. You guys can pair up if you want.
+-- As for Trainers, I will allow only 6 Pokemon with you. ONLY. You don't have to pick them right away, but to save confusion and block up a loophole in MODDING.
=-- I would stay away from legendaries please. Let's be realistic in our imaginations. ;o
+-- < PG-13 please. Take it to the PMs.
=--Mirror Pokemon can chose the color they desire, depending on which mirror they fall from.
+-- PM me your profiles! Do not litter! Save the trees!
=-- Please after you read the rules and the plot, write 'Cookie' next to your name. <--((This is extremely efficient, because a lot of bimbos don't read the Rules. Kind've like a primitive failsafe.))
+-- I've decided to change the rules, because of the lack of people deciding to join. I have now allowed you to chose two main characters to be in your command. HOWEVER, you are only entitled 1 trainer/1 wild pokemon. You may NOT have two of one or the other.
=-- If you are near the Pokemon Center, you are able to change Pokemon as you wish. You could also capture Pokemon if you are a trainer. You may NOT have all the Pokemon at your disposal. You must CAPTURE the Pokemon to use it.
...The plot thickens.

Okay, it's about Pokemon, sue me. -_-
That's a general rule list. It's a little extensive but if you want to set boundaries, it's mandatory.

~~~~~~~~~

+Character Profile Skeleton+
====================
This is as optional as they come. It basically describes the character you want to inject into a set storyline. You could even put pictures if you're too lazy to describe the character's physical aspects. An example would be...:

Though, it's misusing the 'Coding' button, I don't care, it's clean looking. :]
It doesn't have to be as extensive as having their Date of Birth or Weight, Height and the Liability waiver... But such things as account name, character name, age, and maybe a physical description or picture would suffice as a skeleton. But if you thirst for a spicier life, make the most out of every single post you can make. It's the least you could do to entertain yourself, as well as the masses.

~~~~~~~
+Joined Characters+
===============
This is vital, in keeping track of the characters in play. You can place an example down here with the character you're using if you're the Threadmaster, but if you're not... You'll have to drum your fingers and wait till your Skeleton is accepted... Which is usually posted into this post. Killed characters don't 'have' to be erased... ((What's the Strike button for... I wonder?)) How the profiles get to the Threadmaster, might be difficult... Though...

//Now.... Starting a thread. ((Q+A time!))\\
Q: "You left us hanging, you daft fool! Now, what about posts?
A: Threadmasters usually have profiles PMed to them to avoid having unnecessary clutter form up on their RP. Now, I'm not sure if PMs work but if you can, do it. That way the story isn't disturbed by a ridiculously big picture of a profile...

Q: "So... How the hell do I start this... Posting do-hickey? Can I just start however I want?:
A: Usually, freelanced RPs have a 'no' post limit rule... So, many RPers end up doubleposting whenever their posts go untouched and since it's unstructured, alot of posts are indeed lost in the rift of other Rpers who could post alot faster... ((Or of lesser content.)) A great way to avoid this is to structure your RP. For example.
1)Threadmaster. ((Since I'm the leader, I get first post.))
2)1st character. ((You're up next, after the threadmaster.))
3)2nd character. ((You must wait for your turn after the 1st character.))
4)3rd character. ((Don't forget about the people before and after you. Don't cut out a person.))
So, what happens when the 2nd character finishes his post and lo and behold! The 3rd character joins? Usually out of courtesy, the 3rd character must wait till the interval is complete all over again. That means, even though it's technically 'his' turn... Since the action is said and done, s/he must wait for the next turn. THOUGH, this can be exempt. The Threadmaster has the prior ability to GIVE his turn or to use it. It's a little more safe to have the Threadmaster start again, that way the 3rd character has time to cozy up to the story and maybe have a chance to be introduced by the 2nd character.
But of course, there's cons to this to:
+A potentially dangerous threat is the lack of posting. If you forget it's your turn, you're holding up a line. At this point, if you're tired of the RP together, you can chose to 'leave' the RP or quickly post. Really, if you need some time, tell your fellow RPers in (())'s that you need some advice and scurry onto the RP discussion room and think of alternatives. Though, don't leave them waiting, you could kill a thread that way.
+Even though you structure your RP, you have a hard time 'squeezing' in if the RP storyline becomes tight. Also, if you're not significant enough in the storyline, you have the risk of being 'ignored'. So, be diligent when you're RPing. These threats can be avoided with a sly craft of words.

Q: "What the hell are these (())'s?"
A: O.O.C.'s or in layman's terms, "Out of Character." It's basically you talking before or after a thread... About comments, suggestions or ect. This way, you can alert your fellow RPers without consulting the Guild Thread... Since it's a little tedious clicking back and forth. Now, don't confuse these with the standard ()'s which are basic interjections to pertaining to the story whence (())'s have little or nothing to do with the story's progression.

Q: "HEY! This fool just killed me on the a RP! That's not fair!"
A: Godmodding is considered an offense to the RP world. It's rude and very unimaginative. One-hit wonders against other characters should not be tolerated. You can warn these people to change their posts. If you want a character to die in a battle, you can give in to the other player... But at least give them a chance to try.
Another offense is what I like to call 'String Stealing.' It happens when another character controls the actions of a character not in their boundaries. Such things as being 'dragged' along, 'guided', or the occasional tackle is not considered String Stealing. An example would be:

"Geen slipped into the boys bathroom, switching pants. When walked back out though, Ceres was waiting for him, scissors in hand. “Wh-What are you doing?” Without warning Ceres talked him, starting off a wrestling match. Ceres was a slippery one, not to mention stubborn as heck, and somehow managed to slip the shirt on him. “I hate shirts!” Geen whined when he discovered he had lost. “They’re sooo uncomfortable!” Ceres slipped his wings though holes she cut through the back of the shirt, hence the scissors. “Oh…much better.” He smiled as he wiggled his wings, happy to have his extra limbs free."

Ceres was not this person's character, therefore, writing intricate commands like this is considered invalid. (With a good bit of scolding.)

Q: "What about length? Does it have to be painfully long like yours?"
A: Actually, no it doesn't. Your standard 5 sentence paragraph would do fine. Though, if you're a detail whore like myself, you'd end up writing a page before your head starts flaring up into a jumbled mesh of brain fat. Purely it's up to you about the length of your post... Most times, short and sweet are a great way to get every player a chance to react. Just try to avoid one sentence posts or even avoid those who do such dastardly acts.

Q: "but i dont liek grammr. i coulndt care les abot it. can i stil rp?"
A: Yeah, you can. But if you do make sure you don't go into RPs that are GRAMMAR NAUGHTSI's. You could seriously get flamed by your current way of life. So, to avoid this problem of wasted words, Threadmasters write (Lit's/ Literates only... Or even Semi-Literates.) Though, through experience, I've seen RPers go from poor man to rich man, in terms of grammar... And when you RP with those with stellar writing, many of those stragglers tend to follow their lead. So, be a good Threadmaster and learn the path of a good RPer.

Q: "Whoa, wait wait wait! This means I can only control one character?!"
A: Of course not!... Unless the Threadmaster says so. As a bearer of examples, I'll give you more 'personal' one. My style of RPs is to create a plethora of characters and meld them into the story. Then, I kill them. Though, it doesn't work as well if there are more RPers but if you're planning to do a 1-on-1, having many characters makes things more interesting.

Q: "1-on-1? Is there a 2-on-2?"
A: 1-on-1 or more commonly called Private RPs, which only focuses on one player interacting with only one other. This forms a tight bonding RP. Other RPs could be characterized as 2 ways, 3 ways, 4 ways or Free for All. It all depends on how many people are permanent members of the team. (Meaning, without them, the story could not progress.) That doesn't mean 2-on-2s don't exist. If you're doing a Gladiator type of RP, you could do a 'good guy' and 'bad guy' arrangement, so it is possible.

That's all I can think of for now... If you have more questions just following the format, Q:"Insert pertaining question here" and I'll be sure to answer.