Info:Roleplay Etiquette
Guidelines for Role-Playing
Role-playing is like a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans… you never know what you’re gonna get! It’s our aim to help you avoid the bogie-flavored ones. This list of guidelines is for members both new and old, to walk you through some common problems or curiosities that pop up in threads.
Thread Markers
Thread markers are words in brackets that go before and after the thread title. Timeline dates typically go before the title, and the characters invited to participate go after the title.
Example: [Oct14] Title of thread [OPEN]
For the timeline dates, pick dates that are within our current timeline (shown in the sidebar on the main page). If the timeline is in the month of October, don’t pick September or November to start your thread, as you might feel left behind or put yourself too far ahead of the game to react to plot twists. You may finish threads started before the current timeline, however.
The ‘characters invited to participate’ markers let members know which threads they can jump into. A list of these common markers and their meanings are below:
- Open: The thread is open to any character that has reason to be there.
- Closed: The thread is closed to any character that has not been specifically invited.
- Character names: This thread is only open to those characters listed in the keyword.
- Character name, then Open: After the aforementioned character has made a post, any other character can post too.
- PM or PM for invite: To participate, you need to send a private message to the characters involved and ask if you can join.
- M or Mature: Threads that contain substance abuse, sexual content, graphic violence, and controversial themes should be marked by an 'M' or 'Mature', both in the title of the thread and the first post of the thread. Please read the "In-Character" section of the Code of Conduct for more information.
In addition to putting thread markers in the title of your threads, you can use tags to organize your threads by date, characters, and plots. This supplemental feature is extremely helpful when you want to see, at a glance, which threads your characters are involved in just by clicking on the tag. Our tags page has a full list of tags, and this guide explains how to use them.
Godmoding
Godmoding means controlling the actions, reactions, speech, or thoughts of other writers' characters. Examples include: determining or predicting the effect of an action (such as a spell), and writing or predicting the dialogue of another character.
Godmoding should be avoided unless you have permission from the other writer. Some writers might not mind different levels of godmoding, but you must never assume it's okay. It is especially important to check with other writers as you are getting to know them, so as time goes on, you'll understand each writer's comfort level better.
Regardless of how you plan out a thread, be cooperative about editing a post if you control a writer's character in a way they don't like.
Metagaming
Metagaming means giving your character information that they would not logically have. Examples include: reading another character's thoughts, guessing plot points ahead of time when your character would not have enough information to put the pieces together, or never allowing your character to make a mistake when you as the writer know the correct course of action.
Sometimes characters will hear about other characters' actions and plans through the grapevine, and that's ok! As always, try to keep it realistic. Would your student know about a private conversation between two professors that had happened in a private room? Probably not. Would your Ministry employee overhear a loud argument by the loo? Perhaps! It's a good idea to double check with other writers whenever you're in doubt about what your character would know.
Posting Order
Posting order is when members take turns to post in a thread. With more than two people in a thread, it can get fuzzy, and various writers tend to have different preferences.
There is no rule about posting order at Absit Omen, so you can post 'out of order' if you want to. Just keep in mind that posting very frequently might make it difficult for other members to respond and understand how their characters fit in.
Posting 'out of order' can be a lot of fun if you have an exciting reply that’ll push the plot forward. It’s also useful if members need to skip a character because they've stopped responding to the thread for a long time.
Post Length
At Absit Omen, there’s no paragraph or word limit that you have to reach. Post enough content to respond to the other writers who posted before you, and to keep the thread moving forward. This can mean writing a lot, writing a little, or somewhere in-between! If you write in a way that introduces new things to a thread, the length or shortness of your post won’t matter.
Don't feel pressured to match lengths with other writers. Remember, it’s not about how much or how little you write; it’s about what you contribute to the story.
Starting a Thread
Below are some suggestions on starting, continuing, and finishing threads so that other writers are encouraged to reply.
- Pick a location that gets a lot of traffic. The Great Hall is a good idea, as opposed to a tower that’s rarely visited by anyone.
- Make the situation approachable. If your character is sitting quietly, doing a private activity (like reading, writing, or homework), the outgoing characters might respond, but the shyer characters might not have a good reason to interrupt.
- Putting your character into a humorous, embarrassing, or action-filled thread almost always encourages others to join.
- Include props and describe the setting. Whether it’s your character’s purse, journal, or friendly pet rat, these objects allow other characters to interact with their environment. Adding detail to setting, like a sentence about the roaring fireplace, can inspire other characters to warm their hands in front of it or react in another way.
Continuing a Thread
- Think about how to advance characterization or use this thread for future plots.
- Try to have your character respond to others with some kind of action, even if the character is very shy and reserved. A sentence of dialog or a small gesture can make a big difference.
- Internal thoughts and memories can be very interesting to read, but it’s important to keep the thread focused on the present. If you’d like to include your character’s thoughts and feelings, try sprinkling them into each post, instead of writing them all at once.
- How do you know when to end a thread? A good indicator is when it stops feeling fun. However, if you’re just losing steam or you want to liven up a post, talk to the people involved first to see if you can come up with something. Inviting more characters to join can often make the thread more fresh and exciting, as well.
- Despite our best efforts, sometimes a thread isn’t going anywhere, posting is slow, and everyone seems uninspired or bored. It’s okay to stop and move on to other threads. If you do stop posting, it’s always nice to let your role-play partners know.
Ending a Thread
- If you’ve role-played out the purpose of the thread and you’re ready for it to end, there are many different ways you can complete it.
- One or more characters can simply make an exit, leaving the location of the thread.
- Role-play any small actions, or mention lingering thoughts that your character might have. Make it minor enough so that it doesn’t require a response from your partner(s) in the thread.
- Create a cliffhanger. Introduce a new plot, idea, or problem that can be role-played in another thread.
