Seriously RP rules?

[Tech Admin]

Tamaturtle,

Your example about joining an advanced RP before being at that level is actually one of the main reasons why I don't want to lock people out of this section! Sometimes people need to risk being hurt a little in order to push themselves to improve. My guess is those harsh criticisms you experienced didn't scare you off from RPing, right? Instead they made you realize your level and served as an indicator of needing to grow your own experience to become a better RPer. That is EXACTLY why I think others can benefit from having an area where we make it clear that the expectations are higher. No, this doesn't mean you have my permission to dish out harsh criticisms of those who are not at your level. However, as with the other seriously sections on TT, the posts that aren't up to the expectations can be reported and removed and the person either works harder to improve or is asked to leave the section (asked nicely then forced out if they do not comply). I don't know about you but I personally learn more from reading posts from more experienced people. This applies to all areas and is not specific to role playing. This has been the approach that we have taken here in the other advanced sections (seriously tama and seriously (non)tama). I think it has been proven to be a fair approach to assume the best (that some people will become great additions to the area) instead of assuming other people suck and need to be blocked out until they prove themselves. Sure, some people who do not meet the higher expectations of the area will come in. Like your previous experience, they can be told about it and hopefully they will observe how the "pros" do it and they can work towards improving or come back later.

With that said, I would like to ask for some patience with regard to assigning a rp mod. Let's see if the section becomes used enough to warrant needing a moderator. For now I am going to assume that the model we have used elsewhere on the site will also work here.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

 

[Swan_Song]

I agree with you, Admin. It's honestly up to the experienced roleplayers to help out the younger ones. Experienced roleplayers don't have to be harsh or rude to get their point across, anyway. I usually try to give construction or good reasons why a form is rejected, etc.

Maybe there could be a place or a topic for roleplaying practice, and then more experienced roleplayers could help them out. Maybe not on this section, but even on the main section of the roleplay.

 

[Tech Admin]

My sincere apologies if that came across as harsh or rude... That was not at all my intention!

Maybe there could be a place or a topic for roleplaying practice, and then more experienced roleplayers could help them out. Maybe not on this section, but even on the main section of the roleplay.

This is a good idea. Maybe start a collection of sampes or of resources to help people learn more as well...

 

[Swan_Song]

My sincere apologies if that came across as harsh or rude... That was not at all my intention!

This is a good idea. Maybe start a collection of sampes or of resources to help people learn more as well...

Oh goodness! I didn't mean you were being harsh or rude! I meant that experienced roleplayers didn't need to be harsh or rude when talking to inexperienced roleplayers! I'm sorry for the confusion! D:

And yes, I like that idea of samples and resources!

 

[Runner]

Yeah, I'm fine with helping younger members- it just gets annoying when they constantly mess up (Sometimes on purpose, since the mistakes are so major and easy to spot, even for a dummy), and sometimes to the point to entire RP gets confusing, so everybody quits. I had this happen with an RP I made once and it was sad because everybody left since there were so many mistakes by this one person to the point the plot basically just blew up and the RP ended up dying off.

 

[tamaturtle]

Hm. Maybe it's just me that ran off and quit the site for a few months then x) but anyway, I see your point and agree with that and the others

Okay, so we need to get the rules up and get this section going now! Squeeee ^_^

 

[Tech Admin]

Lol! For a moment you had me worried that my post was rude!

Ok well i appreciate everyone being open to this concept. So let's get working! Look back up at the collected rules and suggest any corrections or additions that you think are needed.

As far as resources and samples gomaybe we should start a new topic to discuss some good starting points for what might help people learn more (experienced or not) about the level/quality of rping you would like to see here.

UPDATE! I moved the posts that were after this over to this topic to continue the conversation about guidelines and tutorials.

Please continue with discussion about the rules here.

 

[Cave Johnson]

I'm not ever going to use this section, but perhaps the rule

"Forms have to be approved by the creator(s) of the RP before you can begin."

could be fleshed out a bit more to be able to give the creator the right to kick people out who aren't following guidelines/plot/rules. Just an idea.

SCIENCE

 

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

I agree with MissInnocent. Take for example one of my earlier posts where I was edited to sound like something out of a really old American movie. 'Gosh darn it!' I understand that there are young children hanging around TT and fully respect that, but would it really be much of a stretch to write out the word but obscure it?

The swearing rule is not effective, I have met plenty of swearing especially on Chat, but disguised so as to avoid breaking the rules, like "ohmygodtama(swearword)gotchirocks" or even saying what the word means but not the actual word, such as "female dog". I suspect that it's probably not followed in private chats between teens, but that doesn't really matter as much cos no young kids can get to those chats.

Anyway, I think your RPing experience and whether you RP on other sites or not should not be counted. Since kids like me, aged 10-12, can't join many other sties because the sites are either for over 13s only or our parents won't let us. And someone can be a good mature RPer even if they're only been RPing for 2 months, by the time you've taken the trouble to RP for two YEARS you've totally forgotten about wanting to be allowed to RP in RPs here.

 

[TamaMum]

.....

Anyway, I think your RPing experience and whether you RP on other sites or not should not be counted. Since kids like me, aged 10-12, can't join many other sties because the sites are either for over 13s only or our parents won't let us. And someone can be a good mature RPer even if they're only been RPing for 2 months, by the time you've taken the trouble to RP for two YEARS you've totally forgotten about wanting to be allowed to RP in RPs here.

I didn't reply to the first part of your post because this topic is about Seriously RP rules (not about what happens in Chat)

I agree that a kid can be a good mature RPer even if they have only been RPing for 2 months - but you have got to admit that 10-12yr olds with excellent grammar and spelling are pretty unusual - yes, they exist, they might be gifted or talented in English, but it's not so common that we all take it for granted.

This is exactly why RP experience and whether a member has done RP on other sites makes a difference.

The way in which you have expressed your point could be mistakenly understood as a suggestion that there is nowhere for you to take part in RPs on TamaTalk.

You know that you are very welcome to join any RP on TamaTalk in the main forum area - there are heaps of RPs to choose from there and there are no restrictions on who can join, other than everyone has to respect the TamaTalk site rules.

Seriously RP is just an additional sub forum for more experienced RPers which everyone is ASKED NOT TO USE IF (and only IF) they feel that their RP posting style or literary ability or RP experience is not (yet) up to the levels seen in the Seriously RP forums.

If you are 10-12 yrs old and have an RP style of posting that is clearly experienced enough, then give it a go and see how you get on.

Your fellow RPers are your judges. They will look at how well you can read instructions and follow guidelines for posting.

BUT, if you are doubtful about whether you can post grammatically correct replies with more substance than one or two lines and develop a comprehensive character description or story line that follows the RP form provided by the topic starter, then I would suggest you use the Seriously RP forum area only to watch and learn.

Look at the way they post, look at the sentence structures, the spelling, the style, the language, etc. and work on developing your own style and use it in the General RP forums.

If you do this, people will be able to see that you are capable of mature RP posting and may be more willing to allow you to join - especially if you can point to RPs and posts in the General RP forum as proof of your capability.

The fact is, that everyone was new to RP once. Over time everyone learns to develop their style, improve their spelling and grammar and gain more experience. It seems to me that the less experienced RPers are going to get a good opportunity to see what other members consider to be experienced RP and perhaps even be offered some friendly, constructive criticism (if they are willing to take it on board without getting offended)

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

I didn't reply to the first part of your post because this topic is about Seriously RP rules (not about what happens in Chat)

I agree that a kid can be a good mature RPer even if they have only been RPing for 2 months - but you have got to admit that 10-12yr olds with excellent grammar and spelling are pretty unusual - yes, they exist, they might be gifted or talented in English, but it's not so common that we all take it for granted.

This is exactly why RP experience and whether a member has done RP on other sites makes a difference.

The way in which you have expressed your point could be mistakenly understood as a suggestion that there is nowhere for you to take part in RPs on TamaTalk.

You know that you are very welcome to join any RP on TamaTalk in the main forum area - there are heaps of RPs to choose from there and there are no restrictions on who can join, other than everyone has to respect the TamaTalk site rules.

Seriously RP is just an additional sub forum for more experienced RPers which everyone is ASKED NOT TO USE IF (and only IF) they feel that their RP posting style or literary ability or RP experience is not (yet) up to the levels seen in the Seriously RP forums.

If you are 10-12 yrs old and have an RP style of posting that is clearly experienced enough, then give it a go and see how you get on.

Your fellow RPers are your judges. They will look at how well you can read instructions and follow guidelines for posting.

BUT, if you are doubtful about whether you can post grammatically correct replies with more substance than one or two lines and develop a comprehensive character description or story line that follows the RP form provided by the topic starter, then I would suggest you use the Seriously RP forum area only to watch and learn.

Look at the way they post, look at the sentence structures, the spelling, the style, the language, etc. and work on developing your own style and use it in the General RP forums.

If you do this, people will be able to see that you are capable of mature RP posting and may be more willing to allow you to join - especially if you can point to RPs and posts in the General RP forum as proof of your capability.

The fact is, that everyone was new to RP once. Over time everyone learns to develop their style, improve their spelling and grammar and gain more experience. It seems to me that the less experienced RPers are going to get a good opportunity to see what other members consider to be experienced RP and perhaps even be offered some friendly, constructive criticism (if they are willing to take it on board without getting offended)

I am aged 10-12 and I don't mean to brag but I have always been top of the class at literacy and spelling, the problem is I don't understand romance and don't have the social experience of most teens or even kids my age. Because of both my young age and my location, I've never walked to school, never had to buy my own clothes, and never been to half the places included in RPs. For example, I once had to ask what a prom is in a RP, then I promptly quit the RP because I didn't understand what a "prom date" was and there was no use asking because I knew I was just annoying the other other RPers with my questions. This section is actually quite a good idea, but the point is, sues and kids even younger than me and the knid of people who write 2 incorrectly spelt words in each post are in the General section, and people who are too advanced literate for me are in this forum. Therefore there are only two extremes and no places for people in the middle like me, kids who have moderate spelling and literacy ability but no knowledge of romance or other more mature subjects. Of course, even younger kids than me (I'm 10) should be able to have RPs, but mixing us moderate-ability RPers with very-young-children RPers is just as bad as mixing advanced-literate RPers with moderate-ability RPers! I say you should create another section for "Junior RPers" who are still working on their spelling and punctuation. But then THEY will ask you to get rid of sues because now their section is attracting them instead of the General section...I think a general No Sues Anywhere rule would totally solve the problem.

 

[Tech Admin]

I'm just not sure the number of people actively using the rp section here are high enough to support breaking it out even further in a beginner, moderate and advanced section. This may prove to not be the case over time. However, for now I will keep an eye on things. Let's try it with this new change for a while to get an idea of how well (or perhaps not) it works out.

 

[TamaMum]

I am aged 10-12 and I don't mean to brag but I have always been top of the class at literacy and spelling, the problem is I don't understand romance and don't have the social experience of most teens or even kids my age. Because of both my young age and my location, I've never walked to school, never had to buy my own clothes, and never been to half the places included in RPs.

If you believe you don't have the RP experience to post at the same level as others in a particular topic in the Serious RP forum, then it is better for you to watch and learn rather than participate (for now). This is not about how old or how young you are. It is about your current ability and experience at RP. (Don't forget that many members have not had their first prom experience either - nor direct, real life experience of secret powers and abilities, vampires, magical creatures, witchcraft, etc. - that's all part of your creative imagination).

... but the point is, sues and kids even younger than me and the knid of people who write 2 incorrectly spelt words in each post are in the General section, and people who are too advanced literate for me are in this forum. Therefore there are only two extremes and no places for people in the middle like me, kids who have moderate spelling and literacy ability but no knowledge of romance or other more mature subjects....

But there are heaps of RPs to choose from in the General RP forum. Please... take the time to look through the General RP Forum more closely. There are plenty of RPs for those with "moderate-ability" experience.

I'm a little surprised at your suggestion that the General RP forum is at one, low level extreme. Remember that experienced RPers still participate in topics in the General RP forum as well. Of course, no one is obliged to join an RP that they feel is beneath their abilities. I think all anyone asks is that if you like the look of a RP and the application form then you should give the topic starter some respect and follow their guidelines for the characters and plot.

No one should judge you on your age. You will be judged on the way you act - how you post, how you RP.

 

[tamaturtle]

Not all of the higher level roleplays have been moved into the Seriously RP section, so there's still a wide range of RPs in the main section with different requirements that you could fit in with. Some of these roleplays are, I think, made by people who run around in the advanced section with similar rules and guidelines, so joining these roleplays would probably be a good way to see what sort of things we move onto here?

 

[Tech Admin]

I have posted rules for seriously rp here. I made some small tweaks and changes. These rules are not final so please continue the discussion of suggestions if you see room for improvement!

 

[Runner]

Of course, even younger kids than me (I'm 10) should be able to have RPs, but mixing us moderate-ability RPers with very-young-children RPers is just as bad as mixing advanced-literate RPers with moderate-ability RPers! I say you should create another section for "Junior RPers" who are still working on their spelling and punctuation. But then THEY will ask you to get rid of sues because now their section is attracting them instead of the General section...I think a general No Sues Anywhere rule would totally solve the problem.

You know dazzlitchigirl, that's what the main RP section is now for. For all the RPs that are made by not-experienced RPers. All the experienced Rps where people will get mad at younger kids for breaking rules are now here, and placed in a forum where younger, inexperienced RPers can't RP. In fact, I don't even understand why you're complaining- I haven't even seen you RP in this forum for a while now, so I have no idea why you're complaining. But if you do want to be in an RP where you can be with other junior RPers, then like I said, main RP section.

 

[Runner]

Apologies for the double post, but there's some stuff I want to add, that I would like to have added to the pinned rules in this section. I can't edit my last post anymore, so....

Literate RPs do not just except you to be literate. They expect you to be an experienced RPer, who can follow the RP maker's rules, follow general RP rules, follow the plot, make realistic characters that could truly be someone in real life, and evenly share the power and attention with every other character. If you would like to make an RP that does not require so much expectations but is still literate, feel free to make such an RP in the normal RP section.

And, one more thing, which I would like to call "Characters in RPs for Dummies".

Think of an RP as a book written by a bunch of different people, AKA the RPers. In the book, every character is a main character except for the extra characters (Like teachers, parents, cashiers...) that basically can be played by anyone in the RP for certain situations (I.E., school, the store, etc). Every character is diverse, in personality and in many other things, just like how nobody in the real world is the same. None of the main characters are more dominant than the others, so all of them share equal screentime in the book. No characters in this book are perfect.

 

[TamaMum]

I know that this technically isn't rules and I wonder if I should bring it up... but how do you think the Seriously RP forum is doing so far..?

(I'm only asking because there doesn't seem to be much in the way of active RPs in this sub forum... in fact, there is only one active RP at the time this post was made and it seems like Secret Powers is not really an RP intended only for "mature/experienced" RPers)

 

[Swan_Song]

I know that this technically isn't rules and I wonder if I should bring it up... but how do you think the Seriously RP forum is doing so far..?

(I'm only asking because there doesn't seem to be much in the way of active RPs in this sub forum... in fact, there is only one active RP at the time this post was made and it seems like Secret Powers is not really an RP intended only for "mature/experienced" RPers)

Unfortunately, it really isn't used very much. I think part of that is the fact that school is back in session and a lot of the experienced roleplayers who wanted this section are now too busy to keep up with it.

And I agree about The Secret Powers Roleplay.

 

[tamaturtle]

Unfortunately, it really isn't used very much. I think part of that is the fact that school is back in session and a lot of the experienced roleplayers who wanted this section are now too busy to keep up with it.

And I agree about The Secret Powers Roleplay.

^ That.