RPing Questions? Ask Here!

[Rhodevus]

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[Krugeristan]

I'm a little confused as to how RPing here works. Can someone explain exactly what is and isn't allowed here?

[Abserdia]

I'm a little confused as to how RPing here works. Can someone explain exactly what is and isn't allowed here?

Do's:
Write long, detailed posts with good grammar.
Flesh out your character and world.
Allow your enemy a chance to win (ex. when fighting, never end the battle in a single post)
Ask for permission when you want to kill somebody else's character.

Dont's:
Write short, hastily made posts with gibberish grammar.
Ignore the world and other characters.
God mod. (the Krugeristan Air Force bombs X's capital, and kills the leader immediately, or "20,000 troops went in, and won the battle in 2 hours"

Those are pretty much the important rules.

[Lubyak]

I'm a little confused as to how RPing here works. Can someone explain exactly what is and isn't allowed here?

Abserdia has gotten the most basic rules right.

Don't think of RPing on NationStates as playing a game like Skyrim, or even a strategy game like Command & Conquer. Nor should you think of it like a tabletop game, ala Dungeons & Dragons or Warhammer. NationStates RP is more like co-operating with other players to tell a story, in a free form settiing. There are no rules for RP that the mods enforce beyond the basic site rules. There is no combat mechanic that tells you whether your tank blows up a Bigtopian tank, or what have you. You can do whatever you want with your nation, and tell whatever story you want.

However, there are--of course--limitations. Mostly in the form of what the community holds as 'rule of conduct'. As said, you can do whatever you want, but that also applies to everyone else. That 'whatever you want' can easily be 'Not RPing with that one player'. Each community is going to have its different interpretation of what's acceptable and what's not. Some are interested in things being realistic, and will balk at things that another community--more focused on telling grand adventure stories--might happily accept. However, there are some general 'guidelines' you should stick to:

• OP is God: The original poster (OP) of a roleplay thread has the right to request certain players leave that thread, and to ask the mods to enforce that request. As such, if the OP of a thread has set a rule down, you have to follow it if you want to continue to RP in that thread. You're of course welcome to say 'that rule is stupid and we shouldn't have it', but the OP can then go 'If you don't want to follow my rules, go to another thread.'
• No Godmoodding: Godmodding is a widereaching term. In its basic form it refers to you taking control of another player's characters, but in more general terms it refers to denying your fellow player's agency. This can be by actively taking control of their characters, granting yourself overpowered abilities, or anything else which basically lets you dictate how the RP is going to play out. Don't do this. If you want to do something, just ask the player. Message them with your idea, see what they think, and see if you can come to a compromise solution.
• Don't Be a Dick: This is really self explanatory, but don't be the kind of person no one wants to hang out with.

I think those are the most basic rules of NS RP that almost all communities will agree on. Other communities will have different rules or extensions on these guidelines, but most will agree that these are the important ones, I think. Importantly, the topmost one (OP is God) is the only one that will be enforced by the mods. If you go running to the mods that player x is godmodding, they'll tell you to stop RPing with player X.

Hopefully this helps you get a better understanding of how NS RP works. Enjoy your stay!

[The Black Plains]

I'm a little confused as to how RPing here works. Can someone explain exactly what is and isn't allowed here?

Abserdia has gotten the most basic rules right.

Don't think of RPing on NationStates as playing a game like Skyrim, or even a strategy game like Command & Conquer. Nor should you think of it like a tabletop game, ala Dungeons & Dragons or Warhammer. NationStates RP is more like co-operating with other players to tell a story, in a free form settiing. There are no rules for RP that the mods enforce beyond the basic site rules. There is no combat mechanic that tells you whether your tank blows up a Bigtopian tank, or what have you. You can do whatever you want with your nation, and tell whatever story you want.

However, there are--of course--limitations. Mostly in the form of what the community holds as 'rule of conduct'. As said, you can do whatever you want, but that also applies to everyone else. That 'whatever you want' can easily be 'Not RPing with that one player'. Each community is going to have its different interpretation of what's acceptable and what's not. Some are interested in things being realistic, and will balk at things that another community--more focused on telling grand adventure stories--might happily accept. However, there are some general 'guidelines' you should stick to:

• OP is God: The original poster (OP) of a roleplay thread has the right to request certain players leave that thread, and to ask the mods to enforce that request. As such, if the OP of a thread has set a rule down, you have to follow it if you want to continue to RP in that thread. You're of course welcome to say 'that rule is stupid and we shouldn't have it', but the OP can then go 'If you don't want to follow my rules, go to another thread.'
• No Godmoodding: Godmodding is a widereaching term. In its basic form it refers to you taking control of another player's characters, but in more general terms it refers to denying your fellow player's agency. This can be by actively taking control of their characters, granting yourself overpowered abilities, or anything else which basically lets you dictate how the RP is going to play out. Don't do this. If you want to do something, just ask the player. Message them with your idea, see what they think, and see if you can come to a compromise solution.
• Don't Be a Dick: This is really self explanatory, but don't be the kind of person no one wants to hang out with.

I think those are the most basic rules of NS RP that almost all communities will agree on. Other communities will have different rules or extensions on these guidelines, but most will agree that these are the important ones, I think. Importantly, the topmost one (OP is God) is the only one that will be enforced by the mods. If you go running to the mods that player x is godmodding, they'll tell you to stop RPing with player X.

Hopefully this helps you get a better understanding of how NS RP works. Enjoy your stay!

I really want to drive home one thing:

You have control over your nation. If someone wants to conquer you, you can just say "No, I'd rather my nation weren't conquered, kindly go to Hell. Yours in Christ, The Black Plains." The same goes for other players and their nations. But it applies to a more minute level than that. You have control over what happens to every character in your nation. You have control over whether or not your units are blown up, as mentioned above. But if you're fighting with someone, you ought to keep your losses realistic.

When I said these concepts some years ago I got a ton of flak for them. Thankfully, it seems to have become more the rule and not the exception. I refer to the concept as Canon Sovereignty because it is control over YOUR story.

[Gurori]

Say I wanted to do a roleplay event where the Emperor and his Wife were assassinated which is quite major. How would I actually do the roleplay?

[The Macabees]

Say I wanted to do a roleplay event where the Emperor and his Wife were assassinated which is quite major. How would I actually do the roleplay?

What I recommend is creating a story, or a plot, around that event. For example, maybe the main character is the person behind the assassination and the story would be that person's struggle take power for him/herself. In a series of posts, you'd write that story out. It works very much like a novel. And you can write it in whatever style you prefer. Some people like to tell the story through the eyes of the characters. You could, for instance, roleplay from the perspective of the assassin. Others like to tell the story almost like a non-fiction history. A lot of people mix the two styles.

I'll give you an example. I RPd the death of my emperor, and he gave power to his grandson and not his son. This sparked a civil war, and ultimately an invasion by our southern neighbors. To roleplay that, I wrote a series of posts that told the story. For example, the first post described the death, the transfer of power, and the conspiracy that developed around it. The story then focused on the grandson, Fedor, his marriage to a major lord's daughter, and a rebellion in a core province in support of Fedor's father, Heinrik. You can think of each post like a chapter of a book.

The main difference between roleplaying and writing a novel is that ultimately there are going to be other players who are cooperating with you on the development of the plot. If someone likes your story and where it's going, he or she might ask to join. And you and that player, and maybe there's multiple people you're roleplaying with, would jointly decide how the plot unfolds.

[Kolmya]

What is the main difference between International Incidents and P2TM sometimes? I mean I understand that there are certain IC RP's where people RP their NS Nation, but then there are others on here that could easily fit into PT2M.

[The Templar High Council]

What is the main difference between International Incidents and P2TM sometimes? I mean I understand that there are certain IC RP's where people RP their NS Nation, but then there are others on here that could easily fit into PT2M.

I think it is whether it's concerning your NS nation, or whether it's about something random. But even that isn't definite, as I've seen exceptions (like alt-history RPs).

[Roski]

What is the main difference between International Incidents and P2TM sometimes? I mean I understand that there are certain IC RP's where people RP their NS Nation, but then there are others on here that could easily fit into PT2M.

II or NS are both your developed country, likely in a world without your existance.

The people who use P2TM to RP their nation are probably nations that are supposed to exist in modern earth, or even are successor states to current nations. These people are technically supposed to RP in NS or II, but, if they are RPing against say, Russia, a real world entity, I could maybe see the merit of Rping in P2TM

Another thing is that people might RP what made their state possible. My (previously and godawful) background was about the United States and the Russian Federation merging into one entity, so I attempted to RP that in P2TM.

[G-Tech Corporation]

What is the main difference between International Incidents and P2TM sometimes? I mean I understand that there are certain IC RP's where people RP their NS Nation, but then there are others on here that could easily fit into PT2M.

I think it is whether it's concerning your NS nation, or whether it's about something random. But even that isn't definite, as I've seen exceptions (like alt-history RPs).

Essentially, yes. II or NS is relatively directly linked to what could be termed as a "national canon", wherein one RPs the nation that exists gameside to some degree- in my case, G-Tech Corporation. That might be national affairs, wars, political shenanigans, etc. but all concepts are directly related to said nation. P2TM handles everything else that can be classified as a RP, with the notable exception of sports and casual "chat" RPs. The former go to NSSports, the latter F7.

For the record, Alt-Hist is decidedly P2TM, unless someone were to RP an alternative continuity of their actual NS canon.

[Kylarnatia]

What is the main difference between International Incidents and P2TM sometimes? I mean I understand that there are certain IC RP's where people RP their NS Nation, but then there are others on here that could easily fit into PT2M.

Templar pretty much nails the just of it on the head: International Incidents is dedicated to roleplay based around your own NationStates nation, whereas Portal to the Multiverse deals with various categories of writing ranging from roleplays based in real-life, roleplays based in popular culture (TV shows, movies etc.) and roleplays based in high fantasy-esque universes that are separate from NationStates.

There is room for some overlap you could say, but overall each community has really developed their own method and identity.

[The Lacedaemonians]

Has a sort of help desk on strategy for RP'ers here on Nationstates ever been attempted? I'd like to write one for the IC community. Like an "Art of War"-esque discussion to serve as a guide to help roleplayers add a little more realism and feasibility to their stories?

I'm mortified by the medieval-age tactics applies to modern technology.

[Kylarnatia]

Has a sort of help desk on strategy for RP'ers here on Nationstates ever been attempted? I'd like to write one for the IC community. Like an "Art of War"-esque discussion to serve as a guide to help roleplayers add a little more realism and feasibility to their stories?

I'm mortified by the medieval-age tactics applies to modern technology. :lol:

Many guides have been written over the years regarding roleplaying wars on NationStates, though the most memorable to me which comes from an "in-character" perspective has to be this one: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3010

Obviously you're more than welcome to write your own, particularly if you want to tackle it from an in-character viewpoint. A note, though: sometimes, some people aren't looking for realism and feasibility in their stories. They just want to write a damn good story. My point being: So long as all participants in a given story are happy with the way things are playing out, that's all that matters. The people who interact with your thread will already likely be the "converted", so to speak.

There will always be some roleplayers whose stories feature some unrealistic elements, and that's not a bad thing.

[Kyrusia]

Has a sort of help desk on strategy for RP'ers here on Nationstates ever been attempted? I'd like to write one for the IC community. Like an "Art of War"-esque discussion to serve as a guide to help roleplayers add a little more realism and feasibility to their stories?

I'm mortified by the medieval-age tactics applies to modern technology.

There have been various guides written over the years (a non-comprehensive list from the II sticky; more, though related almost exclusively to FT here) on a range of topics - from warfare to economics, from world-building to character creation. There are also threads such as the "NS Military Realism Consultancy Thread" (which may be what you are looking for), the "Infantry Discussion Thread," "Military Ground Vehicles Thread," and "Non-military Realism Thread." I'm sure there are others I have missed, as well.

[The Lacedaemonians]

Many guides have been written over the years regarding roleplaying wars on NationStates, though the most memorable to me which comes from an "in-character" perspective has to be this one: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3010

Obviously you're more than welcome to write your own, particularly if you want to tackle it from an in-character viewpoint. A note, though: sometimes, some people aren't looking for realism and feasibility in their stories. They just want to write a damn good story. My point being: So long as all participants in a given story are happy with the way things are playing out, that's all that matters. The people who interact with your thread will already likely be the "converted", so to speak.

There will always be some roleplayers whose stories feature some unrealistic elements, and that's not a bad thing.

I understand. To each their own. I think I'll just tag it as something for the roleplayer more geared towards realism. Thanks for the advice!

[New Aeyariss]

You can also check Aey's guide to conventional war and my unconventional warfare guide.

[Zeanobia]

What exactly is tech-level and how is it calculated?

[The Macabees]

What exactly is tech-level and how is it calculated?

Tech level refers to the technology that your nation uses. Usually, it refers to military technology, but also applies to civilian technology. The tech categories usually go something like this:

• Past Tech (PT): Technology that existed, or was used, between human prehistory and the ~1960s/1970s. It's a huge category that includes quite a bit of history, and quite of bit of technological change. It's lumped up in one category mostly because there are relatively few RPers who do past tech RPs, although that's not to say that there aren't a good number of these RPs out there. I've seen a lot of medieval/fantasy tech, although more in the Portal of the Multiverse forum (someone correct me if I am wrong). I've also seen a number of World War II RPs. So you can see the range of tech, and usually you just confine it to a certain range of years (e.g. 1920-1945, or 1200-1350, etc.).
• Modern Tech (MT): Technology belonging to a period that roughly goes from 1960/1970 to ~2025. This is a varied tech level too, with some players preferring to adhere to "strict" MT, which might consist of using only tech that is commonly used today -- no speculative tech. On the other hand, others might allow some leeway and use tech that could conceivably exist today if the real world benefited from larger research & development and defense budgets (not to mention fed by the necessities of near-constant war). Again, typically you determine some range of years between the group of players you're RPing with.
• Post-Modern Tech (PMT): This too is a very wide range. Some people are "light" PMT, so they'll accept some speculative tech that's not necessarily even guaranteed to be viable in the next 50 years. Rather, a "light" PMT player might go with any technology that's plausible within the next 50 years. Other PMT players might go totally speculative, but not necessarily future tech.
• Future Tech (FT): Faster-than-light travel (FTL) is what typically separates PMT from FT. If you have FTL, you are FT. This isn't universally true (Morrdh in Greater Dienstad, for example, has been thinking of using FTL in an light PMT setting), but 99/100 it probably is. FT is your typical science fiction stuff, but can honestly also be just as wide-ranging MT. For example, there can be differences in technology between a nation that is space opera-ish (fantasy in space) and a nation that is hard FT (strongly based in actual science).

You get to decide your tech level. It's whatever floats your boat. And you can RP in different tech settings. For example, I am usually a light PMT player. But, I also RP in a FT setting, and I soon plan to RP in a FT setting.

The idea of NationStates is to write a story in collaboration with other players (or on your own -- again, the choice is yours). When you build the world in which that plot takes place, you can decide what the technological setting is.

[Roski]

What exactly is tech-level and how is it calculated?

Tech level refers to the advancement of technology of a particular nation.

Past tech generally refers to equipment that is no longer in service today

Modern tech refers to systems that are in service today, or could be in service today, in reference to earth's 2016

Post Modern Tech, or often times blurred with modern tech, is generally equipment that will be out in the next 25 years. Post modern tech sometimes competes with modern tech, as some try to give a ten year leeway to their idea of modern tech.

Future tech is generally stuff that won't be here for a very long time. Starships, giant death robots, plasma rifles, etc etc.

Its not really "calculated", its decided. Atlas, an RPing region, for example, chooses to be modern tech.

However, there are some that are past tech, and future tech.

Pick your favorite! Long for glorious sword battles? Go past tech, for sure.

Want to crush your enemies with imperial star destroyers? Future tech is your tea cup

What to roll over your enemies with M1A2 SEP Abrams backed by M3A1 Bradley's? Modern tech is the path indeed.

[Draica]

Very soon a 17th century politician that was recently unfrozen is going to be President of my MT nation. Do any of you have any idea on what sort of RP I'd be able to do with him? Where do I even start?

[The Macabees]

Very soon a 17th century politician that was recently unfrozen is going to be President of my MT nation. Do any of you have any idea on what sort of RP I'd be able to do with him? Where do I even start?

You can probably start with the unfreezing and how he comes to power, which is interesting in its own right.

[Donald J Trump America]

I have an issue: nobody takes my RPs very seriously. How do I remedy this?

[The Imperium Empires]

How do I make people interested in my Roleplay

[East Slovenska]

Hey, new here, does anyone know a small region with active roleplaying?