RPing Questions? Ask Here!

[Yohannes]

Are you planning this to be a RP or a stand-alone story?

I have the same question as Shwe Tu Colony - what is "RP", and what is "stand-alone story"?

Since no one has been able to answer my question, I've taken the liberty to do a little internet research on the subject and answer the question myself. If anyone disagrees, feel free to say so

According to Urban Dictionary, "RP" is a type of writing which usually happens between two or more people. Emphasis on the word "usually." It's not "always." You can write with yourself, or your own non-player character nations, and it will still be "RP," because that is what role-playing is: to assume the roles of your fictional characters and write stories.

I visited another website, and they said that RP "stands for roleplay", "which is where you take on the persona of a character and act as them through a plot. This plot can be put together by you and others or from a show, book, or story you enjoy."

They did not say that you must write with two or more people, or your writing/work would not be counted as a "role-play," which according to Merriam-Webster means "to act out the role of, or to represent in action", your fictional characters (or in this case, your nation's canon and all the fictional characters there)

But what is "stand-alone story"?

I visited Jude​ ​Deveraux's website - the​ real life ​author​ ​of​ ​forty-three​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Times​ ​bestsellers - and from looking at her website's "Standalone Stories" section, I came to know that "stand-alone story" is just that -- a story (e.g. books, movies) written within the writer's in-character universe, but which doesn't require me to read other stories (books, movies, etc.) within the series for me to understand the storyline. I wrote some keywords on Google Search, and it brought me to the following Quora page: What is the meaning of "stand-alone books"?

Mercedes R. Lackey, 134 industry published books, NYT #1 Bestselling Author, said that It is a book that either is not part of a series, or if it is part of a series, can be read, understood, and enjoyed without having to read any other books in the series. The answers of other people - mostly real life professionals and writers - also seemed to support my conclusion.

From this, I've concluded that the best way to ask should be - A m e n r i a, will you be writing with other people, or make the thread a [closed] thread?

"Are you planning this to be a RP or a stand-alone story?" is a bad way of asking a question, especially when many new players are watching this thread looking up to you (because they know you have the bolded green Mentor badge), because it insinuates (suggests or hints) that a thread where you're writing with yourself or your own non-playable character nations is not a proper "NS RP" or "II RP" thread, [ Edit: and by doing so you're not being a proper NS or II RPer ]

That said, this is my own little research on the subject, and so I'm not an expert here. [ Edit: And if anyone is wondering, I very much respect Sunset as a writer. But I feel I must point that out there for new players and even some older [mostly inactive] players. Once again, anyone feel free to disagree (and I'll honestly be OK with that)

---

I'm sorry Yohannes, but my Edit:

...because it insinuates (suggests or hints) that [...] you're not being a proper NS or II RPer...

No. I don't believe it does. Sunset's rather fond of single-player threads himself, given he has a long-running series that is just that. I'd consider Sunset a "roleplayer."

You are right Kyrusia. We like single-player threads too. That was why we were a wee bit worried with Sunset's choice of words :)

That said, Yohannes, I know I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but you need to write your out-of-character posts better next time. And yes, I will make this public, because I feel so bad seeing what you wrote to Sunset there that I feel you need a wee bit of public telling-off. So you know if you do this again, you'll be embarrassed in front of everyone.

I want new and older players to know that I'm fully behind the amazing work that Kyrusia and the N&I RP Mentor team have done for the NationStates National and International Roleplaying community (especially since early 2018, thank you Kyrusia).

Yohannes, I know you are in the right to post that, but you need to be more diplomatic next time. There comes a time when even I'm getting a wee bit peeved by your out-of-character posts (yes, I am sick of seeing the constant whinging). Just because you are jealous of the N&I RP Mentors, and just because you feel it is unfair that you are not a II Roleplay Mentor any longer, it does not mean that you can be rude like that. You are in the right, yes, but you need to step back, take a breather, and realise that this is not who you are on NationStates. Compare your older posts in this thread from 2011-2013 to your Out-of-character posts nowadays. I want to see the cheerful, positive 2011-2013 Yohannes back, not the morose, Severus Snape-like Yohannes on NationStates of today.

Kyrusia, I would like to apologise for Yohannes' post here. If his post has overstepped the boundaries (or my edit here), please feel free to officially warn us for that. Thank you.

-L B

[Kyrusia]

...because it insinuates (suggests or hints) that [...] you're not being a proper NS or II RPer...

No. I don't believe it does. Sunset's rather fond of single-player threads himself, given he has a long-running series that is just that. I'd consider Sunset a "roleplayer."

[Tolstoyan Commune]

I'm sure this isn't an uncommon question, but how to get started would be nice

[Kyrusia]

I'm sure this isn't an uncommon question, but how to get started would be nice

Depends on what you mean by "getting started." We have a guide available on how to get the rudimentary basics of your nation-state devised. Several of the guides on worldbuilding might also be of interest.

[Sunset]

Depends. I've repeatedly enjoyed the method employed by the 'Ocean's' series of films where we see everything laid out until we get to the crime itself and then arrive at the twist - where the real objective of all that planning ajd execution is revealed. To do something like that right - to make it a caper - you'd need to make sure everything was planned in detail and then 'write in' the twist by leaving out the detail that all the planning was done as a dummy event, for instance. Or you could mix things up by not having a twist at all, but that could dip too much into arrogance.

There's always the flashback - tell the beginning of the story from nearly the end. Are you planning this to be a RP or a stand-alone story?

What's the difference between the two?

My question really should have been as to the purpose of your story - what you intended to use it for, exactly.

Since you've already set your course this may nit matter but here goes...

If you were, for instance, planning on using this heist in its entirety as the opening post for an RP thread then you as the narrator would have a lot of freedom to put in as many 'just because' moments as you want. 'The police missed arriving at the scene of the crime because they were on a shift change', for instance. As a stand-alone element - even within the context of a narrative RP - you have the ability to shape that narrative to a high degree where-as...

If the heist is occuring with the active written back-and-forth participation of other players (RP, broadly) then said players may end up throwing a monkey wrench by doing or not doing something that will change the planned course of events. Players being the unique individuals that they are, what seems like an obvious avenue of pursuit to one might be completely ignored by another. Depending on how you as the narrator feel about this, it could lead the story in an entirely new direction - suddenly the players have to break out of jail - or require 'fudging' other story elements to move them in the pre-determined direction. Or both! Maybe getting caught is all part of an elaborate misdirection - or at least that's how the problem is solved.

Anyway - since you've got things settled, I think the best thing to do is wish you the best of luck. Have fun amd always do what you love!

[Valentine Z]

I have been doing some of the single-nation storytelling myself lately, perhaps much like Sunset here, if I can say that.

Part of this is due to my RL schedule, where I cannot promise a regular schedule of posting if I am going to play with other nations. So rather than going with other people, and also because I like to tell and write stories now and then, I have created "Gwen's Adventures" so far, which I am shamelessly plugging here: viewtopic.php?p=34631319#p34631319.

Other than that, I have other plans along the way, such as creating a single-player storyboard, except that this time, it's going to be short stories and proses that last maybe 1-2 parts, instead of being an one continuous story.

[Minoa]

Hi there,

I am hoping to conclude the first chapter of NSindex on a positive note by completing the history of roleplay mentors: after reading this post, may I ask about the exact date (in UTC) when Lamoni and Sunset became roleplay mentors?

Optionally, a full timeline, like the one in the "All About the Mods/Suggest a Mod!" thread, would be useful.

Best,

-- Minoa

[Lamoni]

Oct. 2nd 2011 is the closest that we can pin down for when I became a mentor.

EDIT: Oct. 3rd 2011, UTC

[Kyrusia]

Hi there,

I am hoping to conclude the first chapter of NSindex on a positive note by completing the history of roleplay mentors: after reading this post, may I ask about the exact date (in UTC) when Lamoni and Sunset became roleplay mentors?

Optionally, a full timeline, like the one in the "All About the Mods/Suggest a Mod!" thread, would be useful.

Best,

-- Minoa

A quick search of our behind-the-scenes board indicates Lamoni would have been on (or around) Oct. 3rd, 2011 UTC. For Sunset, appears on Aug. 15, 2014 UTC; he came onboard in the same batch as myself. Unfortunately, there isn't a complete timeline written out, just our listing providing here.

Anything more precise would require an Admin to trawl through records somewhere, which just isn't anywhere on their already full plates.

[Minoa]

Hi there,

I am hoping to conclude the first chapter of NSindex on a positive note by completing the history of roleplay mentors: after reading this post, may I ask about the exact date (in UTC) when Lamoni and Sunset became roleplay mentors?

Optionally, a full timeline, like the one in the "All About the Mods/Suggest a Mod!" thread, would be useful.

Best,

-- Minoa

A quick search of our behind-the-scenes board indicates Lamoni would have been on (or around) Oct. 3rd, 2011 UTC. For Sunset, appears on Aug. 15, 2014 UTC; he came onboard in the same batch as myself. Unfortunately, there isn't a complete timeline written out, just our listing providing here.

Anything more precise would require an Admin to trawl through records somewhere, which just isn't anywhere on their already full plates.

Let me know when the admins get the time to rebuild the website team timeline, because I got stumped again on the exact dates for some others.

[Maltropia]

You might also consider adding the date Lamoni was promoted to Senior Mentor, cited in your second link as 28th August 2017. Also note that on your page for IIwiki the site owner, Santh, is the same Santh who is Santheres. IIwiki has also moved to iiwiki.us as of recently; the .com site is being dropped in the near future.

[Minoa]

You might also consider adding the date Lamoni was promoted to Senior Mentor, cited in your second link as 28th August 2017. Also note that on your page for IIwiki the site owner, Santh, is the same Santh who is Santheres. IIwiki has also moved to iiwiki.us as of recently; the .com site is being dropped in the near future.

I will attend to the developments as fast as I can.

[A m e n r i a]

One question: why doe even have a separate wiki? Aren't factbooks just enough?

[Shwe Tu Colony]

One question: why doe even have a separate wiki? Aren't factbooks just enough?

Might be easier to format & organize elsewhere.

[Kyrusia]

One question: why doe even have a separate wiki? Aren't factbooks just enough?

There was a time when the gameside factbook feature didn't exist, and many people wanted something more than the forums.

Beyond that, it's simply a matter of preference and choice.

[Minoa]

One question: why doe even have a separate wiki? Aren't factbooks just enough?

NationStates rapidly became popular shortly after launch, but Factbooks and Dispatches was not a feature on NationStates until 22 March 2012 (date according to UTC), and Factbooks and National Information did not exist until 24 May 2009. Until then, the only way to create factbooks was through an external blog or wiki, depending on one’s technical skills.

Wikis remain popular in the community, mainly because there is a limit of 25 entries in the Factbooks and Dispatches feature, and also due to the visual and technical capabilities that clearly exceed phpBB (the software that this Forum uses) and the Factbooks and Dispatches feature.

[A m e n r i a]

One question: why doe even have a separate wiki? Aren't factbooks just enough?

NationStates rapidly became popular shortly after launch, but Factbooks and Dispatches was not a feature on NationStates until 22 March 2012 (date according to UTC), and Factbooks and National Information did not exist until 24 May 2009. Until then, the only way to create factbooks was through an external blog or wiki, depending on one’s technical skills.

Wikis remain popular in the community, mainly because there is a limit of 25 entries in the Factbooks and Dispatches feature, and also due to the visual and technical capabilities that clearly exceed phpBB (the software that this Forum uses) and the Factbooks and Dispatches feature.

Wait, a player can only have 25 factbooks at max? Damn

Also, sorry to clutter the thread even further, but since my nation, conceptually, is getting more sinocentric, should I start using a Chinese translation of my leader's name or keep it Korean?

[Borovan entered the region as he]

What do we do after someone accepts our embassy or consulate app?

[Valentine Z]

Wait, a player can only have 25 factbooks at max? Damn

Yep, so I keep my max number of factbooks to 24, then categorise everything else under a Dispatch.

When you reach the maximum 25, you cannot create new dispatches, so the idea is to keep it at 24 or below.

[A m e n r i a]

What do we do after someone accepts our embassy or consulate app?

Completely ignore it for the rest of your life umm..I mean make it into some sort of plot device for further rps?

Wait, a player can only have 25 factbooks at max? Damn

Yep, so I keep my max number of factbooks to 24, then categorise everything else under a Dispatch.

When you reach the maximum 25, you cannot create new dispatches, so the idea is to keep it at 24 or below.

A smart idea. Better start cleaning up.

[Fortis Voluntatem]

I started a World War Roleplaying thing, but no one is interested, I haven't gotten a single reply! Does anyone know how to get people to go on a roleplay thing easier?

In international incidents, look up World War. You'll see one by me, click it. Most of it is me explaining a fighting system, so people can actually simulate fights, but other then that, it's just the rules and the application.

[Vanquaria]

I started a World War Roleplaying thing, but no one is interested, I haven't gotten a single reply! Does anyone know how to get people to go on a roleplay thing easier?

In international incidents, look up World War. You'll see one by me, click it. Most of it is me explaining a fighting system, so people can actually simulate fights, but other then that, it's just the rules and the application.

Make your thread as attractive as possible. Take advantage of BBcode and images. Looking at your thread I can see it dosent stand out anongst other rps with its wall of text and numbers. Its an unattractive thread imo.

Get involved in II so people know who are you and your capabilities as both a roleplayer and a writer. Best way to attract players imo is by establishing yourself first in the community before making your own rp because then people can have confidence in your ability to run your own quality rp.

Other than that, it may be that the lack of interest in your thread is simply because people lack interest in your premise. No matter how much you develop it if people arent in the mood for a World War rp then they arent in the mood for a Word War rp.

[Fortis Voluntatem]

I started a World War Roleplaying thing, but no one is interested, I haven't gotten a single reply! Does anyone know how to get people to go on a roleplay thing easier?

In international incidents, look up World War. You'll see one by me, click it. Most of it is me explaining a fighting system, so people can actually simulate fights, but other then that, it's just the rules and the application.

Make your thread as attractive as possible. Take advantage of BBcode and images. Looking at your thread I can see it dosent stand out anongst other rps with its wall of text and numbers. Its an unattractive thread imo.

Get involved in II so people know who are you and your capabilities as both a roleplayer and a writer. Best way to attract players imo is by establishing yourself first in the community before making your own rp because then people can have confidence in your ability to run your own quality rp.

Other than that, it may be that the lack of interest in your thread is simply because people lack interest in your premise. No matter how much you develop it if people arent in the mood for a World War rp then they arent in the mood for a Word War rp.

THANK YOU!!! I thought no one was going to respond! You deserve a one of those smiley face stickers from kindergarten, those were great beck then...

[Vanquaria]

Lmao

[Orioni 2]

Seeking some advice. In my region, we're busy developing a points system to help balance the introduction of new members. It involves factors like population, GDP, tech. I'm sure there are other regions in NS that use a similar system. Do you know which ones? It would help to find existing 'best practices'. Thank you. (Cross-posted on the MT Discord server.)