Creating & Playing in, an RP Event

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

Congratulations!

So you've flexed your creativity muscle and decided you wanted to create a role play event for the Cats! (Or maybe even someone else, doesn't HAVE to be 'just' for the Cats)

But there's one problem. You're not exactly sure where to start. No problem!

When done correctly, a role-play event can be fun for all. So the following are some tips and tricks to making your guild RP event fun and memorable.


Plan it out.

Take the time to sit down and write out what you'd like to do.

If you come out of the blue thinking you can create an event, you're sadly mistaken. If YOU don't know what's going on, how are WE supposed to know? This leads to much potential frustration on everyone's part.

So.

*Think about who is involved and how. This includes NPCs, yourself, possibly other guild mates, non guild mates... whoever.

How do you see things happening? How would you like them to happen?

Say your character is taken suddenly, is there someone you have in mind you hope will come to their rescue? Play the event out in your head.

Have some history to give the event some meat.

*Items.

Are there any items that the people may need to help?

For example, is your character poisoned, and they need to have some Jungle Remedy perhaps?

Items are great fun... add to the experience.

Once Kat was poisoned and her throat was closing up as a result, and she was suffocating. Not only did they need to run and hurry to find remedy, but also a tube of some sort to preform a tracheotomy.

So don't be shy to make people WORK in the event. Make it very interactive. A good RP event could unravel like an actual game quest in complexity.


Location.

Be considerate where this event is to unravel. It may be hard for lower lvl'd people to make it to higher levelled areas, for example.

Hard, but not impossible. Still. Just something to think about. Make sure your location fits into the role-play, and just isn't a place you've chosen because you thought it would be 'cool'.


Timing and Real life.

Don't try to drop an elaborate unplanned event on people and then expect them to drop everything and BE there.

All characters are NOT created equal. Don't expect everyone's characters to all respond in the same exact way. That is unrealistic and boring. Characters are unique and have their own thought processes. Prepare for that.

When making an event try not to have it last forever and ever. While some events can handle extended time to follow them through such as trying to figure out who has been sending mysterious unmarked packages to the hall (various hints and such being dropped over say a week.), some events can not survive such a long time frame. Such as perhaps a kidnapping. The build up to a kidnapping can be somewhat lengthy, using the board to bounce things to the players... but the actual rescue should last only one night. If it is spread out over more than a night people will get frustrated and start to lose interest.

People like rewards for their actions. Each action should reward the player taking part in the event with something. Be it a clue, or whatever else that leads them to the next phase.

If this is not kept in mind, the creator of the event, with high aspirations of something fun gets their feelings hurt coz it seems like no one cares.

Also, remember, Real Life comes before any game. Period. Be careful making an event that revolves around one character and yours.


Laying the foundation and Execution.

Once you have the background and rough plans, it's time to think about HOW you can make this all happen while still keeping it fresh and fun for all involved.

*Privately contact some people to help you do this. Helpers can be responsible for ICly nudging and spurring other players into doing certain actions because they have an idea what's happening.

For example... There is a group of people running down a dark unknown road. One of your helpers could suddenly stop and notice something laying on the side of the road.. A clue... tracks.. Anything. They role-play this out and your story is off and running!

Over a more gradual event, perhaps a helper could announce over the period of a week getting strange letters saying various things. This could build intrigue and interest.

Try not to have a lot of Helpers tho. One or two is all you truly need.

Try to use the site as well to help give your story added strength.

NOTE: Remember, when you are planning an event that may affect the entire guild such as:

* Staging a walk out during a very important event for whatever reason.
* Introducing an enemy that is bent on poisoning all the Cats with a potion that turns them into or cs or something.
* Someone's character being kidnapped and needing the gang to rally together to get them back...

Be sure to check in with an Officer. We need to make sure this event is well planned, and well-thought-out for everyone involved. There is nothing worse than a poorly planned event that frustrates not only the participates but the one who came up with the idea to begin with.

Additionally, we don't want it to clash with any other potential things people may have planned. While real life doesn't allow the luxury of such a thing, in the game world we must always remember to respect our fellow role-players and not steal their spotlight whenever possible. Such events take time and work, and we'd love to see them all go smoothly.

*Message board posts.

In the role-playing section, start up your story if you like…
This is where you could have some of your background history for people to get a unique feel for OTC. Or, if you like Icky. Just careful what you reveal.

By using the MB, you could effectively be your own Helper.

*Field work.

Have a look around Oily, get a lay of the land of where you are thinking about creating the event. Take into consideration the enemies found there etc.

Work everything into your plans.

Most Important.

HAVE FUN!!

Remember planning an RP event takes time and patience. But once it's ready and on the go it can be very fun and rewarding for everyone.

It's not only 'something to do' but also adds to characters histories and shaping them and their relations with others. Anything can happen during an event.

Be ready to roll with whatever may happen and think on the fly. Sometimes things dint happen as you planned, so you have to be prepared to whisper your Helpers to help make it all smooth.

It's also a decent idea to consider making a OOC channel dedicated to the event, that is ONLY used for clarification purposes and  organization.  Keep OOC non-related event OOC out of it.  You can create any private channel you want, and share the name with only those you want in it.  Type /join <insert channel name here> and that's it!  It's best not to make a party or raid group for OOC chatter as some people (like the Cheshire Cats) use such channels as IC, and suddenly making them OOC could cause some problems.

PLAYING in the RP EVENT

If you're not the one who planned the campaign, you're one of the ones who get to be enjoying it!  But there are some things to think about while you are doing so.

First... when role-playing, do NOT see:

Realm.

Screen name.

Guild Tag.

See only the character you are being presented with.  Immerse yourself in what is before your character.  If you allow yourself to get mis-directed OOC by those things, you set yourself up to missing out on 'Helpers' in campaigns/storylines. (See above if you don't remember who Helpers are, under Laying the foundation and Execution.)

Now then...

With the aid of TRP, you can now lay out items, notes, and such ahead of time, to allow for a more organic flow if everyone isn't around.  However, when at all possible, *DO let the GM know the steps you are on, and or what you are doing. 

Normally a GM is there with you each step of the way, saying what is happening, what is seen etc.  There may be certain things that will trigger certain events.  (For those who have ever played D&D, or VTM you'll know what i'm talking about.)

Example.  Indiana Jones was heading into that temple to get a treasure.  He knew roughly where to go and what his objective was.  The GM wasn't kept in the loop however, how close he was to the item, or where he was along the route.  So Jones ran in easily, grabbed the item and was gone.  No contact with the GM.

This derailed a lot of RP, because there were supposed to be traps along the way, and certainly special things would have needed to happen before he coulda just grabbed the treasure.  There were things that needed to happen, that the GM needed to fill in, but due to lack of communication, none of it did.

Jones shoulda told the GM where he was along the path, so the GM could say what Jones was seeing, smelling, etc.  So there could be chances for extra things to happen as a result of Jones' choices.    Similarly, what Jones planned to do to get the treasure.  If he had said to the GM, "I'm gonna grab it and run for my life!" then we all know what would have happened.  Whereas if Jones had said, "I am going to quickly take the treasure and replace it with a bag of sand that weighs the same..." He would have gotten out safely- provided he continued to make good choices along the way back.

* This includes RP you may be wanting to do outside of the game.  If your character is searching for extra information, or people, or whatever, create a thread somewhere to that effect so that the GM will be able to let you know what your character has, or has not been able to find.

Diary entries do not count as a good venue for such things as entries are gernally always written in past tense, IE already happened, and, diary entries are not a mandatory read, so information is easy to not be seen, being burried in other walls of non realivant text.  You need to create a post that is more 'in the moment' for current information.

Communication is important!

Also, remember it is important to state what your character is looking for, trying to see, 'Jane looks about for tracks, or a sign which direction Hairy had gone.', so the GM knows to tell her if there is anything like that around.  If not, a character/player, has to keep thinking to figure out the next plan of attack. 

Example, Kat was playing hide-and-seek with the gang one evening.  One player was asking NPCs if they had seen her.  So, i was relaying what the NPC had, or had not seen.  While the other player did not think to do that, and ended up losing. 

It's important to immerse yourself in the game as much as possible.  Remember, our characters can use their senses, and use other people too! 

It's about action, reaction, and consequence for those things.  And for all that to happen, there must be communication.

It is always better to check in, than to plow through and try to run a story that is not yours to run.

UNLESS of course, you happen to be playing a pre-plotted TRP campaign from someone who knows how to code those up... in which case it's similar to doing a quest in WoW. Go from point A, to B, see what happens when you do that.

With the other method, so much can happen inbetween point A and B...

Also important.  For truly unique and immersive RP, you have to always be ready for anything.  For a Cat, where we are IC at all times, that shouldn't be too hard.  But for others, you need to be prepared to roll with the punches that are presented to you.  Some GMs, like myself, prefer not to alert players EVERY step of the way.  i find it ruins the truly immersive aspect if you know what is going to happen every second.  True RP isn't always planned.

That being said, becareful with your IC interactions.  Remember to stay true to your character.  It could mean the difference between just being taken in for a simple questioning and getting arrested and locked in jail for awhile.

If you ever have any questions, remember it's ok to COMMUNICATE OOC with the DM if they are around or whoever you are RPing with.  The person may be playing as an NPC and may be part of the ongoing campaign, or maybe even helping the DM to start a new one!  You will never know if you do not roll with the IC punches.

Any questions please ask!  Some DMs do not like to have to lead players around by the nose EVERY step of the way.  If things seem to have gone stale, either have your char DO something, or contact the DM and ask what's up.  Nothing worse than a campaign left to rot simply because of lack of communication.

GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!!