Gaming: Role Play Pt 2

Role Play
Text Based Writing Styles

Hey guys, its been a while! I'm here to write about my experience watching and interacting with text based role play. Specifically, styles of writing. You might wonder how there can be different types of writing, especially in the same game; so read on and I will explain!

Over the years I've done a lot of text based role play off and on. Some games I've been writing in since I was 13 (I'm 33 now.) So twenty years later, I continue to go back to the passion that originally sparked my flame for writing. If you look around the internet... you can find an endless amount of places that still practice this kind of "old" style of RP. These days, you're more inclined to see role play by voice or emote on things like World of Warcraft, GTA, and VRChat. Visit somewhere like Gaia Online though and you'll still find a plethora of options for text-based forum role play.

Chat rooms like AOL, Yahoo, and Talk City used to be the more popular choice for this style, but over time it spread outside of chat rooms and into forums; then from forums to full site support. D&D fans also have tools like Roll20.net as you'll see on things like the HowReRoll Twitch stream, where you can build interactive maps and dice for your players. Since D&D is often the base or inspiration for a lot of text-based play, this is a cool feature to look at.

So now, on to the original topic: writing styles. You will see this everywhere, though some games might require more advanced writing than others. It comes down to the site or app you are using and their requirements. Most text-based play is pretty lax and freeform however in the general writing itself.

The 1-Line Play
You'd be surprised if you are a more verbose writer to know that this is actually a very popular style of play. The reason being that a lot of people use mobile devices now, and so writing out a long paragraph of text is nearly impossible and fairly exhausting. Chat rooms especially are likely to embrace this style. Essentially, a person writes a single, brief line of role play such as: "Bob walks into the tavern to enjoy a drink." Okay, brief and to the point. Not that detailed, but at least you know exactly what Bob is doing. The next person might interact with this in a reactionary style: "Heather notices Bob, and joins him by sitting next to him." Its simple yet effective interaction. Now Bob and Heather are both in the tavern, sitting at the bar. They're likely now to order a drink, then have some conversation back and forth. The more detail orientated player might not find this style enjoyable, but you'd be surprised how much quicker conversation and action flows with the time spared not writing out the details.

The Para Play
This is nicknamed 'Para' which is short for paragraph and meaning that the writing is likely to be written out in at least a paragraph, likely with a lot of detail. Its the same as the 1-Line play in intent... but fleshed out to give a better visual in your mind when reading it. "Bob walks into the tavern. He is a handsome elven male with ticked ears and long black hair. His green eyes search the room, wondering on where he wishes to sit. Eventually he decides to move over to the bar itself and take a seat, ordering his favorite elven wine and prepared to relax after a long day's work." So as you can see, Bob walked into the tavern, and still sat down at the bar. But now you can picture what Bob looks like, and get an idea of what is in his thoughts too. Both styles had the same end-game; one was just quicker and more direct while the other was more descriptive as it got to the point. Each style has its benefit, and it really just comes down to which style you prefer.

Being Reactive
This can be part of either of the above styles, but is important for most role players to understand. As you role play, not only should you be aware of your character... but be aware of others, and your environment. Even if you're play is short and to the point... if you sit down next to a hungry wolf, that wolf may eventually eat you. This is similar to when playing together with others. Try to include a 'lead' for the next person to react to. If you never acknowledge other people or your surroundings, it may become difficult for them to interact with you as well. For example, having your character look around a room could get the attention of someone sitting in there as they notice you look their way. Give your role play partner something to work with; some kind of action or detail. If your character just sits down and nods along to everything someone else is saying... eventually that other person is going to get very bored or even offended with you. It doesn't mean you have to talk either... you could push some hair behind your ear, or take a sip from your drink, or glance their direction and notice something privately about their details. It helps, trust me. The reverse of this applies too. If someone is obviously trying to help you notice something, or follow up on an action... don't ignore it. React to it. Its rude to focus solely on yourself and completely ignore the other person's leads. 'It takes two to tango' and this applies to role play as well.

Legibility
We aren't all perfect typists, or know all the greatest vocabulary. Everyone in this regard is going to have a different skill set, and you should respect all players for their limits. Too often I've seen players who typo a lot get ignored by players who have more fluid typing skills. Believe me, its your loss if you do that. Those players can have some of the most unique and interesting characters and stories you've ever seen... and you're going to miss out, simply because you're being a snob about how they type. Yes, understandably you would prefer to play with someone whom you don't have to struggle trying to see through the typos and figure out what they are trying to say. The effort though can often be worth it for your entertainment... so exercise some patience and give them a chance.

The reverse of this is also true. Have you ever felt intimidated by another role player, because they use a lot of adjectives and references of words or things you simply can't understand without pulling out the dictionary? I have. There are players I know and role play with who intimidate me because their writing style is so advanced, I almost feel inept writing with them. As long as the player is patient with you though, you shouldn't feel worried about writing with them. They probably don't think any less of your writing, nor are they comparing it to their own. They just want to write and role play the same as you. If you find that its almost impossible to understand them at some point, you can also approach them privately and explain that. More often than not, depending on the person, they will understand and tone back on using those intimidating words and descriptions for you so that you can both have fun together. Don't avoid these players! They might not even know that their writing is intimidating to others since no one has told them. So dive in, and try your best and remember to just have fun.

So there is a look into some of the different styles and scenarios of writing I've seen in text role play over the years. Perhaps you learned something about your own style, or another's and it can improve your next session of play. Thank you for taking the time to read this, share it, or give feedback. I'm always appreciative of the support!!