Helpful Guides, Made by Paradox

[Rich Talon]

Hello, and welcome to "Roleplayer's Rolemodel"...The thread that can teach you, the newbie OR the Roleplaying-inept, to become a masterful RP wizard. We have tips from the Basics to the Advanced, and everything you'll ever really need to know so that this board won't be a bubbling cesspool of 3-worded posts, made without care.

Each of my first few posts in this topic will basically be the tips and tricks you need to RP...Read them carefully, and learn by them. The list to each section and topic is below... :

:: BASIC ::

1 ) Use More Words (For Ye Who Spam)

2 ) Use Better Grammar (For Ye Who CAP or L337)

3 ) Use Action Symbols (For Ye Who Speak Ye Actions)

4 ) Seperate IC from OOC (For Ye Who Talk About Yourself In RP)

5 ) Stay In Topic (For Ye Who Spread Pixie Dust in Vampire RPs)

6 ) Don't Use Smilies / Etc (For Ye Who Smiley Muchly)

:: MODERATE ::

7 ) Be An Original Character (For Ye Who Bandwagon)

8 ) Seperate Actions and Speaking (For Ye Who Strain My Eyes)

9 ) Spell-Check and Punctuation (For Ye Who Speel Hurriblay)

10 ) Run-On Sentencing = Bad (For Ye Who's Paragraphs Are Sentences)

11 ) Dealing with Bad Roleplayers (For Ye Who Run Into Godmodders)

:: ADVANCED ::

12 ) Use BBCode To Your Advantage (Insert Whitty "Ye" Comment Here)

13 ) Use More Description (For Ye Who Just Say "Real Good")

14 ) Roleplaying in 'Story Mode' (For Ye Wanting Quotes)

15 ) 'Feeling' for a Paragraph Ending (Insert Whitty "Ye" Comment Here)

:: BATTLE BOARD ::

16 ) Battle Basics (For Ye Who Just Say "You're Dead, So There.")

17 ) IC Strategies For Success (For Ye Who Get Whooped By Girls)

18 ) OOC Strategies For Success (For Ye Who Know Not When To Post)

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These are a few basic tips to increase your RP Skills and hopefully stop you from looking like a complete newbie.

:: 1. Use More Words ::

Okay, I would think that most of you KNOW by now that you CANNOT post one-worded threads/replies by now, unless you want to look like a complete moron. A decent RP Post should be AT LEAST 10 words for actions... How many words you choose to use for actually talking is up to you, though. Here's a decent example of a ten-worded post:

* Tenken makes his way into the club, looking around quietly *

And after you've gotten a simple 10-worded post down, try and fit more words into your posts from then on. Build up your posts 10 or 5 words at a time... So soon, you'll start getting posts that are at least 30 words each, like so:

* Tenken slowly opens the door to the raving club, stepping inside from the cold winter winds outside. His emerald eyes dart from left to right, gazing at his surrounding area *

It isn't that hard to put more words into your posts... I'm not saying you HAVE to have 30-worded posts like that, just try and use AT LEAST 10-worded posts.

:: 2. Use Better Grammar ::

Ok, this is mostly for you people who talk in L337 or CAPS, or basically anything that's really annoying along those lines. A few of you are probably reading this and saying "0l-l l>l_ll>3, /\/0 \/\/4j, L337 RoXx0rz j00"... Well, I'm here to tell you "No. Shut Up."

Basically, I want you to TALK RIGHT, I want you to CUT OFF CAPS LOCK, and I want you to stop using words like "u" for "you", or "b" for "be". Stop being lazy, and type a few more damn letters. It isn't going to kill you, and it sure as hell isn't going to make you look like any more of a fool than you are when you type like that.

:: 3. Use Action Symbols ::

Ok, have you ever seen a post that says something like this...? :

he walks over to her hey whats up

Ok, that basically looks like he's saying "he walks over to her" while he's saying "hey whats up". DO NOT DO THAT. It's not only confusing at times, but it can really get annoying to other people who are trying to figure out if you just said something or if you just did something. Try using action symbols to seperate what you say! Like so... :

*he walks over to her* hey whats up

...The guy who's posting may not have a good RP Post there, but at least we can understand if he's talking or if he's doing something, eh? A good list of action symbols to use is here:

* Action * (Most used)
:: Action :: (Most annoying)
- Action - (Sometimes Confusing)
~ Action ~
^ Action ^
< Action >

Basically, anything like that. Oh, and this doesn't mean you HAVE to use action symbols, either... You can use BBCode -OR- Quotes to your advantage to seperate actions from words. (Using BBCode To Your Advantage, and Quoting are topics explained later) These usually aren't used in this type of forum, though, but pay attention to the other rules. I just put this here because it is useful.

:: 4. Seperate IC from OOC ::

Ok, this is simple ; When you're talking IC (In Character), you're not really supposed to know anything about being OOC (Out Of Character)... So, when you're IC, you don't talk to people about PMs, Signatures, or anything like that. If you want to comment on OOC things, all you have to do is use something to seperate OOC posts from IC posts, like so:

* Tenken coughs lightly, his cold having finally caught up to him from earlier * ((Tenken caught a cold from being out in the snow too long, just so you all know. ))

See... The brackets "(( ))" seperated the OOC post from the rest of the post, so you could tell what was IC and what was OOC.

:: 5. Stay In Topic ::

Ok, this should be a simple thing for you all to do; Stay in Topic with the thread. This meaning... If you're in something like a thread with vampires, disgusting ghouls, rotting corpses, and horrid zombies, you don't do something random like spread pixie dust everywhere. That's just stupid.

That should be self-explanitory, anyway.

:: 6. Don't Use Smilies ::

This one should be short and simple to understand ; Don't use Smilies during RP. OOC Posting? Sure, you can use Smilies while talking in OOC Posts... But a really good Roleplayer doesn't need Smilies to express how they're feeling... They should be able to express it in words.

I've gotten a lot of complaints saying that "Smilies help to liven up a post" or "Smilies help me show my character's face"... Well, for the last time, I'll say it: A really GOOD roleplayer does NOT need Smilies to express how they're feeling, OR what their face looks like. My opinion is "If you think using smilies is a good thing, that's probably because you can't describe what your character's face looks like in words".

Once again, self-explanitory.

((If You're Okay with just being a Basic RP'er, stop here. If you want to be a Moderate RP'er, go onto the next post.))
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These are some more helpful hints to becoming a smidge better than some of the other RP'ers in the board.

:: 7. Be An Original Character ::

Be original with your RP style, or at least travel the path less walked upon... Or something like that. Instead of being some innocent, shy schoolgirl with unsure intentions... Or some dark vampire with a tragically morbid past... Try being something new and unthought-of. I've seen some of the best characters who were originally-made-up, and their RP'ers were absolute pros. Try being a new race, a mixed breed, or a race that hasn't been used that often. Make up a past that hasn't been taken, or at least add your own twists to it.

Be imaginative, trust me... You'll really enjoy using that thing of yours that you call a 'brain'.

:: 8. Seperate Actions And Speaking ::

Ok, tell me, which of these looks less scrunched-up and probably easier to read...? :

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

~ OR ~

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

The second one, of course, isn't as scrunched up, and (If you were actually using real RP and not a bunch of "Blah"s) would be a lot easier to read than the first. This is the idea of SEPERATING YOUR ACTIONS FROM YOUR WORDS. If you seperate your actions from your words, you can easily make your paragraphs and sentences easier to conceive and less strain on someone else's eyes... And people will probably like RP'ing with you more, too. Like so:

* Tenken stands alone atop the large skyscraper, standing tall and silently while silhouetted by the moonlight. His emerald-hue'd eyes gaze down upon the city, piercing into the souls of all who pass*

...Something doesn't seem right... It's... Too quiet...

* Tenken whispers to himself, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf that was wrapped neatly about his face and neck, keeping him warm from the cool winter breeze *

Isn't that easy on your eyes? I bet it is. Mwah.

:: 9. Spell-Check and Punctuation ::

A big problem these days, even for advanced RP'ers and moderate RP'ers, is spelling and punctuation. Many don't even bother with punctuation at all, because they think nobody cares. BUT, if you want to be an ace Roleplayer, you're going to want to look like an ace... And aces are dealt with capitals, my friends, not lowercase. Now, WHICH of these two RP Posts looks better...? :

* he shifts a bit in his seat listning to the music and leting it cary him away his eyes closing starin into the darknes of his eyelids * im geting to old to be in places like thees...

~ OR ~

* He shifts a bit in his seat, listening to the music and letting it carry him away. His eyes closing, stareing into the darkness of his eyelids * I'm getting too old to be in places like this...

The second was is supposed to look a LOT better, because it has proper spelling and punctuation... Think about it, and let the thought stay in your head for a while; The things that you learned in freaking 1st grade are things that you can use here, you know.

:: 10. Run-On Sentencing = Bad ::

This should be pretty simple, since you learn about Run-On Sentences in... What? 5th Grade? 6th Grade?

Anyway, it looks really bad if you use Run-On Sentencing in Roleplay... Continuously saying the words "as I" and "and" during your RP posts is in NO way a sign of good RP'ing, and I think you should really learn to not do that. It's OK to use periods and commas! Trust me, this'll make your posts look better, and they'll be less annoying/easier to read.

:: 11. Dealing With Bad Roleplayers ::

Okay, I was asked this a couple of times before, and I think it'd be important to put this here: "What do I do when someone (blanks) like a n00b?"

Okay, first of all, you need to ask them to stop what they're doing. If they don't stop, tell them how to correct themselves (Ex. If they're godmodingly dodging every attack, tell them to take a few hits)... And if that doesn't work, just ignore them. Period.

Trust me, if you ignore someone who's being annoying/a godmodder, then they'll eventially get tired of yelling at the wind, and leave. Problem solved right thurr, cap'n. If anything else happens, like they flame you, contact el Adminos and they'll kick his/her flaming little butt off the board. I loathe flamers with a passion, as I'm sure they do everywhere else.

((If you're okay with being a Moderate RP'er, stop here. If you want to be an Advanced RP'er, go to the next post.))

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:: 12. Use BBCode To Your Advantage ::

You might not really consider this an advanced technique, but it really does make your RP Posts look more well-organized, and adds a bit more spark to them as well, setting them ablaze with your own style of creativity.

Using the wonders of BBCode to your advantage can be helpful. Try using them, instead of action symbols, to tell your actions apart from your words... This is an example of one of my RP Posts, using some good ol' fashioned BBCode to spice it up a little...:

Tenken appears in the shadowy corner of the room, looking over at his long-time friend... His lips were not forming a smile, though. Instead, he was frowning... He was not happy with what he was seeing, and he was definitely not pleased with the recent actions of his old friend.

What the Hell do you think you're doing...? I thought I told you never to come here anymore...

Tenken gritted his teeth and simply growled under his breath, his eyes now glowing with a bloody crimson hue, instead of their usual emerald sparkle...

The red helps to represent Tenken's speech/speaking... It's better than using action symbols, too, because it adds a little color to your post. You can also use Bold Text, Underlined Text, and Italic Text to represent your actions or your speech. It's all up to you, how you use the BBCode to your advantage.

:: 13. Use More Description ::

Description is one of the main keys to having a great RP style. Hell, people... As a wise woman once said, "You gain more than half the tools you need to be a succesfull writer before you reach the age of 15." So if you're 13 or 14 (And older), you really have no excuse to be so lazy and not use descriptive wording. As you may have noticed by now, being descriptive has spiced up a few of my past posts, and made them more vivid... Use easy words, like:

Slowly
Quietly
Softly
Gently
Roughly
Powerfully
Easily
Quickly

Basically, anything with ' ly ' at the end can be used as a description for certain things. You can also be more descriptive when describing yourself... Don't just say 'green' or 'blue'... Use other words. Here are a few:

Aqua - Blue
Navy - Blue
Emerald - Green
Scarlet - Red
Crimson - Red
Midnight - Black

And try using larger words than usual, too. You know that big book that they call a "Dictionary"? It has a use. Like these:

Nonchalantly - Without Care
Vigorously - With Much Energy
Extensively - Very Thoroughly (Lots)
Morbidly - Dark, brooding

Things like that. You'll soon learn that, if you use larger words or more descriptive words, people may show you a bit more respect. Don't demand respect or kindness if you don't earn it, you know.

:: 14. Roleplaying in 'Story Mode' ::

Roleplaying in Story Mode is mostly just Quoting... Using " when speaking. I call it 'Story Mode', because that's what you write/type when you make a story. It's an alternative to using Action Symbols, and can actually be less stress on the eyes than action symbols... To some people, anyway. I suggest only using 'Story Mode' when you're in Serious RPs. Here's an example... Kind of:

Tenken slowly lifted the Desert Eagle .50AE to Seraph's head, cocking the barrel of the gun against the side of Seraph's cranium. Tenken narrowed his eyes, muttering "This is for all that pestering, you jerk." And then Tenken pulled the trigger, releasing the bullet...

If you're Roleplaying in 'Story Mode', you should probably use Third-Person, too. Your character is a character, and thusly, should be treated as a seperate person... So, you talk about them in Third-Person, like an author does to his own characters.

And there you have it, Ladies 'n Gents.

:: 15. 'Feeling' for a Paragraph Ending ::

Okay, this is a simple 'add-on' to the "Seperate Actions and Speaking" section of Moderate... And it'll help people understand the ideas of your Post. So listen up, peoples!

When seperating paragraphs, you should really get a 'feel' for when to end them... Like, say, seperating your ideas / groups of actions. If, in one paragraph, you talk about walking into your room... And then you want to describe what your room looks like... Start a new paragraph for the description, like so:

Tenken's hand grips the handle of the large, wooden door, twisting it torwards the left and jerking it open to enter his bedroom. The room was laying in darkness, and Tenken had to reach up and search along the wall for the lightswitch... Finally finding it and flipping it on.

The room was large, a little bit too big for just one person to live in... Yet it was mostly empty. In fact, the only things within the room were a large bed with black and red sheets, a small stand with a TV, and a dresser for the storage of his clothes. Very strange, indeed.

Which, if you look very closely, looks a heck of a lot better than this:

Tenken's hand grips the handle of the large, wooden door, twisting it torwards the left and jerking it open to enter his bedroom. The room was laying in darkness, and Tenken had to reach up and search along the wall for the lightswitch... Finally finding it and flipping it on. The room was large, a little bit too big for just one person to live in... Yet it was mostly empty.

In fact, the only things within the room were a large bed with black and red sheets, a small stand with a TV, and a dresser for the storage of his clothes. Very strange, indeed.

Once again, there you go, Ladies n' Gents.

((Congratulations! After reading all of this, you now have the tips and hints to Roleplay with the best of them! Try using as many of these as you possibly can, and remember: You Have What It Takes To Be Numbah' One. Ciao! Read on, though, if you want tips for battling a person-controlled character.))
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An extra section to Roleplay Rolemodel. The Battle Board has a few things you'll need to know before you go parading around here killing things.

First thing, and most important....

:: 16. Battle Basics ::

Ok, this is what gets on people's nerves the most. God moding is probably the newbiest thing to do in a fight, and you have to avoid doing it at all costs. God moding includes, but is not limited to:

-Never Being Able To Die (Illegal)
-Killing Someone In One Hit (Illegal)
-Hitting Someone Just Because You Say So (Illegal)
-Controlling Someone's Actions (Powerplaying, Illegal depending on what you do)
-Dodging Every Attack Imaginable (C'mon, you're not superman. Your char has flaws, just like everyone else's)
-Coming Back From The Dead (Highly Illegal, unless you follow cloning/necromancer/etc. protocol)
-Having Weapons/Items That Give You A Huge Upper-Hand (Illegal, and will be confiscated/banned as necessary, according to the Admin's.)
-Flaming another person (I WILL KILL YOU PERSONALLY. I loathe flamers, they are a bane to existence of the good net. You will get one warning, and then will be forever banned from the site, if it is up to me.)

A little explanation on the last one: If you are impolite, this is one thing. Flaming is totally insulting/cursing the person out to the point where it is offensive to EVERYONE, not just the person you don't like.

Basically anything like that can be considered godmoding. You are stressed to NEVER do any of these things. Ever.

((Read on if you want to become the ultimate duelist, or if you don't duel, you can stop reading now. The only thing required is a keyboard, and a fighter's will.))
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FINALLY, the battle section has been expanded! It's finally here! Basically this part of the guide will be split up into two sections, IC and OOC.

:: 17. IC Strategies For Success ::

Mind you, the first thing I'm gonna say here is that none of these strategies are guaranteed. IC battling is a combination of three things: Post composition (See the guide above), what your defenses/offenses are, and your imagination.

Try to be realistic to your surroundings, first off. Don't powerplay other people's characters (Powerplaying = Controlling their character in your post/reply), and always keep up a good defense. Being realistic isn't all that hard to do, for instance where I stated before, don't try to 'summon the force' in a Matrix setting, or pull off impossible Matrix stunts in a medieval Samurai-Japanese setting.

Powerplaying. Powerplaying=illegal on most boards, even though some boards allow it. There is a limit, and you'll have to get a feel for what that limit is on those boards that do allow it. It is a form of godmoding, so please if someone does it in excess either leave or contact a mod, DON'T GET ANGRY. Getting angry, like stated in the Dealing With Bad Roleplayers section, only leads to flaming, which leads to banning, which leads to withdrawls, which leads to suffering...

Little things like moving other player's bodies with your attacks is considered bad form, you should really only be controlling your character (Good duelists don't have to win by powerplaying. Remember this!) Do not post the damage they take, just like they should not post the damage they inflict upon you. For instance:

Tenken's right arm took the second bullet, causing pain to shoot up it like he was being electrocuted. The only thing that momentarily kept him from consciously feeling it was his rage, the pure fury that ignited within him when he learned his brother had betrayed him. His own blood.

His left hand came up, clutching his only other gun, a 9mm. His brother wore a look of shock before Tenken pulled the trigger with what energy he had left, and the gun fired it's bullet straight at his brother's throat. Tenken fell to the floor, the blood lost from his arm and stomach too much to handle, and the realization and the pain hit him hard. He tried not be afraid as he slowly let the colors slip into blackness, and the blackness into nothingness...

Notice Tenken didn't say that his brother's throat started bleeding like mad and dying was imminent, he only said that he shot a bullet at his brother's throat. His BROTHER decides whether or not it hits, and if he decides it doesn't hit, AND it's in a scenario where his actions are not possible, then get a Mod, or ignore the godmoder, because that's what he is.

Being realistic is easy and mildly hard at the same time. It is hard to get adjusted to a new setting, no matter where you are. After about a month or two, though, you start to pick things up, and get a feel for how far you can do particular things. It's easy once you get used to the flow of things.

Imagination is the key to a good RPer, anyone can tell you that, but the kind of imagination I'm talking about is what you want your opponent to recieve damagewise in an attack. Basically being a little ingenious while thinking up attacks that they can't just shrug off. Paralyzing moves are excellent (yet cheap) for this where one hit kills (OHKs) are not permitted. Use muscle paralysis, poison paralysis, or telepathic paralysis (where legal) to stun your enemy in their next post, effectively weakening them for the kill shot.

Effective attacks are also based on creativity, usually the more thought out and etter written an action, the more force it has IC. Use your imagination liberally, and have fun.

((The next section is for OOC strategies and hints that'll help sinch the grasp you have on dueling already, so read on to become the complete duelist, or don't if you're satisfied with yourself so far.))

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:: 18. OOC Strategies For Success ::

OOC strategies are the strategies that usually win the duel. Now, I'm writing this particular part of the guide based on my experience in the RPs I've RPed in. There are millions of RPs out there, IRCs (Internet Relay Chat - chatroom style), PBEMs (Post By EMail), and the one I preferrably like, Forum RPs, which use a forum type board similar to this to post their actions, and it is far easier to see what has happened before in the RP when first joining. This section was written mainly for large-scale battles between several PCs, however it can be applied somewhat to the one-on-one only situations.

Two rules I like and I usually press for if not already instated in a current RP are posting frequently (Having a rule that says: "if you don't post x often, then opposing duelist(s) can post a completion move on you, finishing their actions," where x is usually a variable set on days), and also a rule that states something to the effect of "once something is posted, it is concrete, no posting things that have happened before the current post or editing posts previous to the current post."

Now if you understood that, you deserve the Grammatical Medal of Honor. That is basically a description the type of rules this section of the guide is based on. The RPs you RP on may not necessarily have these rules, and if not, then you may have to get a feel for how to duel correctly in that type of environment. If it has no rules, then in my opinion it is a lousy RP, for the simple reason that some newbie can come in without any regards to anyone and ruin the whole RP by godmodeing LEGALLY.

Now, onwards with the guide.

The simple stuff: delay tactics and sizing up the forces. Now, most of the time, not everyone from all corners of the RP (Especially if the RP is PBEM or a Forum RP) is not on at the same time. Therefore, dueling is a sort of random spackling of posts, especially if there are more than two people involved. The way you wade through this mucky mess is to have yourself and your allies delay. Generally, the losing side of a battle delays as long as possible, not allowing the other side to post (i.e. Your opponent posted but you haven't. They can't reply to what hasn't been posted.) This does one of three things: allows your alllies, if you have any that are not at the battle/duel, to have sufficient time to reach you and aid you before you are grinded to smithereens; allows you to have time to think and come up with an IC strategy to defeat your opponent; and also frustrates your opponent, so when you finally DO post, their post is made out of frustrated anger and is more likely to have a weakness in it than not.

I realize I'm rambling on, but this is probably the most important thing to dueling, so pay close attention. You must also realize that if the time limit rule is in place (Refer to the first mentioned rule above), you have a limited amount of time to delay. But what if you don't need to delay? What if you're winning? Get all your allies online ASAP and pound the heck out of the enemy to cripple them and kill them as fast as possible. A crippled enemy is far better than a crippled enemy with allies, so try to make it fast. The wounded bear rule also applies here. The closer a character is to death, the more frustrated and angered it's controlling person is, and more likely to slip closer to the godmoding edge just so he can barely boost his side to victory. You must put out these small fires quickly.

Sizing up the forces isn't a hard thing to do if you've been in an RP for about a half a year or so, any sooner than that and you're usually still getting the basic feel for how the RP works. Basically look at a PC from their forces that is the strongest, take as many PCs from your allied forces that would match your opponent's PC (The stronger the better...high level PCs should fight high level PCs, mid level should fight mid level, etc...if necessary, have a PC from the next lowest level assist a higher level PC in order to just tip the balance of the duel in your favor). If your forces evenly match those of your opponents, then it is a true fight. If you have just one extra on either side, and even if that person has just signed up as the lowest level of them all, then the outnumbered side will have to struggle/call in more allies to win the battle.

There is not much more I can cover in this guide that I haven't thought of allready, but if someone reading this guide knows of something that can be bettered, please, contact me, I will add the information and give you credit. For now, duel with my blessing, and duel hard. Never slip quietly into the night...

((Congratulations! You finished the whole guide! You now know the secrets even the masters are reluctant to give up, and with a little practice, can become one of the best RPers of them all! Remember: RPing is not about being the best, it is about having fun. Being the best helps a lot, though =P...Ciao, and may you live well in your life, IC and OOC!))

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Done by Paradox, what do you think to it?

[Paradox]

((I am working on an update installment for this particular guide, specific to this site, like the others I have been on, I am also updating them to suit their specific sites. The core of the guide remains unspecific towards Text-based Roleplays, however I felt it was time to give a tad more advice than just the core elements of customized RP. Please note this tag should be taken out after a week, and if I fail to do so I would be appreciative if someone else with the ability did it for me. If at all possible, it can and should be added on to the first post, with this post deleted.))

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This new section is about the site itself, its rules, and acts as sort of a basic newbie primer for the RP. The rest of the guide can be applied to any text-based RP environment, however this part applies only to this site.

Please, if you have any question about specifics to things mentioned here, visit one of two fairly reliable sites for all your fact-based needs, as the information listed below is meant to be fairly general, to give newcomers an idea of what they can and can't have, should or shouldn't have when they start off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix
http://www.dictionary-of-matrix.com/index.php/Main_Page

Also, it is highly recommended that newbies to this particular site watch the trilogy of the Matrix movies, or at least the first (More preferable) or third (less preferable) if you cannot watch all three for some reason. The movies give a dramatically graphical approach to what being in this kind of an IC environment really means, and it was also the pioneer of several modern special effects.

:: 19. The Matrix Introducion ::

Wow, folks; ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome to the first update I have added onto one of my guides in a long time. That's right, I'm going to start referring to them as guides, because officially, they are all different, as the update I decided to set myself to was making the guide specific to the site it served. This site's update, of course, will be heavily influenced by things heavily having to do with the Matrix, and heavy objects like that along the psychological meaning of the word (not women).

The first thing that usually goes through someone's mind when they see a site like this for the first time is what will I be? How can I get into the RP? Should I be an Agent? A Zionite? An Exile? What are the advantages/disadvantages? For crikey's sake, you are being chased by an Agent, what on earth do you do? Fret not, oh you who have chosen to trust yourself to this guide, for I shall tell you in all good time.

I'm going to be covering in detail the three major factions in the RP, and generally a sense of how the RP should be working. However, due to the high fluidiy of plots in this specific settings, not all of what I list may be applicable according to your particular situation. This is where a high level of creativity and a little bit of luck come in very handy.

[Paradox]

:: 20. The Zionites ::

By far one of the more popular factions in the realm of the Matrix, the Zionite is a human whose one desire is to free the rest of humanity entrapped within the virtual prison known as the Matrix. One must certainly ask themselves, "What is the advantages and disadvantages of being mortal? Especially in a setting where Agents can be right around the corner?" Well, I'm here to tell you. The advantages of the Zionite is that they have the entire realm of the RP board to RP on, whereas programs/Agents and the like cannot physically exist in the real world. You can love, have children, experience the life of a hero in a cruel world. The Zionites are, by far, the 'good' faction on the board, even if their means sometimes are a little murdersome to the surrounding civilians. After all, if you're not one of them, you're a possible Agent, and a threat.

Zionites have the distinct advantage of learning/knowing things in the blink of an eye, all the operator has to do is download information directly into their brains, and in a couple of seconds you could be flying a military helicopter, performing complex Jujitsu and Kung Fu moves, and all without breaking a sweat. They are very emotional, as humans are, bringin color and life to a world that has no emotion. All most programs know is want and need, basic desire. Emotion for them is simulated through their actions, but is no more real than the spoon kid's spoon. Zionites also can gradually progress their characters far easier than programs, any number of techniques available within the matrix depends upon how freethinking you are, how far you can push the limit and open your mind, believing in the impossible and the truth that it is nothing. Neo powers aren't permitted, however a lot of similar techniques are allowed, as well as one or two larger powers for the older characters.

The disadvantage? They are usually the weaker characters on the board, killed easily in a confrontation by an Agent (However, read the Agent section/rules to find out why this doesn't happen everyday), forced to flee instead of fight. Agents can be tough buggers to bring down, especially since the only recorded 'deletion' of one was attained by Neo himself. Many of the elder Exiles are also much more powerful than Zionites, however their background is hardly as colorful as an Exile's or an Agents.

Overall, the Zionite is an exellent choice and recommended, for what is the Matrix without humans?