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Once upon a time, in a land known as cyberspace, it was not at all uncommon for folks to gather, exchange ideas, and enact certain types of fantasy.  This was usually done in places known as chatrooms, channels, or zones.  For the purposes of this page, we'll call this practice "Hanging Out Online" - HOO, for short.

The places to HOO still exist, but to some people, are less stimulating than they once were. 

Scenes from a chatroom, taken March 30, 2003..no editing except for changing SN's to protect...me:

V9999: any boyz 14-16 wana chat wit a 14/f/puerto rican imme
HotgurlSNSN: ALL GUYS ASL
Domino effect9999: puerto ricans have bib butts
No1brat99999: HEY
BrokenPromises9999: 18/f/white/singel/ohio
JSp99999: 21/M/NJ
Domino effect99999: big
V99999: any boyz wanan chat imme
Low77777: 18/m/8.5 inches
BrokenPromises9999: hi low
Low77777: hey
Domino effect99999: white single and in ohio,you must be a dream
Lilbigbrain9999: puerto ricans knows stylr
JSp99999: Broken gotta pic
Domino effect9999: lowass,you mean 4 inches
HotgurlSNSN: ANY GUYS 14 PRESS 666
RJ888888: 666
Guill9999l: HI I AM A GUY
Low77777: uh, no i mean 8.5
HotgurSNSN: IM ME

 

Today's average chatroom consists of endless chatlogs such as this, often punctuated with such commonalities as:

a/s/l ?  got a pic?  I got pics, s2r!, list me 

Need I go on?

Some people try to keep a community going, where people join, and attempt to go back to the old exchange of ideas, delve into fantasy, the old way of hanging out online.

The sad fact is that hanging out online is not as fun as it used to be!   People miss the old days, when it was easy to :pull up a chair:  and :smile charmingly: to a newcomer, be caught up in a flurry of activity in a place to escape our lives for a short time.


Some have gone off to subscription based games, such as EverQuest or The SIMS.        
But not everyone wants the razzle-dazzle that comes along with those (or perhaps the additional cost). 

Some have remained stubbornly in their place, battling frustration to try to resurrect something that seems to have been replaced entirely by unwanted commercialism and personal ads.  These are the people that might find this page useful.  Take a look, maybe it will help.


HOO2RP - Hanging Out Online to Role Play - a guide for exploring new worlds.

 I was online for more than ten years before I ventured into an official Role Play domain.  Even so, for most of those years, I was role-playing to some degree.  I was visiting chatrooms, speaking privately with people, and emoting actions, all in the name of fun, exploration and relaxation.  

I stayed away from anything officially "role play" for a few reasons. 

1. I didn't want to be a vampire, werewolf, elf, or any other supernatural being.
2. When I bumped into people who were into official role play, I didn't understand what they were talking about.
3. I had no idea where to go or how to begin, even if I wanted to begin.
4. I just liked HOO.  I didn't feel like working hard to do it. I just wanted to have fun.

That was great, in the online world that was available to me at that time. I would still be happy to be there, except I can't find it anymore. 

I ventured into RP for personal reasons, and it was a confusing world to me at first.  I was a veteran online, but a complete newbie in these worlds.  Suddenly there were acronyms everywhere that I didn't understand, and the basic concept of what or who I was portraying online was being challenged because of the split nature of roleplaying a character, instead of just HOO as yourself. 

This page is for those people who are tired of the way HOO has become, and would like to try another world.  Maybe it isn't for you - and that's ok, but it is always nice to know what your options are.   If you're thinking of venturing out of your chatroom, these basic ideas should help the beginning of your journey.

If you're into the magic or vampire themes, you're in great shape to start with - there's plenty for you to do and see annnd places to go.  If you aren't, you might need to look a little harder, but there are things you can do.  You really are only limited by your imagination, once you master the basic rules.

 

 

 

 

 

Divide Yourself

In the HOO (hanging out online) world, there is a big blur on who the person on the screen is in comparison to the person behind the keyboard.    Sometimes this makes things fun, and sometimes this creates a lot of animosity.

Generally if someone describes themselves in an attractive manner, it's largely assumed that it's a big fat lie and most likely the person behind the keyboard is different in some vital way than the way they describe themselves.   On the other hand, if you refuse to describe yourself, you're likely to hit some hostility and the assertion that you must be really pathetic if you're not willing to share these details.  

This isn't only about what you look like.  This covers every area of basic chat functions.  Do you believe the people who say they are single, are? Do you believe all the women are really female?  Do you believe the ones who talk incessantly about their yacht outings really own one?  Do you believe the vampire dude really has fangs?  If someone proclaims herself to be a 19 year old starlet who sings like an angel, do you roll your eyes and think "she's probably 50 and can't carry a tune"?

These doubts are intermingled with plenty of chat that is harmless and likely truthful in nature.  Sometimes people lie, sometimes people carefully omit the truth, sometimes people are clear that they are only playing online, sometimes people come across as very real, only to later be revealed as frauds.  And, of course, lots of people are as true as they can be. 

The trouble is, some people are using the medium as fantasyland, some as close to reality as possible, and many others within the ranges in between.  All of these different versions of what is real and what is online combine together, giving a hodge-podge of reality, coating the whole mix with distrust and disdain, and taking a lot of the fun out of it.

The RP world does not guarantee you not to run into some of these factors, but it does encourage the fantasy piece of you to be explored without deception, and without ridicule.  If you want to say you are a 19 year old vixen with a perfect figure and a voice like an angel, that's fine! You can!  And it doesn't matter if you're really a 50 year old grandmother who can't carry a tune.  This is perfectly acceptable by the magic of IC and OOC. 

IC = in character  
OOC = out of character

So we could say that the IC persona, Desmonda, is a 19 year old starlet.  Desmonda's player, however, is OOCly a 50 year old grandmother.  It is entirely acceptable for Desmonda's player to not reveal herself OOCly.  If she only wants to be known ICly, she can.  Most people won't speculate on who she might be OOCly. Most people won't care.

(note: this rule wavers a bit when we get into more complex arrangements such as someone playing a person of the opposite sex, or when relationships become stronger, depending on those involved)


When HOO, there are already aspects of IC and OOC being played out all the time.  Usually they are not well defined, and just sort of slid in from time to time.  Here's an example.

IC is blue
OOC is red


HappyGuy:  Hey you
SweetGal:   :smiles:  hiya
HappyGuy:   :giving you a kiss:  how'd you make out at work today?
SweetGal:   ok, you know, same old stuff.
HappyGuy:   ah well - TGIF!   :giving you another big kiss!!:
SweetGal:  :returns your kiss, holding your hand:
HappyGuy:  mmmm.. that's nice.   :smiles:
HappyGuy:   (oh shoot.. got a phone call, have to run)
SweetGal:  :kissing you goodbye:
HappyGuy:   :kissing you goodbye:  see you later, i hope.


You see how the IC stuff and the OOC stuff is mixed up?  Both of those people behind the keyboard know they are not really kissing each other, that's the IC part.  Asking how your day was at work, the phone call, etc, that's all the OOC stuff.

The IC stuff is kind of just hanging there, though.  There's no real explanation of how it starts or stops.  If you want to do it in RP, then you have to have a little more cohesion to it.  Here's a possible example of this scene in RP:


Merdo walks in and smiles.
<OOC> Merdo says, "hey you."
Tinana looks up as her friend Merdo enters, smiling.
<OOC> Tinana says, "hiya"
Merdo steps forward and gives Tinana a kiss.
<OOC> Merdo says, "how'd you make out at work?"
<OOC> Tinana says, "ok, you know, same old stuff."
<OOC> Merdo says, "ah well, TGIF!"
Merdo gives her another kiss.
Tinana returns his kiss, holding his hand.
Merdo smiles with a sigh. "Mmmmm... that's nice."
<OOC> Merdo says, "oh shoot, got a phone call, have to run."
Merdo frowns, remembering something he needed to do. "I'm sorry, but I must go. I hope I can see you later."
Tinana gives him a light kiss goodbye.

Ok this wasn't perfect RP. Most people want pose length to be longer and more detailed, and they dislike so much OOC chatter.  But it's a start.

Pose = your action within the rp.  That is, each time your character makes a statement or poses into the chat.

Emote = your character doing something.  Emote a kiss.    Also Pose.

Pose Length = how detailed your pose is, defined by number of lines it takes to type it out.  One line poses (as in this example) are generally frowned upon in text based RP.  Typically longer lines with more detail are desired.

OOC Chatter = is what it sounds like.  Essentially, this interrupts the IC flow by interjecting OOC issues.   Depends on your audience how acceptable this will be. 

So one of the very basics of RP is to understand this division and adhere to it as much as you can.


But I'm not playing a character! I'm just playing myself!  

I understand.  This is actually one of my personal biggest stumbling blocks to RP.  If you really, really hate it, maybe RP isn't for you.    But if you also really, really hate the crap you are currently facing in the HOO world, maybe you can work your way past this and move on.   And, if you're the 50 yr old grandmother who wants to be 19, you're in a lot of luck!



 

 
Low Gear Zone - Approach with Caution!

Even in the HOO world, most internet savvy people will tell you it is a good idea to "lurk" for a bit before jumping right into any unknown situation.   That means, if you join an e-mail list, you probably should read some of the back files, watch the interaction, get an idea of the culture, etc, before you shoot off ten e-mails which may be inappropriate to the group you have joined.

This is standard Netiquette. 

Never has this been more true than when you decide to enter an RP situation, particularly on a text driven MU*.   Each of these worlds is set up on its own foundation.  There are different rules and expectations.   I can't predict what the rules may be where you go, so I will only offer this advice:

Read the help files.
Read the website.
Read the Bulletin Boards.
Watch the action before acting yourself.
Read the help files.
Start slow.
Read the help files.

You may find that some places have rules that go too far to your liking. After all, you're going there to have fun and play, and why do people take things so seriously anyway? 

The rules exist because the people running the game, and at least some of the people playing the game, want and need the rules to exist so that the game is a reflection of the type of roleplay they want.   It doesn't mean they are trying to squelch your creativity; but rather to create a world in which this creativity can thrive.  If it is really outside of your preferences, it could be that you're in the wrong world, and need to find another game/rp arena that better suits your preferences.

In the real world, suppose you decide you want to open a Shakespearean Improvisational theater.  You get all of the costumes ready, work on the sets, and find people with an interest in Shakespearean theater to join.  Once it gets rolling, everyone's having a grand time acting out their favorite Shakespearean characters and flourishing in Middle English fashion.  Then one day, along comes a guy in a black leather jacket, apparently impersonating Andrew Dice Clay.  Then a perfectly nice lady arrives, but all she wants to do is talk about her daughter's latest ballet recital in New York City.  This happens twelve times a day, in various forms.  Your Shakespearean improv people are beginning to get mad.  They either go hide out in the back closet somewhere or they leave altogether.   One day, you look around at your theater, and see a hodge-podge of people, most of whom bear no resemblance to a Shakespearean play. 

What do you do?  You either give up the lease and go home, or you start laying down serious laws.  No leather jackets. No New York ballet.  Etc. Etc.   So that the theater gets back to the purpose it was supposed to have, and the players that enjoyed that theme will come out of the back room and get back to flourishing in Middle English. 

In the real world, most people would not go to a theater such as this, get on stage, and begin an improvisation that was completely unrelated to the theme.   But in cyberspace.. wow! This happens all the time.   Trust me when I say that nothing will bring more ire from the people you meet than someone coming into an RP arena with nothing but an HOO attitude. 

What if I can't find something that's exactly what I want, but I still want to get out of HOO and find a place to RP?
You probably can find a place to RP that it somewhat close to your preferences.  If you really can't get completely into the theme, you still might join and, if you have a few friends you can go to the back rooms or back alleys, where you are not interrupting others, and RP as you desire. They key is to respect what is going on around you, and don't interfere with the way the world is set up.   Be aware!

 

 



Imagination X-ing



In a text based world, the only thing that identifies us is words.  Everyone is dependent upon descriptions and dialogue alone to convey mood, thought, and situation.  One of the most basic things that you should do is to describe your character.  Take care with your description, as quite often this is the first introduction of yourself to other players. There are players who will decide whether or not to RP with someone based soley on the quality of their descriptions.   Spelling, grammar and punctuation count!

There are others who can do far more justice to the topic of using imagination and good descriptions than I can.  The links to RP help in general will often contain helpful tips on how to improve your descriptions.   My purpose here is to convey to you that this is important if you want to succeed on your HOO2RP journey. 

 

 

Technical Bravery


If you've never done anything with a computer besides use your internet browser or log in and out of a major national network (such as AOL, MSN, etc), the first look at a MUSH might be intimidating to you. 

Where are the little pop-up windows that give you choices to click what you want?  Where's my people list?  Where's the little box for a private one on one message?  Oh no! None of these things exist here!  It's only text.  ONLY text!  


This can be scary - but trust me, it really is not so bad.  It does require a different way of thinking, and it will be a bit awkward at first, until you get the hang of it.   If everything else about RP sounds intriguing to you, but you're stuck on the technical side - please don't give up! It takes a little bit of time, and a little bit of patience to remember the different commands and to get the hang of using them.

The truth is that with only about five or six commands, you can know enough to get around and do basic communication.  The rest will come, with time and practice.  Maybe you will never need to know more than those basic commands!  It will depend on how deeply you wish to get involved with RP.

This page is not a primer on using commands for RP, however there is plenty of information on the internet to help you learn these commands, as far as you want to go.  Whichever place you decide to RP may also have a website that is designed specifically for that place, which could also be useful.

So if you think you may be HOOing when you should be RPing, or just want to get out of the crazy chatroom and try something new, take these basic pieces of information with you, and give it a try. Below are a few links to help get you started. Good luck! 

Links

Places To Go

How to Get There

Glossary

Emote = your character doing something.  Also Pose.

HOO - Hanging Out Online = using chatrooms, games, message boards, interactive websites, and the link to communicate with others online.  It is assumed that the communication is the reflection of the real person behind the keyboard, but often this is in doubt.

IC = in character, speaking as the character in roleplay  

Lurk - Watch without interacting.


MUSH - Multi-User Shared Hallucination - a text driven online game with multiple players

NPC = no player characters? = the characters in the roleplay which are part of the game.  Players can use NPC's to make things happen in the roleplay, such as, having a guard impose the rules of the land on an unruly character.

Player = the real person behind the keyboard

PC = player characters - the characters in the roleplay which have real players making them act.


RP - Role Play = using chatrooms, games, message boards, interactive websites, and the like to explore some version of a fantasy, interactive with others online.  The communication is broken down to sometimes be the real person behind the keyboard (the player), but when actually engaging in the fantasy, it is assumed that the  actions are done by a character.

OOC = out of character, speaking as the player in roleplay

OOC Chatter = is what it sounds like.  Essentially interupting the IC flow by interjecting OOC issues.   Depends on your audience how acceptable this will be. 

pose = your action within the rp.  That is, each time your character makes a statement or poses into the chat.