Welcome Guest 

Register

Author Topic:
Faramirs_first_kiss
Mearhwine Namsmið
Posts: 390
Send Message
Avatar
Post Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: June 16, 2004 12:33
Effective January 1, 2008:::Moderators' note.

Please take into account as you read this thread that it is dated from 2002. The general rules and guidelines have been amended and edited many times since then, though some of the 'basic' guidelines here are still very applicable. We advise you read this thread with that thought in mind and then also read the most current rules and guidelines at the top of each of the three forums (TT, TR and OOC) before posting either in the threads or the data base. Thank you.



The comprehensive guide to RPing

The RPG boards are my favourite places on this site but it took me quite a long time to work myself into them. There are a couple of existing threads and articles around that can give you pointers on what makes a good RP which I’ve mentioned later in this thread, but I intend to provide you simply with instructions on how to do it. The first thing to do, however, is make sure you’re familiar with the rules and decorum that you can find here. These rules are put in place to make the boards a safe and fun place for everyone and are really not too strenuous to follow.


An introduction to RPG

Okay, let's get down to business. An RPG is a role-playing game, where you take on the role of a character and you control what he she or it says, does, thinks and feels. The RPGs on CoE are NOT the sort of computer game you might buy in the shops so you won't be controlling a little animated figure on screen. Nor are they like some online RPGs where you are given a description of a room and asked if you want to go left or right, pick up the gold coin or kill the orc. These are forum-based RPGs and the only things in it are what the participants provide. People take it in turn to write a little bit of the story that makes up the thread from their own character's point of view, reacting and responding to what other people say to develop the storyline, the relationships between the characters and the characters themselves.

So how do you start? Well, the first thing I'd suggest (after reading this thread, of course ) is taking a little look round. Visit the four sub-forums at the top of the Roleplaying Forum mainpage and have a quick look at the threads, see if anything catches your eye. It might be that you decide to join an existing thread or you might want to start one of your own, instructions for both of which are given later, but either way you're going to need a character.


Making a character

Take a little trip to the character database. This is where we keep information about our characters. You may want to browse round for a while and see the characters other people have come up with before starting on your own. Often, the character you choose to make depends on the thread or type of thread you want to take part in. For example, a lot of threads set in the fourth age will not want elves in them in the interests of staying close to Tolkien's intentions, while other threads are reserved only for elves.

When you're ready to make your character, click the Add Character link. You can have (within reason) as many characters as you like, but I recommend you start off with just one and get to know him or her really well, as this will make your posts most realistic and entertaining. The database lets you enter information under the following headings:

~ Character Name
~ Gender
~ Race
~ Height
~ Age
~ Place of Residence
~ Family
~ Special Powers
~ Weapons
~ Animals

~ Personality
~ Appearance
~ History

~ Active in Threads

The first ten allow you to put in fairly short pieces of information for quick reference about your character. The next three let you write much more, but a lot of people don't, at least at first. The last one will be filled in later when you have joined a thread. You copy the URL, or web address, of the thread into a box and this puts a link to your thread on the character's profile. You don't have to have something for all of the headings and you can change anything in the profile whenever you want. This is useful, as you will probably find that things about your character grow or change over time and you might want to put them in the profile to keep it up to date.

You are given the option of uploading a picture of your character. Some people use pictures of celebrities or just people they've found on the internet, while others choose to draw their own. Make sure you get permission if you want to use a picture belonging to someone else. Again, you don't have to have a picture and you can upload a new one later if you decide to change your mind. To upload a picture, click the "Browse" button next to the "Picture (350x350 max):" heading. Pictures can be no larger than 350 pixels wide or high and must be in the format .gif or .jpg.

This is just a brief introduction to how to make a character profile, not how to make a good character. Lots of people have written guides to that effect which you can find here and here. These are just other people's opinions on what makes a good character and it is totally possible to make one without following them, but they're a great place to start if you don't know what to do.

Oh yes, and a quick tip from a person who learned the hard way: give careful thought to your character's name. There is an elvish name database on the site and extensive elvish dictionaries, a huge dictionary of Old English (Rohirric) words here and hundreds of other Middle-earth language resources all over the web. You don't, of course, have to use Tolkien-based names at all. My favourite family of characters all have real-world names although I have tried to choose unusual ones. There are also random name generators available including a particularly good one called EBON which I highly recommend. However you choose to find your character's name, I would advise following these simple guidelines:

~ pick something pronounceable. People like to be able to hear the characters' names in their heads.
~ pick something short. More than four syllables is almost always too much.
~ pick something that can easily be shortened. You don't want to type that four-syllable name and nor do the other characters want to say it.


Threads

Right, now you have your character let's talk about threads. RP threads on CoE are found in three separate sub-forums. These are the definitions for them given in the RP rules and decorum thread:

~ Totally Tolkien (TT):- in this thread you will find RP's set in Middle earth and the characters will be only races found in Tolkien’s books. This sub-forum will not allow god modding. more info
~ Tolkien Related (TR):- These threads will be loosely based on the races found in Tolkien’s books and may be based in ME or if the races are Tolkien based may be situated else where. more info
~ Non Tolkien (NT):- these threads will be any that are not Tolkien based for example Harry Potter. These threads are now to be found on our sister site; MokeyGames.netmore info

The fourth sub-forum, the Out of Character Discussion forum, holds discussion threads where people plan and come up with ideas for threads for their threads in the other three sub-forums.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NON-TOLKIEN NO LONGER EXISTS AND HAS BECOME OUR SISTER SITE LOKI'S PALACE. THE THIRD FORUM NOW EXISTING IS THE OOC FORUM.

There are also different types of threads:

~ Free threads have no specific plan for the plot. Often they simply start with one character in a situation then wait for other characters to join and see how the situation resolves itself and what leads on from that. Often, especially in the early stages, ie. before there are twenty posts or so, you can simply introduce your character to these threads. They generally don't have an out of character thread (or OOC thread) until they have progressed and people want to discuss what happens next.
~ Scripted threads have more structure and plot and as a result often have more rules about who can join. These quite often have an OOC thread to begin with in order to tell everyone a little bit about the plan and let them see how their characters might fit into it.

Joining someone else's thread

First of all, obviously, you need to find a thread you want to join. Take a look at the title and read the first post and, if one is mentioned, the OOC thread. The person who starts the thread usually lays down their own rules about who can join and what is allowed in the thread. Once you're familiar with them, you can get on with the actual joining. Some thread owners will ask you to PM (private message) them before joining, which you can do by clicking the PM button at the bottom of the post. Others ask you to post in the OOC thread. Either way, you should introduce yourself briefly and ask if you can join the thread. Tell the owner what character you will be playing and make sure you give the right name to find them in the character database. If you're PMing you could copy your character's profile into the message, but don't do this in the OOC forum as all posts have to be read and checked. Then you simply need to wait to be accepted. If you are not instructed to ask permission then it is safe to assume that you can go ahead and post. You might want to put a little out of character message in your post in double brackets ((like this)) saying hello and introducing yourself briefly.

It can sometimes be a little tricky to know if it is reasonable to join a thread after it has so many posts. In my experience, even after fifty posts the characters are often still just getting to know each other and it is rare for the characters in any thread to become so isolated that there is no possibility of meeting another person. Here are some tips:

~ read the thread. Some thread owners are happy to give you a summary of events so far and let you in, but others see it as a sign of respect and good will for the thread and its participants if you read the thread and may feel you have missed too much to join without reading it. All in all, this is the single best way to decide if it is feasible for your character to join the thread.
~ have a sensible reason for your character to be there. If you have to create exceptional circumstances to get your character to the right place at the right time then it might be that they shouldn't be there at all.
~ look at the number of posts. It's not always the best indicator but it can give you some idea. After about 100 posts the writers are used to RPing together and the characters have formed relationships, so it might be more difficult for you and your character to integrate into the thread. The obvious exception is the Stay Awhile Inn, which has been in existence since September 2002 and has well over three thousand posts at the time of writing this, and is always glad to welcome new members, and doubtless there are others.
~ PM the thread owner. It's the simplest thing to do and if you're polite and show a genuine interest in the thread then people will respond in kind.

Starting your own thread

On CoE there are no rules about who can start a new thread so that means you, yes even you, can be a thread owner right away. There are a few things to think about before you start, though.

1) Does the thread you're going to make (or one very similar) already exist? If the answer is yes then you should consider joining that thread instead of starting a brand new one, because it's in nobody's interest to have dozens of near-identical threads on the boards. The mods don't want to read them and they give the impression that people on the site have a pretty limited imagination. There's a rule to this effect in the NT forum: only two or perhaps three threads are allowed on any particular topic, like Harry Potter, vampires, YuGiOh, etc. You can find a thread mentioning some of these over-popular topics here.

2) Which forum does your thread belong in? Well, if you have fanged blood-suckers or adolescent boys with wands running around your thread, chances are it should be in the NT forum, as should Tolkien-esque threads in a more modern setting (electricity, plastic, etc). If you want to have lots of elves in the Fourth Age, magic powers beyond the very elementary ones Tolkien described, or creatures such as unicorns that do not appear in his works, or you want to fiddle with canon in any other way, do it in the TR forum. If you want to follow the world and history of Middle-earth closely then you belong in the TT forum. The boundaries between these definitions can be quite unclear sometimes and a little deviation is acceptable, so don't worry over much about it. If you want to be sure, ask a more experienced RPer in the Rusty Pail, by PM or in the OOC forum.

3) What type of thread is it? Do you have a plot or perhaps just a general direction you want the thread to go in, or do you simply want to get together with other people and see what happens? If you have a plot then you might want to start off with an OOC thread so you can tell RPers something about your idea and meet them and see how their chars fit into the story before you get started. Otherwise it's common to put an OOC message in the first post to give people an introduction before you start and to tell them what you'd like them to do before joining. You might also do that if you're starting a thread that is semi-scripted to tell them that this is going to be a quest RP or a battle RP or that it will revolve around a love story. Alternatively, just put "free" or "all welcome" or something to that effect in the thread tite and wait to see what you get.

Okay, so that's all very well, but how do you actually start a thread? It's simple: just go to the forum where you have decided to put the thread (or the OOC if you're starting one) and click the "New Topic" link which appears at the top and bottom of the page on the right hand side. Put the thread title in the "Subject" box and write your opening post in the "Message" box.

As the thread goes on

Different threads are written in different ways. Some are written in first person (I, me, we) and some are written in third (he, she, they). Some are in the past tense and some are in the present. Some use short, simple posts that mainly explain what the characters say and do and some go into a lot more detail of thoughts and feelings, but how much you write ought to be dictated by the general average length of posts in the thread. Over time, you'll develop preferences: I like to write in the third person past tense and I feel I'm only getting the value of my seven posts per day if I write in-depth posts with plenty of feeling and character development.

In order to do that, though, I sometimes have to write other people's characters in my posts and there's a certain etiquette to what you can and can't do. Basically, you should avoid making someone else's character do anything they wouldn't. At first it's very difficult to know what they might do because you don't know the other characters well enough, so you should concentrate on writing lots of detail about your own character, aiming to tell everyone what they are like and why and how they react to different things. That way, when it comes to another person writing your character into their post they will know more about them and be more likely to get it right. Until you know the other characters very well indeed, I would suggest that a good rule to follow is never to write more than about three short, obvious lines of dialogue for another character, and only if they are necessary to bring the post to a sensible point to finish at. It's usually okay to write some actions and facial expressions in, but try to stay close to what you think the character's owner would want and be ambiguous, so the character's expression could be interpreted in different ways for example. It should be pretty obvious when it's okay to start writing a little for other people. Often it starts when one person goes away for a while and entrusts their character to another RPer to write. Sometimes people know other RPers in the thread from real life or over PM or a message service and these people might write each other's characters quite regularly.


Other things to bear in mind

Moderators

These are the great people who give up their free time to patrol the site and keep it a pleasant place for us all to spend our time. If a mod asks you to do something then do it with good will because they are asking on behalf of the site. They read every single post on the site and it's only fair to return their hard work by giving them something good to read. They're also really helpful and if you're stuck you can PM them, but they are after all only human and have a lot of other things to do, so I would suggest only asking them as a last resort. Take a look at the "getting more help" section of this post for other places to try first. The names of the moderators can be found on the link to the forums they watch, or on the list of all the mods on the site here.

Post limits and how many RPs to join

One feature of the RPG forum is a post limit so you can only post seven times in twenty-four hours in each sub-forum. This is so we don't generate a huge amount of posts for the mods to check and it means you should put as much thought as you can into the posts you do have. It also means you have to think about the number of RPs you can be a member of: if you like the sort of RP where it's feasible to post twice or more in a day then you cannot sensibly be in more than two or three in each sub-forum. Even if you do have spare posts at the end of the day (most people do, you certainly don't have to use them up) you still have to be careful about the number of RPs you join. You make a commitment to each of them and if you don't have time to post in them then you're letting the other members down.

Leaving threads

Sometimes, for whatever reason, you may have to leave a thread. In this case, the polite thing to do is to write your character out, finding a plausible reason for your character to leave the group, and add an OOC message to the post telling everyone why you have to go. There is nothing more annoying that people vanishing without a trace and leaving you with a bunch of superfluous characters that you don't know what to do with. Anyone who does that in a thread of mine beware! I once ditched a load of characters in a cave-in in Moria.

Spelling, grammar and presentation

A good post is well-spelled and makes sense. It is tedious and unpleasant to sit there and attempt to work out what an RPer meant by something they wrote. The site now has a spellchecker (the little ABC button above where you write your messages) that should help you with every day English words. It might take a bit of work on your part to check the Tolkien terms and the names of characters etc in the thread, as well as to read the post through and check it's easy to follow, but this is all part of being a good RPer. Also, don't be afraid to hit the enter key between people speaking. CoE is displayed in a sans serif font and that means it's really difficult to read anything that isn't spaced out too much. If you don't like doing that because you're left with more space than text, then perhaps you should try and write in more detail.

Plagiarism

This is copying someone else's work or idea without giving credit for it, and is never acceptable anywhere on the site. Anyone who has put effort into anything deserves to have this recognised as their own achievement. You should get permission for anything you want to use and say where it came from and who created it. Some definitions in this site's policy on plagiarism are:

1. Taking someone else's basic idea or a plot of a story and writing it in your own words
2. Taking sentences from someone else's story and fitting them into your own
3. Making a copy of someone else's drawing/painting
4. Taking someone else's creation (story/image) and claiming it is yours

Plagiarism will absolutely not be tolerated on CoE. To read more about it, go here.


RPing over chat

In the chat section of this site there is a channel devoted to RPing in real time. It isn't to everyone's taste but it can suit people who like to write short posts and get instant feedback from other RPers. You write basically very short posts, saying what your character does or says, and everyone else does the same so you get conversations and situations developing. You could just go on and see who else is there, or you could arrange to meet the members of your thread here, but remember to take time differences into account. Also, if you plan to use your real-time RP in the thread it's worth noting that the chat on CoE doesn't keep a record of the whole conversation, so you can't just copy the lot into a post when you're done. It you want to put it in a post, you should just use it as an idea of what happens and then write it up.

To get started, go to the chat page. Instructions of how to get onto the chat and the rules once you're in are given there. Once you're in the chat room, set your name to you character's name. For these examples, I'll use my own character Ewen. To set my name to his I would type /nick Ewen. To enter an action for him I would type, for instance, /me eats cookies, which would be displayed in the chat room as Ewen eats cookies. To enter something he says I would simply type the message, for instance hello! and it would be displayed on screen as [Ewen] hello!. To type and OOC message, I would simply put double brackets round my message like I would on the forums.


Getting more help

There are loads of places you can go to find more information about RPing her on CoE. I've put all the links from earlier in this post together in this section so you can find them easily.

Rules and decorum; the most important link here.

The Totally Tolkien forum and more info.

The Tolkien Related forum and more info.

The Non Tolkien forum at Monkeygames.com and [url=http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=3544]
The Out of Character Discussion forum.

Chat on CoE.

The Rusty Pail, a great place to ask questions.

The site moderators.

An article about plagiarism.

The character database where you can make character profiles.

Aisheeya's and SadisticYoda's guides to making good RP characters.

An amusing little test to see if your character is a dreaded Mary Sue.

The invaluable elvish name database, elvish dictionaries and Rohirric dictionary, and the EBON name generator.

Eledhwyn's guide on how to become a well rounded LOTR RPer, well worth a look!


This is intended to be a pretty comprehensive guide to RPing on CoE. If you have any questions that you think should be answered in this thread or you think I've missed anything out, then post a reply to it and I'll answer it and try to incorporate the answer into the first post so you don't have to read the whole thread before you get started.

I hope that this has been helpful to you, now all that is left for me to say is good luck and happy RPing!
Kiss





[Edited on 12/6/2005 by PotbellyHairyfoot]Image

[Edited on 5/7/2008 by BerethEdhellen]

[Edited on 6/7/2009 by BerethEdhellen]
KatHeiman
Council Member
Posts: 179
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: June 16, 2004 05:01
*applauds* well done, Jo! Very well thought out, nicely written, an easy (though quite long) read.... and so wonderfully informative! I wish I'd had this when I started, it would have made things so much easier. *grins*

I give it five moths out of five!



Kat
CarolP
SuperMom hobbit
Posts: 1004
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: June 18, 2004 07:43
What an awesome guide! I'm sure that many people who once hesitated to join our rpg's will read your guide and be ready to join. Great job!
AranelOfLorien
Council Member
Posts: 289
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: July 23, 2004 11:26
I also think that that was very well-written. I am one of those people who was hesitant, and now I am kind of excited to start. Thanks again, Faramirs_first_kiss!

~Aranel~
SilverLoom07
Council Member
Posts: 289
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: November 15, 2004 10:48
I need help about RPG. How do you put pictures or quotes below your name like KatHeiman for example. If you can answer this question, please private message me ASAP.
Thanks
SilverLoom07
Adrian
Council Member
Posts: 15
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: December 07, 2004 10:57
Hey everyone. Its been quite awhile that i've been gone, but i've come back! (Sorry if that sounded cheesy). Well, i was just wondering what happened to Non-tolken!? ...Maybe i need my eyes checked, but i didnt see it.
....Can someone please tell me whats going on?? I missed alot while i was gone, i can see.
PotbellyHairyfoot
Grandpa Moderator
Posts: 2929
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: December 07, 2004 11:45
Non-tolkien RPs have been moved to our sister site Loki's Palace and seem to be quite happy over there.

[Edited on 13/1/2007 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
Lady_Elbereth
Council Member
Posts: 112
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: February 11, 2005 06:34
Very well done! Very informative and easy to understand, too

I've recently (last july) started going to RPs on a tagboard at a site that a friend of mine runs, and I think I've pretty much gotten the hang of it

My character is 'Anariel "Ana" Narie' in the characters section and I've finally perfected her descriptions!

Anyway, more to the point, very well written guide, and maybe I'll see y'all in the RPG forum sometime
Namarie for now!

~Elle~
p.s: Happy Valentine's Day to all! :heart:
Boromirs_Gal2007
Council Member
Posts: 1
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: March 26, 2005 11:15
Thank you very much!! This guide helped me out so much, and I'm sure that I'm ready to start RPG. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this down!
~Boromirs_Gal2007
legolas_luvr
Council Member
Posts: 45
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: August 15, 2005 01:18
Thank you very much, this guide has helped me ALOT. I have one question though. Does something that happened in one roleplay carry on into the next one? Like, if in one roleplay a character gets married, then in the ones after, is he/she still married?
NenyaGold
Legend of Lothlórien & Head Chocolate Thingywidget of Yavanna
Posts: 14318
Send Message
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: August 15, 2005 01:39
I think it really depends on how you want to write it. Are those two stories connected in any way other than your character? Is the new RP a direct continuation of the old one?

If not, then she can be unmarried in the next RP if you want. But if so, then I'd suggest you keep it as if it's just another chapter in that character's history.
Ireth_Telrunya
Council Member
Posts: 906
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: November 08, 2005 03:27
I have a question... could I make a RP character from an OC in a LotR fanfiction I wrote?
Far over the Misty Mountains cold, to dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away ere break of day, to claim our long forgotten gold.
PotbellyHairyfoot
Grandpa Moderator
Posts: 2929
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: November 11, 2005 12:52
Most of the characters we use in our RP's are of our own invention. There would be no problem in using a character from a Fanfiction, as long as the character fits with the TT or TR forum requirements.
I don't consider us limited and confined by Tolkien's world; Rather I consider that his world sets a backgound for our characters to interact in and make their mark .
SirKenneth
Council Member
Posts: 6
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: November 29, 2005 12:43
This might seem like a bit of a strange question, but exactly how newbie friendly is this forum? I mean, if I started an RP, would people actually join it if it was any good, or do people here feel more comfortable about joining RP's set up by more established members?

Thank you in advance
Faramirs_first_kiss
Mearhwine Namsmið
Posts: 390
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: November 29, 2005 01:17
People are usually more concerned with the subject matter of the thread than the experience of the RPer. If you can demonstrate good writing skills in your opening post then nobody will mind much how long you've been on the forums
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: December 01, 2005 09:22
SirKenneth,

The best thing to do is to read the top of this thread and also the guidelines and other threads at the top of the TT (Totally Tolkien) and the TR (Tolkien Related) forums. Read many of the posted threads to see what kind of stories already exist, what the players' styles and plotlines are that you like and either join one of the existing threads or come up with your own good storyline that you can work with, being sure that it falls into the correct forum (TT or TR).

You will be responsible for any thread you begin, so it always helps to give as much information up front as possible (a helpful way is through an OOC thread) to be sure you will attract the kind of writers you want and the writers know what you are expecting from them. You can make it a scripted format (which means you will have to be in touch with all the players that join to discuss the specific scriptline), semi-scripted (which means you and your players can be a little looser with the plotline) or open to anyone (which means the storyline can go in almost any direction, including one you never wanted).

It all depends on how serious an RP'er you are. The moderators of this forum are always available to help you in anyway we can....we're just a private message away. Call on us anytime if you need more help.

And welcome to the forum!!!

berethedhellen
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
ladygaladrielrox
Council Member
Posts: 183
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: August 06, 2006 03:09
Quick question, what happens if I want to close down an old RP that nobody posts in anymore?
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: August 06, 2006 09:42
You contact one of the moderators and request that it be closed and 'poof' , it will be locked against any further posts. If you'd like to pm me, and let me know which thread you are referring to, I will take care of it immediately.

BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
Almerúvë
Council Member
Posts: 118
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: February 26, 2008 05:15
This guide is very helpful, I just wanted to say that
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: February 26, 2008 10:05
Almerúvë and all other newbies to the RPG Forums............

We moderators are glad if you find this helpful but please bear in mind that the original post was written four years ago. While much of it is still applicable, much has also changed since then with regard to the Rules and Guidelines.

We suggest that you read this thread (particularly the first post by Faramir's First Kiss) with that in mind and then go to the Rules and Guidelines at the top of each of the three RPG forums for updated information.

Thank you.
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
BabidiBuu
Council Member
Posts: 112
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: January 16, 2009 07:36
Thank you so much for making this guide, I'll probably be re-reading it alot before i start RP-ing though. But i have two quick questions: Is it okay to make a character from the movies? And is there a little place to practice with RP-ing? Just wondering.
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: January 17, 2009 08:18
BabidiBuu....

If you take the time to peruse some of the threads that exist in the Totally Tolkien and Tolkien Related forums, you'll note that many of our players have used the characters from the books/films. It's certainly okay to play as Frodo or Legolas or any other of Tolkien's characters as long as you remember that you cannot change their descriptions/history/outcome in any way. What Tolkien wrote is what is..which is why most players create their own chars.

You can also check out the RPG data base HERE to get some ideas of the diversity of characters that have been created in the past. However, bear in mind, many were created when we still had NON-Tolkien threads which no longer exist.

As to getting your feet wet, you can wander into the Newbie Pub HERE to have a drink and a meal and talk to the pub keeper. That way the moderators can see how you RPG and catch any problems you might have before you go any further.

Then, by reading the rules at the top of all three forums, you can decide how you want to continue.

Welcome to CoE and the RPG Forums
BerethEdhellen, Moderator
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
BabidiBuu
Council Member
Posts: 112
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: January 17, 2009 11:06
Would that include Gothmog(He's on me avi ^_^) from Return of the King? I've seen two other Gothmog's that are being RP-ed as(one of them a Nazgul) and i kinda didn't want to have to many Gothmog's.
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: January 18, 2009 09:50
Neither of the two people who created the two Gothmog chars you are seeing in the DB have been on CoE in over 3 years. I think you can safely create your own without running across either of the two using theirs.

Please remember to read the rules and guidelines at the top of the three rpg forums, however, before you begin playing. And I would not use a Gothmog char in the Newbie pub. *smiles* But the rules and guidelines can also give you ways to join other rpgs or start your own, though I'd not recommend the latter unless you have a lot of rpg experience.
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
BabidiBuu
Council Member
Posts: 112
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: January 18, 2009 10:52
oky dokes, thank you so much. I'll still probably be reading alot before i start RP-ing though, thank you so much

[Edited on 18/1/2009 by BabidiBuu]
gwagadoeboe
Council Member
Posts: 61
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: October 29, 2010 04:45
thank you for this very helpfull thread,
however in one part of the 'how to create a character'-section,
you're refering to two other threads about making characters.
the second thread you're refering to, doesn't exist anymore.
BerethEdhellen
RPG Moderator & Mistress of the Sea
Posts: 3098
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Everything you need to know about RPGs on Council of Elrond
on: October 29, 2010 07:28
gwagadoeboe

You may not have noticed that the original post was made in 2004. A lot has changed in CoE since then. Even in the past couple of weeks the entire board index was restructured and we now have a chat bar. We left the earlier post above here as it does contain a lot of helpful info, but there are newer threads that apply now.

If you want to be up to date on the current rules and guidelines, please go to the top of the three RPG forums (OOC, TR and TT) and read the posts there, particularly "One Rule to Rule Them All" and " NEW-Guidelines to TR - LOTRO advisory added** PLEASE READ THIS!" These are the two most important for current posting and the ones you must abide by if you wish to RPG here on CoE.
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
LithonielGreenleaf
Council Member
Posts: 23
Send Message
Post
on: April 01, 2014 10:39
The Guidlines above are really good. Very helpful.
El sila erin lu e-govaned vin. (A star shines on the hour of our meeting)
Members Online
Print Friendly, PDF & Email