What makes a good RP sim become GREAT?

When you have your RP setup let me know. I would like to give it a visit.

I Roleplay in several places,
I also have helped develop "scenes" I come from the mind of a GM or story teller who throws out an event that can then spark the players to react to that event.
Then to actually watch and listen to the rp.
One of the biggest things in a 24/7 rp sim is communication and updates from the players and story tellers. how many times your in a sim and miss the major event. It is over and done with. No one talks about it. or a small scene takes place which the rp can be expanded on and the reason is people don't act like people. But want the next event.

I also agree rp tends to navigate to certain areas of a sim. The builds are great. But how much rp actually goes on the entire sim.


I think a story teller or GM's should treat them selves as NPC's ...
They are their to help push the story or events they want to players. I use my av with several looks to pull of NPC characters. Using Titlers, channel talkers.
I also feel that as a story teller you can rope people other players in to help they will have ideas and the goal is to listen.
I have played in to many sims that its almost like handing me a script.
and then using the term "cannon" I mean if i am playing in a star wars sim, i hope we are not stuck to what the movies have shown. We are the expanded universe of what ever show or movie you are rping. So yes we must not follow the show or we might as well just play the show.
I also don't like to see, players come up with some connection ohhh I serverd on enterprise and meet such and such character. these worlds are so huge make your person unique. Give them a personality a flaw a quirk.
I think the GM's and story tellers should help players in this.

I posted that i am thinking of a Weird Wild West rp .
I want to make it fun for shooters, and roleplayers...
I want a good looking build with good scenery and "props" but small and intimate.
Example, Western..think things will happen at a saloon..mostly where people gravitate too.
so they Saloon should be the most impressive prop you have.

I have seen some great builds out their in the sci-fi area but the roleplay i read from them are bad. So good toys and builds doesn't make good rp.

/me grins.

I will. I've got a pretty serious breakdown sheet of stuff, costs, things to offer, plans, etc. I'll shamlessly plug it, I'm sure (just a small plug!!!), when its all ready to go.

We gotta market and be out of the red with the table top hard copies and ebook first, before my plans of an epic SecondLife RP sim.

Very easy answer: good Rpers.

So many people come into a rp sim thinking they know how to get into character and then they fail to respect the basic rp rules.
People that never saw you before greeting you by your onw name...
Been cloaked and everybody knows who you are (nametag reading)
and a long etc..

The basic of a good comunity, rp or not is to comunicate and to have a team spirit. You dont have a team spirit when your ego makes you want to be diferent from everybody. When you want to have this particular so cool avatar you just bough, that nobody elses have but that, sincerely, dont fit into the background story.
When you are not realistic enough (withing the fantasy) because you want all the good things of diferent races or characters. You want to be as sexy as a drow but you want to fly to, so you become a Drae (drow dont mix with faes).
When you think to be glamourus by been a mix, you father been a dragon and your mother been an fae (i have a very hard time with this one, trying to picture the moment of conception).
People that cost what it cost dont want to be weak (most of all are in RL) People that feel that running away in a combat situation is been a coward (i would like to see those in a dark night in the middel of the BRONX surronded by big tattoated gansters see if they argue and pull their little knives on them)

Also the basic of a good comunity, again RP or not RP, is to be patiente with one another, to be understanding for each other faults, to be able to forgive and also to be able to say sorry when you make a mistake. Be frank, be direct but be diplomatic and tolerant.
and yes...be very patient...it gets very frustrating to have to explain over and over again, very basic stuff.
How hard can it be to try to miror every rp situation into real life situation? Beleive me, even within the fantasy, it is very easy to do.

I thought the answer was meat, but that turned out to be a huge lie.

After many years in RP in Secondlife and other Internet and non Internet RP, I have found that the biggest part of a good rp sim contains most of the following:

1. Research of the Character you wish to portray, as there will always be someone ready to pick holes in you.

2. Read the Sim background, how can you fit into a sim as a player if you do not know the ongoing story, you need all the help you can get when joining a RP community, so if its not written then dont be afraid to ask.

3. Remember the difference in a RP sim and a Combat sim. RP sims are not dictated by Combat and never should be. Unlike a combat sim where the aim is to kill as many people as possible.

4. Keep it believable... you need to fit in to an extent, individuals will be around but being a dragon in a mediaval sim does not make you an individual, proving that you should be there through good RP will do that, and will fit you into the role better than just saying 'I am a good Roleplayer with loads of experience'.

5. Take time to read the rules, they are there for a reason, and usually you will find it easier to fit in if you understand the mechanics behind the sims particular RP.

6. Never lose sight of the fact that there will always be someone quicker and better than you in many situations.

7. Pride, be proud of who your character is in a sim, live the part using your life experiences to aid your RP experience, adapting RL situations into RP. This way you wont be tempted to change character every other day because you think it isnt you, againif you had researched the role you would know before trying to play the character.

8. And most important, if you want to be treated politely then treat others the same way, behind every character is a real person with real emotions and feelings. NEVER lose sight of that.

9. A beautiful sim doesnt make good RP sim, but the members do, so be part of that group, actions in roleplay should always speak louder than OOC words.

10. ENJOY the roleplay, if you dont then why be there abusing others, and making a fool of yourself. If that is what you are doing then its time to move on and take a good look at yourself and read from no.1 again.

Thanks for all the great responses.

Here is a question regarding combat in an rp community.

I notice that many people who pride themselves on being great rpers do not like combat. I can fully appreciate this, because for many combat players, it is only about winning and losing.

My question is, what would be required to allow a combat oriented community to also have quality rp?

Well I guess
1) a good bar to brag about there recent victories
2) a headquarters to plan the next victory

Basically, two things.

1. A way in for those who are a bit shy/inexperienced about combat, virtual or otherwise...although other than encouragement/friendliness welcoming newcomers into it, you can really only address the practical aspects involved.

In other words, offer training sessions. Frequently. As in, weekly. Offer it at a different time each week so that there's a chance anyone in any time zone can go. Cover the basics involved in your combat HUD, meter, system whatever, as well as letting people practise, making it fun and inclusive, and offering feedback/encouragement.

I think a lot more people would be into combat if they knew HOW and knew it could be fun and mostly if they knew they could be good at it.

2. Something for the rest of the people to do.

For instance, jousting. I haven't attended a virtual joust, so maybe places already do this - but in a real joust didn't people also dine, cheer, bet, and didn't ladies offer their token to their favorite knight?

Most RP sims have the fighters and everyone else stands there and watches. Maybe the sim owner i.e. king and queen in the RP usually (rolls eyes) have a major part to play as well. Which is all well and good but rather boring for everyone else, especially factoring in lag. Watching grey or invisible people while the screen stalls and chat lags is not most people's idea of a thrill.

There are things appropriate to the RP for everyone to do; think of them and offer them, and send it in a *note card* not an announcement - a week ahead, a few days ahead and on the day. Announcements get shuffled through sometimes accidentally but a note card can be re-read.

Hope that helps.

Great ideas everyone. We do offer tons of training. The best suggestion is to give the audience something to do also. I have not addressed this properly yet.

Ours is a martial arts, boxing, and modern hand held weapons combat sim. There are no guns at all. Up until jsut recently my community was not an rp community, but simply a martial arts fighting community. I am in the process of creating a community that surrounds this theme now. These ideas have been very helpful.

Lack of lag and at least a facade that you arent just a money making operation.

There is a money making RP operation??? Where?!

lol I'm making pretty good money actually.

But yeah...that was never the reason to do what I do. I bled money for the first 8 months or so. I'm doing ok now.