abstract
| - Good RP is about giving the other player lots of chances for spontaneous replies, furthering a plot both for the character and the MUSH as a whole. This means making poses that elicit a response from others. This doesn't mean you have to pose really long paragraphs to have a good scene and it doesn't mean every pose needs to be formatted, that is the players choice. However, there are some types of actions that should be avoided. First of all, actions that involve things another player can't react to, such as thoughts or an internal monologue. The best way to express your character's thoughts is by actions. If they don't like someone, they can wrinkle their nose when they look at them or have an evil glint in their eyes instead of “When Palpatine sees Luke he thinks: Man, I don't like good guys.” A lot of people have heard the term 'power-posing”. This is when one player poses an actions that restricts the actions of another player. The worst example of this is “Darth Vader shoots Luke; Luke is dead”. But, there are lots of other ways to pose and keep another player from acting, such as jumping in front of a bullet or physically restraining them during combat. These are mostly combat examples but this can happen in simple scene when one player assumes the outcome of the other person's actions in their pose. The best way to avoid this is to page the other player and ask permission, before posing. Another form of powerposing should be avoided when you are initiating roleplay: instead of just walking up to another character and talking to them, allow them to "pose into the scene" first and describe what their character is doing. Another valuable asset to RP that keeps things fair is Turn Order. This is especially necessary during combat. Typing +turn will show an order for people in a large scene to pose in combat. However, in some large non-combat scenes players may choose to ignore turn order so that the scene doesn't slow down while waiting for any one person. However, it is best, when entering a scene to wait for everyone else to pose before doing so again unless it is OOCly discussed otherwise. This keeps any one from feeling left out. As a final thought, remember realism. This is not a basics guide about how to be in tune with your character and react to the stimulus around them. Most people on DH have a good idea of how to RP but one caution that everyone should remember is realism. Take a step back every now and then to think about these things: Would my character do these things, based on his needs/motivations? Does this make sense in the Star Wars universe? Does this further the overall plot of the MUSH? And, does this action still show the other player OOC respect even if what I do IC is not? If we all have these questions in the back of our minds then everyone will have a better experience in their RP!
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