INTRODUCTION TO ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

 

INTRODUCTION


If you have played the more conventional paper and pencil RPG's, you will find little difference in its online cousin. Though there are no dice, there is still a Game Moderator (GM) who controls the flow of the game. An experienced gamer will find it easy to flow right into the game, but should still read on.

If you have never played any type of Role-Playing Game (RPG), you will find this an easy game to learn. Playing an online RPG is similar to writing a story. In this case though, there are several authors contributing to the crafting of the story. One of the authors, the GM, is the one that sets up the basic plot line of the story and helps to keep it moving. For instance, a GM may say something like, "Your ship is ordered, by Star Fleet Command, to explore the Crab Nebula and discover why the USS Yamato has disappeared." From there, the players add their portion to the story. The GM will continue adding to the story, placing conflicts within the story to spice things up a bit.

Federation Space RPG is maintained for the enrichment and enjoyment of its members. To ensure that all players begin play with a certain mastery of the elements critical to gameplay we require all new members to attend Starfleet Academy.

Posting fundamentals are introduced here as well as beginning character development. The time spent in the Academy depends largely on how quickly the Cadet picks up on the skills. Also a factor is how much time the Academy Instructor has to spend with the Cadet. We strive to have replies posted for Cadets within three days. Unfortunately real life demands do not always allow this, and the Cadet should be aware that replies will sometimes take longer.

Alternative activities are provided in the form of the Academy Lounge/Cafeteria/Gardens where any player can post and interact with others. This is a great way to practice posting and interactions while waiting for your studies to move along.

One might wonder why all the formal training for a game? The answer is that for all players to be able to enjoy and interact with the various plots and each other and to serve with distinction on their assigned ships, it is necessary for us all to post in a manner that is easy and fun to read.

The better a player is able to put their ideas to words, the more enjoyable the experience is for everyone.

FORMATTING AND GRAMMATICAL RULES


There are a few simple rules to follow when filling out your posts. Simply follow the rules of writing to the best of your ability, with a couple of additions.

1) Enclose any radio or computer communications within brackets [ ... ].
2) Place spoken text in quotation marks "..."
3) Enclose any out of context ( OOC ) within a double equal sign. ==...==
4) Please don't use profanity. This page is not limited to adults. When posting on the message boards please treat other players with the same respect you would want to be treated with. Remember, we are here to have fun.
5) Though the message board software allows the posts to be formatted in different colors and styles, please post without formatting. The use of colored text is restricted to the Command Staff, GM's, and CO's.
 

OUT OF CONTEXT COMMENTS (OOC)


OOC comments are real life statements such as, "Hey Joe, how 'bout them Cubs." As a rule, OOC should be kept to a minimum. If you wish to talk to a person outside the context of the game, please get their email address and do it that way or use Hailing Frequencies or MSN Messenger. Those are free discussion areas where all of the conversations are Out Of Context.  Certain areas of Federation Space will conduct business primarily OOC. For example, Red Alert, Hailing Frequencies or some of the areas in Starfleet Academy.
 

COMPOSING YOUR MESSAGE


The body of your message should contain the actions, thoughts, speech, etc. of your character. Nobody is expecting Pulitzer Prize winning writing here. Our primary goal is to have fun. There is one hint, in particular, which could help you out when writing your messages. When you write out your message, try to use the five senses of taste, smell, sight, hearing and feeling when you give your description. This helps to make the scene vivid. Also, the readers don't know what your character is experiencing unless you tell them. As an example, lets look at the following sentence and see how it can be improved. Mike opened the door and walked down the stairs into the cellar. Notice the only sense used is sight. Only what Mike sees is described. Now lets look at the same text, phrased differently. As Mike opened the door, the mustiness of the cellar filled his nose. The stairs creaked loudly, protesting against the weight of his body. With each downward step, the temperature dropped and by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, goose bumps covered his skin. He felt an eeriness settle over him, and in the darkness of the cellar he became acutely aware of every sound.  It is not always possible to use all the five senses, but if you use them as much as possible, I think you will see your writing improve.
 

OPEN ROLE-PLAYING


When writing your messages, it is important to leave some things open-ended. As an example, here is a message that is NOT left open ended. Jake leveled his phaser at the Cardassian and pulled the trigger, vaporizing him instantly. Notice the finality. Here is the same message left open ended. Jake pointed his phaser at the Cardassian and pulled the trigger... Notice it doesn't say if the blast from Jake's phaser hit or not. It's left to the GM to decide what happens. Maybe the GM wants the Cardassian to survive to haunt the players at a later date. Remember, those characters not controlled by players, ARE controlled by the GM. Let the GM decide.

Another big mistake is to write in the actions of another players' character. Most people wouldn't take too kindly to someone writing a message that made their character do something they didn't want them to do, so please avoid doing that yourself. There will be times when you will need to write in some actions of other players characters to keep things moving, but these should be minor actions. Use your judgment and ask yourself, "If someone else wrote the same action for my character, would I be upset?"
 

PLOTS AND SUB-PLOTS

At Federation Space, a story is called a mission. A mission must contain a main plot. The main plot is what the story is about. For example, the USS Excalibur is ordered to cross the Federation-Romulan border in an attempt to acquire Romulan-cloaking technology. That’s your main plot. Main plots are controlled by the GM and the CO. It's their job to guide the main plot. The players should react to the plot by developing sub-plots. Though your mission should have only one main plot, it can have several sub-plots.

Sub-plots are secondary stories not necessarily related to the main plot line. The primary role of the sub-plot, at Federation Space, is to develop characters. In other words, a sub-plot should focus on a character and that characters perceptions of an event, which can and often includes the main plot. Sub-plots can center on things such as romance, family relations, personal problems, or anything else that gives the reader a clearer understanding of the character in question. Below are listed some plots and sub-plots, from the ST movies, to help clarify the difference between the two.

ST: First Contact
Main Plot: The Borg travel back in time to prevent First Contact.
Sub-plot: Picard’s hatred and desire for revenge against the Borg and how it affects his judgment.

ST: Undiscovered Country
Main Plot: The Federation and the Klingon Empire discuss peace.
Sub-plot: The relationship between Spock and Valarus and how neither truly understood the other.

ST: Wrath of Khan
Main Plot: A genetically engineered madman desires revenge against Kirk.
Sub-Plot: Kirks relationship with Carol Marcus and the son he never knew.

ST: Generations
Plot: A man desires to re-enter the Nexus
Sub-Plot: Worf gets promoted.

Notice, some of these tie in with the main plot, but others don't have anything to do with it. Your character BIO's should be  written so that you have some ideas on sub-plots. Remember, sub-plots, at Federation Space, are used to develop your character.

The biggest thing to remember here. If you are going to write something that is going to change or impact the main plot, ask your GM/CO before you post. If you are going to write a sub-plot focusing on how the main plot changed or impacted your character, more power to you! If there are any questions, please ask your GM/CO.
 

Continue to the next part
 

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