OHSHC RP Help!

Welcome to the Ouran Host club~ Just kidding, this is actually Ouran RP Help! Your go-to guy for all your role playing needs, at least as far as the Ouran fandom is concerned! Questions? Concerns? Need some advice? Head on over to the ask box and we'll help however we can! NOTE: Any advice or suggestions given here are just that, suggestions! Not rules!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

You could post basic RP help. Defining g-d modding and such. And reblog neat things others have posted about creating characters and their development and such.

I've actually done some of that! Like my earliest posts are that basic kind of stuff.

But I didn't think of reblogging anything! So that's a good idea, thanks!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Out of Help...Literally.

Okay so as usual my first thought when I'm procrastinating replies is to come over to this blog and distribute some of my infinite knowledge to the masses.

And when I started this blog I felt like my knowledge really was infinite? Like I was so sure I had enough stuff to talk about to last through thousands of posts, and when that ran out you guys would keep me going with suggestions and reviews.

But apparently my knowledge ran out before I realized, that or I just can't think of what you guys might like to know. So that's why I haven't posted anything in like three days.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not, nor will I ever claim to be, an expert on role playing or themes or tumblr at all. I've just been at this for a while and figure I've got some tools of the trade that newer friends might not have.

Also I'm trying to think of nice ways to organize/tag things so you guys can find the stuff you want without having to click through pages and pages of blog.

So I'm not trying to whine or cry for help or anything guys I just want y'all to know what's going down and be patient with me while I gather some knowledge to share with you. But of course if you have suggestions or want a review or anything like that, I'm certainly not saying no.

As always the ask/submissions are open and if y'all could tell your role playing friends about my nifty little blog here that would be awesome. Thanks for putting up with me!

--Mod Q

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Ouran Role Play Help!

(Formerly Ouran OC Help)

Are you an Ouran role player? Would you like to be, but don't know how to start? Are you confused about something, and need some advice, be it about role playing or about Ouran specifically?

Well we've got just the thing for you! Ouran Role Play Help, a new blog by role players, for role players! We're here to help you in any way we can, so if there's something you need to know, just come to us!

Here's our About page for more information, and our ask is always open!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Making a bit of a bigger change!

Well I was writing one of those delightfully irritating tag-spamming promo posts to get the word out, and in it I wrote 'it's not just for OCs, it can help canon role players too!'

And so I was thinking, if this blog caters to more than just OCs, why is it Ouran OC help?

So, I'm changing it. From now on, this blog is Ouran RP help, and I'm here to help canons and OCs alike however I can!

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I am not currently in a position where I'm able to give reviews/critiques of canon portrayals.

Other than that, if  there's something I can do for any Ouran role player, you let me know!

--Mod Q

[ouranrphelp-blog]

PSA

Hey guys remember how I said that having an About page wasn't optional?

Well I'd like to share with you something else that isn't optional.

And that is known as reblogging as text. 

I put a nice neat little guide on how to do this right HERE with pictures and everything so there's no confusion. It also describes how to cut your posts, which is another non-optional tidbit. If there are any questions on how to do that, I'll make another picture guide later on.

Just remember that, because reblogging as a link is what is formally known as a formatting nightmare, and it makes it harder to cut posts, to see previous replies, and so on. Just don't do it. Reblog as text for the good of everyone.

Thank you.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

A Few Little Changes!

Okay I've tweaked the blog just a little bit, nothing too major, but just giving you guys a heads up.

The musical note button, formally linking to the About page, now links to the Submit page! Yes, submissions are open! I don't know what you guys would submit, but I'm open to whatever!

Now both the about page and the review guide are in the links under the description, but I'm thinking about condensing those two into one page. Not sure yet.

That's all for now!

--Mod Q

[ouranrphelp-blog]

The Ugly Truth

No matter how fantastic your OC is, you will never get as much attention as a canon role player of equal caliber.

It pains me to say it, as I've had more than my fair share of OCs in my time, but it's true. People are never going to be as inclined to ask your OC questions, find out how they'd react in certain situations, or even role play with them. They're just not.

And I know it's lousy, and that it's not fair because you work so hard on creating these fabulous, creative characters only for them to go unnoticed so often, but it's the way it is. So at the end of the day, you've got two options.

Either you learn to take what you can get and be happy with it, or you find a canon character to play. I hate it just as much as you guys do, I promise. This is an occupational hazard of being an OC role player, you need to be aware of this fact going in and accept it, or you're going to have a tough time.

So  at the end of the day, all you can do is try your best to make your character the best they can be and hope that you find some great people who love them as much as you do.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Okay, let's make sure this is nice and clear.

There is absolutely no excuse for not having an 'About' page for your OC.

Not one.

And for the excuses "I prefer others to get to know my OC through role play," or "People can ask me anything they want to know," think about this:

Some people will not think you're worth the effort.

I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. If they don't get a good idea of who they're following up front, they'll move on to find some OCs that will. Without knowing what they're getting into, there's a big chance that they won't bother to follow you, let alone get into an RP with you.

Now on my own RP blog, I'll follow every Ouran role player I come in contact with. (with some problematic exceptions) But of course not everyone is as follow-happy as I am, and even if they are, they're probably significantly more selective when it comes to role play partners. Your goal as a role player, and even further as an OC who will by default receive less attention than any given canon role player, is to find the people who will want to role play with you. That's why we're here, after all.

So your blog, in the means of your theme, posts, and this ever-important about page, all come together to be a sort of advertisement for you. You're trying to get people interested in a product, and that product is your writing.

And while of course you want to make this product look as desirable as possible, you also want to give an accurate depiction of it. That is, you want your potential partners to know exactly what they're getting out of this arrangement.

Imagine if you went to a store, and there was a blank can sitting there, no label, no way to know its contents, no nothing. Unless you were feeling particularly adventurous, you probably wouldn't buy that can. It's the same with your role play partners, some might feel adventurous, but most would prefer to know what they're getting before they get it.

That's why an About page is so important, and not having one is inexcusable. Trust me, it will work out better for everyone if you have that page.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

A Thought worth Considering

It's absolutely natural to want to defend your work when it is being criticized. You worked hard on it, and to hear that someone has problems with it can be hurtful and upsetting, no matter how good that person's intentions are.

It takes a lot of time and effort to be able to take criticism without defending, excusing, or getting upset. Heck, even professionals get upset now and again. However, here's something to consider.

If you have to explain something to a critic, be it a friend, family member, or someone like me who's reviewing your work, you're probably going to have to explain it to someone else along the way. Possibly many times, depending on how many people notice that little flaw/problem/inconsistency. Not everyone will, of course, and not everyone will think it's a problem, but even so, there will be critics everywhere when you have a creative work available to be viewed.

And I'm not saying you shouldn't explain it to the critic, it might make a big difference if the person can see it the way you do. But after you do, you should probably consider adding that explanation into the work somehow, at least in the case of writing/character bios.

Basically what I'm saying is, if you have to add/explain something after a person has reviewed your work, then you're probably not finished working on it. Go in, explain what you can, and take constructive criticism when it's given, at least when you've asked for it.

That's just my two cents, take it as you will.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

/)O(\ I am far from saintly! Just a bit of a logics nerd ;w; Funny, seeing as how I decided to have a canon-related OC, urggg. I still love her though, who knows. Maybe one day I'll work on Kyou's lil cousin and send her in. Dunno, tho ;w;

Well I've said before that having a canon-related OC is very tricky business, and if you want to pull it off, you're going to have to put exponentially more thought into it than you would with any other character.

And remember, ALWAYS ask the permission of a role player before approaching them with a canon-related OC. Some canons don't want to role play with that sort, and you have to respect their decision.

If you do send her in, I'll do my utmost to help you with her!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Class anon here! Just wanted to say you're welcome c:

You are a saint seriously you have just saved people from more confusion than you can possibly imagine.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

hey. while i'm not criticizing your review or the character you reviewed at all, i just wanted to point something out (: with the character being 185lbs, at 5'10 1/2", that's not actually as high as you think it is. i'm 5'9" and weigh 223lbs, and it's really hard to tell i'm "pudgy". i've got curvy hips and a bit of a muffin top but if i was 1.5" taller, and 40 pounds thinner? that is easily an average and fairly "flat" weight, and there were plenty of canon bg charas much pudgier.just saying!(:

Well I based that assumption off of the results I got when running the height and weight through a BMI calculator, which says that Aurora is slightly overweight.

And I'm not assuming that she isn't "flat" in any way! I just said that her weight was a bit on the higher side, which it is. Most of the OCs I've come in contact with choose weights that are either on the lower healthy range or underweight, which she does not, and I was congratulating her on that.

If anything, she has a more realistic body type than a lot of OCs, I wasn't trying to suggest she was fat or anything of the sort!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

In Regards to Class Ranking

Okay, so in response to a previous ask, an absolutely wonderful anon has sent me a message describing the class system! Apparently this isn't official, but it might be considered fanon, so I think it's alright to share it! Thank you very much, Anon! I'm mostly copy/pasting what this person said, excluding parts not specifically talking about the classes.

A Class is considered the Elite, or Honor Roll; Haruhi being the only exception since obviously if she's going to be so special she got a scholarship why would they put the scholarship student in B C or D? Now D is typically low class, mostly Yakuza(mafia, essentially)

So they can afford to put their children through Ouran; but not necessarily have the high social standings that put them with the upper class. If I recall properly, the Teacup boy was Class B, who seemed to be one of if not THE biggest china supplier in the area. I don't think it's necessarily how much your family makes as long as you can afford it; it's their social standing. Was there a large scandal in their family that tarnished their name for three generations?

Perhaps they'd be shunned in to Class B or C; because their reputation is poor.

This is a great cheat sheet, I hope it helps you all!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Aurora Koga OC Review

Whoo, our first review! Let's get started.

Okay, I'm starting with the theme, while there's nothing inherently wrong with it, the background pattern is a little distracting. I suggest colourlovers to find more subtle, seamless patterns, I'm sure you can find one that suits your style! Otherwise everything's fine on that front, easy to read and easy to navigate.

Let me just say straight off, I love that Aurora's weight is a bit on the higher side. We see so few OCs with body types other than the traditional 'slender' or 'well-toned', so kudos to you for that!

A question, though. If her mother was married to her father, why doesn't she have her father's last name? Why is it Koga rather than Cortez? Otherwise, her history seems to check out okay.

Also, adding what class/year she's in might be beneficial, it can help other characters get an idea for how they might interact. Not a must, but consider it.

While I think her personality flaws are very realistic and go together pretty well, I'm not seeing many good traits? You might want to elaborate on those. Try to keep a balance of good and bad traits.

In regards to the part about wrestling with the twins, I don't think that's such a good idea. It's in everyone's best interest that when going up to a canon character, your character's interaction to this person prior to that initial role play has been entirely superficial. Such as brief exchanges over homework in the classroom, or being hosted by them. If you don't, it can make the canon in question feel a little forced into changing the way they would role play for you. Does that make sense?

I suggest defining her anxiety disorder a bit more specifically, do lots of research on her particular disorder, and maybe describe how it affects her daily life and so on. I recommend putting these in a separate post, perhaps you could put it in that headcanons page you're working on? It isn't a must, but I think it'd be beneficial to everyone involved. Make sure you know her disorder like the back of your hand, though.

The last thing, I'll admit, was really the first thing I wanted to address. This is an extremely high class school, and even in non-private schools they measure students for uniforms. Even if they do not have a single female's uniform that could fit her, which is extremely unlikely, I'm sure that a fancy school like Ouran could have one custom made for her. If you just really want her to wear a male's uniform, I think you need to come up with a better excuse than the size.

All in all, I think you've got a good character going here! Take my suggestions into consideration, and let me know if you have any questions.

[ouranrphelp-blog]

((Yay, the fanfics on fanficdotnet and it's called Send Me No Flowers, I'd send you the link but it won't let me. And you know the about page on my blog so critique away! Please be completely honest :) ))

Absolutely! I'll get it up as soon as possible!

[ouranrphelp-blog]

Do you think you could help with describing with how students would be separated into their class type? I understand there isn't really a rule but perhaps if we knew how successful a family's business or social standing had to be to get to Class A, that could be helpful. :] Thanks!

Hmmm. While I totally get how that would be helpful, that seems like it would be something of a headcanon for how Ouran works, and it'd be kind of pretentious of me to put a headcanon up and expect people to go by it, don't you think?

[ouranrphelp-blog]

((Critiques of characters would be nice))

Well let me tell you, I'd love to be able to do that! But until people come with requests, I'm stuck! It'd be rude of me to go find someone's character and review them without the mun's permission, don't you think?

Unless you're asking me to review your character, in which case I could do that if you'd like!