forum rp guide
To start this off, I just want to say that I’m in no way a profession (but really, this is roleplay, I don’t think there are profession rpers??). I’ve been roleplaying on forums since I was really young and I’m an old lady now, so I definitely have experience. I felt like making this guide because I know there are a lot of tumblr roleplayers that feel anxious about trying forum rps. This is just a rough, all-over-the-place guide for understanding and getting started.
Forum Roleplaying is quite different from tumblr roleplaying and can seem daunting to anyone unfamiliar. I have no idea how else to go about this, so I’m going to start from the beginning.
QUICK VOCABULARY
forum - forum can be used to talk about the site as a whole. but more commonly when someone says ‘forum’ in conversation, they are referring to a category on the site that when clicked on then reveals threads that are within that single forum.
sub forum - a sub forum is just that. a forum within a forum. often used for further organization.
thread - a thread is a post and all it’s replies. in chronological order from the first post created to the last.
membergroup(s) - membergroups are how characters are categorized. many rp sites use personality types to do this. some use neighborhoods. say the site is set in a city with four neighborhoods. the membergroups may be those four neighborhoods and each character is in the membergroup that they live in. there are so many ways to organize characters into membergroups. this can help with plot ideas or general organization.
Finding a Forum Roleplay
There are a lot of advertising tumblrs aimed at helping roleplayers find a forum to call home. My favorite is allthingsroleplay. There you can search by genres to find something you’re interested in. There are all kinds, just like there are all kinds of tumblr rps. I can be pretty shallow when it comes to finding a new site to roleplay on. I just can’t get super into a site that has clashing colors or grainy graphics. That’s not to say there can’t be an excellent site out there with bad visuals. That’s just strictly my preference: a beautiful site with a great plot and welcoming members.
Getting Started
Once you have found a site that you’re into, you can read the rules, plot, setting, membergroup info, etc to make sure it is the right place for you. Generally, those important reads are found toward the top of the site. There are usually even links beneath or above the site banner or in the topbar ( the bar across the top of the window that nowadays is often fixed there and remains in the same location as you scroll. ) It is important to read the rules to know what is allowed/not allowed on the site. Most are very common sense rules; #1 forum rp rule is always ‘don’t be a dick.’ Of course, you want to also familiarize yourself with the setting and plot of the site.
Once the required reading is complete, people usually want to browse the face claims in use. Most forum roleplays ( with the exception of sandbox sites or anime sites ) only allow one person to use a certain face at a time. Of course there is twinning but you get the idea. If you’ve decided that this site is where you want to settle your character, make sure to reserve your preferred face. Be certain that you’re not trying to reserve a face that is already claimed by someone else. To reserve a face ( and later after acceptance, claiming a face ) you will have to copy/paste a code within the face claim list. The code to copy paste will be titled something like “TO RESERVE A FACE” or something like that and the code will look something like
<blockquote><b>face claim</b> is reserved for <i>alias</i> until <b>##:## am or pm</b></blockquote>
You want to make sure you copy all of that, from the first < to the last >. You would fill it out appropriately and paste it in a reply to the same “thread” where the face claims are. This will save your face claim for you while you create your character.
You can either reserve your face before registering an account or after. It doesn’t really matter either way. When registering your account, make sure you know the rules. Some sites want you to register with your character’s first and last name in proper capitalization. John Doe. Some want you to use all lowercase letters. That should be in the rules that you read when first investigating the site.
Character Application
There are different kinds of applications depending on the site you’ve chosen. Some require a traditional application, where you write about your character’s past, their appearance, their personality, etc. Many use shipper applications, which is when you discuss your character’s friendships, romantic life, enemies, and how they may connect with other characters.
If you’re stuck on this part, feel free to browse accepted characters on the site to get a feel for what is asked of you when applying.
Typically on forum roleplays, there will be a “forum” for completed applications and a separate one for unfinished applications. If you haven’t finished your application but you want to go ahead and post it, you should post in the unfinished section and come back to it to finish up when you can. Once you’ve finished, most sites just ask that you reply to your own application with something like, “i’m finished.” or “i think this is ready to go.” This is referred to as a bump. You’ll often see someone saying things like, “You can only bump your request once every three days.” or “If you’re finished with your app you can bump it so the admins see that you’re done.” That’s what they’re talking about when they say that.
After Your Application is Accepted
If the admins feel that your application needs a little more for them to get a full grasp of your character, your application may be pended and a message sent to you. Try not to take this as an attack. This is just an opportunity for you to dig deeper and get to know your character even more than you already do. A good admin will let you know what part of your application could use some more meat and may even give you advice/suggestions if you ask. Everyone gets a pended application at some point or another. Don’t fret.
Once you get the glorious stamp of approval your application will be moved to the accepted forum. This is where you will plot with other characters. Don’t get over eager yet though. After acceptance it is important to make all your claims. You’ll need to go post in the face claim thread with the appropriate code, even if you reserved the face before. A reserve is not endless and will run out. If you don’t want to risk losing your face you MUST go update your claim. Many sites also have a member directory claim, which usually allows you to give a short blurb about yourself and lists your characters so everyone knows who plays which characters. Sometimes there is even an occupation claim so everyone can see their characters coworkers and this kind of claim can making plotting a breeze.
Once all claims are made, you can finally get into the really fun stuff. ( I personally really adore the character creation stage but plotting/writing is the best part of roleplaying obviously. )
Plotting
Plotting, like in all roleplays, is important to help you establish character interactions and relationships. To begin plotting on a forum, you need to find the forum where all accepted character applications have been moved. The applications are often categorized by membergroup. Read a character’s application to determine if that character is someone that yours would interact with in some way. When you have an idea all you need to do is post in the character’s application (also often called a shipper) with that idea.
Again, reading the replies on others will help you understand how plotting on a forum works.
Once plotting is established and you’re ready to start writing with someone it is time to start a thread. To do so you find the location that you want your thread to take place in. Say you want the interaction to occur in a house. There should be a forum titled ‘residences’ or ‘homes’ or something similar. You should go to that forum and find the button that says ‘new topic’ or ‘new post.’ When you’ve finished your starter you just hit submit and wait for the other person to tag you back in the same thread.
Tagging
I prefer jcink forums above all else, so I wanted to add in a bit about their alert system. On jcink forums you can tag your rp partner when you reply to a thread that you have together. You can do this by adding @[character’s username]
This will send them a notification that you have tagged them in your thread.
Have fun!
It might all seem complicated in the start but forum roleplaying really is a very organized fun way of roleplaying. It also doesn’t take long to pick up. You’ll find your way around in no time.
Please let me know if this was helpful to anyone or if you’d prefer I shut up. Suggestions are welcome. Let me know if screenshots would help this guide or if there is any area of forum roleplay that you would like more detail on. I’m here to help!
