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Thread: A New & Returning Player’s RP Info Sheet

  1. #1

    Post A New & Returning Player’s RP Info Sheet

    Anarchy Online has a rich and immersive backstory where players can get involved. If you're a new player interested in finding out more about this community, or a returning player looking to jump back into the story, this thread will fill you in on some of the basics, and where to find more information.

    What is roleplaying?

    Roleplaying (aka RP) is the act of taking on a virtual character in an artificial environment and portraying them in their environment as a fully immersed, living participant of that world. Over all, it's like improvisational theater and something done for fun to add a bit more adventure, story and commentary to the game we're all experiencing.

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    Getting in touch:

    Official Forums:
    • The Fourth Wall – OOC Forum
      Found in the Community Forums section of the official game forums. This is the place for all out-of-character posts related to Anarchy Online story-lines and roleplaying.
    • Rubi-Ka Buzz – IC Forum
      Found in the Community Forums -> Rubi-Ka section of the official game forums. This is the place for all in-character story posts and announcements.
    • Editor News – IC Forum
      Found under Announcements on the official game forums. These are the IRRK, OTPC and FJRK news stories. Posts include ARK and players submitted stories posted by the Events and Community Relations teams of ARK.
      Any player response to the articles posted here should be in-character. Any OOC discussion of events and articles should be taken to The Fourth Wall.
    • Forum threads of note:
      • All in one info – A handy one-stop info list of player characters, RP orgs and events.
      • LTC Listing – A listing of all the ARK played long-term characters and the basic guidelines for interacting with them.
      • IC Connections & Contacts – A more detailed list of player characters, their skills/services and how to best contact them.
      • Beginners Guide: Storyline and Events - Older RP info thread, still contains a great deal of useful information even if it’s somewhat outdated now.


    In-Game chat bots:
    • RKrole – this is the currently running player-made IC-only roleplaying channel.
      Lore wise, it is an open communications channel/frequency that anyone on Rubi-Ka can connect to regardless of faction. Do remember that it is a public channel, so anything you say or do will be heard by everyone tuned in as if you were talking on public radio.
      To join, use: /tell rkrole !join
    • RKRoleooc – the player-made out-of-character chat channel used by many RPers
      Social channel for any and all out of character chatter, getting to know people and keeping in-touch. To join, use: /tell rkroleooc !join

    • Returning players may remember some of the other RP bots that were operating like RKRP & RKRPooc, and Channel 42. These are currently down.


    The == RP Tags:
    • /rp – This is a function in-game that allows you to flag your character with = marks around the name. It indicates that you are a roleplayer, either currently in-character or looking for contact and available for in-character interaction. Hitting /rp in-game will display your name as = Charactername =.


    In-Game Hangouts:

    These are not all of the bars and locations in-game, but the most commonly frequented ones when people are out looking for random RP encounters. If you do a circuit of the hangouts and don't spot anyone, you can always ask in rkrpooc to see if anyone is out and about or open to some random RP.

    Clan:
    • The Happy Rebel
      Located in Tir, it’s currently the most commonly used Clan-side bar. Populated mainly by Clan characters with the occasional brave neutral who is willing to risk the Sentinels rather fickle decision on whether or not they are shooting neutrals that day. If you want to camp someplace, this is probably your best option for Clan-only random RP. If you are neutral and heading to the Rebel, I recommend using the grid.
    • The Cup
      Located in West Athens, it's the 2nd most common Clan-side bar/coffee-shop and remembered by many old-timers as the main RP hangout. Currently mostly Clan, but more welcoming to neutrals than Tir. Its proximity to the grid occasionally brings in bored Omnis who are looking for contacts or just want to slum it in the Clan territories.


    Neutral
    • Newland City
      The seating area just outside of the Neuters ‘R’ Us bar and the stone benches under the satellite dish often see a cross-faction mix of characters. Here you can expect anything from conversation to the occasional gun fights that are quickly broken up by the local Militia. Often one of the best spots to find random RP and cross-faction RP.
    • Borealis
      The city is not often used for open-world RP, but it often hosts GSP parties and it is the location of Youny's bakery so it deserves a mention.


    Omni
    • Rompa Bar
      Located in Omni-Ent, it's considered the preferred off-duty Omni personnel hangout. Refined, clean and with excellent service as one would expect of an Omni establishment, it often hosts Omni-only meetings with department heads (aka LTC characters.).
    • Relax!
      Located just outside of Omni-Ent, it's a loud slum bar. Not commonly used for random RP, but occasionally sees LTC visits and it is a favorite hangout for off-duty officers who want to avoid running into their superiors.

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    AO Lore:

    • Rubi-Ka time line – For info on story relevant in-game events and pre-game lore history.
    • The Story So Far – A summary of the events leading up to what we see not in AO. Background on the Xan civilization, Earth and Rubi-Ka.
    • Prophet Without Honour – The Anarchy Online book, loved by some and hated by others, it’s a great source of AO history and lore. Download the book and give it a go.
    Last edited by Hilfy; Oct 29th, 2017 at 19:31:20. Reason: Updating information.

  2. #2
    The following is a summary / FAQ for those interested in RP but at times uncertain of the why and what for all that’s happening. Most of this information is based on the ARK RP Class held a few years ago. If interested, you can read the full log from that class >>HERE<<

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    The Basics

    Terms:
    • OOC – Stands for “Out of Character.”
      If you need to say something ooc, use brackets around your text to indicate you are speaking out of character. People most often use ((…)) or […]. Example: ((Phone’s ringing, brb!))

    • IC – Stands for “In-character.”
      When playing your character, most communication is assumed to be IC unless bracketed. Vicinity is always in-character while roleplaying; team chat varies, usually in-character unless the group agrees to use it as OOC.

    • LTC – Stand for “Long Term Character”
      For the most part, this is an Anarchy Online specific term. The LTC’s are ARK or GM controlled characters who populate the world of Rubi-Ka and take part in its ongoing story. You can identify them by the blue name and are likely to run into them walking around the cities or the grid. Most tend to wander through the same areas, which makes them easier to find; many LTC’s also use the RKRP chat channel.

      LTCs will never go out of character, which means they will reply and react to everything from the point of view of that character (including shooting player characters with minimal warning.) They can’t answer your questions about game development and they usually don’t give quests or hand out / drop phat loot.

      For more details on LTC’s see the forum post on The Fourth Wall: http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...n-amp-LTC-List



    Communicating with others:

    Character Information:
    It is usually accepted that a character’s name, faction and other information does not publicly exist floating above their character. That notion is bent a bit in AO where some people will play as if the information was available in a HUD overlay since the game mechanics provide us with name and faction. In general though, it’s polite to introduce yourself, and ask the other person their name and political affiliation.

    Spoken Communication:
    When speaking in character, try to use formal English as much as possible. Avoid internet abbreviations and leet speak; that means no lol, brb, “how r u?” or emoticons such as : D.

    • /say - Will communicate in a “normal” volume speaking voice heard by a group of people around you. Using the Cup as an example, it usually reaches across half the room or so. This is the voice used for most in-character communications and is always IC unless bracketed.

    • /shout - Will shout out and reach a wide-spread group of people, usually can be heard across the whole room. Often used when dealing with a large, widespread group assembled in one space. Also IC unless bracketed.

    • /whisper - A quiet vicinity comment where only those more or less within an arm’s reach of your character can hear you. This is at times buggy and can be affected by the items and game geometry of the space you are in. For instance, the person next to you on a bench can hear you, but the person sitting the same distance away on a table in-front of you will not. Again, IC unless bracketed.

    • /tell < character name> - Will be a private message sent only to one specific character. Tells often depend on the person, but since most characters in AO have some form of a communication device on them at all times it’s safer to default to tells as in-character communication unless otherwise specified.
      Not all use it, but to initiate and in-character tell, the message can be preceded with some indication that a private call is being made, like ::incoming communication request:: or <Call from So and So.> indicating that the message is in-character and giving the other player options for opening communication, taking the call or putting you to voice mail.


    Emotes:
    /me - Describes an action performed by your character. For the most part, a good emote involves only actions and details other people can see or observe.

    Example:
    A good emote would be:
    /me looks around, his expression confused, as he checks under chairs and tables.
    This emote gives a slight insight into the character through an observable feature, his expression, and describes what he is doing without answering why or stating what he is thinking while doing it.

    A poor emotes of the same situation would be:
    /me thinks this is all really stupid as he looks under chairs and tables for the Yalm keys he dropped an hour ago.
    This emote allows another player to gain mind-reading insight into a person’s character. It tells them what the character is thinking and details the reason behind why they are performing the action.


    The Big No-No’s

    Powergaming:

    Powergaming/Power Emoting/Godmoding is when an action against another character does not give the other character the freedom to react on their own. This may include, but is not limited to:

    • Declaring another character's actions without that person's permission.
    • Stating what happened to another person without the person's consent.
    • Presuming that your own attack or physical action against another person was successful without giving the person the chance to dodge or otherwise react.
    • Imposing emotional reactions or thoughts on a given person, thus giving that person no chance to react for themselves.
    • Declaring that all actions taken against your character have no effect.


    An example of a powergaming emote would be:
    /me punches and breaks <target's> jaw, then throws him to the ground and knocks him unconscious with a kick to the skull.

    A better way of emoting the action so it allows others to react would be:
    /me tries to punch <target>, aiming a right hook at his jaw

    When emoting actions that involve another character, it is best to use expressions that give the other player the opportunity to react. Things like /me tries to… or /me attempts to… will help open up the emote for others to react to the action as fit for their character.

    Meta-gaming:

    This is when you take IC action based on information gained through OOC means not accessible to your character. As a player, you might know something but that does not mean your character knows it. This may include information gained through:

    • Character story posts. These are usually not public background information that let your character know another character’s deepest secrets and motivations.
    • Social conversations about characters on an ooc channel.
    • Information given IC to one of your alts which you then use on another alt.


    Example:
    Your Clan character learns of a plot where the Clans are planning to attack an Omni Research facility so you get on your Omni character and warn people that this is about to happen.

    This would be considered meta-gaming since your Omni character would have no way of knowing the same information as your Clan character. Also, it’s usually considered in poor taste to use your own alts as cross-faction spies.

    Of course, there is some leeway in using OOC information IC.

    Example:
    You read an Editor’s News article on the forums and it talks about a character you recognize in-game. Since the articles are posted by in-character journalist, you can assume your character read the same news article on a grid-feed in the game and use it as a basis to initiate conversation with the other character. In this instance, the main issue is not whether you use OOC information, but how you use it.


    Jumping Right In

    Many people assume you need a very detailed, full character background or no one will roleplay with you. Not true! Often you can start with just the basic information, what I call the “Toddler Basics” of “What’s your name, how old are you, where do you live and who’s your mom and dad.” You can let your character grow from there.

    Full and elaborate backgrounds are useful if you’re roleplaying as siblings, or part of a group of characters who've known each other for years. If it’s just you, walking around and getting to know others you’ve just meet, the bare basics should be enough to get you started!
    Last edited by Hilfy; May 31st, 2017 at 20:49:31.

  3. #3
    Reserved space for future additions.



    Last edited by Hilfy; Oct 28th, 2015 at 23:51:20.
    Fya "Hilfy" Hill - Clan MA, RMR Ltd Security Officer :: Council of Truth's liaison to the ICC
    “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle anywhere, any time and with utter recklessness.”

    AO Roleplay: A New & Returning Player’s RP Info Sheet | All-in-One | IC Connections & Contacts

  4. #4
    Added information on the /rp tag function, as there seem to be a lot of people who have no idea what the rp flag is.

    ...and no /rp does not stand for "make my name really pretty."
    Fya "Hilfy" Hill - Clan MA, RMR Ltd Security Officer :: Council of Truth's liaison to the ICC
    “The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle anywhere, any time and with utter recklessness.”

    AO Roleplay: A New & Returning Player’s RP Info Sheet | All-in-One | IC Connections & Contacts

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Hilfy View Post
    ...and no /rp does not stand for "make my name really pretty."
    ...but... shiny...
    [Vicinity] Hilfy: Expecting?
    [Vicinity] Redtricks: Pregnant? No.

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