Post by Wyndlily Sharphowl on Oct 6, 2009 16:16:19 GMT -5
Today, I hosted an informal new player orientation in my office for several players who are relatively new to FSF, or horse roleplay in general. I wanted to post a portion of the logfile because I think that a lot of people could benefit from reading it.
I will certainly host these in the future because I think several participants learned a lot from it.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this orientation is to teach you guys about some of the "unwritten rules" at FSF. How to fit in, how to make friends, how to get taken seriously.
First, I want to thank you all for coming to orientation and I want to thank you all for coming to FSF in the first place. I want to remind you that we all started out somewhere. All of the people out there sitting at the OOC table were once new, too. So don't feel bad about not knowing things, or having questions, or making mistakes.
I'm hoping that you'll learn some things at orientation today that will help you fit in, find friends, and get an owner.
USING THE FORUMS
The forums are extremely important. The official rules are posted here, which you MUST read if you have not already. They are pretty easy to remember and rather straightforward.
Everyone should have an account on the forums if you do not already. You need to have an account in order to do anything, such as introduce yourself, post a "for sale" advertisement, or apply for a stall (boarding).
You should set your display name on the forums to whatever your name is on Furcadia. For example, my name is Wyndlily Sharphowl, so my display name is Wyndlily Sharphowl.
After you have signed up for and confirmed your account, you can change your display name by clicking on the link at the top of the page that says "Profile". (Shortcut: click here.) Then, click the link that says "Modify Profile" and then you can change your display name.
REALISTIC CHARACTER CREATION
Now I want to talk to you about creating a realistic horse character. I am going to bring in two of my alts to demonstrate some things. Everyone, please click on the two horses next to me: Devonshire and Royal Assault. Please read their descriptions carefully.
(You see Devonshire.)
The nearly-white Thoroughbred sported a fuzzy winter coat, diluting his 'fleabitten' dots to small smudges on his lithe frame. The gelding's mahogany eyes glanced to and fro, always on the lookout for mischief to get into. Even though it had been over a decade since Devon had been a frisky colt, he never lost his youthful attitude. Long, lean legs supported a moderately-toned body; it was clear he was well cared for, but that some effort would be required before he was back 'in the ribbons'. (1997 TB gelding) (For Sale) (FSF)
(You see Royal Assault.)
Long finished racing, the transition from athlete to retiree had been a tough one. His once rock-hard physique had softened dramatically, and although well-kept, he was not as polished as his stablemates who had gone on to illustrious show or stud careers. Regardless, the thingyy chestnut Thoroughbred stallion held himself with an air of confidence. He was an attractive horse; tall, white stockings graced long legs that had carried him to many finish lines in his successful career, and the platinum stripe gracing his forehead called attention to his noble features. >2001 TB stallion< >For Sale< >FSF<
Let's point out a few things that make them fit in here at Four Star Farms. First off, their colors are realistic. Devonshire is a fleabitten gray. Royal Assault is a chestnut. Their colors match their descriptions. They look like a real horse, just miniaturized!
Secondly, their names are capitalized, just like a real horse's show name or barn name would be. If your character's name isn't capitalized, you can e-mail support@furcadia.com with your character's name and they will fix it for you.
You will notice that both horses have a description. A few months ago I wrote an article on how to write a good description. You should all read it. Click here to read it.
You will notice both characters have a minimal amount of stuff in (parenthesis) at the end of their descriptions. The only things that are necessary are the owner's name or "for sale". You can, as I have done, add the year of birth, the breed, and the gender (mare, stallion, gelding, colt, filly). That's it.
Things that DON'T belong in your description are your likes/dislikes, training, habits, and other tendencies. Now is also a good time for me to mention that horses in captivity do not have "mates", nor are they 'claimed' by a stallion, nor do they have a harem of mares that they keep. Those things are appropriate for wild horse roleplay, not for domestic horse roleplay. FSF only allows domestic horses.
Some of the things I just mentioned -- likes, dislikes, fears, etc. are actually a good thing to have. However, they belong on something like a website, not in your description. It's good that you've considered what sort of things your character does and does not like. It adds dimension. So don't feel bad about having that stuff -- it's good, it just doesn't belong in your desc.
QUESTION: Descriptions are only meant for a brief look at your character, right? So, it doesn't have to be extremely long?
ANSWER: Correct. All three descriptions you see up here -- Mine, Devonshire's, and Royal Assault's, are all using about 2/3 of the allotted space. So don't feel like you need to pack everything in there.
QUESTION: Can you say you were from the wild or something? 'Cause that's where I'm from.
ANSWER: Yes, but that only makes sense if you are a mustang or Chincoteague/Assateague pony, or something similar, okay?
ROLEPLAYING
Okay, next we're going to talk about roleplay posts. I'm going to have both of my characters post their sample roleplay posts from their boarding applications. Please read them carefully.
Royal Assault tossed his head wildly after hearing the click of the lead rope. Now loose in the paddock, he trotted several paces forward with his tail nearly perpendicular to his spine. Obviously feeling quite full of himself, he launched himself forward, throwing his head between his forelegs in order to buck.
Devonshire pricked his ears, shuffling to the front of his stall. Footsteps had caught his attention and now he yearned to see who was responsible for them. The gelding peered between the stall bars, hoping to spy a familiar face.
The number one problem I see with new roleplayers is that they try to fit too much "stuff" into a single post. You need to give the people around you a chance to reply to each movement that you do. Let me give an example of a BAD roleplaying post on Devon, and I will explain why it is bad.
Devonshire approached the furre and nibbled on the ends of her hair. He then turned away from her and walked to the back of his stall. Then he looked out his window and saw the horses outside. Then something spooked him and he reared.
The issue is that I didn't get a chance to respond to those actions individually. What if, when Devon approached me, I wanted to tell him he was a good boy and take a treat out of my pocket and give it to him? Because he put four different actions into one roleplaying post, I don't have the opportunity to do that anymore. He has limited my options in an unfair manner. If you roleplay like that, it will really upset the people around you.
This is also a reason why it is often a good thing to keep your roleplay posts short, around 3-5 lines long. It keeps the roleplay moving faster, it's more dynamic, and the people around you have the opportunity to pick up on 'the little things'.
QUESTION: How many actions should/could be piled into one post? Also, what if you seperated them with, "waiting for a response, only to turn and brush her hair" or something similar?
ANSWER: As a general rule, any time you start to type "waiting for a response", just hit send. There's no set limit as to how many actions could/should be piled into one post because it totally depends on context. As a whole, the fewer actions, the better.
For example, if I was roleplaying Wynd right now, and I had someone sitting with me at the desk, I might do the following actions: take a pen out of the cup on my desk, sign a piece of paper, blow on it to dry the ink, and then offer the paper and pen to the person in front of me. That's four actions, but they're all very minor. I wouldn't expect someone to have a significant reaction to me taking a pen out of the cup on my desk.
QUESTION: So, several minor actions are okay, but several major actions is a bit too much?
ANSWER: Exactly. If you're doing something that you think someone else might want to do/say something about, then stop there and hit send.
QUESTION: when ur rping is it ok to do things like this: u, ur, (you know I M chat? or does it hav to be complete sentences?)
ANSWER: It is -never- okay to use IM chat at FSF. We allow abbreviations such as AFK, BRB, GTG, but only in the OOC area. u, ur, etc. are extremely informal and are not appropriate here.
This brings me nicely to my next point. All of your posts, as well as your description, should be spell-checked and have proper punctuation and grammar. A mistake here or there is okay, but you should be making a serious effort to have close-to-perfect spelling and grammar.
Remember that you can write RP posts and descriptions in MS Word or a similar program, use the grammar and spellcheck functions there, and then copy it into the game.
Also, dictionary.com is your friend. I admit, I use it all the time! My spelling is pretty good, but whenever I am unsure, I use dictionary.com to check. On that note, Google is an excellent resource for learning more about horses. You should always be trying to learn. Whenever you see something mentioned in a roleplay or description that you don't understand, try looking it up on Google or even Wikipedia.
COMMENT: i OWN horses... i already know all i need to
ANSWER: By saying that you know all you need to know, you're limiting yourself.
QUESTION: Do I have to do the punction?
ANSWER: You should be using proper punctuation, yes.
QUESTION: Taking your time is important, right? Not too much, but not too little.
ANSWER: You want to post in an efficient manner. Be quick, but don't rush.
FINDING AN OWNER
If you're practicing all of the things we've discussed so far, it will be pretty easy to get an owner. To recap, here is the "cliff notes" version of what you need to do to be taken seriously around here:
Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Avoid chatspeak. Have realistic colors. Make a description that describes your character and has a minimal amount of information in parentheses. Keep your roleplay posts short and sweet. If you don't know something, look it up.
The best way to get an owner is to advertise your character on the "For Sale" section of the forums. Be sure to read the post entitled, "Rules and Guidelines for Posting Here" before you post. There are rules that you need to follow or your post will be deleted and you will get into trouble.
We also try to host auctions here on a semi-regular basis. There is one tonight at 5:30 PM FST. (That's in 2 hours.) Make sure you READ the post that advertises the auction. It explains what you need to do.
We are always willing to help you out if you have questions, but we get very frustrated if the answer is in the post and you're just too lazy to read it.
It is never appropriate to whisper someone and ask if they will own you. People don't want to be bothered, and it makes you sound annoying and desperate.
Occasionally someone will offer to buy you after they have roleplayed with you a few times, so it can be beneficial to roleplay with a lot of people and get your name out there. People usually don't want to buy a horse they've never seen or never roleplayed with.
SUMMARY: Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Avoid chatspeak. Have realistic colors. Make a description that describes your character and has a minimal amount of information in parentheses. Keep your roleplay posts short and sweet. If you don't know something, look it up.
I will certainly host these in the future because I think several participants learned a lot from it.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this orientation is to teach you guys about some of the "unwritten rules" at FSF. How to fit in, how to make friends, how to get taken seriously.
First, I want to thank you all for coming to orientation and I want to thank you all for coming to FSF in the first place. I want to remind you that we all started out somewhere. All of the people out there sitting at the OOC table were once new, too. So don't feel bad about not knowing things, or having questions, or making mistakes.
I'm hoping that you'll learn some things at orientation today that will help you fit in, find friends, and get an owner.
USING THE FORUMS
The forums are extremely important. The official rules are posted here, which you MUST read if you have not already. They are pretty easy to remember and rather straightforward.
Everyone should have an account on the forums if you do not already. You need to have an account in order to do anything, such as introduce yourself, post a "for sale" advertisement, or apply for a stall (boarding).
You should set your display name on the forums to whatever your name is on Furcadia. For example, my name is Wyndlily Sharphowl, so my display name is Wyndlily Sharphowl.
After you have signed up for and confirmed your account, you can change your display name by clicking on the link at the top of the page that says "Profile". (Shortcut: click here.) Then, click the link that says "Modify Profile" and then you can change your display name.
REALISTIC CHARACTER CREATION
Now I want to talk to you about creating a realistic horse character. I am going to bring in two of my alts to demonstrate some things. Everyone, please click on the two horses next to me: Devonshire and Royal Assault. Please read their descriptions carefully.
(You see Devonshire.)
The nearly-white Thoroughbred sported a fuzzy winter coat, diluting his 'fleabitten' dots to small smudges on his lithe frame. The gelding's mahogany eyes glanced to and fro, always on the lookout for mischief to get into. Even though it had been over a decade since Devon had been a frisky colt, he never lost his youthful attitude. Long, lean legs supported a moderately-toned body; it was clear he was well cared for, but that some effort would be required before he was back 'in the ribbons'. (1997 TB gelding) (For Sale) (FSF)
(You see Royal Assault.)
Long finished racing, the transition from athlete to retiree had been a tough one. His once rock-hard physique had softened dramatically, and although well-kept, he was not as polished as his stablemates who had gone on to illustrious show or stud careers. Regardless, the thingyy chestnut Thoroughbred stallion held himself with an air of confidence. He was an attractive horse; tall, white stockings graced long legs that had carried him to many finish lines in his successful career, and the platinum stripe gracing his forehead called attention to his noble features. >2001 TB stallion< >For Sale< >FSF<
Let's point out a few things that make them fit in here at Four Star Farms. First off, their colors are realistic. Devonshire is a fleabitten gray. Royal Assault is a chestnut. Their colors match their descriptions. They look like a real horse, just miniaturized!
Secondly, their names are capitalized, just like a real horse's show name or barn name would be. If your character's name isn't capitalized, you can e-mail support@furcadia.com with your character's name and they will fix it for you.
You will notice that both horses have a description. A few months ago I wrote an article on how to write a good description. You should all read it. Click here to read it.
You will notice both characters have a minimal amount of stuff in (parenthesis) at the end of their descriptions. The only things that are necessary are the owner's name or "for sale". You can, as I have done, add the year of birth, the breed, and the gender (mare, stallion, gelding, colt, filly). That's it.
Things that DON'T belong in your description are your likes/dislikes, training, habits, and other tendencies. Now is also a good time for me to mention that horses in captivity do not have "mates", nor are they 'claimed' by a stallion, nor do they have a harem of mares that they keep. Those things are appropriate for wild horse roleplay, not for domestic horse roleplay. FSF only allows domestic horses.
Some of the things I just mentioned -- likes, dislikes, fears, etc. are actually a good thing to have. However, they belong on something like a website, not in your description. It's good that you've considered what sort of things your character does and does not like. It adds dimension.
So don't feel bad about having that stuff -- it's good, it just doesn't belong in your desc.QUESTION: Descriptions are only meant for a brief look at your character, right? So, it doesn't have to be extremely long?
ANSWER: Correct. All three descriptions you see up here -- Mine, Devonshire's, and Royal Assault's, are all using about 2/3 of the allotted space. So don't feel like you need to pack everything in there.
QUESTION: Can you say you were from the wild or something? 'Cause that's where I'm from.
ANSWER: Yes, but that only makes sense if you are a mustang or Chincoteague/Assateague pony, or something similar, okay?
ROLEPLAYING
Okay, next we're going to talk about roleplay posts. I'm going to have both of my characters post their sample roleplay posts from their boarding applications. Please read them carefully.
Royal Assault tossed his head wildly after hearing the click of the lead rope. Now loose in the paddock, he trotted several paces forward with his tail nearly perpendicular to his spine. Obviously feeling quite full of himself, he launched himself forward, throwing his head between his forelegs in order to buck.
Devonshire pricked his ears, shuffling to the front of his stall. Footsteps had caught his attention and now he yearned to see who was responsible for them. The gelding peered between the stall bars, hoping to spy a familiar face.
The number one problem I see with new roleplayers is that they try to fit too much "stuff" into a single post. You need to give the people around you a chance to reply to each movement that you do. Let me give an example of a BAD roleplaying post on Devon, and I will explain why it is bad.
Devonshire approached the furre and nibbled on the ends of her hair. He then turned away from her and walked to the back of his stall. Then he looked out his window and saw the horses outside. Then something spooked him and he reared.
The issue is that I didn't get a chance to respond to those actions individually. What if, when Devon approached me, I wanted to tell him he was a good boy and take a treat out of my pocket and give it to him? Because he put four different actions into one roleplaying post, I don't have the opportunity to do that anymore. He has limited my options in an unfair manner. If you roleplay like that, it will really upset the people around you.
This is also a reason why it is often a good thing to keep your roleplay posts short, around 3-5 lines long. It keeps the roleplay moving faster, it's more dynamic, and the people around you have the opportunity to pick up on 'the little things'.
QUESTION: How many actions should/could be piled into one post? Also, what if you seperated them with, "waiting for a response, only to turn and brush her hair" or something similar?
ANSWER: As a general rule, any time you start to type "waiting for a response", just hit send. There's no set limit as to how many actions could/should be piled into one post because it totally depends on context. As a whole, the fewer actions, the better.
For example, if I was roleplaying Wynd right now, and I had someone sitting with me at the desk, I might do the following actions: take a pen out of the cup on my desk, sign a piece of paper, blow on it to dry the ink, and then offer the paper and pen to the person in front of me. That's four actions, but they're all very minor. I wouldn't expect someone to have a significant reaction to me taking a pen out of the cup on my desk.
QUESTION: So, several minor actions are okay, but several major actions is a bit too much?
ANSWER: Exactly. If you're doing something that you think someone else might want to do/say something about, then stop there and hit send.
QUESTION: when ur rping is it ok to do things like this: u, ur, (you know I M chat? or does it hav to be complete sentences?)
ANSWER: It is -never- okay to use IM chat at FSF. We allow abbreviations such as AFK, BRB, GTG, but only in the OOC area. u, ur, etc. are extremely informal and are not appropriate here.
This brings me nicely to my next point. All of your posts, as well as your description, should be spell-checked and have proper punctuation and grammar. A mistake here or there is okay, but you should be making a serious effort to have close-to-perfect spelling and grammar.
Remember that you can write RP posts and descriptions in MS Word or a similar program, use the grammar and spellcheck functions there, and then copy it into the game.
Also, dictionary.com is your friend.
I admit, I use it all the time! My spelling is pretty good, but whenever I am unsure, I use dictionary.com to check. On that note, Google is an excellent resource for learning more about horses. You should always be trying to learn. Whenever you see something mentioned in a roleplay or description that you don't understand, try looking it up on Google or even Wikipedia.COMMENT: i OWN horses... i already know all i need to
ANSWER: By saying that you know all you need to know, you're limiting yourself.
QUESTION: Do I have to do the punction?
ANSWER: You should be using proper punctuation, yes.
QUESTION: Taking your time is important, right? Not too much, but not too little.
ANSWER: You want to post in an efficient manner. Be quick, but don't rush.
FINDING AN OWNER
If you're practicing all of the things we've discussed so far, it will be pretty easy to get an owner. To recap, here is the "cliff notes" version of what you need to do to be taken seriously around here:
Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Avoid chatspeak. Have realistic colors. Make a description that describes your character and has a minimal amount of information in parentheses. Keep your roleplay posts short and sweet. If you don't know something, look it up.
The best way to get an owner is to advertise your character on the "For Sale" section of the forums. Be sure to read the post entitled, "Rules and Guidelines for Posting Here" before you post. There are rules that you need to follow or your post will be deleted and you will get into trouble.
We also try to host auctions here on a semi-regular basis. There is one tonight at 5:30 PM FST. (That's in 2 hours.) Make sure you READ the post that advertises the auction. It explains what you need to do.
We are always willing to help you out if you have questions, but we get very frustrated if the answer is in the post and you're just too lazy to read it.
It is never appropriate to whisper someone and ask if they will own you. People don't want to be bothered, and it makes you sound annoying and desperate.
Occasionally someone will offer to buy you after they have roleplayed with you a few times, so it can be beneficial to roleplay with a lot of people and get your name out there. People usually don't want to buy a horse they've never seen or never roleplayed with.
SUMMARY: Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Avoid chatspeak. Have realistic colors. Make a description that describes your character and has a minimal amount of information in parentheses. Keep your roleplay posts short and sweet. If you don't know something, look it up.