New to Roleplaying, please help!!!

[Blaeryn]

Okay so i have literally never roleplayed before. I mean of course everyone has when they were younger, even if we didn't call it roleplaying. However I haven't done it since i was I was like 10, so i'm a little rusty. Plus I'm a little self conscious about showing my creative side, always have been. However i think RP sounds really fun and I think it would be good for me to get passed my confidence issues. So, let's get to business. Here's my questions. What make's a good character? what should i know before playing? should i read up on lore, or learn as i go? if my roleplay sucks will i get banned? What other things should i know?

Thanks for the help guys!

[Wastrel]

1. Passion
2. The docs
3. Both
4. Nah, I can tell
5. Play in the south

[Barsook]

Make a warrior/ranger and join the Byn.

ETA: welcome to ArmMUD, can haz your boots?

[valeria]

What make's a good character?  

Putting a lot of thought into the person that they are and making sure they have some layers and depth.  Also maybe check out this article.

what should i know before playing? should i read up on lore, or learn as i go?  

Please do read at least the basic documents concerning the place you're making your character in and the culture in that area (I'd suggest Allanak or Tuluk), and the newbie helps.  Don't worry about making mistakes.  Learning is fun!

if my roleplay sucks will i get banned?  

No.  You might get feedback from staff and friendly advice.  But if you try to roleplay explicit scenes without getting consent you might get banned.

Pretty please use proper capitalization and stuff in game though!

What other things should i know?

Use the helper chat frequently.  They're an amazing resource.

[ShaLeah]

1. Passion
2. The docs
3. Both
4. Nah, I can tell
5. Play in the south

This. Wastrel, favorite newbie since 2013. Ready to steal that spot?

I'd only change #5 to play in Allanak or Tuluk.

[Marauder Moe]

Hi!

What make's a good character?

There are a lot of valid answers to this, but I think most important is be realistic and consistent.  Always think: what would a real person do in this situation?  Real people fear for their lives.  Real people sometimes mess up and make mistakes.  Real people feel anger, joy, sadness, etc.  Real people get tired and like to do things besides working and training.  If you always try to play as a real, living, breathing person inhabiting the strange land of Zalanthas, you'll do well.

what should i know before playing?

We have an excellent, newly-revamped website for the game: http://www.armageddon.org/intro/new_to_muds.php

All you need to know can be found there.  The intro sections are essential, but I encourage you to read as much of it as you can.

should i read up on lore, or learn as i go?

You should do both.

if my roleplay sucks will i get banned?

Absolutely not.  You only get banned for repeated, deliberate, and serious violations of the game rules.

What other things should i know?

I think the most important thing that isn't stressed enough is that you should play a human for your first character.  The other races (including half-elves) face significant discrimination in the largely human-dominated world of Zalanthas and are often treated unkindly.

That said, humans often treat each other unkindly too.  Do not take it personally if someone is unkind/mean/rude/cruel to you in the game.  They're not being mean to you, their character is being mean to your character.  They don't hate newbies.  It just means they are intentionally roleplaying a jerk (something that is not discouraged: we like our game to have lots of "bad guys").

You also should pick either Allanak or Tuluk as a starting location, as all the others have much lower player populations and fewer survival opportunities.  (The Labyrinth is outright dangerous)

Thanks for the help guys!

Good luck!

[Blaeryn]

Pretty please use proper capitalization and stuff in game though!

HAHA sorry I'm pretty young (21) so I grew up during the age of AIM!

[Barsook]

Pretty please use proper capitalization and stuff in game though!

HAHA sorry I'm pretty young (21) so I grew up during the age of AIM!

But you might get out that quickly.  I have myself.

[Blaeryn]

Lot's of good replies here! Thanks for all your help guys! 

[slvrmoontiger]

1) What make's a good character?
A: This is all relative to what you want for your character. I've seen good RP PC's that lasted for a few days RL and other's that have been around for RL years. Take some time to create a persona. Read the documents before creating a PC so you have some idea of what you might like to do. When you create your Bio make it as brief as possible and make sure it fits in line with the game. Set some goals for your PC, something simple as to find out IG such as: I want to find out about the different Bards in Tuluk. Things like that will help you to learn more about the game and also socialize with people.

2) What should i know before playing? Should i read up on lore, or learn as i go?
A: Read the documentation before you get started and yes reading up about lore of the location you plan to start in will be quite helpful. Try to learn as much as you can through documentation before starting the game it will be quite helpful.

3) If my roleplay sucks will i get banned?
A: No as others have stated the only thing that gets you banned is if you don't follow the rules, make sure you know them before starting the game. Also, like other have stated you might get help from staff on how to improve your RP. I remember getting an email from staff one time stating they were reviewing the logs of my character and discovered something I said that didn't fit with documentation. It was a friendly email and I appreciated it.

4) What other things should i know?
A: I saw a couple of posts here saying "Create a fighter and join the Byn." I would suggest that you read through the documentation on guild types you can use and pick the one that seems the most fun to you. Combat is one of the most difficult things in my opinion to follow in the game. But crafting is also difficult. There has been a lot of conversation going far back about people advising others to join the Byn. The Byn is NOT the end all be all. In fact I get kudos back on my RP and I've NEVER had a PC in the Byn. Personally I think people suggesting the Byn for new players is just because the Byn might not see much play current... Don't know and have no real way of knowing. But don't always listen to people when the first thing out of their mouths is Join the Byn. If you DO decide to join the Byn I suggest you create a character in Allanak.

Welcome to Armageddon!

[slvrmoontiger]

Oh forgot to mention a couple things I normally do...

1) Try to stay In Character all the time. OOC should be used ONLY for syntax help or needing to leave while in the middle of things because of something in RL.
2) USE the helpers chat. I've always gotten answers to my questions whenever I've used this. Though some of the answers might have not made me happy they were the right answers and the helpers will never steer you wrong.

[Barzalene]

I think the best rpers don't just seem real, they make other people feel like their pcs are real too.

At any rate - welcome. You'll like this, I think.

[Blaeryn]

Hey guys! One more thing. Can you guys tell me which docs you think are most important to read? Some are obvious, like the one on culture.  However there may be others that I miss. I'll be reading through them myself in the mean time but any help would be appreciated!

[slvrmoontiger]

Hey guys! One more thing. Can you guys tell me which docs you think are most important to read? Some are obvious, like the one on culture.  However there may be others that I miss. I'll be reading through them myself in the mean time but any help would be appreciated!

I would recommend to start with races read all of them even though you'll only pick one to play to start with. You'll be interacting with different races so its best to learn what they are like. Next read the guild and subguild help files this will help you decide what guild/subguild your PC will be in. I would then go through the FAQs and read all of them. Not sure if these are included but I would read the following as well: look, talk, tell, say, ask, emoting, emotes, command emotes, the way, psionics, contact, barrier, hitch, unhitch, rest, st, sleep, sit, then the rest depends on what guild you're going to be in. I'd also read the RP documents for all the races and for the guild/subguild you choose.

[Wastrel]

http://www.armageddon.org/intro/about.php
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/What%20You%20Know
Your race file
Your guild file
Your city file

Etc. Just go from one file to another, read one. See a related file, then read another. Repeat.

[ShaLeah]

Hey guys! One more thing. Can you guys tell me which docs you think are most important to read? Some are obvious, like the one on culture.  However there may be others that I miss. I'll be reading through them myself in the mean time but any help would be appreciated!

Mansa's Guide to Armageddon Fabulosity

[KankWhisperer]

Don't be chivalrous. Be some shade of asshole.

[slvrmoontiger]

Don't be chivalrous. Be some shade of asshole.

No don't listen to this. Be nice but in secret be a complete asshole. Let your asholedness (I don't know if that's a word but it sounded good) shine through slightly here and there. Don't just be a dick to be a dick. Be nice to people but be mean behind their backs. Conflict is fun, even though it tends to get you killed sooner or later.

[valeria]

Pretty please use proper capitalization and stuff in game though!

HAHA sorry I'm pretty young (21) so I grew up during the age of AIM!

I figured this was the case, which was why I brought it up.  I wasn't judging you for your board post It was just an FYI.  I've seen new players who have assumed that, because it's fine on message boards and in AIM, it's fine in-game.

[Barzalene]

Don't be chivalrous. Be some shade of asshole.

No don't listen to this. Be nice but in secret be a complete asshole. Let your asholedness (I don't know if that's a word but it sounded good) shine through slightly here and there. Don't just be a dick to be a dick. Be nice to people but be mean behind their backs. Conflict is fun, even though it tends to get you killed sooner or later.

Either. Both. Neither. Vary it up as feels interesting to play.

[ShaLeah]

Don't be chivalrous. Be some shade of asshole.

No don't listen to this. Be nice but in secret be a complete asshole. Let your asholedness (I don't know if that's a word but it sounded good) shine through slightly here and there. Don't just be a dick to be a dick. Be nice to people but be mean behind their backs. Conflict is fun, even though it tends to get you killed sooner or later.

Either. Both. Neither. Vary it up as feels interesting to play.

I think this is one of the hardest things to learn in game, how to let out your inner opportunist/scumbag/user/sociopath/murderer/crazy.

There's really little guarantee that your asshole won't be found out and even less guarantee your nice guy will end up with true friends who won't betray you. Harder to deal with a death when you were nice to everyone and can't figure out why they killed you. I suggest opting for cautious. Don't just trust someone first instinct. Let it develop over time.

You should make someone normal! Someone who is inclined to trust their own race. And hate elves.

[manipura]

Okay so i have literally never roleplayed before. I mean of course everyone has when they were younger, even if we didn't call it roleplaying. However I haven't done it since i was I was like 10, so i'm a little rusty. Plus I'm a little self conscious about showing my creative side, always have been. However i think RP sounds really fun and I think it would be good for me to get passed my confidence issues. So, let's get to business. Here's my questions. What make's a good character? what should i know before playing? should i read up on lore, or learn as i go? if my roleplay sucks will i get banned? What other things should i know?

Thanks for the help guys!

Welcome!  

1) What makes a good character?
I think that having a basic personality in mind for your character is a huge part of what makes your character good, or rather, well-played.  Not necessarily a set in stone personality that's never going to change at all, but a basic outline of the type of person they are, what drives them, what motivates them, that sort of thing.  Also, what their strengths are as well as their flaws.  You can make the 'hero' and play that sort of character but I think in Arm, as in RL, it's far more realistic that your PC has flaws and weaknesses that make life a little difficult sometimes.  The article that valeria linked to above is a very good read, as well as the guide that ShaLeah linked to.  Also, to get a good idea in your head of what your PC might realistically be like, to get a feel for them as a real person with a real personality, this might be an interesting guide to go through.  It not specific to Arm, and some of the ideas don't really apply, but it's still a good way to start thinking about how you can make your character a more realistic 'person'.  In my opinion, -that's- what makes a good character, one who is played consistently and true to the general personality you have in mind for them.  

2) What should I know before playing?
As you can probably tell, there is tons of documentation!  I think it's important that you be familiar with the docs for your race, guild, sub-guild and the city/location that you're starting in.  Mansa's guide (that ShaLeah linked to) is a good one for getting an idea of basic gameplay without having to shuffle through all the individual help files.  I like Wastrel's suggestion too, just starting with the basic docs that are relevant to your character and then clicking along through the related files.

3) Should I read up on lore, or learn as I go?
A bit of both, I think.  It doesn't hurt to read up on some of the basic lore that pertains to your PC, but keep in mind that there are always new things to learn along the way!  But yeah, reading up on some of the basics will prevent you from doing something like strolling through Tuluk and saying to the first person you meet "Hey, I'm looking for where the magickers hang out, can you help?"  That might not go over so well

4) If my roleplay sucks, will I get banned?
As others have already mentioned, nope!  Consistently breaking the rules and blatantly disregarding documentation is the sort of thing that could get you banned, the 'quality' of your roleplay isn't.  Staff isn't sitting around watching your interactions and judging whether they think you're doing a good enough job.  If they see something that's glaringly 'off' from what the documentation states, they may helpfully bring it to your attention, but they aren't there to judge how you roleplay.  Also, it might be helpful to remind yourself that the more you get into your character and the more you become comfortable with roleplaying in Zalanthas, the easier it will feel.  It's easy for players, especially newer players, to be self-conscious of their roleplaying, but rest assured, no one is sitting behind their screen judging how 'good' or 'bad' you are.

5) What other things should I know?
Hmm.  You'll likely die.  Everyone dies.  When this happens, roll up a new character and try again!  Sometimes it's helpful to make a character that's completely different from your previous one, it gives you the opportunity to see and experience the world from a fresh perspective.  Also, when people are 'mean' to your character, keep in mind that they aren't being mean to you, their character is reacting to your character.  Use the OOC command sparingly, if at all.  Some players find it very jarring, others not so much.  If you find yourself -really- stuck with something (like code syntax), some players may be willing to help you through it via the OOC command but this is less likely to happen if you're in a populated place (like in the middle of a bar with a few PCs around, for example).  Personally, I don't mind helping new players via OOC when it's necessary and I've taken new players to out of the way rooms in the world to walk them through simple things before.  I'd rather do that than have a new player get frustrated and leave because they can't figure out how to do a simple command.  However, if it's anything more complex than a couple OOC messages can deal with, I'd suggest trying the Helper chat or looking through the help files.  Oh, and while the help files are on the website, they can also be accessed in game, so you don't have to continually leave your game unattended to dig through them.

Let's see, what else...?
I see someone has said "don't be chivalrous" and someone has immediately come back with "don't listen to this."  My advice is to not listen to either of them!  
Be true to your PC, whether that means they are chivalrous or an asshole or (more likely) somewhere in between.  

[Refugee]

I believe the reason people suggest the Byn is that it's a good place to learn the combat code.   Combat is great fun and happens at the speed of light, with stuff scrolling off your screen and arcane commands your fingers have to type without your brain telling them how the syntax works, while your heart's thumping and your HP are draining.  Your eyes somehow become trained to pick out the things from the maddening scroll that matter, you learn to execute combat commands under great stress and to keep an idea of what's going on around you. 

Doing that with ten or twenty PCs fighting just as many mobs is the most intensive training you can get, and that's what the Byn does regularly, LOL. 

They get a lot of new players, and don't think anything is taxing about teaching you just how to do every little thing you need to know how to do.  There are lots of good mentors in the game who are not Byn, who will be just fine with teaching you the code too.  But the Byn isn't a bad place to start, it's a large clan with people in all time zones and more active by far than any other clan I've seen.  I imagine that waxes and wanes of course.

Learning the code's not the same thing as learning to RP  of course.  But they can handle that too.

(I'm not Byn at the moment but I have many fond memories of massive battles every week or so and the close ties with some of the PCs.  You know who you are.)

[slvrmoontiger]

Either. Both. Neither. Vary it up as feels interesting to play.

I think this is one of the hardest things to learn in game, how to let out your inner opportunist/scumbag/user/sociopath/murderer/crazy.

There's really little guarantee that your asshole won't be found out and even less guarantee your nice guy will end up with true friends who won't betray you. Harder to deal with a death when you were nice to everyone and can't figure out why they killed you. I suggest opting for cautious. Don't just trust someone first instinct. Let it develop over time.

You should make someone normal! Someone who is inclined to trust their own race. And hate elves.
[/quote]

Yes, this please. I've seen too many new players or players that have just been acting like "Oh well not all elves steal" or "Each one is different, they aren't all that bad" I kindly work with these poor lost people and explain to them that that is how elves are. ALL of them are thieves in one way or the other and NONE of them are to be trusted. If gently guiding these people IG doesn't work I OOC refer them to the elf documentation and elf RP help files. This is why I highly suggest you read the help files on ALL races so you know exactly what the deal is.

[LauraMars]

Yes, this please. I've seen too many new players or players that have just been acting like "Oh well not all elves steal" or "Each one is different, they aren't all that bad" I kindly work with these poor lost people and explain to them that that is how elves are. ALL of them are thieves in one way or the other and NONE of them are to be trusted. If gently guiding these people IG doesn't work I OOC refer them to the elf documentation and elf RP help files. This is why I highly suggest you read the help files on ALL races so you know exactly what the deal is.

That said, there's many shades of grey.  You can be a merchant character who realizes the profitability of establishing a good relationship with elven tribes, while at the same time thinking about how gross they are.  You can be a warrior who fights alongside an elf, and perhaps even respects him as a fighter, but then casually asks him where he stole his sword.  Not every elven/human interaction has to be >emote glares at ~elf; close pack