What We're All About

[The Muse]

General

Okay, so if you've read the little box on the side there, you know that this is a literate, general roleplaying forum. What does this mean, you ask? Well, basically, there is no overall site plot or setting. Take it to mean that each roleplay exists in a little universe of its own, with its own history, plot, and setting. It is also perfectly acceptable to use a world/setting from a previous rp of yours, but it would be much appreciated if you would put a link to said rp in the intro.

There is, however, another aspect to this site. While the roleplaying is done in The Performance section, there is also a section called The Script for regular writing. Here you can post anything you write, either as complete or as a work in progress and get other members to comment and critique. Please remember if you're critiquing though that it needs to be CONSTRUCTIVE. Comments should be designed to help the writer improve, not just tear them down. Also remember to put your writing in the right board. Each board has a description

Character Profiles

Now, you may have noticed a pretty little board called Character Profiles, located in the Setting the Stage section. Now, unlike some other sites, we do not require applications for characters. Since all roleplays are more or less independent that would be a very stupid thing to request. However, if you are starting a roleplay and would like to make/fill out some apps for your characters, this would be the place to do it. What is an app? Example:

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Sexuality:
Hair color:
Eye color:
Personality:
Whatever:

Not all apps will look like that. Some may be shorter, some longer, and since there is no site-wide app it's up to you what you put on them. Each rper would fill out that information and maybe provide a pic to help get a feel for what the character is like before starting to rp with them. We've found that this works out especially well for large rps (three or more people) or rps where multiple characters are being played by each person.

Apps are completely optional and not at all necessary. We simply ask that if you want to use apps that you post them on the Character Profiles board. The best way to do this would be to post a thread with the title of the rp and have all apps posted as replies to that thread. However, if you have an original character that you intend to use over and over in various rps, you can post them as their own thread. In this case please make the title the character's name and put OC in it somewhere. Apps as well as titles maybe as creative as you can make them as long as they're readable and include the correct information. But again, apps are completely optional. If you don't want to do them and your rp partner agrees, then don't worry about it.

Plot Pages

This board is similar to the Character Profiles board in that it contains information about rps that doesn't need to go in the actual rp thread. If there's any background information or plot setup that people need to know before joining the rp, it should go in this board with the title the same as that of the rp. You don't have to post here before starting an rp, but we would request that if you have a bunch of start-up information that you put it here. It just keeps things neater and keeps the rp threads for the actual rp. If you ignore this board and put the info in the rp thread, then an admin will move it, and you may get a nasty pm. Continually ignoring it may result in banning.

Roleplay Graveyard

I'm almost done, promise. We have a wonderful thing called a Graveyard here. You will notice it has six sub-boards, one for each of the six rp boards in the Performance section. We would like to keep this forum as clean as possible, meaning that rps do not sit there without replies for months on end. If an rp officially ends, meaning the rpers wrap it up and conclude the story, or if it simply dies it will be moved to the proper sub-board in the graveyard where you or anyone else on the site can read it over and over and over if you want. Or not. Your choice.

Now, an rp is officially pronounced dead when no one has replied for a month. Note that if one or both of the rpers has posted in the Absences board that they will be gone for awhile this does not apply. But if you just get lazy and don't post for a month, the rp is dead, in the ground, gone. If you really really miss your dear little rp and are able to convince an admin that you are seriously going to be regular about your posts then we might be able to do a little necromancy and bring it back. However, if you ask us to bring back an rp and it still sits there, then in short we will be very unhappy. You may get yelled at, depending on the admin, and we will definitely be less likely to revive things for you in the future.

Note that the Graveyard is only for roleplays and writing will never be moved/removed unless the author asks.

Godmoding and Powerplaying

Godmoding is when you make your character so powerful that they can't be defeated or so perfect that they don't have any flaws. We don't need any Invincibles or Mary Sues here, okay? It's just not realistic, so it doesn't make for a good story. On top of that it's obnoxious as hell, and on top of THAT it's against the rules. Everyone has weaknesses, everyone has flaws. It's life. Deal with it.

Powerplaying is when someone controls a character that is not theirs in a roleplay. When you rp you have dominion over your character(s) and your character(s) alone. If you take over someone else's or even just don't give them a chance to respond then you're powerplaying, and it makes for a very sucky roleplay. Just for further clarification, here are some examples:

Valencia punched Latisha in the face and knocked her down.
This is powerplay. If you play Valencia, you can say that she punched Latisha, or even better, that she aimed a punch at Latisha, but you have to wait for Latisha to say that the punch hit or that she fell down. Get it?

As with everything, if you're not sure about something, ask an admin. Also, powerplaying may be allowed if the other person roleplaying gives you permission, but if they do, it needs to be posted in the rp before the powerplay starts. The best way to do this is to put it in (( )) in a regular post to show that it is out of character. If you don't do this and an admin sees the powerplay then you will be called out on it or asked to prove that it was allowed.

Residences

The Residences board is designed to give members a place to call home. Basically, this is where you can post your own thread and do whatever you want with it, as long as it's not breaking site rules. The ideal way to use this board is as a place for links to all of your various posts so that other members can find them easily. You can also use this as place to post fun pictures, character or rp fanart, etc. The only regulation on the Residences board is that you must post one, just ONE, thread for your residence. You can have multiple replies to that thread, but you only get one main thread. It would get too confusing otherwise. Also, we ask that you don't comment on people's member pages because that too gets confusing and it may interrupt their plan for their thread. If you want to compliment someone's page, by all means do, just do it via pm or the Chat Box.