Roleplay Etiquette 

The most frustrating thing for any roleplayer is to have a partner who treats them without courtesy. Roleplay forums are places for people to relax and be themselves, expressing their creativity, but some people take that as being able to say whatever they want. It isn't usually on purpose, but here are some things you should try to keep from doing.

For more information on writing and roleplay manners, visit the RP Etiquette tag on the RP Evolution blog.

- Everyone has probably heard of "god-mods," probably the most frustrating thing you can do in a game. Role-playing is no different. Don't take over the story; let your partner have a say in where it goes. 

- Have a discussion about the RP before you start. Decide point of view and major plot points you want to hit then, instead of letting it get confusing later on.

- If you have a question about something that doesn't make sense or wasn't written correctly, let your partner know. Don't try to keep going and then get upset further on in the roleplay when nothing is turning out as you planned.

It's important to remember that everyone role-plays a bit differently. Part of creating RPs is knowing that you are going to be writing with people who have a different style than you do, and that's part of the fun. Because of that, if you are careless with how you approach your partner, whether to make a suggestion or point out a mistake, they can easily become offended.

Be polite. 

It's the golden rule of interacting with others, and though it seems like common sense, sometimes figuring out what is and isn't polite can be harder than you'd think.  The following is a list of things that you should try to avoid if you want to be respectful to your partner.

-  Saying "that's wrong."

- Telling them to change their post

- Asking "why did you do that?"

All of these are things that make sense to say in some situations, but if said as is can come across as offensive and confrontational. Try starting with "Excuse me," or compliment what you like about the post before pointing out that, "I got a bit confused by this though," and then presenting the typo or continuity error you noticed. It's important to remember that mistakes are mistakes because they don't happen on purpose.

Post length.

This is something that a lot of writers struggle with, and it is covered in part by the Literate Roleplayer section. However, the length of a post can be influenced by many things, such as the type of scene, the time that the write has to reply, and the device they're replying on. It also has much to do with their personal style. 

If a writer uses long, flowery descriptions and likes to make their posts more dramatic and poetic, they will naturally be longer. However if they prefer to get to the point and use concise descriptions it will be shorter. Both are perfectly correct. If your partner's posts are much shorter or longer than yours, look at the content rather than the length. If the post is well written, there's no reason to complain. How many words or paragraphs there are have nothing to do with the quality of the roleplayer.