Introduction: Hi, I'm Link, also known as TImmyRP, Tim, Link, blahblahblah all that Jazz. I've been role-playing for a little more than eight years in and out of scratch, ever since I was a wee little 8-year-old guy doing vampire RPs in minecraft bedrock's lifeboat city. While I can't proclaim myself to be one of the best RPers on scratch, I can say that /through experience/. I am definitely on the better side of scratch roleplayers. That being said, I know there are plenty of starters out there and people wanting to improve their skills and some (like myself when I was just starting) have no idea where to start. So, I'm writing some optional tips n' tricks and little rules of thumb to follow when text-based RPing to keep both parties engaged and happy!
Tip #1: Write, for FUN! When all is said, and all is done, Roleplaying is all about creating a story with the help of the other person. In the end, it's writing, a whole, lot of writing, a great way to practice your RP skills is by just writing stories for self use. Tip #2: Match your partner's reply length. Imagine this, you just put six minutes or so writing an ELOQUENT two-bubble ORP only to get replied with one. Single. Sentence. Yeah, kind of disappointing. But never fear, if you're given low quality, don't stress yourself out by writing a top-notch reply if you just don't want to. Instead, you can very understandably just match their relative quality and call it even. The same precipice goes for a vice-versa situation, if you're writing a little while the other person's pouring their mind and soul into writing, then it kind of gets stale. Tip #3: For the love of god, do not use first person. You are not your character, there is a clear line between you and the character. The other person's narrating in third person, and so should you, to avoid inconsistencies and whatnot. Tip : The best plot, is pain. Every RP needs some sort of villan, whether it be nature, the other OC, or some massive threat outlined in the studio. There will be struggle for your character, there needs to be some emotional investment or overarching theme to your story to make it interesting. What is your OCs goal? What makes them tick? And why do they keep going? Tip : You're not the main character. YOU may not be, instead, all of your OCs play their roles in a story. Some might be less or more important than others, but in the end, you're not the main character. Sure, you're special, but not THE ONE unless they are. ofc. Tip : Get real Realism is peak RP, that's all there is to it.
