The RPGers’ Profiles

[Surfman]

Username: Surfman

Name: (I would prefer not to post my actual name.)

Age: 20 (actually, I'm still 19 at time of post, but my birthday is soon enough for me to call myself 20.

Gender: Male


Experience: A few years ago, I had an account on here (also under the name Surfman) and was in a few RPGs. I even hosted a couple. Unfortunately, I got busy and drifted away. Recently, I came back, started a new account (since my old one got removed), and I'm trying to get back into RPing. I've entered a couple of RPGs (that died off pretty quickly, unfortunately), and I'm looking for more opportunities that I find interesting.

Favorite RPGs: I prefer Pokemon RPGs, but beyond that, I'm open to most RPGs. It's mostly the quality that does it for me. If it's a low-quality RPG that is a popular idea for whatever reason, I probably won't join. On the flip side, if I feel like an RPG is of too high-quality, I might look at it and might even try to make a sign-up without posting it, but I probably wouldn't join because quite frankly, I'm not that good yet.

Characters: The one thing my characters have in common is that they don't usually make rash decisions. They're typically thoughtful (even calculating) and have some level of experience in whatever it is they're doing, but not too much. As for gender, I play as whatever gender I feel is underrepresented.

Strong Areas: In my opinion, I'm pretty good at writing dialogue. My only difficulty with it is making the post that contains the dialogue long enough, since I'm only talking for my character. If I have multiple characters (such as a trainer and Pokemon), it makes it easier, even if the Pokemon can't actually talk to the trainer - at least there's a reaction. I'm also pretty good at coming up with ideas (for characters and plots/twists), even if I have trouble describing them well. One other thing is that, at least recently, I try to keep any RPG that I enter alive for as long as possible.

Weak Areas: My description, while not bad, definitely needs work. Also, I have a little trouble writing action sequences.


Hints and Tips: Here are some of mine:

1. Read the rules, and follow them. This applies to both the forum rules and the RPG-specific rules. If you don't do this, you'll be in trouble.

2. Check your spelling, grammar, and formatting. Not doing this can result in headaches for your fellow RPers and/or the GM as they figure out what's going on.

3. Read the rules, and follow them. I listed this twice for a reason. DO IT. It's annoying for me to look at an RPG while browsing for something to join, only to discover that it's poorly-made and completely uninteresting. It's probably even more annoying for the moderators, who HAVE to look at those to check to see if any rules are being broken.

4. If you join/make an RPG, you are making a commitment to that RPG. If you have any reason to believe that you will be unable to keep to that commitment, it would be best if you did not join/make that RPG. I understand that life can sometimes get in the way, but if you know that something's coming up, don't bother.

5. On the other hand, if you are in an RPG and something comes up that will make you extremely busy/unable to post, let the other RPers and GM know if at all possible so they can work around it.

6. Check your spelling, grammar, and formatting. Again, it's listed twice for a reason. It's probably possible to make a coherent sentence of five hundred or more words that isn't a run-on, but there's no reason to have a paragraph of that length. Split it into two or more paragraphs (preferably split by a blank line).

7. If you join an RPG, don't be afraid to come up with plot twists involving your character. But if it affects any other character (even an NPC), it's best to talk about it with the GM and whatever other RPers would be involved.


Current Projects: None

Future Projects: I have a couple of ideas floating around in my head, but they haven't fully formed yet. One is kind of close, but who knows?

[InnerFlame]

Well I'm very unobservant for not noticing we had a new RPGer’ Profile Thread. Well this gives me a chance to update my profile a bit.
-------

Username: InnerFlame and I don’t expect to change it.
Name: I’ll give you a hint it begins with the letter ‘J’.
Age: 19
Gender: Female

Experience: A little longer than I have been on serebii so about 5 years.

Favourite RPGs: I still prefer Fantasy/Adventure RPG and I still avoid really gory sounding RPG. But if the plot sound fun and just screams original you can count me in. I quickly fall or RPG that have original ideas but also looks like the person has but much thought into it.

Characters: My characters, I try to make them all have different personalities that even if it’s just slightly they’re unique than the ones I made. After reading the plot of the RPG I’m going to join I then decide on what kind of character make, whether they’re male or female; human, pokemon, or another- I tried my best to make them all look different and act different so I can get a feel of using different personalities and learn to express different emotion I’m not quite familiar with.

Strong Areas: I believe my creativity and describing abilities are one my better skills though that just what I think of myself. Also writing sign-up I seem to be really good at that since many RPG I join don’t start so I just make a sign-up for another.

Weak Areas: Ever since ever I’ve always been bad at sticking to one idea and keep going. Because of that I tend to ponder for a long time about how to do something or what I should type up. My typing speed is very slow; I can’t even compete with the slowest typers. My grammar and spelling have always sucked but I’ve been told it’s getting better though it probably because I use spell check on everything a write, then reread it several times and put through spell check again. (Note... I still manage to miss my mistakes.)

Hints and Tips: My tip to you all is to describe everything that you can possibly think of. Instead of just saying something, said it informatively or sadly and maybe whimper disappointedly. Instead just standing, stand tall and proud or stand causally without a worry or stand slouch with a sense of failure. You be surprise how much people will understand as long as you add some details.

When making a sign-up, describe everything so well that if someone were to come and read it that could picture your character. Brown messy hair that point upwards on his head, or waist-long silky black hair with sheen; people can get a much better picture than if you just put: has brown hair or has long black hair. Often seems people forget to mention their characters built. Everyone have a different body built whether they are thin and scrawny, Buff with large biceps or just average not muscular or skinny. So don’t forget that detail about your character.

Also when in doubt, don’t be afraid to talk to someone. The Mods would be more than delighted to help you out or answer your RPG related question. And the same goes for most fellow Role-players around here.

Current Projects: None, not that I don’t have one floating around, I just haven’t started one yet.

Future Projects: Well I have a few but I'll just put up a bunch of nameless ones for the time being.

An original RPG in which, you get to play yourself (if you want) and a character that you created.

A free-roam RPG, where I hope that I can get as many different people of different writing experience and ages to come together; it a bit of life simulated RPG with a plot that goes through it.

A special RPG just for water pokemon, because most are so left out of RPG because they have to stay in water; I’m still trying to think up a good plot. I would appreciate if you tossed me a idea but you don’t have to; I’ll be able to come up with something eventually.

[Griff4815]

Username: Griff4815
Name: Just call me Griff
Age: /
Gender: Male

Experience: At least three years.
Favourite RPGs: Adventure-Action-Dramas. Preferably sword and magic stuff. Much like the one I'm in now. (Digimon: Civil War/Dark Reign)
Characters: All sorts of characters as long as they have depth. I like mysterious characters, too.
Strong Areas: Characterization, character development, dialogue.
Weak Areas: Making my own RPGs (never tried), and description due to impatience.
Hints and Tips: Try not to make flat characters. A plot is only half the RPG, the other half is the characters and the actions that they make.

Current Projects: None.

Future Projects: Co-GMing a Dragon-based RPG
A PMD RPG

[The Black Glove]

Updated when new stuff happens!

Username: The Black Glove
Name: They call me BG. I got it on a Fanfic Site and, well, it stuck.
Age: Almost 18! WOO HOO!
Gender: *checks* Male. *Phew*

Experience: After one day stumbling across Ace Sanchez's Pokemon Master fanfic, I attempted to write some fanfiction. My efforts turned out somewhat poorly, seeing as how I had no expertise in the area, the one review I got during the time shot me out of the sky. I think I started with Fizzy Bubbles sometime around 2005, after my failure, but I can't remember for sure... since then, I moved down into the RPG section after a two-month silence, and tried out some other website RPGs. For some odd reason, however, I keep coming back here... hmm.... I've run through a few RPGs, the first being Dungeons and Dragonites, which, despite being my first RPG, went along rather smoothly. I can't believe how far I've come since then. I've created a SoA RPG, Total Eclipse, and worked as co-runner of the RPG awards. I still make RPGs (trust me, I have a few ideas in my head right now), but I'm also considering trying some fanfiction again, but maybe in a different genre than the nooby "Original Trainer".

Favourite RPGs: Although I do tend to join RPGs that are based around my favorite animes and games, my true love is an RPG that gets built up from the ground in origin, especially if its a fantasy one. Ah, Fantasy. You are my true joy. I'm also a sucker for Nostalgia, so if you posted an RPG I loved and you re-release it, you can usually expect to see me first in line.

Characters: Despite my attempts, most of my characters usually end up as either the perky bubbly outgoing person, or the quiet, yet powerful expert person. My favorite portrayal is probably the mentor/teacher who knows lots to teach, but usually doesn't take center stage. The following are my favorites:

BG- I originally created BG (yes, it's short for "Black Glove") as an avatar of myself, only, I made him everything I wanted to be; cool, mysterious, and a total bad***. Nowadays, I've actually grown up to become some of BG's traits, and he himself has changed a little to reflect me in him more. His first appearance was as a DM in Dungeons and Dragonites, where he was practically a god (being DM made it okay), but since he's taken on many roles. In various websites, he's become a Pokemon Trainer; In some RPGs, BG would fight in hand to hand combat (a fighting style he still uses); Rasen, my character from Vampiratemace's "Superheroes on Campus" is based heavily on him; he was the Defendant in Turnabout Roleplayers; and several other things. You will usually identify him by 4 things: 1.) His White hat with a black brim and a black triangular area on the front side. 2.) A long black scarf, usually capable of grabbing objects. 3.) A very dark blue ninja mask covering his face (think Kakashi from "Naruto"). 4.) His black, fingerless fighting gloves.

Prof. Theo- Full name of Professor Thelonious Regalus. His only appearance so far in in Total Eclipse as my character, a Summoner and Light Artes user. He's also a healer, and a herbalist. The real reason he appeals to me so much is that he represents the teacher in me. The elder, wiser character who nurtures the younger characters while he battles his own inner demons. I always try to make him seem more scholarly, but a bit of BG always seems to leak in. Also, he tends to get kinda ticked off if you diss magic, and has an unoffical rivalry with a mercenary, Azergeigh.

Sticky Buns- I like to make weird powers work, so when Vampiratemace's Villainous RPG came out, I had to do something fun. Sticky Buns is somewhat a cross between Marvel's "The Thing" and Naruto's "Tobi". His body was morphed by radioactive taffy, causing it to be orange with black swirls, and it erased his facial features and hair. However, he has gained the power to make himself (or other objects) very sticky or unsticky. Although he never was able to enter the games, Tobi was a very fun-loving villain, and could probably be a good guy if he hadn't been called a freak and gotten attacked by people. I still look for a chance to use him.

Strong Areas: I'm very creative, and I tend to push my posts to make them longer. I don't settle for a half-*ssed effort, and I choose only those who truly meet the rules and understand what they're doing. I'm rather picky about those who meet my rules.

Weak Areas: I'm absent-minded. I'll sometimes forget I'm involved in an RPG, only to come back and see it's almost dead beause I did not post. I also struggle with description, and adding enough detail. Occasionally, I'll also start counting my Togepi before they hatch. I tend to be a little critical sometimes, so some take that as me being a jerk. For those of you who got such an impression, I'm sorry. Do better next time. *gets shot*

Hints and Tips:

1.) Don't have reservations. EVER. When you reserve spots, people who are much better roleplayers than those who reserve may not see them in time and not sign up because all the spots are reserved.

2.) Never tell yourself that you stink at roleplaying. If a GM snaps at you, you're either being obnoxious, or they had a bad day. Or you put no effort into your SU. Listen to the elder roleplayers and GMs who give you advice to improve, then get better at it and try again.

3.) On the GM side, never blow up in a person's face when they sign up. This discourages new players from getting better. Instead, point out the flaws in thier signups, and suggest how to fix them.

4.) If you need help or advice, you don't always have to go to a mod. There are threads for such things, and the mods are often busy. If you are not content with the thread, ask an elder RPer if they will give you some tips.

5.) Take your time. It does not take 5 minutes to create a good character. Heck, it should take you about a half-hour alone to come up with an idea! Use your time to make a SU that is really good.

6.) Don't make an RPG if you haven't been accepted into someone else's yet. I reccomend joining at least 2 or 3 RPGs and PLAYING 'TILL THE END so you can get some more experience before you make the attempt.

7.) Be Original. Although this is a Pokemon Web Forum, the Pokemon/Trainer bit is a bit overdone. Come up with something nobody has ever tried before. Who knows? It might be a hit.

8.) Please don't post in different colors. Black is fine. Anything else will just hurt someone's eyes or make it hard to read.

9.) Nobody's Perfect. This includes your RP Characters.

10.) You don't RP Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris RPs you. Getting roundhouse kicked by Chuck Norris. Believe it.

Current Projects:

Helping Out- There are a lot of newbies with potential. It's us more experienced RPers who need to help them get better and set an example for them, while also improving ourselves.

Future Projects:

Pokemon (Unnamed)- Project on Hiatus.

Jump SuperStars- Remember me running that? Let me revise that- Remember me failing to run that because I was gone for so long? I might try that again by request. Except I'm gonna change the rules a bit...

TEH NOOBINEZ: I thought it might be fun to make an RPG exclusively for newbie roleplayers. Something to teach the young ones how RPing works, ya? This is still an idea in heavy progress though, so don't expect it out any time soon.

Total Eclipse: I swear, when I have the time to do so, I am going to run this RP again, but improve the weak points. Then it will be the truly ultimate Fantasy RPG on the site.

Most Well-Known RPs:

Total Eclipse- This is my baby. Easily my best, and the second largest RPG, Total Eclipse is a fantasy RPG that I created when my buddy Moogles4Ever and I made a decision to boost the level of skill with massive RPGs. My personal favorite, the characters play from 4 different races, using 10 different "Artes", all in an attempt to save the world. Ironically, the idea was the result of a plan to collaborate with Moogles4Ever and Zincspider. It recieved a Seal of Approval from the Moderators, and was the 3rd RPG since the Seal's return to recieve it.

Jump Superstars- Let's face it. I got sick of all the Naruto+Pokemon+whatever the heck else RPGs that came out around that time, so I decided to make a crossover right. This was the result. Brooke, my character from that RPG, still holds my record for the largest signup. It was unfortunate, but the RPG never got off the ground.

Dungeons and Dragonites- Okay, I admit this idea did not go over well. As it turns out, Pokemon does NOT go well with D&D as well as I thought it would. I actually made a website on which people could roleplay this game, but due to inactivity and lack of interest, the site croaked. If it is ever released again, it will require a HEAVY overhaul.

Turnabout Roleplayers- My most massive RPG ever. No questions about it. This mystery RP is based on the Phoenix Wright games, in which the characters try to figure out "who dun it". The game is probably the only one on Serebii to actually use pictures in an appropriate way that does not violate the rules. It was given the Seal of Approval by both RaZoR LeAf and Shadowfaith, who, along with Psychic, appeared as the victims in the RPG.

RPGs I'd LIKE to do: I'd like to see RPGs based on One Piece, or maybe a Pokemon RPG that ISN'T a generic clone. Also, I'd like to participate in a Pokemorph RPG. Maybe a Phoenix Wright RPG.

[1# manga fan!]

Username: #1 manga fan!
Name: Del <- my nickname
Age: 13
Gender: female

Experience: Ah, since the beggining of the summer of 2008. Still not that good though, I'm working on it.

Favourite RPGs: Si-fi to the average Pokemon trainer Journey. Fantasy's big with me as well.

Characters: I've been working on it and I think I've gotten better at RPGing as characters without my personality.

So far I've had an ADHD kid like Blake from World Tournament to a Antisocial one like Alex from LOZ: Missing Link. I've tried both a character that jumps into fights without thinking such as Ace from Hidden Ones to characters that put maybe to much thought into fights like Saffira from Hoenn Frontier. Anger Issues and Bipolar Del to Cool and Level headed Dave. I seriously need to work to get better at it though, I bet I'm making it sound better than it is.

Strong Areas: Characters maybe? I have the patience now to read all the posts from before me as long as I have time. I usually don't drop out of an RPG unless absolutely necessary. And I never forget or start sentences with and ^^"

Weak Areas: Describing the back ground and starting a post. The organization in my sentences it pretty terrible so I'm sorry, but I'm working on it. Procrastination is something I really deal a lot with.

Hints and Tips:

1) I really suggest that you read the rules I mean duh!

2) you should go back and read other people's RPG's to get a better feel for the whole thing so that you can refine your posts and pick out the small little problems

3) Go ahead and read random books and see how different writers write and how they develope their charecters differently from eachother. Find a style that suites you and makes it easy for everyone else. I'm definitely still working on this one.

4) Spelling people! I'm still working on it, your still working on it! You can never be perfect, but you can try.

5) Don't be put down by other RPGer, but definitely consider their advice. More experienced RPGers will know more than you, a pretty good fact huh?

Current Projects:

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: One Thousand Year Night

Future Projects:

I'd like to do a Maximum Ride, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or D. Gray-man RPG, but they don't seem to popular.

[Slipomatic]

Username: Slipomatic

Name: Raifou (Team Lagoon Leader in my PMD 2)

Age: 19

Gender: ♂

Experience:
I have been Role-playing for about 2-3 months now. I started RPing on another forum that was closed down. The forum I used to RP on was the good old Nsider forums that Nintendo decided to kill it. When I was on that forum, I RPed for about 4 months and attempted to write two fan-fics on it. I failed with both fan-fics and the RPGs were lost when Nsider was closed.

Favorite RPGs: Any is good game, so long as I can find out what the RPG is and plot is good. If pressed, I will like RPGs with a bit of dragon stuff in it. Not meaning dragon pokemon specific, but dragon in general.

Strong Areas: I will almost always keep on top of RPGs I'm in and will at times post lengthy posts pending if the RPG needs it or not. Also, I'm great in making histories for characters.

Weak Areas: Description, description, and description. I could use some pointers for personalities and appearances so feel free to comment on my sign-ups if you happen to be reading them.

Hints and Tips:

- Bring your experiences into your RPG and create a new idea for an RPG.

- Worldly knowledge will help you in thinking new ideas.

- Be sure to spell check, grammer check, and proof read before posting.

- Be sure to have a clear mind when posting in an RPG or making an RPG.

Current Projects: None

Future Projects: Maybe some PMD2 style RPG... maybe.... Perhaps an PMD 2 RPG that follows the story, but don't follow it. More like replacing some of the characters as the players who sign up. And perhaps, throw some events that make it more interesting like an organization that is against exploration teams and works at ruining Wigglytuff's Guild. Just an idea for now....

Other:
Emptying Skies - Based off of the Spyro Trilogy, it will take place 100 years after Spyro and Cynder defeats Malefor. There is a strange illness that starts to plague the dragons and other flying creatures, causing them to lose the ability to fly and movement. Will those still able to move find a cure or will they all perish to the plague. CANCELLED. I may turn this into a fan-fic, but pending on if people want to RP this and I get bugged enough, then perhaps I'll consider re-opening it. BUT... I'll most likely turn this into an Fan-fic.

[Froggle]

FFFFFffffffffff yea I RP

Username: Froggle. BECUZ FROGS R KEWL HURR 8D
Name: I go by M
Age: SHORT
Gender: Chick

Experience: 4... 5 years?
Favourite RPGs: Ones that keep me EXITED. Oh, and horror.
Characters: My characters often are multi-personalitied, annoying, shy, or any combination of the three. I only use one character for Pokemon RP though (who's personality generally leans toward the annoying/hyper side) she's a persona I use for just about everything Pokemon-related and despite the fact that I go by M, and her name is M, she really has nothing to do with me besides that I use her as a character in Pokemon things XD
Strong Areas: Obnoxious characters, quick-paced storylines, emotive description, character creation, Story concepts
Weak Areas: Romance, slow RPs, battle scenes, quiet characters, plotlines, action, everything lolol D|

Hints and Tips: GODMOD AND GAME MASTER SHARE THE TERM 'GM' FOR A REASON LULZ 8D Also, pace your writing to fit the scene. Don't be too descriptive during a battle scene, don't write to quick-paced during a slow scene. It's important to set the mood >:U also, NEVER TAKE ADVICE FROM M SHE'S A FREAK

Current Projects: Nooooone atm

Future Projects: I want to do something about the end of the world and kids killing people butttttttt I suck at plotlines 83

[suicune lover]

Username: Suicune lover
Name: Liza
Gender: Female.

Experience: I almost joined an RPG in April 2009, but didn't. I only properly started in August. So basically not much.

Favourite RPGs: I do prefer Pokemon RPG's, but only because I know allot about them. I do like Fantasy RPG's too.

Characters: Because of my lack of experience, I tend to make my characters similar to me, because I find it easier. They tend to be quiet, shy, but have strong opinions on some things and generally nice and fun.

Strong Areas: I must say I am quite good at describing things.

Weak Areas: I am terrible at making history's for my characters. I just can't do it at all.

Hints and Tips: None. Yet.

Current Projects: See above.

Future Projects: Maybe when I learn more about RPG making, I will think about it.

[Dutch-trainer]

Username: Dutch-trainer
Name: (It starts with a R, more I'm not going to tell)
Age: 14
Gender: male

Experience: Been a few months in RPG's.

Favourite RPG's: None yet, but likely pokemon.

Characters: Characters that have are the same to me, however they sometimes may be cowardly, sometimes not. (I was a coward, but now not so cowardly as I was before) But something they always will be: shy, smart, honest and they also will try to follow the rules.

Strong Areas: I don't know...

Weak Areas: I'm not good at describe things and since Dutch is my main language, my English will not be always good.

Hints and tips: If you join here, be sure to play first in other RPG's before creating themselves. We have to known what you can do, so be sure to follow this!

Current projects: Country of Origin.

Future projects: I'm thinking...

[pokemaster001]

username:....look up....
gender: fe-*shot* male

Experience: Not much, I've been in almost no RPGs, and three of them died soon after they started, so not much

Favourite RPG's: Mostly pokemon, but other than that, I guess fantasy

Characters: I always base it off of myself, fortunately I have a split personality, so it's either the serious and thoughtful loner or the happy and energetic wierdo, and I'm always a guy because it would be too akward otherwise

Strong Areas: I'm determined, so I usually try to keep the RPG alive if it looks dying...I'm not really good at anything though.....

Weak Areas: Description, I can never explain things no matter how well I can visualise them, and it gets me angry that I only ever do the minimum requirement if I even do that. I'm better with personality than description but not by much....

Hints and tips: Always try to have a good bit of your personality, without having TOO much of your own personality.....that's all I got

Current projects: Well, it seems my only project died...so nothing

Future projects: none right now...

[Waldorf]

Username: Hito-shura

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Experience: I must have started roleplaying somewhere around 2002. I was about as terrible as you would expect a tween to be at roleplay. Fortunately I was with people who boasted infinite patience and learned the ropes quickly.

I didn't venture into SPPf until at least a year after that. I did some roleplay here, then left. Recently I've returned with this account for some more fun. I've been in tons of games (most of them crashed and burned), and while I may not have seen RPG's through to the end most of the time, I did accumulate a fair bit of experience.

Favorite RPG's: What piques my interest can vary greatly. I am highly unlikely to join a Pokémon RPG, even though it may be a very good one, simply out of saturation.

Characters: I try to do things that aren't very common and give my characters depth. I enjoy toying with archetypes from popular culture and either twisting them around or playing them unexpectedly straight, if it's a less serious RPG. I could say that all of my characters have at least something from me, but that is probably true for everyone.

Strong Areas: Description, plot management, GMing in general. I enjoy it.

Weak Areas: Large groups quickly spiral out of my hands. I tend to be rigid with how I want an RPG to progress and as such having to deal with the decisions and actions of a dozen different players rapidly gives me a headache. Also, I have abandoned by own projects several times in the past due to a combination of lack of interest and less free time, which is a nasty habit that I am actively working against these days.

Hints & Tips:

FOR GMs

Be original. Naruto Ninja School: New Generation, Kingdom Hearts: Alternate Continuity Hijinks, BLEACH: Zanpakuto for Everyone, and Pokémon trainer RPGs have been done to death and then some. If you're gonna use these properties, at least put a spin on it. But personality I love nothing more than a great RPG that's been built from the ground up, or one that brings back an old or forgotten franchise (so long as it's good).

Be nice to newbies. I'd venture to say that nine out of every ten great RPers were once terrible newbies, and became good through persistence. Acting like a douche turns people away from RPing, which is a bad thing because there aren't that many of us already. If you're going to turn someone down, point out why, be thorough, so that they can learn.

Have everything planned before you even set up the sign-up thread. Yes, that means the entire plot, including how it will end and what will happen along the way. This is a foreign concept to many GMs, but the truth is that if you expect to come up with the plot as you go, you'll probably find yourself overstressed and abandon the RPG or you'll dig yourself into a plothole and your players will lose interest. Or both. Even if the RPG is a more free-form affair, you should know what kind of situations your players may run into and how they'll play out.

People don't always realize it, but being a GM is a lot of work. Not just in coming up with the RPG and writing it out, but handling sign-ups, managing the discussion thread, making sure everyone is still active, moving the plot along while trying to give your players freedom, posting frequently... You will need free time. If you're two weeks away from final exams, do not start a RPG, unless you plan on failing said exams. If you have, for example, summer vacation ahead of you, then that's the perfect time to start a game. In any case, make sure that you'll have ample free time in the beginning, where you'll have to do all the setting-up. Later on you'll be able to manage with less time.

And consider co-GMing with a close friend! It's a great way to take some of the pressure of GMing off and, if you're ever swamped with work/school and can't keep up with the RPG, your friend can temporarily take over, and vice-versa. It makes for a great safety net.

FOR PLAYERS

Look at the other characters before making yours! An RPG full of dark, brooding wallflowers is going to go nowhere because everyone will act standoffish and antisocial and avoid everyone else. RPGs need divas, go-getters, douchebags, firestarters, and so on. Make sure that your character's personality complements the cast.

Everyone is tired of a.) Brave fifteen-year old sword-wielding boys, b.) Pure, innocent, naïve fifteen-year old mage girls and c.) Evil brooding despotic teenagers.

If the RPG is combat-oriented, think of original and inventive battle styles/weaponry/powers! There's nothing more fun than using a character that is completely and utterly you in battle.

Don't try to steal the spotlight. Let the other players and characters work out their own problems.

Current Projects: N/A

Future Projects: Mariya and I are planning something. Head to the RPG Ideas & Wishes thread for details.

[Mariya Shidou]

Kingdom Hearts: Strong Homoerotic Undertones

Good lord. That is amazing.

Username: Mariya Shidou
Name: Nobody will ever know...
Age: XIX
Gender: There are some things man was not meant to know...

Experience: I have long since lost track. I think my first real RPGing experience that even bordered on depicting skill began in 2004. So, that's about five years. I couldn't give you the whole story, though.

Favourite RPGs: I like to go for things that use less common fandoms or use original material. Of course, I do expect the original material to be well-designed. I, like a few others, also like seeing games that get re-posted by the same player, but at the same time, it frustrates me when several RPers write pretty much the same game. It happens a lot, too, but it's to be expected, really... Oh, whatever...

Characters: Most of my characters have a noticeable personality quirk that inhibits their ability to interact with others properly, be it a skew view of relationships or a speaking quirk. Not much more to come up with this, as I play a fair amount of character types, as long as they have that.

Strong Areas: I look into topics about my characters as much as I can. I also tend to provide links back to my research in applications.

Weak Areas: Patience. I have none. I'm also easily enabled into playing a specific type of character for the lulz.

Hints and Tips:
The most obvious tip, that I can think of, is not to take on more than you can handle. If you can't commit to a certain number of games, don't enter that many or create that many. It takes a while to get a handle on this, but be careful as you work on this.

Current Projects:
N/A

Future Projects:
I've been kicking around a title ParaNeue lately, and considering how to make this exactly. Something sort of apocalyptic, though, I guess, and probably a bit horror-themed (obviously!). I don't have definite details down yet, though.

[Pokefan0234]

Username: Pokefan0234
Name: Meph.
Age: 15
Gender: Female

Experience: I’ve been RPGing on Serebii for a while now, (I dunno… eight months, maybe?), although I occasionally RPed with a certain group of friends before. Writing fanfiction and fiction in general helps, I suppose. (‘Course, it’s a bit different when you’re controlling all of the characters, rather than just one.)

Favorite RPGs: Pokémon, of course, is one of my favorites - that’s why I’m here, after all. I used to enjoy those “We’re going on a Pokémon journey” types of RPGs, but stories like those get old far too quickly. No, I prefer the Pokémon stories that move a bit out of the norm; whether it’s the twist of an old story or an entire new region, I’ll be sure to check it out.

Fantasy in general is my type of story. It doesn’t have to be about super-humans running around with amazing powers, or clichéd swordsmen fighting to the death, so long as the story is in another world with an amazing background. The super-human abilities are just an added bonus.

I also enjoy Sci-Fi (not SyFy, as some people call it) themes, whether its mutant creatures or just an out-of-this-world device.

Characters:

Humans: My characters range in a variety of appearances and histories, though you can almost always expect a few characteristics. Most of them are insane. … Yep. I definitely get points for originality on this one…

By insane, I don’t necessarily mean asylum-level insanity, (of course, they occasionally turn out that way). Insanity ranges in a variety of degrees. Some characters have a special perk - a strange fear, an irrational idea, a partially-unhealthy obsession – while others are full-blown, happy-go-lucky mad, topped by the usual insanity clichés: incorrect emotions, morbid ideas, etc, etc. Normally, these characters have a slightly darker side to them that fuels their exaggerated “weirdness.”

On the off-chance that a character doesn’t turn out mad… well, expect something to happen to him later in the RPG. If nothing occurs… well, let’s just say that character is especially lucky.

Currently, I’ve been working on using sane characters simply because… well, I don’t very often.

Pokémon (Teams): When it comes to party Pokémon, expect a variety of personalities. Most teams usually have about five or six in them (unless there’s a limit to the amount of Pokémon), and often include at least one of the following characteristics: aggressive, optimistic, loyal, laid-back, silent, or stubborn. It doesn’t help when all six of the Pokémon have one of those characteristics, and while it’s an even mix… it’s the only mix I really use.

While I can’t consider them to be “shiny” in any way, my Pokémon usually have one distinct color difference. Most are caught or befriended; I can’t remember the last time a character had a traded Pokémon.

Pokémon (Characters): Well, I’ll face it. Most of my Pokémon-only RP characters are loners. They might not be DarkMysterious (although they may come off that way), but they’re definitely not a kind bunch. Even so, they often have a hard time making partners. (Good thing that isn’t important in RPs… *coughcough*). Occasionally, an insane character comes around, but most end up being basically evil. At least they usually have a reason.

Strong Areas: My main skill is that I describe. Yeah, yeah… everyone can describe, but I can do it a little bit more than the norm. Whether it’s adding a few actions to some dialogue or just adding in the setting of the location, I always write a little bit more about what actions are taking place than what is being said.

I’m pretty good with plot twisting, I suppose, although I occasionally get a bit out of hand and do something completely ridiculous. If I’m able to, I like to move the story forward to a new location. Sure, dialogue is great, but people need to move, go on an adventure, and do something that brings the story to a new point.

Weak Areas: Oddly enough, I’m terrible at character appearances. Even the most uniquely designed characters seem to turn into dull, lifeless figures when they appear on the sign-up. Any description of clothing is usually minimum and stale. Yes… it really is that bad.

My characters usually wind up similar in some ways to each other, no matter how different their pasts are. As I said before… insane. Unique the first time, creative the second time… completely done the third time. By the fifth time… well, expect some Ax-craziness to occur on that sign-up.

Let’s see… my sign-ups are relatively medium in length, yet they can rarely exceed that word count when needed too. My dialogue can wind up pretty suck-y at times and my characters can come off somewhat unrealistic as well. Pretty much, I need to work on every aspect of writing… but then again, who doesn’t?

Hints and Tips:
1) First, Always proofread your work. The simple placement of a comma can change the meaning of a sentence instantly.
2) Second, Read the RPGing Rules. Seriously. Just do it.
3) Be creative! Don't be afraid to do something completely insane every once-and-a-while. Not only does it give some life to the RP, it'll most likely be crazy enough for others to work with as well.

Current Projects: Right now, I’m working on putting up a kind of Maximum-Ride/Pokémon sort of RPG that’ll (hopefully) differ from the Pokémon-mutant norm… if there is a norm for that, anyways.

Future Projects: I’ve got quite a few ideas swimming around in my head, but these are the most developed at the moment.

+ A Mixture of Light and Darkness – Told fifty years after the events of the first PMD. A legend describes the great rescue team’s rise to fame… and fall into death’s hands. As characters in this story, it is your role as the protagonist – or, perhaps, the anti-agonist – to find what killed those famous heroes… before it returns to kill you. | I'm not sure exactly when (or if) this one will start, even though the plot is finished...

+ Krazy – A story involving a genetics-splicing lab known as Krazon. Characters in this story play as either an escaped mutant who has joined the Pacifists – a group of rebellious mutants who have joined together against the Krazon – or a recently created mutant that is loyal to the organization. | Probably to be the first RP I'll ever start (though it'll still need some work before getting there).

+ The Five Disasters – Based on an old story written by yours truly. Taking place in a fantasy/medieval world, the story revolves around a clan of sages known as the Shadows. Vicious, evil, and horribly misjudged, the clan fights for their own survival at the hands of the humans. Things take a turn for the worse when an age-old curse rises from the graves – or should I say, their graves. | Don't expect to see it in the near future, though; the idea is still in its developmental stages.

+ The Oturan Chronicles (Title Pending) - A different sort of Naruto RP I'm planning to run in the somewhat distant future. Though it doesn't exactly have a plot yet (the reason why I haven't written a plot summery for it), I can only say that it'll be... odd.

[bookauthor1123]

Username: At the moment it's bookauthor1123. I also gone by justakid75, xXx_H3ArT_xXx, and dmalik67. I've been known as bookauthor1123 for the longest, 2nd by justakid75, 3rd by H3ArT, then lastly dmalik67.
Name: Malik
Age: 14
Gender: Male

Expirience: I've been RPGing for a LONG time, I think for about 4 years now. It was about 2 years after i got my first computer, and I've been an RPGer ever since. I'm an Admin and a Moderater (not global) for two other sites and one of these sites is still poring with sign-up's and posts (I"m talking about the one that I'm and Admin on)
Favorite RPGs: I'm sorta picky when it comes to what RPGs I join. Particularly, it has to have a cool story behind it, and it also need to seem like it could last a long time. Something with too many rules that limit the RPGing expirience will NEVER get a sign-up from me, now matter HOW well the story is. That's pretty much the kind of RPGs I like. If I ever made an RPG, I'd branch a little off of Pokemon and focus on something that a lot of people relate to, like an RPG about being the ruler of the world or something! lol...yes that's probably something I'd do.
Characters: I create strong supporting characters in RPG's, ones that can be dependable for a long time after I make them. It doesn't matter what king of gender...or species they are, I can roleplay anyone and do it justice.
Strong Areas: I can roleplay any gender, I stick to what I'm doing. I can always catch back up in one or two posts if I'm ever offline.
Weak Areas: I'm usually offline for a while, and miss a lot in the RPG. Since I usually make pretty good characters in RPGs, I usually mess up some things if I'm not around to post and speed things up... Sometimes I bunch all my paragraphs together and it looks like one big clump of words...but I've improved on these things over the years...some of these I don't even DO anymore...

Hints and Tips:
-Stay Active!: I cannot stress this enough! If you branch off for too long, you'll be left behind and have a hard time trying to catch up somethimes.
-ONLY Sign-Up for an RPG if you can stay on it!: Like I said before, don't branch off for so long. It would be wise to stay off if nothing too significant is going on on your part, but check in every now and again to stay up to date on things.
-Know what your getting into!: Don't post about something too off topic, or post things that didn't happen in the RPG. Never try and catch up with things by saying things that happened a long time ago in the story. Chances are, if you do this, you'll post things in the wrong order, or even end up GMing a lot of people.
-Don't GM (God Mod or Godmodding) If you do
1. It's against the rules
2. You may get kicked off of whatever RPG your on
3. It's just unprofessional and amateurish and messes everything up.
-Don't Clump Things Together!!: It's sloppy, unprofessional, and its unappealing to the eye. It almost causes the reader to force themself to finish reading your post, which would cause a little frustration if they happen to be in the same RPG and your post may involve something important. Just remember to space at least one line if another person is speaking, and NOT space if the same person is speaking. If you have a big paragraph when you post, try spacing it out if it goes from one thing to the other. For example, if you have a long paragraph that describes something you see, then you walk inside a building or another complex in the some paragraph, just space those two apart.

Current Projects: I'm currently working on a few RPGs; more details later, but it's something that I've been working on. I WOLD disclaim what they are, but they may end up being someones plagiarized RPG Thread. As of what RPGs I'm IN, I"m in the Hoenn Frontier: The Beginning RPG, Final Fantasy Wars: The 3 Sisters Stones..., Hoenn Frontier: The Elemental War, and Pokemon Project
Future Projects: Like I said, I'm working on that RPG, so I guess you can look out for that one. Also, I'm keeping a memo to myself of what other RPGs I may want to create...

[Double-oh-Platypus]

It might as well be the end of the year, but I finally ventured into the RPG Cafe to check out what else is in here. -_-"

Username: Double-oh-Platypus
Name: Meh, just call me Jazzy.
Age: Thirteen
Gender: Female

Experience: About a year and a half. Let me tell you, it wasn't until like, six months ago that I finally picked up on how to really do well in the RPG world. My first few characters were Sue's and the sign-ups are atrocious. Who would have guessed after being such a hard hitter in another forum? I tend to come down on people hard if they don't have reasonable sign-ups.
Favourite RPGs: Definitely Pokemon and Digimon. Those two are certainly near the top of my list. I also like going for those Percy Jackson and the Olympian ones as well as the occasional Harry Potter roleplay, if it's good ^^
Characters: Younger ones, definitely. I don't really know how to write in older characters obviously because I've never gotten to an age older than the one mentioned above. I try and put a bit of variety to my characters, but unfortunately I think that they all seem to be about the same. -_-"
Strong Areas: Sign-ups, probably, and adding to my posts to make them a little longer than what I would have done six months ago. Even so, my posts aren't very long sometimes.
Weak Areas: Like I mentioned above, writing longer posts. I'm not very good at that. I mean, they're not going to be less than ten lines, probably, but compared to some people my posts are dreadfully short.

I also tend to not read the entire post before me. I do read it, just not really thoroughly like I read a book. -_-"

Hints and Tips: When creating a character, it sometimes helps to base them a bit off of people you know. I don't mean the entire thing, but if you're really struggling to put the perfect appearance description into words thinking about someone that sort of resembles the character is always helpful. Also, always proof-read your work. There have been more than one time for me when I totally mess up stuff.

Current Projects: None at the moment.

Future Projects: A collaboration with a couple of other people. I'm not good at coming up with huge plots on my own if I just really focus on it. Sometimes they just come to me, but if I'm really desperate for a plot they just never pop up in my head -_-"

[Shinichi Misao]

Username: Shinichi Misao
Age: 16
Gender: Male

Experience: 1 year, (but I’m still not good at adapting to new RPG’s)
Favourite RPGs: Fighting
Characters: Warriors of good that fell to Darkness
Strong Areas: Making techniques
Weak Areas: Outside battle conversations

[Killer_Squirtle]

Username: Killer_Squirtle
Name: Call me Blue
Age: 15
Gender: Female

Experience: Ever since I joined the forums. So that'd be a year.
Favourite RPGs: I like the RPGs that are more Fate-of-the-world typa thing. Gives the adventure more meaning.
Characters: Unlike others, I don't gender-bend with my charries. I've only done females and I try to give them aspects of my own personality.
Strong Areas: I'm good at plot dissection in and outta RPGing so I'm pretty good at writing any plot or sub-plot.
Weak Areas: After a while, most of my characters start acting the same. I'm trying to stop this though! POINTS FOR TRYING!

Hints and Tips: Hm... When you're planning on joining an RPG, whenever you have nothing else to do, think about that character you're gonna try and create. You'll be surprised what you can come up with. A good way to get a feel for your character is to give them an aspect of your personality. Whether its your emo-side [everyone has one] or your insane-side or whatever. Works wonders for me!

Current Projects: Check out Defying PEACE and Hidden Ones: Reborn

Future Projects: Me thinking a post appocolyptic-RPG of my own. Think about it: Zombies, Mad-max biker dudes, raiders. Awesome... Simply Awesome.

[jahz]

Username: Jahz
Age: 13
Gender: male

Experience: Started RPG'ing for the first time in early september '09, since then I've applied for and taken part in a good few of them, unfortunately there is yet to be one im participating in that will finish :S
Favourite RPGs: Fantasy RPG's tend to be my favourtie, allows my mind to stretch its boundries and express my creativity. I like people who can come up with completely unique ideas that nobody has done before, because then i am clueless as to what kind of plot will reval itself. I find things RPG's that have been done some many times before- where the general plots have worn down to nothing and are just repetitive- quite frankly annoying.
Characters: I try and express my characters using feelings i have felt before or am feeling at the time i create them, this means that my characters personalities are completely random. I never like my character to be the center of focus, this puts pressure on me and i feel compelled to give others a good storyline to adapt and make thier own. My characters never tend to be very talkative; one of the many things they dont share in common with me!
Strong Areas: I believe myself to be a decent creative writer, i do not always have the best plots but i like adding my own twists to any story; my strongest point is probably descpription though, i have read a vast number of books and this had left me with a very large vocabulary which gives me a myriad of options to choose from when i am writing.
Weak Areas: Well my weakest area is probably trying to interpret other peoples characters in RPG's, i am always unsure of how to read their actions and how i should make my character react to their behaviour. However i hope that as time passes by and i gather experience i will surpass this.

Hints and Tips: When creating characters don't ponder for hours over how you want them to look and want you want their personality to be like. Just go with what you think sounds good on paper, also if you look at a previous piece of work you've done and dont like it dont worry. I guarantee you, every single writer in the world will read their finished and published book, turn to one of the first pages an go, "AH! I should have changed this bit here! And why haven't i changed this bit! Gosh i can't believe i missed that!"
So its really no problem, i have discussed this with a few professional writers i have been lucky enough to meet and they all say exactly what is stated above.


Current Projects: None.

Future Projects: Thinking of maybe doing like a planet of the apes thing...Pokemon are masters of humans, so basically the whole world has flipped on its head.

[kEblAdEmAstA]

Username: kEblAdEmAstA

Name: Steven McLean

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Experience: 2 years

Favourite RPGs: I am most into fast action, and nicely paced RP's. Though, I do like to slow it down, and do RP's that do not involve fighting, those are always fun too! I am into such RP's as Naruto (Has overly extensive knowledge of everything in Naruto), Digimon (Here aswell), and fantasy RP's.

Characters: I create a wide multitude of personalities. I can get into the role, and RP as just about anyone! I tend to make more female characters than male, for some reason. Its easier to develop their personalities over male.

Strong Areas: Typing out battle posts, I am good at making plots, and developing them as they go. I am able to roleplay any gender, and get into it as much as the next, and can fit myself around any situation, and play it through. I can win, and lose, it doesnt matter to me, as I love to RP!

Weak Areas: Entrances. I dont know why, but I can never seem to find a good entrance point in an RP, unless I make them. Sometimes I miss pages, and such just because I cant find where to go in, and basically lose my chance to enter at all. Once I do enter though, I can stay in it easily.

Hints and Tips: My best tip, is to try to get as much as 5 good sentences in your post. One liners or, just small posts make the RP bland, and boring. What is your character feeling? What is you character doing as he/she speaks? Adding even the little details can make posts interesting.

Current Projects: Konoha Mura (Different Forum)

Future Projects: I have been working on, for the last while, a Shadow of the Colossus RP, it has stopped in production, but I hope to resume soon.

[.:Lemon Tea:.]

Username: .:Lemon Tea:.

Name: It starts with 'R'..but that's all I'm going to give.

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Experience: I don't really remember. I started maybe looking at serebii in 2002 maybe, on a different account, and started to get really into fanfiction. I don't really remember a whole lot of what I wrote since I didn't bother to type or save those fanfics on Word-so they were pretty bad since I didn't spellcheck and just sort of wrote them in posts (you can imagine what sort of criticism I got). I quit after about half a year, and then returned in 2006 only to forget the password to my original account, so I made this one. Then I figured out the wonders of the Role-Playing Games forum. My first few RP sign ups were epic fails and I totally thank the mods of the RPG forum that helped me out and answered my questions like '"what is an OOC?" I've been doing RPG for I think 3 years and its been fun. I haven't, in my whole experience, made a real RPG, but that might change soon.

Favourite RPGs: I really love original RPGs set in fantasy worlds and are not truly based off of some anime or game. The game creators might have been influenced by some animes or games, but they totally made a totally different world with their own ideas on magic or whatever they were interested in. I'm not really into the 'become the pokemon master'-esque RPGs along with crossovers since those have been seen so much, that it makes them sort of trite and overused. Anything different interests me.

Characters: I'm not sure. I know I make more female characters than male ones, but all my characters are different (sort of). They all embody a part of me even if some of their personalities are totally exotic from mine-but I'm guessing that's what everyone does. One thing they have in common (or at least I hope) is that they have depth. History influences how they behave and I always try to tie in that their personality. I really love to flesh them out and I love hypocritical characters that are contrasting. Those are hard to act out as well as make, so I don't create them often. Despite the fact that the majority of the characters I've done are female, I enjoy portraying male characters more and I do it better. My characters usually don't take center stage often and I keep them in the background.

Strong Areas: I guess my strong area is history and description, although in my mind I think I can improve on those as well. I really like telling about their character's personal history and describing them seems easier than many of the other things that needed to be done in sign ups. I am creative and try to make my sign up longer and go into detail on how the character goes about. I try not to do a sloppy job on my sign ups so they usually take a long time. Sometimes I drop out of a RPG if I know I can't really make a good sign up or don't have the time to do it.

Weak Areas: My personalities in sign ups are often weak due to the fact that I want to say everything about them, but I just don't know how. Its like I have this image of how they act, but it comes out imperfectly on Word. Often they just seem like the stereotypical quiet girl or extremely bitter stereotypical guy because I just have a bad time portraying their personality in writing. I also have problems portraying them outside of the sign up too. Maybe its because a lot of RPGs don't take off or I screw up on writing their personality and then when I actually have to tell about how they act, I don't really know how to.

I'm also a horrible procrastinator on posting in the real RPG thread, because I want a lot of things to be perfect and if they aren't, I spend a great deal of time making them seem perfect (but that never really works out). I really shouldn't have typed that. D;

Hints and Tips:

First off, if you are trying to sign up for a RPG, make sure to read everything. I've seen countless sign ups denied because their history doesn't match the plot line or they use a gun in a medieval, magic society-something that doesn't belong in the time era.

Also put as much detail as you can, don't just say 'Bob wore a blue shirt'. What is the shirt made of, is it old and tattered?-does it have any weird symbols on it? If you want to really describe your character, really describe them. Think of them as a real person living in whatever imaginary world they belong in.

Proofread and Microsoft Word (especially spell-check) is your friend. Read the rules of the RPG forum and its best to get experience first before making a real RPG. If you have a question and need to ask a moderator, be polite and don't say 'can u plz help me wit this?', say it using proper grammar and spelling.


Current Projects: None.

Future Projects: I'm not sure. I'm such a perfectionist with making a RPG that I have to get all the details right and everything has to be amazing...blah blah blah. Because of this, I often quit making the RPG because I have to work out all the kinks on this one idea and I lose interest.

I have a Claymore RPG in the works as well as On the Run-an RPG about something that I'm going to keep secret for now. I think On the Run might be published in the next year (although I don't know since I'm a snail with it). I might just post it in the RPG ideas thread and hopefully get a Co-Owner or someone pushing me to finish it as well as giving me ideas to work out several of the little loopholes I have.

Almost forgot this, but I have a fantasy RPG in works where people live in a futuristic society where pollution is so bad that people have to live in large domes (sort of green house-esque) that house whole cities. A sort of mutation or defect in blood that is called MaNa has caused humans to recieve a sort of power to wield magic, and magic academies have sprouted through the world. Your character will be a student in Academia Magicka and there's going to be several classes to choose from based on the skills your character has. Also the pollution? Is there a way to get away from it?