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Advanced Roleplaying Tips
Topic Started: Jun 17 2008, 03:50 AM (1,462 Views)
Seventeen
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The Super Villain
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Okay, I was getting really agitated by the way most people RP in this place. I mean, sure it's about getting the stats and being the strongest, but the quality of RPing should be complimented with good stats.

I'm going to base this guide off THREE main points:
I. Spelling and Grammar
A.Captalizing
B.Punctuation
C. Possessive and Contractions
D.Commonly Confused Words
E. Dialogue
F. Format

-Point of View (POV)
-Tense

II. Description and Detail
A. Bullshit to Brilliant (at a glance)
B. Tactics

- Word Choice
-Components
- Literary Devices

III. Style

I. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR


A. Captalizing

This is a very simple, yet very important aspect of writing. Always capitalize the first word in a sentence, the first word in a dialogue, the words "I" or "I'm" or "I've" or "I'd" and proper nouns. Proper nouns are names, whether they are for people, places, organizations, or even things like attacks and technique. e.g)Android Seventeen, Goten, Vegeta, Earth or Kamehameha

Names or classification of species are not considered proper nouns. Which means that the word android should not be captilized unless it is part of the original name given to the person. Incorrect e.g) ki, saiyan, legendary super saiyan, android.

Also, you don't capitalize the very next word after a quotation mark unless it is the beginning of a new sentence that has no relation to the previous dialogue, unless it's "I've", "I'm" or something like that. e.g) "What the hell is this?" the drunk man slurred.


Quote:
 
Incorrect
"You can't beat me!" The android taunted.
"Come get me!" He said.
"Die!" Screamed the woman.

Correct
"You can't beat me!" the android taunted.
"Come get me!" he said.
"Die!" screamed the woman.

The only time capitalization after a quotation mark is allowed is if the following sentence is completely separate from the dialogue, and has so reference to it whatsoever.
Quote:
 
"Don't even bother trying." He charged up an energy blast and fired.




B. Punctuation

All writers need to learn where to appropriately place them in order to provide the piece with meter and rhythm, which is important for a reader's interpretation of a sentence. e.g)While he was eating a stranger walked into the diner.

The first example seems harmless enough, but without a comma, the meaning of the sentence is entirely different. Without the punctuation, it seems as though the person being described is eating the stranger instead of eating food as the stranger walks in. That is also a lesson in careful sentence structure! The second one is merely an instance where you would use a pause for effect. Thirdly are compound sentences, which even the best of us get lazy on. Spellchecker won't pick these up. It is proper grammar to always place a comma before "but" or "and" in a compound sentence, no matter what. Finally, when a comma is not appropriate, use a semicolon; this scenerio is probably the most misused of all punctuation-dom.

Semicolons are most likely one of the most difficult punctuations to deal with. A semicolon is used in place of a comma to connect two otherwise completely separate sentences when you want form a single long one. If you put a comma in between two complete sentences (in other words, two sentences that can stand on their own), it is called a comma splice. If you are uncomfortable using semicolons, you can instead use periods or a conjunction, such as "and," "or," "but." If you're still confused, try this website

Quote:
 
Incorrect
While he was eating a stranger walked into the diner.
This was the end, this was the end of it all.

Correct
While he was eating, a stranger walked into the diner.
This was the end; this was the end of it all.


C. Possessive and Contractions

People seem to have the most trouble with proper possessives and contractions (compound words). Placement of apostrophes and words with multiple uses can trip up even the best of writers. The first example uses the word "your" incorrectly. "Your" in that spelling is always possessive, meaning "your bag" or "your shoes" in the sense of belonging.

"You're" is the contraction for "you are." Common contractions are: can't (can not), they're (they are), you're (you are), isn't (is not), it's (it is), that's (that is), I'm (I am), I've (I have), must've (must have), and many, many more. Some writers use ain't, but that's not a proper word. Contrary to most usage, the word "it's" is never possessive. This is probably due to the fact that an apostrophe is commonly associated with a meaning of belonging, in the instance of "Vegeta's" or "Seventeen's." That word is always a contraction meaning "it is." Another common mistake is a writer putting an apostrophe after yours in the phrase, yours truly. Putting an apostrophe after the "r" would make it a contraction meaning "your is," which is grammatically incorrect.

Quote:
 
Incorrect
Your gonna die today!
The monster stuck out it's tongue at the random pedestrian.
This post was made by, your's truly.

Correct
You're gonna die today!
The monster stuck out its tongue at the random pedestrian.
The post was made by, yours truly.


D. Commonly Confused Words

Speech is alot easier than actually writing words out. Most people write down words how they phonetically sound to them, even though several words sound the same but have very different meanings. That's what's known as a "homonym." Some of them don't sound the same, but are spelled similarly, and just have a different arrangement of letters. However, when these two excuses fail, it just means they really don't know the right word to use.

Here are some commonly confused words.

Quote:
 
THEN and THAN

then (adv.) - 1. at that time, 2. next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward, 3. in addition; moreover

than (conj.) - used comparatively

EXAMPLE:

COMPARATIVELY:
"I'm simply better then you." (incorrect)

should actually be?

"I'm simply better than you." (correct)

TIME: Back then, things were simpler.
ORDER: We're going to dinner, then a movie.



Quote:
 
QUIET and QUITE

quiet (adj.) - making little or no noise

quite (adv.) - 1. to the greatest extent; completely, 2. actually; really, 3. to a degree; rather



Quote:
 
EFFECT and AFFECT

effect (n.) - 1. something brought about by a cause or agent; a result, 2. the power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence, 3. a scientific law, hypothesis, or phenomenon, 4. advantage; avail

affect (tr.v.) - 1. to have an influence on or effect a change in, 2. to act on the emotions of, 3. to attack or infect, as a disease


Quote:
 
HAVE and OF

have (v.) - 1. to use or exhibit in action, 2. to permit; allow 3. to carry on, perform, or execute

of (prep.) - 1. derived or coming from; 2. caused by; resulting from, 3. containing or carrying

(These two are commonly confused due to verbal slang, and many people write out things the way they sound to them. People slur the "have" until it sounds completely like "of." This is one of the few errors grammar check will actually catch!)

EXAMPLE:
"You should of backed out when you had the chance." (incorrect)

should actually be?

"You should have backed out when you had the chance." (correct)


E. Dialogue

Dialogue can be either set up or finished off. Meaning, you can begin the sentence with dialogue or end it with dialogue.
Quote:
 
A. Set Up
He said, "Get away from me."
He screamed, "Get away from me!"
He asked, "Will you get away from me?"

(Make sure you put a comma before the opening quotation marks every time! And don't forget the punctuation mark before the closing quotation marks!)

B. Finish off
"Get away from me," he said.
"Get away from me!" he screamed.
"Will you get away from me?" he asked.

(Make sure you put some sort of punctuation mark before the closing quotation marks every time!) 

Quote:
 
Incorrect
1. "You'll never win, he said."
2. "He said, you'll never win."
3. He used his so-called "special technique".
4. What exactly is "good grammar?"
5. I would say "rubbish", but that would be mean.

Correct
1. "You'll never win," he said.
2. He said, "You'll never win."
3. He used his so-called "special technique."
4. What exactly is "good grammar?"
5. I would say "rubbish," but that would be mean.


Quotation marks surround the words being spoken or quoted, not the description. They open and close the sentence. That's how you tell if someone is talking. Place opening quotation marks at the beginning of the dialogue. In the first example, the dialogue starts with an easy, fresh sentence. In the second example, dialogue starts in the middle of the sentence. In this case, you need a comma to separate the word indicating speech, and then begin the dialogue with opening quotation marks. Don't forget to always capitalize the first word beginning a dialogue! Place the closing quotation marks after the punctuation that follows the last word being said or quoted. Unless it is being used with a question mark or exclamation point in a non-dialogue sentence, under no other circumstance is a quotation mark (whether used for dialogue, quoting, alleging, or making reference to something) to be on the inside of the ending punctuation or comma (e.g., the period, the comma, etcetera)! It may look wierd, but it is correct. Again, Spellchecker will not call you on it, but it is not correct!

Quote:
 
Incorrect
4. "I'm going to be the most powerful fighter in the universe." he said.
5. "I'm going to be the most powerful fighter in the universe." He said.
6. "Is there any way I can become stronger," he said.

Correct
4. "I'm going to be the most powerful fighter in the universe," he said.
5. "I'm going to be the most powerful fighter in the universe!" he said.
6. "Is there any way I can become stronger?" he asked.


Those are all a big no. Dialogue followed by something along the lines of "he/she said" should never be ended with a period. Ever. Not even if the "he/she" is capitalized. Spellchecker says it's okay, but it's actually grammatically incorrect. End it with a comma, or if you want to set a louder tone, an exclamation point. If it is in question form, unless you split your sentence up (which is very tricky), always end it with a question mark. It is better if you used "asked" instead of "said" as well, but the latter is not technically wrong.


Quote:
 
Incorrect
7. "I'm going," he said. "To be the strongest ever."
8. "How can I," he asked. "Become stronger?"
9. "I can do it," he said, "I can become stronger!"

Correct
7. "I'm going," he said. "to be the strongest ever."
8. "How can I," he asked. "become stronger?"
9. "I can do it," he said. "I can become stronger!"


Splitting dialogue up can be confusing to punctuate. It?s easiest to avoid this dicey method altogether, but if there is an instance you word your dialogue this way, it?s best to know how to do it right. You don?t place a period after your indication of speech (said, paused, whispered, began, etcetera) if the sentence is being continued, nor do you capitalize the next word within the dialogue. Imagine if there was no island of words in the middle of the dialogue. ?I?m going. To be the strongest ever.? Unless you?re referring to a trip and not a goal, that would be okay, otherwise it?s not. ?How can I. Become stronger?? That one?s even easier. A period after the indication of speech tells you that the first sentence of dialogue stands alone and is not connected with the following sentence. ?I can do it. I can become stronger!? This example is perfect.

Tip: Don't clump dialogue in the middle of your paragraphs. It makes it difficult to understand who is saying what in the middle of what action. Whenever a new person starts talking or separate dialogue is spoken, you should always begin a new paragraph!

F. Format

- Tense
Tense is the form of writing you are in with indication to time. While there are actually several kinds in two different categories (active and passive), we?ll generalize them into three types for simplicity's sake: past tense, present tense, and future tense. Past tense is when you are referring to something that has already taken place, using words like "were," "was," and "had." Present tense is when you are mentioning something that is occurring at that very moment, employing words such as "is," "am," "has," and "have." It doesn't necessarily have to be dialogue or self-reference. Future tense is an allusion to something that will happen, using words similar to present tense (most namely "have"), although meaning them for an upcoming event, and it also includes "will."

Quote:
 

Past Tense:
1. I was once the greatest fighter in the world.
2. We were just training.
3. I had it all.

Present Tense:
1. Is this what it has come to?
2. I am going to kill you if you don't get this right.
3. I have every intention of leaving.

Future Tense:
1. Will you come with me?
2. Within a year, I will have finished my training in King Kai's planet. 



A big no-no in writing is changing tense in the middle of a sentence. It can be done, but most people don't know how (it is usually in dialogue)...so just don't do it.
Quote:
 

Incorrect
1. "Okay, it's now time to train your body to fully withstand the effects of Kaio Ken," said the Kai as he bandages up his monkey's tail.

Correct
1. "Okay, it's now time to train your body to fully withstand the effects of Kaio Ken," said the Kai as he bandaged up his monkey's tail.


"Said" is in past tense, while "bandages" is in present tense. You just need to modify the word and correct it to the proper tense.

- Point of View
There are three points of view: first person, second person (or the "objective" point of view), and third person. We won't ever encounter second, so mostly, we deal with first and third. In DBZA you can write in both styles, as first person, which is where the narrator/writer (you) are describing things from your character's perspective, actually participating in the roleplay, unless it's dialogue. Third person is where the writer is not involved in the actual post, but merely illustrating things from a bird's-eye view.


Quote:
 
First Person
1. Goku slowly gets up and takes a breath.
2. They are all wearing weighted clothing.

Third Person
1. Goku slowly got up and took a breath.
2. They were all wearing weighted clothing.




II. Descriptions and Details


A. Bullshit to Brilliance(at a glance)

Quote:
 
Bullshit:
Goku raised his power level and shouted and fired a Kamehameha at Frieza his power level rising even higher!

Better:
The powerful saiyan Goku shouted as his energy skyrocketed, an aura appearing. He drew back his arms and fired a mighty Kamehameha at Frieza, all the while his power getting stronger and stronger.

Brilliance:
A defiant roar boomed across the sky, tearing the very air with its deafening cacophony. Never before did an ear hearken the detonation of such a dogged bellow. A brawny pair of arms sank deeply at the waist of the extraordinary Goku, stalwart defender of the Earth. Bright azure flames of pure energy caressed his body with its effulgent luminescence as ki of cobalt and white amassed into his pining palms. The power he was emanating was incomparably catastrophic. Chanting the harbinger of Frieza's doom, the vehement warrior unleashed his vengeful wrath upon the defenseless changeling. A colossal, inescapable beam bore down upon the tyrant, sinisterly sizzling with malicious intent. Frozen in fear, Frieza could sense his enemy's phenomenally increasing strength. 


Although some of lesser caliber would consider the first sentence to be exciting and dramatic, it is in fact pure crap. Not only is it poorly punctuated, but it also is annoyingly redundant. It is a classic example that could almost be a constant excerpt from the majority of the joining posts that are half-assed. There is clearly very little thought or detail. The next one is better. It is at least acceptable to read. There is some attempt at being descriptive, with a few minute details. Instead of trying to cram all the information into one awkward sentence, there're two, and together they still carry out the theme of the first example. The third is the best of the three, although it makes a bigger jump in quality than from the first to the second. One sentence has been turned into a small paragraph. Each action is explicitly defined, painting a visible and imaginative picture. Adding to the theme is the inclusion of emotion and a glimpse of character perception. While this certainly may not be even close to the best presentation of roleplaying you will ever see, it is something you could aspire to.

B. Tactics

- Word Choice. A vast resource, selection of words can make or break a post. They are the stirring stick of the imagination, so it is important how you use them. Description is a pictorial representation of an idea. Words are the colors that comprise the pictures, so use as many and as diversely as possible. Roleplaying is a world where verbs (action words) dominate. Supplement these verbs by peppering your sentences with adjectives and (describing word; i.e., hideous, battered) adverbs (modifies a verb, noun or other adverb; i.e., quickly, boldly). Avoid mundane repetition. The simplest remedy for that problem is to get a thesaurus. There are numerous online sources, or you can use your Microsoft Word tool. Synonyms are your friends. Change up your sentences. Try not to overuse names or pronouns (substitutes for nouns; i.e., him, his, her, hers). Instead of always saying "Goku, Goku, Goku" try putting something like "the ebony-haired fighter" in its place. Whatever you do, make your sentences flow as smoothly as possible.

- Components. Flex your fingers into a fist. It may seem like a simple function, but several things are happening all at once. Your brain is sending nerve impulses to move them. The skin on the back of your hand is being drawn thinner. Blood is being circulated through your fingertips. Much more can be attributed to that activity than just what it seems. The point is, articulate every miniscule detail of an action, exactly how you would imagine it, on several levels. Picture it in your mind and break it down into several different pieces. Now, use the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. For example, Dabura is launching a fireball from his mouth in the middle of Hell. What does each individual action he is taking look like? What does his environment look like, how does it smell, what are the sounds? Can he taste the fireball as it's coming out? How would that feel if a giant ball of flame was spat from your mouth? If you thought that was enough material, you can add in his vantage point. What is he thinking? What emotions is he feeling? How is this attack affecting his body? Ask yourself these questions and then answer them in the best, most descriptive way you can.

- Literary Devices. These are useful things that are designed to make a sentence stick out and really pop off the page. Some people actually use them without even knowing what they are, but they are better utilized when purposefully deployed. The basic ones are: similes, personification, metaphors, analogies, alliteration, and hyperboles. Similes, which are comparing two things using the words "like" or "as," are the simplest to understand. Personification isn't too hard either. It's describing inanimate objects, such as a rock, with human-like traits. Metaphors are very common. They are symbols and figures of speech, such as the phrase "sea of troubles." The troubles are not literally made of a sea, it's just a word used to describe. Analogies, which are often in the form of a simile, are comparisons based on similarities. Alliteration, uses several words together that start with the same sound, kind of like reverse rhyming. For example, the old tongue twister "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." It's the "puh puh puh" sound that makes it alliteration. Lastly are hyperboles (hi-per-BUH-lee), which is just a fancy word for "exaggeration." You use exaggeration for dramatic effect. These all might seem confusing, but are really handy once you get the hang of them. They become even more effective when combined!



III. Style


Not a difficult concept, style is your personal spin on things. Some people appreciate serious, others like humor (especially the subtle, dirty kind), and still others prefer dramatic soap opera tragedy. Your style is the flavor of your writing, whether it's passionate, sarcastic, bitter, or even a little arrogant. You can follow any of these tips and change them in a way that best fits your preferences. Writing itself is very loose outside of the mechanics aspect. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, there are several things you can do to get inspired: watch a pertinent movie or television show, listen to provoking music, read other posts, read different books, involve yourself in an activity, whatever it takes to motivate you. Take some risks and be original, don't be predictable. Analyze your pieces and think of how you can alternate things to make them more interesting and appealing. Be spontaneous. Try new things. Don't find yourself in a continual cycle. Style is your thing to control.


ENDING CREDITS: I can't take most of the credits for this roleplaying guide, seeing as I wasn't the one who originally created it. However, I did translate the heavy vocabulary to words that can be actually read by DBZA players.



GOOD LUCK, AND HAVE FUN![/center]
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