Roleplays and how to set one up. [MOVED]

TOC:
Setting.
Lore.
Applications & Characters.
Rules.
Literacy.


Roleplays:
A roleplay can be classified as an activity where people either act out or write about another person or creature's daily life. For the sake of simplicity, this guide is going to be about traditional roleplaying, roleplaying by writing.

Setting:
First off, the setting of the roleplay. This is the place the roleplay takes place in e.g Nineteenth Century England. The setting is the most important aspect of the roleplay. It provides a base for the lore and the characters. It affects the surroundings of the characters, the speech, the way the roleplay's being led. Deciding on a setting is the first task when setting up a roleplay.

Some examples of settings are, but not limited to, Realistic, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Futuristic.

Lore:
The lore. No doubt, by far, the hardest aspect of setting up a roleplay. The setting of the roleplay is the base of the lore. A modern, realistic roleplay wouldn't have a lore based off of medieval history now would it? When setting up a roleplay, most roleplay owners find this part the most challenging.

The questions "Does the lore match the setting?", "Is it simple to understand?" and "Will people enjoy it?" are three questions that should be all ticked yes to know that your roleplay will be easier to manage, understand and join. A tip is to start a roleplay that you are comfortable with. The tip applies to roleplay forums such as this one. Start simple and gradually expand. After all, you're better off making a generic Victorian Era inspired roleplay ,which you're good at, than a Sci-Fi roleplay, which you know nothing about.

Applications & Characters:
I will simply touch lightly on the subject here, seen as there isn't much to discuss, as a roleplay host's main priority is to set up the roleplay, not make characters.

However, it is a priority to keep the characters under check. As roleplay host, it is your job to make sure the characters fit well with the setting and lore of the roleplay. A simple way to do so is to create a character form that requires all the basic information be filled. Such a form would consist of the character's full name and nickname, their age, gender and sexuality, along with a short biography and a basic personality. A good way to ensure no "perfect" characters is to have detailed characters.

Most people like to build their character as the roleplay progresses. To comply with such requirements, making the biography detailed compulsory is a good way to balance it out as the personality of a character comes from its backstory. Another, more detailed, application form would be where a list of criteria must be filled out. The list consists of criteria that are crucial to the character. In the spoiler below, I have written such a list. You are free to copy and/or modify the list while writing up a character sheet. This is also a good way to keep your roleplay's characters in check. You can write a list of what you need the characters to be and use the list to keep everything under track.

Application Form example:

Rules:
Simply put, the foundation of keeping your roleplay in check. As roleplay host, the rules are your greatest asset. This is where you have to clearly state what is expected of the roleplayers, such as civil behaviour. There isn't much to talk about on such a subject but bear in mind that you have to clearly outline all your rules. Such as saying "Impoliteness will not be taken lightly and roles will be terminated after three strikes" is more clear than "No being rude".

Literacy:
The literacy of a roleplay is the level of literacy you expect from roleplayers. There are four categories of literacy when it comes to roleplaying.

Beginner:
Beginner roleplayers usually post around one or two lines and more commonly use "script" mode instead of "story" mode.

Advanced:
Advanced roleplayers usually post a simple paragraph and commonly use "story" mode.

Semi-lit:
The more common literacy level, Semi-literary roleplayers post around two chunky paragraphs and balance quality and quantity to an extent.

Lit:
Lit, or literary, roleplayers post up to four chunky paragraphs, balancing quality and quantity equally throughout the roleplay.