Roleplay Guide

While this is a guide on best roleplay practices, this guide is the metric by which administrators judge your roleplay quality, so please be sure to keep these standards in mind!

Ratwood is a Grimdark Medieval/Renaissance Punk Fantasy roleplay server, and as such, we expect a certain level of roleplay from each of our members. This guide seeks to provide standards and guidelines for you to build off of in your journey.

Preamble: What is Roleplay?

You aren't playing as a character in a video game. Imagine yourself more as an actor on a stage or in a film. This is the essence of roleplay. This server isn't the conventional Space Station 13 experience - you should embody your character and play them in the world as a believable character. Separating yourself from your character is vital.

The Responsibilities of a Roleplayer

Continuity

Each round in the game is a week-long snippet in the world of Grimoria, and and thus there isn't any continuity between rounds. Certain events can be remembered between rounds at the discretion of the players involved; such as relationships, minor feuds, injuries and non-consensual acts - on the caveat that these aren't used to fuel unprompted attacks against any party. Everyone in town has lived in and worked in the town for a long time before the week started, and will remain for long after the week ends. Always keep this in mind.

Telegraphing Intent

Also known as "escalation" other roleplay servers expect a good amount of minimum requirements prior to combat. This server does not expect such minimum requirements, all that is required is you showing obvious intent to commit hostile action such as prefacing your first attack with an emote or a piece of dialogue that makes it unquestionably clear you're about to attack. This could be something as simple as insulting your foe and pulling out your weapon, or silently pulling your weapon out, taking one tile closer to your opponent and swinging into the empty tile showing clear hostile intent. However, assassins who wish to assassinate are not expected to adhere to those practices so long they're conducting an ambush.

Examples Listed Below

Eventually these will be placed in a collapsable box. Still figuring it out. When a werewolf... comes across a sentient mob it wishes to attack, it must telegraph its intent through use of its emotes, roaring, or slashing their claws at an empty space before the mob. After engaging in combat, the werewolf is expected to not kill the sentient mob UNLESS the sentient mob engaged in combat first. Otherwise, the werewolf may chop a limb off, as needed for health bonuses or just leave the mob alone. The werewolf is not expected to help the mob, nor will they be held accountable if the mob dies of blood loss.

The point is to further the story, and in Case A. not killing foe allows them to share their story of the werewolf, or be turned. In Case B. foe showed much hostility, and the werewolf being a 'beast' should not be concerned about relenting on foe if they yield. Werewolf may make the final decision.

Bandit encounters foe and wishes to rob them. Bandit either takes a threatening stance or simply speaks to them declaring what they want foe to do. foe responds with complying, pulling out a weapon, or fleeing.

• Case A. foe complies and gives them items of value or becomes 'property' whichever happens through the role-play.
• Case B. foe pulls out the weapon and makes it clear by moving towards the bandit one tile, speaking, or changing stance to combat.
• Case C. foe makes an attempt to flee, Bandit gives chase and may need to beat foe to get them in a position to rob them, take them, or whatever.

In either instance of combat, if foe yields, the bandit is not expected to kill them after robbing.However, the Bandit is not expected to aid foe and can leave them to their wounds to die or not.

Assassin encounters foe, their target and positions themself appropriately. Assassin pulls out their weapon of choice and goes for the assassination. foe in this instance is assumed to be unaware.

• Case A. foe is cleanly assassinated quickly. foe dies.
• Case B. foe catches onto assassin and responds with role-play. Assassin responds with role-play making their intent to kill foe obvious enough to proceed to combat.
• Case C. foe is not cleanly assasinated and fights back. Assassin and foe engage in combat

If foe wins the combat, them killing assassin is no issue, vice versa with assassin.

Below are some improper ways of telegraphing intent.

Werewolf encounters foe it wants to attack. Werewolf uses its verbs/emotes to roar, growl, showing hostile intent. Werewolf launches forward immediately afterwards not waiting for foe to attack, or foe immediately jumps into attacking.

Bandit encounters foe and wishes to rob them. Bandit either takes a threatening stance or simply speaks to them declaring what they want foe to do. foe responds with complying, pulling out a weapon, or fleeing.

• Case A. foe complies with the bandit, and the bandit kills foe aftewards.
• Case B. foe pulls out a weapon and immediately attacks Bandit.
• Case C. foe attempts to flee, bandit gives chase and beats foe to death.

Role Responsibilities

Each role has their own responsibilities - these should be common sense. A knight of the land shouldn't be breaking the spines of peasants without clear orders from the Duke, and a templar should under no circumstances be gallivanting with heretics or bandits. Exceptions can obviously be made if they're roleplayed well, but otherwise, stick to what you know is right for the role.

Validhunting and White Knighting

Your average farmer is not going to happen upon a violent criminal forcing himself on a poor woman and think to himself, "I'll save her!" before leaping in. Play to your character's motives: heroes are few and far between in this world. If you want to play as one, the garrison is full of prospective (and foolish) saviours. On the converse, false accusations should be used sparingly, as getting someone killed for something they didn't do is uninteresting if done with zero build-up.

Furthermore, don't kill an antagonist simply because they're an antagonist. In sticky situations, it might be necessary to kill a werevolf or vampyre if they're entirely uncontrollable, but your average brigand should be shown a little more leniency - at least when it comes to the guillotine.

Mechanical Interactions

Typing Indicator

If you see someone typing, don't attack them. Obviously, if they're trying to type in the middle of a pitched battle, feel free to hack away at their fleshy limbs.

Surrender

By right-clicking your Combat Mode toggle in the interface or pressing SHIFT-X on default keybinds, you will surrender. A white flag appears above your head and you drop to the floor, stunned and unable to move. You get some resistance to damage in this state.

A surrender is never protection against being killed, but if you do intend to show your opponent cruelty in the face of their surrender, make sure you make this absolutely clear like with escalating into a fight. Again, a simple thing like, "You fool, you lost the moment you decided to fight me. Now perish!" is fine.

Class Expectations

Combat Classes

These are all roles with one significant advantage over the rest of the town: You're competent in a fight. You can absolutely ruin an unarmed farmer's day with no rhyme or reason, he and the soilers around him can't do anything to stop you. Use this clear advantage you have to bolster people's roleplay - not just use it to make others' suffer.

Nobility

To be noble is to have your bloodline consecrated by the Church. Nobles have etiquette and education, and are expected to act in a manner befitting an aristocrat. Speak in fluent English and use flowery words in your dialogue. Avoid crass jokes and profanity in public settings, and always maintain a sense of smug superiority over your lessers. Be as villainous or as virtuous as you choose - just be sure to act like a noble.

Commoners

The townsfolk, yeomen such as guild smiths, the innkeep and seamstress are expected to be invested in their lot in lyfe, after all, you've owned your business for many years. Commoners of the town should be held in higher esteem than foreigners, but the opinions of nobles always overshadow those of the peasants.

Foreigners

The travellers come from all over the world to visit the city. Migrants are strangers, though they may have met some locals in their travels before, and may even be friends with some. As an immigrant, you shouldn't act entitled to any of the luxuries the town has to offer, or the rights of any of the residents - expect to be mistrusted and mistreated.

Immersion

Separating IC from OOC

You aren't your character and your character isn't you. They shouldn't represent you. They have their own motivations, their own dreams, and their own morals. You're expected to act according to these motivations and their backstory, not your own.

Treat your characters like living beings. Fear the touch of death and the sting of pain. What's a game to us is reality to them - act like it.

New Actors on the Stage

You will die. A lot. From accidents in the Bog, to wild animals tearing you limb from limb, to your fellow man betraying you and putting you in the dirt. Having more than one character will soften this blow. Don't play a static - have characters from all walks of lyfe, and don't be upset if you die. The town needs fresh blood...

Dialogue Standards

Your character should believably speak like they live in a dark fantasy medieval world. Don't type as if you're in a chat room or texting someone.

Mute characters are expected to communicate through noises and emotes, and use custom emotes to convey their character's actions in a "show, don't tell" fashion.

Static Roles

We have no role dampening. This is when, if a person at roundstart rolls for a certain role, their chances of rolling this reduce each time, until other players are prioritised instead. We still encourage players to play different roles, because nobody wants to see the same Duke ad infinitum.