Roleplay Terms

Here is a list of several common place terms for Roleplaying

Sites that use Account Per Character expect that each new character that is created will have it's own account. These accounts may be linked to a master/parent account (especially on forums) for quick switching but is not necessarily guaranteed (depending on host/software).

Accounts set up this way often allow characters to have their own inbox for messages, avatar and signature space. Plus it lets them use the character name to make posts.

This is the most common style of account systems for forum based roleplaying.

In contrast to APC, Account Per Person sites have one account for each player. So that all the characters a person wants to play are all tied to one account and they don't have to register further accounts.

This has the advantage of allowing players to quickly and more easily get into the game (not having to go through the registration process to get extra accounts to play characters). But it also means that the player cannot set unique avatars/signatures for each of their characters.

Endless Fight is an Account Per Person type site.

An app is the form a person fills out to create a new character. This form may also be called a Character Sheet.

Some games may not have applications at all. Others may have very small forms to fill out (like basically the character's name and maybe a few small details like their age) while others have a much more in depth form to fill out (including things like a history, personality, physical appearance section and more).

AU is separate timeline where the author makes changes to a canon story resulting in a different outcome. Because these are non-canon the rules often applied to the canon story may not apply entirely, they may be changed or altered by that story creator to fit the needs of their new work. For example, they may alter one event so that a major character lived when they should have died to see how things changed. Or many small things could have changed.

Most roleplays that are made in canon settings are to some degree AU. (This is because the game creators often make changes to make the world more interesting/suitable for them to play in.)

The official works created by an author/company that a roleplay may be based on. This is not to be confused with the artillery piece “Cannon”.

A character from the official works that is present in the new roleplay. (Canon characters may or may not be available for use depending on the whim of the roleplay creator.)

A canon roleplay takes place in an existing universe. (EX- Megaman X, Fallout 3, Resident Evil.) It may use characters from that universe or it may not… If the Game Maker elects to allow it, players in this type of roleplay can become the characters from the existing universe or become original characters that are acting in the official universe (depending on the maker's whim).

You may also hear the term Fandom Roleplay applied instead of Canon Roleplay. They are both the same thing though.

Crack is a term used to describe a roleplay (or topic in a roleplay) that does not actually happen within the boundaries of the game. It's often a situation set up that is just for fun and has no bearing on the story.

For example if two characters could never meet because one died before the other was around, the players could have a crack roleplay just so these two characters could meet and interact.

Fanon is a contraction of fan canon. It basically means when a writer fills in the gaps of a canon work with their own material. Generally this work is classed not officially canon, but it may make sense to help explain aspects of the world in question.

GM stands for Gamer Master. (Though you may also see “Game Creator” or “Game Maker” used instead though they all mean the same thing.) This is the person who made that roleplay. As such they are the authority on that game, they made and enforce the rules. If something is to happen, they are typically the ones who will decide what happens. They may be lax or strict, it all depends on the individual.

When it comes to roleplays that use an entire forum (rather than one topic, one board or one category), typically the root admin (or the person who registered/created the site) is the GM.

This is used inside a post to show when a person has gone from talking to another player to controlling their character. (Contrast with Out Of Character)

You may also see “IN” used to denote this as well. EX

IN:
<Something relevant>

IC:
<Something else relevant>

Non Playing Character (NPCs) are any character that appears within a roleplay but may not be up for use by the players. They are often used by the game creator to help drive the story forward. They may not have their own character sheet filled out simply because they don't play a large enough part in the story to warrant it. (Some NPCs are only mentioned to be killed off to further other character's stories.)

This is a character that a person creates for a roleplay. The character belongs to them (and not the roleplay creator or the roleplay they are acting in).

This is used inside a post to show when a person is no longer speaking or representing their character but rather talking to another player. This is often used to give other players details or information to help them write posts that the characters may not know or may not need to be referenced in character.

For example:

OOC: 
I'm going to have Iron Man shoot his repulsors at Captain America's shield. 

IN:  
Iron Man landed directly in front of Captain America. 
He raised his hands and unleashed a powerful stream of repulsor energy at Captain America.

A roleplay that is set in a world that has been entirely made by the game maker. The rules and laws of this universe are entirely made up and determined by the GM so they are the complete authority on it. (This is unlike Canon roleplays in that this type of roleplay is entirely made up and uses limited to no aspects of existing series.)

Playbys are graphical representations of characters. Typically they are placed as the avatar on forums. (Though typically only for forums that use Account Per Character style.) They may be drawn, computer generated or manipulated images of real life famous people (depending on the game/GM's wishes).

They may also have various other rules attached to them like:

• Size restrictions/regulations (like they have to be 200x300px).
• No use of images from facebook or other social networks (even if you have permission).
• No use of your own picture/likeness.
• No images of people under 13 (even if they are a child actor and are in the spotlight).
• The age of the person in the photo (when it was taken) must be within X years of your character.
• Only one person may use a playby at a time. (So if someone uses Chris Hemsworth, no one else can use any of his images.)

Posting order is used, typically for forums, to show when it's each participants turn to write.

Typically post order is decided by whomever starts the topic is first, then whomever replies next goes second and so on until it loops back to the topic creator. Though in some cases players may opt to create a post order before starting the topic.

When someone new joins (if they join in late) then the post order is often reworked to include them wherever they joined. For example, the post order may have been:

• Player 1
• Player 2
• player 3

And a new player joins before player 3 the order will become:

• Player 1
• Player 2
• Player 4
• Player 3

Many roleplays include a rating to let other players know roughly what level of content they can expect to encounter.

Roleplays often use the Motion Picture Arts & Association rating or the Electronic Software Rating Board (for games) guide which has the following levels:

Roleplay refers to the activity of collaborative/group writing where each players take turns writing actions for their own characters (or canon characters they may be writing for). RP can happen on many different platforms (from social network sites to forums and blogs).

Roleplay can sometimes take on a negative connotation (especially when spoken to about people who don't know what it refers to and think it means strictly sexual activity in the bedroom) and is therefore sometimes referred to as collaborative writing rather than roleplay.

When a person makes up a character and controls that character’s actions, they are called a Roleplayer.

These are the guidelines that every player consents to when they start the game. (If you don’t agree to the rules… Don’t join the game.)