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DispatchBulletinOpinion

by The whermacht. . 86 reads.

An Essay on Effectively Joining and Playing the Fantasy Roleplay, Based on my Observations and Experiences

An Essay on Effectively Joining and Playing the Fantasy Roleplay
Based on my Observations and Experiences

At first, Fantasy Roleplay may seem confusing and time-consuming. I can help with the former, but you must accept the latter

It seems to me, as I delve into the backlog of the Regional Message Board, speak with roleplay authorities such as Minister of Entertainment Mazda-otta and Chancellor The pan pacific, and participate in the roleplay myself, that many perspective applicants to the Fantasy Roleplay of Krumpelberg do not understand the requirements and encouragements for joining. This does not appear to me a bad quality, nor does it surprise me, for of the many roleplays I have experienced in Krumpelberg, Kaiserreich, Agia Germania, and other places, the Fantasy Roleplay appears to me the most strenuous, in terms of qualifications. The process of learning of the lore, creating an in-depth, original nation, race, or culture, authoring a detailed dispatch, and then posting paragraphs of roleplay, all while abiding by the regional roleplay rules and the rules of the FRP in particular, can be strenuous, or even frightening, at first glance. You may not know where to start, how to abide by the rules, how to create a "realistic" setting while still incorporating magic and monsters, wild beasts and warlocks; you may detest the reading and research required to start playing, the "learning curve" of sorts - perhaps you simply wish to start playing.

Before I begin this essay, I will include a distinction that, while perhaps not present here, has been present in other high-quality roleplays that I have participated in. That distinction is between players that are willing to do the work required to start and continue playing and simply need a tutorial or instruction piece on how to go about this, and the players who are unwilling to put in time and effort in order to create and write high-quality pieces, and simply wish for entertainment. This dispatch is for the former. For the latter, this piece, and the FRP as a whole, is likely not for you. I would suggest instead participating in another, lower-quality roleplay, such as Kaiserreich's roleplay, which is much faster-paced but has less overall moderation and less individual effort per roleplay, at least at the time of the writing of this dispatch.

For those of you who remain, I will speak of many things. First, I will explain how to create a nation or setting detailed enough to join the Fantasy Roleplay, based both on my experience and what I have observed from others. I will talk of how to create good roleplay posts overall, and, finally, of how to create an introductory post.

Joining Fantasy Roleplay

In order to effectively join Fantasy Roleplay, you must be able to be engaged in and intertwined with the setting. This includes the roleplay rules, the timeframe and history, the regional differences, the geography of what you are claiming, and, perhaps most importantly, the "theme" that you wish to use.

First, you must look at the rules. This is conveniently located in two dispatches: The Official Krumpelberg Roleplay Rules and the Fantasy Roleplay Primer. The former details with general rules that apply to all roleplay, and functions more as a guide on how to avoid a visit from a Vidam. The main points are "don't be a dickhead," "don't be overpowered," "don't argue with those in positions of authority," and "don't let real-life events, such as your distaste of or annoyance at a player, influence your actions in a roleplay." The dispatch itself is fairly outdated, created over a year ago, and rarely updated since. However, it gives a general sense of expectations and what to avoid. The Fantasy Roleplay Primer is geared specifically towards those entering the Fantasy Roleplay. It includes entrance qualifications, the specifics what you need to do in order to join, basic advice on world-building, and descriptions of the roleplay and magic within the setting. It is, in effect, a list of steps required to join, and descriptions of the regulations specific to the Fantasy Roleplay. Because of this, I will not touch on these. Read both of these dispatches carefully, and make sure you understand them. The Primer also includes many useful resources, from medieval population distribution, to lists of magical creatures, to the size and composition of armies. I highly encourage that you visit these sites as well.

The Timeframe and History of the setting also need to be understood. It is both relatively deep and broad, spreading across over two thousand years. Thankfully, there is also a dispatch for this, the Fantasy Roleplay World Guide. This is not required in order to start the roleplay, but you will almost certainly need this knowledge both to field a satisfactory backstory within your dispatch and to interact effectively with the NPC nations on the map. You do not need to read this as carefully as the rules, but I still suggest going through it; it is full of useful insights. It is equally important to understand the timeframe as a whole. The roleplay technology is "capped" at roughly late 1500s technology, but this is only in the very "west", with nations such as Altwelt and Denysia. The further east one goes, the more magical, and less advanced, society becomes. If you are positioned near the gargantuan Empire of Dysesuso, which is widely a pre-gunpowder society, you will not be equipping yourself with muskets and arquebuses. Most of the roleplay is quite Medieval in nature. I suggest reading the Wikipedia article on the LinkHundred Years War to gain a rough sense of the era - some aspects will be higher, some will be lower. Further searches will likely be required, tailored to your specific needs. If you are based in the west, perhaps look into the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs for inspiration, or perhaps even the Eighty Years' War. If you are more in the east, perhaps the Norman invasion of England, the Crusades, the Byzantine-Turkish wars, or even the wars of the Roman Empire, if you are going into this vibe. As well, look into fantasy literature, such as A Story of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings, or perhaps The Ranger's Apprentice series, by George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, and John Flanagan, respectively. If you are not a human nation, you will have to draw much more from fantasy literature, and less from actual history, in order to gain a sense of what you want to be.

The Geography is fairly easy to understand, but you still must understand it. If needed, ask questions of the moderators, or send them things to review. They know best, and will likely welcome such a display of interest. There is also a LinkGeographic Map and key in the Fantasy Roleplay primer. Geography is important to understand because it also influences you. If you live in an icy mountain-range, you will not be able to support a large population, due to the lack of arable (agricultural) land and scarcity of resources. The same applies if you are located in a scorching desert, or marshy swamp. It will also influence your theme; if you wish to go (as many do) as a Roman-esque nation, but you are located on a vast steppeland, your lockstep legions will falter when faced with NPCs adapted to that land. The Romans continuously adapted based on their location, from rigid phalanxes, to maneuverable maniples, to standardized legions, and then to smaller units of heavy and light cavalry. It is always important to keep geography in mind. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in their "ideal nation" instead of what their nation should/would look like in such territory. This is true in every high-quality roleplay. Do not fall into such a trap; adapt to your surroundings, even if it means you have to adjust your nation.

The previous sections have merely been "what to do" or "what not to do" rather than "how do to something." I apologize, we had to first cover the essentials before we move on into the tutorials. Now, we will cover perhaps the most important aspect of joining FRP; the "theme" of your nation. Everyone has one, but it may be difficult to decide, either because you have no idea of what you like, or because there are too many things to choose. I first advocate reading other people's dispatches, to see their themes. For example, The pan pacific, with the Flavian Empire, is clearly based off of the Byzantine and Roman Empires. Seattleninja008 bases his Dwarves off of the game Dwarf Fortress, with his emphasis on trade caravans and mountain fortresses. I base my nation, Nostrea, off of the Valyrian Freehold and the Targaryens from Game of Thrones, but also from the dragons of Dungeons and Dragons, and of Tolkien. Many NPCs also have themes; Dysesuso is clearly based off of the Western Roman Empire, while Altwelt, with it's gunpowder and position, seems to be based off of the Warhammer Fantasy Empire, and the historical Holy Roman Empire. The Grand Duchy is clearly Muscovy or Russia, and the Cherad-Yer and Ch'tiel seem to be similar to flying mongols of the Golden Horde, but less aggressive.
If you have no ideas of what to be based off of, first take Geography, Timeframe, and Setting into account, as these will rule out various options. You won't be able to be a horse-horde in the forests of the West, but you could be based off of Renaissance France. You couldn't be renaissance-based if you are near Alehvka, but perhaps you can be a breakaway nation-state instead. And so on, so forth. Next, you must do some research. Find what interests you. Is it the heavy knights of Europe, the shambling hordes of the Undead, or the lithe and grace of Tolkien's elves? Simply reading fantasy literature (or reading the wiki's of said literature) often brings inspiration. If you are interested in a historical nation, read it's history on Wikipedia; perhaps an era will catch your eye. Finding what interests you is how you find your theme; why play with a nation you aren't invested in?

However, don't just copy-paste your favorite setting; make it your own. Make it original and fun to play as, not just looted from the resident Wiki. If you make it yours, it will be far more fun to play as than if you simply lift from another work.

By abiding by the rules, timeframe, and geography, and finding a unique, original theme that is interesting to you, you have completed the bulk of the work required to join. Writing the actual dispatch and history is easy; finding inspiration, and abiding by the rules, is much harder. Once you have completed your dispatch, send it to a moderator, edit what they point out, and you are ready to join.

Writing Good Roleplay

Next, we will talk of writing roleplay posts as a whole. This, too, may seem difficult; how to I fill the blank box opposite me? It is a classic error to write an undetailed starter that gets "right to the point." Such a post may look like this.

The whermacht wrote:

The Emperor of Korrbatan declares martial law. All Korrbatan cities are locked up and the army of 200,000 men is raised to defend the nation against the demonic invasion.

First, we must address a few rules violations. Time - it'll take weeks for a well-sized nation to communicate enough to coordinate between all it's cities, and months to raise an army at all. Rules - unless you have a population of countless millions, you will not be able to raise 200,000 troops. In reality, only 2-4% of your population could ever really be levied into an army without risking starvation and economic ruin, not counting training, equipment, food, water, coordination (imagine herding cats. Now apply this, 200,000 times, and you have an average peasant army) and pay. Next, details, details, details - these are important; they bulk out your post. You don't want to condense what you're saying into two simple sentences; this isn't the summary of a book report. You want things to be longer, in order to interest people. Include details everywhere. Make a character, and fill him out. Here is another example.

The whermacht wrote:

Emperor Anthrax sat in upon his golden throne. In his left hand, he held a scepter, a symbol of power. In the right, he held a goblet of wine. This was indicative of the nobility of Korrbatan as a whole, their extravagant lifestyles going hand in hand with their nigh-unlimited power. The excess of Korrbatan was indeed known throughout the globe. For decades, the nobility had ate and drank and partied and whored, secure in the knowledge that the illiterate peasants were below them, that they were safe. This was about to change.

The daemonic invasion had shaken the nobility badly. Even the Emperor himself knew not what to do. His army, the Black Legion, was already mobilized; ten thousand troops, with knights, men-at-arms, archers, and eight onager artillery pieces. But they would be insufficient, he knew. The demons had returned, and the scar on Anthrax's face throbbed from the memory of them. No, ten thousand men would not be enough, even those as elite as the Black Legion.

Anthrax motioned over a messenger. The terrified scribe craned his head to catch the quiet words. Ever since the Bloodthirster demon had ripped out half his throat, Anthrax's voice had been little more than a whisper.

"Send messengers", the Emperor told him. "to all the cities and lords. Call upon the lords to mobilize their levies, and meet me here. This should be thirty thousand levies; tell them this. We don't want them cheating the Throne of soldiers. We will defend the capital, even if it means the rest of the nation burns. Tell the cities to lock their gates and man their walls. Let them be islands in the sea of what is to come."

The scribe nodded, and ran off, both to execute his duty and flee from the Emperor. Anthrax sighed, sipping his wine, and reclined further in the throne. Who was there to judge?

As you can see, I extended a two-line RP to a seventeen-line RP, not counting spaces. And yet, it covers the exact same material - mobilizing the army, and locking up the cities. So what is different?

First, I gave context. The first five lines are mostly review, a brief overview. In it, we tell of the structure of Korrbatan, the excess and near-unlimited power of the nobility. It is interesting to read, and also will be useful to readers who don't want to wade through your dispatch. It also sets the stage; why does Anthrax need to contact the nobles? Because they're nearly all-powerful, and hold most of the armies. Next, there's detailing of the army, and the immediately previous history. We learn that the nobility is terrified. We get a brief overview of the standing army, which is nice for Mods because they can then use that knowledge in roleplaying battles, and is just nice filler. We also get a hint of Anthrax's past history with demonic invasion, and a physical feature; his scar. Finally, we get a sense of the power discrepancy. Ten thousand armored, elite troops don't have a chance against the demons, it says.

Next, we get more characterization; a personal detail of Anthrax, and more brief history. We also get an inkling as to how the Emperor is viewed by the non-nobility. After this, the rules concerning army size and time have been fixed, as messengers are sent, implying time, and the number has gone from 200,000 to a much better 30,000. We also get brief details on the rest of the army; peasant levies, not actual troops. Mostly filler, but nice.

We end on a rhetorical question, with a bit more characterization; Anthrax, tired and apathetic, reclines on his throne rather than continue to sit straight. The world is ending for him; why can't he relax on the throne?

Endeavor to write like the second. It's not all that long (by FRP standards) but is much superior to the first. It introduces a character and gives him details and traits. We learn much about Korrbatan from a few lines, as well as a brief history of it's encounters with demons previously. We get a good, if vague, idea of the hierarchical structure, and we also obey all the rules. And, after all of that, it's not only a few sentences, but multiple paragraphs. This is an excellent, if small, post. Detailing can be included nearly everywhere; don't just limit yourself to physical features. What are people feeling? What are they doing? What are they saying? How are they feeling, doing, saying? How do they interact? What's the surroundings like? Et cetera. From this, you can turn a meaningless, tasteless, two-line RP into an interesting, detailed multi-paragraph post.

Introductory Posts

Introductory posts are a bit different. You want to impress, astound, set a boundary. The introductory post should be larger; it needs to be. In an introduction, in addition to whatever issue/event you're instigating/replying to, you need to do several things. First, you need to give background, and context. What is your nation? What race? What's the culture like? Where is it? And so on, so forth. Make sure it's connected to the issue at hand, but make people understand your nation in a paragraph, or, alternatively, spread throughout the post. You need to establish characters that you'll use repeatedly. One to three is the optimum amount. Make them unique and different, and make them interesting. A classic one is the leader of the nation. If so, perhaps make another a general, or a merchant, or perhaps his political rival. Don't make a character you'll never use again, and don't make a ton that nobody will care about. Next, include multiple issues. I call these "threads". You'll probably be dealing with multiple threads at a time, and these threads will continue in multiple subsequent posts. If you're invaded, you won't just be like "I send 10000000000 troops and kill them, GG m8." Most likely, you'll be replying to them for some time. A war, for example, will be focused on over dozens of posts, as you post, then someone replies, then you reply to them, et cetera. That's why I call them "threads" - they will continue on for a long time. So make multiple ones, or things will get boring. By the same token, don't just do one-off events. An example of a one-off would be a news report, an isolated event like a mass shooting or a destructive event. Frankly, nobody will care about these isolated events. They will care if you turn it into a thread, and make them able to potentially get involved. Nobody cares if a ship blows up in your harbor, killing thousands. They will care if you use that event to start boarding, search, and seizure operations on all their trade ships, giving them an opportunity to reply. Nobody cares if your head of state dies. They do care if there's a disgruntled noble who attempts to take power, or a civil war, or a secessionist movement as a result of this. People can do stuff with these events. They can support said noble, or take advantage of a civil war, or finance a secessionist movement. They can't do anything about a dead head of state except send their condolences, and that's a waste of time.

In this dispatch, I have touched on three main concepts; how to join the Fantasy Roleplay, how to expand your posts and write good roleplay, and how to make an introductory post. I will expand on and edit this as I go, but this should serve as a good guide. If there's a TL;DR to this essay, it goes like this.

- read and obey the rules,
- read the lore
- do your research
- take geography, timeframe, history, and regional differences (east vs west) into account when deciding technology, population, theme, etc. Don't just ignore them.
- find a theme that's right for you, but don't just copy-paste off of a wiki
- include details everywhere. They make things interesting to read, and interesting to reply to.
- Get 1-3 main characters, and stick with them for a while. Don't use throwaway characters or nameless ones.
- Make people care. Write "threads", not just isolated incidents.

I hope this has been informative and helpful. Please telegram me if you have any input.

The whermacht

Edited:

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