Is there really a right or wrong way to roleplay?

[Lady_Alizarin]

I can't remember if there was a discussion about this at one time. If there was, then I forget about it.
The big question is...

Is there a right or wrong way to roleplay?

Does it matter how someone roleplays? Is there even such thing as a right and wrong way to roleplay? Some people state that using wolfspeak is the right way to roleplay, while others say it's the wrong way to roleplay. Some people say that typing out a long and detailed paragraph is the correct way to roleplay and posting short posts such as -Sits on the rock- is the incorrect way?. Some say that writing with action brackets "-" is the right way to roleplay, while others say it's incorrect.

What are your thoughts on this question? Do you think there is a right or wrong way to RP? Feel free to explain.

[liontamer1]

No. Not at all.

It is all based off preferences and such. It's like everything. There is no right way for anything.

[Kerriki]

Personally I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" way to rp. Everyone has their own preferences and that's just how it is.

[Vespian]

This is an interestin' question indeed Ms. Alizarin. Personally, I believe that there isn't generally a right or wrong way to roleplay aside from power-playin'/meta-gamin'/god-moddin'. The simple fact is that as long as one roleplays fairly and efficiently, then it is still considered roleplayin'. As long as one is content with how he/she may roleplay, whether it be usin' brackets, writing 5-6+ paragraphs at a time, usin' intricate terms, etc., then there's nothing generally right/wrong about it. Everyone has a different style they've adapted to and criticizin' that isn't the right way to go. Givin' a few tips and/or advice may be a bit more necessary but blatantly statin', "You're usin' wolfspeak! You cannot roleplay!" is absurd. They can roleplay, as it is their own preferable tactic, and while it may be agitatin' to ye', there are users who enjoy to use and be around such roleplayers. The same thing goes with any other roleplayer who may roleplay a bit differently than most.

When it comes to power-playin'/meta-gamin'/god-moddin' however, is a different matter. Usin' such tactics is highly unfair and isn't much of a difference than controllin' one's character like a puppet whether it be directly or indirectly. That is not roleplayin', as roleplayin' to me is when users gather around and make a story by intertwinin' their characters and their backstories. Usin' said motives leans more so to ye' writin' the story to better benefit yer own character than those who've participated.

[longjump]

Nope! Writing is writing! You can prefer one way or the other, but I think any way you choose is okay!

[-Toboe-]

Roleplaying is simply just weaving a story through various character's actions, decisions, etc. So I believe there is no correct or incorrect way of roleplaying. Sure, there's annoying things such as powerplaying, godmodding, being a Mary-Sue, etc. But they're still in the roleplay. So to answer your question, I believe that there's good roleplays and bad roleplays, not correct and incorrect ones cx.

[Jango_Fett]

No.

There never was never a wrong way.

Nevertheless other people will press that there is.

[WolfQueen]

I know I am going to be shot for this, but to be honest, I don't generally consider power-play/god-mod good roleplay. It's an amateur version of roleplay, as I call it. I'm sorry. Sure, if you are taking a role of another being, it's roleplay, but if it's unfair (god-mod, power-play, etc.), it's "amateur roleplay".

[Wizardmymom]

I voted
No.

Because of a few reasons.

For one, I typed a very LONG thing in the wolfspeak thing, and that explains most of it.
But to sum it up,
as long as you can understand the wolfspeaker, then that's proper RP.

Many people yell that
"WOLFSPEAK IS NOT PROPER RPING. YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND A BLOODY WORD OF IT."
Erm, I can most of the time.


And as for illiterates:
Can you understand them?
Look, they just RPed. They got the point across, we can all sit back and chill without the world imploding.


While most RP communities require 'literacy' (which most call 'advanced RPing'), some don't.
As long as they get the point across from what their charrie is doing, then it's RPing.

[Nemena]

There's so many formats and styles of roleplay! Picking a single one as THE way to roleplay would be nigh impossible; different games, forums and such each have their own individual manner of conveying a story. For example, in World of Warcraft, short one-line messages is the favoured roleplaying style--long posts are generally frowned upon! Pen and paper roleplays, too, have an entirely different format.

People certainly have preferences; I personally dislike script-based roleplays and purple-prose/wolfspeak-- I'm more a paragraph person! Even so, everyone has the right to pick the style they're most comfortable with. Their choices should be respected, even if it's a format you generally don't enjoy.