Tips: Being an adequate roleplayer is really pretty easy. Just send in posts once every couple weeks or so, follow some sort of form, advance the plot... but becoming a really good roleplayer takes a lot more effort. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you achieve that status: Think in terms of campaigns, not episodes. Why are Misty's books so great? Well, aside from wonderful characters and entertaining storytelling style, it's because all of her books tie together. Can you honestly tell me you didn't get a little feeling of "oh, cool!" when you realized that the Leshya'kal'enedral talking to An'desha in Storm Breaking was Tarma? (Or did you not make that connection?) *grin* You can create the same effect by establishing a flow and a purpose to your storylines. OK, so this villain you've created wants to take over the world. Gee, that one's never been done before. How about something a little more intricate? Maybe he's actually an assassin from within the Eastern Empire, sent to dispatch your character before he learns that the Emperor has captured and is currently torturing a party of Valdemaran spies sent there by the King himself? And that's just what it looks like at the beginning! See the possibilities? Also, don't be afraid to confer with other players out-of-character. If you want one of the Valdemaran spies in question to be another player, thus adding a second viewpoint to the campaign and giving the "audience" the added suspense of knowing what's happened before your character does, email someone and ask them, "hey, want to be tortured tomorrow?" Well, maybe don't phrase it quite that way, but you know what I mean. Keep OOC "chatter" down to a minimum. OK, so maybe this should be in rules instead of tips, but most of the people on the list get posts one email at a time -- not in digest form. Therefore, if you send eight emails just idly chatting with another player, every person on the list gets eight extra emails in their box. If you need to post something other than an actual post, always prefix the subject line with "OOC: ", and if you wish to reply to an OOC post, reply to the sender's email address, not to the list's. This keeps private conversations private, and also doesn't clutter up the list for people who are frantically searching through to find one post or other. Focus on your character, not just on the plot. The most endearing thing about the Valdemar world to us is the characters. They're intricate, well thought-out, and very human. (Or kyree, or Companion, or...) Anyway, plot can only take you so far. You can have the best plot in the world, but if your character is only a hollow shell with no thoughts or feelings you're going to bore people to sleep. Focus on your character. Set aside entire posts strictly for character development. You may think no one cares, but you might be surprised. Move things along each post. We all have lives outside of posting. Well, at least I've been told the rest of you do. This means that oftentimes you won't be able to post again for a few days after you do so once. Those posts are precious; don't waste them. Do more than just walk around and look pretty. If you have a plot goal you're working towards, work towards it. Don't be afraid to go too fast -- the rest of us will catch up when we get around to posting, if it even affects our storylines. Think of it like episodes of a TV show. If nothing meaningful happens, we have no motivation to watch it, even if it's part of the best series ever created. Remember to keep things moving. Be dynamic, and look at the big picture. Part of the fun of roleplaying is the fact that we're all trying to work within the same universe. So if someone else does something, that something might well affect us and our plot as well. Don't avoid that -- embrace it! Never have a set plotline in mind. Have a goal you're working towards, and even then keep it general. Let the ebb and flow of what's going on around you shape your plotline to make it as dynamic and realistic as possible. Make things up as you go. Also, remember that in the end, Valdemar is about deeper things than high adventure and good vs. evil. It's about the personal drive to be the best person one can be, and the need to make a difference in an imperfect world. The better you convey that in your posts, the better your posts will become. Try it! :) References: If you need some references to get you started with character creation or plot development, here are a few things that should be helpful: Table 1: Gifts and their respective rarities. Gift: Rarity: Comments: Mindspeech Common It is also possible to have only Projective or only Receptive Mindspeech. Fetching Common The ability to Fetch living things is somewhat less common. Animal Mindspeech Very Rare This ability is nearly non-existent among Heralds. Requires moderator approval. Firestarting Very Rare Requires moderator approval. FarSight Common This is actually one of the most common Gifts. ForeSight Uncommon Can range from very weak (a sudden "feeling") to very strong (frequent and vivid visions). Mage-Gift Rare Please see the table of Mage-Gift strengths below. Empathy In Heralds, Very Rare. In Healers, Common. In this game, Heralds cannot have more than a touch of this Gift. Requires moderator approval. Healing In Heralds, Very Rare. In Healers, Common. In this game, Heralds cannot have more than a touch of this Gift. Requires moderator approval. MindHealing In Heralds, Very Rare. In Healers, Rare. In this game, Heralds cannot have more than a touch of this Gift. Requires moderator approval. Bardic-Gift In Heralds, Very Rare. In Bards, Necessary. :) Any Heralds with Bardic-Gift, or any Bards with Heraldic Gifts, or any Healers with Bardic-Gift or vice versa, must choose one path or the other. There will be no "multi-class" characters. Table 2: Mage-Gift strengths. Note that any level of Mage-Gift requires moderator approval. Classification: Level: Comments: Latent N/A Can use Mage-Sight if trained, but cannot work magic. Often never awakens. Weak Apprentice Can use Mage-Sight, can affect minor changes in energy flow. Firestarting, etc. Moderate Journeyman Mage-Sight, minor offensive magics (mage-bolts, etc.). Can create any relatively minor effect -- glamours, but no true illusions. Can be highly effective if power is used creatively. Strong Master Anything that would not require use of the nodes. No Gate-spells except in very dire circumstances (and with very dire consequences). Adept Adept Just about anything. Very rare, but very powerful. If you have any tips, suggestions, or reference materials that you would like to include on this page (this includes links to other sites) please email phoenix1701@mac.com and I'll get them up here as soon as I can!