A Guide to Play-by-Post Roleplaying. The Prerequisites, Part 2

==Before you go on, have you read part 1? If not Click Here.

The Target Audiences or Kinds of Roleplay 

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Okay so we begin with the Target Audience, that's one of the things that is very important to a roleplay. You have to know the subtleties of your target audience and how to catch their attentions. There are three major kinds of roleplays and each of those is a potential audience in itself. Okay, so let's start off with something simple: Basic Roleplay

Basic Roleplay is a more fast-paced roleplay and usually there is less emphasis on etiquette, character management, development and consistency and plot momentum. Beginners at roleplaying usually immerse in the world of Basic Roleplay first.

I'm embarrassed, though, that I never went to basic roleplay before I began roleplaying. I was immediately immersed in one of the types that I will mention later. Don't take this statement wrong too, though, I'm not boasting or anything.

Basic roleplay, is in fact just that, roleplay with little presence of subtleties and is very loosely moderated. There isn't really a permanent set of rules revolving around this kind of rolepay, and there's little to explain about it because it is just roleplay stripped down to its fundamental basics: A plot to participate in and participants who play along with the plot on a message board type of game.

Okay, that being said, here is a rundown of the pros and cons of Basic Roleplay:

Pros:

• It is really light on the newcomers and as such, good for beginners at roleplay
• The plots aren't really that complex and such, easy to follow
• The post length isn't enforced, allowing more freedom and easier posts. Here, one liners are tolerated.

Cons:

• The pacing is really fast
• It's easy to get lost when you are unable to play for some time because, as previously stated, the pacing is quick.
• Not having such an elaborate plot makes this kind of roleplay less immersive than the other kinds.

The long and short of it is, if your roleplay is basic, like mentioned here, your target audience should be the more inexperienced of roleplayers. It's one of the audiences with a large population and if your roleplay is interesting enough, you should have a lot of joiners. 

The next kind of roleplay is a notch higher than basic roleplay. It's not that strict and the plots aren't that convoluted, but it's a richer experience than basic roleplays. This is the typical roleplay wherein the bulk of the play-by-post population participates.

Now, though casual roleplay is more complicated than basic roleplay, the difference isn't too much. While posts in basic roleplay are of indeterminate length, posts in casual roleplay are usually given a set limit. No posts that are too long, no posts that are too short.

An ideal limit to set for casual roleplay post lengths, if ever you're considering this, is at least four sentences of plot worthy content.

Casual roleplay is lightly moderated and idiocy is at best tolerated. Keep in mind that etiquette is already observed here, so don't go around and post something that has no relation with the previous posts.

I.E.

[*]: Azeran, the dragon, flew down and seized the gigantic hawk with his talons.

[&]: An elf who had been following Azeran saw the dragon with his talons around a cheetah that had apparently strayed too far into Azeran's range.

That is the definition of having no relation. To wrap it all up, here's a rundown of the pros and cons of Casual Roleplay

Pros:

• More immersive than basic roleplay
• The plot runs with deeper roots and potential twists are given due attention
• Post length gives players a better chance to express creative talent
• Etiquette is observed and more seasoned players could play without fuming at those who are untrained in roleplay

Cons: 

• For roleplayers who are less experienced, this kind of roleplay may just be daunting. 
• The plot is a little bit more structured, and this careful structuring could just be easy to fracture. 
• The post length required may scare off PBP roleplayers who are fresh from AIM roleplaying
• Some people might find the moderation of casual roleplay as restrictive

All in all, if you're a more seasoned roleplayer and want to play somewhere where there are less distractions from the story and you can immerse yourself into the roleplay better, this is the kind of roleplay for you. For the Game Master of the Roleplay, if you want to make a "Basic Roleplay" make sure your plot is a wee bit more detailed and is interesting enough for you as a seasoned roleplayer.

Next is for the Roleplay veterans. This is where I began roleplaying, albeit unknowingly. Unlike the distance of Casual roleplay from Basic roleplay, this is a few notches higher than either. Although it doesn't really border on collaborative writing yet, it is close.

Advanced roleplay, as it is termed, is a very high-quality roleplay where idiocy isn't tolerated at all. Post length is highly moderated and controlled. The plot is rich and has the tendency to get convoluted as the roleplay proceeds. In posts, things do not simply happen, but things that make the story go forward happen.

Posts in Advanced roleplay revolve around character development and story motion. Let me quote a post from one of my roleplays, though not necessarily the longest. 

Jade screamed in her sleep. She squirmed on the fluffy carpets.

"Open your eyes Jade... Listen, Jade..." taunted the voice in the Darkness. She felt caressing fingers draw over her soul. She shuddered.

"No! No! Get away from me!" Jade mumbled in her sleep. The tree shook and leaves fell in droves. 

"Unless you want to meet the same fate as Malkuthe and Raducan, I suggest you do as I say." tormented the voice in her head.

Her tail smashed across one of the walls. She wanted to rip her head off, for the good that would do. Saffyre would chase her soul even in the mother's embrace.

"Let the winds of dissent rule!" said Saffyre with a sonorous peal of laughter. "Make sure that some of the Ceree will come after us. After all, the world I will create shall need inhabitants."

After that, the arch of light opened.

Jade opened her eyes with a gasp.

That is a post in an advanced roleplay. The ideal limit for a post length in roleplay is two to three paragraphs in the very least. That means at least five to fifteen plot worthy sentence.

Here is a rundown of the Pros and Cons of Advanced Roleplay:


Pros:

• This is the kind of Roleplay that is very immersive. Addictive, even, to those who are avid roleplayers.
• The plot is usually with a backdrop of lore and has the tendency to get convoluted.
• The post length actually doesn't hinder roleplaying, it helps it along as a roleplayer could better 
• It is a kind of roleplaying that is easy to keep up with. The long length of posts makes the roleplay paced slower, and thus, is better for those roleplayers without ample time at their hands.

Cons: 

• Really scary for those who are new to roleplaying.
• Unlikely to fail, but if it does, it will fail epically.
• Another restriction for this is that it requires quite a bit of skill in writing and most roleplayers would rather do without extreme literacy.
• The slow pace is really hard to get used to.

All in all, if you're one of THOSE roleplayers that really like a great writing experience and walk the knife edge between roleplaying and collaborative writing, this is the roleplay for you. For the game master, take great caution in targeting this audience as they are very difficult to please.

Each of these roleplay kinds are potential audiences in themselves, but inside each of these are those sub-audiences, if you wish to call them that. These sub-audiences represent many things. Like perhaps, freedom of time and literacy. However, the biggest factor that has definite audience groups is the genre.

Take your time and effort to decide which genre your roleplay will fall under. This is a vital decision, insofar as target audiences are concerned. After all, there's no sense in making a realistic roleplay in a forum of fantasy roleplayers. Hence, genre truly is very important.

These are a few common roleplay genres

• Fantasy
• Sci-fi
• Romance

There is much effort that must be dedicated to finding not only the proper genre for your roleplayers, but also one where you yourself will be comfortable.

A few last words:

Although the plot is important in a roleplay, if you don't have in your mind your target audience, it will be difficult to reap potential roleplayers since you have no idea whom to chose. 

Make sure to tailor your plot and set the limits of your roleplay to the needs of your target audience, otherwise, it might not work out for you.

This isn't necessarily THE way to go about with your roleplay. It just really helps if you have a target audience and genre to build around.

That's it for this day's session in my "Guide to Play-by-Post Roleplaying."

Ciao!

-Malkuthe Highwind