A Guide to Play-by-Post Roleplaying. The Prerequisites, Part 3

The Settings

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The setting of an RP is as important as the plot in itself. After all, what would a plot be without a world for it to take place in. That taken, the setting for an RP is integral in its plot, since, without a setting, you wouldn't even be able to make a plot.

Now, the setting of an RP isn't just about the place. It's about the era, the modernity, the characteristics of the world and/or the atmosphere of the entire thing. An over-all setting usually consists of the world and certain places that were named and/or places that are yet undiscovered and will come up later on in the roleplay.

After that awkward introduction, I've come to my senses and I will be guiding you in making a great setting for your RP, how to make a post that does justice to the setting will be discussed later on. Now, let us begin.

A Setting and its Components

Okay, so as I have mentioned earlier on, a setting is not only a place. There's a number of reasons behind the term used. Take the root word, set. It means to put. You could translate it to "How my RP is put."

That being given, it is serious injustice to the word to say "Oh heck! A setting is only the place, why go through all the trouble of devoting a large portion of the guide to it?"

The setting is not only the place, but when and how the entire RP is set. After all, time goes on in an RP, and without a proper time/epoch/era/etc., where you place your RP, you might as well put advanced technology in a world set in a renaissance period!

So let's break down the setting of an RP into its basic components.

• Place: This is basically WHERE your RP takes place in. It could be a simple ghost town, a majestic castle, or it could even be a full blown world where the beings of your creation walk and dragons and wizards ravage the land
• Time: Now, this is WHEN your RP happens. It could either be in the far-flung past or in the very distant future where space-ships and other such technological marvels are but commodities.
• Characteristics of the Known World: Is your world a barren wasteland devoid of large life where as a tiny animal you struggle to survive and grow or is it a lush paradise where majestic beasts wallow in the glory of sunlight?
• Atmosphere: Does your RP take place in a world where an evil overlord causes despair and destruction to plunge its citizens deep into depravity or is the world a much kinder place where heroes parade along streets and all notion of evil and war has been purged?

Being Creative

So, like a plot, the setting of a roleplay is very vital in drawing people in. If you're playing a basic roleplay, a skeleton setting is okay, but for the roleplayers in an advanced RP, it should be more than fleshed out.

Let me show you a few examples:

A.)  Ghost town in the feudal era.

B.)  A majestic palace with winding pillars and golden domed towers with silver-paved walkways in what could be considered a medieval age, compared to our own time. The people are happy and joy resounds throughout ever corner of the palace.

C.)  A world where creatures that look like dragons but with intricately curled horns sprouting from their bodies called the knox constantly battle it out with the being they call sightburner. The land is desolate after so many years of war and the sun is often hidden behind the clouds.

D.)   Castle dungeon

Evidently, the more attractive ones are the more detailed settings. Let's go through an in-depth analysis of each one to help us go further along.

Now, for setting A, indeed, there is a place and a time in the setting. However, it lacks description and when read, sounds mehh... I wouldn't want to RP that says. "In an old Ghost town in the feudal era of Japan, four heroes stand guard." Disregarding the supposed 'plot' it looks bland since the ghost town lacks description.

Of course, you shouldn't over-describe your settings because, then, that would limit your Roleplayer's imaginations. You could improve this by, say, putting a description of the buildings in, also, a description of the atmosphere in it.

Let's take a look at the improved setting with a small plot.

A dry wind carrying dust drifted through the torn-up streets in a ghost town somewhere in Japan. The buildings long since fallen into a state of disrepair, but there are still four heroes guarding its entrances, guarding the secret that it held, until the time that the chosen one would come.

Okay, so I admit, it's a bit cliched, but hey, it works. The entire thing is now better to look at and doesn't really restrict the reader's imagination.

There isn't much to say for the next two settings since they ARE what we aim for. However, notice something. Example B has all four of the elements and sounds good, that's already okay, but look at Example C; It only details where the RP happens and how the world looks like!

There's a small secret there, now, upon further investigation, a dash of plot has been put there with the setting. That small amount of plot could be the magic ingredient! This is just proof that setting and plot walk hand in hand for making a great RP.

Next, example B. It's horrible. Unless you're making a hundred-theme plot challenge, a phrase like that is unlikely to make a good setting. Throw in a few details here and there, a dash of plot and a sprinkle of description. And lo! A good setting!

After the battle that ravaged the lands of Alteer, the dungeons were empty, except the one under the Mist's Order's headquarters. The dripping of water from the dungeon ceiling creates eerie echoes in the gray-walled cells. All of them are vacant, save for one, where a rugged, bloodshot-eyed man sits, rocking back and forth. He curses and says that he would once again triumph, come the day of his release.

A great setting and a great plot as well!

To wrap things up, here are a few tips on how to make a beautiful setting for your roleplay.

• First off, decide on a place and time.
• Do NOT place massive cities hovering in the sky because of technology in a medieval realm unless you have a concrete explanation.
• Don't be sparing in your descriptions. Use your skill in making up the world.
• Add a little backstory, it helps a lot.
• Make sure the atmosphere fits the characteristics of the world. After all, constant merriment in a land ravaged by darkness, despair, fire and destruction doesn't really fit.

That's it for today's session on A Guide to Play-by Post Roleplaying!

Ciao!
-Malkuthe Highwind