How to Join an RP
Note: 1/8th finished. Anyone is free to continue it if I forget to come back and finish it.
Pick a Roleplay to Join
The first step is to find a roleplay (RP) that you would like to join. You should base whether you want to join on the content as well as the other people who have already joined. If you have previously had problems with person X in the roleplay forums don't join an RP that has them in it.
A good personal checklist for joining an RP could be: [] Does this RP sound like fun? [] Do I like the plot and existing characters? [] Do I have time to join an RP right now? [] Does this RP have the kinds of characters I enjoy playing? (For example if you prefer human only RPs you likely won't enjoy a wolf pack RP.) [] Does this RP deal only with subjects I am comfortable RPing with? (If it looks like a romance kind-of RP and you don't want to deal with even excessive flirting in an RP, don't join). [] Do I understand the world the author is building? [] Do I get along with all the people in this RP or have I at least not had a problem with any of them?
If you answered yes to the above questions that might be a good RP for you to join. Remember to avoid joining more RPs then you can handle.
Step One: Read Everything
Having decided to join the RP your next step is to read everything that written. Do not skim it. Read it. They took the time to write it and you should take the time to read it.
Places to pay particular attention are: 1. The rules: read these at least twice and review them while you are creating your character to make sure you are staying within them. 2. The setting: Sometimes the setting is not very well described. Try to infer things like the weather, season, time period and such from the plot. 3. Other people's characters: If you thought you just needed to read the first post you are greatly mistaken. You should read every post that has happened. If you are joining in the middle of a very long RP then you might ask for a summary. However if it is less then seven or eight pages you should read it all. Take note of other people's characters because you'll need various information when you create your own. Of course you can always look back on their posts to get the info again. 4. Any out of character (OOC) chatting where the RP creator asks someone to change something. Try not to make the same mistakes as people before you.