Difference between revisions of "Content Essay"

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'''Guide for New People'''
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If you're reading this, thank you for your interest in WAAPT! While we're a fairly informal RP, we do still have guidelines that are necessary for smooth functioning between everyone involved, and for integrating yourself most effectively into the community and being able to readily find people to interact with.
  
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So, if you’re reading this, you probably want to [[Joining|join the RP]] (or have already joined and just like reading stuff, in which case you should probably still examine this), and you want to know how to make a good impression. To paraphrase a quote from the SCP Foundation, showing up as if you’ve been here for the entire time makes us… jumpy. Introduce yourself in the Discussion thread, give us a little info on your character and team, and start posting in the thread. We’re a (relatively) informal RP, yes, but there are some guidelines that need to be followed for everyone to have fun and feel like they're contributing.
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For something more related to the tone expected in your writing, see the [[Tone Essay]].  
  
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'''Important Note''': More senior members will occasionally be seen bending or breaking these guidelines (except the first) for purposes of dramatic convenience (Rule of Cool, Rule of Funny, and Rule of Drama). This isn't a cause for alarm, because they've been around for quite a while and know what they’re doing. If you are reading this, you are likely new to the RP, and I'd advise that you wait until you've integrated more with the others before taking creative license with the following.
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== The Do's of WAAPT ==
  
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'''1)''' Spelling and grammar. It’s not a guideline, it’s really, really important. While typos happen, it’s easier on everyone’s eyes (and makes your writing look much better) if your posts are well-written spelling and grammar wise. There are non-native English speakers in the RP, and they manage perfectly well. You can too.
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'''Be a good community member,''' and you'll make interaction with you something that people are excited for. Follow TVT rules. If you're in the Discord/XMPP chat, and you probably should be, follow the rules of the Discord server. Be kind, be gracious. If you disagree with someone, be civil all the same, and give ground graciously when the discussion is not going your way. Communicate as much as you can.
  
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'''2)''' This is a Pokémon RP. It is not Final Fantasy, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, or any other game in which humans fight other humans. It’s fine if the Pokémon aren't the character focus of everything, but the trainers are not and should not be the go-to medium for battle except in places like the Mindscape (where the Pokémon were not present and those involved gained mild reality-warping abilities) or when they're in [[Pokemon Forms|Pokeform]]. However, these are the exceptions, not the rule. If your potential character’s general response to an enemy appearing is not “send out your team” you may want to rethink things.
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Broadly speaking, that's the most important rule. The rest are suggestions, but they're suggestions that have held up to pretty intensive testing.
  
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'''3)''' While the [[Battle Mechanics]] run loose and flexible in WAAPT, there is such a thing as too much. Can a Gigalith really dodge a Solarbeam? Can a Scyther really pull off a full Swords Dance, Baton Pass to another mon, and leave enough time for that mon to attack as well, all before the opponent can launch a second Flamethrower? Also, while feats of utter awesome can and do happen (as do feats of improvisation, such as using a Brick Break to throw up a chunk of earth as cover), if you have to shout “Aim for the horn!” to justify something, then there is something badly wrong. However, do note that whatever mechanics you choose to battle by, it is only fair to allow the opponent the same chance. If you use Double Team the way it is used in the anime, then it is quite likely that omnidirectional attacks (Discharge, Surf, Lava Plume, etc.) would puncture multiple duplicates, or even all of them if you’re feeling generous. If you use it like it’s used in the games, then Aerial Ace is going to hit regardless of how much you boost evasion.
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When you join the RP, you might find yourself a little confused by what's going on. That's totally alright.
  
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'''3a)''' Keep in mind that it is your opponent and not you who decides what effect your move is going to have on their Pokémon. If you think they’re godmodding the battle, please tell them rather than making an effort to one-up them.
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'''Ease yourself in!''' If you show up right off the bat with a character who's got close relationships to multiple legendaries with an [[Attributes|Attribute]] to match, has defeated an evil team, wields [[Auric Spectrum|Aura and psychic powers]], and has a year-long myth arc already planned...it's probably going to cause some issues. Observe the RP for a while before you join, and interact in a lower-key capacity while you connect to the community and build up cred as someone who can be relied on, then figure out how to integrate your character into the wider world and begin assisting in the construction and execution of larger-scale plotlines. To help with this—
  
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'''3b)''' Acknowledge your opponent’s moves. Even when they miss (Stone Edge against a Ninjask), or are more or less shrugged off (Tackle on a Ferrothorn), there is nothing more annoying than simply having your actions in a battle ignored, and nothing more godmoddy than playing a battle as a one-mon-show where the opponent may as well just be a moving target. On the other hand, if you are the attacker, make some effort to be helpful. Don't edit your moves once you've made them, or in general make major edits in a fast-paced scene. All it does is cause confusion, trip people up, and slow everything down.
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'''Learn as much as you can!''' WAAPT is a wide milieu of setting elements from various Pokémon franchises, and given as we've been going for a decade or so, we've also got a lot of elements uniquely our own. If you're interested in knowing about how some element of the Pokémon world interacts with the WAAPT world, or what's going on in the thread or Discord, check the wiki and then ask the community. Before you invent something wholesale, check in with people if you're not sure how it'll be received, or just in general.
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Useful resources for this '''include''' the [[FAQ]] and [[Background Lore Index]]. These should be your first go-tos while you're working out the nature of the WAAPT world. Another useful page is the [[WAAPT Lexicon]], which goes over common phrases used both in the RP proper and in the greater community.
  
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'''4)''' Powers. So, in WAAPT it’s established that humans occasionally have supernatural abilities, ranging from the raw power of Fighting-types to the sneaky tricks of Dark-types. There are also the Attributes, relating to various legendaries. Does that mean your character has powers or an Attribute? The answer is “probably not.” While the powers are listed as most to least common, that is a relative measure. Having any psychic/auric/obscuric ability is rare, and being proficient with it beyond parlor tricks (spoonbending, Pokeball-juggling, etc.) is even rarer. Attributes are more common and not as snowflake-y, so if you have plans involving an attribute, while it should be checked over with people, it should be good.
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'''Some quick notes on early characters:'''
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* '''People aren't likely going to understand Pokémon right off the bat''', though with mons that they've been working with for some time, '''there's usually a reasonable degree of comprehension.''' Being able to fluently understand Pokémon without being taught [[Monese|the language]] requires a translating Psychic-type or machine, or being turned into a Pokémon for a while (a surprisingly common occurrence in this RP).
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* There are a lot of powers that humans can canonically have in the world of Pokémon, and a few more that show up uniquely in WAAPT. In general, when you're making your first character for WAAPT (and it's quite likely you'll end up making more later), try and work on making them an interesting person without relying on powers. [[So You Want To Be An Auric|The Auric Essay]] is a useful article on this specific subject.
 +
* Overall, this is an RP about Trainers (and Rangers, and Coordinators). '''If your character's approach to fighting doesn't involve some Pokémon, they may need tweaking.'''
 +
* '''Pokémon are sapient beings.''' They may and probably will have different methods of viewing the world than humans do, but they can communicate and have the same spectrum of intelligence as humans, and a Trainer's team is made up of characters in their own right.
  
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'''4a)''' Keep in mind, your character doesn’t need to have supernatural ability to be interesting. There are all sorts of skills that normal humans have that can set them apart from the crowd. Try looking for these, instead of jumping right to superpowers.
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Once you've started writing yourself, you'll generally want to make yourself an attractive partner to RP with. We write plenty of solo posts ("fanfic mode") both on the main thread and in the second forum, but we are an RP, and interacting with other people is fun. Some advice:
  
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'''5)''' Shipping. DO. NOT. FORCE. IT. It’s happened before, and it was almost painful. Not all characters need to have significant others. It’s cute when it works, yes, but please don’t try to set up your character with every compatible other you meet (yes, this has happened, and yes, it was irritating). Similarly, don’t force shipping out-of-verse. If someone doesn’t support your ship, let it lie. Please don’t act like it’s a personal offense or insist that they support the ship.
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'''Share the spotlight!''' You're '''a''' PC, but you're not '''the''' PC. There are a lot of active players in WAAPT at any given time, and everyone is looking to be seen and heard. If someone's doing something, even if it's not to your taste, trying to overshadow or ignore it by finding something even cooler— isn't fair to them. Let everyone have their moments. To that end—
  
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'''6)''' While WAAPT does not have a GM, and overall is pretty loose about what its players are doing, please don’t assume that the second you’ve joined you will immediately be given plot involvement and command over major aspects of the universe (legendaries, etc.). Instead, ease yourself into the RP. Talk to others in the chat or discussion thread, work with them, figure out things to do. Learn about the universe you’re joining, maybe browse the wiki (still a work in progress though). When in doubt about something, don’t be afraid to ask! It may take a few repetitions to get our attention (something we’re working on), but we don’t bite. As a rule, if you don’t know something, it’s probably best to wait for knowledge before using it.
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'''Work with scene partners, not against.''' The RP is, first and foremost, an exercise in what should be fun collaborative writing. There's nothing you can win but the validation of your peers— while there's a degree of occasional PVP, it's still collaborative in nature, and the writing should serve the narrative, since no rules exist to confine it. Ultimately, it is on the shoulders of the person receiving an action to "sell" that action, and both sides of an IC conflict should respect that contract. [[Battle Mechanics]] '''(Please read)''' of WAAPT run loose and flexible, so think of it as a choreographed fight— stay in communication with your RPing partner or partners to determine what should happen.
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* '''Avoid making major edits during fast-paced scenes.''' It trips people up. If you badly need to edit something, let your scene partners know first so they don't accidentally post responding to the wrong thing.
  
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'''6a)''' On a related note, if you are involved in a plot with someone else, do not rush them to post or complain when they aren’t around. Everyone has RL to deal with, and people don’t have an unlimited supply of R Ping energy. Your complaints are unlikely to do anything but make them feel bad that they can’t be available.
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'''Put some effort into posting.''' We're not an awards council. There are no prizes. There is not and should never be pressure to post. But when you do, write with some spirit— we're doing improv here, and it's tough to do improv with a partner who's not feeling it. Interact with what your RP partners are saying, make them feel good about taking the time to interact with you, and they should be doing the same for you.
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* '''When you're posting, please do post with a reasonable degree of spellcheck and grammar checks.''' It's much easier to read posts when they're made to be readable. For help with proper formatting, '''see [[Formatting Tips|here]].'''
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* '''Don't be rude to other people about their posting.''' If they '''solicit''' feedback, feel free to give your thoughts '''politely.''' Otherwise, assume everyone is doing what they think is effective. If you disagree, such is life. You can make your own calls about who you want to write with, but you can't be mean about it. Of course, if you feel that someone is writing something bigoted in some fashion, feel free to bring attention to it whether asked for or not, but please try to state things in as constructive a manner as possible.
  
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'''6b)''' The idea of "no GM" does not mean "Do whatever you feel like," nor does it mean that every action needs to be approved by every player. Rather, it means that people should try to work with each other, as opposed to against each other (such as a PC vs. GM mentality, which nobody needs or wants here). While having a large body of approval towards your idea is nice, if people seem neutral/uninterested or simply refuse to give an opinion, do not rag on them about it. They are allowed to not have a stance on an issue, and your demanding that they produce one will likely result in them voting away from you. Finally, obstructionism (stubbornly insisting on a point despite the grand majority having overruled it) is not at all helpful. Focus your energies on fights you can win, and don't get your feathers in a twist over posts and ideas that nobody but you cares about. It's a waste of everyone's time, and loses you credibility for when you might actually be right.
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'''Let people post at their own rate.''' We've all got lives, we've all got other things taking up our spoons, we've all got other things we want to do at any given moment. If you've been left hanging for a day, you can politely ask the person how they'd like to move forward, but nagging or complaining about it won't solve it or make people like you.
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* '''Options for moving forward if your partner isn't around:''' Wrapping up the scene quickly and continuing, letting the plot thread die offscreen, or setting the scene into "Time Shenanigans"- it has already occurred, and will be resolved later onscreen but with an assumption that it all occurs during the past. Please get consensus with the people involved in your scene before making any of these decisions.
  
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* This is in no way meant to say that you have to let everyone do whatever they want. Rather, recognize when you are going to lose on a point, and give ground instead of wasting everyone's time. In addition to this, please include the phrase "Acid Pop" in your signup sheet as a code to ensure that you read this essay.
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Eventually, you'll be comfortable enough to start interacting with the nuts and bolts of the story, assisting with or running story arcs. '''While [[User:Rmctagg09|Tagg]] and [[User:Tangent128|Tangent]] are our official GMs for TVT purposes''', anyone can act as arc runner for plotlines of varying sizes.
  
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'''7)''' If you have an idea for a plot arc (or anything, really), propose it in chat/discussion thread (the latter mandatory, the former useful for discussion of details). A few things to note…
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'''A more in-depth look''' at what goes into an arc can be seen [[Arc Handling|here]].  
  
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*Your idea may not be accepted. This is simply a thing that happens, and pushing your idea too much is unlikely to be taken well.
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'''If you have an idea for an arc, event, or side plot,''' propose it in the Discussion Thread. Understand that you may not stir up interest, you may not get as many participants as you want, parts may end up being altered as needed in order to fit better with the RP, you may not be able to go through with your plans right away, or any combination of these things. There's generally a lot going on in WAAPT and in RL— if someone doesn't want to be part of something you're doing, '''don't take it personally unless they make it personal.'''
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*Your idea might be tweaked, twisted, or just plain changed. Again, a thing that happens, and it’s more useful to help the new arc exist than to whine about how it isn’t your idea anymore.
 
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*For plot arcs specifically, just because it’s been accepted doesn’t mean it’ll happen any time soon. We have a massive backlog on arcs.
 
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*And when it does happen, it’s unlikely everyone will participate. WAAPT generally offers different options for people to be involved in. If someone chooses the one other than yours, don’t take it personally unless they make it personal.
 
  
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'''8)''' Be polite when talking to other WAAP Ters. This isn’t even an RPing thing. Just…seriously. Be polite. Don’t yell at people, don’t call them names, just…don’t. It’s unattractive and doesn’t really incline others to listen to you about anything.
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'''Working with and not against scene partners applies double when GMing.'''
  
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'''9)''' Finally, keep in mind that although you are a PC (and as such will be afforded limited plot armor, unlimited dialogue options, and free mobility), you are not '''''the''''' PC. There are twenty-something (possibly thirty-something at this point) other characters in the story, and if you try to be the most awesome of them all it will only end in fights. WAAPT is, at its heart, a spontaneous RP. If you really want powers, or a relationship, don’t jump right in with it all planned out and expect it to go how you want. Let things build up with time, use foreshadowing (really, it’s brilliant), and let the plot flow naturally. Some of the best (and strangest) aspects of the RP were created that way.
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== The Don'ts of WAAPT ==
  
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'''9a)''' Do note that talking over plans for your character/personal plots frequently helps. While surprises can be fun, things that have major potential to directly affect other characters usually need to be discussed, as do things that would potentially cause you to have to reread this essay.
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Unfortunately, there are also some fairly notable ''don'ts''. Being a long running game involves seeing some shit.
  
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So, now that we’ve gotten all that unpleasant but unfortunately necessary stuff done… welcome to the world of WAAPT! Enjoy your stay, and don’t feed the wandering Pokemon!
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'''Don't be a creep about shipping.''' Harassment isn't funny or entertaining. IC harassment '''isn't an improvement''' and it will get you '''banned''' just as fast. Don't be a dick about someone not wanting to ship with you. Yes, it's been an issue.
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* '''No Poképhilia.''' No asking about why we had to institute this as a rule either. There are pairings between humans and mons, but they stay both human or both Pokémon when doing anything more intimate than G-rated affection.
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 +
'''Don't sockpuppet, ie. making alternate accounts and pretending they're different people.''' Whether because you want a fresh start in the community, or because you feel a need to have an extra voice, or whyever— don't do it. You'll get caught, you'll get banned, it's annoying for everybody.
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'''Don't boss other people around.''' Even if you think you know better, '''even if you've had prior RPing experience''', even if you think you've caught them breaking a rule— '''talk to the mod team if you're frustrated with someone's behavior.'''
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You won't be penalized if for one reason or another your writing isn't perfect, but if you're breaking the meta-relevant rules, repeatedly and willfully being a bad interaction partner, or otherwise just being an unpleasant person to be around, '''there will be [[Disciplinary Policy|consequences]].'''
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So, now that we've gotten all that unpleasant but unfortunately necessary stuff done... welcome to the world of WAAPT! Enjoy your stay, and don't feed the wandering Pokémon!
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----
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Also, if you're new, please put '''"I agree to the terms of the Content Essay."''' in your signup sheet.
  
 
[[Category:Rules and Guidelines]]
 
[[Category:Rules and Guidelines]]
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[[Category:Meta]]

Latest revision as of 23:25, 12 May 2022

If you're reading this, thank you for your interest in WAAPT! While we're a fairly informal RP, we do still have guidelines that are necessary for smooth functioning between everyone involved, and for integrating yourself most effectively into the community and being able to readily find people to interact with.

For something more related to the tone expected in your writing, see the Tone Essay.

The Do's of WAAPT

Be a good community member, and you'll make interaction with you something that people are excited for. Follow TVT rules. If you're in the Discord/XMPP chat, and you probably should be, follow the rules of the Discord server. Be kind, be gracious. If you disagree with someone, be civil all the same, and give ground graciously when the discussion is not going your way. Communicate as much as you can.

Broadly speaking, that's the most important rule. The rest are suggestions, but they're suggestions that have held up to pretty intensive testing.

When you join the RP, you might find yourself a little confused by what's going on. That's totally alright.

Ease yourself in! If you show up right off the bat with a character who's got close relationships to multiple legendaries with an Attribute to match, has defeated an evil team, wields Aura and psychic powers, and has a year-long myth arc already planned...it's probably going to cause some issues. Observe the RP for a while before you join, and interact in a lower-key capacity while you connect to the community and build up cred as someone who can be relied on, then figure out how to integrate your character into the wider world and begin assisting in the construction and execution of larger-scale plotlines. To help with this—

Learn as much as you can! WAAPT is a wide milieu of setting elements from various Pokémon franchises, and given as we've been going for a decade or so, we've also got a lot of elements uniquely our own. If you're interested in knowing about how some element of the Pokémon world interacts with the WAAPT world, or what's going on in the thread or Discord, check the wiki and then ask the community. Before you invent something wholesale, check in with people if you're not sure how it'll be received, or just in general. Useful resources for this include the FAQ and Background Lore Index. These should be your first go-tos while you're working out the nature of the WAAPT world. Another useful page is the WAAPT Lexicon, which goes over common phrases used both in the RP proper and in the greater community.

Some quick notes on early characters:

  • People aren't likely going to understand Pokémon right off the bat, though with mons that they've been working with for some time, there's usually a reasonable degree of comprehension. Being able to fluently understand Pokémon without being taught the language requires a translating Psychic-type or machine, or being turned into a Pokémon for a while (a surprisingly common occurrence in this RP).
  • There are a lot of powers that humans can canonically have in the world of Pokémon, and a few more that show up uniquely in WAAPT. In general, when you're making your first character for WAAPT (and it's quite likely you'll end up making more later), try and work on making them an interesting person without relying on powers. The Auric Essay is a useful article on this specific subject.
  • Overall, this is an RP about Trainers (and Rangers, and Coordinators). If your character's approach to fighting doesn't involve some Pokémon, they may need tweaking.
  • Pokémon are sapient beings. They may and probably will have different methods of viewing the world than humans do, but they can communicate and have the same spectrum of intelligence as humans, and a Trainer's team is made up of characters in their own right.

Once you've started writing yourself, you'll generally want to make yourself an attractive partner to RP with. We write plenty of solo posts ("fanfic mode") both on the main thread and in the second forum, but we are an RP, and interacting with other people is fun. Some advice:

Share the spotlight! You're a PC, but you're not the PC. There are a lot of active players in WAAPT at any given time, and everyone is looking to be seen and heard. If someone's doing something, even if it's not to your taste, trying to overshadow or ignore it by finding something even cooler— isn't fair to them. Let everyone have their moments. To that end—

Work with scene partners, not against. The RP is, first and foremost, an exercise in what should be fun collaborative writing. There's nothing you can win but the validation of your peers— while there's a degree of occasional PVP, it's still collaborative in nature, and the writing should serve the narrative, since no rules exist to confine it. Ultimately, it is on the shoulders of the person receiving an action to "sell" that action, and both sides of an IC conflict should respect that contract. Battle Mechanics (Please read) of WAAPT run loose and flexible, so think of it as a choreographed fight— stay in communication with your RPing partner or partners to determine what should happen.

  • Avoid making major edits during fast-paced scenes. It trips people up. If you badly need to edit something, let your scene partners know first so they don't accidentally post responding to the wrong thing.

Put some effort into posting. We're not an awards council. There are no prizes. There is not and should never be pressure to post. But when you do, write with some spirit— we're doing improv here, and it's tough to do improv with a partner who's not feeling it. Interact with what your RP partners are saying, make them feel good about taking the time to interact with you, and they should be doing the same for you.

  • When you're posting, please do post with a reasonable degree of spellcheck and grammar checks. It's much easier to read posts when they're made to be readable. For help with proper formatting, see here.
  • Don't be rude to other people about their posting. If they solicit feedback, feel free to give your thoughts politely. Otherwise, assume everyone is doing what they think is effective. If you disagree, such is life. You can make your own calls about who you want to write with, but you can't be mean about it. Of course, if you feel that someone is writing something bigoted in some fashion, feel free to bring attention to it whether asked for or not, but please try to state things in as constructive a manner as possible.

Let people post at their own rate. We've all got lives, we've all got other things taking up our spoons, we've all got other things we want to do at any given moment. If you've been left hanging for a day, you can politely ask the person how they'd like to move forward, but nagging or complaining about it won't solve it or make people like you.

  • Options for moving forward if your partner isn't around: Wrapping up the scene quickly and continuing, letting the plot thread die offscreen, or setting the scene into "Time Shenanigans"- it has already occurred, and will be resolved later onscreen but with an assumption that it all occurs during the past. Please get consensus with the people involved in your scene before making any of these decisions.

Eventually, you'll be comfortable enough to start interacting with the nuts and bolts of the story, assisting with or running story arcs. While Tagg and Tangent are our official GMs for TVT purposes, anyone can act as arc runner for plotlines of varying sizes.

A more in-depth look at what goes into an arc can be seen here.

If you have an idea for an arc, event, or side plot, propose it in the Discussion Thread. Understand that you may not stir up interest, you may not get as many participants as you want, parts may end up being altered as needed in order to fit better with the RP, you may not be able to go through with your plans right away, or any combination of these things. There's generally a lot going on in WAAPT and in RL— if someone doesn't want to be part of something you're doing, don't take it personally unless they make it personal.

Working with and not against scene partners applies double when GMing.

The Don'ts of WAAPT

Unfortunately, there are also some fairly notable don'ts. Being a long running game involves seeing some shit.

Don't be a creep about shipping. Harassment isn't funny or entertaining. IC harassment isn't an improvement and it will get you banned just as fast. Don't be a dick about someone not wanting to ship with you. Yes, it's been an issue.

  • No Poképhilia. No asking about why we had to institute this as a rule either. There are pairings between humans and mons, but they stay both human or both Pokémon when doing anything more intimate than G-rated affection.

Don't sockpuppet, ie. making alternate accounts and pretending they're different people. Whether because you want a fresh start in the community, or because you feel a need to have an extra voice, or whyever— don't do it. You'll get caught, you'll get banned, it's annoying for everybody.

Don't boss other people around. Even if you think you know better, even if you've had prior RPing experience, even if you think you've caught them breaking a rule— talk to the mod team if you're frustrated with someone's behavior.

You won't be penalized if for one reason or another your writing isn't perfect, but if you're breaking the meta-relevant rules, repeatedly and willfully being a bad interaction partner, or otherwise just being an unpleasant person to be around, there will be consequences.

So, now that we've gotten all that unpleasant but unfortunately necessary stuff done... welcome to the world of WAAPT! Enjoy your stay, and don't feed the wandering Pokémon!

Also, if you're new, please put "I agree to the terms of the Content Essay." in your signup sheet.

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