The Java Cartel

ROLEPLAY GUIDE 

Transistor walks into the room while most of the family members are gathered. he takes a short sip from a tall glass of scotch on the podium in front of his before setting it down and clearing his throat. he looks out upon the mafiosi in the room. Once all eyes are on his he begins:

"Good evening Agency associates, members, and leaders. Thank you for joining me here today."

Transistor begins writing in large letters on the chalkboard that he had begged Lillith to get for this meeting.

See that? Isn't that fun to imagine?

Mafia Returns is a role-play game, which means when you're representing yourself or this family on the streets or in bars, or even sometimes largely in the Headquarters, you're playing a character. Your character can be just like you, or substantially different. They can have a cool, calm, collected attitude; they can stutter; they can have a nervous tic while they stroke the handle of their pistol. How your character acts and what makes them unique in roleplay environments is what puts distance between your characters from life to life.

Keep in mind that this guide is just what I've found to be helpful for overcoming some of the more intimidating parts for me. I'm far from an expert and you'll find a wealth of information in a lot of this places if you care to look. Many of our own family members are incredibly talented when it comes to writing a compelling story so don't be afraid to ask around.

If you take nothing else from this guide, please remember this: Roleplaying is something that you gain an affinity for. You will make mistakes and that is OKAY. Don't dive right in and go from zero to sixty- dip your toes in and try it out little by little. The vast majority of people will be kind to you and help you if you do something "wrong" you just have to go into this with an open mind!

A fantastic place to start RP practice is in the Bars. You can get this by going to Comm > Business District and clicking the thread for the Bar/Tavern you want to visit. Try to take a hint from the others visiting the establishments and emulate their style whilst creating your own.

NOTE: For the sake of this how and why to roleplay guide, I've used a post by Keats which can be found here: https://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/862479#129347812 I found this post to be informative, but largely long-winded so I've taken a lot of the talking points and made them a little more concise.

 Section I. - Formatting

Everyone has their own spin on what is and what is not proper formatting when it comes to roleplay. In my opinion, this is no right and wrong these are only best practices. I'll describe what works best for me. You can use this exactly, or use pieces of what I do and what you see when you're reading others' posts.

Dark italic descriptors I will often use to describe the scene itself. It should tell the reader what is going on inside the surrounding areas where the action is taking place. Is it dark out? Is it raining? Perhaps it's warm and sunny and there's a homeless man pissing on the corner of the building. All this information I put here.
Light italic descriptors I use to describe any parts of my story that are happening to my character or in my character's head. Am I nervous about what someone said? Do I feel ill? Do I pull out a pack of cigarettes and light up a smoke? This information goes here.
"Non-italic quotes are used to portray dialog. If I'm telling you that I had a dream last night about winning the lottery and because of that I've bought a lottery ticket and I hope to win. I also generally follow this with italics for who said the text and perhaps a specific inflection in their voice." Transistor said mysteriously while looking toward his shoes.
Section II. -  Excuses for not roleplaying

This section is more facetious than anything. I hear a lot of people make excuses when I ask them if they roleplay or why they don't spend more time in character. This section will touch on these points and I'll make counter-points to them.

"I've done it before, it wasn't fun." Why did you find it not fun? Remember that, above all else, RP is generally a group activity. Some people find joy in creating a solo story, but if you take some time to arrange a story arc before-hand with a friend or family member, you'll likely enjoy it a lot more, and others are more likely to join in.
"I don't write very well." As I said earlier, ease into it! When you start, throw your posts into Microsoft Word or Google Docs and get some spell check action going. If what's holding you back is your writing skill, Roleplaying could be an absolutely amazing thing to perfect as you will also gain a skill that is lifelong! Trust me, sometimes I write something and it comes out looking jumbled and ridiculous. Those days it just takes a little more work and a little more coffee! If all else fails, send it to me! If I have some extra time I'm more than happy to proofread it for you.
"I don't want to." While no one can force you to roleplay, you should keep in mind that this game, in particular, is very heavily into roleplaying. One of your requirements for Made Man, or Capo, or anything beyond may be to make a post in the streets that is roleplayed entirely. It is very important that you learn this skill if you plan on being a member of society that is well known and contributing. Ask for help! I promise if you give it a try you'll enjoy it to some degree.
"It takes time away from petties/jails/drug deals/shooting." While it is true that coming up with a thoughtful post anywhere in this game does take time, well-made posts are often as good or better than all the things listed above. Some people still fail to realize that a good long and thoughtful post in the streets will net you a huge amount of experience. This game is a roleplaying game and roleplaying is not just encouraged, it's rewarded handsomely. In addition to general points, you'll also increase your visibility skill which will allow you to see more WACK!, BG WACK!, and PICKPOCKET! attempts when they happen to you or around you.
Section III. - Character Creation

Creating your character is one of my favorite things about roleplay. This lets you be whatever you want and experiment with how your character interacts both internally and externally.

Basics - Age, gender, race or nationality, and expertise is usually a great place to start. Are you a 20-year-old male Italian thug who likes fast cars and knows how to take them? Maybe you're a middle-aged Irish woman who's main focus is making money by any means possible.
Appearance - What does your character look like? You don't have to divulge this all in one paragraph, or even in one story. Know what your character looks like and give little details in pieces of your story to paint the whole thing. Transistor brushes his long brown hair away from the front of his brow. Has a much better effect than Transistor's hair is brown. he is kind of tall. Some also choose to let their profile picture or links in their profile speak for them as well. If your character has brown hair, having a profile picture of a person with brown hair helps illustrate that point as well.
Story Arc - I usually don't do this as I like to see where the span of my character's life takes me, but it is perfectly acceptable to have a basic arc of the story your character takes. Maybe you already know that you are going to be living in Chicago, you already know that at some point during your character's life he or he will move from Humboldt Park to the South Loop in the city. Perhaps you decide to write an RP story to illustrate that.
Motivation - What motivates your character? Is your character money hungry, or happy with being surrounded by people who care? Maybe your character has always dreamed of living in a high rise or moving to Los Angeles. These are all things that motivate your character that should come out one way or another in your writings.
Weakness - Nobody is perfect. I think you'll find if you attempt to make your character flawless, he/he will be less interesting in general. Maybe your character lost their sibling to a childhood illness and holds ill-will toward medical facilities. Somewhere down the way, you'll lash out at a doctor when your partner in crime is admitted for a gunshot wound. These character flaws add an immense amount of substance and oftentimes don't even need to be referenced directly to have the desired effect.
Please remember when writing posts and mails in character: you don't need to submerge every piece of writing in these details. Some simple post where you're roleplaying at a bar or a tattoo shop can be as simple as you walking in and getting a tattoo. It should be descriptive and maybe the piece of art you get relates to one of your motivations (e.g. a tattoo of an angel because you always wanted to move to the City of Angels). Sometimes these details won't come out at all. Sometimes the best details are kept in your head and simply inspire your writings.

 Section IV. - Final Thoughts

Realism & Time Period - Some people are very good about this, and some people (usually the newer players) are pretty bad about this. Mafia Returns takes place in the 1930's. We're not playing a game when you're in character; we're a part of the world. The 1930's had no cell phones, no rocket launches, no computers, no LED flashlights, no video games, no satellite radio. You get the idea. 

here are a couple of links for 1930's references if you ever get hung up:

 http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/intro.html | http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1930s.html
Team Up! - Get with a friend or family member and tell a story together. Come up with a solid story arc and go to town. You don't have to plan it all out- just the basic outline. Let things happen and riff off of each other. Along with this comes generosity. Sometimes you'll need your partner to bail you out of a jam. Let them! Take turns being the hero and you'll have a more in-depth story.
Continuity - This can be tricky but will add a lot to your ability to tell a story that wraps itself into the next one. This drives home the point to the reader (especially if they follow your work) that the character is familiar to them. If you got hit by a car, maybe you walk with a limp in your next story. It doesn't have to be that extreme but you get the idea.
This is, of course, not an all-inclusive guide as it would be hundreds of pages long if it were. You will inevitably come across questions and concerns during your journey as a role player. If you ever have any issues or confusion, feel free to message me and I can advise you.

Happy storytelling!

Transistor finishes his whiskey, nods at the family, and exits.