RPG (Role-playing game)
Ever wish you could visit Silent Hill? Well, fans all over the internet are doing just that in the way of internet-based role-playing games (RPG). Unlike traditional RPG's like Dungeons & Dragons, internet RPG's are more story-based. No rolling bones here, no stats to remember, no one stealing all the Mountain Dew and you have complete control over your own character's abilities.
It works like this:
1) Join or create an online RPG group. (Listings at the bottom of the page) The concept is an ongoing story, posted via e-mail or on a website or both. You take what people have written and post your character's action/reaction. They take your post and do the same and so on and so forth. It's a great way to meet other Silent Hill fans, as well as make friends and brush up on your writing skills. Often times, my best and most developed characters graduate into screenplays or fan fiction.
2) Create a character. Some people prefer a more traditional character sheet like the format below:
Name :
Age :
Birthdate :
Birthplace:
Hair color :
Eye color :
Current Residence :
Occupation :
Personality :
Family :
Relationship:
Links :
Secret :
Short Bio :
Pic:
Others prefer to introduce their characters at their own pace, much like how they do in the Silent Hill games, themselves:
Katrina Van
Thaden sat cross-legged on the dingy carpet, her eyes painted dark, her lip ring
shining in the dim light. Slender fingers strummed a melancholy tune on her
silver Ibanez electric guitar. Her long hair was bleached platinum, with the
tips dyed red and black. It was pulled back into a loose pony tail. Katrina, or
Kat to her friends, was 25 years old, fair-skinned and very pretty when she
smiled. She didn't smile much. Not anymore. She was dressed in a black tank top,
which revealed several intricate tattoos on her arms. Kat wore a pair of army
green shorts that fell just below her knees, slightly shredded on the end. A
wallet chain hung down from her pocket. She wore black combat boots, above which
a few more tattoos were visible.
That was an excerpt from one of my own RPG character intros. I prefer to use this method of unveiling and developing the character as the story progresses.
NOTE: The moderator of each prospective group may have their own rules for introducing your character, so be sure to check before jumping in.
3) Dependant upon where you jump in during the story; pick an appropriate place for your character to interact with the others.
For example:
As she got further from the car, the fog dispersed slightly, giving her better visibility. She noticed it was snowing lightly... she also noticed the dead silence. It wasn't long before she heard hurried footsteps close by, "Hello?" she called out, holding the spear a little tighter. She walked closer to the hurried footsteps, seeing the silhouette of a female in the fog, "Hey, are you alright?" (From a post by SilentVoices)
HINT: If there are a lot of pre-existing characters on your group, you may want to indicate which character you are attempting to interact with. For example, each post gets a title, so at the end of the title, say something to the effect of (Tag: (Character name)"
4) Be creative!
Silent Hill RPG'ers tend to consist of only the truly obsessed fans, so it's easy for us to get caught up in the same plot lines and characters as the games. Be creative! Remember that the town creates monsters and illusions based on the character's own inner demons and dark secrets. Have fun and create your own unique monsters, puzzles, characters and town secrets.
5) Play nice!
This is kind of a given, but you will have a much better RPG experience by respecting other characters in the story. DON'T CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS. DON'T MAKE PERSONAL ATTACKS AGAINST THE PLAYERS. And especially, DON'T KILL OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS WITHOUT THEIR PRIOR PERMISSION!
HINT: Contact other players outside the group via email or Instant Messenger to plan interesting twists in the story.
So, now you're ready to begin. To help you get started, here are just a few Silent Hill RPG's out there. If you have or are part of an RPG and would like it promoted here, please email the webmaster and put "Silent Hill RPG" in the message title.
YAHOO! GROUPS
SH_ALLURING_NIGHTMARE (our very own RPG)
MSN GROUPS
FORUM-BASED GROUPS
NOTE: These groups are listed for your convenience and this does not imply that they are still active at the time of their posting.