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Below is a glossary of terms you can often find in roleplaying in general, and DWRP in particular.
Table of contents:
General DWRP terms
SRWU-specific terms
General DWRP terms
AC - Activity Check. A requirement every two months (in SRWU at least - may very for other games) to demonstrate that your characters been active in the game - posting, tagging, interacting with other characters, participating in events.
AU - Alternate Universe. AU-style games take canons or characters and change them in a significant way. Characters of opposite gender than their canon versions or setting the canon in a high school or modern day setting are examples of AUs. SRWU is not an AU game.
Canon - a piece of media, for example a TV show, a movie or a video game. If something is "canon" then it means it happened like in the media - canon characters, events, and so on. Compare OC. Non-original canons are often called "established canons" in the game, because calling them "canon canons" sounds stupid.
CR - Character Relationship. Ties between characters - friendship, romance, rivalry, hatred. Characters are said to have “CR” with one another if they’ve interacted and built up some kind of history together. CR can be pre-planned or happen spontaneously.
Cut - Formatting used by Dreamwidth that allows the post author to hide parts of the post behind a link that others must click to view. Often used to compress long posts. Questionable content must be hidden behind a cut, with appropriate warnings/descriptions. For a guide on how to use cuts, see here.
Enabling - Encouraging or helping another player to app their character. Often takes the form of having a character from one canon (or being willing to app one), making it easier for the other player to app from the same canon. Pressuring people into app'ing characters or making commitments they wouldn't make on their own is not enabling, and explicitly against the rules.
Fanon - Headcanon (see below) that a lot of fans agree on.
Godmoding - Determining another character's actions without their player's input or consent. It is explicitly against the rules so do not do this. Players control their characters' actions, but not the results of how these actions affect other characters. If you are afraid this may slow interaction down, coordinate with the other player OOCly while writing your actions or reactions.
Headcanon - One person’s ideas about a canon, which may supplement or even contradict what’s generally accepted as canon. SRWU accepts headcanon as long as it does not contradict canon characterisation and makes sense. Also see fanon.
HMD - "How's My Driving". Solicitation for feedback and constructive criticism on one's time in the game. Usually takes the form of HMD posts, which for SRWU can be found here. HMD posts in SRWU must allow anonymous commenting.
IC - In-character. Anything that happens in the game world, to the characters and not their players. Includes all player characters' actions, of course. Compare OOC.
Infomoding - Having your character act on OOC information, knowing things you are aware of as a player but they could not have learned ICly. Once again, against the rules, please don't do this. If you are not sure is it reasonable for your character to know something or not, contact the mods or affected players.
LCW - Lone Canon Warrior. The only character present in the game from their own canon.
Lock - A post or some prompts in a post can be designated as locked only to specific people, either given by name or described by quality (for example, "locked to close CR only" or "locked to people good at hacking" for an in-universe network action). Before responding to a locked post, make sure you qualify!
Mingle - Type of post where player characters are encouraged to interact with each other and not just with the original author of the post. Threadjacking is still a faux pas.
OC - Original Character or Original Canon. Original Characters do not exist in canon and are made up by their players. Though they may belong to an established canon - a made up VF OC pilot from Macross, for example. Original Canons are whole canons created by the player. Original Canon characters are of course all OCs. Compare canon.
OOC - Out of Character. Anything that happens in the real world, including communication between players. Make sure to keep the line between IC and OOC distinct - just because a character was rude to yours does not mean the character's player hates you. Compare IC.
PB - Played By. OCs and some canon characters do not have a canon appearance, so players often "borrow" an image of a different character from an unrelated canon to serve as basis for their icons. The character the appearance was borrowed from is a PB.
Post - An entry on a journal or community. Comments and responses to a post are called tags. See also thread.
Prompt - Subsection of a post. A single post may contain multiple prompts, generally numbered - for example, one prompt where a character puts out a network message saying “who wants karaoke?”, and a second prompt set a little later where the people who responded to the first one can embarrass themselves in person. Some prompts may be locked to specific people - see lock. When responding to a post with multiple prompts, make it clear which prompt you are responding to.
Tag - This has two meanings: 1. A comment left on a post, either as a response to a post itself, or another tag. If you respond to someone, it means you "tagged" them. 2. Keyword assigned to a post. Posts can be searched by tags, to find for example all posts written by a certain character and such.
Thread - A string of tags in a post, written in response to one another. A single thread (usually) forms a coherent conversation, be it IC or OOC. Posts often have more than one thread, or threads branch out into sub-threads of their own.
Threadjacking - Act of jumping into a thread between other characters with your own. Not technically against the rules, but poor form. Unless you have the involved players' permission, don't do this.
SRWU-specific terms
Backup - characters (or their players) who are not technically present on a given mission, but rather hang around the OOC chat and wait for opportunities to join the mission - which may happen if another player had to leave, didn't show up in the first place, or a character is downed and needs a replacement. Players can sign up for missions as backup if they know they will be busy or can't join the mission until it's already underway, other than that the mission runner will have to decide who is in a mission and who is on backup when there are too many normal signups for a given mission. See also lineup.
Debrief - a post-mission post which states what important events happened on the mission or are a direct result of it, as well as who was present on the mission and (possibly) what damage their units suffered. The damage has no consequences rules-wise, it's used as a roleplaying opportunity. Also includes a link to the mission log.
Lineup - before a mission starts, its mission runner will write a post stating who is on it - which characters and possibly who is on backup (if there were too many signups). This is known as a lineup post. Only characters whose players wrote in the scheduling post or otherwise expressed interest will be in the lineup, you will never find yourself assigned to a mission against your will or knowledge.
Role call - used only in the OOC chatroom, shortly (~15 minutes) before a mission starts. When a mission runner calls for a role call, people who are signed on the mission and already in the room (or aren't signed but want to come anyway, if there are free slots) respond with the name of the character they're sending. This is to quickly check who is already around and ready and if we have to wait for anyone before starting the mission. Role calls usually last only a few moments so please don't talk in the room during one.
Table of contents:
General DWRP terms
SRWU-specific terms
General DWRP terms
AC - Activity Check. A requirement every two months (in SRWU at least - may very for other games) to demonstrate that your characters been active in the game - posting, tagging, interacting with other characters, participating in events.
AU - Alternate Universe. AU-style games take canons or characters and change them in a significant way. Characters of opposite gender than their canon versions or setting the canon in a high school or modern day setting are examples of AUs. SRWU is not an AU game.
Canon - a piece of media, for example a TV show, a movie or a video game. If something is "canon" then it means it happened like in the media - canon characters, events, and so on. Compare OC. Non-original canons are often called "established canons" in the game, because calling them "canon canons" sounds stupid.
CR - Character Relationship. Ties between characters - friendship, romance, rivalry, hatred. Characters are said to have “CR” with one another if they’ve interacted and built up some kind of history together. CR can be pre-planned or happen spontaneously.
Cut - Formatting used by Dreamwidth that allows the post author to hide parts of the post behind a link that others must click to view. Often used to compress long posts. Questionable content must be hidden behind a cut, with appropriate warnings/descriptions. For a guide on how to use cuts, see here.
Enabling - Encouraging or helping another player to app their character. Often takes the form of having a character from one canon (or being willing to app one), making it easier for the other player to app from the same canon. Pressuring people into app'ing characters or making commitments they wouldn't make on their own is not enabling, and explicitly against the rules.
Fanon - Headcanon (see below) that a lot of fans agree on.
Godmoding - Determining another character's actions without their player's input or consent. It is explicitly against the rules so do not do this. Players control their characters' actions, but not the results of how these actions affect other characters. If you are afraid this may slow interaction down, coordinate with the other player OOCly while writing your actions or reactions.
Headcanon - One person’s ideas about a canon, which may supplement or even contradict what’s generally accepted as canon. SRWU accepts headcanon as long as it does not contradict canon characterisation and makes sense. Also see fanon.
HMD - "How's My Driving". Solicitation for feedback and constructive criticism on one's time in the game. Usually takes the form of HMD posts, which for SRWU can be found here. HMD posts in SRWU must allow anonymous commenting.
IC - In-character. Anything that happens in the game world, to the characters and not their players. Includes all player characters' actions, of course. Compare OOC.
Infomoding - Having your character act on OOC information, knowing things you are aware of as a player but they could not have learned ICly. Once again, against the rules, please don't do this. If you are not sure is it reasonable for your character to know something or not, contact the mods or affected players.
LCW - Lone Canon Warrior. The only character present in the game from their own canon.
Lock - A post or some prompts in a post can be designated as locked only to specific people, either given by name or described by quality (for example, "locked to close CR only" or "locked to people good at hacking" for an in-universe network action). Before responding to a locked post, make sure you qualify!
Mingle - Type of post where player characters are encouraged to interact with each other and not just with the original author of the post. Threadjacking is still a faux pas.
OC - Original Character or Original Canon. Original Characters do not exist in canon and are made up by their players. Though they may belong to an established canon - a made up VF OC pilot from Macross, for example. Original Canons are whole canons created by the player. Original Canon characters are of course all OCs. Compare canon.
OOC - Out of Character. Anything that happens in the real world, including communication between players. Make sure to keep the line between IC and OOC distinct - just because a character was rude to yours does not mean the character's player hates you. Compare IC.
PB - Played By. OCs and some canon characters do not have a canon appearance, so players often "borrow" an image of a different character from an unrelated canon to serve as basis for their icons. The character the appearance was borrowed from is a PB.
Post - An entry on a journal or community. Comments and responses to a post are called tags. See also thread.
Prompt - Subsection of a post. A single post may contain multiple prompts, generally numbered - for example, one prompt where a character puts out a network message saying “who wants karaoke?”, and a second prompt set a little later where the people who responded to the first one can embarrass themselves in person. Some prompts may be locked to specific people - see lock. When responding to a post with multiple prompts, make it clear which prompt you are responding to.
Tag - This has two meanings: 1. A comment left on a post, either as a response to a post itself, or another tag. If you respond to someone, it means you "tagged" them. 2. Keyword assigned to a post. Posts can be searched by tags, to find for example all posts written by a certain character and such.
Thread - A string of tags in a post, written in response to one another. A single thread (usually) forms a coherent conversation, be it IC or OOC. Posts often have more than one thread, or threads branch out into sub-threads of their own.
Threadjacking - Act of jumping into a thread between other characters with your own. Not technically against the rules, but poor form. Unless you have the involved players' permission, don't do this.
SRWU-specific terms
Backup - characters (or their players) who are not technically present on a given mission, but rather hang around the OOC chat and wait for opportunities to join the mission - which may happen if another player had to leave, didn't show up in the first place, or a character is downed and needs a replacement. Players can sign up for missions as backup if they know they will be busy or can't join the mission until it's already underway, other than that the mission runner will have to decide who is in a mission and who is on backup when there are too many normal signups for a given mission. See also lineup.
Debrief - a post-mission post which states what important events happened on the mission or are a direct result of it, as well as who was present on the mission and (possibly) what damage their units suffered. The damage has no consequences rules-wise, it's used as a roleplaying opportunity. Also includes a link to the mission log.
Lineup - before a mission starts, its mission runner will write a post stating who is on it - which characters and possibly who is on backup (if there were too many signups). This is known as a lineup post. Only characters whose players wrote in the scheduling post or otherwise expressed interest will be in the lineup, you will never find yourself assigned to a mission against your will or knowledge.
Role call - used only in the OOC chatroom, shortly (~15 minutes) before a mission starts. When a mission runner calls for a role call, people who are signed on the mission and already in the room (or aren't signed but want to come anyway, if there are free slots) respond with the name of the character they're sending. This is to quickly check who is already around and ready and if we have to wait for anyone before starting the mission. Role calls usually last only a few moments so please don't talk in the room during one.