Derpology 101

Welcome to Derpology 101, in which I shall descri8e and detail some of they types of derps you will find in a typical roleplaying game. Mostly this refers to the online games such as WAOA, 8ut some are really applica8le to any sort of game. And no, no names or examples of players (only character or plot types) will 8e given; the categories pretty much speak for themselves as it is.

Keep in mind some derps may fall into more than one category of derp.

Up first we will 8e examining one of the more common derps found online, the Illiter8 Derp.

First, 8e aware the Illiter8 Derp is not to 8e confused with someone who has a valid excuse for poor spelling and awkward grammar such as a legitim8 non-self-diagnosed learning disa8il8y or for whom the language the RP uses is not their first language and are actively trying to improve their spelling and grammar. The Illiter8 Derp generally either does not care, will make poor excuses, or is trolling you. Also please note that if someone is roleplaying as someone who uses Hulk Speak or a Homestuck-rel8d typing quirk, 8ut they communic8 normally otherwise, that this is a quirk of the character they are playing and does not make them an Illiter8 Derp.

Common signs of an Illiter8 Derp include, o8viously, many words spelled incorrectly. Their grammar is often awkward and improper, and they will do things like mix up ver8 tenses or leave words out of their sentence entirely. Many times an Illiter8 Derp will use chatspeak and eschew capital letters and punctu8ion marks. It is very difficult to interact with these derps, as it's difficult to figure out what they are trying to play in the first place.

Examples of character types played 8y Illiter8 Derps: Varies.

Examples of plot ideas from Illiter8 Derps: Who the heck knows, it's too difficult to understand what they're saying.

The Illiter8 Derp can cross over with several other categories 8ut is most often found paired with RANDUM8 Derp.

Join us next time for our next lesson in Derp!

Thank you for this informative lesson, Miss Serket!

Welcome 8ack to Derpology 101.

Today we will 8e covering another common and easily recognized derp, the RANDUM8 Derp. They are most commonly found in freeform settings and will take the "anything goes" mental8y to the extreme.

8asically, anything done 8y a RANDUM8 Derp will make a8solutely no sense whatsoever. They may do their own thing to the side of the plot, or they may try to hijack a plot with stupid. Some of these may 8e rather attack-happy "just 8ecause they can". Watch out for the ones who try to get others involved in their stupid8y, 8ecause these are pro8a8ly the most disruptive kind of derp there is. One-off posters in forum games who haven't even read the rules also fall under RANDUM8 Derp.

Types of characters played 8y RANDUM8 derps vary. They can 8e hammy villains, they can 8e "insane", possi8ly prone to "8erserker rage". They tend to make dynamic entries, and often disappear without explan8ion.

Types of plots ideas from RANDUM8 derps: RANDUM8 derps don't often suggest actual plots. If they do, it's something a8surd and there is no reason whatsoever for it to happen. Generally these derps seem satisfied with having stupid things happen to their own characters.

Often overlaps with Illiter8 Derp. Can also overlap with 8utt Monkey Derp if every conceiva8le stupid thing that can happen happens to their characters, and can overlap with Attention Whore Derp if they don't realize their a8surd 8ehavior is difficult to play off of and thus there is a reason they are 8eing ignored.

Teacher, I gots a question. How does one tell between a Randumb player that's acting Derpy because he's trolling, and one that's genuinely that much of a derp themselves?

That's usually pretty difficult to tell, though if you see them out of the game there could 8e an indic8ion there.

Though 8oth are 8est ignored anyway.

Stay tuned l8r for inform8ion on the Mary-Sue Derp.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy I can hardly wait. :D

And now, the Mary-Sue Derp.

This one is pretty self-explan8ory; these are derps who play Mary-Sue characters. These characters may 8e perfect at just a8out everything with no weaknesses at all, or if they have one it will 8e a really Weaksauce Weakness. They will often play a secondary, less important (8ut still may 8e powerful and awesome) character who may serve only to tell the other characters how wonderful/wise/8eautiful/etc. the main character is. They will often descri8e their characters as "cute", "cool", "sexy", "8eautiful", "8rilliant", etc. instead of showing this through the actions of the character.

Some Mary-Sue Derps may 8e illiter8, due to either 8eing a very young kid who does not yet know how to roleplay or 8eing a troll.

Types of characters played 8y the Mary-Sue Derp are well, Mary-Sues or Marty-Stus. They're generally overpowered, and may 8e some kind of god/goddess or demon (note that not all god/goddess or demon characters are Mary-Sues, especially if they gained these powers through a plot point rather than "oh yeah 8y the way my character is a goddess" with no previous indic8ion of this). They are 8eautiful, intelligent, etc.

Types of plots suggested 8y Mary-Sue Derps: Pretty much anything where their character is the center of attention, especially if they get to show off how awesome and 8eautiful and wonderful they are. (Again,"a plot centering around a character" does not necessarily indic8 that that character is a Sue. Sue-plots are always suggested 8y the player of the Sue and tend not to have anything to do with anything else that's going on. They serve no point other than to showcase how OMGAMAZING the Sue is.)

May overlap with Illiter8 Derp if the Mary-Sue Derp is a young child or a troll, although the Mary-Sue Derp is equally likely to have proper spelling and grammar. These Sue Derps will often use Purple Prose. Often overlaps with Godmode Derp and Fanservice Derp, and nearly always overlaps with Attention Whore Derp. May overlap with Wangsty Derp if the other players -don't- recognize how awesome the character is supposed to 8e.

Would it be better to ignore the Marysue derp, or better to try to interact with them, possibly with characters that aren't your main ones? There's always the possibility they could improve if they learned by example, or if they learned how other people react to their characters...

It depends. If they're rather o8viously a troll, ignoring is the 8est option. If they seem willing to interact and take a 8it of direction, 8y all means try. 8ut if they head into Godmode Derp territory (this will 8e covered in a later lesson), it may 8e 8est to ignore them rather than stooping to their level and godmodding 8ack.

This is just wonderful :D

Coming tomorrow: the TMI Derp!

And now as promised, the TMI Derp!

The TMI Derp comes in two flavors: the IC and the OOC. While these may and often do overlap, sometimes you will have one without the other.

First, the IC TMI Derp. This is a player who will desri8e the 8ad things that are happening or have happened to their character in really gross detail. Their characters will tell you things from their 8ackstories that you never asked and were pro8a8ly 8etter off not knowing. And of course their 8ackstories will contain horri8le atroc8ies.

The OOC TMI Derp will do the same thing 8ut a8out their personal lives. They'll tell you a8out every single 8ad thing that happens to them, that they've done in the past, that they've seen, that they've heard a8out from their parent/si8ling/friend/cousin/12th grade English teacher/etc. These people have no filters as to what may or may not 8e appropri8, they'll share it anyway.

It tends to 8e more common to find an IC TMI Derp that isn't an OOC TMI Derp than an OOC TMI Derp that isn't an IC TMI Derp.

8oth kinds of TMI Derp tend to 8e fond of Squick, Dead 8a8y Comedy, toilet humor, etc.

Characters played 8y the TMI Derp: Any8ody with a horri8le 8ackstory or who does horri8le things. Characters with no sense of what is appropri8.

Plots planned 8y the TMI Derp: Anything where they can write out horri8le scenes and actions in excruti8ing detail. (Please note that sometimes regular players will come up with scenes like this too, 8ut the difference is that for a normal player, the detail is essential in descri8ing a relevant scene, and with the TMI Derp the scene is an excuse for them to 8e gross.)

Often overlaps with: Attention Whore Derp, 8utt Monkey Derp (if the things they are descri8ing are the horri8le things that have happened to their character rather than horri8le things their character has done), Antagonistic Derp (if they're descri8ing doing horri8le things that their characters do), and Squicky Fetish Derp.

Stay tuned soon for the Huge Ego Derp.

And now as promised, the Huge Ego Derp.

Now, you may 8e thinking "Isn't that the same as the Attention Whore Derp?" While it's true that there are some similar8ies and that most Huge Ego Derps are also Attention Whore Derps, not all Attention Whore Derps are Huge Ego Derps, as the Wangsty Derp is also a vari8y of Attention Whore Derp. So is the TMI Derp.

Anyway, on to the Huge Ego Derp. These derps, as you pro8a8ly have guessed, have huge egos. Look for them to think that their plots and ideas are the 8est things ever. They will often descri8e themselves as "gr8 writers" or "geniuses" (sometimes they'll try to 8e su8tle and say "Everyone says I am a gr8 writer" or "I have 8een descri8ed as a cre8ive genius" or something.) They will also often nomin8 their own characters or moments for "star of the show" or "most awesome/funniest/most heartwarming/8iggest tearjerker moment" in an RP. Their online usernames may reflect how "cool" they think they are, although many Huge Ego Derps will just have somewhat normal usernames.

Characters played 8y the Huge Ego Derp either have huge egos themselves or are descri8ed 8y the player as "awesome". They are often Mary-Sues, final 8oss types (whether they're a final 8oss or not), some kind of god or overlord, the leader of a huge organiz8ion, some high-ranking mil8ary officer, or any8ody else who is "extremely important". (Please note that most of these types of characters can also 8e played 8y normal players, the difference with the Huge Ego Derp is that they often try to make plot revolve around this character instead of just........ having them 8e there normally.)

Plots planned 8y the Huge Ego Derp are usually pretty grandiose, or they'll revolve around the Derp's characters. These players are often guilty of railroading, 8ecause they think their plots are so important that of course every8ody wants to 8e involved!

Many times things planned 8y a Huge Ego Derp will fall apart easily, as they only want to show off how awesome their characters are or what an "artistic genius" or "gr8 writer" they can 8e, rather than actually work on developing anything that any8ody else wants to 8e a part of.

Often overlaps with Attention Whore Derp, Mary-Sue Derp, and Overly Am8itious Derp. Can overlap with Antagonistic Derp, since of course they think their 8ad guys are the worst threat ever too.

I really should upd8 this again soon. Perhaps I shall write a8out the Antagonistic Derp.

I know I said I might 8e doing the Antagonistic Derp next, 8ut I changed my mind.

Today's lesson is on the Attention Whore Derp.

Like the Huge Ego Derp, the Attention Whore derp is all a8out "me, me, me". 8ut unlike the Huge Ego Derp, the Attention Whore derp doesn't seem to care whether it's positive or neg8ive attention as long as they get attention. If they want positive attention, they will overlap with Huge Ego Derp. They'll want everyone to pay attention to their cre8ive genius, their amazing skills, and their totally awesome characters. If they're fine with negative attention and are not getting the positive attention they know they deserve, they'll 8ecome a Wangsty Derp or even a TMI Derp. After all, attention is attention and if you're 8er8ing them for their attitude or disgusting stories, you're giving them attention, right?

Out of character, these derps will talk a8out themselves all the time. They'll whine a8out pro8lems unrel8d to the game (or will whine a8out these pro8lems in places outside the discussion, often leaving links so you too can pay attention to their other posts or their 8log or whatever. They'll post asking people to please reply to their other posts. If asked for a recap of the game you can 8et that no matter what else happened it will 8e all a8out their characters.

Characters played 8y the Attention Whore Derp are, well, anything they think will get attention. These characters may 8e loud and o8noxious. Often, they will get into every little thing or try to involve themselves in other people's plots or arcs so that the derp's character can 8e the center of attention. They may do things that are unusual or controversial just so that the attention will 8e on them. They may also be really really clingy, 8ecause that ensures that at least -one- player will pay attention to them whenever they are around.

If the Attention Whore derp starts a plot of their own, much like the Huge Ego Derp or the Mary Sue Derp it will focus on their characters. Their characters saving the day, their characters Wangsting, their characters undergoing what the Derp perceives as a big change or major development. If they don't start a plot of their own, they will often try to hijack someone else's plot. They'll often do contrived things to try and drag others into their plots or derailments.

And if their characters don't get noticed, their plot points fall apart or are ignored, or they feel like they're not liked or not getting positive attention, sometimes they will go into Wangst Mode 8ecause hey, negative attention is attention too. (If this happens they are pro8a8ly 8est ignored until they calm down or start 8ehaving rationally again, though this doesn't always happen.)

Overlaps with: Huge Ego Derp, Wangsty Derp, TMI Derp, Mary Sue Derp, Clingy Derp, can overlap with Overly Am8itious Derp and Antagonistic Derp. Can also overlap with RANDUM8 Derp, 8ecause a RANDUM8 Derp is often RANDUM8 for attention.

I know you've 8een w8ing patiently for another upd8 to this, so now I shall present the Antagonistic Derp.

The Antagonistic Derp lives to fight and rile people up. They may 8e a troll who wants to try and ruin the game, or they may just really like playing 8ad guys 8ecause they think "EVIL IS COOL!". Either way, expect their characters to pick fights, 8e trigger-happy, cause massive property damage, and try to kill or severely injure characters without the players' permissions. If they're also antagonistic OOC, expect them to pick fights with the other players over just a8out anything.

Characters played 8y the Antagonistic Derp can 8e villains or Token Evil Teamm8 types. They are often trigger happy (whether they use actual firearms, magic, swords, etc.) and can 8e really reckless. They will often destroy things just 8ecause they can.

Plots proposed 8y the Antagonistic Derp feature their character as a villain, and often include the deaths of other player characters.

Often overlaps with: RANDUM8 Derp, Huge Ego Derp, Attention Whore Derp, and TMI Derp. Can also overlap with Godmode Derp (8eware of these especially. They will play characters such as the Lich King.)

Please tune in l8r for a dou8le lesson: the Pervy Fanservice Derp and its su8category the Squicky Fetish Derp. I think I've 8een avoiding doing these for too long due to my aversion to the su8ject matter so I should get them out of the way 8efore moving on to fun things (ha ha) like the Godmode Derp and the Overly Am8itious Derp.

And now, as promised........

The Pervy Fanservice Derp is pretty much what you would expect. They're perverts. They're o8sessed with fanservice. Their characters are usually descri8ed with a laundry list of fanservice terms; males will always 8e descri8ed as "hot", "cool", "chill" or 8e total pretty 8oys. They'll often go shirtless so their rippling a8s and chiseled pecs can 8e descri8ed in details. Female characters will 8e "cute" and "sexy", often scantily clad, and often (though not always) with 8ig 8reasts so that they can inflict Marshmallow Hell on anyone they hug.

Characters played 8y the Pervy Fanservice Derp will often 8e promiscuous and 8rag a8out how many sexual encounters they've had, or they will exist simply for the sake of fanservice. They will either 8e totally perverted and see a sexual reference in everything, talk open a8out their porn stashes, and hit on everything that moves while teasing those who are less open a8out their sexuality........ or they will 8e sweet and innocent and just w8ing for someone to come along and corrupt them.

Plots these derps will come up with revolve around sex, fanservice, and their own personal fetishes. They will often toe the line of what is accepta8le if they're not crossing it completely.

A special (and 8y that I mean especially 8ad; consider yourself WARNED) form of the Pervy Fanservice Derp is the Squicky Fetish Derp. Please keep in mind that this may 8e su8jective, and what is gross to one player isn't gross to everyone. However, the fetishes and attempts at fanservice employed 8y the Squicky Fetish Derp tend to include things that a majority of other players think are "icky". Some examples may include 8ut are not limited to: potty failure, dirty diapers, infl8ion, necrophilia, 8estiality, vore, etc. Many of the turn-ons of the Squicky Fetish Derp are things that should not 8e allowed anywhere near a decent roleplay, though many of them will find a way to c8r to their special fetish without it 8eing sexual, such as playing a character who just happens to have a tendency to soil himself.

8oth also have a tendency to 8e completely perverted OOC too.

These derps can overlap with most other forms of Derp 8ut especially tend to overlap with the Attention Whore Derp and TMI Derp (especially Squicky Fetish).

And now if you will excuse me, I need to wash my eye8alls 8efore the next lesson. I'll leave this 8rain 8leach here in case you need it.