Much of this text is taken from www.lyrantalpress.com, with some modifications. Lyran Tal has the best guide to role-playing I’ve found on the internet.

What is free-form role playing?

Roleplaying, in general, is when a gamer sets aside their own identity and plays out the actions, thoughts, and dialogue of a fictional character. There are many games available on the market which make use of this concept, but all of these use fairly detailed rules and some form of random chance (dice, cards, or simply the game master's whim) to decide the character's attributes, abilities, knowledge, combat outcomes, etc.

Free-form roleplaying takes this a step beyond. In FFRP, the player has complete control over the character they portray. There are no dice, no random elements other than characters' actions. No one can force actions on someone else's character. It's essentially text-based improvisational acting and cooperative writing.

Think of writing a cooperative novel, with each of the main characters being played by different people. Each person assumes the role and personality of their character, and responds based on their inspiration of what that character might do.

The key element that keeps FFRP from becoming a free-for-all amongst ultra-powerful characters is RESPECT. Foremost, respect for other players; and equally important, respect for the setting in which the character is played. Disrespectful writers usually find themselves ignored.

How to be a good role player.

What kinds of things do people look for in an RP Partner? What really draws people is the ability to add to the scene, to write a believable story, and to create characters - characters that you love, or characters that you love to hate!

• Reliability: Nobody wants a partner that either won't hold up their end of the story or that vanishes into thin air! Playing regularly during the week is a definite plus, but often some great story-telling goes on in e-mail/PM exchanges or joint posts between characters in online chat.
  
  
• Take Initiative: Just entering a scene and waiting for something to happen isn't really enough. To really enjoy yourself and make a real roleplaying game of it you must actively try to involve yourself whenever you can, and take initiative regarding the actions of your character. Don't just sit there and wait for someone to notice you and invite you to participate, or for someone to do something about your character’s situation. Think up something creative and fun, and write it!
  
  
• Respect for Setting and Context: When you introduce your character to a scene, it’s important to have a good reason for that character to be there. Just having a character appear randomly in a scene isn’t very interesting, and it never makes a lot of sense. Coming up with a bad reason for a character’s appearance is almost worse. Instead, put some thought into a character’s presence and/or actions in a scene and write out a plausible explanation. Your fellow RPers will appreciate the effort!
  
  Similarly, it’s important to remember the setting when you write. If you’re indoors, it can’t possibly be raining! Pay attention to what’s going on around you and take this into consideration when you post.
  
  
• Spontaneity: While plotting out adventures ahead of time is a fine talent, a good RPer also has the ability to literally fly by the seat of their pants. Since you have no control over other RPer’s characters, you never know what might happen next. Scenes in RP are fluid: Everyone loves a partner that can adjust to the situation and take a new direction on the spur of the moment without losing their composure - and humor (whether In Character or Out Of Character) is always a lifesaver.
  
  
• Respect: What it boils down to is simple, common courtesy. Be polite! Treat others the way you would like to be treated! The most obvious thing to say - but one that is often forgotten: You play the game to have fun, and the other players are here for the same reason. If for any reason you are not having fun playing, then try to pinpoint the problem and do something about it! If the reason cannot be resolved, then you should stop playing. There is no point in doing something you are not enjoying.

Glossary of role playing terms

• Godmoder: A player who creates or plays an invincible character. These are not conducive to cooperative roleplaying. Godmoding is undesirable and considered bad form. No one can kill your character without your permission, so there is no real reason to have an invincible character in a role play.
  
  
• IC (In Character): Anything that pertains to your character; their thoughts, actions, dialogue, etc. The part of roleplaying that maintains the illusion of the fictional reality where your character dwells.
  
  
• OOC (Out Of Character): Anything that pertains to you, the player. When making a short statement as yourself and not as your character in the RP forums, an OOC can often be useful. For example, (OOC: I didn’t quite understand what Adrian meant in your last post. If I’ve misinterpreted, please PM me and I’ll edit.). Generally, it’s bad form to post only OOC comments in your RP post, and excessive use of OOC can be very distracting.
  
  
• NPC (Non-Player Character): This is usually a minor character who does not have an actual character profile. Examples might be a bartender, someone you meet on the road, a mechanic repairing your spaceship... characters you meet along the way who facilitate a story but aren’t main player characters. It’s generally allowed to kill or harm an NPC, though depending on the situation you may need to ask the person in charge of the story before doing so.
  
  
• Powergaming: This is when a player insists on writing actions for someone else's character. Like "Godmoding", it's not conducive to cooperative roleplaying, and is considered bad form.
  
  Do this: An aura of bone-chilling cold emanated from him, fanning out into the entire room
  Rather than: With a flick of his fingers, a chill ran down the spine of everyone in the tavern.
  
  The difference is subtle, but the first one does not dictate action for the others in the room, whereas the second one does.