A roleplay is a fairly sturdy thing. It can survive losing half its members. It can survive a GM whose idea of a plot twist is ‘and then they all died’. It can even survive the complete lack of a plot. What it can’t survive are these guys:
Leeroy Jenkins: This is a player that seems to have an allergy to reading the posts of other players, but loves being the resident monkey-wrench. They're known for ignoring any plans that may have been made for the plot, and seem to be playing to the tune of their own badly tuned drum. Often times their character will have actions completely contradictory to the recent on-goings of others, and will end up sabotaging any and all well-planned missions or objectives. If your characters are engaging a group of soldiers with a sneak attack, you can bet that this character will go charging in with a war cry and bring an untimely demise to everyone else onboard. While this type of player can be a loner, often times the most irritating of them prefer to interject themselves in the most inconvenient areas of the storyline, in a completely nonsensical fashion. ...But at least they have chicken.
God-Modder:God modding is altering the world to your favor so that you can win. A lot of people confuse quite a bit of power-modding as god-modding; like using a previous combination of powers etc to do something different/creative/whatever in order to solve a situation. Making up a "move" without any consideration to your move-set is, however, god-modding. Most god-modding is actually acceptable (or ignorable), like creating matter or making assumptions about a setting in order to grab an advantage. God-modding only becomes an issue when you are actually making things horribly unfair for your fellow RPers or when you are using it to power-game and Stu/Sue.
The Grudge: This archetype often piggybacks on other archetypes. The Grudge does not take well to anything that could be construed as criticism. They are fiercely defensive of their characters, and if provoked, can make the roleplay a living hell for those in it. Flaming, deliberate disruption of the roleplay (I.E. having their character suddenly turn on everyone) and general bile spews are common problems. Had a favorite childhood pet? They’ll dig up that son of a bitch and eat it. Embarrassing photo somewhere online? They’ll post it everywhere they can. In extreme cases, even banning will not stop this archetype. They’ll just create a new account for another round of abuse.
The DBZ'er: A variant of the power player, the DBZ'er, named after the awful anime series Dragon Ball Z, can envision no character development outside of their character becoming more powerful and awesome. His posts usually focus on highlighting how powerful and awesome his character already is. DBZers kill the story by focusing too much on action resembling an anime or video game. An RP containing this player-type basically becomes a text-based bout of penis fencing that is quite frankly embarrassing to read.
The Puppeteer: A very specific form of god-modder who goes as far as controlling other characters to get what they want. Most DM/GMs have no choice but to puppet some characters on occasion and some puppeteer behavior is not frowned upon by fellow RPers (like assuming answers to yes/no questions), however, the issue comes when people are directly RPing for their fellow RPer and might as well be writing a story themselves. Typically happens by the Sue/Stu as they are looking for a very particular reaction from characters in the area and go as far as making it happen themselves
Logjam:A Sue/Stu archetype in that they force the character into the center of everything. They are the focus and drive for the RP, can not be killed, will forever remain the RPs general protagonist and generally keep things active and going. Often plays Neo-type characters, in that they are the world's savior etc. This archetype only becomes negative when the RPer leaves or demands a certain amount of respect for being the main point of the RP. At this point one must either kiss Logjam's ass or hang up the RP for dead.
The Major
While not nearly as bad as The Massive, a single Major is nevertheless capable of crippling a roleplay. Dangerous in numbers.
The Magpie: Not to be confused with the CopyCat, the Magpie is a roleplayer who likes to augment their characters with 'shineys' from things they've recently seen. If the Magpie has been watching 'Gundam' you can bet their character will stumble upon a mechanical suit to pilot. If the Magpie has recently been playing 'Red Dead Redemption' you can bet that they'll pull a six-shooter out of Hammerspace and suddenly adopt a wild west accent. Although not necessarily thread-derailing, the Magpie's constant nonsensical character modifications will almost certainly begin annoying even the most sainted roleplayers rather quickly, and they tend to slowly inch towards god-modder status as their character acquires more 'shineys'.
THE HAMMER: You've come into a confrontation with an unarmed opponent, and you're actually expecting him to reach into Hammerspace and grab a weapon to defeat you with. You dash up. No reaction. A halfhearted swipe also fails to elicit a response. Suddenly, you're bludgeoned from behind with an enormous blow! You've been trying to frighten a balloon. The real opponent has been preparing for the last ten seconds, and he has A HAMMER. THE HAMMER refuses to use Hammerspace; he simply accepts the plot hole that there are a million hammers running around all over the place, escapes with a decoy left behind, and returns to the scene of the fight with a vengeance. Oh, and THE HAMMER has an enormous HAMMER that will more than likely squash something flat with the first blow. To be avoided at all costs.
The Inner Circle: A small, usually inter-familiar group of RPers within an RP that effectively take a more extreme control over the plot. In essence, they've plotted out the greater majority of the RP, to the point where all that need be done is play out the events as intended. There characters are more than likely the most important, and most powerful in the RP. While there may or may not be anything particularly wrong with their writing or roleplaying ability, they tend play through the plot without much recognition of others outside of the circle, making it difficult for others to get involved.
Hammerspace Explorer: Not unlike the God-Modder gaining extreme power out of nowhere, an HSE will suddenly gain any item that is required for the task at hand. If you are having a sword fight with an HSE you can be sure that they will suddenly pull out a bigger sword (because as everyone knows, bigger=better). The party fighting off zombies or some other form of monster? The HSE will suddenly stumble across a mounted machine-gun that just so happened to be there and nobody noticed it. Does one of the characters have some form of mental or physical handicap that they've dealt with all their life? Well then the HSE will just pull out the tools to fix the problem in five seconds. This type of RPer can leave glaring plot holes in the story or even ruin it all together by unexpectedly gaining an item the party was going to spend part of the RP searching for (i.e. door hacking device, key to unlock a chest, some form of ship to cross some form of obstacle etc). Though an HSE can usually be ignored when it comes to such things as character healing or average monster killing.
The Elitist:A person who keeps himself too far above normal stanards, just for the sake of being better than others, or maybe even only for the sake of keeping high standards. They tend to write long, drawn out posts with a lot of fluff in them for the sake of making their posts longer. In OOC's and such, they complain about others not meeting the same standards as they are using. Mostly found in the advanced section on this forum. These RPers will apply their standards needlessly to others, and are not to be confused with an over-acheiver, who merely has high goals for him/herself, but does not force others to conform.
The Slug-Bug: This player can vary from free to casual to advanced, but they all have one thing in common; they despise being timely with their posts. These are players that will not post regularly, but will post when reminded. Some Slug-bugs delay so that they can write a quality post (typically an Advanced writer), but some are merely just forgetful and can't remember they have a roleplay in progress. Slug-bugs are not ditchers, nor do they drop roleplays, but their slow pace and inability to keep up often represent death to any roleplay.
The Egotist: Like a dark god of entitlement and escapism, the Egotist is incapable of functioning without a crowd to cheer him on. He must be the center of attention, no matter the cost. The Egotist differs from the Logjam in that he has no regard for the plot. He will quite willingly destroy the foundation the roleplay rests on if it'll buy him another few moments of glory. May resort to disruptive behavior if forced from the limelight.
The Zombie: You've planned carefully, backed their character into a corner, and once there's no way out, stabbed them in the heart. At that point, they look up at you, grin and punch you in the face. The Zombie is a lesser version of the average god-modder. They won't control your character, they won't hit you automatically, and sometimes they don't even carry around their ray-gun-that-can-burn-through-everything-and-no-thats-bullshit-you-can't-dodge. Unfortunately, their character seems to be immortal. Wounds will rarely do more then “make them angry”. Remember, when facing a zombie, aim for the head. Nothing else is going to work.
The Minor
Unless you’ve got a whole roleplay full of them, these players can be ignored. Some of these might not actually be problems at all.
False Elitist: This is a roleplayer whose self-image as a roleplayer places them far above where they truly are; and they're not afraid to flout that opinion on others, often presenting themselves to others as experts. Like an Elitist, they are apt to come off as arrogant, and possibly demeaning. However, unlike a true Elitist, they tend to lack either the ability or the drive to hold themselves to high standards. In addition, the False Elitist is apt to show blanket qualities of negatives such as God-Modders and Wannabes. In similarity to typical Sues/Stus, the F.E. presents their characters in an air of entitlement and apparent perfection, and the F.E. is prone to bragging their character's level of power.
The Square Peg: This is a type of roleplayer, who insists on their character failing to fit in. Got a group of elves and halflings who hate dwarves? You can be your ass they're gonna bring Brogg Hammerstout and force him into the storyline. Got a group of normal people with kitchen knives in your survival RP? They're gonna have a trained Ex-SEAL who is carrying enough guns to make Rambo shit himself in fear. This type of roleplayer always has to have what doesn't fit into the group. This is only negative if they're not in the group for a reason, like they would ruin the story or would cause unnecessary fighting.
The Opposite: This type of player picks a type of character that common specializes in a particular skill set, say a Warrior-Type character, big and brawny, and instead of playing it to its obvious strengths, they play it the complete opposite(Sometimes with the implied strengths of the type itself). So their big and brawny warrior is sneaking around with the proficiency of a rogue type character, sometimes, as described throughout the Roleplay, better than one who is especially equipped for that type of maneuvering. They may play a Rogue-Class, that hits harder than a Warrior-Type, a non-magic based person, using magics that rival a well-trained spellcaster.
The Empty Threat:Whether they be an IRL friend of a GM or someone who has befriended an Admin. over the years, the Empty Threat will demand special treatment above all others. This person will loudly declare that all opposition will be met with one form of the ban-hammer or another, whether or not they actually have that power. While most forms of the Empty Threat can be dealt with through a simple reality check, the difficulty comes when they have a plausible claim to the power they believe they wield. If the Empty Threat catches you in the act of a minor offense that can be blown out of proportion, then they will have power over you, so long as you let them. The best thing to do is to admit the offense as soon as possible, and point out the threat if it has been made. If the true holder of power is worthy of the position, then they will do the right thing. If not, it's best to take the issue to a higher power, or leave if none exist.
The Diplomat:This is the roleplayer, who, when he wants to make something happen, will do it. Regardless of anything your character might do. Got a character who will shoot the first thing they see? They'll waltz in, and god forbid your character shoot at them. And if you ask them to edit it out, they will demand you break character, and make your scared character warm up to them. Character gay? The first sight of their female character, no matter how homely, had better make him straight. Quickly becomes a Grudge when you refuse to turn your character upside down.
The Egocentric: Believing themselves to be a gift from the heavens, they will demand anything from respect to obedience, often solely on the grounds that they will leave otherwise. They will demand things of the GM, criticize other players, and often take the part of a Co-GM without permission. They can appear at any point during the creation of an RP, and are best dealt with as soon as possible.
The Mother Grizzly: This person will praise and show favor to a single person, often the unofficial 'best' writer in the group. If anyone should offend her 'cub,' that unfortunate person will find themselves on the wrong end of a, often undeserved, tongue-lashing. While a single Mother Grizzly is easily dealt with, the issue is when said Mother Grizzly is also the GM. In this case, it's best to just leave the Mother and her 'cub' to their fun. Mother Grizzly 'cubs' can often evolve into Egocentrics.
The Town Crier: The Town Crier always has the most powerful character, but not in that their character gains power and becomes a Sue/Stu. They will simply bitch and moan until everyone else's character is quadriplegic, mentally retarded, blind, and in fantasy/futuristic roleplays, unarmed and lacking in any powers or skills. Will quickly also evolve into a Grudge if someone objects to their constant complaining.
The Wannabe: This person, is one of those people whose standards of roleplay stand somewhere between free and a chatroom, however they continually try to join Casual and Advanced roleplays. Their character sheets are usually as bland as one would expect, and they make no attempt to further advance their characters. They often speed-post, and don't wait for other members, and often further the plot without consideration to the others involved. A lot of times, they're often confused with the minimalist, until its noticed they just don't have the articulation necessary to post, they are trying their best, but its just not good enough. The problem comes in when they start arguments or insist that they're good enough for the roleplay when called out by another member. They cause unnecessary hassle and stress to other members with their ways.
The Nitpicker: The nitpicker is someone who will find something wrong or something that doesn't make sense to them in the IC and then expose that in the OOC. This will usually evolve into a debate from which they will not give in, even if everyone else has ignored the matter. This type of person, makes continuing the RP with them not worthwhile and can result in others dropping out and leaving due to this person.
The Expert: Need to defuse a bomb? The Expert has spent 20 years defusing bombs just like this. Toilet clogged? Expert always carries a plunger with them. Can't find your wallet? Expert keeps track of everything you own. Its behind the dresser. No matter how obscure the branch of knowledge, The Expert's character is guaranteed to know exactly what needs to be done to get out safely. While not destructive in of itself, you have to wonder where they learned to cook 5 star meals and hack government databases.
The Power-gamer: Usually this is done by min-maxing. You're looking at a guy/girl who's right under being an outright god-modder. Their character is also usually called a Sue/Stu by people who don't know any better. The power-gamer is usually not breaking any rules but tends to annoy people, regardless. The power-gamer may also be guilty of leveling up their character to quickly, they need heavy handed rules and character sheets to keep in check.
The Speed-Poster: The speed poster comes in three different forms. One is the average "Free" RPer and 1v1 player who's just got to much time on their hands. A majority of their posts are one line and not much more. The second you see more often in "Casual" and sometimes in "Advance" than anywhere else and is simply people talking. There is no time passed outside of a few minutes and usually sanctioned or approved by the DM/GM. The third you'll see almost everywhere and doesn't technically count as speed posting. When a post has not been placed for several days (or a week) and then someone who has more to add but has posted very recently posts again, they are technically speed posting however are not doing so in a negative way. DM/GMs speed post in this fashion, especially when their RPers are split up in groups.
The Loner: The loner comes in two types. One is someone who doesn't collect himself with the main group and goes off to do his own thing, this is the negative type of loner and only because it is usually a game based around that group. The loner is good when you've got an RPer playing the big-baddy, however he/she wont post often and when they do it is only to give the players some foreshadowing about what will happen to them in the future. It's a fun way to give the DM/GM some time to chill and an excellent role for anyone who's got less time than the rest of their fellow RPers.
The Fluffer: Someone who has very little to say but insists on saying more anyway. Most fluffers are stuck in dialog or have a turn to post but can not think of anything outside of a simple A or B action. The fluffer can be obvious in that he/she does something inane like describe a kitchen table's gain consistency or he/she can be hidden by adding things like unneeded character history and introspection. However, it should be noted that many enjoy a small degree of fluff in their posts if only to prevent being a negative Minimalist.
The Minimalist: The opposite of the above. They only have something to say, and so say that. The negative view of this is the one-liner. When in dialog, this poster also tends to end up speed posting, rather than waiting for things to pile up for a larger post. The minimalist tends to encouraged, however, when there are more and more people in the RP and only because their posts tend to be much shorter and require less effort. The minimalist will offer little internal character growth, however is not devoid of character growth in the group setting.
The Grammar Bug: This person follows every grammar rule to the letter, their posts become a fluid and boring pile of nonsense that couldn't get any technical red-marks. They tend to miss many exception rules or ignore them outright, simply staying with their essay-format. The problem is, outside of sounding boring and being hard to read, when they enforce the behavior on others in the OOC. This person also tends to mix-up RPing with Creative Writing and finds themselves as publishable authors (being published or not).
The Scout: Much like its namesake, the Scout will never, ever, be hit. Even when asleep, they will somehow manage to slide aside from every blow. It doesn’t matter what kind of character they play. To a Scout, a blind man in a wheelchair and an acrobat are equally skilled at dodging blows. While most prevalent in arena style roleplays, a scout can pop up almost anywhere.
The Mangler:Typically found in "Free" and other places similar, these are those who don't know even the basics of grammar and couldn't operate a spell-check if their life counted on it. There are degrees of this, of course, but as long as a player is readable their posts shouldn't be a problem. The English Murderer couldn't care less if they have or have not done things to the English language and tend to be really loud when confronted.
The Stereotype: The stereotype is a Sue/Stu break down who uses the common conception of a character build and adds nothing to them. The common sleek assassin with dirty morals, the world destroying wizard with the magic orb, etc. These are all general views of the stereotype and, due to lacking in understanding, these players tend to indirectly act a Sue/Stu.
The Ditcher: A player who will show interest, say they want to join and then do not. Also known to be a person who posts once in the IC and then leaves the RP without any notice given. This leaves the rest of the RP holding their breath and biting their nails waiting for them to return, but they won't.
The Flawed Diamond: This is a person who, in the interest of not becoming a Sue or Stu, has mostly Sue/Stu-ish tendencies, but with one or two absolutely glaring negatives, often ones that don't make sense. Like someone with a water power but who is afraid of getting wet. Instead of trying to find a harmonic balance of good and bad, they try to go for nothing in the middle. Also has a tendency to become a Power-Player when they quickly and easily shed the negatives and go major Sue. Often tries to be the Logjam as well.
The Shoehorner: An RPer who has one character, or only a list of character, which they either directly try to add to any RPs they come across or who simply toss this pre-made character up with no consideration. The Shoehorner can look like and very well be a Sue/Stu if the character concept is not adapted correctly to the RP environment and setting.
The Moocher: An RPer who doesn't add to the setting/RP/whatever and simply builds off what everyone else has given. Sometimes this is good, prevents the common syndrome of having to many cooks in the kitchen, but this person can not usually operate in small scale settings to well. (He also takes pizza without chipping in.)
The Twist: In of themselves, there is nothing wrong with this person. When they're under control (either self discipline or GM-discipline) they can actually help a roleplay thrive. But god help you if they ever take the reins. This person will develop a grandiose idea for the plot, and follow it for a few days. At some point though, a new, better idea will pop up. Then they'll start following that one, twisting what had already happened to fit the new concept. Were this to happen once or twice, it might be done well enough that no one will notice. But with the Twist, its almost a guarantee that this'll be happening every week or so. Depending on the person, confrontation will either temporarily stamp down the problem, or produce a long, bile fueled rant about not understanding their "genius". Approach with caution.
The Cal-our: A RPer who, at every given chance, will use a forum's ability to color and change their post's font or style. This is only negative when the person in question does not understand the subtleties in complimenting and/or contrasting colors. Provided The Cal-our can keep their posts presentable to all those who read (admittedly this can be difficult) they actually end up looking up for giving out the extra effort.
The Game Masters
Sometimes, it isn't the roleplayer thats the problem. Sometimes the guy running the roleplay can wreck it all by himself.
The Pushover: The polar opposite of the Tyrant, the Push Over not only doesn't rule with an iron fist, but barely rules at all. This GM isn't so much lazy, as much as he is simply incapable of holding his ground, no matter what the issue at hand. Someone clearly god-moding their way to an easy win against another PC? Well, that's fine, just don't let it happen again. Have a person acting completely un-Fonz like in the OOC? Well, he makes a good point, he does make us all look like 'n00bs'. Someone in the RP clearly need to not only be kicked from the RP, but reported to the nearest Admin, A.S.A.P? No, don't do that, he might leave the RP, and who wants that?
Just like with the Tyrant, there are some RPers who thrive under the the Push Over; most of them just aren't very fun to RP with.
The Hear Me Roar: Everyone knows that it is the GM's prerogative to create plot holes as he or she sees fit. The HMR is the type of GM who not only creates plot holes, but creates a LOT of plot holes, and can't be bothered to fill them.
Your character is immune to poison? The GM has a villain not only poison your character, but then uses the same poison on another character and it has the same results. Why is this? Because the GM said so!The wooden door needs a special key to open it? No, you can't use the sledgehammer to get it open. Why? Because the GM said so! The lesser villain is too powerful to defeat, but you need to get past him to continue the plot? Not a problem, his head explodes! Why? Because this has the same result as a logical, well thought out solution, but the GM doesn't have to be bothered to come up with something logical and well thought out. While some people don't mind this type of thing, it can often discourage new players from joining, as everyone who tries to bring something new to the story is met with the same old problems and no new results. Eventually, the lack of new players will lead to the death of the RP. This usually happens when the better writers in the group find that real life has gotten in the way of their RPing, and loose interest in the RP while they're away. In most RPs, the introduction of a new player could easily fix this problem, but without new players, the RP slowly rots away to nothingness.
The Jumpy:The type of GM to jump the gun, The Jumpy will come up with a solid idea to base an RP off of, but get ahead of himself and create the RP before he's come up with a plot. Not to be confused with GMs who make non plot-driven RPs, The Jumpy will create the RP with full intent on coming up with a plot, but will fail to do so as the RP progresses without it. While allowing an RP to grow on its own isn't necessarily a bad thing, a complete lack of an end-all goal will almost always drive the RP to reach a point where there is simply nothing more to do, even though the RP itself is clearly not over. This is usually the point where The Jumpy will try to correct the problem and finally create a plot, but this normally ends in failure, as the players have now grown board with the idea as a whole.
The ADD: This GM has so much difficulty deciding on which of his different ideas he's going to use for the plot that instead of deciding on one he decides to do them all. Constant, often nonsensical, plot-twists aplenty as the players find themselves one minute in the middle of a pitch battle on an Earth-orbiting space station and the next in a gladiatorial arena in Ancient Rome, then round off the evening helping a mysterious detective catch a dangerous killer in 1950's Paris. While not necessarily detrimental to the overall roleplay, things often get so confusing that people drop out simply because they can't keep up.
The Tyrant: This type of GM demands that their rules be followed to the T. Can't post as often as they'd like? Boot! Want to discuss non-RP relevant things in the OOC? Kick! Have an issue with the plot? Take a hike! Made a post in the IC that doesn't follow the cannon to the smallest detail? No, you can't edit the post. Just leave! While the Tyrant may never be an issue for some RPers, specifically the kind who thrive under iron-clad rules, they can quickly drain the RP of any unsanctioned fun. This is highly unfortunate, as those who care that much about their RPs tend to make the best plots.
The Sloth: This type of GM isn't the problem, so much as the lack of a solution. The Sloth will start off with a solid idea- and maybe a general plot line- create the RP, and then stop functioning as the GM unless forced to do so. Any semblance of a plot will disintegrate as the lack of a guiding hand allows the RPers to run themselves directly into a dead end. The Sloth will also shirk their duties out of game, allowing anything from trolling in the OOC to godmoding in the IC, without so much as a wrist-slap to the offending RPer. While the Sloth can function well enough in a freestyle RP, it is best to be avoided in anything plot-driven.
The Unknown.
Despite my bold usurpation (And all the wonderful things it says about me) I am not perfect. If I can’t decide which category it belongs in, it’ll go here until members of the community can sort it out.
The Copycat: Though a rare breed, when playing with this person, you just can't shake the feeling that you've seen this all before. The copycat will take certain ideas, characteristics, nuances, or even actions from another character, do it themselves, and claim the idea as their own. This is different from a plagiarist, because they may not directly rip the text, but it's obvious that their 'inspiration' for said ideas didn't come naturally.
The Swarm:A strange combination of the speed poster and the loner, the Swarm likes to run off on its own paths, but cannot stand being alone. Therefore, whenever a character gets stuck, the Swarm will create a new character to rejoin the fun. The number of characters to range anywhere between two to well over a dozen. Characters tend to be similar in personality and often loosely connected to the Swarm's first character. If thwarted in the creation of new characters, will often develop characteristics of a power-player and/or god-modder.
The Romantic:Like the Swarm, the Romantic likes to create lots of characters. Unlike the Swarm, the Romantic doesn't do so as a means of continuing to roleplay. The Romantic simply wants to have sex with anything that has a pulse. Sometimes the Romantic will focus on a single person, creating character after character simply for the purposes of moon-lit evenings followed by sudden onslaughts of nudity. Other times, the Romantic will simply try and create a love interest for every single character in the roleplay. When denied their nudity, the Romantic will sometimes turn their characters upon each other, creating one of the most awkward situations a roleplay can develop.
The Glossary:
This is basically just where definitions go, so anyone new to the guild doesn’t have to turn the site upside down to understand this list:
Hammerspace: A mysterious dimension where all unexplained objects come from when needed and are returned to when done with. Hammerspace is usually found in backpacks or a coats inner-pockets. When someone pulls out an object that could not logically have been anywhere on their person beforehand (such as a mostly naked person pulling out an unseen katana/shotgun) they have just used Hammerspace. If you've ever wondered where all of the large weapons or heavy armor you pick up in a videogame go to when you aren't using them, Hammerspace is the answer.
[The Sue/Stu:Unimportant and misused word to imply perfection even if perfection is not the issue. Most RPers use the phrase when they just don't like a character and can't identify with them in some manner. If there isn't an obviously GLARING negative aspect to your character, you will be called a Sue/Stu even before you explore what the character actually has to offer. The Sue/Stu is only an issue when he/she is breaking rules or actually trying to be the RPs focus. Most people who claim Sue/Stu end up making more Sue/Stu characters than they realize and most of those RPers are DM/GMs.
(Credit to Starstruck)
Troll: A Troll is a roleplayer who deliberately incites conflict without directly flaming another user. Instances include using vaguely insulting language, overuse of emoticons, bad language, and too many pictures. Troll sounds like Trawl, to cast out nets with the intention of catching fish.
Grammar Nazi: Not necessarily negative. A Grammar Nazi is a roleplayer with a tendency to point out syntax, spelling, and grammatical errors. A Nazi's post will be flawless, and he or she will encourage (ranging from "strongly" to "mildly") others to follow his or her example. A Grammar Nazi can evolve into a Grammar Bug or an Elitist.
Metagaming: Meta-gamming is not bad, unless used to god-mod in a negative fashion. As Kestrel stated, we all meta-game to some extent or another. When you use OOC knowledge IC that you probably should not have, you are meta-gaming. This can go as far as taking a left over a right when having your character chose which way to follow where the bad-guy went. This happens in regular fiction and is not frowned upon, the only issue is when interacting with others you must be careful to not breach god-mod territory.
Leeroy Jenkins: This is a player that seems to have an allergy to reading the posts of other players, but loves being the resident monkey-wrench. They're known for ignoring any plans that may have been made for the plot, and seem to be playing to the tune of their own badly tuned drum. Often times their character will have actions completely contradictory to the recent on-goings of others, and will end up sabotaging any and all well-planned missions or objectives. If your characters are engaging a group of soldiers with a sneak attack, you can bet that this character will go charging in with a war cry and bring an untimely demise to everyone else onboard. While this type of player can be a loner, often times the most irritating of them prefer to interject themselves in the most inconvenient areas of the storyline, in a completely nonsensical fashion. ...But at least they have chicken.
The Ditcher: A player who will show interest, say they want to join and then do not. Also known to be a person who posts once in the IC and then leaves the RP without any notice given. This leaves the rest of the RP holding their breath and biting their nails waiting for them to return, but they won't.
(Other names, The Bailout, Flakey)
The Slug-Bug: This player can vary from free to casual to advanced, but they all have one thing in common; they despise being timely with their posts. These are players that will not post regularly, but will post when reminded. Some Slug-bugs delay so that they can write a quality post (typically an Advanced writer), but some are merely just forgetful and can't remember they have a roleplay in progress. Slug-bugs are not ditchers, nor do they drop roleplays, but their slow pace and inability to keep up often represent death to any roleplay.
The Pacifist: The Pacifist is a player that avoids combat at all costs. When violence hits the scene, this player will find a way to manuever out of combat, hide, or ensure that someone else protects them. In all other aspects of roleplaying, they are just fine, but they dread combat. They will not hit another character, and they will not suffer themselves to be hit. (edit): They represent death to roleplays centered around combat.
The Black And White: This is a person who, in the interest of not becoming a Sue or Stu, has mostly Sue/Stu-ish tendencies, but with one or two absolutely glaring negatives, often ones that don't make sense. Like someone with a water power but who is afraid of getting wet. Instead of trying to find a harmonic balance of good and bad, they try to go for nothing in the middle. Also has a tendency to become a Power-Player when they quickly and easily shed the negatives and go major Sue. Often tries to be the Logjam as well.
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