Name generators, maps of cities, weather on certain dates, face claim heights/weights/ethnicities, basic math, prompts... I almost always have 2 or 3 google tabs open. If I'm writing for a fandom, I'll have their wikia open whenever I'm working on it, mostly to check timelines. I also compulsively collect appropriate music. Almost all of my RPs have playlists. I'm not neurotic, what are you talking about

Almost all of my RPs have playlists.

I pick out theme songs for my characters. And my stories. And my RPs. And individual events.

I frequently google anything and everything I need to make a post more authentic - terminology, geography, names of towns, bases, weapons, and any number of other things. I don't know how I'd manage without it.

For the RPGC I found myself looking up obscure battles during the Invasion of Poland.

Usually that which I Google most is fictional names - perhaps I am simply paranoid, but I tend to avoid naming anyone or anything related to reality. Persons and organizations tend to be the biggest offenders for being difficult to not inadvertently copy.

I mostly Google for quick spell checks or just making sure I'm using a word right... I can make that kind of mistake way more often then I'd care to admit. Name generator is a good as well, one time I found out I'm bad at coming up with Italian names which pretty much was putting an "io" at the end of the name. Beyond that YouTube for some music and I probably would also have an article for some gaming news open.

'Map of the Rhine Confederation' 'YouTube European conquest over time'

When making a character sheet/developing a character - height/weight image chart names that mean '___' (nationality) names (nationality) surnames When developing a world - Ancient Egypt/Rome/China // Middle Ages Europe/England/Scandinavia For recent RPs - Mongols Celts Women warriors '___' synonym (often followed by a synonym for the synonym.) wtf how do I spell '___'? Ancient Egyptian Fashion etc, etc. But mostly, I use it for spell check because oh my god, I cannot spell worth a damn. Sometimes I get close enough for my browser or word program to guess, and sometimes I need to use google to figure it out. xD

When there are multiple words that sound the same but are spelled differently and I want to make sure I use the right word. Also sometimes I use it to correct spelling because Google seems to have a better spell checker than every other program I use for some reason.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp.

I just googled "What does a burning human corpse smell like."

EDIT: Just now I searched "Concentration camp in-processing."

I mostly just use Google to check spelling and occasionally look up synonyms to see if there's a word that flows better with what I'm writing. I also just spent some time trying to find a way to convert text to WH40k Ork spelling for a potential interest thread.

Google Translator - because using foreign names which match the theme of characters/things is fun
Google calculator - especially for sci-fi, as I like to calculate how heavy, large,etc stuff are
Google searches as of late? - space warship, space battles, Dindrenzi Federation, whatever image I'm hunting for character/thing's appearance

I googled "What does it feel like to have your throat slit" yesterday.

I am pretty sure some of the stuff i've googled for RP's has given me a meaty file with the NSA.

I google all kinds of stuff for RP's from firearms, to explosives, to police 10-codes, police signal codes, military history, military jargon, historical information, old cultures, period influences, medical terminology, diseases, vehicles, ancient and modern weapons, tactics, pictures, face claims info, music, playlists, equations for calculating things like speed, mass, acceleration, gravity wells, and so on.

I like to be pretty accurate. The other night I wasted hourrrrrs on pulling up Albuquerque Police Department's 10-codes, as well as New Mexico's, as well as finding out if they were a "plain-talk" or coded department. I also found a site to listen in on their police and sheriff's department radio bands in real-time. I researched their callsign proceedures, how they lay out their patrols/beats, districts and some proceedures. I probably know more about the ABQ PD than most people who live in ABQ by now. Most of this was for one little post I wanted to get right.

Now, I play a cop that's from there, so I have my reasons, and have done other research on ABQ PD before, but this was a whole new level. However, I'm pretty happy with the post, and it's feel.

Maybe I should start posting a "My RP Tools" article up here somewhere.

But yeah... I do a ton of research all the time. ... Pretty much daily. Wikipedia is a hell of a time sink, as are many other places on the net.

I'm definitely on several watch-lists by now. Or at least people are getting to enjoy some good reading/writing.

Primarily it's a series of 'define [word]' or '[word] synonyms', I like to be specific.

I tend to include an image at the beginning of my IC's. I find this sets the tone for what is to come, so I am constantly sifting through google for cool pics.