What is Roleplay to you?

[Faranox]

I'm curious as to what you consider roleplaying.

When I'm in a game that I know enough about lore-wise I totally get into my character. I reference the lore in-game, throw out thees and thous, and I have a good time with it. I know it's not for everyone, and that's fine. What bothers me is when players in-game say things like, "get shitted on" or "L2P noob". I have no problem with trash talking, but these insults are just dumb and mean-sprited.

So I guess I'd define roleplaying as a grey area that everyone participates in, whether they're playing the role of random gamer playing an MMO, or some jerk trolling for lulz.

[Rathius]

Lately, I keep up enough on lore, that I can reference it in game fairly easy. But even if I'm not trying to roleplay, I really try to avoid out-of-game comments. Be that acronyms, talking about the weather, news, or just using words that don't fit with the world. If I can help it. Sometimes people ask things that obviously can't be answered in game, like technical questions about bindings and whatnot. I wont sit there and "What are these.. key bindings ..you speak of?" As that just frustrates the player, and especially towards RPers. I've carried on numerous conversations with people that are neither RP or Out of Context for the game.

So... RP to me, is just trying to keep your words in context with the game. It helps keep the game world in the environment it's meant to be, for everyone's sake.

[Borborygmus]

i find that lore is the death of fun roleplaying. you just end up with longwinded text walls, uncomfortably stuffed with clumbsey references.

i do like rping, but i find it works better to be a general theme to give a group or guild identity. i find premade lore too static and immobile to be good for much other than fighting over details in the lore section of the forum.

give us legends and journals and other clues, but ultamately dont make the same mistake that other games make, in choosing to give us impeccably detailed history lessons. roleplaying should be about player creativity, not recitation of fictional facts.

[Rathius]

By all means, yes. When I mentioned keeping up on lore, it was meant more as a way to reference it, if necessary. Like if those legends and journals lead to treasure, or may have some bearing on current events. They -may- have a way to solve the current situation. Hate huge stacks of text that can't be interrupted and essentially, in a way, force their comment on you. The story and lore for the most part should be backdrop to influence, but not to always dictate every action. But it's like mentioned in an interview, magi are disliked cuz they about caused the destruction of the world. In that case I don't want to see magi everywhere and being treated as just another person. It kills a large portion of the story behind the game.

[Saint]

Playing a role you choose and actually associate it with others who do the same. It is almost impossible to roleplay when other people refuse to deny it and then the rpg part from a MMO will vanish. Most of today's MMORPG's turn one into WoW or two into a pvp game where the roleplay in both died. If I can play who I want to play in a game (my role) and people respond properly according their role to mine then It is roleplay.

[Asselman Lorenzo]

Roleplay to me is to act and speak as your character would have if he was a real human being. Thee's and thou's aren't neccesary, but avoid 1337 speak and acronyms. Participating in an immersive and engaging story is also a form of roleplay imo. I usually try and make some background for my characters so I have an idea of where he has been and why he would react in certain ways.

Its alot of fun and gives our games just that little extra.

Kind regards,

Nadraxes
aka Lorenzo

[Rob Steele]

Role play to me... is me actually putting myself in my characters shoes. Making myself believe I am that character, that what they do is my own actions, what happens to them happens to me. It takes a lot of practice to really immerse yourself in it, especially if the game isn't naturally immersive, but I find myself doing it on all kinds of games... anything that has me driving a specific character really. I find that if I do that I get much more involved in the game, the story lines, and the overall experience.
When playing MMO's or really any multi-player rpg, I do much the same, with the only notable difference being that I must then communicate as my character would. At times this means adopting a manner of speaking -I- normally wouldn't while in others, it might be not speaking at all. It all depends on the character, the personality, the setting... and most importantly the game.

What all of it has in common though is there has to be a story, there has to be some sort of background or history of the world so that I can imagine myself as that character, finding my own place in the story. That to me is what is missing out of many mmo's, and more notably, most sandboxes. For whatever reason, I have just not found a story in any games recently that I felt I could fit in. While I tried anyway, the experience wasn't very fun, and ultimately I gave up and moved on.

Those feelings are part of the reason why I feel it is so very important to not only have a plot line, but a sense of history, as well as plenty of future lined up and ready for players in this game. I not only want the game to be a success, but for the role players, and even those who don't consider themselves role players, to feel like they are the story, that they are a piece of it all, that they are important, and at any time could change the outcome of everything.

[Dubanka]

imo roleplay is how you play the game...Thees and thou's not required.
It's the behavior of your character, guild, nation. Who you kill, who you let live...where you live, where you raid, what you wear, etc.
ideally this dovetails into a game's lore or backstory, but this is not necessarily required.

[Rathius]

imo roleplay is how you play the game...Thees and thou's not required.
It's the behavior of your character, guild, nation. Who you kill, who you let live...where you live, where you raid, what you wear, etc.
ideally this dovetails into a game's lore or backstory, but this is not necessarily required.

Sadly though, to most people, it's simply just playing a role. Be it fighter, healer, crafter... and that's about the extend of it. And a lot seem to just 'roleplay' the arrogant, self-righteous, murdering retard. Which is really them just not caring about about anything but the next kill. Which, no offense, is almost how your idea came off. Almost.

[Dubanka]

Sadly though, to most people, it's simply just playing a role. Be it fighter, healer, crafter... and that's about the extend of it. And a lot seem to just 'roleplay' the arrogant, self-righteous, murdering retard. Which is really them just not caring about about anything but the next kill. Which, no offense, is almost how your idea came off. Almost.

Sadly though, to most people, it's simply just playing a role. Be it fighter, healer, crafter... and that's about the extend of it. And a lot seem to just 'roleplay' the arrogant, self-righteous, murdering retard. Which is really them just not caring about about anything but the next kill. Which, no offense, is almost how your idea came off. Almost.

of course you're going to have the 'dude i'm roleplaying a serial killer'...haha lol seriously like that's the first time i've heard that lol. But seriously, at the end of the day, so what.roleplaying a serial killer is a gateway drug at least someone is vocalizing a willingness to roll play

this is an excerpt from our shadowbane recruiting forum:

4. Roleplaying:
OCC is a lore based Temple guild. We are not, per se, a role playing guild. Our in game actions are dictated by lore, tho often tempered by politics. Communication within closed channels (/nation, /group, etc.) is, for the most part, open, and out of character. However, communication in open channels (/say, /shout) is expected to be in character...ie. '/shout OMG zerg' is not acceptable...however, '/shout The Minions of Chaos have multiplied beyond my ability to count! MORE KINDLING FOR THE FLAME!' is.

one of the biggest enemies to roll play, is roll players. Too often the roll play police will come down on what is acceptable, and what is unacceptable 'roll play'. I could really give a @#@#. I will hear your complaints, then take my rp and shove it up your @#$