What is Roleplay to you?

[Heinz]

Ffs,rolle play,the name explain itself

its just play a rolle,whatever the rolle you chose

[Saint]

Hey welcome heinz be sure to introduce yourself.

Well I do hope we will get a lot of light roleplay in EoC.

[Chiffy]

Role-play for me is getting into a game selecting a character and being able to make decisions through my character as I would outside of the game. I must say been looking into this game for a few days now and I can see so much potential in it for the way I would play. See I would love to player as a Ranger type player, someone who lives in the forests, hills, wherever life takes them, and being able to ambush, take cover behind trees for an example while using two basic type weapons, a bow and arrow for long range and a two handed sword for close combat. (I have gotten the vision of a ranger from books like Rangers Apprentice and even Lord of the Rings). I can see myself being a hunter of the forest ambushing those who seek to cause harm, or who I am not to fond of =P Also being able to go into town for tournaments and certain thing like that would be good, maybe even create maps and sell to other players etc etc. As I said I can see SO much potential.

[Maldrantus]

I feel like roleplay has gotten a pretty bad rep in MMOs, which is a shame. Roleplaying really doesn't require someone to use a lot of words like thou and thee and yonder. A really good roleplayer would simply do things that their -character- would do. It can still take a bit of work, but then again, roleplay isn't for everyone.

I could go into it in a lot more detail, but it's late and I'm tired. Suffice to say that roleplay can be found in a lot of places that aren't normally considered and can lead to some really, really great encounters.

[Percy]

I do not think that there is one catchall definition for what does and does not constitute roleplaying. My own style is perhaps somewhat casual, in that I do not generally go for extensive back stories (except perhaps in forum roleplay situations), though I always have an idea of my character; personality, appearance, mannerisms, occupation, etc. I like just enough lore to guide me in creating a plausible, interesting character, and to aid me in knowing that character‘s general place in the world. I do not speak in Olde English, though I may pepper my speech with thees and thous on occasion, such as in Ultima Online, and adopt certain idiosyncratic mannerisms, accents or sayings. I also admit to being a fan of using words and phrases from certain conlangs on occasion to add flavor (that used by the orc and drow clans in UO, for example).


While I tend (and prefer) to remain in character most of the time, I will break character occasionally when dealing with a non-roleplaying situation. I do admit that I would love a roleplay-centric game in which everyone stayed in character (if only superficially) all of the time, that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.


I prefer a more organic, “light” roleplay to something “heavier” and contrived. For example, I do not typically participate in grand stories and quests fabricated by other players or GMs. To me, these always come across as forced, and separate from the actual game world. If such an event is happening, I had prefer that it be necessitated by actual, organic occurrences within the game itself. This makes suspension of disbelief that much easier to maintain. On a similar note, but not really tied to roleplaying, I also do not like quests (and instances even less), and think that they have no place in a true sandbox game.

I had prefer that the game provide a solid foundation (an atmospheric, living, interactive world) and the tools to interact with that world (a plethora of skills, items, and creatures, a player run economy, player run towns and organizations…basically as many options as possible, and all interconnected). I want to build my character's background naturally as the game progresses, based on actual in-game experiences, rather than fashion an artificial past. Likewise, I hope for a system that empowers the players and gives them as much control over the world as possible. I do not want to fashion a character who serves such and such NPC queen, and is part of this particular faction in a war because it says so in the lore. I want my character to follow an actual PC ruler (or even a dedicated member of the staff), who makes actual decisions, and to choose his own sides because that is the reality of the game world. I do not want to pretend that my character has a grudge against this particular humanoid race, or is hunting them as part of some arbitrary, artificial quest, but rather because they have attacked me repeatedly, and/or there is an actual need for them to be exterminated. In short, I want the world to draw me in organically, and make me feel that I am actually part of it, rather than merely pretending to play a role, and thus to encourage roleplay naturally.


I am hoping for a system that is diverse and balanced, one that provides enough checks and balances to assure that all play styles are catered to, and all systems (PvP, PvE, crafting, trade, etc) are fully utilized and realized, but that one does not dominate. I think that the more diverse and interconnected these various systems, and the more players need and depend upon one another, the better the opportunities for fostering the sort of organic roleplay I am hoping for. I am also a fan of local economies, and of keeping the scope of the game more local than epic (consequently doing away with instant travel and making travel slower and distances longer and thus more dangerous). I feel that this makes those instances that are actually epic that much more so.

[Dementedelementalist]

Roleplay to me is much the same as many have already said. It has to feel, in part, natural or it will be contrived and immersion-breakingly awkward. Even more so around the table top scene. Anyone else break out into the giggles when someone tries to speak IC and it comes out comepletely weird? Another thing about roleplaying is it should be for YOUR character. A pet peeve of mine is when other characters try to narrate what my character is doing or how he/she responds to them.
But having roleplay prevalent in a true sandbox environment would be a dream come true! That all depends on the other systems that support it of course but I have faith that the FS team can pull it off!