Finally, bit of time to read. My take on the articles, and thanks for the post. No idea why I didn't get an email from them, I get them often.
Interaction-Scripted
In a sense, this category isn’t a “character type” as much as a method of character development.
I use this with nearly all my characters. Although, I refer to this character type as a “support character”, and the Interaction-Scripted as a method. The method is great for all character types and with many character purposes. Frankly, I find it great fun to give a little personality, maybe a small quirk, then set my char loose in-game society and see how she develops over the years.
I’ve seen a lot of the Tragic type so it is no surprise that it is most popular for characters. As for the ‘everyone is an orphan’ adage, never done it. I’ve had some fantastic roleplay by using fictional and alts of other players to roleplay relatives.
Now the ultra hero/villain I’ve seen often. I have two solutions to dealing with those that play “untouchable” characters: Ignore they exist (which means they don’t get the attention they obviously crave); treat them as insane, path them on the head and go on with the roleplay without them.
Actually, two types that annoy me to no end are the untouchable and anti-social. While you can roleplay in a void (sort of), there is no fun in roleplaying with a character that won’t talk to you know matter what you do to them. Last one I met I flagged my char PvP and shot him in the ---. Anti-social that, buddy.
On the Elune’s blessings part, I have to say I’ve not come across this like described. Comely or “average” seems to be what I encounter, both male and female. Perhaps because, like an untouchable, the roleplayers I’ve met laugh out right at anyone calling themselves so beautiful they might as well be a god/goddess. I do however see far more disfigured characters among males than females.
”But the underlying assumption is that good role-players can stay in character because they have a character personality that has sufficiently depth and can deal with a wide range of scenarios.”
Such a hot topic among roleplayers, I wouldn’t touch it if you paid me to.
Drama queens? You’ve never met a real one till you meet my son. *snicker* Yeah, I’ve seen them and most players I’ve met just ignore them. The highly witty ones put them in their place. I usually /ignore.
Good roleplaying is interesting, original, spontaneous and very open-ended. Good roleplaying does not impede the progress of other players in the game or interfere with their game experience, but rather, happens alongside it, enhancing the game for those passing through as well as those who are engaged in the act of roleplay. [AO, F, 40]
Hell yes! Well said.
The primary pet-peeves of role-players are poor spelling, grammar or incessant abbreviations. Specifically, leet-speak is very much frowned upon.
*dies laughing* Face it, roleplayers are an elite group of professors, all in secret dotcha know. Seriously, yes, these are pet-peeves for my husband and I, however I do not mind some use of abbreviations in Ooc (btw and lol are ones I use often in Ooc). I do have real life friends that LARP and such, but couldn’t type a proper sentence nor spell to save (cliché) their life. People like this need to [Ooc] their ability before a scene, saves a lot of grief from those that except nothing but perfect usage.
God-moding is annoying but not a pet-peeve of mine. I either ignore it and the char (forever usually) or treat their char like he/she is insane. However, there are times I have no problem with it. I’ve had roleplay partners and groups that we allowed it to some extent because we all knew each other’s char so well that we knew how the other would react.
Meta-gaming and unethical use of Ooc knowledge is a big deal to me. It can make or break a scene. I agree with most of what they said in the article.
The realization we made at the time was that role-playing is at it's best when it just happens, and at it's worst when it is forced.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. For the most part I’ve found that scripted roleplay is boring and without contribution. Spontaneous roleplay has nearly always been enjoyable if not darn right highly entertaining.
Though I often wonder about channel restrictions, without coming to a conclusion…is the same for reverse? Is forced ooc in a channel (guild, alliance, whatever) just as damaging? I’ve seen what that person described, a lot. In several games. Both over ooc only and roleplay only channels.
And finally, I’ll leave you with one interesting “is it role-play?” dilemma that several players articulated.
This is probably the one thing that we roleplayers bicker over the most, in my experience. One of those topics I try to avoid, which here… I certainly will avoid. Side-step left. *laugh*