On the subject of RP (new Daedulus Project)

Foxeye

Cadet
Given that RP is something that has been discussed a lot lately on these boards and other HJ boards, and that Stephanie Shaver's latest dev post also concerned this, I thought a link to the latest Daedelus Project that is focused on RP would be of some interest to some people.

Overview

I especially enjoyed these two parts. They would be especially useful for those who haven't really RPed much until now, but want to, and would like to get the lay of the land first.

Faces of Roleplay

Protocols of Roleplay
 
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*
 
Daedulus was posted on MMORPG.com, and I loved the read. Hopefully we can see some of hte charts he puts out with a huge purple glob to represent Hero's Journey, and the mass amount of subscribers I HOPE it'll have.
 
Im all for RP in HJ and would even like to see a RP server established. Of course I am also a flexible player and can have just as much fun being one of few RP'ing in a non-RP adventure party, lol. "ahem, I dost say good sir, what dost thou speak of when thou speaks of doods and f*ck me?" lmao
 
Role Play servers are something of a misnomer. A lot of players gravitate to those servers for various reasons other than role play. Overall, they do tend to attract more mature players.
 
Originally posted by Duraenos@Jun 17 2006, 09:02 AM
Of course I am also a flexible player and can have just as much fun being one of few RP'ing in a non-RP adventure party, lol. "ahem, I dost say good sir, what dost thou speak of when thou speaks of doods and f*ck me?" lmao
a-Hah! So *you're* the one we have to think for all non-RPers thinking that all RPers constantly speak in thees, thous, and dosts.

*shakes fist menacingly.*


;)
 
Do you people ever stop talking 'bout interesting things? (hehe)

I RP when the spontaneity hits and find it enjoyable in such instances. I don't RP on a constant basis as it requires too much of a dual mental lifestyle. So my characters fall in and out of RP as situations *inspire* such a thing.

One thing I always do though, is make little digital dynasties of characters. For example while playing CoH/CoV all of my characters bore the same last name of 'Wasp':

Lisa Wasp, a Kinetic Defender, was the matriarch
Tony Wasp, a Melee Scraper, was her husband
Jake Wasp, Tank, was their not so little one
And cousin Isha Wasp, Blaster

In EQ2 the family name was Cobra. There was Jaid Cobra (Monk) and his evil brother Jinx Cobra (what a shag on a name eh?)

Character bios reflected these relationships whether or not they played on the same server and yes I create both male and female characters.

Currently playing Guild Wars and the family name is Nightwind; Thea and Thaos both Rangers who happen to be twins accidentally seperated at birth looking for each other in a world of chaos with only scant info to go on.

Honestly...if you're gonna wait for a dev to put total fun into your gaming then you might as well stop playing NOW!

But another note may be more helpful to understanding the RP aspect. While playing SWG more than 12 of the people in my guild turned out to be "Rennes". What is a "Renn" you ask? These are the people who go around performing at Renaissance Festivals. Many of them actually go from city to city all year round performing and living a "Renn" lifestyle.

They've actually studied some acting, stage presence, character situating for standing in room and a host of other neat stuff. They rarely play the same character twice and are constantly on the lookout for inspirations for subtlies for the next Renn char they will create.

So the little family dynasties I create are for RP circumstances *IF* they arise. Other than that I, like most, go see what the devs have put in the game to see and do. But I do need that creative edge for spontaneous fun and general wisecracking when the inspiration hits.

So if you so run into someone speaking a lot of "thou" and 'This-ith' (is that a word?). Its prolly a Renn; and creating a personality for a character is what they love to do. So gaming worlds are a perfect vehicle for the periods when there is no Ren Fair. Its a good bet that Rennes form a rather large protion of any RP community for any game out there. Why? Because all over the US there is no time or season when there is not a Renn Faire occuring somewhere in the country.

Its prolly the most overlooked, underestimated and unpredicted aspect of the RP community since gaming began. Dark Age of Camelot is prolly chalk full of them lol!!

Add Rennes to the host of theater students and wanna be actors and actresses and you prolly have the totallity of the RP community other than folk who prolly have issues.

And umm.. no; i'm not a Renn.
 
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