Getting Started with Roleplaying

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Getting Started with Roleplaying

by zamug » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:02 pm

What is Role Playing?

Role Playing is very similar to improvised acting; where you pretend to be speak and act as your in game character. Role Playing (RP) is not complex or secret. You do not need to be an expert.

Most people have played a childhood game like cops and robbers, or doctors and nurses; some may have played pen and paper or tabletop roleplay games. Roleplay, while similar, is in general a mature form acting.

Not every player pretends to be a hero; many are "ordinary" people caught up in the world. This character can be as similar or distant to your real personality as you wish.


When you first start roleplaying it can be a good idea to find what style suits you with the least stress and most enjoyment; some like the challenge of playing a character vastly different to themselves, whilst others opt for similarities.

Remember; your in game actions and the way you interact with other players may or may not be appreciated. There are all kinds of people in the world, so think before you say or do something that you may regret.

Above all, remember to have fun without ruining the enjoyment for others. You may make mistakes along the way, and that's okay, that is how we learn and grow.

Try to have some flexibility in your roleplay and give other people a chance. Remember to respect other people's roleplaying.


Remember, making an attempt to roleplay with everyone you meet will increase the amount of roleplay in the world, even if not everyone responds in kind.
Last edited by zamug on Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Getting Started with Roleplaying (Part 2)

by zamug » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:03 pm

Role Playing Myths

You may have heard strange tales about roleplayers. Some may be true, others are stereotypes or false.
Here are some common myths about roleplaying and roleplayers:


Roleplayers use "thee" and "thou" when they talk in /say.

We don't all do that; although some do and some borrow from the idea. We do use complete sentences without abbreviations ("thanks" instead of "thx").

Some more experienced roleplayers may even choose to write in a style that invokes an accent. For example, when you think of a Dwarf that says, "A'right lad?" instead of "How are you?".

Reading the quest text of NPC's and listening to their accents can give you a good idea of what the text should sound like.


Roleplayers do not raid or participate in PvP.

Roleplayers can and do frequently raid and PvP. For some they may go OOC (Out of Character), for many they will simply be quiet in /say.

For some roleplayers it is not considered a high priority to reach end game, and yet others take it very seriously and make time to roleplay too.

Roleplay is not all about sniffing roses and telling tales in taverns; some of it can involve deadly assassination attempts and world PvP.


Roleplayers are elitist and exclude newbies.

Most roleplayers are happy to interact with other roleplayers of all experience levels. Roleplay, just like raiding and PvP has a mix of different styles, mindsets and attitudes.

Whilst there are some "perfectionists" (just like with raiding and PvP), most do (and should) treat everyone equally.

Some roleplayers are shy, believe it or not, which may sometimes gets seen as being elitist. Remember we are all humans behind the screen.


It can be fun to harass and make fun of roleplayers..

For some reason (either for spite, mental health issues, or just bad form), a small number of childish people set out with no better goal than to harass or hurt others.

This includes making fun of, or trying to ruin roleplaying. Similar behaviour can be found in battlegrounds (AFKers), and PvE (ninja looters).

Sadly, all behavior like this does is form a defensive wall and that wall is what some people encounter when they first meet roleplayers; it is a defensive reaction.


Roleplayers walk, everywhere!

Some do! Most do not. In real life, do you run everywhere? No.

There are times and places where running makes sense to do. If you hear an alarm in town and want to see all the fuss, you run.

Walking, running, mounting up, and using transport, should all be situational rather than fixed in stone.


All female characters are role-played by guys.

Roleplaying can be quite liberating. Some women do pick male characters, and some men pick female characters.

Men picking female characters can be for many different reasons. It may not have anything to do with sexuality, so do not be foolish and judgemental.

Some people like the challenge of roleplaying the opposite gender. Some roleplay the opposite gender better than their own, even when they're happily married to the opposite.


You have to be in character from the moment you play to logging out.

There is alot of different types of roleplaying. From the very casual roleplayer to the full-time.

Staying in character in /say, /yell and /emote is important, but you have to remember that being understood takes the higher priority, especially in /party and /guild.

If you are not up to roleplaying that evening – it's okay. Let your roleplaying group of friends know that you are burned out. Friends should understand.
Last edited by zamug on Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:46 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Getting Started with Roleplaying (Part 3)

by zamug » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:04 pm

How Much Should I Roleplay?

There is no set rule, although some roleplay guilds will define themselves as casual, regular, or full time.

The amount you roleplay is entirely dependent on how much you are willing to put in to your character. The more you roleplay, the more you will get out.


Casual

Casual roleplaying is how many start out. Perhaps they are dipping their toe in the ocean, or perhaps they wish to do something between raids.

Some OOC (out of character) communication will occur depending on gameplay and groups. Most will try to stick to IC for /say and /yell, with lots of ((OOC)) information in /whisper, /party, and so on.

Character development can be minimal, but for the most part, casual roleplayers try to act and respond as their character would.


Regular

Regular roleplaying guilds play IC for the most part. Some ((OOC)) communication may occur in /whisper and /guild.

Player names may be expected to be believable, and character development is more fleshed out overall.

Regular roleplaying guilds try at most, if not all times, to act and respond as their characters.


Full Time

Full time roleplaying involves very little ((OOC)) communication, which would definitely be restricted to /party, /guild, or custom chat channels.

Absolutely no OOC in /say or /yell occurs, with /emote also being used solely for physical actions. (/e winks.)

Character development is detailed and players are often referred to as "hardcore roleplayers".


Whichever category you believe you fit in to now, it is important to remember that characters and people adapt and change. You may start out casual and progress towards full time, and vice versa.
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Getting Started with Roleplaying (Part 4)

by zamug » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:04 pm

How do I talk In Character (IC)?

IC is "In Character", and OOC is "Out of Character"..

These terms are used to separate real world (OOC) and game world (IC). /say, /yell, and /emote should always be in character.

Think about what your character would say (or yell) before you respond. It could be totally different to you normal way of talking. Never reply like you are sending a text to a friend (smileys, slang, abbreviations, etc.)

Whilst some value grammar, spelling, proper capitalization, and punctuation. It is more important to be understood and make an effort. All of those finer details will come with practice.

Also, remember that one race does not always talk like another. A Human has a different way of speaking compared to a Troll.

Example:
OOC:
"Where's the bsmith m8?"
Human: "Excuse me, where is the blacksmith?"
Troll: "Ey mon! Where be da smithy?"


A good source of inspiration comes from reading and listening to NPC quest givers.


What about that /emote you keep mentioning?

Emotes are for expression of physical actions related to your character. Using emotes to express what your character is thinking, or for entire sentences, is pretty much the same as going OOC.

Some roleplay groups are liberal on that usage, as long as it’s not overdone or abused.

Bad Examples:
/emote thinks Arthas is a sexy devil.
/emote thinks Chen is lying.


These emotes tell us literally what your character is thinking. Our characters would never know this!

Good Examples:
/emote gazes longingly at Arthas.
/emote raises an eyebrow at Chen.


These emote express similar messages but as a physical action, and are therefore considered better for roleplay.


Are character names and guild tags IC or OOC?

Using such information can be seen as metagaming, which is using OOC in an IC way. The same advice can also be considered for lore and other game related information.

Consider this scenario; you are looking for a member of <Stormwind Militia> called <Thyme>, a military organisation in Stormwind. You see <Basil> of <Stormwind Militia> in an inn. You have never met <Basil> and he is not wearing a tabard..

Bad Example:
You: "Hi Basil, I'm looking for Thyme, have you seen her?"


Good Example:
You:
"Hello sir, have you seen anyone from the Militia tonight?"


You may see <Basil> and <Stormwind Militia> over the characters head, but your character does not. So, until you are properly introduced, <Basil> is just another person in the inn.


Making Small Talk

When you are starting out, or meeting new people for the first time, you often find yourself asking "What will I talk about?"

You can get an idea from your own backstory - interests, dislike/likes and history. Perhaps magic is your hobby? Talking to mages and related people and asking questions of that sort would be ideal.

Not all roleplay chatter is long dramatic speeches. It can be as simple as everyday small talk whilst waiting for a boat. Small exchanges between other players fall into this.

The same happens in real life; when heading to the mall or seeing some friends that have returned from a long trip. There may be times when you can't think of anything. Some call it "roleplayers block" (like "writers block"). It's okay, wing it as best you can, and if you really feel like it, let the other person know via /whisper.
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Getting Started with Roleplaying (Terms)

by zamug » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:04 pm

Roleplaying Terms of Reference

The following are some terms that you may see used in relation to roleplaying.

IC and OOC

IC is "In Character", and OOC is "Out of Character". These terms are used to understand the difference between the real world and game world.

Some opt to place ((brackets)) around their text when talking in /whisper or /guild to represent OOC.

For character chat; /say, /yell, /emote, you should always be in character.

Think before you type and understand that chat in /say and /yell is what your character would say or yell out. Emotes are physical actions.


Immersion

Immersion deals with how real your character and the world seem at that moment. Keeping OOC and game mechanics as far out of sight as possible increases immersion.

Similar to how one gets immersed in a movie, being drawn in by the story, interaction and music.

Immersion focuses your roleplaying and makes the roleplay as "realistic" as it can be.


Metagaming

Try not to use OOC information to influence your IC roleplay; for example, lore and other information that you know, but your character does not.

Know your boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.

A great example of bad metagaming is the names of players. Although name tags can be switched off, most people play with name tags on. As a result, OOC you know that Person A is not Person B. However, IC your character may not know this as they never see floating names.


Backstory

A backstory is your character's history and traits – the little pieces that make up their personality.

This can be as extensive or as simple as you feel it needs to be. Make your own identity, and have fun with it.

Typical things to avoid are placing yourself in the major storyline of the game, or as a relative of a major character.


Godmodding

Godmodding is manipulating another players character, making decisions for them at an event or storyline with little or no debate.

Godmodding is when a player is over-stepping personal boundaries to sway the storyline in their favor.

This includes killing characters, player actions, "impossible" acts that break rules, controlling actions of NPC's, and so on.
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Re: Getting Started with Roleplaying

by Omgzjustin » Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:54 am

Should be stickied, great post.
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Re: Getting Started with Roleplaying

by Simonich » Mon Mar 14, 2016 10:55 am

Sticky this, definetily a good post
Was good to have you all

Hail The Red Dawn <3
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Re: Getting Started with Roleplaying

by VeloxBanks » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:39 pm

+1 for the sticky.

Maybe with this getting some more attention I'll finaly decide to give RP a try. I've been thinking about it ever since I started playing here.
'tis but a jest, brother!
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Re: Getting Started with Roleplaying

by ceen2 » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:47 pm

RP :lol:
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Re: Getting Started with Roleplaying

by Loxi-Fouress » Mon Mar 14, 2016 5:28 pm

Great post!

@Velox: If you're on the PvE server, then feel free to throw me a PM on Loxi. I'll be happy to help you out and see if we can get something going!
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