Roleplaying

[Karya]

I have been playing on Order for over a year now and although it is set up as a "roleplay" shard, I don't feel the least inclined to roleplay, especially not with the drama that I have heard about in the last year.

It really saddens me to hear a lot of negativity around roleplaying. Every time a storyline comes up that is "dark" (including evil, murder, etc), it's not just the in-characters that gets hurt but the players get hurt as well. I have seen friendships breakup in game and out over dark storylines. Many times there is a lack of communication out of character which also causes issues for the storyline and the players, whether purposefully or accidental.

Sure I can understand a bit of drama is needed to make things more interesting, but the storylines that are set out to hurt characters is it really making roleplaying fun? Is it fun to have your character seriously hurt or cause major issues to other players? How do the other people feel about these kinds of storylines? I would like to know what "fun" is there in the storylines that cause friendships to break and cause pain both in character and out? I know that different people enjoy different things, and it's a choice to be involved in a storyline or not. My question is that how can people get involved in roleplay situations that's going to hurt people? Maybe someone can explain that to me because I certainly don't get it.

I know not all storylines that people play are dark... and that there can be fun roleplay. Maybe I'm just overly caring and sensitive, but until these dark storylines fade, I won't even feel the desire to roleplay even on a roleplay shard.

You might ask why even be on the Order shard? If I don't like the Roleplay I could move to Chaos or Blight. But then I'd be losing one of the main reasons I'm in Istaria... the community. Can't beat that.

Karya

[MarshDog]

Well you still might want to consider coming to the Blight server as we are getting more and more people leaving the live shards for the reasons that you mentioned, i can for see that Blight may have a larger population then live if things keep going like Ive gathered for the forums they are going.

[Zexoin]

Well said Karya. What is mentionned above is one of the reasons why I don't RP anymore.

[LaughingOtter]

Maybe I'm missing something since I don't play on Order, but why would anyone go along with a storyline that they didn't care for? I understand drama as a motivation, but as you said, where does a storyline like that get fun?

[Takora Drakan]

It seems some like it to be evil and bring harm over others ICly or OCCly. Mostly of that I saw is even lorebreaking, so I don't understand why some choose to RP with them.

[Zexoin]

Maybe I'm missing something since I don't play on Order, but why would anyone go along with a storyline that they didn't care for? I understand drama as a motivation, but as you said, where does a storyline like that get fun?

Well, people like to read a book or watch a film with a dark story, RPing such stories are as fun as that. The problem is, when people can't make the difference between IC and OOC, things start to get ugly. Especially on Order where we have a lot of drama queens and pseudo-RPers.
Lack of OOC communication can lead to situations where characters are pushed in a way the player doesn't want to go, which can leads to tensions between players, and if people don't talk it only gets worse.

So, when RPing, please, keep communicating OOCly !

[Karya]

Well, I think that when roleplaying gets out of hand and it isn't going the way people expect or want it to go, or not including people that should have been included, that's a time when issues can be created. If people suddenly want to back out of the RP for whatever reason, that can cause problems for the people who still want to continue the storyline. I don't quite understand it myself, to be honest. I just see a lot of end results.

[Shian]

Maybe I'm missing something since I don't play on Order, but why would anyone go along with a storyline that they didn't care for? I understand drama as a motivation, but as you said, where does a storyline like that get fun?

It can be fun if EVERYONE is on board with it. I can't count the number of hours of OOC talk we had to get done over three different mediums to make sure everyone knew what was going on and what each player's expectations were when a paticular line started getting ugly.

[Tcei]

I actualy had a rping tips post here not too long ago just for the reasons you're bringing up. Even tho this can be found on any rp server of any game it seems much more pronounced here I think because of the small community. Saddly there also seems to be a small portion of that server's player base who seem to think that their way to play is the only way to play, and will stop at nothing to destroy the fun of others to ensure "their playstyle" is the only one on the server. Which is also why so many of the good players are leaving for Blight or Chaos or other games.

[velveeta]

how can it be roleplaying if someone doesn't join in? are peeps commandering other peeps characters to fit into the rp?

i mean (this is an EXAMPLE - all names are for example purposes and does not indicate the named person is guilty or innocent of any wrongdoing) - does tcei write a rp thing and include velveeta in it? especially with out velveeta knowing or agreeing?

if this is happening, isn't that a voliation of rp rules?

i am sorry, i am a blightie and am not familiar this mmo rp - but this is highly non-dude in my rl games.......

[Hoberton]

how can it be roleplaying if someone doesn't join in? are peeps commandering other peeps characters to fit into the rp?

i mean (this is an EXAMPLE - all names are for example purposes and does not indicate the named person is guilty or innocent of any wrongdoing) - does tcei write a rp thing and include velveeta in it? especially with out velveeta knowing or agreeing?

if this is happening, isn't that a voliation of rp rules?

i am sorry, i am a blightie and am not familiar this mmo rp - but this is highly non-dude in my rl games.......

It gets even worse. If for some reason you happen to interupt their precious RPling, with simple questions, you are told to leave the Dragon Channel. Basically told that "This is a RPling channel and you are interupting". (Examples of this can be cut and pasted if needed). Even mentioning to them that there is an actual RP Channel that this could be taken to is met with anger. Statements of "This is a RPling shard. Why did you join Order if you aren't roleplaying?"

I am sorry if this next offends the RPlayers. You can not force your type of RPling on others.

[Carsia Wolfsong]

I wanna take amoment to appoligize to thoughs out there that are on the Order Shard and of the RPs that has been going.. As of late I've been trying to join in RPs that are ment to have FUN in the game rather then hurting anyone.. Though there are some people who tend to hurt others in OOC formation I find it wrong of them to do so, and if My RPs are hurting others in other formations. I would like to talk about it rather then leaving them in hurt OOC as they play their feelings in IC formation, As of late I have left Dragon Channel and might not return on it, but if thoughs of you WANTED or choose to RP with me, I would be considering RPing in charecter through saying rather then through channels. As of late there seems to be some that don't agree with my welcoming so I think its best I stay off of main channels, Though MP doesn't have hardly any RP I only use it for selling or buying things thats about the only channel I have open besides my family channels. So again,.. for thoughs I've hurt in IC formation I appoligize and hope you'll forgive me in later notice on it

[Vaz]

The problem is, when people can't make the difference between IC and OOC, things start to get ugly. Especially on Order where we have a lot of drama queens and pseudo-RPers.

Quoted for immense truth.

[Pharcellus]

:-/

Sounds like I need to log in.

Look, the way I see it is this: Choose to RP with those and about things that are fun, and leave the negative drama queens to get attention some other way __ON THEIR OWN__. There are far too many people who forget (or maybe never even realize) that RPing is about advancing the STORY, not advancing their own personal virtual ego trips.

If you are getting involved with people and RP that is driving you away from RP in general, then you need to get away from those people and that kind of RP.

Also, peer-to-peer RP can be fun, but it is also very hard.

[RuneDragoon]

I tend to pop in at random but often I end up lately dropping into something that I would rather sit on the sidelines for rather than hop into hoping that that way I do not have my earfins chewed off. I hear the name DharSii float around often, but do not understand the situation, which is also another reason why I do not want to poke my head in. I wish to just remain neutral in little wars.

Effectively speaking, some roleplay just makes me back away to watch or hide from it, feeling that I do not belong or want to belong in it.

I have to finish writing that story I started on the boards a while ago... to define something special I had thought a while ago of for this blue dragon of mine, to finish explaining all that time I am not around.

[Hrough]

I thrive on darker Role-Play myself.
But I also don't drag other people into it.

I choose to not involve myself in storylines I don't like the look of, and I tend to just go with the flow. It's just RP,and you can drop out whenever you like, after all.

I personally think public channels like 'dragon' are great for RP, but the players shouldn't get upset if someone interupts their RP ICly or OOCly - if they want a more private RP, they should take it to a less public channel.

[Frith-Rae]

dang I'm out of game for like a month and sound slike I need to bring the reality back to the dragon channel - if people are claimign its an RP channel and OOCers have to leave...

tsk tsk - I hope this is the minority....

[Zexoin]

dang I'm out of game for like a month and sound slike I need to bring the reality back to the dragon channel - if people are claimign its an RP channel and OOCers have to leave...

tsk tsk - I hope this is the minority....

Sometimes OOC has to be kicked out of channel - especially when those OOC comments starts wars, if you see what I mean.

[Oakleif]

It doesn't feel like the minority, and it seems that more and more of the roleplays are totally wacky compared to the lore of the game (dragons falling from the sky, flattening half of Dalimond with their landing, turning into a puddle of goo, later to be reformed by being poured into a jello mold?)

Come Back Frith-Rae!

[Veruliyam]

It doesn't feel like the minority, and it seems that more and more of the roleplays are totally wacky compared to the lore of the game (dragons falling from the sky, flattening half of Dalimond with their landing, turning into a puddle of goo, later to be reformed by being poured into a jello mold?)

Come Back Frith-Rae!

Hmm... I'm glad to have missed these bits.

I have, however, seen other bits just as disturbing...