RP styles

[Eelime]

Greetings everyone, and thank you for clicking on my post!

I don't have much role play experience, I did a bit of (possibly ultra) light role play (compared to what people do here on Istaria) in SWG, but nothing serious. The fact that I am a big-time PvP gamer and Istaria is my first PvE/non-PvP centered game might be why.

Ever since I've joined Istaria/Order, I've heard it said that there are many different styles of role play that the people of Order enjoy. Now, I have the general idea on what this means, but I have to admit, I don't know anything defined about it.

So, my question is: What are the different styles of role play on Order? And how do they differ?



To give you an example of my limited knowledge of role play, I only know of two-types of role play (that I've witnessed on Order) and I'm pretty sure I call them the wrong names, and I'm pretty sure I've seen more than just two styles.

These styles I've mentioned are: Forum-post style role play. To me, this is role play similar to that you'll find on a role play forum. That is: the people role playing will type out post/lines/whatever you wish to call them of a decent length, essentially telling others everything they need to know about their action, to the point of giving people insight into their thoughts or giving reasons behind their actions. Here is a rough example that I've completely made up just now, and so it will probably be horrible, but here we go, "The young hatchling glides down into the crowded valley, landing with a hard thump in a small clearing devoid of any dragons. Almost immediately after he lands, he stretches out his small (compared to the other dragons), dark green body, decorated with many swirls of light, almost lime green, much like a cat would.

After he is done stretching, he lifts his head up high and stares across the small valley, observing all the dragons and wondering why there are so many of them gathered here."


Something similar to that, usually written a lot better than what I did and with more detail.


The other kind is what I call "Spontaneous in-person role play" which is what I do, if I rp at all. I know this is the wrong name for it, but.... I guess it could also be called light role play? Ultra Light? I'm not sure. Anyway, in this "style", a person chooses not to do any kind of planned out role play, or any kind of role play over world-wide channels (that is, chat channels that can be read by anyone in the game from any location), but rather only in the public/area/"Main" chat channel. In this kind of style, the person (usually) doesn't choose to have any kind of epic drama to role play, but rather role plays as their character inside the game world quite simply.



Anyways, as you can see my knowledge of role play is quite limited, so, please help me out Thank you in advance.

[Starstilanxs]

Well, in forms of style I wouldn't say there is really any way to exactly classify it all. RP is another form of artistic expression, writing out actions that depict a single character in a world full of others like a collaborative on-going story.

I would say it can be said that there is more of a.. light and heavy RP if you want to actually get technical. There are the one liners without too much description and just people simply having fun without the want to describe more than the simplistic action. Example:
Light: *The black hatchling charges at the red in an attempt to knock them over in their little play fight*

Then there are the more descriptive ones, those that want the most detail that they can provide in a post.

Heavy: *The obsidian colored hatchling holds himself ready in place, watching his 'opponent' with cautious eyes, his eyes where scanning across them for any sort of opening. When he sees a point where he can get an 'attack' in, he charges forward! Dirt and grass was torn away from the ground as the hatchling leaps into the air to connect with his pounce*

Not exactly the best of examples, but you get the idea. I would say you really could easily contend a forums RP post with an ingame one (the game mechanics kinda hamper this here) but usually the 'spontaneous in-peron RP' is what everyone does in order, if their characters are in a location and they want to RP, they do the spontanious thing.

Truly it is up to you to decide how in-depth and detailed you want to be, if you want to play out storylines that span for many days/weeks/months or you simply want to play around, have fun, etc... no one descriminates against that and usually most every RPer that wants to RP will jump at the opportunity to role-play.

[Raptress]

The forum RP thing doesn't really go on here usually. The "War of the Fallen Son" thread is the first forum-based RP I've seen in all ~three years of my time RPing here.

The most common style lately is more spontaneous RP, either in-person, in-channel, or both. The actual amount of detail can vary, not even just person to person, but from time to time, depending on what is going on in the RP. It does generally include some sort of description though.

This style of RP tends to have a very clear-cut divide between IC and OOC things. It usually involves having back story and having your character react in certain ways depending on their past experiences or the way the character views the world. Like a character in a book. Some people have one character that they play as if it is themselves that is in the world rather than taking the "story book character" approach. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to problems when things that were done or meant purely IC get taken OOC.

It's hard to really divide things into "styles" as everything that may be a style tends to have so many degrees to it that they all blend together, but I suppose another style might be those who treat almost everything as RP and don't really do the more detailed posting. This is a more chat room like style of RP that might treat things as IC that the more "story-like" RPers see as OOC. The two can be somewhat hard to reconcile at times.

Something in between the two styles above, I suppose, are those that RP out what they're doing in the game world in channels. This doesn't happen as often, but it's a little easier to respond to for those who use the "story-like" approach, since it takes the form of descriptive posts.

There's probably any number of other variations, but those are the main things I can think of.

[C`gan]

There are those of us who also prefer a more...immersive style of roleplay. When we log in and greet people, we're in character. Our actions in talking are sometimes even mirrored by the location we're found in (if we say we're doing something in Feladan, do a /who and we're likely in Feladan). The method you wish to use is up to you. How much can your fingers handle?

Welcome to Istaria and Order Shard.

[Frith-Rae]

I would agree with all the above posters - and add this clarification as well.

The biggest "difference" in the RP I see in Istaria and in other games (when I attempt to RP, honestly when you can find it the RP in Istaria is much more common/involved/real RP to me than in any other MMORPG I've been in to date...), is that Istarians don't mind "chat room" RP.

In many other MMOS you don't see chat room RP very often, and in fact I find populations quite heartily "against" it. Even when their guild chat's are "RP" they rarely actually RP in their guild chat - instead saying "Hello" "How's your day" and such staying IC. But not really roleplaying out scenes/character development etc.

So in Istaria you actually have both the more common RP seen in many other MMORPGs and the chatroom RP that is harder to find elsewhere (I've found).

You have the "say" roleplay, where everyone is in the same place, talking out in the /say channel, "face to face" roleplay as many call it. Other guildies in other games call it "bar chitter chatter RP". They call it this because in other games it can tend to the "superficial" type - because you're just running into pepole in in game settings (inns, gathering places, etc.) and usually its random pepole. So you don't get a lot of character/plot development because there isn't always any set crew.

But in Istaria where you get a lot of the "character/plot" roleplay is in chatrooms (not for everyone, there are groups of RPers who also do this in face to face RP as well). Where you can be going about your business of crafting and adventuring in game, and still RPing out anything your heart andmind can think of in one of the chatrooms in game. Where others are actually doing their own thing in game, but still RPing with you int he chatroom. Often these chatrooms are setup as "settings" where even if you're not really "face to face" you are RPing that you are int he chatroom.

Uhnlike in other games where they just say "its a communication device in your pack you can't see anyone else while you game and talk in the chatroom" in Istaria we fudge it and you can actually RP being in the "setting" of the chatroom and interacting with others, even though you're actually digging stone.

That's the biggest "style" of RP difference I've been exposed to here in this game that I just don't get in other games. ANd honestly, I prefer chatroom RP to "face to face" RP (unless its with a committed/developed group) because it really allows you to develop and run plots with bunches of people without requiring you all to sit in a location for days or weeks on end doing nothign else in game but talking.

Its something I really miss when I'm not active in Istaria, but other RPers seem to frown on this "chatroom" RP because of its lack of "realism". But honestly, never, ever, ever have I been able to really develop a character through plot and actual time invested when I'm forced to stick to "face to face" RP because people just don't sit around for days on end in other MMORPS wiling to really "get into the drama meat" .

I hope that made sense and is helpful!

[Miravlix]

Until this thread I've never actually though of the difference between chat room and meeting somewhere in game stuff, it just doesn't seem all that different to me.

Where the big difference to me comes, is that when I meet someone in a chat room or elsewhere in game, is whatever my knowledge of Istaria is enough to communicate with the other person.

Simple thing as thinking someone else is gifted, because thats how things work in Istaria, we are all born gifted or we aren't player chars due to how the game works, but in reality I can't be sure that true making it harder to interact with the person, without a lengthy OOC introduction session.

So where you simply by knowing a little Istaria lore allows you to know the details needed to interact with Miravlix, there is a different type of players where the lore and game mechanics is ignored.

I've seen hatchlings claiming to be Ancients, people having abilities that the game doesn't give them and people that live in multiple dimensions/time lines, so even while my char remembers interacting with someone, it might never have happened.


The second major difference I see in style, is how emotionally distanced a player is from there avatar. Some simply play what if I really was a dryad or a dragon, some create separate emotions and behaviour from there normal self.

[Sereamha]

The second major difference I see in style, is how emotionally distanced a player is from there avatar. Some simply play what if I really was a dryad or a dragon, some create separate emotions and behaviour from there normal self.

Yes, hence the term 'role-play'. You are playing a role, not playing yourself ^^

It gets dangerous when people start to link themselves too closely to their avatars. An offense to their character ICly turns into an offense to THEM....even though the other person totally did not mean to.

[Frith-Rae]

Well Mira - people "break lore" wether in the say channel or in chat rooms. If someone is describing abilities the game doesn't give them - they'd do the same even in "face to face" chat than they would in the chatroom. If that is their character that is their character.

I see bigger differences in chatroom RP because pepole are more likely to roleplay more actions it seems than in face to fact chat. Where I may RP a flight battle, or cooking, or wallowing in the sand, or swimming in a lake in chatroom RP setting - I wouldn't really describe any of that if I'm sitting in front of you. Because..I'm sitting in front of you =D if you get my point.

Its easier to "spread the wings" of the imagination to me in chatroom RP because you have more freedom since the person isn't sitting in game across a grasy square where you are sitting. Its much more difficult to me to say "swimnign in a lake and floating on her back" in face-to-face RP if I'm siting in NR looking at you .

That's the biggest difference to me. The chatroom RP tends to get more movement/dramatic it seems like. Wheras in /say the RP mainly consists of facial experssions and long conversations as opposed to actual movement/physical acts.

If that makes sense.

And as for wether people play "themselves" as a dryad or make up a totaly different personality - well that's what roleplay is! Roleplaying as someone else. But yes, some people put more of themselves in their characters than others. To each's own .

[Sereamha]

That's the biggest difference to me. The chatroom RP tends to get more movement/dramatic it seems like. Wheras in /say the RP mainly consists of facial experssions and long conversations as opposed to actual movement/physical acts.

AMEN! I find RP much more involving in a chatroom, oddly enough

[Miravlix]

Yes, hence the term 'role-play'. You are playing a role, not playing yourself ^^

It gets dangerous when people start to link themselves too closely to their avatars. An offense to their character ICly turns into an offense to THEM....even though the other person totally did not mean to.

I'm not a dragon in real life, I don't live in Istaria in real life, so pretending to be an Istarian dragon is roleplay no matter how emotional distanced I am from my alter ego.

After RPing in online games for something like 15 years, I refuse to risk hurting people by being completely emotionally detached from my char. Just not worth it.

[Frith-Rae]

I don't think it was meant to say that if YOU were too involved emotionally in your character would lead to YOU hurting people - rather the other way around. Those who put too much of themselves in their characters and become too "emotionally involved" in their characters RP life run the risk of themselves getting hurt for IC things.

The whole "getting pissed off at each other OOC for something that happens IC" connundrum that people who don't differentiate the two clearly enough run into. And something soemtimes all of us run into .

ANd the idea of "link themeslves too closely" is not so much that they believe they are an Istarian dragon IRL or something - its more of the idea that their dragon (or saris or elf or whatever) personality is so close to their own that an affront/insult/IC backhand to their avatars personality becomes a slap to their own personality.

Yes its Roleplay because its a "dragon", but if your dragon is YOUR personality as a dragon (or your person as a dragon), then if someoen comes along and Icily insults the way your dragon is - *some* people have problems seperating that insult from themselves.

I mean Frith-Rae is like an "Ideal" me so to speak, several of my own personality quirks blown up to extreme proportions, or "ideal" beliefs/conduct. After RPing in games for who knows how long I can keep the two seperate.

But there are always those who do not - which is why OOC communication is IMPORTANT to maintain when RPing. So that way people cut a clear difference between YOU and your character - between how you feel about them OOC wise (hey we're buddies!) and how your characters feel about each other (Grrr we're enemies!).

I hope..that..made sense...

[Nambroth]

Yes, hence the term 'role-play'. You are playing a role, not playing yourself ^^

It gets dangerous when people start to link themselves too closely to their avatars. An offense to their character ICly turns into an offense to THEM....even though the other person totally did not mean to.

Quoted for truth. One needs to be able to say "this is my character in one hand, and this is real life me in another. During Roleplay, if anyone is mean to my character or offensive to my character, or otherwise does something to upset my character, it means nothing to real life me. Etc."

There is no harm in allowing some of your personality to carry through to a character, as long as you keep yourself emotionally separate.

[AguaRush]

Quoted for truth. One needs to be able to say "this is my character in one hand, and this is real life me in another. During Roleplay, if anyone is mean to my character or offensive to my character, or otherwise does something to upset my character, it means nothing to real life me. Etc."

There is no harm in allowing some of your personality to carry through to a character, as long as you keep yourself emotionally separate.

also agreed with 110% couldnt have said it better

[Miravlix]

I've yet to meet anyone of these fabled true fully detached RP'ers.

If you offend someone on one char, then you can be sure they remember that on another char.

Just as you can be sure anything OOC will carry over to IC.

And thats why I don't play the char far from how I would react in person, this way I know if someone is offended it's not because I'm RPing some evil bastard, but simply because life is to complicated to please everyone all the time. (I would if I could, my goal when playing is for everyone to have fun and hopefully that will mean I have fun too, but if I don't thats not the end of the world as my own fun is always secondary.)

Only when you have communicated OOC to set up a RP scenario am I willing to RP something else than my normal personality.

[Nambroth]

Guess we've never roleplayed together then, Miravlix.

[LungTien Temeraire]

I think a character being offended ICly, only in roleplay, should never be put into OoC and be taken wrong by a real person.

[awdz]

Because some folks identify so closely with their characters, that requires clear tells to make sure they know it is a character-only thing and are okay with it.

[Darkwing_Duck]

I agree with everyone`s above posts, as most people choose short little random actions. Alot of time someone may be questing so doesn`t have the attention or time to post a lengthy RP post, but many who are either crafting, or idleing their characters in game might post more forum style or long/descriptive RP posts.
I myself often RP more heavily while crafting simply due to the fact the gathering is slow, and often boring so why not RP?

Also there are good/evil/dark RPs. most RPers play good characters, or gifted who are in a neverending battle against the withered aegis (the undead armies who like to invade, and blight areas of the world)
then there`s evil or blighted characters. (not recommended, but you`re free to rP however you wish) they often act out attacks on the gifted, and get themselves in biig trouble. XD
dark RPers often aren`t evil, but can have agressive tendancies, or can be slightly emo/evil. it`s hard for me to explain so I`ll just give a brief description.

My character Ryzaak, is an ex aegis. in otherwords, he`s a blighted dragon who at one time used to make a living killing gifted, and aided in undead invasions. he has since left the aegis, but he`s still dark hearted, and often times has urges to kill unsuspecting hatchlings, and bipeds. oh yeah! and the aegis are realy out to kill him since he betrayed them XD

I don`t have an actual evil character, maybe someday lol but most of mine are all around friendly, and sometimes silly I only do real heavy RP in certain RP chat rooms, as in big public ones there`s just too much OOC talk to really get into a deep RP. in main chats I usualy will do a mixture of light/heavy depending on my mood, and how heavy the player traffic may be on that day. If you see me around on any of my characters, feel free to poke me, and I`m almost always happy to RP

I`ll be on as either of these characters
Reagle, Falkor, Ramythis, Ryzaak, Cougar, Dienonychus, Bastette, or Negadragoon.

[LungTien Temeraire]

I agree with everyone`s above posts, as most people choose short little random actions. Alot of time someone may be questing so doesn`t have the attention or time to post a lengthy RP post, but many who are either crafting, or idleing their characters in game might post more forum style or long/descriptive RP posts.

I would add that some roleplayers who haven't the english as native language and doesn't know english very well can't always make long and detailed posts. That doesn't mean they can't be, in this case, nice roleplayers.

[Darkwing_Duck]

I would add that some roleplayers who haven't the english as native language and doesn't know english very well can't always make long and detailed posts. That doesn't mean they can't be, in this case, nice roleplayers.

That`s very true! ^^ I know a few people from Europe who can read/write English, but still have trouble with a few words, but they are still excellent RPers ^^
Plus there are special chat rooms specifically for non english speaking folk