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Introduction
This Document is based on my experiences of Ultima Online but is aimed
to be general to any role playing game. It is intended for people with
no or little experiences of role playing who wish to learn more.
I have noticed that some articles on this subject tend to show persons
personal point of view as to what role playing is and how it should
be done. The problem is that everyone is different, and what is right
for one person, may not be for another. So I just intend to give some
general useful information with out ramming too much of my own opinion
down your throat saying this is the only way to do it. This is not indented
to be a definitive guide merely a starting point of things to bear in
mind. If you read several different articles on role playing and some
of the views seem to conflict, remember its just different peoples opinions.
Take from it what you think is good and if you think something does
not sound right for you, then it may just be there role play style (you
don't have to follow it).
What is Role-playing?
Role playing is a bit like acting in that you put yourself in someone
elses shoes. You get to go on a holiday from yourself and do things that
you would not normally do or say. In short; you take over a different
persona, with their own strengths and flaws.
Why do people want to role-play?
The fun is (well for me), to play someone who is different from yourself
and interact with others who are doing the same. Have you ever been reading
a book, or watching a film, and wishing you were one of those involved
and could interact with the characters? Well now you can. I don't think
this is the only reason though, if you ask three different people you
would probably get three different answers. Basically it all boils down
to one thing. They enjoy it.
How do I get started Role playing?
The first thing that you need to be able to role play is a character and
a character history. What was the up bring like? How does the character
act towards other people? Does he or she dislike any particular race?
And so on. You don' have to work it all out straight away, but it's good
to have some ideas. Maybe your character did not have a good education
and does not always speak correctly. For me, flaws seem to make a character
come to life a bit more and make him or her more unique. Think how your
character will act towards other people. For example if he is an evil
character he does not have to be polite and courteous to people but he
may show respect for thieves and murders. That will give you something
to work with. You can also let the in-game events take effect on your
character as time goes by. For example if something very traumatic happens
to him, it might have some effect, like being trapped in a small place
might cause him to get claustrophobia. Again, make up your own mind and
use your imagination! As time goes by and you develop your character you
might want to start writing his background, personality and events that
have happened to him in game to remind you, and so you can read through
it again later to refresh your memory as to how he might act. For example
if he has had one or several bad experiences with one particular type
of race or creature he might come to hate and/or fear them.
If you are having trouble finding role playing guilds, or even information
on your chosen game then Stratics
is an excellent place to start looking. They have information on message
boards on many online Role playing games. Since online games get updated
a lot the instruction manual is not always up to date, Stratics serves
as an up to date online manual. Stratics also reports what is happening
in game. In my case I play on a shard (server) called Europa, if I click
on an Europa
news item to read more, the frame window on the left changes and
has links to role playing establishments and guilds. You can then go
to there web pages and read about them.
But all this can only go so far, you need other people to role play
with and have adventures and quests with. Try to find role players where
ever you happen to be playing, usually there are some sort of role playing
communities in a role playing game. Look at web sites and hunt around.
What language do role players speak?
d00d speak, where letters are replaced by similar symbols, and acronyms
like lol (laugh out loud) and rofl (rolling on the floor laughing) are
generally frowned upon. Emotes such as *laughs* and *smiles* are generally
preferred. Other than that, pick anything that fits with your character.
Speak modern english, ye olde english or even english with a french accent
if you have to. Does your character have a lisp ? Does he have difficulty
pronouncing the 'th'? Perhaps you will have him speak Orcish, Elven or
Gargish... It really does not matter, as long as you are consistent.
Is going out of charter (ooc) allowed?
This seems to be a very personal thing. I personally always try to use
[] to show ooc, but it's not the only way. You can just say you are talking
ooc and speak normally. At some point though you will find it necessary
to go ooc, don't worry, I think this is natural and something that we
all have to do from time to time. However, die hard role players will
rather cut off their right foot than be caught talking out of character.
Tolerance
Just because someone does not role play in exactly the same way you do,
is not a good reason to flame them or say they are not role playing. However
you may come across someone, either in-game or on message boards, who
just seems to like arguing and attacking you personally regardless of
your arguments. Don't try to argue with people like this, as that is what
they want, they love to argue, just try to ignore them if possible.
Role playing for girls
Some girls do not like having guys hit on them in role-playing games.
One way to avoid this is to play a male character. Playing a different
sex must surely be an interesting and challenging role playing experience.
Of course you don't have to play a man if you don't want to, maybe you
can be that powerful girl you have always wanted to be (Girl power).
But always keep in mind that just because you see a woman in game, it
does not necessarily mean they are a woman in real life. In fact, a
lot of 'girls' you meet in-game are in reality role-playing guys.
I have known quite a variety of girls who play role playing games,
some just like to run shops, make things and sell them, others really
like PvP (Player vs player combat ). Again try things out and do what
feels right for you. While there are more men playing role playing games,
there are certainly lots of women too so you will not be the only girl
playing.
Is role playing for me?
Why are you ask me? What do you think, want to give it a try?
I would like to thank all the people whom I have spoken to that have
given me support and information which helped make this guide.
Seeker, April 2001
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Stratics Central
