Roleplaying FAQ - (For those new to the art of being someone else)

[Dahe]

This thread has been a great help.

Can anyone recommend how to get started though, where to go to meet other roleplayers?

Dhainne
BloodGuard Coven

[Dabblez]

Dhianne,

I guess there are three main ways to hook up with other roleplayers;

1. Hang out at social locations. The most notable of these being Rompa, Reets or the Cup, but even parks and open air cafes can work. You won't necessarily see a whole lot of roleplayers every night, so be patient. Walking rather than running and wearing social clothes when not "on duty" can sometimes help too.

2. Get in touch with one of the roleplaying orgs listed here Note not all orgs listed there are invovled in roleplaying fulltime.

3. Keep reading and posting on this forum and eventually the right hook for your character might just materialise.

[Vixentrox]

Originally posted by Kronocide
Excellent stuff.

In fact, I'm starting to think that it would be good to publish profiles on ones characters and ones play style somewhere. On of the main reasons I hesitate to role play as much as I'd like to is that I'm not sure if people will understand that I'm role playing (not always sure on this board even). Sometimes it feels like you have to exaggerate to make it obvious.

I try to always use (()) if inline or ooc if it's a whole post, when I speak out of character. I've also started to end my posts with a signature, since I have at least 2 characters that I role play with (soon three, probably), and it makes no sense if people don't know who's saying what.

When RPing a simple OOC tell to explain things goes a long way to ease confusion.

[Brigman]

Bump

[Dabblez]

Bump

[__________Sid Scheer]

/me digs it up and puts it back.

Cz doesn't like me.

[MissMaul]

/me leaves out a plate of cookies for CZ

[__________Sid Scheer]

This thread has been held down by the man.

[SinisterCake]

Great work!!

This is what I have been trying to adopt in the last Year, but sometimes in /tells I talk OOC, also with meeting the various types of RPers there has been great confusion, and thus now I seem to adopt a many styles that confuse even myself!

But having said that, I hope many will read this post as I will be returning to this way of communication IC and OOC. Good luck to all those who are going to try for the first time, and maybe youll bump into the strangly lost Sisghtsee in time?

[Tinkertrish]

Very nice This definately should be root.

[Fixerben]

It has to be important

[Aimes]

I suppose it's all been said before but I have to say it anyway:

Tremendous post Sid, deserving of stickyness

[Dabblez]

* bump *

[Raveleet]

Very nice guide

[Sidarion]

Ok,

we have heard basically everything there is to know about how to technically roleplay. What we have seen so far I would describe as the "scientific" approach to RPing, namely analyzing and compiling a set of "mechanics" behind styles of Roleplaying.

The game seems to attract more new players recently (I have noticed so walking the streets of West Athens), to put it in the lingo of the Planescape universe, a lot of 'clueless berks' are trudging around lately.

So, this goes out to the <10 level peeps out there


If you are a nubi:

Most new players are a bit shy at first to address other players.
Especially so if you run around in your rag-tag backyard outfit (with male characters running around in female body armor due to lack of credits). I still remember it from my first few days on-world that those people toting massive cannons and wearing a matched set of armor, encased in some Heavy Tank were intimidating me, to say the least.
If you don't want to wait to join the fray you are looking at a bit of a problem. Sure it is possible to RP like a young god fresh off the training grounds. But I always felt that my character comes across as rather comical when I was talking with a stern, no-nonsense attitude while wearing a mismatched pair of female Cyber body armor and Nail armor pants... (chuckle).

Ok... to ease character development a set of clothes might be a good idea. It makes defining your character just a bit easier. Next
problem... In Rubi-Ka, almost all clothes are top-fashion designer
price-tagged. Where to get the creds without resorting to begging (which most veterans will scoff on)?

Ok, why not try and make it the first RP experience on-world?

Alright, first we need to seek out some members of the RP community because it is doubtful that the d00d sitting next to the mish term in his funky light blue tank armor would be listening to you (chances are that he is between camping Prof van Horne and Tarrasque for some fat uber loot .

We have heard before that RPers tend to gather in some social spots. So lets seek out one. For a clanner or neut, the best bet would probably be the Cup in West Athens (Rompah for omni, I guess). There will be almost always a few people around and it is heaviliy frequented by RPers of all couleur.

Now, before you excitedly step up to the next person afk to shower him with random words, take a moment.

Take your time and listen to the conversations going on. After a minute or so you will figure out which group is talking IC and which isn't.

Alright... take a breather and try to forget that you are wearing nail armor pants (which actually is an asset if you are playing a female character ).

Remember that we wanted to get some creds? Chances are that the only thing you'll get if you step up to someone shouting "Credz plz!" will earn you nothing but a free round of frowns.

Time to try out the emote commands

Walk up to your designated piggy bank and extend your greetings accompanied with a /greet emote. You'll have to draw their attention so asking wether they could spare a minute of their time is a nice idea.

It will most probably pretty obvious to them that we are new arrivals on the planet, so why not knit a small introductory story out of that.


Below a sample dialogue:

Sidarion: Greetings, I am sorry for the interruption but could I have a minute of your time?

Buglight chatting with Msice about a recent party at reets turn around to face you.

Sidarion: /greet

Buglight: Sure, Sid, what is it?

Sidarion: Well... this is really a bit embarassing. I have arrived on
the shuttle from [insert name of Planet here] before yesterday and was alotted a small appartment just like everyone else in one of the backyards. I woke up this morning just to find out that the small hole next to my door was actually a burrow where a bunch of these little furry animals... uhm, i think they were leets or something like that... were making their home. Obviously they ran off with my credstick... now I am totally broke..."

((Now would be a nice time to try out the extended emote expressions using the /me [text] command.))

/me looks desperate

Msice: Awwww... look at you! Poor thing...

Buglight chuckles

Buglight: Ahh... probably the wicked mastermind of leetdom has had his grubby paws in the affair. This su****iously smells of the works of "Teh Evil leet". A dastardly creature that normally poses as a human bartende/adventurer here in the Cup.

Uwen (from behind the bar): Me? No way! I paWnz j00!

((Time to get back to the point and get at the creds))

Sidarion: Well, I was wondering... I am currently without emploi... so, maybe I could work for you. Maybe you have an errant for me I could run for you. I need to get back on my feet somehow. And those leets seem to have distributed the loot already. They only carry 1 credit each... so it will be ages before I'll have my credits back.

Msice nudges Buglight.

Buglight: Actually, yes there would be something... we were thinking of having a party tonight. Umberdeath said he would be coming along. Knowing that he will at least eat 15 pies all by himself, I noticed that I don't have enough ingredients to bake so many. I would reward you if you could bring me five QL 5 monster parts.

Sidarion: Ahh... ok. I will do so, thank you Buglight.


See, that wasn't all that hard? Next you'll run back to the backyard, kill some of those blubbags and return to the Cup. Most RPers won't be too stingy with the reward, I for myself would probably give you some Gem I found... easily worth 15000 creds.


Now, and here is why the whole thing is multiply beneficial.

1. You got some money to start now.
2. You have developed a small impromptu storyline, people will remember you for.
3. You succeeded in making some contacts among RPers, who will probably remember you if you show up again at a later date.
4. In the above example you will have heard about some background stories, that are going on among the RP community. Uwen, a.k.a. "The Evil Leet" is a fixture in the Cup, Umberdeath has an Atrox pie factory going, with lots of slaves chained in the basement who are forced to bake pies for Umber ad his cronies all day long.

This easily can create some future involvement for you when you return to learn more about the deeds of the Evil Leet of happen to meet Umberdeath in person.

I have helped a number of fledgling RP characters in that way and sometimes they later became guild members and really active in the community.

Have fun trying it out and feel free to walk up to me when I am sitting

in the Cup


Sidarion

[Dabblez]

A neutral newbie stands little chance of getting to The Cup. Tir is closed to neutrals and while the run from Last Ditch to Athen is not terribly dangerous, it's a bit much to as of for a true new arrival. Likewise a low level neutral stands a 50/50 chance of getting to Rompa in one piece. Though the guards won't attack him, random NPCs will. Reet's Retreat is probably the young neutrals most safest hang-out spot.

I am also not sure that begging, no matter in how colorful a manner is really the best way to introduce oneself to the roleplaying community. The money you get from backyards these days isn't bad and its not that hard to do a mission for a coat, something that will cover up the unsightly mish-mash armour. But maybe its just me.

[Sidarion]

Savoy,

it is not begging. You ask wether you could do a job for someone. If the person addressed refuses, fine. No harm done. I for my part appreciate it if lowbies approach me artfully and I wanted to give an incentive.

Another thing has just sprung up. Maybe also a tip for the more experienced RPers out there. What I did on several occasions was, when a lowbie approached me politely for some money is to send a tell on GC asking for someone in the vicinity.
Then ask the lowbie wether he could deliver some item to a guildmate, getting his confirmation via tell. I use low to no value items that would yield practically no creds if sold.
The guildmate would basically wrap up the small RP plot by handing asking for the item, maybe act a bit and paying the reward.



Sid

[vallikat]

I think its a nice idea Sid. I wouldn't look at it as begging at all. Its more like making the lowbie your squire temporarily.

[Asura]

Bumping for root

[Democe]

Bump