... the very secretive RP community...
We're trying not to be... really.
I guess my point is I am thrilled that the RP community is trying to get more active with the rest of the shard, and I encourage everyone to give it a try. You just might enjoy it enough to get involved. I know I do when I get the chance.
Welcome to the new UO. Today, if we're doing our jobs right, is the day of the hybrid. With the dwindling UO population, most UO sub-communities are getting more inviting to willing participants of the rest of the UO world.
You'll find PvPers who are active in the RP community, RPers who are out hunting side by side with the Peerless hunting guilds, new players are wanting to go out and learn the PvP world. People who haven't raised a sword against another player in 8 years are joining in the champ spawn frenzy.
In short, the UO community is turning into the community we should have been at the start. And honestly, I like it. Sure there is still a separation between the major play styles (there's a lot more than RP, PvP, PvM... such as traders and crafters), but we're trying very hard to break the paradigms that they SHOULD be separate, and it's a lot of fun.
Although, just taking the pirates into consideration, the number of pirates who actually read stratics can be counted on two hands. The number who post here can be counted on one. The number of pirates who actually read and post on the RP portal boards can be counted on one finger (that would be me), and I relay the information back to those who may be interested in it. The rest of the time, we're all playing the game.
So just like you, I'm thrilled that the RP community is getting involved in other activities, and I hope that the RPers who have yet to start role playing are getting more interested in joining up with the role play reindeer games.
And to answer the original post, if I find someone role playing, I try to join in, it doesn't matter where or when it happens. So please, dust off that chef. I could use some tasty meat pies.