Greetings WarderDragon,
I have penned a basic guide to general roleplaying, I hope it is what you are after.
A Guide to RP
Role-playing is essentially you, the person sitting at your computer shaping a life for the character you have created, your character being a living, breathing person that dwells in the lands of Sosaria.
Although you created this person - that really just appeared in a city one day as a grown adult - in the world of role-play that character would have an extensive history of their childhood and exploits of what led them to this point.
Where were they born? Who were there parents? Do they having siblings? Do they love? What do they fear? Etc.
In other words, give your character an existence and a story to tell. Create personality traits and then play your character according to those qualities.
Choosing an alignment for your character can be helpful, are they primarily good? Evil? Neutral? Willing to switch sides for the right amount of coin? Some of your own personality is bound to come through in your character and this is only natural, you are the one controlling the character after all.
Once you have given your character a personality, how do you make that personality show through to other players?
Well, actions speak louder than words.
The most common way to show your actions in a clear manner is to use *Emotes*
Emoting certainly makes sitting in a tavern more interesting than just idle chitchat.
It is best to start with basic emotes (*Draws sword* *Sips ale* etc.) but when you are feeling more confident a whole story can be told with your emotes (*her pallid fingers curl around the goblet of wine, raising the vessel to her lips*). The more descriptive you are, the more vivid the picture is in the readers mind. Take full advantage of the emoting whenever possible to create an atmosphere around your character.
Now, there will be times in role-play when you (The person controlling your character) know tons of pieces of information that your character could not possibly know… here are some examples.
1) Seeing through walls – Even though the client allows us to see what is happening outside of the structure we are in, your character cannot see the same thing. Take note of windows and doors, but remember you are playing your character through their eyes, not yours.
2) Friends and Acquaintances – Even though one of your characters may be friends with another player, when you meet a person on an alternate character you would not know the details of their life. You certainly should avoid walking up to someone and proclaiming “Hi, I’m George the Swift on another character!” This is considered Out of Character (OOC).
3) Reading Thoughts – Role-players often emote their thoughts instead of actions. It is important to remember that your character cannot read minds, so it someone emotes *She wonders why he wears that unsightly hat…* your character should not respond to that emote at all.
4) Skills & Stats – Although you can see the skill list and stats bar your character does not live according to numbers anymore than you do. Referring to skills as percentages, as listed in the skill list is considered OOC. Instead try saying something along the lines of “I am very gifted with a bow, but I think I still have more to learn.” Or “My sharp wit makes up for what I lack in brawn!”
5) Names Above Heads – This is the most important common mistake people make. It is very easy to walk up to someone and call them by name since it is plastered above their heads. However, in the real world people do not behave like that, you should avoid calling people by name until you have been properly introduced.
6) ICQ & Email – ICQ is often referred to as “Pigeons” and Email as “Messages” very straight forward names which have a more medieval feel.
7) Health Bars – Another game feature that your character cannot see, if you notice a players is missing some hit points, remember to stay in character and comment accordingly *Notices the blood staining his robes* “You appear to be wounded, Robert.”
8) God-Mode – It is important to be considerate of other role-players and their histories, we all want our characters to be special but you really need to be realistic. If you enter a town proclaiming that you are the long lost son of Lord British and the Goddess Shar, demanding all worship your or perish… this may not be received too well.
In summary, to be a good role-player you need to treat your character as a separate person from yourself. Think of yourself as playing a role as an actor would in a movie. All of us at one time or another wanted to be someone or something else; role-play gives us the opportunity to explore the world through the eyes of another.
A background history is essential as it helps shape the way your character carries them self and the way they interact with people and different races, your paperdoll Character Profile is a great place to jot down a brief history.
Regards,
Lady Kat.
