6 replies to this topic

[EvilDognapot]

"EffylGaer arrives. The sun setting behind him as he enters the doorway, allowing spectators only the menacingly dark silhouette of a man whose business will be of the most importance to the evenings events."

does it have to be that way? if you're playing a character, can't you simply be that character? if you're patient and don't deviate from your character, won't you grow past the need to use the third person explainations of everything you do? could you simply...

EffylGaer arrives from the east.
So-and-So looks toward EffylGaer defiantly.
EffylGaer: we have unfinished business.

you see, i believe if you're actually doing something, and not just glamourizing your mundane mmo existance, then maybe the communities you involve yourself in might identify the character you've created by your interactions with said community. which would allow you interact with other rp'ers in a manner that isn't quite as rediculous as expressing all forms of interaction with /me. if you're talking, then talk, if you're moving, then move, if you're emoting, emote; you shouldn't need to combine all of these forms of communication into long paragraphs that don't fit into the context of games where speaking, moving, acting, and emoting are seperate functions. if you can press "enter" and read the description of the enviroment, there shouldn't be a need to describe how it's interacting with your character's presence.

"Nimwit's bare feet are blackened by the rocky terrain, but he points northward towards the summit encouraging you forward", is not neccessary if your character has no shoes, you're on a rocky mountain trail, you can emote your own pointing, and say "onward, this way". if you're RP'ing and everyone with you is also, then maybe you all should pay attention to what's going on, as apposed to taking turns giving soliliquys.

it just concerns me because one, it's annoying to read, and two, i see RP as a valuable and rewarding aspect of fantasy mmo's but i don't see anyone playing just a character. i see people playing the character, director, stage manager, narrator, and biographer. so does it need to be so very all encompassing?

Edited by EvilDognapot, 25 May 2006 - 12:46 AM.

[Squee]

I remember you brought up this point before and I'm all but sure you're right.

However, in days long past, if you did something like that, people would just see you as eccentric and strange.

The long paragraphs are like the mating call of RP'ers. It attracts RP'ers to the scene, while everyone else can just ignore the orange text or relocate.

But when it comes down to me, as a personal example, I just don't really know how to MMO RP. This whole quick-cut, chop-chop RP'ing is a foreign thing to me since I've seen so few of it. I've tried it and I realized that unless I speak in some crazy accent or with some strange dialect, I don't really feel like I'm playing a character.

...But maybe I just need to give short-hand RP'ing another chance.

Now I'm rambling.

[MysticStorm]

I'm regularly a MMO Rp'er, however.. I will use the long paragraph entrance just so that those that are new to the game I'm in, will know certain things about my character straight off. And I always mix my entrances up anyways either using different armors or carrying a different weapon to no weapon at all. Guess it just depends on the people of the game and who you are looking to attract to rp with you. Some people have more prefences to long paragraph rp than those who rather enjoy MMO. I also dislike rp'ing in third person and will often times rp in first person. Hardly anyone rp's that way and very hard to find someone willing to rp in first person.

So guess all in all, it's just a prefence of style to people. Do what you feel right to you and if someone follows along in the same format, have at it. If someone decides to do a different format, just intertwine the two formats to make the story interesting. If you're a true roleplayer, you can mix any style of rp into 1 story line.

[EvilDognapot]

I'm regularly a MMO Rp'er, however.. I will use the long paragraph entrance just so that those that are new to the game I'm in, will know certain things about my character straight off.

but is announcing yourself and dictating a theme part of your character's personality? part of me has a hard time believing that so many rp'ers just so happen to assume roles that are lifted from mexican soap operas.

[MysticStorm]

I'm regularly a MMO Rp'er, however.. I will use the long paragraph entrance just so that those that are new to the game I'm in, will know certain things about my character straight off.

but is announcing yourself and dictating a theme part of your character's personality? part of me has a hard time believing that so many rp'ers just so happen to assume roles that are lifted from mexican soap operas.

Ok, this is what i'm talking about when I am talking about entrances and it's purpose:

/me appears in the middle of the pub, first surrounded by a swirling cloud of shadows entwining her form. Once the shadows had faded, a 5'7" tall woman appeared in a one-knee kneel position. She had jet black hair that fell to the middle of her back that at first surounded the soft features of her face. Once she brushed the hair back a small gray diamond shaped gem could be seen that also matched her eyes. She stands fully now wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck shirt beneathe a black leather jacket and matching pants.
(yeah kinda crappy but I played in a boring rpg for a little bit heh)

Now entrances are basically a 1 time informative post. Entrances can also be useful to keep both yourself and the person you are roleplaying with trying to god mode. Now, based off the entrance, Mystic is a magical person. Do you see a weaon on her? No. So if she ever got into a fight, I can't come out and have her pull a sword out of no where now can I? It also cuts down the OOC (out of character) chat in a game which is a huge turn off. I made the mistake one time of not posting an entrance, becaues I figured once there long enough, everyone knew my character. At one time Mystic was an storm elemental, so I had her shoot lightening from her finger tips. Someone went OOC saying "Hey she can't do that!" But if I had posted my entrance at that time, everyone would have known she was a storm elemental by the lightening that sparked here and there if she walked near anything metal.

But it depends on how you play your character. My character is never limited to a specific theme at any given time. It depends on what storyline I am doing at the time. If you're interested, PM me and I"ll show you one of the storylines I did with a few people on a ezboard that has a mix of different rp styles. (just let me know cause I had to C&P it before the ezboard was shut down and posts were erased so want to space the posts on my website.)

[EvilDognapot]

i'm mainly referring to in-game rp. i don't understand why everyone has to come on stage like elton john when a game is not set up contextually to support the character you've created in your head. if your character can't physically black out the sun when s/he enters the scene, then they should find some other way to show they're an evil person, like being evil all the time. i see so many games that encourage rp but the rp'ing that happens it out of context in my opinion because so much has to be explained as if they were liner notes. a game has lots of actions that someone can do, and full on communication, all in a world that should be well developed enough to support alot of rp within itself, but still so many treat games as though they were paper, or bulletin boards.

you know, myself and others on this very board probably come off as egocentric jerks you wouldn't want to spend even an elevator ride with. in reality i'm not so haughty; i'd consider that more effective character development than blowing smoke out your ears to show an affinity with fire. i suppose you could cast that flame spell all the time, but it's a low level spell and not effective, but considering you buy spells like swords, how much backstory can you feasably imagine? in NM you begin at lvl 30, your training is over and you enter a world of equals vying for a sliver of competitive edge, maybe characters should develop from that point? thier experience molding the character they've become and later evolve to be?

[MysticStorm]

eh i'd respond to that, but it's not even worth the time being NM is far from a RP game. It never will be a true rp game. Our rp section is pretty much deserted and those that do actually rp, do it with other people in-game in their own little section. I've been doing rp for 13 years now and I pretty much retired from doing it. Just doesn't appeal to me no more. Just my only advice I can give you is to never give up trying to find the perfect storyline and unfortunately, the best ones are the ones you make with yourself.