A Guide to Role Playing

Role playing is a powerful technique that can heighten the enjoyment one gets out of an online role playing game. Whether you dont know what role playing is, or your looking for some advice on how to role play in an online world the following guides should be able to assist you.

• A General Introduction to Role Playing
• First steps in Role Playing
• Speaking the Language
• Start Building Your Character
• Interacting with Others
• Additional Guides

A General Introduction to Roleplaying by Seeker

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.

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.

Lesson 1: First steps in Role Playing by Galdrog

Lesson 2: Speaking the Language

The use of acronyms like LOL and BRB tend to detract from the roleplaying experience. Many roleplayers like to use language to further define there character and immerse themself into the world there character is in. For example if your roleplaying in a medievil setting it might be fun to talk in old english or in a style that is consistent with the games setting. Developing accents, lisps or unique ways of pronouncing certain words, ie using 'd' instead of 'th' can help give your character, character :)

Ultima Online developed an old english style of speaking that was fondly called Britannian. To learn how to speak Britannian, a style of speach that can be used in many roleplaying games, go here.

Lesson3: Start Building Your Character by Galdrog

• A lisp
• Can't say R's quite right.( e.g. Elmer Fudd )
• Stuttering
• Can't say H's quite right. ("Come 'ere you! ")
• If you like pretending to have a speech impediment then maybe role playing is for you after all.

• Town of birth.
• Environment that your character was raised in. (farm, city, slum etc..)
• Number of siblings and what sex they were, (possibly even names.) twins might be interesting.
• General disposition. (angry, nice guy, rude, shy, dull, crazy.)
• Quirks. (phobia's, inanities.. etc.)
• Alignment. (whether your character is good, bad, neutral, or selfish) I am one who does not believe in true neutral.)
• Obsessions (good or bad.)
• View's on magic (whether character shuns magic or is wary or welcomes it.)
• Hatred towards ... (pick something) maybe your character hates bards, or healers, or miners.
• Sentiments towards Lord British and Blackthorn's rule.

Lesson4: Interacting with others by Gladrog

Now that you know a little more about role playing, and you might even have practiced it a bit. However, it will do you little good if you do not have an accepting group of friends that also roleplay along with you. This is the most important part of it all, what good is having a well developed character if you have no friends to interact with. This is crucial to your character's development as well. Joining a roleplaying house or guild is a good way to meet new roleplayers. There are usually groups of roleplayers that aren't tied to a house either, find the role players on your server, and learn where they usually meet, as having a consistant meeting place is important too. Usually role players can be found around player run towns and player run establishments.

Another very important thing to know is how to deal with 'offensive' players, those players that deliberately insult you to start a fight, or just for thier own sadistic pleasure. I personally have a high tolerance for offensive players, but many players do not, and I will try to list here on ways to deal with them.

Every Role player will eventually get the cocky remark: "Speak 90's english, because this is the 90's" or "Why U talk so stupid" or something to the effect that they do not like to deal with a role playing individual, and they think everyone should just act like they way they really are. These remark can be discouraging to the aspiring role player, but have faith. This kind of mentality is expected. Usually if you keep role playing to these types they will eventually go away frusterated. "Oh man, I can't talk 2 u n e more."

Then there is the truly offensive players that seriously try to hurt your feelings, or try to stir up negative emotions. If they throw any racial, sexual, or any type of biasing insults, then report th to a GM during support hours, or if it's not support hours, take a screen shot with the offending statements in it. (ALT -J by default) and send an email to support including the screenshot as an attachment. To take a screenshot either download a screen shot utility or ALT - PrntScrn.

If it is not this serious, then simply walk away from the individual, or put the offending player on your ingame ignore list.

PKs (Player Killers): Nearly impossible to interact or roleplay with. They usually travel in packs, and are very experienced in player vs player combat (PvP), roleplayers usually spend more time interacting with thier friends and are not very experienced in PvP. A friend of mine compared the mentality of PK's to the aliens in the film Mars Attacks. They do not negotiate, they shoot first and ask questions later, literally. My ghost has been questioned a few times by PK's. When you are PK'd you may be very upset, however OSI does not view PKing as an offensive behavior, and will not do anything about reports of PKing, unless the PKer in question has verbally offended or harrassed your ghost, or player prior to or after the murder.

Additional Guides

If your looking for advice these two guides are well worth reading.

• A guide on further character development.
• A guide to questing