Confessions of an RPer

booboofinger · July 2009

My first MMO character was called Aihmlowst. He was a nanomage in the Anarchy Online closed beta. When the server was about to close and everything in it was about to be whipped, he threw himself on the floor and whined that he did not want to die. After a bit of this he got up and was about to voice his defiant protest, but it was too late…

The server had shut down and that was the last anyone heard from Aihm.

Ever since then I have played several other MMOs, and even though many may not agree, did quite a bit of RP. No, I never uttered a single “thee” or “shalt” or tried to speak in any form anachronism that people seem to relate to RP. I never used ((OoC)) talk either, and quite frankly the use of such conventions annoys the hell out of me. I have also never joined an official RP server. Though I feel I have always RPed in every game I ever played.

To me, RPing is basically trying to think what the character would think, and as much as humanly possible try to act like him or her and if possible utter some quip that reflects that and is humorous at times.

Such as having my Electric/Electric Blaster in CoH complain that her love life took a nose dive since no one can kiss her without getting zapped. Or my EVE pilot complaining that his cheap implants pick up random radio stations every once in a while. Or that when he sleeps, he dreams he’s some person in a backwards planet, locked in something called a cubicle that presses buttons all day long.

It’s also calling your alts your “little brother” or “younger sister”. Or like this other character I had in Flyff mentioned that when she “grew up” she wanted to be a mage. To me, that’s what RPing is all about.

It’s not about strict rules to be followed and a black list of taboo things that can’t be even hinted at. RP is about trying to see things though your character’s perspective, and I always have a blast when I do that.