Quite a few questions for you role players.

Unknown · March 2009

Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

OddjobXL · March 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash

Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

Not that simple. I think I play for the reasons most do. Entertaining gameplay, hanging out with interesting friends, a little cheap vacation from the real world for a while. Roleplaying seems to get me the best possible qualities out of the latter two reasons. It also vastly extends how long a game stays interesting for as roleplayers create their own content and break up routines.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

First I look at how a game's designed and decide what class will be the most fun to play in that game. If there seem to be several viable classes I'll tend to go with a class that echoes my RL strengths or interests a bit. Roleplaying in an MMO is a marathon and you want comfy shoes if you're going to keep it going. In general, I tend towards leader/buff/pet classes but I'll play anything that suits my mood and the setting. After that I'll work on the roleplaying dimensions of the character like backstory, personality and the like. If I'm involved with a guild going in I'll probably coordinate both choice of character class and persona with other leading guildies so we have something that works both technically and for fun roleplay.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

I'm a compulsive loremaster and over the years I've gotten pretty good at research. So, just about everything I can get my hands on within reason. Don't ask me to speak Elvish or Klingon but, short of linguistics, I try and soak it all up.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

I think all roleplayers do, and many nonroleplayers as well, but roleplayers especially. We tend to go the extra mile to understand the setting and the character and that process takes effort. It's not just dungeon diving for a roleplayer. The goal is immersion. Getting into a character's head and trying to enjoy the illusion. Once you've got a good group going everyone gets into the spirit and it keeps you around.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

Sustainability. Let's face it, gameplay is finite. It will get repetitious. There are two ways around that. PvP and roleplaying. PvP is definitely an acquired taste and many just won't go there. It too is based on certain parameters which, eventually, will also get repetitious. Roleplaying is as unpredictable as the players involved and can go anywhere or do anything with the right people organizing storyarcs or events.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

I think they try but I'm not sure they understand what roleplaying is at its core. For that matter, nor do most MMO roleplayers. You really don't need to understand how roleplaying functions to have a good time at roleplaying or to be a good roleplayer. You do to design for it if that's a goal and, while developers do often make good faith efforts, I don't think they really know what they're designing for.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

In general? People who aren't roleplaying yet. They're friends unless they prove otherwise.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

Not anymore but I was active in tabletop and MUSH RP. I've got quite a physical library of RPGs and related resources as well.

For more information, read my blog here:
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/OddjobXL

Capn23 · March 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash

Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!
-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?
The interaction, the challenge, and being a part of a world full of real people. I love the creativity involved and it's sort of an escape from the daily grind. Role Playing is an outlet for my writing and creativity that school just doesn't offer. I play MMORPGs to enjoy myself.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?
I have alt-itus, so which ever class and race fits the role I'm trying to make.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?
well my current MMO, WAR, I don't know that much about ther world yet, but I know a WHOLE lot about Azeroth in WoW.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?
Of course.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?
It forms that connection. It adds another layer of depth to your character beyond the epic lewtz and red mohawks. I think you end up enjoying the game a lot more when you actually want to further your character beyond the realm of armor. Role play is more than just story telling and nerds being nerds. It's a little piece of yourself living in another world.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?
No.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?
There is more to a game than Role Playing. They enjoy that part more than RPing. So what? As long as they don't bother me...I won't bother them.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?
I've wanted to get into the school plays and musicals, but cross country and track have sucked up a good portion of my time, not to mention homework and other obligations.

EDIT: I'm starting to not make sense...time for bed =P

bungkawtsing · March 2009

i really dont have anything to say... im just a newbie and i would like to ask for some help from you guys! please! please! thx

Rocktober · March 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash
Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

I am a gamer at heart, so I enjoy playing most games in general. It has really only been within the past few years that I started to really get into RPGs (mainly from reading the articles by Desslock in PC Gamer). As for MMOs in general, I play for the fun of experiencing a more "world-ish" type of game where I can be free to explore.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

For me it depends on several factors.. I certainly take lore into account to decide whether that race fits me or not. As for class, I usually will try them all and then come up with backgrounds/story for each.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

Honestly, I would say quite a bit about my chosen race, which fits as I should know more about them than all the others from a character perspective.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

Absolutely, and I feel OddjobXL expressed this very well. I am sure everyone experiences a connection/immersion with their character to some degree; the only difference being roleplayers take the next step and view things from the character's perspective and base actions off of that.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

I feel it brings in a whole different aspect of play, and really broadens and expands upon the core game experience. We all play games for fun and to take a break from the real world. It is one thing to just sit there while running around doing quests to gain XP with your friends using Teamspeak, and it is another to wander about the world, pick up the quests (and read more than just the quest goal), and to look at it from your character's perspective. Is that a quest they would actually partake in? Perhaps not, so I would turn it down. You also have the interaction with other players; I think a lot of people think it simply involves nerds lusting after medieval times and typing Shakespearean sentences. For me, and I am sure most however, it involves simply getting into that world and speaking as if you were a member of that society. Perhaps you discuss the local fair, or events that have transpired, and add a bit more flavor by speaking in a particular dialect (which does not have to be Shakespeare).

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

I would like to see a bit more stuff catered towards RPs, but at the same time I realize that some stuff is not feasible for one reason or another. As for supporting it, I honestly wish they patrolled the servers a bit more as there were (I have not seen any lately..) instances of griefing.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

If someone rolled on an RP server because they expected more mature people (and I can understand that), I respect that. All I ask if that they also respect the rules of the server they are on. If you go about playing the game and having fun, great! But if you talk to me, and I answer in character (as much as I would enjoy an IC response..) have the courteousy to not reply with "lolz rp is 4 nubz".

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

I own several books for various games. For the most part I buy them for the artwork, or to immerse myself in the lore/history for the game in that way. As it is, I do not know anyone IRL that plays them, so I am pretty much on my own. I also like to use the rich detail in the books to get my creative spark going for my own writing or artwork.

Master_Razor · March 2009

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

The same reason I play any game, to have fun. To expand on that, I play MMORPGs because it provides me with people to socialize with and to compete with as I grind mobs to level up. I play MMORPGs because I enjoy creating my own character and advancing that character throughout the course of the game. And finally, I play MMORPGs for the thrill of surviving an epic encounter.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your characters race/class etc?

I pick classes based on how I like to fight. I like warrior classes because they're generally adept in melee combat, which I enjoy. I also like ranged classes because I like to hang back and attack from a far sometimes. I don't tend to choose magic-oriented classes, because I'm less interested in the magical side of fantasy.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

The storyline of a game is very important to me, if I can't get into it I most likely won't enjoy the game. I like to know who a boss is an d why I'm fighting it.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

I don't usually feel a very strong connection with my character, as involved as I get, I'm always aware that I'm playing a game, I don't tend to "lose myself" like I might in other games. If something jumps out at my character, it will often surprise me. If someone treats my character negatively, I tend to feel the same towards them as I believe my character would.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

It fleshes the character out, makes them seem more real, gives an opportunity for emotional growth. When I role play I feel more involved, more connected to my character.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

I don't feel the developers of ANY MMO create support the role playing community. Players feel absolutely no motivation to role play in-game, and with good reason.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

People who don't role play within MMOs? They don't have the patience to try and role play in an environment that doesn't support it. People who don't role play at all? They're missing out.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

The only places I role play at all are on forums and in IM conversations. But I do engage in it from time to time.

Midare · August 2009

Even though this particular thread is 5 months old, on the second page, and the OP has likely LONG since done his writing on the old responses... I'm going to revive it and reply. Why? I figure that answering this set of questions is as good a first post as any.

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

I was drawn to MMOs because I have friends and relatives who are scattered all over the world that I want to play games together with. The social aspect. I was drawn to the RPG element because I met many of these friends through free-form text role plays in chats or message boards. Thus far, I've been disappointed in the RPG half. People got swept up in the leveling rush... the fact that people wanted to see 'end game' things brought up conflicts as casual players were left at the wayside paying for a game to socialize with friends that 'ditched them' to run with raids and the like.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

Well, for the last game I played I read over general info regarding the playable races, then picked one where I found the race's speech pattern and overall attitude appealing. They had a class which fit my play style: medium armor, healing support, and I found their character's model appealing to look at even in low-level gear.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

I do tend to research a race's lore once I've picked on to play. Once I know enough general lore then I might dare to take on an 'educated' character, where application of that knowledge makes more sense. If information is conflicting or hard to come by I'll play someone less educated... a 'farm boy' or something like that. Makes my ignorance less of a hinderence.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

Very much so. I see the character more as myself if born into another circumstance... another race.... another world. It is for exploring elements of my own personality.

Some people like to play characters that are nothing at all like themselves, true acting. I tend to have certain traits that come through when I play... like a really strong dislike for organized religion. It affects my willingness to play certain classes or races. I love healing as a task in groups... but I almost never roll a priest because dealing with the priest trainers set me into a foul mood. My priests are always jaded, or on the path to becoming jaded. I could not roll a WoW Space-goat because hearing them prattle on and on about 'the Light' made me want to strangle them with their own neck tentacles.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

I think it helps create a more developed character, and it makes my own playing experience more enjoyable due to the depth. I like to have more motivation regarding a quest than just experience points, and loot isn't a big deal to me. I'm the type who likes my stuff to look good and I hate trading out a nice looking piece for crap that happens to have better stats but looks like it has passed through a dragon's digestive tract.

I'm like that in real life though, money and "getting ahead" have little to no appeal to me. Neither does "fame" and bragging rights. I like to chill, and work on professions. Chat with people. Do some tasks here and there which seem interesting or which friends of mine need help with. That's what I consider to be fun.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

I keep looking around for an MMO that offers what I'm looking for, and haven't found it yet. Some come close, but never have all the things needed to draw me in... and my friends. Aestetically I'd really love an oriental themed fantasy game. I see those, but they always fall flat on my other areas of interest: sandbox development regarding "class"/skills/weapons/gear with NO LEVELS, crafting providing general xp and not just profession xp (so a crafter can still character develop without being left behind by friends), good customization of the character... and unpredictable/dynamic high level monsters that randomly spawn in a variety of locations because I think raids that just make you re-do the same thing over and over and over again are monotanous and totally un-fun.

So overall, I'm finding things that other RPers might be liking. That Runes of Magic game offers some interesting things, but I'm still not feeling like I could go into a game and play how I WANT to play, and still be able to progress (even slowly) toward goals.

With MOST mmo-rpgs you can't even go in and just commit to being a crafter because they cap your profession skills so you have to go out and level grind. That kills my interest very quickly.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

They're people. I won't say their way is wrong or right... they just play differently. Until they've actively done something to mistreat me or make my game play un-enjoyble I don't really care what they do.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

I used to. However, due to conflicting time zones as people moved to Asia, or were deployed to the Middle East it became more difficult to time things. Sometimes when we would attend conventions we would make ourselves a nuisance to securty... ah... good times.

Cephus404 · August 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash

Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!
-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?
Old thread, but what the heck. I'm bored.
I play MMOs to have fun. I don't do it to role-play because I think MMOs are inherently limiting to role-play, the best you can really do in an MMO is talk in-character to other people who are talking in-character and that, as far as I'm concerned, is not role-playing, it's just talking with funny voices. Role-playing is a much deeper experience that you cannot really do in a game where you have no control over the environment or mechanics. It's like trying to role-play chess. It's a silly idea.
-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?
Mostly, since I'm not doing it to RP, whatever happens to appeal to me and since I do have a wide variety of interests, I will often pick different combinations just to see which is the most fun.
-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?
I know a lot, but honestly, most lore is virtually meaningless to the actual gameplay of the MMO. It doesn't impact the day-to-day life of the players and comes off as an artificial add-on, not an integral element that everyone needs to deal with in order to experience the world. Oh look, I'm an elf! Is being an elf any different than playing a dwarf or a human or a pig? Nope, not a bit. They all act the same, interact the same and individual cultures never mean a thing when you're slogging through the trenches.
-Do you feel any connection with your character?
Not in an MMO, any more than I feel a connection with Master Chief when I play Halo. It's just a body on-screen, nothing more, mostly because MMOs are so inherently devoid of RPing capability. I might if who my character is and what my character's history made any difference, but in the end, all toons are just mindless killing machines out to grab loot and XP.
-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?
Outside of MMOs, depth and interest, the ability to go beyond the ordinary and do things that otherwise wouldn't be expected. In MMOs... not a damn thing.
-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?
Absolutely not. If anything, the developers harm role-playing at every turn. MMOs are designed around "tangible" rewards, getting the newest gear, getting the most loot, gaining the highest levels. Role-playing is inherently an intangible reward, you don't get anything to parade around by doing it. So long as MMOs are equipment-based instead of experience-based, they'll be a bad place for role-playing.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?
They're welcome not to, of course. I'd much rather see a few people RPing very well than a lot of people RPing poorly. Far too many people think that throwing a lot of "thees" and "thous" into their speech makes them role-players and it simply doesn't.
-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?
I'd love to be able to, I'd kill for a decent tabletop gaming group, but in the past 15-20 years, I haven't been able to find any that I'd allow anywhere around my family or in my home. There are simply too many people who are trying to make up for a miserable real life by living vicariously through fantasy. I started playing Chainmail in 1974, stopped playing RPGs in the early 90s and haven't been able to find anyone worthwhile to play with since.

It's really a shame.

uhjpae · August 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash
-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?
for fun, past time and also a form of hanging out with friends.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?
what I like or I think I like. lol!

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?
enough to survive the game and battles. (still learning though)

-Do you feel any connection with your character?
yes.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?
somehow it makes me feel as if I have those special abilities.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?
yes.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?
maybe they are busy.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?
i don't actually roleplay, i watch cosplayers

elit3gam3r · August 2009

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

* friends and interaction

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

*no process as long as i like the graphics that i want lmao ^_______^

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

*not enough, still i need to improve more

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

*yes i do

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

*doing the things that i know its impossible to do in real world ^^,

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

*yes.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

*they have different interest

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

*nope, i must be professional ^^

Silvergryph · August 2009

First, let me say that I voted "From time to time" only because my definition of roleplaying is not the same as many others' definitions. As long as I have a clear concept of my character's personality and act accordingly, I am roleplaying. It is not necessary that I speak or type in a specific dialect, nor is it necessary to pretend that I am unaware that I am playing a made-up character in a game.

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

Ideally, to develop interesting characters with individual motivations, goals and personalities, and to interact with a rich everchanging game world and with other players.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

I sometimes start with a personality and choose game elements that most closely fit. But, sometimes I start from a game element (race, class, or even just a look I came up with playing with the character creator) and work the other way. I invariably create as many characters as the game gives you slots and if more slots are available through special events, in-game achievements, RMTs or any other source I will endeavor to acquire them.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

I try to pay attention to all world background information and history that is presented to me, but try not to "look ahead" to information the character would not be privy to. When playing a lower level character, I try to have that character act as if he or she does not possess "meta" knowledge that I have but that they would not yet know. Even if it means I suffer a defeat.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

Yes. My characters are my creations. I feel a connection with them just as I do one of my paintings or writings.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

The character's concept and personality are the core of my experience. Everything else is just a backdrop. That includes content, game mechanics, and other players.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

Some MMOs do, and others do not. I tend to move around between different titles.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

Neutral. The games are entertainment. What is fun for one is not for someone else, and sometimes we feel like doing different things. The only problem I have with any other player is when their idea of fun is to deliberately lessen the fun of others.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

D&D and other pen and paper games are my main form of roleplaying. MMORPGs are fun, but can in no way compare to the experience of "real" gaming. Real gamers roll dice.

calwen · August 2009

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

My boyfriend likes to play games, so I guess I would compromise and play games with him. Another factor that made me continue playing MMORPGs are the friends I would have made in the game itself.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

Normally I would see which character will look the nicest as if I'm going to commit to grind levels for the rest of the game I would rather look at something that's nice all day long.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

Pretty much, I explore a lot in MMO with my friends. Furthermore, with friends playing, we often share information and the info passes around pretty fast.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

In a way, yes. It's hard to describe but I would want my character be the best in certain ways like how I would want in my life.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

Doing things that in reality cannot. A form of relaxing after a day's work.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

Yes.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

Neutral, they wouldn't need to be playing games to be my friends. Some people just do not like to play MMORPG games at all.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

Nope. I prefer to leave things in game then to real life. Probably when chatting I would often mention things that I played in game but that will be it. No acting no further Role Play.

neonwire · August 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash

Don't feel you need to answer these, but if you could it would help me a great deal and argue your side as a role player in an article I'm writing!
-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?
I enjoy the sense of being in control of a character in another world that is shared by other people. I also like the feeling of progress I get from playing these games, even though I know I'm not really achieving anything at all and in fact I'm just jumping through the same old hoops that millions of others are doing. I guess you could refer to this as a form of addiction. I'm doing something which I know is bullshit but I enjoy it anyway. In fact half the time I find these games incredibly dull and mindless.....but I carry on playing anyway. Crazy!
Mmos are far from perfect at the moment as they are way too limited, repetitive and basic but I manage to get some enjoyment out of them. I'm really looking forward to the day when mmos have finally abandoned this single player style themepark approach to game design. More freedom and the chance to actually roleplay a character properly (not just make crap up in a chat channel) would be great.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?
I must admit that I do take a look at stats and abilities and see which races are most suited to certain classes. I often choose to play a dwarf though in most fantasy games as I am fond of them and they are easy and fun to do all the roleplay banter with. Beards, beer, grudges and fine dwarven smithing/architecture. Sorted. Otherwise I just choose to play whatever takes my fancy.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?
Generally just the basics. I sometimes read up a bit on the background of a game world before I start playing so I have some idea of whats going on in the game. However I learnt that having knowledge of the gameworld means absolutely buggerall when I am in the game. If I could actually interact with the gameworld properly and put some of that knowledge to use then I might think differently, but mmos are not proper roleplaying games so I dont really have any ability to make any meaningful choices in the game that effects anything other than the growth of my own character. These are static game worlds. Why learn about all the lore when the world is frozen in time and immune to anything you can do? Does knowing that Lord Jageron III lost his daughter to wyverns 10 years ago make any difference to what you can actually do in the game? Knowledge has no power in mmos.
-Do you feel any connection with your character?
Yes I do......even though I know my character is about as unique as the other million or so players who also happen to have the same race/class combination. Its strange that I can feel a connection to something that I have actually been able to put very little creative input into. Choose class, choose race, choose face/hair/bits&bobs, assign some stas/skills, invent a name.......done.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?
The only roleplaying I do is a bit of character banter occasionally if I'm in the mood. Otherwise I dont roleplay in mmos.......simply because its impossible. The so-called "roleplaying" people refer to in these games isnt proper roleplaying at all and in my opinion is a complete waste of time. All people can do in mmos is type stories into the chat channel. The same level of roleplaying can be achieved in an online chat room.
If however I could roleplay a character in an mmo with my actions and actually do stuff in the game that I think my character would do, then I would be totally happy to create a detailed character background and roam around the game playing my part all the time. Unfortunately these games cannot react to any of my creative input so I feel no desire to waste effort on it. Sure you can get together with a bunch of like-minded people and stand there typing out an imaginary adventure but then you're just ignoring the game itself while at the same time the game is ignoring everything you do. If you have to PRETEND that stuff is happening in the game rather than actually have it happen then surely its time to admit that the game wasnt designed for what you want.
I watched a group of people "roleplaying" in WoW recently. They were all pretending to be on a training mission in Ashenvale. Then a player turned up and reported to the commander of the group that some terrible beast was killing wildlife. He pretended to show her the carcasses......well......he typed "I show you the dead animal". They then went out to investigate more of these invisible dead animals ("Carean kneels down to examine anothe dead animal") so they could find out more about this invisible beast ("Up in the sky you see something get closer. Oh gosh its a dragon! Run everyone! Run!") which they were making up as they went along. None of it was really happening of course. It was just a bunch of people not actually playing the game and just using it as a chat channel to make up a story. There's nothing wrong with that but they definately werent playing any roleplaying game.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?
No of course they dont! These games companies couldnt care less about roleplaying. A proper roleplaying game wouldnt have a fixed overall story that players need to follow to play the game. I would imagine it to have dynamic "events" that could occur in the gameworld depending on what the players choose to do. A paladin would be able to refuse to help an npc to do something that goes against his personal ideals.......and he wouldnt get penalized for it by having to miss out on the quest. As a result other npcs might look favourably upon him and ask for his help. A villainous thief would be able to rob people and burgle shops, but risk becoming outlawed from civilised settlements (if he kept getting caught). Vile necromancers would be able to slowly raise armies of undead from graveyards (if they were powerful enough and could be secretive about it without being spotted by other players) over time and send them to attack settlements.
In an mmo designed for roleplaying, players would be able to interact with the world and change things in it. The player characters would also have roleplay features to choose from in the character creation stage that actually have an impact on their gaming expierance, such as : Am I from the rich nobility, a poor peasant family, etc? Do I have any strong traits or disadvantages? Am I gambler, a drunkard, an artist, a musician etc? The npcs could react to these details in the game too. A player who is an artist might get different dialogue options from npcs who are also artists for example.
If an mmo reacts to the players own creative input then it would be a true roleplaying game. Even non-roleplayers would find themsolves roleplaying. They wouldnt have to resort to typing out stupid pretend stories. They would actually be able to roleplay their characters by playing the game instead of not playing it. When mmos become capable of things like this then I will gladly roleplay in mmos. For now though I will simply play the games as they have been designed and will save my roleplaying for roleplaying games.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?
In mmos? They are the people who are playing mmos the way they have been designed. Mmos are not designed for roleplayers. They are designed for people who play computer games. Having the word "roleplaying game" in its title doesnt mean it actually is one. Roleplayers on the other hand (oddly enough) are the anomalies in mmos as they are the ones who are logging into the game and then not actually playing it. Why do you think there are always a bare minimum of RP designated servers?
However I do respect peoples desire to be creative, even though I think trying to do heavy roleplaying in an mmo is really scraping the barrel. I always log onto RP servers because of the (mostly) better naming conventions and the more civilised (again mostly) people I tend to meet. If I get approached by a person roleplaying their character then I will always respond appropriately in character but there is no chance of me joining in with all the typing out of stories as I have a game to play.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?
I used to play lots of roleplaying games many years ago. I also used to go on LRP events too.

mikepatson · August 2009

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?

To interact with new people and friends with similar interests. I love any kind of MMO that has a strong guild structure and supports a variety of gameplay styles.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?

None really, I pick something that appeals to me visually and also as part of the lore of the world.

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?

It depends on the MMO in question. If it has an engaging back story or appeals to me in some way, I'll try and find out as much about the lore as I can. It helps when you're roleplaying.

-Do you feel any connection with your character?

Not really, it's best to distance yourself from the role that you're portraying. if you are too strongly in touch with that character it can lead to problems down the line.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?

It can help to improve the general experience, perhaps even increase the longevity of the game depending on the MMO in question. A fun diversion and it lets you experiment with personality styles and so on. In short, it enriches it.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?

This is highly dependant on the developer in question. In the case say of Bioware, then I would say yes definitely. Since the new Star Wars MMO seems to being built to support RP in a big way. Blizzard are mostly people who come from an rpg background and so they usually enrich their games with rpg content.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?

They can do what they want, it's not for me to say either way.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?

I don't, I have friends who do though.

fodku · September 2009

Originally posted by Dalagonash

-What is the main reason you play MMORPGs?
For fun and enjoyment. Sometimes it also gives a little sense of accomplishment.

-What processes did you go through deciding on your character’s race/class etc?
I choose my characters to have good looks, skills and combos (if there is).

-How much do you know about the world of your MMO?
I know enough to last long (maybe until the game dies).

-Do you feel any connection with your character?
Yes! I feel that my character is my interpretation in-game.

-What do you think Role Playing brings to your character and your playing experience?
It enhances my interaction with other poeple.

-Do you feel the developer of your MMO creates things for Role Players and actively supports that side of the community?
Sometimes... sometimes the developers just create things for the sake of income.

-What is your opinion of people who do not Role Play?
Well, it's just not their thing... I think.

-Do you take part in any form of acting or further Role Play (e.g. Dungeons and Dragons or LARPing) outside of your MMO?
I go to some Cosplay events but I don't do cosplay.

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Quite a few questions for you role players.

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Quite a few questions for you role players.

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