Talk:Roleplay

Could we put the discussion from "How Not to Sound Like a Madman" here? --Evanda Char 19:28, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

CCP Eris Discordia - 2005.11.25 11:46:00

This thread is meant to give helpful advice to people who want to start to roleplay more actively and use this forum.

It is not meant to tell people how to roleplay but to give advice on how to express themselves in a in character (IC)way, how they can come up with a history for their character and any other advice you can think of.

Often I see new players post in this forum and because they are new to rp they have some problems adjusting to this forum,hopefully this thread can help them a bit on their way.

So please share any advice you have on rp, staying ic and whatnot.

Lord Artemis - 2005.11.25 12:24:00

Don't lose your bearing here, if your offended OOC [out of character], or your posting OOC you have already made the biggest mistake you can. If you want to ask OOC questions or your not sure the intent behind a post, contact the person outside this area (their corp/alliance forum, evemail, private chat) open up a dialog. By doing this you can find out if the other person has a bigger picture in work behind what you see or interpret.

Before coming here to "act out" as your character, it might be a good idea to write a small story on your characters background and what kind of person he/she is to get yourself a starting point.

Finally, never stop asking questions or learning. Find out who the more experienced people are and talk to them while your building up in game or traveling. Most of them are very approachable and will help you where/when they can. Also talk to several people, you have to find the style that fits you best and works for you. Your only limited to your own imagination and have fun doing it.

Dak Hakin - 2005.11.25 13:26:00

For me, when I decided to become more RP, I first had to decide where I stood... As a Minmatar, I have a good bit of background to work with. So then it was a matter of, "am I a freedom fighter, a former slave, or do I just not give a crap and I only worry about myself".

Now I kind of make it up as I go along. I keep a journal in the Library, though its sometimes short and not very interesting. Just remember to stay true to the character that you create.

Marie Trudeau - 2005.11.25 13:52:00

Roleplaying is exactly what the word says: playing a 'role' of a character that is not you, that is not your alter-ego. It's basically saying that you treat your character as a separate person from yourself, and act accordingly when you are "in-character" (IC), and you don't treat your character as an extension of yourself, or as a 'toon' that represents your real-world self in the game.

It's a good idea to give some thought to your character's background and motivations. Where do they come from? What are they seeking in the world of EVE? What is their personality like? What drives them forward day-to-day? Give some thought to these and flesh out a character that you would like to play, and then dive in and act like that character, not like yourself.

Finally, a critical point in roleplaying is to remember that when you are roleplaying and interacting with other roleplayers, do not act out of "out-of-character" (OOC) motivations. You need to maintain the distinction between what is happening to your character and what is happening to you in real life ... your character is not you, that is the whole point of roleplaying. Do not take things personally that happen in a roleplaying setting, because it isn't about you, it's about your character. And do not take your own OOC beefs with someone into an IC setting, either, because once you blur that distinction, unhealthy things can happen. Keep your character separate from you (as an actor keeps himself separate from a role he is playing) and you will be fine.

And most of all, run with it and have fun! Don't be afraid to b e a little zany ... roleplaying is supposed to be immersive and fun, so prepare your character, prepare yourself mentally and just jump in!

Wanoah - 2005.11.25 13:54:00

Good idea, Eris. It can be a little intimidating to start posting in here with all these grizzled, bitter and twisted veterans sniping at each other. Smile

My top tips:

Do not use references to other worlds (including the real one) in here. Other game worlds, films, favourite books, comics, or whatever just don't exist in Eve. Your character isn't a Night Elf that has fallen through a wormhole to find herself in Eve. Ever.

A more positive thing after the big 'DO NOT' paragraph, is that it is reasonably easy to talk in character in Eve. No need for any kind of archaic speech or anything like that. (Or to use lots of apostrophes. ;) )

Above all, have fun with what you're doing and be flexible.

There is a list of roleplaying corps here if you are looking to play with some of the established people and conflicts.

Nooey - 2005.11.25 14:15:00

Don't speak out of character. (Say words like "game", or "PvP" etc)

EVER.

We have unofficial forums for that.

((Heavily Edited Post))

Wanoah - 2005.11.25 14:27:00

> "So please share any advice you have on rp, staying ic and whatnot."

Reread that sentence Nooey - I think you have misunderstood. (Wink)

"So please share any advice on RP, any advice on staying IC..." if you want to write it longhand. We're hardly going to give advice in character! (Very Happy)

Pulgor - 2005.11.25 14:49:00

Humm...

Well most of these fine folks have said what I already wanted to say. To add to that I think that one thing that's important is, unfortunately, to make sure you read all the chronicles, short stories etc... I know they're long and annoying and even have errors in some of them, they'll help you get a general idea of where all the organizations stand and the history of EVE. (Alternatively if it's too much reading. You can always ask some folks on the OOC channel about a particular piece of history, I'm sure they will help you out.)

After you have your character's race, and know the background, think about how he/she fits into all of it. Try not to go for anything too outhere. Like "Well origionaly I was a dark iron dwarf but then I found a mysterious portal and now I'm a capsule pilot and I'm all helpful now." Don't use other games and stuff and stick with EVE, it has more backstory then most. And I'm proof that you can still do something unique without going way out there. Just stay within the PF and at the very least your character will be somewhat believable.

Other then that, just make sure you know your character and go out and have fun. A good channel to start RPing on is "The Summit" and if you're playing one of the more common types in the game (Amarr loyalist, Republic Loyalist/Freedom Fighter, etc..) you may even find a good corp there. Even ingame though 7ry |\|07 70 7al|< li3k 7his. Abbriviations are alright, but leet speek just sounds bizzare in an RP environment.

Oisin - 2005.11.25 14:59:00

Read the "Prime Fiction" - the backstory, the chronicles, the short stories, the tech pieces, etc. Those are the "facts" you need to work with.

Then read some of the Library, bearing in mind that these are more personal stories rather than established facts.

Finally, try following this forum and the ingame news to keep up with developments so you can interact with other roleplayers... some would say if you aren't interacting, you aren't roleplaying.

Nooey - 2005.11.25 15:02:00

>>"So please share any advice you have on rp, staying ic and whatnot."

>"Reread that sentence Nooey - I think you have misunderstood. (Wink)

>"So please share any advice on RP, any advice on staying IC..." if you want to write it longhand. We're hardly going to give advice in character! (Very Happy)"

Wow I feel stupid. How did I miss that? o.0

Thanks for being gentle Wanoah :)

Nooey - 2005.11.25 15:44:00

Well...anyways. Now I'm "free" to speak OOC... (Embarassed)

The most important tip = Take notice of the world around you.

THIS SIMPLE ADVICE CANNOT BE OVERSTATED ENOUGH!

Don't be yet another RP'er who just waits for their turn to speak. Be the one who notices EVERYTHING. Every little detail should be of at least some interest to you - that's important to realise - you gotta be interested in the world, not just in your own story. One can do some great RP without even mentioning themself, they can just feed off all the other RP floating around and interact with that.

Example: 3 people. Person A and B are lovers. A gives B a bracelet for B's B'day (Avon's Puns > My puns). You are person C. You notice this happen. You make a mental note of it and remember it. It will be just one of the many RP "Cards" you can play, should your RP stagnate, or should there be a lull in coversation.

And sometime later, when there's an opportune and appropriate time, you remark casually that its a beautiful bracelet, and enquire where B got it from. And RP ensues. RP that has nothing to do with Slaves, Capitalists, Hippies or Freedom fighters!

It's so refreshing when someone brings up, out of the blue, a little detail you previously RP'ed. It shows you that they're noticing you, and that your RP action had an RP consequence. This helps create immersion in the game which is arguably the whole point of RP.

• Someone else just mentioned taking into account the news stories etc, this is another example of that. :)

Your not just walking talking stories, your capsuleers interacting in a very new, captivating and dynamic world.

Now...keeping this in mind, lets discuss stereotypes.

Some other RP'ers are rabidly anti-stereotype, and simply don't have the time of day to RP with "yet another" Ultra-Capitalist Caldari (Which to an extent is understandable - if they've been RP'ing a while its probably very familiar ground!). Many new roleplayers come into Eve and understandably, try to pick the RP up as they go along, as reading backstories endlessly isn't really fun. And besides, one has to get a feel of the world and exerperience it first hand to truly learn properly from it (Hence the importance, especially in early weeks, of listening to people and taking notice!).

Starting on basics, fine, it's inevitable. It's gonna be very hard to RP a freedom fighting Amarr on day 6. Just remember, you don't have to stay there...let your character evolve as your understanding of the world does. Don't ever paint yourself into a corner RP-wise unless you are very sure that is what/who you want to be for a long time. (Or can think up great excuses for total ideological 180's - Which many have done convincingly!)

On a related note, you have to be consistent. You can't be shy one week and bold the next unless there's some reason for it. You can't be a rabid anarchist and then just turn around and declare your love for the Caldari State, unless you have a reason for it. Everything needs a reason. Or a reason why it has no reason!

Consistency is easier if you've got some kind of a "plan". If you're making it up as you go it's a bit harder to keep track of everything you've said (Because it wasn't something you'd planned to say, it just poppped out, and as such you may have forgotten you ever even said it - And yet it might have had some significant impact in RP terms on another character.)

Another newcomer mistake is to rush their RP...

Often the newcomer RP'er has formulated at least some kind of story in their mind, some kind of RP. They then sometimes feel that, to be "known" by another person, that particular information simply HAS to be said, and HAS to come out right now.

Use that image of yourself as a building block, and make it motivate your actions. Build a believable character on top of your story so that WHEN you do decide to tell it (Which shouldn't be at the drop of a hat unless there's a good reason!) it comes out better.

Nooey - 2005.11.25 15:47:00

I sometimes see RP'ers burn through their entire life story (Or what of it they've planned) in a single conversation!

Outta nowhere they're suddenly telling me how their parents were mercilessly murdered by pirates (Another stereotype to avoid unless you're eager/confident enough to tell that story). Suddenly, that's it! There's nothing left to tell except the details!

I'd advise against doing that. Leave yourself flexibility and room to mould your character (especially in the first weeks of playing). My own initial experience of RP (In another game) was dissapointment in myself...I rushed into telling my background. Suddenly, not only was my whole story now told with no major surprises left, but in addition to that, I'd said certain things about my past that meant I had to act a certain way. So yeh, in a nutshell, give it a bit of thought and pace yourself. Listen more than you talk at first, and absorb as much as you can.

When I first started RP'ing in Eve, I fed my characters motivations and actions almost entirely off a single thing (Where it was appropriate of course) - I planned no more than this one thing, but used it to feed everything.

Simply that Nooey was a character who'd had his wife-to-be walk out on him on wedding day. Ouch!

So that affected him in different ways, his manner with women wasn't flirty (Unlike the other pilots who surrounded him *Looks in Jericho Fractions general direction*). He was a bit detached from any scenes of love or companionship etc. Wasn't much to work off, but it meant I was (more) free to become an anarchistic psycho later on because I hadn't in my first week declared undying loyalty to the Gallente Federation.

So yeh. To sum up.

1. Listen, take notice of the world! And remember everything you can, then use that knowledge for greater interaction/RP.

2. Avoid stereotypes unless you're sure that's who you want to be (And are comfortable being just another freedom fighter, or confident you can be a freedom fighter who stands out etc). They're not an evil in Eve RP or anything, all I'm saying is be careful that's what you want. Some of the best RP corps are built around the stereotypes and the stereotypical issues - simply because they're a solid thing to draw on.

3. Maintain consistency in what you are and who you are. It helps if you think ahead about some basics. Are you...Shy? Outgoing? Crazy? Straight and narrow? Peaceloving? Trigger Happy? Chauvenistic? Hedonistic? Young? Old? Happy? Miserable? Clueless? Intelligent? Tactical? Brazen? etc etc etc. The more questions you can answer (And remember the answers to!) the more consisteny you'll be.

4. Don't rush RP. Let ppl tell their story at their pace and do the same with yours. It's meant to be roleplay not 20 questions on their background. Don't get straight to the heart of stuff in an instant, play around in the veins and arteries a bit first, its so much nicer when you make it to the gooey pulsing centre inside after a nice long detour :)

And to reiterate others/add some minor points...

-Don't mix the two worlds (IC/OOC) as it has bad effects...like getting upset in RL over some rather nasty In-Character remarks made at you. BUT! Don't push that emotion away if it's there, use it fuel your IC anger! (Rodj Blake from CVA/P.I.E was my "Mentor" when it came to that...)

-Make sure you're having fun!

-Be aware that this is adult stuff at times. If you're not comfortable with some adult concepts, then be sure just what you're getting yourself into before you get yourself into it. At the same time, try your hardest to keep an open mind. LOTS of things are RP'ed in this universe...from marriage and sex through to racism and death...some of it is going to perhaps weird you out/upset you if you've never seen it before. Be ready for it, and if you can, open to it.

That's bout it from me. Sorry I waffle so much >_<

Tarm - 2005.11.25 15:49:00

Everything said is supposedly "in-character". When someone posts something inflammatory, remember not to take it personally, as it's usually in-character. It's easy to get upset, because people will openly rebuke you or call you names on the summit, with no reprisals from the moderators (and with good cause) because we are supposed to be acting as our characters would.

zoolkhan - 2005.11.25 17:09:00

my character kept his own story for himself.

still i am known as a RPer.

and i have the option, just as nooey stated before, to alter or spontaneusly create the part of my backstory when it comes in handy.

1.) own story overrated, do that later and not too detailed in doubt 2.) read the chronicles, read what other write here, but are not shy to go your own way 3.) everybody RPs in a different fashion. some people struggle with it because they think they need to pretend to be somebody or something that is hard to pretend - RP yourself with slight modifications - still better than no RP at all 4.) some players hate RP - stay in character anyways, dont take the bait and respond IC - its much more fun that way :o)

After all, it is the RP that let us grow veteran, because it adds more aspects to the game, guaranteeing long term motivation.

No, RPing is not gay, and some of us prove their deadliness on a daily base in front of a RP background...

Thanks Eris, and thanks RP-N00bs for reading this at all.

Kaleigh Doyle - 2005.11.25 17:59:00

A small note for those new to roleplayers who want to get involved:

- Don't be discouraged if people don't respond to your posts immediately or at all. The hardcore end of the RP community are an incestuous lot, and generally won't respond unless you're hyper-controversial or self-aggrandizing. Persistence pays off, and if you make enough noise and discuss an interesting topic, people will come.

- A common mistake new roleplayers make is making their character more important than they actually are, and it's a quick way to get yourself labelled a nutcase. Keep it simple and be modest, especially if you're new to the game as well.

- Make your responses constructive. It's not only a chance to present your character to the community, but it's also an opportunity to flesh out your own character. Some of the regulars here forget this on occasion.

- Don't let negative or abusive comments discourage you from roleplaying on this forum. Unless you're intentionally being abusive, trampling over the fictional background of the game, or just posting in a self-aggrandizing manner, you have every right to post here as the next person. Keep in mind it's also IC, and shouldn't be taken personally.

Tatsue Nuko - 2005.11.25 18:18:00

From me, one simple advice:

Please-please-please-please don't try the superhero/supervillain Marvel-esque type backgrounds. A and O of roleplaying is that your character has to be "plausible", realistic, so to speak. Way too many people adopt way weird backgrounds to make their characters feel "special" that a statistical look at pod-pilots would show a distinct lack of "normal" people.

And I find "normal" people the most interesting, both IRL and in-game. Because they're realistic. And more realism = more immersion = more fun from the RP.

Enough with the "my family was murdered" type stories. Simple family dramas for the win in the background, that's plausible, but when 90% of the pilots encountered had their whole or parts of their families murdered it gets tedious. :P

Oh, and don't spill your guts in your bio. Think about it. When you write your character's bio, think about it like, what would you write on a personal webpage accessible to everyone? Basic facts, some self-glorification, perhaps a CV or something. You would not tell your darkest secrets or all those terrible events in your childhood that you are actually trying to repress from couscious thought... (Wink)

Shintoko Akahoshi - 2005.11.25 19:46:00

Be able to lose.

That sounds trite and basic, but think about it. When you read threads in the Summit, so many of them turn into "I R teh uber!" "N0! I R!". Nobody likes those, probably not even the people who write them. An extension of this are all the stories that cast the protagonist as some larger than life figure surrounded by worms in human form - but Tatsue covered that nicely.

My own theory is that if you've got to be victorious in your RP, then you're probably not playing your character, if you know what I mean (Wink)

A couple of good examples to read would be Yuki Lis account of the beginnings of Omerta Syndicate, and the Hamish Saga.

The former is more immediate - the protagonist (Yuki) is involved in a firefight. Unlike most RP of this nature, she doesn't win effortlessly. It's a close shave, she's desperately hurt, and only pulls through by luck and her friends.

The latter is pretty much the pinnacle of RP. Consider Hamish in the story. Does he succeed? Does he fail? What price does he pay to get what he wants, and is it worth it to him?

Basically, I suppose, it all comes down to this: If someone else wrote your RP, would you want to read it? If so, it's probably good. If not, consider rewriting it...

Discorporation - 2005.11.25 20:29:00

Practice; loads. Don't cyber. Don't marry ingame.

You'll be fine.

Jenny Spitfire - 2005.11.25 20:49:00

>"Practice; loads. Don't cyber. Don't marry ingame.

>You'll be fine."

(Shocked)

Do ppl marry in-game?

Kyoko Sakoda - 2005.11.25 21:16:00

I'm just going to add one little suggestion because I won't be repeating and summarizing all the good advice that's already been given (unless I skipped over it and I'm actually repeating it here >_<;). If you want to keep your character interesting, don't slap something together in five minutes. "Keep it simple stupid" doesn't necessarily apply to RP. There are plenty of people out there already roleplaying the stereotypical freedom fighter, or the stereotypical nationalist. Read the prime fiction background on the usual traits of your character's race or bloodline, then brainstorm some ways you can change it up a bit.

What about a Caldari ship captain who appears big and tough on the outside but is actually quite the coward? Maybe an Amarrian who is an abolitionist and flys small ships because it pains him to see human life wasted when a battleship blows up?

It helps to just brainstorm these ideas for a half hour and write them down. Pick out the one you like most and start branching off with new ideas that supplement the previous one. When you've figured out the foundation for your character through your brainstorming, write a one page (or so) background and/or personality profile of your character. Run with this for a while and see how people respond.

Do remember that people change due to events that occur over their lifetime. This happens slowly or very suddenly, though a sudden personality or lifestyle change can be overdramatic. If you find someone (or a corp) which likes roleplaying with you, communicate with them and figure out ways to collaborate. This makes it eaiser for you to introduce a new change into your character, and perhaps tie it in with an ingame event.

And I'll echo what I know has been said maybe too many times: everyone makes mistakes or creates something they'll eventually come to dislike. The only way to further your creative writing skills is to practice. Don't worry if you've done something that you eventually come to dislike. Figure out a way to work around it, or to add a twist to it down the road so you can fix it up to your liking.

Here's an example: someone in this thread said "Don't go with the 'tragic past' and 'pirates killed my family and I must get revenge' etc." I did this when I first started, and a couple months in I started to realize I didn't like it. Now, my character is a relatively moral person compared to some *cough* other characters people roleplay in my old corp (Omerta Syndicate). She initially joined the corp to get revenge for her mother's death (though this is dynamic). Now, what happens five years later when she's killed thousands of people in battle and suddenly her mother resurfaces from hiding? She will have realized she has killed all those people for nothing. She might even come to the conclusion that she has been nothing but a pawn to the corporation's benefactor, even though she herself resides in a high ranking position.

Now I've been ranting like a blithering idiot, so enjoy your time roleplaying in EVE, gl and hf and such.