A Beginner's Guide to MMORPG RolePlay

Quite Often the Question will Come up on any MMORPG Forum, "How do I roleplay my character?" Gamers who want to develop their Characters in an Online Gaming Environment may find the following article Helpful. This is an article I wrote about Roleplaying in the Upcoming Game MMORPG, "Shadowbane", but can certainly used in any Online Game with a Strong Role Playing Element.

Learning to Character speak in RolePlay is a lot like an Actor getting into Character for a Stage Play or Movie part. An Actor reviews the Script and then Enhances the Character by adding elements that make it the Actor's own.

So first, You need a couple of things to help you FIND your Character. First thing you need is an Outline or Script or in roleplay, its called a Back Story. This is similar to what any Roleplaying Guild wants out of you. A comprehensible story that projects your Character as unique and interesting.

It should tell how YOUR character started as a fighter, mage, or whatever, Some go all the way back to, "I was born in a manger." but I start the character's story at the time they decide what they are going to be. Deciding to do anything is something not to be taken lightly. A catastrophic Event, such as the "Turning" is acceptable. If you were forced to become what you are out of necessity, then that gives you even greater depth from which to play your character.

Who was influential in your decision to be what your Character is? Were you Raised by Barbarians? The Church? Mentor a Blademaster? Father die while you were in the Womb? These are character choice elements in the game, Shadowbane, and should be included in your Character Outline. PLOT out your Character from Birth to Now... Put in the Action Stuff, it makes for a more interesting Back Story.

Example: At 17 you killed your First Grobold when they Raided your Villiage. At twenty Five you got your First Sword from your Teacher who incidentally saved you from being a Rogue when they took you in from living in the streets.

Example: At a young Age you found you could manipulate Elements and was Banished from your town for starting a fire in the school. The authorities sent you to a Channeler's conclave to train your talents.

Secondly, you need to fill in your Character's Substance. This is not just a list of clothes you wear, how tall you are, or whether you wear an eye patch. It goes much deeper. And Trust me, the Deeper you go the better able you will be to RolePlay you character.

Example: You need to decide whether Your character likes Apple Pie, or would rather eat cake.

These little things like food preferences are important because you use them in roleplay and you would be surprised how often Food comes up. Someone says, "I wish I had a piece of pie", you can say, "I like Apple Pie, or I would ratherhave Cake".

Example: You need to decide whether your character likes Muggy Weather, Rainy Weather, or Hot Weather. Weather comes up a lot in game too, and in SB It is supposed to be an effective influence. Someone says, "I hate Snow!", you can say, "I like it Hot, or I would rather have Rain.

That is roleplay.

I break down Character Substance in this way:

1)Likes and Dislikes -- maybe your character likes to wear fancy clothes or dislikes being in the City.

2)Fears-- Did you ever notice the Movie Hero Character, Indiana Jones was Afraid of Snakes?

3)Enemies -- its important to give your character an enemy because enemies build character. You hate Mages. You hate Barbarians. You Hate People who wear Leather Armor.(Best have a convincing story explaining WHY you hate someone, because often you will be called on it, by fellow gamers.)

4)Motivation -- What motivates your Character in situations...is it Honor? Does his sense of what is right compel him to always do the right thing? Gold? Does he seek the financial incentive to justify his actions? Companionship? Will he risk all to save his companions?

5) Religion -- Another Biggies in Roleplay...Does Your Character follow the All-Father, Any other of the Gods or Demi-Gods listed as being in SB? Or does your character follow Braialla? Also important is whether you only go to Church on Easter, when you get the opportunity, or are a complete Zealot like the Confessors or Templars. Are you a secret Agnostic?

6)Goals -- Similar to Motivation but more important. What do you want to be, A guild Leader? Emperor? Number one assassin? If you set in game Goals, it will help flesh out your character's actions. You decide you have been a grunt for long enough and you ask your boss for a promotion. That is roleplay.

7)Write down things to say in those awkward moments when you can think of nothing to say. A few things your character always says in certain situations. I usually give my Characters a list of ten OFF the Wall things to say, when I can't think of anything else to say.

Example: You and your fellow warrior are up on the Town Tower looking at the Armies surrounding your town in a siege. You could say, "I could have been a Blacksmith in the North, but I wanted to see the world."

Example: You have taken the field with your Fellow pike men and are watching a troop of Calvary knights rumbling toward your position. You could say, "That horse in the lead looks like it is missing a shoe."

Finally I would like to address the Shakespeare Vs. Cool Speak, I think that walking around saying Thee and Thy only works if you are Amish or an understudy in a Shakespeare Festival. Its considered great roleplay at a Renaissance Festival but can get you killed in an online Game. You can give your character mannerisms, slang (within character), or ways of speaking. But ALWAYS just say what you are trying to say, and don't dance around the issue.

Same with Cool Speak. Unless you meet someone who actually think that is Cool, most of the time other players will kill you cause you didn't say l33t right or because they can't understand what you are saying. I have found its best just to keep it simple and understandable.

Example: If you don't like something. then say, I don't like that. Or if you meet someone, You can say, My name is _______, do you have a name? If so, let's talk a bit.

Roleplay is as simple as that, understanding your character and playing a role...as long as you do a little preparation and understand what your character will do in certain situations, then you will do okay. Nobody is out to win an Academy Award. The Bottom line is that we are all looking for a SUSPENSION OF BELIEF, a moment out of the real world where we can be someone else.

Ask yourself these questions after you have done your outline and think about what your character would do or say. It's okay to refer back to the outline, if you need to. It's all part of becoming your character in Game. Enjoy.

1) Your Guild Leader offers you a reward, IF, you go out and risk your butt on a mission you know will not succeed.

2) Someone in a Bar decides they don't like the way you look, and asks you to step outside.

3) Your City is Besieged and Your Leader asks you to go over the wall for help.

4) An Amazon becomes enamored of you and asks you to become her Love Slave.

5) You have a +5 Axe of Slaying and You are asked to give it to someone else for the good of the Guild.

6) Half your Recon Team wants to Go Slay Grobolds and the Other Half wants to Try out Bearkin.

7) You discover your Best InGame Buddy is a Were-Rat.

8) A Traveler insists on Payment in Gold before you can go thru that Gate to another zone and you don't have enough on you.

9) Some Strange Guy shows up out of nowhere and hands you "ShadowBane"

10)Someone offers you 1000 gold pieces to tell them when your Guild is gonna be out of the town.

I hope this has helped a little.. remember that if you don't tell people you don't know how to roleplay, they will never know the difference, since they are too worried how THEIR roleplay is going. Just get out there and Do It! Oh, and let's see some stories in the Roleplay Forum.

Very nice, Laborat.

You have shown me the error of my ways. Like many, I don't take the time to develop the character beforehand.

Do you want to post the Shadowbane link for your original posting of this article?

You have just intrigued me into this game.

It really is a simple thing to do.

this is the link to the Main Shadowbane Board site. The game is very interesting and has a rabid fan base even though the game isn't out yet.

http://shadowbane.ubisoft.com/main.shtml

My article was written for the Shadowbane Stratics fansite in response to a posters inquiry about roleplay.

Good read, now all I need to do is get an MMORPG!

Yeah, reading that makes it seem like some kind of very difficult and time taking procedure.

It's not, you just have to think a little when making the character, that's all.

Certainly not like it is in d2, that's for sure.

Some things to add...

Even if you aren't on a roleplaying server, and roleplaying isn't enforced, roleplaying can still pay off.

For example, just now I was playing Camelot. I started a new Scout a few days back, and am only level 8. I was in a keep, when I encountered a high level scout (40ish (max level in camelot is 50) ). I roleplayed greeting him as a fellow Defender of Albion, and asking him for advice and pointers due to his great skill.

After about 10 minutes of banter back and forth, I walked away with about 10g worth of useful stuff. That was 5 bundles of the most expensive arrows, and 3 bows that will last me the next 10 levels.

To put this in to perspective, I wouldn't have had ten gold, or been able to buy the best arrows, until at least level 15 or 16.

The point of the story is this: Most players will react to roleplaying, and fit in to the dialog.

Especially if you flatter their character.

I have two distinct characters in UO Barb Wire and Jet.

Barb is a very nice sorceress that has bardic abilities and is extremely chaotic in nature. one time she may watch on the sidelines as someone dies a horrid death other times she may rescue them. she is polite to just about everyone she meets in UO she doesnt have a backstory or any of that other stuff like being raised by wolves after her parents died from an evil king's take over of their lands or any of the hundred and one other outragous fictions people use. she is a simple sorceress that over the past two years has mastered her skills and has made many friends thru the course of her adventures. she thinks gold is "icky" and doesnt like it "cluttering" her space. she has no use for weapons and items and often gives them away as prizes for competeing in her games of bravery and skill. She owns her own home in UO which she shares with her sister Jet.

Jet is Barb's sister who happens to be everything Barb isnt. Jet will sit by and watch someone die then take everything they owned if she can. she is extremely anti-social in regards to joining groups or events. she has little regard for property rights. her friends are few but those she does have she is very loyal to them. Jet like her sister has little use for gold but a great fondness for fish-steaks. even tho Jet cares not for actively gathering gold or monster hunting she will not hesitate to take all the gold off of a deceased player.

speaking in poorly used elizebethean english and making up outragous fictions for characters is all well and good but it doesnt by any stretch make one a roleplayer in and of itself. roleplaying takes no effort. i can switch effortlessly between Jet and Barb in UO and keep them both in their respective characters. people that know Barb never figure out that they are run by the same person unless i tell them. that is the real key to roleplaying. making distinct and seperate characters.

With the release of NwN, I thought some people might find this interesting.
*bump*