If the character creation allows, I try to pick a name that is at least something related to the race/class/what-have-you I'm playing as. I tend not to RP anymore but I have been in a few RP guilds (Allods, WAR, Diablo2&3, 9Dragons). It was fun and created immersion that the game lacked otherwise. RP was actually one of the main reasons I played WAR for so long, our guild and allies would do keep sieges/defense and do voice-acting through Vent while the siege/defense was going on.

Unfortunately, my lack of roleplaying now stems from the fact that I haven't found an MMO that I've been able to get seriously attached to. Age of Wushu will hopefully revive my love for casual roleplaying but we'll have to see.

Originally posted by Servant-XII

Originally posted by Scot

Yes not so much RP these days, but RP guilds still can be good. Steer clear of the ones that want a four page background, way too snooty. But make sure they have their own webpage and use IC speech in guild chat, that's the hallmark of a good RP guild.

I happen to like those RP guilds that want a decent background for your character. If they are calling themselves an RP guild then all elements should be geared towards that end. If that makes me snooty well...if the shoe fits...

But seriously,  the tragedy is that imagination has taken a back seat in MMORPGs. It takes work, care, and creativity to actually mold a good character that will immerse you in whatever world you choose. I don't believe that capitalism has anything to do with the fading aspect of roleplaying (as someone mentioned in an earlier post) as much as it has to do with progressing a worldview of vulgarizing art and then calling it such (as someone else mentioned, I believe roleplaying is an art). It is the sign of the downfall of not just roleplaying but nations. Goodness, when you can make a statement like "I don't roleplay in an MMORPG", the death knell has begun.

That being said, I do agree that if you find a genuine RP group/guild, make sure it is as such. RPing in guild chat is a mark of a true RP guild. There are those who try to get around the RP for the sake of numbers, as if having a huge guild is what makes it a good one. That kind of shallow thinking has crept into guilds all over the place. I experienced one of those in LotR where they said they were RP but only RPed in one chat and pretty much never at that. Needless to say, I am no longer a part of that guild and am seeking another. In the interim, I keep track of friends who I have had good relations with RPing and that seems to do well just nicely to fill the gap until I find another.

This lack of RPing in MMORPGs has had me evaluating the games I become a part of very carefully. I have played only one game for years before expanding to another (It was not WoW which I would never play in my life). The only other game I'm interested in playing because of the story aspect for your character is GW2. All others hold no interest for me.

Roleplaying is fast becoming the red headed step-child of MMORPGs...but I don't mind being a step-child. You have to have that attitude going in nowadays unfortunately.

The question is, how many players of current MMO's actually have a dice collection?

Not many I guess - and I'd suggest that's the difference - there is absolutely no need for imagination, or any understanding of why you might want to do that.

Originally posted by Stug

The question is, how many players of current MMO's actually have a dice collection?

Guilty--though it has been sitting on the bookshelf untouched for ten years or more (along with the books).

Decling use of imagination is something MUDs took note of, more than 15 years back. 

But I don't think that's responsible for the death of roleplay--that came about by the games evolving towards a much, much, much bigger audience.

(see the three orders of magnitude? roughly that much bigger)

Originally posted by Stug

The question is, how many players of current MMO's actually have a dice collection?

 Not many I guess - and I'd suggest that's the difference - there is absolutely no need for imagination, or any understanding of why you might want to do that.

I still have my lucky d10, and a d20 or two. But then I'm not a player of any current MMO, so I guess that disqualifies me. Anyway, to answer the original questions..

I don't usually roleplay in online games. I find that it feels incongruous, sometimes it can even diminish rather than enhance immersion. Flirtatious elven barmaids in the Prancing Pony don't exactly make for an authentic Middle Earth experience. But it can work at a fairly superficial level and I've had some good times in groups with roleplayers. 

Should we drop the 'rpg' from 'mmorpg'? Here is a excellent and rather lengthy essay on the subject of computer 'role-playing games'. It's well worth a read if you're interested in the topic. In a nutshell, when we talk about computer rpgs, we are usually referring to games that implement or replicate some of the technical aspects of P&P rpgs: hit points, various characters attributes and items statistics. In other words, the stuff that went on (mostly) behind the gamemaster's screen to enable players to interact with the game world in a meaningful and measurable manner. But playing a P&P rpg was primarily a kind of shared imagining. The numbers were simply a tool to assist that. By contrast, in computer rpgs, most especially mmorpgs, the numbers are the game because that's all computers are good at. It's small wonder then that the majority of mmo players play the 'numbers' game and that roleplaying in these games is a minority pursuit. And they have the right of it. Attempting to roleplay in the static world of an mmo is futile because the game does not respond to your behaviour, it only responds to your numbers.   

Originally posted by crack_fox

Originally posted by Stug

The question is, how many players of current MMO's actually have a dice collection?

 Not many I guess - and I'd suggest that's the difference - there is absolutely no need for imagination, or any understanding of why you might want to do that.

 

I still have my lucky d10, and a d20 or two. But then I'm not a player of any current MMO, so I guess that disqualifies me. Anyway, to answer the original questions..

 

I don't usually roleplay in online games. I find that it feels incongruous, sometimes it can even diminish rather than enhance immersion. Flirtatious elven barmaids in the Prancing Pony don't exactly make for an authentic Middle Earth experience. But it can work at a fairly superficial level and I've had some good times in groups with roleplayers. 

 

Should we drop the 'rpg' from 'mmorpg'? Here is a excellent and rather lengthy essay on the subject of computer 'role-playing games'. It's well worth a read if you're interested in the topic. In a nutshell, when we talk about computer rpgs, we are usually referring to games that implement or replicate some of the technical aspects of P&P rpgs: hit points, various characters attributes and items statistics. In other words, the stuff that went on (mostly) behind the gamemaster's screen to enable players to interact with the game world in a meaningful and measurable manner. But playing a P&P rpg was primarily a kind of shared imagining. The numbers were simply a tool to assist that. By contrast, in computer rpgs, most especially mmorpgs, the numbers are the game because that's all computers are good at. It's small wonder then that the majority of mmo players play the 'numbers' game and that roleplaying in these games is a minority pursuit. And they have the right of it. Attempting to roleplay in the static world of an mmo is futile because the game does not respond to your behaviour, it only responds to your numbers.   

 

Very interesting point - I was thinking that the stats and fotm characters based on abiliy, as opposed to purpose (that could in a sense come from character classes such as healers) subsumed the RP factor in some way and I think you nailed it.

Is roleplay encouraged by fully fleshed out worlds or does a lack f background interest people and help them roleplay...and taking from that foreward - cut scenes in games - these have turned game into cinema - not Deux Ex or the single player Dragon Ages - you are watching not directly participating...just a thought?

Originally posted by Stug

Originally posted by crack_fox

Originally posted by Stug

The question is, how many players of current MMO's actually have a dice collection?

 Not many I guess - and I'd suggest that's the difference - there is absolutely no need for imagination, or any understanding of why you might want to do that.

 

I still have my lucky d10, and a d20 or two. But then I'm not a player of any current MMO, so I guess that disqualifies me. Anyway, to answer the original questions..

 

I don't usually roleplay in online games. I find that it feels incongruous, sometimes it can even diminish rather than enhance immersion. Flirtatious elven barmaids in the Prancing Pony don't exactly make for an authentic Middle Earth experience. But it can work at a fairly superficial level and I've had some good times in groups with roleplayers. 

 

Should we drop the 'rpg' from 'mmorpg'? Here is a excellent and rather lengthy essay on the subject of computer 'role-playing games'. It's well worth a read if you're interested in the topic. In a nutshell, when we talk about computer rpgs, we are usually referring to games that implement or replicate some of the technical aspects of P&P rpgs: hit points, various characters attributes and items statistics. In other words, the stuff that went on (mostly) behind the gamemaster's screen to enable players to interact with the game world in a meaningful and measurable manner. But playing a P&P rpg was primarily a kind of shared imagining. The numbers were simply a tool to assist that. By contrast, in computer rpgs, most especially mmorpgs, the numbers are the game because that's all computers are good at. It's small wonder then that the majority of mmo players play the 'numbers' game and that roleplaying in these games is a minority pursuit. And they have the right of it. Attempting to roleplay in the static world of an mmo is futile because the game does not respond to your behaviour, it only responds to your numbers.   

 

Very interesting point - I was thinking that the stats and fotm characters based on abiliy, as opposed to purpose (that could in a sense come from character classes such as healers) subsumed the RP factor in some way and I think you nailed it.

Is roleplay encouraged by fully fleshed out worlds or does a lack f background interest people and help them roleplay...and taking from that foreward - cut scenes in games - these have turned game into cinema - not Deux Ex or the single player Dragon Ages - you are watching not directly participating...just a thought?

lack of back ground is what i like.  i've never role-played in a game with other people say talking olde english and all that.  but in my head sometimes i want to play a role.  for example in skyrim i can play the role of a thief.  i can come up with reasons im in skyrim and what im doing.  in most games nawadays that's all layed out for me.  even if im given choices for example in gw2.  i can be an orphan or raised by nobility or whatever but im not given the option to make my own backstory.  there doesnt seem to be any middle ground for someone like me who wants to play a role without having to group up and talk in olde english.  at least those are some of my thoughts. 

but i do think part of what is missing from moderns mmo's is the role-play factor.  sure there are classes to pick from,  but most of the time they all feel the same while playing them.  if i pick thief,  i dont feel like a thief.  i feel like im pressing buttons.  same as any class.

Wanna hear the sad thing ive been told not so long ago?

"Ah hurr, it is not RPG if it doesnt have roles. Roles being Healer, tank, DPS, support etc." -Random 12 year old at public chat

"Do you know what RP in RPG means at all? Do you even know what 'Dungeons and Dragons' is?" -Me

"Dungeons and Dragons? It is that 'nerd' thing-game. That is dumb as fuck" -Random 12 year old at public chat.

MUDs used to get inspiration from DnD and other PnPs As i remember? But nowadays... *sigh*

Originally posted by dzoni87

Wanna hear the sad thing ive been told not so long ago?

"Ah hurr, it is not RPG if it doesnt have roles. Roles being Healer, tank, DPS, support etc." -Random 12 year old at public chat

 

that line is so true. 

I play on the Emerald Dream (RP-PVP) server in WoW and there are definitely quite a few role playing guilds that are very active.

I realize that WoW is a four letter word on this site but if you are looking for some RP, it's still quite prevelent on some servers.

Just mentioning something short.

I remember playing "Lord of the rings online" a while back. Maybe two years ago and i couldn't stand entering a normal server in the game after playing on a roleplaying server.

Even though i felt like i was in middle earth with my jewelry selling hobbit. Players couldnt ignore the fact that there were world event with in-game prices. I'm talking enchanted items here. Which meant, players dropped their roleplaying mantle and went a bit crazy over the prizes.(This is just an example of course).

And just overall. The whole notion that it is an MMO. it was MADE for competing to be the best of the best, right?

But thats just "Lotro". I don't think i have any other roleplaying experiences with MMO's.

I play MUD's alot which are roleplaying enforced.

Originally posted by dzoni87

"Dungeons and Dragons? It is that 'nerd' thing-game. That is dumb as fuck" -Random 12 year old at public chat.

Because if someone has a different opinion that means he is 12 year old right. Not like in reality that "12 year old's" opinion is what 999 people out of 1000 share.

I used to roleplay quite heavily in WoW and even dabbled in RP in other games like LoTRO and DDO. I also habitually gravitate to RP servers when I start playing new MMO's like Secret World and Guild Wars 2 but, sadly, my interesnt in actually *roleplaying* doesn't really extend beyond the roleplaying I do in my head (like others, I enjoy making up my own backstories/personalities for the characters I create and play).

I became rather sick of RP in WoW since it was either very insolated (small groups of people doing their own private stories and telling me to screw off if I tried to involve myself), extremely immature, or both. Plus there was the unfortunate fact that 9 RP'ers out of 10 really only cared about making their characters the center of every story they involved themselves in.

I guess all that combined with the fact that I have a lot less free time than I used to has led to my gradual decline in RP interest, which is a shame since I still do enjoy injecting my own bit of imagination and creativity into the characters I play; I just can't find the willpower to share that creativity with others.

GW2 Tarnished Coast server plenty of Roleplay there. Moonguard in WoW- Avoid Goldshire and you're good. The rp is out there its up to you to find it, and there are plenty of rp boards like Hydaelin Roleplayers Coalistion for the upcoming relaunch of FFXIV, TESO-RP, GW2 Roleplayers, Neverwinter RP, etc.

If you can't find rp its because you haven't tried hard enough or don't want to.

Yep. Plenty of roleplaying in SWTOR. My guild often holds RP events. Having actually 2 guilds one for Reps and one for Imps, we use Reps toons for faction events... nothing better than intelligence RP... with other faction toons trying to prevent us from achieving RP event goals. Plenty of fun.

Funny is how many places SWTOR has to explore when you actually want to RP... especially sneaking into enemy teritory with plenty of guilides, killing champs and PvP during events... really good stuff.