I was recently approached by someone concerning the "Art" of role playing. Well... to me it is an art form, to others this may not seem so evident. But role playing is a form of improv acting, where you play off your fellow players actions and words. It is actually a lot of fun, but I can understand why they were confused.
Role Playing can take many forms, from the involved to the light and simple. Take a look at some of the role playing threads in the forums and you will see what I mean.
Some rp threads are done in the form of a detailed story, where everything is spelled out, hopefully in clear and understandable English (or whatever language you prefer...). In this form you borrow the other character(s) and use them as props in your tale. (promising of course not to permanently damage them in any way... unless it is agreeable by all parties involved). In this form of rp, you are actually writing a story, with each person involved writing small separate chapters that play off one another.
In others, the setting and storyline are completely laid out and people act accordingly. Some are rather involved, others less so.
And then there is the immersion form, in which the characters are an extension of your avi or self. In this form the settings are usually spelled out, but not entirely cut in stone allowing the players to flesh them out as they interact.. in these the player interactions and plot are loose and flexible. (give you two guesses which form this guild uses. wink ) This form allows for freer involvement, anyone can join. All they need to do is figure out a reasonable... or not so reasonable way to enter into the picture. It also offers a bit more freedom to the plot line... "plots... what plots... we have not stinking plots"... Ignore that little rant, because it really isn't true, but as I said they are extremely flexible. Right now we have four active rp's going. The two older ones were once lighthearted and fun, now they are deadly serious... but that could honestly change at the drop of a hat. In this form of role playing it is the character that is important, far more than the plot. The more fleshed out your character is, the easier it is to predict what they may do next and work with or around it.
So you say you want to rp but don't know how to get started. My first words to you is read... read... read...
Take a little time to read some of the posts in the threads, all of them if the thread is fairly new, see if the thread is accepting new characters . PM the thread's moderator and see if they are willing to let a newcomer in. Some are rather selective, others like the ones we have in our guild are fairly free based. Then create your character in your mind and dive in. For me, it is a matter of seeing myself as the character I'm playing, how would I react to what the other person is doing and so far. Each of us plays our characters a little differently.
As for the HMS Jade Corner... we prefer to keep our tales flexible. This allows for a certain amount of freedom. You will notice that our settings can be a bit sketchy at times, but many really do have a certain structure. There is the ship itself... each character has a cabin (you too, if you decide to join us)... a galley (that's Kero's realm of expertise)... the crow's nest (for a fox, Lyssan shows an uncanny predilection for heights), the captain's room (Austin is no longer with us, but Prince Noir has kindly stepped into the role), Yuki's lab (actually it is her cabin, but how she sleeps in there I will never know... but hey, mad scientists are like that you know...) and then there is Link, our ship's lovable handyman, who appears without warning to clean up after us when we go a bit too far (though he's been known to toss in a monkey wrench from time to time as well). Feel free to challenge us to a duel, we love them... we are pirates after all. Take us on a treasure hunt or let's go hunt Moby d**k (haven't troubled him for awhile). Or create one of your own... or jump into one of the four active threads... yeah even the serious ones are open just figure out a good spot and report in for active duty... we'll find a way to fit you in.
I hope this rambling rant has helped a bit. If not, ask away, I'll do my best to be more clear. pirate
Role Playing can take many forms, from the involved to the light and simple. Take a look at some of the role playing threads in the forums and you will see what I mean.
Some rp threads are done in the form of a detailed story, where everything is spelled out, hopefully in clear and understandable English (or whatever language you prefer...). In this form you borrow the other character(s) and use them as props in your tale. (promising of course not to permanently damage them in any way... unless it is agreeable by all parties involved). In this form of rp, you are actually writing a story, with each person involved writing small separate chapters that play off one another.
In others, the setting and storyline are completely laid out and people act accordingly. Some are rather involved, others less so.
And then there is the immersion form, in which the characters are an extension of your avi or self. In this form the settings are usually spelled out, but not entirely cut in stone allowing the players to flesh them out as they interact.. in these the player interactions and plot are loose and flexible. (give you two guesses which form this guild uses. wink ) This form allows for freer involvement, anyone can join. All they need to do is figure out a reasonable... or not so reasonable way to enter into the picture. It also offers a bit more freedom to the plot line... "plots... what plots... we have not stinking plots"... Ignore that little rant, because it really isn't true, but as I said they are extremely flexible. Right now we have four active rp's going. The two older ones were once lighthearted and fun, now they are deadly serious... but that could honestly change at the drop of a hat. In this form of role playing it is the character that is important, far more than the plot. The more fleshed out your character is, the easier it is to predict what they may do next and work with or around it.
So you say you want to rp but don't know how to get started. My first words to you is read... read... read...
Take a little time to read some of the posts in the threads, all of them if the thread is fairly new, see if the thread is accepting new characters . PM the thread's moderator and see if they are willing to let a newcomer in. Some are rather selective, others like the ones we have in our guild are fairly free based. Then create your character in your mind and dive in. For me, it is a matter of seeing myself as the character I'm playing, how would I react to what the other person is doing and so far. Each of us plays our characters a little differently.
As for the HMS Jade Corner... we prefer to keep our tales flexible. This allows for a certain amount of freedom. You will notice that our settings can be a bit sketchy at times, but many really do have a certain structure. There is the ship itself... each character has a cabin (you too, if you decide to join us)... a galley (that's Kero's realm of expertise)... the crow's nest (for a fox, Lyssan shows an uncanny predilection for heights), the captain's room (Austin is no longer with us, but Prince Noir has kindly stepped into the role), Yuki's lab (actually it is her cabin, but how she sleeps in there I will never know... but hey, mad scientists are like that you know...) and then there is Link, our ship's lovable handyman, who appears without warning to clean up after us when we go a bit too far (though he's been known to toss in a monkey wrench from time to time as well). Feel free to challenge us to a duel, we love them... we are pirates after all. Take us on a treasure hunt or let's go hunt Moby d**k (haven't troubled him for awhile). Or create one of your own... or jump into one of the four active threads... yeah even the serious ones are open just figure out a good spot and report in for active duty... we'll find a way to fit you in.
I hope this rambling rant has helped a bit. If not, ask away, I'll do my best to be more clear. pirate
