Is attempting to Role Play that common?

carljokl

I have been playing ESO for a couple of years now. I haven't really come across much effort to try and role play.

I don't know if it is more prevalent on certain platforms / in certain regions.

I haven't had any practice of it because I haven't had a group of people who were into that.

If anything it seems like a kind of "Anti Roleplay" is more prevalent. I would define this as practices by some who seem to go out of their way to pour the real world into the Elder Scrolls space to the point of really shattering the immersion. This is commonly things like blasting their modern music loudly through the area chat or discussing through voice or chat very real world matters.

It is kind of hard to immerse yourself in the Eldernroot rich world and culture of the Bosmer culture with loud urban music blasting out and having people discussing their plans for getting another batch of weed to smoke. Though this has taught me that area chat is best left turned off.

I am intrigued by Roleplay. I don't know how good I would be at it. I would be interested in trying it out. It seems to look like from the threads that most likely I would have to join a specialist guild to do it. I am a little apprehensive about swapping guilds to try out something that I do not yet know for sure if I will enjoy.

driosketch

Sounds like you are on console. I know on PC there are truly dedicated RP groups. It's probably easier because it usually involves typing rather than voice chat.

Pheefs

On the PC side of things, sometimes you can't walk into an Inn without bumping into RP...
some of it quite terrible! some of it really high quality!

but mostly its entertaining & casual & people "living" the adventure.
A big factor of RP in any game is just online times, you need to find some people on at similar times to you who are doing RP you might want to participate in.
Fledgling Vampires & Tavern Keepers & Mercenaries & Mages... what kind of RP appeals?
& you should be able to hang around with them a bit before you join anything, or give one guild slot specifically for RP Mode & shop around until you find yours.

Have Fun & Good Luck!

carljokl

I did suspect the PC crowd would be more inclined to Role Play. I don't think I have ever encountered people trying to Role Play on PS4/NA.

Glenmorils

For me, a console player, role playing is more about creating and adhering to a lore based concept for my character and coming up with stories for them. It isn’t necessarily about interacting with other characters, but about having ideas, thinking about your characters place and role in the story and world presented, decorating houses and customizing appearance to fit your characters personality and backstory... it’s kind of a personal roleplay, I do the same in Skyrim and other single player games.

I wish I could RP for real sometimes, but I’ve come too far on console to switch. Besides, I feel as though RPing would detract from the content sometimes, as there’s only so much time I have to play.

Morgul667

I find RP community very small in TESO compared to what I saw before on other games

jircris11

carljokl wrote: »

I have been playing ESO for a couple of years now. I haven't really come across much effort to try and role play.

I don't know if it is more prevalent on certain platforms / in certain regions.

I haven't had any practice of it because I haven't had a group of people who were into that.

If anything it seems like a kind of "Anti Roleplay" is more prevalent. I would define this as practices by some who seem to go out of their way to pour the real world into the Elder Scrolls space to the point of really shattering the immersion. This is commonly things like blasting their modern music loudly through the area chat or discussing through voice or chat very real world matters.

It is kind of hard to immerse yourself in the Eldernroot rich world and culture of the Bosmer culture with loud urban music blasting out and having people discussing their plans for getting another batch of weed to smoke. Though this has taught me that area chat is best left turned off.

I am intrigued by Roleplay. I don't know how good I would be at it. I would be interested in trying it out. It seems to look like from the threads that most likely I would have to join a specialist guild to do it. I am a little apprehensive about swapping guilds to try out something that I do not yet know for sure if I will enjoy.

PC has tons of TP mainly in taverns. I know withered tree in riften is popular.

Atahli

I've recently joined up and I'm certainly interested in roleplaying. I have to admit, I haven't found any other roleplayers in game, just yet!

Beardimus

The music down the mic morons drive me mad, I just report then for audio ASBO

kylewwefan

Yes. And they are somewhat off. Doing their own thing. The few I’ve encountered anyways.

Maybe they were advanced role players or something. Like a weird fetish or cult I’d rather not know about.

I subscribe to the kill stuff don’t die crowd though. So I guess different strokes for different folks.

Steer clear of the role players. They are the reason there is no children in Tamriel. No doubt.

Elsonso

jircris11 wrote: »

PC has tons of TP mainly in taverns. I know withered tree in riften is popular.

This explains where all the toilet paper goes..

I see role players all the time on PC, as has been noted. I can't see how it would work as well on consoles with voice chat, since it would totally break immersion for the cute female Dark Elf in the corner to sound like a male from Jersey. For that reason, I would expect that most console RP is text chat, like on PC. The barrier for text chat on consoles is higher, though, since one needs the optional keyboard connected to the console.

I agree that the background noise and music from the room other players are in is not really something that puts me in an Elder Scrolls mood. When I played on PS4, I turned voice chat off.

carljokl

I know that it is said that Voice Chat typically doesn't work. Having a British accent, I could pull off role playing some of the races.

notimetocare

Morgul667 wrote: »

I find RP community very small in TESO compared to what I saw before on other games

Tons have gone into hiding since housing. Hiding in houses, not from rp xD

Mureel

Hello I'm Mureel, and I've at times sort of role played xD All by myself, and after I look round to see no one's watching, but I've /kneel and /bow and other stuff like that at points where it seems I should/my character would. I haven't done that many quests - but a few, I did let myself get involved.

I can't even remember the ones where I was moved to do that, but when I was, I went with it.

If you tell anyone I'll deny it

Elsonso

Mureel wrote: »

Hello I'm Mureel, and I've at times sort of role played xD All by myself, and after I look round to see no one's watching, but I've /kneel and /bow and other stuff like that at points where it seems I should/my character would. I haven't done that many quests - but a few, I did let myself get involved.


If you tell anyone I'll deny it

You do have to be careful. I was accidentally witnessed praying in some temple and was asked if I wanted to join an RP guild. I think they hide in the corners waiting for someone to come along and emote.

Mureel

lordrichter wrote: »

Mureel wrote: »

Hello I'm Mureel, and I've at times sort of role played xD All by myself, and after I look round to see no one's watching, but I've /kneel and /bow and other stuff like that at points where it seems I should/my character would. I haven't done that many quests - but a few, I did let myself get involved.


If you tell anyone I'll deny it

You do have to be careful. I was accidentally witnessed praying in some temple and was asked if I wanted to join an RP guild. I think they hide in the corners waiting for someone to come along and emote.

This!

SantieClaws

Khajiit once tried to roleplay an elf yes.

However she just could not get her nose high enough in the air without the whiskers tickling the ears.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

Iselin

Times and the player base has changed. It used to be common in the early days of MMOs that almost everyone did light RP as the standard way to play. By "light RP" I mean just the casual things we do and say in games that help us pretend we're a real character in a real world. It was very normal to use the prefix OOC (out of character) when you wanted to say something external to the game world.

I've never been a fan of heavy RP where players create their own stories and dramas and act them out. It's very rarely done well and it requires at least a couple of people doing it who have some honest to goodness talent in improv theater to pull off well. Most of the time it's just lame attempts with no talent.

But after MMOs became mainstream and all kinds of different players started playing them, a self-conscious "it's just a game and we shouldn't take it seriously" attitude became predominant. It's not just us old RPG nerds who play MMOs any more so the bulk of the player base is nervous about RP and think it's all just an excuse for ERP.

It's nothing of the sort. At its best it's just a simple and casual willing suspension of disbelief that helps you and everyone else around you immerse and enjoy the game more by chatting in a game contextual way while we play.

Itacira

Here and there, when I want to compliment someone on their mount, I write them a RP-ish whisper. Every single time so far I've had very kind but completely OOC replies (most inviting me to find said mount in the crown store). The play dosn't take.

Once though, I found myself breaking and entering houses for some loot on the same farming path as a COLD BLOODED MURDERER OF NPCs which is very much beneath my main orc's morals, and I'm already stretching it very far to allow myself the convenience of stealing recipes and stuff. We traded some fun RP messages. The conclusion of it all was that the day the Dark Brotherhood put a contract on my head that specific player would come for me. BRRRRR

Still, fun. In a very "watch-your-back" kind of way.

LifenLemons

carljokl wrote: »

I did suspect the PC crowd would be more inclined to Role Play. I don't think I have ever encountered people trying to Role Play on PS4/NA.

Im on your platform. I want to try it out too. Did you manage to check it out? Did you find anything?

Ansuzgardaraivo

Actually this is the only way I can play. I don't do things I believe my character wouldn't do. I don't accept quests I believe my character wouldn't accept. I don't pay attention to how good the item is if I simply like it (or not). I don't care how useful or powerful a skill or ability is if I just like it (or not) and if it fits my character.

I don't wear helmets because... my character doesn't wear helmets. (Yes, I know I could hide it.)
I don't kill wolfs and bears.
I don't use fire magic.
I don't wear heavy armor.
I don't wear certain styles of outfit.
I don't steal.
I don't run while in town.
I hang out with my goat.
I read books.
I sightsee.

I just can't see a point in doing everything only to make my character more powerful.
And I couldn't care less about finding the best build or best combination of powers only to make my character perform better.
And that's the best play style I've ever known. Not only in ESO.

yvaN_ehT_nioJ

I try to talk "in character." Sometimes othre people do the same and that's fun. Other times, most really, and perhaps it's the times I'm online, but most don't bother. I'm playing as a Dunmer in Morrowind right now and youd be surprised out how many dullards haven't heard of ALMSIVI!

Iselin wrote: »

I've never been a fan of heavy RP where players create their own stories and dramas and act them out. It's very rarely done well and it requires at least a couple of people doing it who have some honest to goodness talent in improv theater to pull off well. Most of the time it's just lame attempts with no talent.

+1
I can see it being fun but yeah, that and it seems like people trying to act out a melodrama or something. I guess the thing for me with that would be if they're trying to force these plots/subplots/what-have-you. I like the talking IC thing and I guess if something happens naturally, great! That sort of thing like what you describe seems forced but that's from the outside looking in. I've not played ESO since the beta and prior to that my MMO exp was with EVE Online back around 2008/2009!

Starlock

When I first started playing ESO, I almost quit the game entirely within the first couple days because of other players doing stupid $#@% that was ruining my experience. I came into the game to treat it the same way I do any other single player RPG - create a character, stick to their concept, and run my own storylines. I had no interest in any social aspects of the game or playing with others. I played the game that way for around the first year or so. My favorite times were once I hit Cadwell's Silver - back when One Tamriel was not a thing - because when I quested in the zones I would be almost the only one there. It was like playing a single player game. These days, things are different, but you can still play the game that way, more or less.

I agree with the observations that RP culture doesn't seem built into this MMO. My only MMO experience before ESO wasn't technically an MMO at all, but their forerunners called MUDs. In MUDs, you had ones dedicated to role-playing so it was just an expectation that people would be doing role-play. Here in ESO, there's an expectation that you chase the meta, look for best-in-slot gear, and all this other crap I don't give two $#@%'s about. You just gotta take it in stride, and do your own thing. I'm happiest in this game when I play it how I want to and ignore the folks going "but you should use this gear, and this ability, and blah, blah, blah."

Auldjohn

kylewwefan wrote: »

Yes. And they are somewhat off. Doing their own thing. The few I’ve encountered anyways.

Maybe they were advanced role players or something. Like a weird fetish or cult I’d rather not know about.

I subscribe to the kill stuff don’t die crowd though. So I guess different strokes for different folks.

Steer clear of the role players. They are the reason there is no children in Tamriel. No doubt.

Role playing for aficionados adds to game immersion and builds a player's involvement with their character. Some enjoy imagining the character's back story, with or without Lore.

The point of RP is to Have Fun!!

In-game ZOS music offers audio cues and adds to game play.

xAk_MoRRoWiNdx

You can always NOT go into area chat and turn it off........
And you don't see the countless names along the vein of "sylvanas windstrider" and "blah blah blah targaryan" "Connor of Northern Shadows" or whatever? I'd say those are definitely RP'ers.....

Bladerunner1

People attempting roleplay in random places was more common before housing was released. Now, with the exception of a tavern or two it's rare to see gatherings of RPers out and about and that means there are fewer attempts by those would-be RPers passing through quest areas. That means fewer RPers joining a community in my opinion.

I never got into RP on any MMO in the past, it just seemed too weird to me at the time.
But I ran across some RP on ESO inside a cave years ago and decided to give it a try. It was around the time I was growing tired of questing and thinking of trying a different game. After some out-of-character communication and a little research into RP it turned out to be an amazing experience. The people I had found weren't just piddling around, they poured a lot of effort into making their character fit into the lore and they were plotting in ways that seemed to fit perfectly into an Elder Scrolls story. I had found a quest that wasn't a repeat, and the ending was determined with the help of my character's actions. What more could I ask for? It required a lot out of me as well, RP is only good if you help make it good, and that meant taking time to learn the setting and character I had been playing until then.

CyberSkooma

Morgul667 wrote: »

I find RP community very small in TESO compared to what I saw before on other games

Agreed which was a huge letdown for me. I don't want to have to join a guild and write my characters up to get some decent RP in. In other MMO's I've always been able to bump into RP'rs in taverns or walking together on the roads. Doesn't happen too often here on TESO.

I think you can blame part of it on the instancing. For example, you never know which instance of (town-name-here) you're in, nor are you able to drop down a menu and switch to a more populated instance. This leads to a community split that can make certain zones feel dead even if they might not be on other instances.

Freddycruz89

#RPISNOTDEAD

MAESTER'S ORDER

goldenflameslinger

In my years of playing, I have only had one RP'er in a guild with me. This was back around launch so it has been quite a while. He was a Khajiit, talked like one the whole time, never broke character....even referred to himself in the 3rd person. Since he never broke character, everyone just kinda accepted him like that and I can't say it bothered anyone. Dude eventually quit because of school or something and I have not run into another RP'er since.

I find that, in general, people do a lot less voice chat than they used to so I can understand why RP is in decline. Once in awhile, I run into a pack of werewolves, but I really don't think of that as RP. (Guess that is going to be on the uptick with new release).

WhiteCoatSyndrome

I've not seen any on PC recently, but I'd been under the impression it was a combination of less time to play on my part and the introduction of housing giving the serious RP-ers a place to RP where they aren't going to be interrupted.

Nayawin14

Glenmorils wrote: »

For me, a console player, role playing is more about creating and adhering to a lore based concept for my character and coming up with stories for them. It isn’t necessarily about interacting with other characters, but about having ideas, thinking about your characters place and role in the story and world presented, decorating houses and customizing appearance to fit your characters personality and backstory...

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

I've not seen any on PC recently, but I'd been under the impression it was a combination of less time to play on my part and the introduction of housing giving the serious RP-ers a place to RP where they aren't going to be interrupted.

I agree, and soon I d like to make a separate post on the different ways of roleplaying and also the difficulty you will encounter by achieving those different ways.

What is fun is that by definition, every people taking part in a MMORPG and creating it's own character should already be seen as a role-player. However, most people don't see this and consider engaged role-play an extravagant thing, that can potentially prevent them from succeeding in others end-game aspects... resulting in a huge cleavage between the experienced players: most ending trapped as the so-called "role-players", versus the ones that don't risk anymore any fantasy in game and finish chilling on vocals and treating their characters as dead-entities unfortunately necessary to interact with the game environment!