7 Features to improve RP in ESO

Roneth

In most MMORPGs, role-playing isn't really too large a part of the game. There is always at least some level of lore, but the focus is always on great game mechanics. The vast majority of players generally aren't interested in hardcore role-playing. With that said, it's still very important to support the RP community (which is usually a loyal crowd) with features that assist role-playing activities. I would love an update from Zenimax that would focus on the following features...

1.) Looking for RPers (in LFG Tool)
Zenimax should add the ability to find other RPers by adding an option to search for RPers in the Looking for Group Tool. The biggest problem in ESO for RPers is finding other RPers. Lastly, add title of "Roleplayer" so when people mouse over you, you are easily identifiable.

2.) Chat Bubbles & RP Chat Channel
This feature may go against the vision of a clean UI, but chat bubbles would be appreciated by many players as a way to determine who is actually talking. While some people have no problem role-playing without this feature, it makes it extremely difficult for others. Players can toggle chat bubbles on/off in Options Menu. The developers should also consider adding a chat channel dedicated to RP. This channel would be heavily moderated by Zenimax.

3.) Dedicated RP Zone
I would love to see a dedicated RP zone added to ESO. This zone would be very small (e.g. instanced town). This zone would allow role-players to come together in one place to build strong relationships, which ultimately strengthens the RP community at-large. This zone would be heavily moderated by Zenimax.

4.) Mentoring System
Zenimax needs to add a mentoring system. Basically, this system would allow higher level players to be scaled down to their lower level friends. This system allows them to adventure together without removing the challenge whereby trivializing the content. A lack of mentoring makes it very difficult to reasonably help friends through PVE content. Basically, I would love more downscaling options to allow more players to connect and play together.

5.) Dice Roller
I've been in RP events where the DM uses the game's /roll function to generate a random number to determine the outcome of any action. This is by far the simplest request. The developers should add d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d100 dice rollers to the game. The number generated would be displayed to other players in the group.

6.) Character Backstory
Zenimax should add the ability to create character backstories in-game. To see another players backstory, you would simply type "/charinfo name" or aim your targeting reticule and a new option "backstory" would appear on the interact prompt. This allows you to feel more connected with your character, which ultimately increases immersion. People could write several basic facts about their character, or even write a more elaborate short story. Obviously, the use of profanity or obscene language is prohibited. This feature would take very little development time, but would add tremendous breadth to our characters. Players can toggle in Options Menu to show backstory to all players or friends only.

7.) Holiday Events (based on Tamriellic Calendar)
The developers really need to consider adding seasonal holidays events for special occasions, which are based on the Tamriellic Calendar. Having costumes based on holiday events would allow role-players to fully immerse themselves into the game's universe. Adding holiday events would also make the world feel more alive while giving players more content to enjoy, such as holiday specific quests, achievements, and recipes, etc.

Ser Lobo

I'm a big negative on events, UNLESS ...

They were independent to each zone/race. And not tied to real-life events. I don't mind a bunch of Nords celebrating 'all drunks day', and being really festive, but I see no reason why wood elves would do the same.

In-game holidays make me shudder. Damn you, Life Day Celebrations. You and your fuzzy ewoks.

I still wake up in the middle of the night hearing that 'chub chub' song.

Roneth

Anyone else have any thoughts on above suggestions? I'm curious what the community thinks.

UrQuan

ruze84b14_ESO wrote: »

In-game holidays make me shudder. Damn you, Life Day Celebrations. You and your fuzzy ewoks.

Cheer up, have a Wookiee-ookiee.

Seriously, have you ever actually seen the Star Wars Holiday Special? I've seen a bootleg of about half of it... Hoo boy, there's a reason Lucasfilm has buried it deep and tried to pretend it never happened.

UrQuan

OK, going through your ideas in order from the point of view of someone who isn't a hard core RPer by any means (but who definitely has a streak of RPing in him, as he's played pen and paper RPGs for over 20 years, and who has now inexplicably found himself talking about himself in the third person for no good reason).

Roneth wrote: »

1.) Looking for RPers (in LFG Tool)

Honestly, I think the LFG tool needs some serious attention first before any thought is given to adding a LFRP tool. Having said that, I'm not opposed to the idea in principal. I wouldn't use it, but I can see how it could be useful for others. I just think that the more essential "LF" tool needs the attention first.

Roneth wrote: »

2.) Chat Bubbles & RP Chat Channel

Chat bubbles have already been announced as being on the way (although I don't know if they've given any indication as to when). The feeling I've got is that they will be a feature that you can enable or disable as you desire, so that those for whom it would break immersion won't have to see them. At least I hope this is the case, as I know I don't want to see them. Having an RP chat channel seems like a good (and easy) idea to implement.

Roneth wrote: »

3.) Dedicated RP Zone

I don't really see any problems with this idea either. Such a zone would be the kind of place that I might visit on rare occasions, but that I would largely stay away from. It seems like it would be a good way for RPers to meet and interact with other RPers without irritating those who get irritated by such things in the rest of the game (not that I really understand those people - if you don't like the people RPing, just ignore them).

Roneth wrote: »

4.) Mentoring System

This would be great for so many reasons - not just for RPing. Heck, this would solve the problem I have where I constantly find myself out-leveling the group dungeons before I get around to doing them, forcing me to shout out LFG in zone chat because I'm too high level to use the grouping tool for them.

Roneth wrote: »

5.) Dice Roller

Coming from a pen and paper background where the DM always had a screen behind which rolls were made, I don't really see the point in this. Turning your dice rolls over to a random number generator where the results are easily visible to everyone makes it impossible for the DM to fudge the results! Fudging results to ensure a more enjoyable session is a time-honoured tradition (and one which must never be used for evil). Having said that, I also don't see a problem with implementing such a feature. It should be pretty easy.

Roneth wrote: »

6.) Character Backstory

I'd like this. All 16 of my characters have mini backstories in my head (2 of them are cousins). Having a place to write those backstories up where anyone who is interested could read them (or not) would be nice. Not a high priority for me by any means, but it would be nice.

Roneth wrote: »

7.) Holiday Events (based on Tamriellic Calendar)

This is something that IMO they would have to be very careful about. This is the kind of thing that could be great if implemented well, and terrible if implemented poorly. It could either be a fun, interesting thing for people to enjoy or ignore as they desire, or it could be annoying and intrusive.

ItsMeToo

NO to Chat Bubbles! I don't want to see them even when I RP.

Wolfshead

Honest holiday events (based on Tamriellic Calendar) would be nice to have why should only WoW and SWTOR have them but what need to do is keep those events fresh not like blizzard the just copy and past every year nothing new at all so people just get bored in WoW.

rynth

I think it would be cool for races to celebrate holidays kind of cool see how each race sets up their festivities.

As to an rp area I think that would be cool, but unfortunately this is an MMO and you know any area is going to have massive amounts of a-holes screwing things up to the point where no one would go to that area.

I wouldn't mind a backstory area on character that people could look at....sort of like Neverwinter nights the single player game.

Not a big fan of chat bubbles, we have guild chat, group chat and so forth.

Dice I could take or leave, since not playing pen and paper anymore

diamondeyethunderbow_ESO

While 6 and 7 have potential merit (although in the case of 7 I would prefer to see genuinely Tamrielic holidays rather than the re-skins of real holidays that plague WoW and EQ2) I don't see that the others are really terribly helpful to roleplayers. The best thing for RP is to get into an RP guild and.. well, RP.

Sethyss

It looks like the game already has the mechanics to add phases to any given location (usually to the detriment of players trying to group for a quest), so why can they not add a static RP phase that is always there to step in and out of as players choose.

That way roleplayers should have no trouble finding eachother.

There would of course be people entering that phase just to troll people, but then that happens in pretty much every mmorpg with a RP community.

isengrimb16_ESO

RE: Fudging rolls. I suppose whoever is in charge of that sort of thing in a group can declare a "secret" roll, in which you trust them to use their own dice (physical ones on their own desk, perhaps. What, I still have mine!) I used to do that in IRC; sometimes it didn't do to use DiceBot. IRC was fun for little pick-up games; I wonder if that still goes on? It's been so many years ...

Chat bubbles: Hopefully, Zen will make them togglable. I wouldn't mind them for certain situations, and would certainly use it, but no, I wouldn't want them all the time.

A little scroll with your backstory just kind of goes without saying.

As for holidays .. yeah, that can be tricky. WoW's are based on real holidays, which is kind of lame, for one, and causes some odd butthurt amongst non-Americans sometimes (I dunno, if they want to have their fireworks on the 4th of July, well, it is an American company) ... and never mind the can of worms that anything that smacks of "Christmas" opens any more.

The thing is, there are so many peoples who probably all have their own holidays (in Tamriel) ... maybe they could introduce holiday events gradually, and try to keep it down to one every month or two? As for variety, yeah, it is kind of disappointing that WoW never really changes their holidays up much - but that's because the achievements for them don't change, either. Maybe just don't tie achievements to the thing, so that people who don't want to bother won't feel compelled to. Then it would be easier to change up the holidays (or celebrate different ones every year) without anyone complaining about not being able to get the 'cheeves.

But honestly, I can't really see them adding things like holidays for a while, since they already have so much development brewing as it is. Give it a couple of years maybe, after they've opened a few more zones, and added housing (holiday decorations for around the house? Sure!)

zgrssd

Roneth wrote: »

1.) Looking for RPers (in LFG Tool)

2.) Chat Bubbles & RP Chat Channel

3.) Dedicated RP Zone

4.) Mentoring System

5.) Dice Roller

6.) Character Backstory

7.) Holiday Events (based on Tamriellic Calendar)

To 1)
That seems simple enough.
Adding Public dungeons to it would also help me personally a lot, as I have oddly difficulty finding players for public dungeons

To 2)
Opt-in Chat bubbles are in development. Plus there are some addons that immitate them more or less well.

I am not sure what they have planned for the chat channels (and if custom channels will come back), but right now they have 20 Channels that are jsut not in use. I would not mind a dedicated RP channel (plus another 20 for the not enabeled Combat Log funcionality).
Don't think moderation is nessesary - if people post OOC stuff in the /RP channel, it would just have to be a reportable offense.
Note that many roleplayers already use /say and /emote channels for this purpose. Other people only use /say accidently (they wanted to write in /zone).

To 3)
By design it is not possible to actively choose wich isntance/phase you land in. I think even just adding a RP channel to areas (maybe same range as /say) would help a lot.

To 4)
The bigger issue is actually getting properly phased up with your teammates. That issue has to be solved first. Afterwards a mentoring/sidekick system can be implemented. It's not dismiliar to the PvP equality buff.

To 5)
The only question here is how much trust you place into the client. If the answer is none, they have to do it server side so a slightly higher load there. But overall RN Generators are not that hard to run.
It might also help in group content when distributing loot (I tend to post every blue or better gear I cannot use in groupchat, so others can need on it).

To 6)
If they do it, it will propably come after the "Inspec Players gear" function.
The problem is that it does not work well with console UI, where typing long texts is the issue

To 7)
We are barely in the 4th month. Don't know of any MMO that had events that early after release.
Propably within a year after launch something like this will be added.

Dovel

Custom Chat Channels would aid greatly in RP, and other areas of the game also.

smeeprocketnub19_ESO

ruze84b14_ESO wrote: »

I'm a big negative on events, UNLESS ...

They were independent to each zone/race. And not tied to real-life events. I don't mind a bunch of Nords celebrating 'all drunks day', and being really festive, but I see no reason why wood elves would do the same.

In-game holidays make me shudder. Damn you, Life Day Celebrations. You and your fuzzy ewoks.

I still wake up in the middle of the night hearing that 'chub chub' song.

there are hundreds of holidays in Tamriel and they are all regional. So no, different places do not have the same holidays. It's already on the books.

But who says no to events anyway lol

But no, we don't need a dedicated RP zone or lfrp stuff.

UrQuan

zgrssd wrote: »

Opt-in Chat bubbles are in development.

Has it been confirmed that the chat bubbles will be opt-in? I know that a lot of people (myself included) have been assuming (hoping) that they will be, but I haven't seen anything official on it.

zgrssd wrote: »

Note that many roleplayers already use /say and /emote channels for this purpose. Other people only use /say accidently (they wanted to write in /zone).

I use /say quite regularly for non-rp purposes (ie. when waiting for a boss to spawn and wanting to talk to the other random folks doing the same thing, when getting ready to do a dolmen, asking questions about a quest I'm on that others in the area might be on, etc). But yeah, I don't disagree with anything in your post.

Bleakraven

Stealing Ur-Quan's formatting (really liked it!)

Roneth wrote: »

1.) Looking for RPers (in LFG Tool)

Would love this, complete with little checkboxes for what kind of RP such as: tavern/chat, adventure, casual, hardcore, combat, etc.

Roneth wrote: »

2.) Chat Bubbles & RP Chat Channel

I'm up for an RP-Say, RP-Shout and RP-emote that would only be visible to players who would tag themselves for rp with an emote like /RP (so they're marked as currently in-character and up for RP)

Roneth wrote: »

3.) Dedicated RP Zone

Not too sure on this one, I think if we have the other tools we will be fine without a dedicated RP zone. Unless it's like a housing zone. Where we could make houses into taverns, shops, guild halls, etc.

Roneth wrote: »

4.) Mentoring System

I think something like this might be in the works already

Roneth wrote: »

5.) Dice Roller

Useful for everyone, why not?

Roneth wrote: »

6.) Character Backstory

Thousand times yes! This always let's a player describe their characters beyond their appearance without having to write 30 lines describing their character while they are trying to say something else. "big description, a bit more, yup still a bit more, and then she says: "I agree".

Roneth wrote: »

7.) Holiday Events (based on Tamriellic Calendar)

As said before, only if it's regional/race only. I really do not want real-life holidays translated into Tamriel. It tends to be obnoxious and out of character for even NPCs...

Thank you for your suggestions! Always good to see the RP community speaking up

Roneth

Zenimax, lets make this happen!

smeeprocketnub19_ESO

Bleakraven wrote: »

Stealing Ur-Quan's formatting (really liked it!)

Roneth wrote: »

1.) Looking for RPers (in LFG Tool)

Would love this, complete with little checkboxes for what kind of RP such as: tavern/chat, adventure, casual, hardcore, combat, etc.

Roneth wrote: »

2.) Chat Bubbles & RP Chat Channel

I'm up for an RP-Say, RP-Shout and RP-emote that would only be visible to players who would tag themselves for rp with an emote like /RP (so they're marked as currently in-character and up for RP)

Roneth wrote: »

3.) Dedicated RP Zone

Not too sure on this one, I think if we have the other tools we will be fine without a dedicated RP zone. Unless it's like a housing zone. Where we could make houses into taverns, shops, guild halls, etc.

Roneth wrote: »

4.) Mentoring System

I think something like this might be in the works already

Roneth wrote: »

5.) Dice Roller

Useful for everyone, why not?

Roneth wrote: »

6.) Character Backstory

Thousand times yes! This always let's a player describe their characters beyond their appearance without having to write 30 lines describing their character while they are trying to say something else. "big description, a bit more, yup still a bit more, and then she says: "I agree".

Roneth wrote: »

7.) Holiday Events (based on Tamriellic Calendar)

As said before, only if it's regional/race only. I really do not want real-life holidays translated into Tamriel. It tends to be obnoxious and out of character for even NPCs...

Thank you for your suggestions! Always good to see the RP community speaking up

What exactly is hardcore RP?

Roneth

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

What exactly is hardcore RP?

Not sure?

indytims_ESO

I like all of the suggestions, especially dice-roller, RP chat channel, and Mentoring system.

You can find all of these in EQ2, and they are done well there. I am sure other games might have them as well.

Akula

1/5/6 OK. Those won't take a lot of resources away from the real pressing issues that the majority of the community wants.

But the rest is going to to take a lot of resources to accommodate a small fraction of the population. To say that Z has to "heavily moderate" these role player zones is just silly. RP are a small minority of players. Always have been always will be. Historically RP servers are a small (yet highly dedicated) bunch. But outside of having a dedicated server (in a server architectural game), I really dont see the need to have added resources thrown in the direction of a small special interest group anything else but a waste of resources.

Bleakraven

Roneth wrote: »

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

What exactly is hardcore RP?

Not sure?

Casual RP means you roleplay in a more casual manner and you do not have a target or pre-written/planned story to follow with you character(s). You just meet up and chat, go on adventures together, etc, but with no clear goal in mind such as "and then we get jumped on by bandits and my character will be wounded" and so on.

Hardcore RP is RP that is planned or less freeform and contributes to an overall character or guild story, might have planned events (a betrayal, a fight, etc.)...

At least that's what I understand of it, sorry for the confusion. It was common in games I RP'd in before .

Eirikur

The problem with RPing is that if you engage in it, there's only a matter of time before a bronie with a fedora, who plays a female character, starts flirting with yours. At least that's my mental image of what people who flirt in MMOs are like.

Bleakraven

And then you can just keep roleplaying and tell them you're not interested IC or otherwise.

kassandratheclericb14_ESO

Bleakraven wrote: »

Roneth wrote: »

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

What exactly is hardcore RP?

Not sure?

Casual RP means you roleplay in a more casual manner and you do not have a target or pre-written/planned story to follow with you character(s). You just meet up and chat, go on adventures together, etc, but with no clear goal in mind such as "and then we get jumped on by bandits and my character will be wounded" and so on.

Hardcore RP is RP that is planned or less freeform and contributes to an overall character or guild story, might have planned events (a betrayal, a fight, etc.)...

At least that's what I understand of it, sorry for the confusion. It was common in games I RP'd in before .

That isn't really what I think of it as but I can see that. Probably all of us have a definition of this.

I always though of hardcore RP as someone that had an extensive character development and backstory. That would RP and be IC at all times (and didn't ride horses in the town areas or run everywhere but would walk.) That did not just RP when they were in town or what have you, but also RP in dungeons, PvP and any situation that offered interaction with other players.

Hardcore RP-ers typically were in heavy RP guilds and could participate in story arcs and wide reaching RP story lines but would respond as they believe their character actually would. They would also stay true to their character development even when it was not convenient to do so. So that if they were a good character they would not say..participate in thieves guild quests (or at last have a creative way for their character to do so. I once had a pretty good story as to why my character was running these same dungeon stories over again and again-as one does if grinding for maybe armor or something.) If they were a more shady character they would not suddenly have friendships with "good characters" in game and be inconsistent to their chosen path.

It can be surprisingly difficult to stay "in-character" in certain situations. I also think for myself anyway...hardcore RP also meant that "in character" actions would have "in character" repercussions. I was in a guild that your IC character could actually get "kicked out" of the "family" (the in game excuse for the guild if you will) for some behavior or story but of course your OOC person was still in this guild.

I never minded participating in stories or goals of other players but not to the extent that my character actions were scripted. There is great RP in participating in these things (say as a poor example someone plans to avenge their parents murderer-who maybe is an in game NPC and the story would be planned that much) but not having each step to get there worked out. Perhaps some folks would play their character to hinder this...or would be upset with that character if they reached this goal.

Bleakraven

Of course, maybe it could be re-worded as heavy or light RP instead? Always depends on the community and game.

kassandratheclericb14_ESO

Bleakraven wrote: »

Of course, maybe it could be re-worded as heavy or light RP instead? Always depends on the community and game.

Semantics I suppose? lol And as I said we all probably have widely varying definitions.

Selique

ItsMeToo wrote: »

NO to Chat Bubbles! I don't want to see them even when I RP.

Then turn them off? Duh...

Anyway, I like most of the suggestions, however I don't think ZoS would moderate any chat channels for zones strictly for RP (Would be nice though).

IG Holidays would have to be exclusive to Lore, and based around the Races that celebrate them. I don't want my Argonian to celebrate Breton Holidays for instance haha.

Chat Bubbles are a big thing for me. I can't wait to see them added.

For an RP zone, I don't think we need a place like that so much as we need an RP Phase, where everyone in said phase would be "flagged" for RP. That way you have more of a chance to run into RPers while out and about.

Character Backstory sheet? Yes please! SWG had this and it added detail to characters that IG mechanics could not, such as descriptions of gear, and injuries, as well as a short back story to the character in question. All you had to do was examine the player.

A dice roll system would also be helpful in determining random events in RP easier. I'd like to have it.

Good suggestions to help make RP easier in ESO for sure.

Azzuria

WTF is a 'bronie'?

kassandratheclericb14_ESO

Eirikur wrote: »

The problem with RPing is that if you engage in it, there's only a matter of time before a bronie with a fedora, who plays a female character, starts flirting with yours. At least that's my mental image of what people who flirt in MMOs are like.

People that flirt with random folks and of whom you are conjuring a mental image I don't consider "normal" role players. Are they RP-ing..yes I guess they are....but I guess I am an "RP elitist" when it comes to this issue in that kinda RP out of the blue, with no character or context and often with folks that may or may not be actual RP-ers.... is just an excuse for something else.

pinstripesc

Just some feedback -

As an RPer, stuff like calendars and the like aren't terribly important to me. I like to just RP when I come to a situation where it's warranted, which would be a lot easier if we could flag ourselves for it. Personally I think one of the easiest methods would just be giving us a title that denotes 'roleplayer' somehow.

Separate instances for RP would be ok, I guess, but they'd have to be done right. Maybe only in some places, or something? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't want to be in them all the time, because they'd be a lot quieter than the regular ones.

Custom chat channels would be handy, they'd remove the need to be in a big umbrella RP guild just to communicate with others. And chat bubbles, well, some RPers seem to love them, some don't at all, I'm kinda neither here nor there. If there was an option for on or off I suppose there's no downside.

The only thing I can really say I would like to see implemented for sure though is a flagging system.