What type of roleplayer are you in MMORPGs?

tinythinker

Pick the option that is the closest fit

The general types are immersion (a name, maybe some background, but then you just play), persona (you like to react or play on some level based on your character rather than just your real life self but you don't worry about a story arc or the history of specific actions in a story context), and dedicated (what your character says and does matters and becomes part of a story arc and the context of future events).

None are better worse than any other, they are simply different types (and degrees) of roleplaying. Persona players are typically fans of immersion, but do more than immersion-only players, and dedicated roleplayers, as the name suggests, go even further. But some only get as far as choosing a race, class, and faction in an MMORPG, while others are much more fluid and free-form in their RP behavior. And if none of those fit, there is always "Other".

NOTE: A character background doesn't have to be written out, just some idea you have in your head of your character's story. It can be vague, incomplete, or fluid rather than highly detailed or set in stone (and might be more fun that way to allow for consistent play or further development!).

Spacemonkey

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

Sometimes I trollplay

Totalitarian

Heavy immersion (lore and long background just for me or maybe a few others too)

I have a ton of background in the form of a psuedo-novel.

captainwolfos

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I don't do it often, because my friends are rarely online these days, but I love roleplaying.

I've probably stunted myself by picking the classes I like for RP reasons rather than for raw numbers, but I don't caaaaare.

I also talk about my characters and their stories more on tumblr than I do in game, but the game world, quests, and whatever new content appears helps me flesh them out.

menedhyn

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

I'm probably something like a dedicated roleplay type, but more recently I have dispensed with exhaustive background stories, complicated family histories and endless lists of traits, attributes and whatnot in favour of a much shorter summary (fits on one side of A4). This is usually in the form of a brief story or, preferably, an indirect characterisation.

I don't RP with others a great deal due to work family absolutely everything that ever existed getting in the way of gaming time it seems, and so I have to rely on solo RP.

I've probably stunted myself by picking the classes I like for RP reasons rather than for raw numbers, but I don't caaaaare

This is genuinely one of the most heartening things I have read in a long time. Ditto, btw.

Great poll, @tinythinker!

RDMyers65b14_ESO

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I have been RPing since 1979. Although I rarely RP anymore as the RP community has changed so much, I miss it and still consider myself a RPer.

newtinmpls

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

All of the above

Cat_with_Plates

Major persona play (you often interact, fight, or chat based on things like race/class/background/whatever but don't always worry about keeping track of a story)

I usually give my main character (sometimes main 2) a deep background and personality that I try to incorporate during gameplay as much as possible. I always try to match the background to end with the beginning of the game and from there anything I decide to do in-game I try to work into my character's story. I try to keep decisions somewhat in line with who I see my character to be, but also allow the things they see and experience to change their attitude and opinions.

I've only deliberately skipped one quest so far, simply because the mission was to seek revenge on a group of khajiit pirates. The Argonian who gave the quest said very mean things about the Khajiit and my character does not like to kill his own kind anyway so I just walked away.

KhajiitiLizard

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I don't roleplay in ESO but I do in GW2... even in a guild in that game that's all RP, whole storylines and everything. All my characters have lore appropriate names. Well, mine in ESO do too.

mchermie

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

ERP only

Ilsabet

Medium immersion (lore name and short background just for me)

I don't interact with other players in character, but my characters all have backstories and I think about what they would do in certain situations. With my main character I've definitely developed a sort of through-line in the story beyond just passively doing the quests, but it's all inside my own head (well, aside from the part of it I wrote out and posted in the fanfic forum).

Morimizo

Heavy immersion (lore and long background just for me or maybe a few others too)

I've always thought of my group of characters as a team in a story, and as I play, I think about how their conversations would be, what circumstances might necessitate them working together, and then ultimately write about them.

Krist

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I chose dedicated, but I do not dedicate to the game story arc, as no one can realistically be THE Vestige, because everyone is. I am completely dedicated to my own characters story, who they are, and what they are doing story-wise, or their stories past, on these boards compared to in-game.

With that said, I hardly ever get a chance to rp with anyone else. I do not see anyone around rp'ing or if I do it is very personal rp that I do not wish to interfere with, so I do subtle things to help their rp submersion for the small time I am around them and move on.

RDMyers65b14_ESO wrote: »

I have been RPing since 1979. Although I rarely RP anymore as the RP community has changed so much, I miss it and still consider myself a RPer.

That describes me, early 80s here. Cut my teeth on table top, but UO private rp shard was my rp Golden Time.

OrphanHelgen

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

dont even know what persona play means

tinythinker

Medium immersion (lore name and short background just for me)

OrphanHelgen wrote: »

dont even know what persona play means

tinythinker wrote: »

Pick the option that is the closest fit

The general types are immersion (a name, maybe some background, but then you just play), persona (you like to react or play on some level based on your character rather than just your real life self but you don't worry about a story arc or the history of specific actions in a story context), and dedicated (what your character says and does matters and becomes part of a story arc and the context of future events).

It is the middle ground between immersive play, where you have a lore friendly name and maybe a lore friendly background, an dedicated play, where you have a consistent fictional person (identity, personality, etc) but also keep track of details of previous adventures and where you are in a story. For persona play there is a persistent persona (identity, personality, etc), but you don't keep track of lots of details as part of a full session-to-session roleplay, where you lost a magic sword last time and were face to face with an evil wizard. Instead, you just chat with people as if you were your character but don't follow or participate in story arcs.

Ghanima_Atreides

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

My characters have lore-friendly names, full backgrounds and are part of the story; sometimes I even invent connections to various NPCs (based on my characters' attitude/relationships with them; for example, I play a shy Orc mage with a crush on Darien Gautier; another character is a distant relative of Abnur Tharn's). I will also avoid quests that strongly clash with a character concept; as such my less heroic characters will pass on "Help me find my dog" helpful stranger-type quests or the overly holy ones, but this is not a very strict rule I hold to, or I'd be passing on too many quests.

That being said I don't speak "in character" in chat or anywhere else; I'm me, my characters are separate. I just enjoy getting inside their heads as I play.

wayfarerx

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

I have some lore-friendly names and some hold-overs I use in other role playing contexts. Each of my characters has a back story as well as stories about how they came together and started working as a team.

Sometimes I play in character, but for some of my characters doing so is difficult. My khajiit, for example, is a murderous, selfish, cruel sociopath. Turns out that doesn't go over too well in a PUG and neither does explaining to guild mates "Hey I'm going to act like a complete ***-hat for the next couple hours because RP." That's why I run my healer in most groups, he's a compassionate, caring guy so he doesn't tend to turn people off.

newtinmpls

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

Krist wrote: »

I chose dedicated, but I do not dedicate to the game story arc, as no one can realistically be THE Vestige, because everyone is.

Ever looked at the words to the song Malukah sings at the end of the game? Basically there are "heroes" not just one; my take is that all the given "heroes" are functioning in a dragonbreak, and only we can see that each other are also in that role. From the "outside", yeah, it only looks like "one" vestige.... but it's not.

tinythinker

Medium immersion (lore name and short background just for me)

newtinmpls wrote: »

Krist wrote: »

I chose dedicated, but I do not dedicate to the game story arc, as no one can realistically be THE Vestige, because everyone is.

Ever looked at the words to the song Malukah sings at the end of the game? Basically there are "heroes" not just one; my take is that all the given "heroes" are functioning in a dragonbreak, and only we can see that each other are also in that role. From the "outside", yeah, it only looks like "one" vestige.... but it's not.

You mean like in the promo I came up with for the new main story ESO plans to adopt sometime later this year or early in 2017? I'll copy it here...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Promo of the upcoming multi-DLC spanning War of the Gods storyline...

Total darkness is broken by a flash, which reveals the image of The Hero, standing in a brightly lit portal. The image shifts from tall thin robed Breton to short Bosmer with a bow to a heavy armor clad Argonian to a dozen other shapes. The shifting form stretches, looks about, and slowly walks forward and is consumed by the darkness. [Goes with dialogue below]

Hero voiceover: Who are they? What is this vision you show me?
Azura voiceover: They fought alongside the Prophet and his companions to thwart the will of Molag Bal.
Hero voiceover: But I--
Azura voiceover: --cannot see as we do.

An animated battle scene shows The Hero fighting the Worm Cult in Tamriel and the forces of Molag Bal in Coldharbour. Unlike the last scene, one Hero is shown at a time, though the cuts in the action continue to switch from one Hero to another, even within the same fight.

Meridia voiceover: The Soul Burst ruptured the fabric of time, creating thousands of moments, any one of which Molag Bal could seize and forge into the future. In each of those moments a champion arose to defeat him.
Hero voiceover: Different moments?
Merdia voiceover: Yes. Each with the potential to solidify into the future all of Tamriel must face. Each mortal chosen sees the world as if they were the only one, and the world treats them as such, yet many of those you call ally, or foe, or have yet to meet, see the world the same way. You have all proven yourself, and those that survived are being called upon once more.
Hero voiceover: Why?


Images of warped and strange impossible landscapes and bizarre creatures from various planes of Oblivion. A shot of Coldharbour. A vista of Tamriel with bizzare dark crimson clouds forming and thickening overhead. A group of Heroes gathering one by one and assessing each other cautiously while keeping an eye on the menacing clouds above.

Azura voiceover: Because there are other threats to Nirn. There are those who see Molag Bal's defeat as an opening; who see the rise of mortal champions who can defeat a Daedric Prince as an opportunity. You must learn to see as we see, if you are to work together to stop the danger that approaches your world.
Hero voiceover: What's coming?

The previous image continues, but now the dark clouds swoop down and rush in over the assembled heroes and fill the screen, which fades to black.

Molag Bal voiceover: Your doom.

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newtinmpls

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

@tinythinker

You are amazing. I love that. I want it. Make it and put it on youtube so I can watch it over and over and over. .....

Grayphilosophy

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I went with dedicated roleplay, but I'd say it's probably more like dedicated roleplay "lite".

I like having a developed character, with at least some kind of background, a lore friendly name and persona roleplay as you call it, where I play and interact based on what the character would do rather than what I would do.

That said, I'm certainly not In-Character at all times, and I'm generally not very good at keeping track of the details in story arcs. Although I do follow along in them

Skayaq

Medium immersion (lore name and short background just for me)

Medium Immersion, I try to make lore friendly names, and think about my characters origin and moral compass, but not much more than that. I have a fee times attempted to make for fulfilling backstories which is kinda fun but I make to many characters in too many games to do that on a consistent basis.

failkiwib16_ESO

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

I don't actively seek or do roleplay. I just do participate whenever a friend or guildie of mine cares to invite, and I prefer to join with my khajiit char.
My khajiit got a background story after I was invited to an event, and I was asked ...I made one up fast, and I stick to it. I don't play on that char, so the story has never developed.

...the rest of the time I trollplay, because my main character is an altmer, and a bit racism can be a fun way to keep up immersion among friends and guildies.

Fischblut

Spontaneous/Random roleplay (like persona play but more fluid, there is no persistent persona)

ESO is the only multiplayer game I've played I like to roleplay only in action (no writing), so currently all my roleplay = spontaneous encounters (without chat) or in my head.

I create simple backgrounds and don't choose lore-friendly names. Name of my characters only determines their appearance and class.

They are friends and partners in small criminal syndicate - my main char is their cold-blooded monster-loving boss

Each character has 50% of my personality and 50% of their own; decisions in quests and choice of actions/emotions are always made by me, while their physical appearance (clothes, weapons) and what they can say depends on their fictional personality.

NovaMarx

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

This one roleplays often (several times a week), and with the same people/guilds, so it is easy to keep track of the many stories - also we have a guild site, which helps ^^
But although I personally like to be very dedicated, I still feel there is room for anyone interested in the RP community - the more the merrier!

So to not-yet-RPers out there: don't be afraid to RP, even if you've never done it before! I've seen quite a few players go from RP-virgins to incredibly interested in lore and story. But even if you never move past the simple background part, you are still awesome

ArchMikem

Major persona play (you often interact, fight, or chat based on things like race/class/background/whatever but don't always worry about keeping track of a story)

I'm a writer. I immerse myself into the character I create.

I have an Orange Tabby Khajiit who specializes in Magic and uses her abilities to be a Storm Mage.

I also have a White Snow Tigress Khajiit more skilled with sword play, but also has a strength with Magicka. I like to think she was raised in Skyrim.

Krist

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

newtinmpls wrote: »

Krist wrote: »

I chose dedicated, but I do not dedicate to the game story arc, as no one can realistically be THE Vestige, because everyone is.

Ever looked at the words to the song Malukah sings at the end of the game? Basically there are "heroes" not just one; my take is that all the given "heroes" are functioning in a dragonbreak, and only we can see that each other are also in that role. From the "outside", yeah, it only looks like "one" vestige.... but it's not.

Actually no, I have not. Interesting take on it. That would work for one of my characters for sure. Gives me something to think about. Thanks.

Abeille

Dedicated roleplay (lore name, background, persona play, keep track of stories/arcs, the whole package)

I'm usually a dedicated roleplayer, although I'm out of people to roleplay with since my last guild changed direction and the new direction wasn't compatible with my characters, so now I'm more of a spontaneous roleplayer. I still voted for dedicated roleplay because I consider this a temporary situation (I hope...).

Vangy

Light immersion (lore friendly name)

This one calls himself purrs-while-teabagging. This one was adopted by lizard men. This one ganks unsuspecting travellers in cyrodill and voraciously tea-***s them even while their friends are hitting this one. That has gotten this one killed many times. But this one must live up to name given by lizard folk.

Jokes aside: my toons have a certain character assigned to them which i try to live up to most of the time.

newtinmpls

Other (please feel free to elaborate in the comments)

newtinmpls wrote: »

there are "heroes" not just one; my take is that all the given "heroes" are functioning in a dragonbreak, and only we can see that each other are also in that role. From the "outside", yeah, it only looks like "one" vestige.... but it's not.

Krist wrote: »

Actually no, I have not. Interesting take on it. That would work for one of my characters for sure. Gives me something to think about. Thanks.

Kinda got the idea from reading 'The metaphysics of Morrowind', kinda from reading the 'So you want to be a wizard' series of books and kinda from logic chopping with my sweetie...

tinythinker

Medium immersion (lore name and short background just for me)

newtinmpls wrote: »

newtinmpls wrote: »

there are "heroes" not just one; my take is that all the given "heroes" are functioning in a dragonbreak, and only we can see that each other are also in that role. From the "outside", yeah, it only looks like "one" vestige.... but it's not.

Krist wrote: »

Actually no, I have not. Interesting take on it. That would work for one of my characters for sure. Gives me something to think about. Thanks.

Kinda got the idea from reading 'The metaphysics of Morrowind', kinda from reading the 'So you want to be a wizard' series of books and kinda from logic chopping with my sweetie...