Help! Did I accidentally invite this guy to roleplay?

VagabondLife

Runs wrote: »

He asked you a question...

And you answered in character... ie in roleplay...

I would have answered with "what the *bleep* are you talking about" with the proper word used of course.

But... I DIDN'T answer in character. Not on purpose, anyway. That's EXACTLY how I would have answered that same question in real life. (Assuming it was asked in a similarly random fashion, and not as part of a conversation I was already having.)

I thought answering "in character" means I would be very obviously speaking from the perspective of my toon? Like, using an accent or specific racial language (like "this one" for Khajit), or referencing ESO lore or something?

Am I automatically answering "in character" unless I make it explicitly clear that I'm not? And if so, how do I make it clear that I'm answering as me, the player, and not the toon?

Prabooo

I suggest you accept the duel and test your new armor

Abeille

VagabondLife wrote: »

Runs wrote: »

He asked you a question...

And you answered in character... ie in roleplay...

I would have answered with "what the *bleep* are you talking about" with the proper word used of course.

But... I DIDN'T answer in character. Not on purpose, anyway. That's EXACTLY how I would have answered that same question in real life. (Assuming it was asked in a similarly random fashion, and not as part of a conversation I was already having.)

I thought answering "in character" means I would be very obviously speaking from the perspective of my toon? Like, using an accent or specific racial language (like "this one" for Khajit), or referencing ESO lore or something?

Am I automatically answering "in character" unless I make it explicitly clear that I'm not? And if so, how do I make it clear that I'm answering as me, the player, and not the toon?

If you don't use any "game" terms/abbreviations or make any reference to something exclusive to our world, it isn't obvious that you are not answering in character. Especially when the person made you a question that couldn't possibly have anything to do with game mechanics, since you can't get your boots dirty in the game.
Check my signature for things that my characters would say. None of them use any specific accent or racial language, there is no reference to ESO lore (except for my priestess) and yet all of them are 100% in character.

failkiwib16_ESO

VagabondLife wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

The amount of things you put focus on in your post that is completely unrelated to the even/conversation you had with that person leads me to believe that this is either a complete troll post or you are roleplaying in character.

Nicely done OP, you almost had me.

Well... duh?

If I knew exactly which parts of this encounter had made this guy think I wanted to roleplay with him, I wouldn't have needed to ask my question in the first place...

Thanks for confirming, and thanks for the laugh ^^
Have a nice evening

VagabondLife

Abeille wrote: »

You will probably find it easier to identify when a question is being made in-character and when it is not as you become more experienced. Mind if I ask you what MMOs you played previously? Maybe you didn't play one with such a big RP community like ESO before and that's why you are finding it strange.

Well, I started in WoW about ten years ago, but only played for a little while. The first MMO I really got into was Runes of Magic, played that for a couple years. Took a break when I went on circuit - I lived in a tent and wifi hotspots weren't a thing yet - and eventually came back and tried out a few different games... Allods Online, DDO... there was another one, I'm blanking on the name, I just remember it was too PvP focused for my taste. Finally landed in Rift in early 2013, and played that straight through until this summer. And now I'm here!

I will say that I don't recall roleplay being a thing in any of those games, except maybe DDO, but I didn't play that one for very long. I know Rift had a pretty dedicated RP community with their own server, but those folks got trolled super bad anytime they tried to do anything open-world, so they pretty much only did instanced RP. As a regular player, I really wasn't exposed to it at all...

Flynch

I find a clean boot is mandatory when I play ESO - but that's a PC-exclusive I guess!

Abeille

VagabondLife wrote: »

Abeille wrote: »

You will probably find it easier to identify when a question is being made in-character and when it is not as you become more experienced. Mind if I ask you what MMOs you played previously? Maybe you didn't play one with such a big RP community like ESO before and that's why you are finding it strange.

Well, I started in WoW about ten years ago, but only played for a little while. The first MMO I really got into was Runes of Magic, played that for a couple years. Took a break when I went on circuit - I lived in a tent and wifi hotspots weren't a thing yet - and eventually came back and tried out a few different games... Allods Online, DDO... there was another one, I'm blanking on the name, I just remember it was too PvP focused for my taste. Finally landed in Rift in early 2013, and played that straight through until this summer. And now I'm here!

I will say that I don't recall roleplay being a thing in any of those games, except maybe DDO, but I didn't play that one for very long. I know Rift had a pretty dedicated RP community with their own server, but those folks got trolled super bad anytime they tried to do anything open-world, so they pretty much only did instanced RP. As a regular player, I really wasn't exposed to it at all...

I see.

The thing with ESO is that many of the players come from the single player TES games. Many of these players are very interested in Elder Scrolls lore, and out of these, a good chunk is interested in roleplaying.

ESO is very RP-friendly when compared to other MMOs, and roleplaying is considered an actual valid way of playing the game here. Trolling roleplayers here can be reported - and punished - as harassment.

I do wish we could have an RP tag that would put us on the same phase as other roleplayers, however.

SteveCampsOut

VagabondLife wrote: »

Please help me understand this very strange encounter I had yesterday!

I'm a fairly new player, and yesterday I finally crafted my very first set of CP 160 gear. I was standing by the dye station in Wayrest, admiring my new look, when another player whispered me:

“How do you keep your boots clean?”

I was kinda preoccupied with my new outfit, and just took it as a compliment on my dye job – I had used that very dark black you get from killing Molag Bal on the boots. So I answered with a little joke:

“Oh, I just find a cute guy to clean them for me!” (I should note that both my toon and account name are obviously feminine.)

Other player's response: “Really? It's really easier to find a random guy and make him clean your boots than to just pay a professional to do it?”

So now I was confused. I thought I was probably being trolled, but then I've also known people on the autism spectrum who took sarcasm very literally, and I didn't want to risk being rude. So I just answered, “Never had any complaints!”

At which point the other player logged onto a different toon – this one obviously male – and challenged me to a duel.

I declined, since I refuse to be that jerk who duels on top of the dye station. The other player immediately challenged me again, whispering, “I challenge you to a duel! Let us settle this once and for all!”

Me: “Settle what, exactly? Boot cleaning methods?”
Him: “Cleaning boots is for the weak! We will settle this with a duel, and if I win, you shall serve me!”
Me: “Um... I've only been playing ESO for a few weeks, and I don't really know how roleplaying works, and I don't want to be rude, but... no thanks.”
Him: “What? Now I'm confused.”
Me: “Sorry?”
Him: “You are forgiven!”

And at that point I put myself in Offline mode because the whole thing was just getting a little too weird.

I don't have anything against roleplaying, per se – I work professionally at renaissance faires so it's literally my day job – but I have observed that the majority of the roleplay in ESO seems to consist of virgins awkwardly flirting with each other, and I mostly play this game with my boyfriend, so that's something I'd just like to avoid if at all possible.

So my question is – did I accidentally say or do something to invite this guy to roleplay? Is “boot cleaning” some kind of ESO code I don't know about? Was I being trolled? Or was this guy just weird?

Less role play more dueling ***. Just put yourself to Autodecline duels. If you wish to duel you can chat with someone to arrange it without having that annoying dueling popup spam and trolling.

VagabondLife

Thank you everyone for your input!

Eiagra

Yeah, sounds like someone was just being a little goofy. Looked more like player-to-player, not character-to-character.

And personally, I tromp around the mud in my boots... and tromp the skulls of various daedric/undead/beastial critters, so I never get anyone wanting to service them! Always stuck doing my own clean-up work... grumble mutter mutter....

If you're looking for actual roleplay groups, though, I would recommend just hanging out at various hotspots at random times, or pausing to listen-in if you notice some RP going on in-world, checking out forums online (TESO-RP has an events schedule), etc. Casual or more dedicated roleplay, whatever is your fancy, there's folk out there.

Soundwave

Rper's scare me...

TheShadowScout

VagabondLife wrote: »

...The other player immediately challenged me again, whispering, “I challenge you to a duel! Let us settle this once and for all!”

Me: “Settle what, exactly? Boot cleaning methods?”
Him: “Cleaning boots is for the weak! We will settle this with a duel, and if I win, you shall serve me!”
...

I have seen roleplay like this.
In Second Life.
When I wandered into a Goren sim by mistake.
...
No more needs be said about it...

And yeah, this is more on thei wierd side, even for roleplayers other people call wierdos on a regular basis. I mean, at least he could have led with an OoC "Are you interested in an servitude themed roleplay?" approach, and then taken his well earned polite decline and keep on looking for the right pot to his kettlet or something...

newtinmpls

VagabondLife wrote: »

Am I automatically answering "in character" unless I make it explicitly clear that I'm not? And if so, how do I make it clear that I'm answering as me, the player, and not the toon?

Yes.

And ... there are a couple of ways.

Speak about your character "as" a character, such as by saying "well this character would do X, my other character would do Y"

Speak to the other player clearly as a player and not as a character. Such as "How long have you been playing ESO?" "Would you recommend any particular DLC"?

There are other options, but those are easy.

Mettaricana

Rp on ps4 mic chat is hilarious I hope on mute mic and listen to guys rp females its like listening to dr.girlfriend on venture bros I try to follow along but end up laughing to hard

bellanca6561n

andreasranasen wrote: »

RP is so weird. I mean i sort of role play in my head when i play. IN MY HEAD. But don't we all? I do the same thing in GTA. But i don't actually engage random people and role play, that's just WEIRD and CREEPY.

This is a random encounter with a random individual. The is not RP in any meaningful sense of the word.

And so what? Random people kick folks from groups for having a bow, but that's okay.

Random people ask you questions about your build and your allocation of champion points before they'll spend ten minutes with you but that's okay.

Random people wear armor that summons dunerippers, dwemmer devices, dark orbs and shards from on high when the armor bonuses process...and that's okay.

Players go around for weeks in skeleton form, sacrificing their in-game identity for double experience and plunder skulls...and that's okay.

People are doing things in Wrothgar now because of double drops and that's okay.

The least creepy thing of all of these, to my mind, is the playful encounter the op had with a random player.

Grymmoire

So, if he won the duel he wanted you to 'serve him' but if he lost he made no offer to lick your boots eh!?

On second thought, that would have been even more creepy.

Hope he was not a Khajiit; we like licking Skooma better than boots anyways!

Rev Rielle

WhitePawPrints wrote: »

I think you're WAY over thinking this. Sounds like someone was just being a goof ball and was having fun.

So so true.

Makes one think you're using it just as a very flimsy excuse to troll RPers....

TheSeer

DannyLV702 wrote: »

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

So am i the only one hawt right now?

No way I'm with ya

Coatmagic

VagabondLife wrote: »

So I answered with a little joke:

“Oh, I just find a cute guy to clean them for me!” (I should note that both my toon and account name are obviously feminine.)

Um, not that I would ever ask anyone about they're boots, but if I did and they responded like this, I would assume they were up for something... more. I am female, and nearly 50, and did my share of creative emoting back the day and your responses were flirtatious afaic

but I have observed that the majority of the roleplay in ESO seems to consist of virgins awkwardly flirting with each other,

LOL! Actually, they are mostly middle-aged (and older) married people akwardly flirting with each other xD

and I mostly play this game with my boyfriend, so that's something I'd just like to avoid if at all possible.

Then you my girl need to learn to not feed the animals xD Sorry, but being flirtatious may be your thing at the faire, but in an MMO, you're asking for all-kindsa

Is “boot cleaning” some kind of ESO code I don't know about?

Who in the heck knows, and it doesn't really matter. How you responded does. And for the record, MMOs are absolutely crawling with weirdos xD

Welcome! Enjoy!

Mr_Apollo

I enjoy roleplaying, I don't randomly go to someone and start it though, its not weird for me, its like creating a story WITH another person. But to answer the question, I do not think "Boot cleaning" is a term for roleplaying, I think the guy was getting a bit of banter.

ArchMikem

You did kind of lead the person on. A typical response to his clean boots question would have been a simple "what?", but instead you went and made up some joking story.

SantieClaws

Khajiit is very confused yes by this whole turn of events.

Why do you all care if your boots are dirty or not? It is not like you have to clean them like khajiit she must clean the fur.

Although most days this one will admit that she just wiggles the feet vigorously whilst fishing - the effect is the same more or less.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

Dahveed

VagabondLife wrote: »

Please help me understand this very strange encounter I had yesterday!

I'm a fairly new player, and yesterday I finally crafted my very first set of CP 160 gear. I was standing by the dye station in Wayrest, admiring my new look, when another player whispered me:

“How do you keep your boots clean?”

I was kinda preoccupied with my new outfit, and just took it as a compliment on my dye job – I had used that very dark black you get from killing Molag Bal on the boots. So I answered with a little joke:

“Oh, I just find a cute guy to clean them for me!” (I should note that both my toon and account name are obviously feminine.)

Other player's response: “Really? It's really easier to find a random guy and make him clean your boots than to just pay a professional to do it?”

So now I was confused. I thought I was probably being trolled, but then I've also known people on the autism spectrum who took sarcasm very literally, and I didn't want to risk being rude. So I just answered, “Never had any complaints!”

At which point the other player logged onto a different toon – this one obviously male – and challenged me to a duel.

I declined, since I refuse to be that jerk who duels on top of the dye station. The other player immediately challenged me again, whispering, “I challenge you to a duel! Let us settle this once and for all!”

Me: “Settle what, exactly? Boot cleaning methods?”
Him: “Cleaning boots is for the weak! We will settle this with a duel, and if I win, you shall serve me!”
Me: “Um... I've only been playing ESO for a few weeks, and I don't really know how roleplaying works, and I don't want to be rude, but... no thanks.”
Him: “What? Now I'm confused.”
Me: “Sorry?”
Him: “You are forgiven!”

And at that point I put myself in Offline mode because the whole thing was just getting a little too weird.

I don't have anything against roleplaying, per se – I work professionally at renaissance faires so it's literally my day job – but I have observed that the majority of the roleplay in ESO seems to consist of virgins awkwardly flirting with each other, and I mostly play this game with my boyfriend, so that's something I'd just like to avoid if at all possible.

So my question is – did I accidentally say or do something to invite this guy to roleplay? Is “boot cleaning” some kind of ESO code I don't know about? Was I being trolled? Or was this guy just weird?

I can't answer your question, but your post had me (literally) laughing out loud, thanks for sharing it!

Sou_rou

"...and if I win, you shall serve me!"

There's an old Damon Knight story called, "To Serve Man." Rod Serling made an episode of The Twilight Zone based on it. Might give you some useful ideas.

(Seriously, it's a good story. You'll like the ending.)

I agree with the people who suggest you started RPing with the guy. His switch to another character and to challenge to a duel is a major RP break, IMO. How did other character know about the conversation? Why would other character need to "settle" anything? So he ended the RP when he switched characters, IMO.

ThePaleItalian

bellanca6561n wrote: »

andreasranasen wrote: »

RP is so weird. I mean i sort of role play in my head when i play. IN MY HEAD. But don't we all? I do the same thing in GTA. But i don't actually engage random people and role play, that's just WEIRD and CREEPY.

This is a random encounter with a random individual. The is not RP in any meaningful sense of the word.

And so what? Random people kick folks from groups for having a bow, but that's okay.

Random people ask you questions about your build and your allocation of champion points before they'll spend ten minutes with you but that's okay.

Random people wear armor that summons dunerippers, dwemmer devices, dark orbs and shards from on high when the armor bonuses process...and that's okay.

Players go around for weeks in skeleton form, sacrificing their in-game identity for double experience and plunder skulls...and that's okay.

People are doing things in Wrothgar now because of double drops and that's okay.

The least creepy thing of all of these, to my mind, is the playful encounter the op had with a random player.

Keep firing them darts, they will stick one day. Maybe you should copy and paste this in each thread you come across.

I just laugh at the bold worded stuff. lol

Back OT. Rpers are fine, I think they need to understand that not everyone really knows or understands Rpers and stumbling onto it can we confusing and awkward. Patience on both sides.