Role Playing in SWG

[Niun]

Tracer's comment in one of the other posts sparked this topic.

 

I've been an avid role player for many years. It's evolved quite a bit from the days of character sheets and dice.

 

I think the MMORPG's have a great potential for role playing, but more often than not there does not seem to be a large role playing contingency. Either people feel strange role playing, or they think it's 'geeky' and don't bother.

 

Current games on the market have tried in many ways to encourage it; including incentives and servers specific for role players, none of which have really solved the issue.

 

So, what's your stand on role playing? Are you the die hard role player that attempts to stay in character at all times, or is role playing not for you. Do you think RP'ers and Non RP'ers can coexist in harmony, or will it always be a point of contention?

[Juztyn]

I'm not Hardcore, but I enjoy a bit of roleplaying as much as the next person. Unfortionatly, it's been tough to role-play correctly in some of the previously released MMORPGs, such as Asheron's Call, due to the crudity of the emotes, and other such shortfalls. I'm hoping SWG will fix these lackings and provide an excellent role-play enviroment.

 

[Loop]

I intend to stay in-character when I'm with other PCs, if that's what you mean by 'hard-core' (never done any real RPing before).

 

I think that people may be more at home with the Star Wars setting than they would otherwise (in, say, a medieval setting), which might help them get into it.

 

 

[Graeme_]

I'd definately stay in character. It just makes it more fun.

 

[Niun]

I think an issue that needs to be addressed is to clearly define acceptable places for IC (in character) and OOC (out of character) communication. I typically game with friends, and it is difficult to keep all of our conversations in character. We try to use private posts for any out of character comments, but it can get confusing.

 

One of the more difficult challenges is trying to create a storyline while playing on line. It is easy to get wrapped up in the heat of combat, leaving little time to do any sort of role playing. I've attempted these type of scenarios several times with players in different games, and still have not found an acceptable solution that works all of the time.

 

Even so, I'm hoping that there are enough factors in the Star Wars Game to support and encourage role playing.

 

I wonder, though, if it really is a genre problem, or if it's just the fact that people can't be bothered.

[Graeme_]

I think people just can't be bothered.

 

[Loop]

From what I've heard on other boards, it does indeed seem that some people can't be bothered (more interested in mad levelling, etc.).

 

Another problem is that a good chunk of the SWG's community will be formed of people who are new to real roleplaying.

 

What I mean is that someone who is used to single-player games (where the story is provided for) may find things difficult when they get told that the only story is the one they make.

[Graeme_]

Yeah, that's my case. But I still don't find it difficult.

 

[Niun]

Well, the 'mad-levelers' are going to hit a big stone wall in this game, since it's not level based. You've got a specific set of skill points that is capped, and you work with that. I think you're going to find that this game is not going to cater to the 'uber-player' as earlier games have.

 

I think a lot of it is the fact that people don't want to be bothered. Even with that said, with the relative ease you will have in role playing in the Star Wars genre, I'm hoping it will start some new role players. I'm trying to find a way to encourage it in the PA I'm creating with some very interesting backstory and eventually coming up with missions and other things for members that will help them get 'in character'. We'll see. It's a tough call until we really see more about how the game mechanics will actually work.

 

[Graeme_]

Yeah, I personally found that the whole level-gaining objective was really repetative and boring.

 

[Graeme_]

For some reason a lot of people seem to think that RPing and PVPing don't go together. I'm not sure why, I'm really looking forward to fighting other players more than anything else.

 

[Niun]

I think the reason might be, Graeme, is the fact that you don't know what kind of player you are going to run into. It's not that role players don't like PVP. The problem is that most of teh PVP players are not role players. PVP in many of the current MORPG's has little to do with role playing. It's very straight forward combat and tactics that I'd liken more to shooter games than a Role Playing Game.

 

Understand that most role playing games pit player characters against forces controlled by the computer, or in the 'old days', by a GM or DM. There was not a great deal of PvP type of combat.

 

Most of the PvP games you see now are arena style games, where you are specifically pitting your skills against another person.

 

PvP, when in a controlled environment can add some interesting twists to role playing, but it usually is not condusive to role playing in general.

 

I'm not sure if that really is a good explanation. I could really go on a tangent, but I'll save you all from the rhetoric.

 

[Guest Darth Evad]

This'll be my first RPG and I really don't know what to expect.

Although from what I know of RPG's I'm glad they're using a skill set instead of a level based system. I'll probably only get 5-10 hours per week playing time.

 

I'm only interested 'cause it's Star Wars (I only own Star Wars games). In saying that, I'll probably be in character 99% of the time.

With the PA's in the RPG, will it be like a sim running at the same time for the PA members? That would be kinda cool.

 

Nice site btw Niun.

[Niun]

Thanks. I know I'm planning on running some concurrent sims with my PA that will be directly related to what's going on in the game. The network section of my web site is for character interaction only, in hopes that I'll be able to build an interesting format to allow people to further their stories outside of the game as well.

[Sithguy]

I beleive they can coexist. I see non-roleplayers as roleplayers, only their own personality is the one they are playing. So instead of them pretending to be someoen else they pretend to be themselves. I roleplay frankly (I am male so if you marry one of my female chracters, i am not gay, i simply roleplay). I also Think that roleplaying is not "geeky" I use Everquest to escape the real world and get to one where i would much rather live.

 

Will

[Niun]

That's actually a good point Sith. In a sense, everyone who is involved is a role player. You are taking on a character to get into the game.

 

What I find difficult (even for myself at times) is to try and separate from all the real world things that are going on.

 

There have been times playing where the only time I saw my real life friends were when we were playing. You want to interact a little (like how was your day, blah blah). Of course I love to role play, but I'm definitely not one of the extremists who thinks if you've broken character you've commited a mortal sin. There has to be a balance.

 

[Guest Darth Evad]

IRL friends?!? Oh yeah...

 

I've moved around so much over the past 5 years that I haven't made many IRL friends. The only ones I have, that I hang out with still, live 4 hours away. None of whom are interested in Star Wars. They think I'm a geek/nerd.

 

[Charlie1587246619]

I have played a few different ways of RolePlaying online, pen and paper, email, and even the SP RP'ing... I think the factor with the 'mad levelers' is that in previous games it was the fact that if you didn't level up you couldn't do certain things that you really wanted to do or the simple factor that if you didn't level up soon you were dead meat. I think the main way to stay in character is act like your on a date in the game world.... Like they always say "just be yourself" this is key... You can be yourself just mesh your Real world self with the character in game... It isn't that hard. /end ramblings