On many persistent world servers one can witness a great range of play styles, often I think players do not really understand what it means to role play. The assumption is that they can’t be bothered or don’t want to. What I suspect is that they either haven’t tried or don’t have the advantage of having grown up before computers and so played PnP role playing games.
Here is an example of adventuring for just experience versus adventuring for a storyline reason. This is an example of how two different parties going into the same cave can behave very differently. The latter is preferable if the aim is to develop plot lines and get the attention of DM’s for better game play and surprises. The former is for those who wish to speed along and bash some creatures and gain experience in an easy and casual fashion rather then role play which can be very time consuming and much harder. Imagine these parties have discovered a clue that something might be happening in the cave.
A) ACTION style of play
Grimbum: “Hey! Lets go bash some orcs. I’m almost leveled!
Astrid Slaver: “Cool! I hear there might be a DM event going on….
…something about magic scrolls.”
Grimbum: “Ohh..good…maybe there will be DM giving out items.
Astrid Slaver: “Yea..lets do it…Those vile creature gotta die!”..///brb going for a piss
[party enters cave and runs from cavern to cavern slaying things, with no spoken interaction]
Grimbum: “woooot 150 points to level! let’s get the boss!’
Flemenger the Orange: “Ok…let me rest first. Outta spells “
Flemenger the Orange: “hang on, buffing”
Astrid Slaver: “We better go soon..im overloaded, lets cash in loot”.
Grimbum: “Cool..I gotta log soon anyways.”
B) ROLE PLAY orientated style of play
Celia the Wild: *Face darkens with concern* “Do we really have to go in here?….
………… I don’t like the look of this!”
Ernst Longflint: “I’m afraid so..The town guards said the orcs had raided the Mages’
Tower in the woods…always a reason for concern.”
Celia the Wild: *pulls at her hair nervously*
“Perhaps we should gather reinforcements?”
Ernst Longflint: *Gives her a smile* ” No we can do it….
….stay behind me and keep your eyes peeled”
Celia the Wild: *walks cautiously behind him drawing sword*
Ernst Longflint: *Whispers* “Shh… Something ahead… sounds like wolves..”
(rolls tracking skill)
[later after leaving the cave]
Ernst Longflint: “Well I am exhausted, time for a nap in this bush” *yawns*
Celia the Wild: “try not to snore, Orcs will hear you” *laughs* “I am heading to town”
Ernst Longflint: *waves* “see you in a few days friend” [logs off the server]
These are just two differnt play styles, one is not superior to the other, but if you do seek a persistant world where Role Playing is emphasized and in fact rewarded by the DM’s then it is the second example that you should strive for as you play your role playing PC games, but most importantly have fun and use your role playing to help others have fun too, this is especially important if you are making use of a free online server.
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