The Daily Grind: How important are roleplaying features to you?
by Eliot Lefebvre 
Oct 8th 2009 at 8:00AM
Filed under: Culture, Lore, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying
It's strange that when our favorite game genre has "roleplaying" right in the title, the topic of roleplaying in-game can produce such varied and divisive opinions. On one end of the spectrum, some people consider it to be not much more than a group of people sitting around and talking endlessly instead of actually playing a game (which, to be fair, is not always far from the truth). On the other end, some people point to the fact that roleplaying is right in the title, and that if you don't care at all about the flavor you might as well not be playing the game genre in general (which, to be fair, is also not always far from the truth). And there are always the people who want to just play the game and don't care if you say "pull boss" or launch into a quick diatribe about slaying this foul mountebank.
How important is it to you that a game have features just oriented toward roleplaying? Do you consider them integral to your gaming experience, or do you get angry at seeing development time spent on something that you find so useless? If you're glad to see them, do you consider yourself a dedicated roleplayer, or are you just a player happy to see the option to further immerse yourself?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason said on 8:23AM 10-08-2009
I am only disappointed that MMOs have removed tools from players that allowed them to police the situation themselves. EQ1 had a specified "out of character" channel (/ooc) and most people, unless they were purposely trying to be asshats, would move talk about sports and other real life issues to that channel if asked. This let people who wanted to avoid that stuff simply hide that channel. More recent games have done away with that, so with no alternative, all out of character chat HAS to share space with in character chat, which leads to more friction.
I'd love to see the return of /ooc to more games.
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noamraz05 said on 9:07AM 10-08-2009
You got this thing in WoW RP servers.
Jason said on 9:15AM 10-08-2009
RP servers is such a cop-out answer. Segregation is bad, m-kay? So, if I want to roleplay sometimes, but I also want to play with my non-roleplaying friends sometimes, I should be forced to play on two servers?
Adding chat channels for RP and non-RP is just such an easier solution, and more user friendly.
Firebreak said on 10:33AM 10-08-2009
It is too late to put that genie back into the bottle. It would be easier to have them create a /rp channel that people could talk on.
pogger said on 11:13AM 10-08-2009
The companies cannot even monitor the existing chat channels. You think they could monitor a new chat channel? Look at /2 "Trade" chat in WoW. It's an ad hoc LFG / bash [insert country/race here] channel. An new /RP channel is bound to be used for bashing RPers and who know what else.
John said on 8:35AM 10-08-2009
It's probably the LEAST important feature I look for. I can't think of anything I dislike more, maybe PvP.
In fact, It's a turn off if I see any RP.
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kwramm said on 1:29PM 10-08-2009
The reason might be that most current MMO's just do not allow for meaningful RP to take place. This RP is reduced to fooling around and silly emote battles. I can totally understand your disdain for this.
However if you play in a sandbox like UO or SWG you will find that RP in those games has the potential to be fun and meaningful because the game gives you the right tools such as being able to declare war on enemy guilds, to have guild housing for socialising, offering space in player towns to hang out undisturbed or simple being able to drop items onto the ground.
Kdolo said on 8:37AM 10-08-2009
I like to play on RP servers for games where such things are an option. I don't often roleplay, but if the mood strikes I think I like the option to be there. Also, RP servers generally have a less abrasive community, which also makes for a better experience.
It boggles the mind when people complain about role players when they join an RP server. If they're just trolling, I guess I can see why they'd waste their time, but when you see someone level capped in full whatevergear complaining about people talking in character, you have to wonder if the person realized that making a character on an RP server, he might encounter RP.
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Angel said on 8:49AM 10-08-2009
Though I am not an avid RPer it boggles MY mind when anyone playing an MMORPG complains about RP. You have to wonder if the person realized that making a character in a mmoPRg may bring them in to contact with RP.
Kdolo said on 9:14AM 10-08-2009
@ Angel
I see what you did there, but MMORPGs really arent RPGs, certainly not in the tabletop sense, and not even really in the single player sense. The important component of RPGs is not the playing, or the game, you PLAY other GAMES as well. It's the Role, and that just isn't really established well within these games.
What role does orc warrior 1 have that's really so different than orc warrior 2? They both start out in the same place, literally, they both do the same quests, they both get the same opportunities for gear. How does the game support a different identity between one character and another without explicitly dedicating the server to people who are going to seek out their character's identity on their own?
It's incumbent on the community to provide RP on the server. If the server isn't dedicated to RP, I say you shouldn't expect it to be enforced. If it is, i think you should.
Angel said on 10:19AM 10-08-2009
As I said to my wife after I read what I posted to her (paraphrased, of course):
It is true that the MMORPG is merely an extension of a video game variation of an RPG, meaning the V-RPG embodies the mechanical expression of a table top RPG and not the actual role play aspect thus it could be considered "just a game". however, the V-RPG is an extension of the table top RPG so one should expect that a good number of people are going to engage that space, as a single player or as a member of a group of players, as they would a traditional table top RPG space.
I know plenty of people who were part of a table top RPG group that has since broken apart for various reasons placing distances between them that reconvene in MMORPGs so they may be able to play together again. I also know of one person, though younger, who uses the MMORPG space to RP solo. I also think a good number of people do that more often than they realize.
I think it is silly for people to view others who RP as some kind of digital variation of a LARP invasion. Unlike the "real world" there are no laws governing public space to potentually prevent even a possibility of a congregation of disruptive individuals that can be leveled against such occurrences.
I understand the convention of an RP server but I think that convention is over embraced by the non-RP communities. RP servers are a signal to those who RP telling them that there may be a higher concentration of RPers on that server. They are not a place that RPers are supposed to go by mandate to prevent inconvinence of expirence for players on other servers that are not designated RP. I have never read an EULA that states there should be no RP on non RP servers. Thus, I say do not be suprised if you run into RP on any server of any game that actually uses seperate servers because it is going to happen. Some people see RPG in MMORPG and do think of the genra in terms of RP as a core element or pricipal of the artifacts within that genra.
This may be out there but, expecting RPers to cease and desist or congregate on only one designated server is not all that unlike a European American saying that people of Native American decent should "act more European" (what ever that could mean) or stay on the designated reservations where they can be natives away from the rest of the country. Fact is, no matter how distant you get from the iteration of RP and table top RP the space that carries even the smallest element of RP, as declared by the space itself as does the term MMORPG, is a space RPers really have a right to exist in unhindered and openly.
Is the Native American analogy over stating the property? yeah, probably. Is it inaccurate? I don't think so.
Keep in mind these statements are coming from a person who thinks RP in CoX and CO is really frakin stupid. Would I make an effort to prevent RP in these VWs? No, I support it though I would never engage in it.
The fact remains: RPers are going to RP where ever they please. end of line...
Darkdust said on 8:56AM 10-08-2009
My RP comes and goes, but I always stick with thematic gameplay. So I want games to immerse me in the world and not throw in my face the fact that they are, in fact, just a game.
Roleplay depends much more on the players than the developers, but I want at least SOME support. If our actions affect the storyline, and the game has a sandbox design, and my character can develop in unique and interesting ways, then the game will more or less satisfy me.
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Kaldor said on 9:03AM 10-08-2009
Personally I don't Role-Play at all, I see the fact that I am playing a character in a game as the RP in MMORPG. As in I am Playing a Role unlike anything in real life.
I am not opposed to RPers at all, Hell I grew up playing AD&D. But I chose to avoid any "RPing" in the terms of "talking in character" etc. in my MMOs.
Anyone that plays a MMORPG is in fact Role Playing. Unless there are a-lot of Taurens IRL that I have not meet. But that in and of itself doesn't mean we all want to get dressed up in our In Game sunday best and go strolling down the coast of Southshore "Holding" our sweeties hand...
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Joshua said on 9:08AM 10-08-2009
Wow I am amazed at many of the responses to this question, I come from a time of MUD's and Table top rpg's and have played the current gen of mmo from UO, AC,EQ to GW, WoW and many others. What surprises me the most is the new generation of MMO gamers don't seem to care that much for the RPG element as in Role Playing Game where you become the hero that slayed the dragon and destroyed the evil, now it would seem that people either have increasingly short attention spans or are increasingly ignorant. The later of the two the more likely in our society, it seems that all they want is an MMOAG (massively multiplayer online action game).
I play MMORPG's for the adventure and imagination of the world not the mechanics and gear...pathetic and greedy as hell is all that system is. RP stands atop my list of things that should be nurtured in a "RPG" a slight bit obvious to me but the times they are a changing I suppose.
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Skypp said on 9:38AM 10-08-2009
To us "old timers" the MMORPG genre is the closest realization to a dream that gamers had for a long time. Being able to live inside a world and participate in it with living people, doing quests like we did on table top games, meeting new people that aren't scripted and decidedly artificial.. MMORPG's amazed us.
The current generation of gamers just see it as another game.
They do not see Azeroth, they see an instance where you kill the dragon for the most points. They do not see an Inn, they see a place that increases their maximum point acquisition value. They do not see other players, they see a means to gain things or competitors to trash talk.
Plastic Rat said on 2:29AM 10-12-2009
Joshua and Skypp: About the two best posts on this subject. If I could upvote you beyond 3 stars I would.
Very well said and I think it clearly puts into context the direction we see most MMOs going today. Even the so called 'non-mainstream'/'hardcore' stuff like Darkfall.
Skypp said on 9:33AM 10-08-2009
I have to have the options.
Most games now cover the costume category, letting people dress up and collect costume pieces here and there at fairs and such. Costume systems are even better, such as LOTRO and ROM. Letting you set up a set of visual clothing pieces that do not depend on the mis-matched armor you're wearing is paramount usually in any RP'ing.
I have even decided to NOT play a game based on the lack of RP tools. Champions for example. I do not think they have the right stuff in place for me to "feel" like a super hero. Sure I can PLAY a super hero, but I do not have an alternate identity. There aren't cafes and newspaper buildings that I can go in and act out any sort of "normal" life while I'm away from being a super hero. It just felt like I was being told to "kill kill kill" and if I didn't I was wasting time.
Also, I seriously do not see myself playing Star Trek Online. Its not an anti-cryptic thing, I actually had fun in Champions aside from the non-RP aspects. But in Star Trek Online you can't walk around in your own ships unless its part of a story line. It just doesn't feel like I would be living in the Star Trek universe, it feels like I would just be logging in to some online Star Trek arcade game.
Include in all this that most of the RP "fluff" is now payed for 5 bucks at a time through micro-transactions and I am just unsatisfied with the mmoRPG market at the moment. Its a tax on RP'ers and Fluff'lovers so that the jock gamers can log in an ignore the rest of the game. Our "fun" purchases are supporting all the people that ignore such things. It seems companies go out of their way to assure raiders that they do not need to purchase micro-transactions, but us RP'ers are virtually told to our faces that we'll be supporting the masses through fun-taxes.
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tamdara_eq said on 9:34AM 10-08-2009
UO was the last game I played with a strong RP community.
I enjoy the immersion found in some of todays games, but the communities in general are diluted by stat jockys and "look-at-my-phat-shit" types.
WoW killed the RPG in MMO's.
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Daetrin said on 9:40AM 10-08-2009
The thing that supports roleplay is the same thing that makes a lot of games fun to play: immersion. For example, I don't consider WoW a particularly great roleplaying medium because it has a lot of immersion-breaking/mood-whiplash content. Regardless, the first thing you need for RP, before any tools, is something interesting enough to roleplay in (see the Orc 1 and Orc 2 comment above).
Insofar as tools go, there should be ones to support roleplay. Emotes are a simple support; even non-RPers use these. But in this day and age of mature chat and forum technology there's no reason to not include RP tools. RPers tbd to care about the game, and that sort of passion can spawn extraordinarily good player-generated content. Not only does RP make people happy, it's a good business decision.
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FuzzyFuzzkin said on 9:48AM 10-08-2009
I'm not a big roleplayer, but I appreciate the story/immersion aspect of this in games. Each individual will immerse themself to whatever extent suits them. Their conversations in game shouldn't matter that much (aside from the occasional 'afk wife aggro' or getting DC'ed; perhaps they could try 'hold noble friends, for I have to visit yonder bush for just a little while'). People don't tend to talk solely about the great and noble quest they're on over the entire epic journey. They talk of home, troubles, wishes, the future, AND how to slay the dragon. This is just like RL.
If you don't enjoy playing with someone, then don't. There are plenty of people who like to play the same way you do out there.
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