Road so far.

[HvN]

The server has grown on me quite a bit, I was able to achieve level 4 now and close to 5.

I also want to add that the help I have received in game, is unlike any other on line community I've ever been a part of. 10 out of 10 would go again..

I also was involved in an RP event last night. This added a much appreciated purpose to my play. One thing I noticed however was the fact that the people here are... quite advanced when it comes to RP. As where I am ... less experienced lol, And I am quite jealous lol. I am taking action by reading vast amounts of literature on the subject.
(I think knowing the server history and lore would help a lot as well - trying to figure out how to create a character with that in mind, but that's for another thread I think)

When I play in the evenings I usually have several adult beverages over the course of the night, and would in most cases prefer to not be a major keystone to any one event(usually). I'm not saying I want to have a "Shy" character by any means. But some tend to participate a tremendous amount more than others. And for me that's great, I can kick back and watch how the story unfolds, adding in here and there.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I'm very excited to be here. And I appreciate all the help I've received so far.

If any one knows of some good articles on the finer points of RP, I'd love to take a look. Until then Google(RP guides) will be my go to Lol.

[Steve]

Nice to read you're enjoying yourself!

You can take a look here, for some additional info on RP: viewforum.php?f=421

[Glowfire]

Tips and Tricks forum area has a sub-forum with roleplaying ideas. There's also a few threads stickied in the character biographies.

[aaron22]

i was alot like you when i first started. and to be totally honest, am still somewhat intimidated by the really good RPers in the community. just take your time and be yourself.. or better said, be your PC's self. i took to RP alot more with my third character. my current main. my first two attempts at creating a workable piece on the server did not pan out as i was still learning so much. i tripped over my own RP too often and i was unprepared for the amount of knowledge that the players on the server have. i think i really needed time on the server to learn as a player. but i loved it.

with my third character i delved into her lore and focused on things she would know. being a foreigner to the sword coast helped alot in that. i didnt have to know everything. i learned some history of the region she was from. the unique background that she is part of, and the history and thought processes of what make her. i learned on the fly and let the server environment build upon her personality while maintaining her heritage. i enjoy the learning and growing i, as a player get.

i am glad you are enjoying our server. it is a really good place filled with fun and creative players.

[chad878262]

happy to hear you're enjoying yourself! Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to know or learn everything. Find something that interests you and just try to learn more about that. You can build a lot of backstory by just focusing on one region and what types of people are there. As Aaron stated coming from somewhere else as opposed to the Sword Coast or Amn can give you a bit more freedom to only know bits and pieces. Your knowledge will grow over time, but if you're spending more time at study than play it might start feeling more like work, and nobody wants that!

[HvN]

You can take a look here, for some additional info on RP: viewforum.php?f=421

Thanks, Duno how I missed that.

i took to RP alot more with my third character.
my current main. my first two attempts at creating a workable
piece on the server did not pan out as i was still learning so much.

I have no doubt I will be doing the same thing. Not even 100% on
what class I want to play, let alone a back story for said class lol

[Young Werther]

The first RP server I joined 13 odd years ago I was banned from. Want to learn from my mistake? Don't lure other players out into the woods to kill them. At least not without an RP out.

Also the shout channel is for DMs only. (Don't worry you can't make that mistake on this server.)

[HvN]

(Don't worry you can't make that mistake on this server.)

Wait, there are other servers like this?

[Young Werther]

(Don't worry you can't make that mistake on this server.)

Wait, there are other servers like this?

Not anymore. That was a long time ago. The shout channel is toggled for DMs only on this server. Probably for good reason.

[ginsu]

Welcome, welcome!

If I be in game at the same time as you and you need help or info, let me know

[LISA100595]

Awesome! and Welcome I'm glad you're enjoying yourself so far. If you ever have any questions please feel free to send me a tell.

[Juramenta]

If any one knows of some good articles on the finer points of RP, I'd love to take a look. Until then Google(RP guides) will be my go to Lol.

Great to hear you are having such a good time!
If you are looking for tips, I might have a few that spring to mind.


- Indeed try avoid playing shy character especially in the beginning.
There is no need to jump into the foreground at all, but rp-ing someone shy is actually harder that it may seem. For example: The idea of being the mysterious (st)ranger standing in the back, only saying the right things at the right time may sound cool in your mind. Yet it usually comes across as the player coming across as socially timid instead of the character that you are playing.
Shy characters usually need to spend extra time explaining small details about their characters to make the character come alive. Stuttering is a good trick to come across as shy, but it usually also requires you to do a lot more like typing out how the character reacts be it something simple like standing/moving his body or even how he feels without verbally expressing themselves.
Even experienced player's sometimes have a hard time pulling shy characters in, because all interaction has to come from one side alone.

A fun and relatively safe character to practice rp with is an open and friendly visitor. Like a jolly dwarf who came to these lands to test out different kinds of ale, while sincerely being interested in the story's people have to tell.
He can simply walk to other characters and break the ice by being honest. Telling them who you are and why you are here. If they give you an opening, you can continue asking questions about the other one. Saves you from constantly thinking about what you have to say because you are the one asking questions to the other one.

- Dare to step away from the safety group.
Eventually you will get into a group who you rp with on a more regular basis.
Be it a guild or just friends getting together. That group will be a relatively safe group to rp with because you all know each other. Challenge yourself to interact with people you do not know yet. While rp-ing with a steady and known group is a lot of fun and you should definitely not stop doing it, eventually you are not creating new challenges for yourself anymore.
Which is really a shame if you want to evolve your rp game.

- Be self-sufficient.
You can give a good role-player a spoon and he will find a way to take over the world with it.
With that I mean that you should always try to make something out of nothing.
Before you get there it helps to give yourself some more tools to do something, even when there is nothing to do. Like starting out as a trader or entertainer for example.
What you can try is the following. With every background or concept you have in mind, take the following test. Be it in a pen and paper group or here on the server.
The group comes together with fresh newly created characters and the DM says the following.
You arrive in the city and now you all have a month to do whatever like. There is no storyline, save for the ones you create yourself.

If you first reaction is...hmm alright I'm stuck. I have no idea what my character would do for a month, you should come up with a new character concept.
The reaction should be:
Only a month? Seems I am on a deadline here because there is just so much I want to do.

The active player always knows what to do if there is nothing to do. This works for every possible class. For example:
- A barbarian brute might decide to head to the slums and learns everything he can about the way of the streets in the city. So he can start his own gang. As he works to claim his territory and recruits more and more thugs, it might give the DM more plot hooks to work with.
- A ranger decides to learn everything he can about the trade routes from and to the city so he can start a job as a guide. Once a guide it could open up new plot hooks for the DM to work with.
- A rogue goes off to the market and starts spotting pick pockets to find out if there is a local thieves guild. If there is he will make sure to get in and take over. If there isn't he will try to recruit the pick pockets to work for him. Again enough new plot hooks for a Dm to work with.
- A wizard starts visiting local stores to convince the owners that he "master of the arcane) can double the amount of customers by Feng Shui-ing up the place.
- The bard starts mingling within the high society circles. It only takes one noble to fall in love with the bard to get a nice cash flow going.
- The druid heads for the city's park and decides to clean up the place and make sure people handle the park with respect. Or visits the local school to teach children more about plants or animals. Might even decide to lend his services the army's cavalry to do free checkups on all the horses.
And the list goes on and on.
All the above immediately have things to do and even they can do better by coming up with a concept that works everywhere.
Playing a gypsy fortune teller for example, you can actively rp that anywhere in the world by offering your services to npc's and pc's alike.

- Lore helps creativity
Read up on the lore, so it can give you some background information when people start asking questions. Usually there is a lot of racial lore available to help you get ideas on how to roleplay your character. Just remember that the lore is only useful if it makes your character concept stronger.
For example, a monk or paladin who has taken an oath. While it may seem like restrictions, they can actually help you understand how to rp your character better. Let’s say the paladin is bound to pay a small percentage of his total income in donations to local churches or the poor in general whenever he comes back from an adventure.
You might think, hey that sucks I will lose gold. Or come up with a reason why your character not only upholding that rule but truly believes in it. Come up with world views on why it will make the world a better place if you continue doing this practice. He might for example be convinced that a donation works like a chain reaction. Help one person, so that person helps the next and so on.
That one rule just gave that character’s story more depth as it expanded the paladin’s view on the world, all because of one little rule he is forced to uphold.

- Don’t let lore lawyers bully you around
There is a great pool of knowledge to draw from on this server when it comes to D&D lore or rp-ing in general. The majority of those people is always willing to help you out.
That said there are always people who go overboard. Just search the forum for some uncommon lore and expect a discussion between people who both believe to understand more of the lore than the other one.
So when even those with ‘expert’ knowledge on the lore cannot come to an agreement, then you definitely don’t have to worry about not knowing every tiny little bit of lore out there.
Those who obsess with forcing their biased view on the lore upon others are usually really mediocre rp-ers who have trouble coming up with original character concepts and therefor stick with acting out the lore exactly as it is written in a book. And the worst thing is that they usually seem to only pick on those players who they feel they can bully around.
If every player would rp his class/race exactly as the lore lawyers say, it would become an extremely boring world.
Luckily those kind of people are usually arrogant enough to only play with people they deem worthy enough. So no need to worry about encountering to many of them in game. Also remember that they only seem to pick on those they think they can handle. Stay realistic but don’t be afraid to stand up for your character’s concept. They are all bark but no bite.

- See no evil, hear no evil
It is hard for DM’s to stay original forever. Not only will you start seeing how story’s will probably develop, you will also see a pattern in a DM’s style the longer you play with him or her.
Try not to act on those things.
With inexperienced DM’s you might get into stories for example that are extremely predictable. Remember that they need the practice so go with the flow. Like not showing that you already knew that the shady looking guy who send you on a quest would turn out to be a betraying villain instead. The more story’s you play the earlier you start seeing what will probably happen. Then still choosing to fall into the trap anyways is a fun way to keep the story going.
With experienced DM’s things might be a bit subtler but everyone has their own style and tells.
Whenever you see where he is going, only throw in a monkey wrench in his plans when you know it will create fun rp. If not try to ‘fall’ for it because it is really hard for DM’s, especially with short adventure story’s. To consistently create something that is always completely unpredictable.

- You will die alone; you need the others.
It is always a good idea to play as if you need everyone in the party to survive the big bad world out there. I have seen groups fall apart due to some minor dispute even though they spend years adventuring together in an extremely hostile and lethal world. Imagine being in a highly trained division, where everyone has had each other’s backs for year. Would they suddenly decide to kill each other over some minor dispute?

- I need to talk to you, let us go somewhere private.
A lot of stories tend to have a fair bit of intrigue, try not to go to paranoid though.
If you have some interesting information to share with someone, always question yourself if it is really that important to keep it away from everyone’s ears. Letting information out helps other players to act on it and create their own little chapter in the story. If someone happens to be with you and another person walks up to you with some vital information about a storyline. Don’t immediately send the person you are with away, but ask yourself if it is really that bad if he or she stays around. It is a lot more fun for that player to feel involved.

- The best winners sometimes lose voluntarily.
This can be from a mechanical aspect or a rp aspect in the game.
Have you ever cared about a story about a person who is so good he is incapable of losing? If everyone knows you are the strongest character who can do everything better than anyone, who would really care about your story but yourself?
Same goes for those who are strong rp-ers. Allow for flaws in your game so others can verbally ‘win’ from you from time to time as well. Maybe not always, but in the long run people will respect you for it.

- The more the merrier rule.
While it may not always be possible, always try to find ways to allow others to team up with you.
Let’s say you have a group filled with good aligned hero’s and one of them gravitates more and more towards the evil side.
Of course they could simply kick him out and move on, but imagine the rp opportunity’s it presents if they do not kick him. Will they try to change his views, will they act extremely dominant by constantly putting him in his place, will they accept him for who he is? A lot of fun rp opportunities arise when teaming up with those of opposing views.

- There is no competition nor a jury judging you.
Just doing is better than over complicating your own rp. If you spend 15 mins to write up the perfect response to a question, the other one probably already left the building by the time you finally press the Enter key.
Everyone is here to have fun, so even if you say something that isn’t perfectly in line with the rp you had in mind. It is okay.
If you focus to much on that and not enough on just playing and having fun, you will only make it harder on yourself.

- Don’t fill in for others what they think.
You might get the feeling during rp that someone dislikes something you did OOC. Don’t decide for that person that he or she actually thinks that. If you believe someone dislikes you or is annoyed by something, ask them about it . A lot of miscommunication is caused by people filling in for others what they think. Which is a shame because the person that you feel you have a hard time rp-ing against, might actually be really impressed with how you are playing. Oh and even if you actually do dislike someone OOC, a good role-player ignores that while being IC.

- Imagine being the character but don’t get emotionally invested.
It helps your rp if you try and imagine actually being the character in the situation he or she is in.
Bad things will eventually happen to your character though. It will hurt your rp if you get upset about it. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you are so afraid of seeing your character get hurt that you focus more on keeping the character safe or even OOC complaining that something is not fair, than simply playing and enjoying experiencing the situation as it’s presents itself?

- If you rage you lose.
This goes for IC and OOC discussions. The one who loses control first also loses the discussion.
The calmer and collected you are; the better choices you can make. Even if you are involved in a very heated IC discussion, you as a player should always stay calm.

- Others are allowed to make mistakes
Like you, others will make rp mistakes as well. Let’s say someone plays a dumb Orc, but isn’t paying attention and suddenly says something that is not only intelligent but also phrased in a fluent way.
Try to pick up on that and continue as if the Orc actually said it in a way that is more in line with his character. Don’t go around telling everyone the Orc is faking his stupidity, when you know it was just the player making a little mistake.

- Explore explore explore
Not only does the server have amazing maps, a lot of players tend to gravitate towards their own preferred maps. If you want to improve your rp, then you need to get around.
If you always sit in front of the FAI, you will have a small to no chance meeting the players who constantly hang around in Soubar for example. Try to get around, even with only 75 people allowed online at a certain time, you will eventually encounter other players in the strangest of locations.
It only makes those encounters all the more special.

- Don’t be afraid to ask advice on acting.
Let’s say you want to try out a role but have no idea how to rp it out.
You read the lore but still have trouble imagining the rp that belongs to it
For example, you want to role-play a pirate, but you have no idea how to talk the talk.
Then someone playing a pirate or sailor comes along.
Why not ask the player how he or she does it, or maybe even mentor you into the role?
Never hurts to ask.

- Your background is in the past, not the future.
Character development is one of the best parts of roleplaying. If you are too attached to your background, you might hamper your character’s development.
Let’s say your background states that you are completely devoted to a certain god and would never let anything happen to pull you from your faith, but during the game you decide it would make more sense and be a lot more fun to rp if you character gravitates to another god. Don’t be afraid to evolve away from your background. Your background is there to expand the storyline surrounding your character, not hamper it.


I have a lot more things I could write on this, but I just noticed the list is becoming a little bit too long already.
Hopefully there is something in there that helps.

[HvN]

Well Juramenta, That was quite the wall of text. However it was by far some of the most enlightening information I've read today. I really appreciate you taking the time to write that.

I liked some of it so much, you may see a jolly dwarf stumbling about in the near future tasting Ale's lol
(that would fit my real life personality surprisingly well..)

As far as exploration goes you are absolutely right. I was just thinking today about how I saw some where that we have over 350 zones to explore, and at the moment I can count all the zones I've been to on one hand...



"Luckily those kind of people are usually arrogant enough to only play with people they deem worthy enough. So no need to worry about encountering to many of them in game. "

I love your sense of humor btw, made me lol


EDIT: I hope you don't mind, but I've decided what I want my signature to be.

[Ithilan]

Hello HvN and welcome to the server. I believe we ran in to each other already in character. Like many others here, id be glad to answer some of your questions should you wish it and im glad you are enjoying yourself.

There certainly is a lot of lore to process and I can feel you on the intimidation factor of the RP at times, there are a lot of very meticulous RPers on the server and articulate as well I should say, which at times leaves me in a bit of awe even after so many years. But just take it in strides, every one here was new at a point and even if the player behind the monitor is a compendium on FR lore, character flaws and limits are what really make them intriguing to me personally.

I hope to meet Dreth again soon, so don't be a stranger

[Grimcheese]

Doing your research helps a lot, not only by giving inspiration for character concepts but also to study on what makes a writing style work (in the case of literature), and how to make a character work in the setting. Despite what some people like to think, you don't have to be a major in fantasy settings to get the last part to work; you just need to do enough to make the person reviewing it go "wow, this guy's done his research" which is a lot less than you think. People like the FR Wiki for researching lore, but I personally prefer realmshelps.net despite the odd choice of font.

The best way to get better in writing also works with roleplaying, though: Practice. Practice, practice, and keep practicing. So stick around and have fun, and if you see a young woman slinking about, go say hi to her. She can be a little shy, though, so have some patience on hand.