Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Often I hear people talk about good role play, and I often join the conversation, so I was wondering, what does BG people think about that?

Describe in a sentence or two, what a good role player is.

Please do not discuss or anything like that, if you wish to discuss make your own thread

Have a nice day.

Being inclusive, and re-act.

Too subjective.

I think inclusive and someone who can separate IC from OOC.

I'm often guilty of becoming passive. Like I'm more observing things than living through them, not just here but even in RL. I find that the majority of players behave in the same way on our server. In an event for example, it's the notion that we're carried forward, without seriously prompting that progress ourselves.

Whatever it is that most "good" roleplayers do currently, a hardcore grinder can emulate in a heartbeat when presented with the opportunity. However a great roleplayer? Different. A great roleplayer has the ability to avoid being passive and is instead attentive. When the option presents itself of going into a cave after the bad guy, or turning back, most of us pick the cave. A great roleplayer might find a third option, staging an ambush, locating another passage and so on, because they're immersing themselves with the environment. They see opportunities beyond the mechanical aspect of the game.

Socially, they interact with characters on a different level. Consider the conversations in novels or movies, or even single player RP games. There is banter between party members. There is a reaction to others, and an awareness of one's own emotions and of others, PC and NPC alike. It's something many struggle with, being the stone-faced adventurer more akin to a slab of rock than a believable figure is just too easy. A great roleplayer expresses these things though in a realistic fashion (except for maybe the excessive slaughter of NPCs).

It takes effort. For those of us who have different characters, the RP isn't all that different between them I find, mine or yours. If one is passive and observing, it's just portraying oneself through a slightly different background lens between characters. It's not really reaching for realism. It's dolls with fitting lines at the press of a button. People can sometimes have moments of brilliance and character progression or character portrayal, but usually not on a constant basis.

I can have my moments, but I'm not a great roleplayer. I am good with stories, but not so much living through them even if I make some half-hearted attempts every now and then. So what makes good roleplay in my opinion?

Attentiveness and immersion.

Bouncing off others.

Essentially when you do something, someone else reacts, you re-react then they re-re-react and it goes on.

I still remember vividly the best roleplay experience I have had in this game, occurred 3 times and I literally loved those moments.

Firstly - A DM event:

Me, Felix, Tyrial (This is about 6 months ago, think they are both on a hiatus currently and hopefully to return!) Go into the crypts by halfling town, things get.. interesting, more monsters than usual, we barely make it through, a angel shows up to help us, things get bloody, we are being surrounded, barely make it to the end and then the Vampire lord shows who has been summoning all these extra monsters etc, now he asks everyone to kneel and serve him, me at the time I was a bit lower level, weaker, so my character of course failed his test and knelt, begging for mercy, the other 2 attacked and died (DM powers !) My char then talks to said vampire, carry out the 2 guys, event over as I rezz them.

BUT NO!

Felix rips out his weapon, places it to my characters throat and accuses him of helping said creature.

Bring back the roleplay now 6 months later, this event which occured previously still affects my character to this day as Felix was a guard of candlekeep and had told others of the event, which then spread and spread.

The above was what I love about rp, your character reacting to a situation

Follow up to the event above 3-4 days later.

Fireplace at FAI, my char walks up, usual chatter, suddenly getting frowns from a certain roleplayer, no idea who she was at time, new to game, so was not sure in game or out of game what was going on

Turns out she was a friend of Felix, warden of Candlekeep and been told certain stories... RP ensues, which left my character slightly more scared/on a path to evil.

Leading to the third event of all of this, finding someone else who served this vampire who had heard the rumours and saught my character out, leading to now some awesome roleplay still going on.

All from a event 6 months back.

Bouncing off one another - Can cause Great roleplay.

In one or two sentences? Here goes nothing:

A good roleplayer is one that can separate IC and OOC, does not metagame information, items, gold, etc between their characters, is able to react to a completely unexpected situation that drops out of the sky, and last but not least, "bouncing" off of others.

Some examples:
1. Separate IC and OOC: If a player is talking to you with // or ( in the text(or green text), or most of the time in tells it is normally OOC. If your character responds to that ICly, thats not a good thing.

2. Metagaming information: Say one of your characters or you as a player learn certain information that may be useful to your other characters. A good roleplayer would RP only that character knowing the information if they gained it IC, even if another of your characters would be walking into a trap.

3. Muling: Muling items and gold down to newer characters is not really a good thing. There are some exceptions, though most of the time its not good.

4. Unexpected situation: Lets say you character is the most powerful villain in the game and they are walking in front of a tavern door in an area where there are wards to defend against physically harming another on purpose. A few drunken idiots come stumbling out of the door and knock the villain over. What would your character do?

5. Bouncing off of others... See post above. My main experience with this however was with the Zhentarim. Lomith was looking for fodder to help in clearing out an area in the ruins of Oghrann, so she went to the Zhentarim. The Zhentarim wanted all the benefits for giving nearly nothing, so Lomith walked out without giving them an answer. Several months later with there having been no Zhent contact since, they hired Bregan to sneak a Zhentarim strike force into the Underdark with the purpose of attacking the Zau'afins(killing the matron). Bregan then changed sides since their hand had been forced, and told Lomith about what was going to happen. As a result of this, an ambush had been set up to catch the Zhentarim, one that Bregan would lead them into. When the final preparations were made, the Zhentarim somehow found out, and never sent the strike force.

I think a good roleplayer:

1. Respects other players and DMs.

2. Respects the setting of the world they are Roleplaying in.

3. Stays IC.


These statements are generic, but many times when discerning whether a person is RPing well or not, it can be drawn to these three statements.

With that said, anybody can be a good roleplayer following this.

For me, a "good roleplayer" amounts to mostly to the person's OOC attitude. I prefer players that put serious consideration into the feelings of their fellow players before RPing things that will ultimately hurt their enjoyment of the game--regardless of the fact that "it's what your character would do"--and instead are willing to compromise to find a way to make the narrative move forward that better suits all parties involved.

Also, if your character can make me laugh out loud, you're top tier in my book.

Progressive-Psy wrote:Describe in a sentence or two, what a good role player is.

Me.

A good roleplayer. Hmm. A storyteller that can portray their character with consistency, work alongside other players and include their characters in your own character's story, as well as add something to the story of others. Basically participate in telling a good story.

They are not afraid to properly handle a situation where their character are at a weakened position, as well as accept the consequences of their character's actions and are willing to lose for the sake of a good story.

A bad roleplayer is obviously the opposite.

Someone who makes it easy for the imagination of people around to see the scene in their head as a movie, not as pixels to pixels.

Passiflora wrote:Someone who makes it easy for the imagination of people around to see the scene in their head as a movie, not as pixels to pixels.

Good one!

Painting a vivid picture with words and if directly associated to your character than I would say bringing out that characters personality.

What distinguishes that character? What does he or she bring to the table and how do thode interactions effect that characters surroundings.

Lastly being able to not use outside information but only what your character k is through their eyes.

Pun pun is on the right track:

A good roleplayer is one who respects and understands the setting. A good roleplayer is also friendly OOC and able to understand the distinction between OOC and IC so as not to distract from immersion.