[prof1515]

I've played conservative politicians despite being a liberal. I've played religious zealots despite being an atheist. I've played criminals despite being honest to a fault. I've played murderers despite being a pacifist. I don't want to be any of these characters I played. I enjoyed creating a character that fits into the game world in a way which proved interesting in their dealings with other characters and the setting. Was it exhausting? No, though I have played characters who were exhausting due to particular aspects of their personality which meant I was constantly in a very hyper mindset to depict them properly. As an admin I was a bit exhausted a couple times when handling RPTs where I was animating two, three and even four different characters having a conversation with one another, switching between them every couple seconds and endeavoring to transition the RP smoothly between their completely different personalities. The fun came from the results: the role-play of a scene that was effected smoothly and which brought others enjoyment as well.

You're confusing socializing and role-playing. Interacting with other people is socializing. Creating and bringing to life a character is role-playing. Different people take different approaches to designing and fleshing out their character. RP doesn't die as a result of that process; it thrives. What you seem to be referring to is "RP" of the sort you find in console RPGs or MMOs like WoW. That's to RP what a rancid roadkill is to a seven-course gourmet dinner.