Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post - Why RP? Why -not- RP?

Jazuela · 05-18-2002, 11:10 AM

I was just tossing this out, as DGate Collin said, for a topic of discussion. I wanted to hear what other people thought of it, since it really does interest me, being a "hard-core" roleplayer.

I used to not really grasp the idea of serious RP, I thought people who gave me flack for portraying my dark elf character as a giddy school-girl type were a bit anal retentive and needed to lighten up.

But then I started playing a more serious RP game, where the "dark elf" type race the game has would be considered inferior if they behaved outwardly emotional. I didn't understand, going into the game, why they would get so bent out of shape. And then I got into the RP. Nowadays, when I go to the other game to visit, I see people portraying the races SOOOO amazingly over the line of what that game's manual describes, and I flinch and run back to where I am now.

I know that serious RP isn't for everyone. I have also learned that people who are into serious RP have no place in "RP-Encouraged" games, because *any* overt attempt by others to go outside the definition of the world created for them will be a suspension of disbelief for the serious RPer.

But I was asking not about people who stretch the limits, but rather those who have no desire *at all* to roleplay. They just want to be themselves, use chat and OOC tells, and PK or powerlevel with no regard to roleplay whatsoever.

I don't begrudge anyone that right. Everyone has their own reasons for playing text games afterall. But those who have no desire to roleplay, to even attempt to "be" a dark elf..assuming the game they play has some sort of standard for dark elven behavior..what drives them to play an RP-encouraged game in the first place? And what do IMPs of those RP-encouraged games do, to encourage RP when they have so many people who just aren't interested in RP? Do they do anything? Do they do nothing? Why, why not?

I'm not sitting here judging anyone who does one or the other. Sure, I have my opinions of people who insist on RP yet refuse to play an RP-enforced game, and people who can't stand or can't handle RP yet insist on playing an RP-encouraged game. But this thread isn't for criticizing the people who do this. The thread is for discussing the whys and wherefors of both. Just because I'm curious.

I guess the whole RP-encouraged theme puzzles me. Someone who wants to "get into" their RP would have a hard time doing so if they're surrounded by OOCers, and someone who just wants to have fun in a community chat-setting would have a hard time doing so when there's RPers criticizing them all the time.

Why would either of these types play RP-encouraged games, and why would there even be such types of games? To me, either it's an RP game or it isn't.

R

05-18-2002, 11:10 AM	#8
Jazuela Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New England Posts: 849	I was just tossing this out, as DGate Collin said, for a topic of discussion. I wanted to hear what other people thought of it, since it really does interest me, being a "hard-core" roleplayer. I used to not really grasp the idea of serious RP, I thought people who gave me flack for portraying my dark elf character as a giddy school-girl type were a bit anal retentive and needed to lighten up. But then I started playing a more serious RP game, where the "dark elf" type race the game has would be considered inferior if they behaved outwardly emotional. I didn't understand, going into the game, why they would get so bent out of shape. And then I got into the RP. Nowadays, when I go to the other game to visit, I see people portraying the races SOOOO amazingly over the line of what that game's manual describes, and I flinch and run back to where I am now. I know that serious RP isn't for everyone. I have also learned that people who are into serious RP have no place in "RP-Encouraged" games, because any overt attempt by others to go outside the definition of the world created for them will be a suspension of disbelief for the serious RPer. But I was asking not about people who stretch the limits, but rather those who have no desire at all to roleplay. They just want to be themselves, use chat and OOC tells, and PK or powerlevel with no regard to roleplay whatsoever. I don't begrudge anyone that right. Everyone has their own reasons for playing text games afterall. But those who have no desire to roleplay, to even attempt to "be" a dark elf..assuming the game they play has some sort of standard for dark elven behavior..what drives them to play an RP-encouraged game in the first place? And what do IMPs of those RP-encouraged games do, to encourage RP when they have so many people who just aren't interested in RP? Do they do anything? Do they do nothing? Why, why not? I'm not sitting here judging anyone who does one or the other. Sure, I have my opinions of people who insist on RP yet refuse to play an RP-enforced game, and people who can't stand or can't handle RP yet insist on playing an RP-encouraged game. But this thread isn't for criticizing the people who do this. The thread is for discussing the whys and wherefors of both. Just because I'm curious. I guess the whole RP-encouraged theme puzzles me. Someone who wants to "get into" their RP would have a hard time doing so if they're surrounded by OOCers, and someone who just wants to have fun in a community chat-setting would have a hard time doing so when there's RPers criticizing them all the time. Why would either of these types play RP-encouraged games, and why would there even be such types of games? To me, either it's an RP game or it isn't. R