Wheres the RP?

Nicos

Hey all, frequent MUD player, fairly new Achaea player here. I came here recently after wanting to get back into MUDs and roleplaying. I took a long break after leaving Shadows of Isildur, due to the staff basically single-handedly making the game inactive. That game was some of the best roleplaying I've ever experienced, due in no small part to the fact that it was enforced. I came to Achaea with an open mind, I knew RP wasn't necessarily enforced, but I had figured with such a large player base that there were a few dedicated roleplayers in the mix. So far, be it bad luck or the wrong hours, I have not interacted with anyone who really wants to roleplay. I use the emote system, I try to stay IC, but it seems a pointless endevour when I am the only person who seems to be doing these things. As I said, maybe I've just been unlucky?

Anyhow, enough of the griping. I'm asking here on the forums to see how many other hardcore RPers there are really in Achaea. I'd like to know if  you're all in a certain House/City? Are there certain Houses/Cities that enjoy more RP than the others? Where's the right fit for me? Is there a different MUD even that can match my play style? As of now I've been reduced to grinding by myself as if I were just playing your run-of-the-mill MMO, because it is what I've been told I should be doing by my house. Me bored

Athrax

Honestly, you're just whining.  I have never found another MUD that provides more chance or more common RP than Achaea.  There are some Houses/cities that are more known for it than others, but it really isn't hard to find.   A lof of what makes for good RP is going to come down to YOU initiating it, and a lot of whether or not the other person/people engage back with you is going to come down to whether or not you make it interesting.

You may be having a hard time because you are are so young/new, but give it a chance... so what your house tells you for a while, but keep on trying to initiate RP, hopefully in a non-lame way.  I think you'll find that after a short while, you'll have no problems at all being engaged in RP constantly enough to make you happy.

Nicos

Athrax said:

Honestly, you're just whining.  I have never found another MUD that provides more chance or more common RP than Achaea.  There are some Houses/cities that are more known for it than others, but it really isn't hard to find.   A lof of what makes for good RP is going to come down to YOU initiating it, and a lot of whether or not the other person/people engage back with you is going to come down to whether or not you make it interesting.

You may be having a hard time because you are are so young/new, but give it a chance... so what your house tells you for a while, but keep on trying to initiate RP, hopefully in a non-lame way.  I think you'll find that after a short while, you'll have no problems at all being engaged in RP constantly enough to make you happy.

Well that was sort of rude. And you didn't even address any of the questions I asked. Thanks for the input though? And I'll have you know, Achaea is an AWESOME MUD, very immersive, very easy  to get the hang of, massive player base, etc. But the RP? At least from what I've seen? Yeah, non-existant. You've obviously never played SoI or Armageddon, or any really RP-intensive game. I didn't think I was whining, quite the opposite I thought I was trying to be the responsible player and ask questions.

Ellodin

I've played MUSHes with virtually no combat at all, with roleplay done through scenes, and I've played MUDs with no RP at all (I mean shit, I played a Starcraft MUD, rolled Protoss, and killed some drones to level up).  Or things like pure pvp Godwars base MUDs.  I wouldn't put Achaea too close to the top of those lists in terms of "pure roleplay," but that's because of the type of game - attempting to balance mechanical interest (the allure of a complex combat system, mob killing that isn't just inputting "kill x" a single time with maybe "kick," "dirt," or "c sanctuary" every so often) with roleplay means that on some level, skill in those mechanical interests becomes a part of the roleplay itself.  Besides that, a lot of people don't want to get too deep in interaction with novices due to relatively high turnover rate, and I ain't talking about a bakery.

So it depends on how you define "roleplay," though I won't disagree that there's a lot of fairly stupid things and people out there.  What I might recommend is trying to find at least one person you can consistently speak or play with (could be a fellow around your might and level who can be a friend/rival or perhaps your mentor), and then eventually use that connection itself as a roleplay device that people can identify you by.  Could possibly make you a little more interesting.

No, I'm not answering your actual questions about House/city, but I'd probably try to take that general approach.

Antidas

I'm gonna be honest with you, I am willing to bet a large part of the reason you can't find anyone to RP with is because you're in Cyrene. Now, thats not to say there are no RPers in Cyrene...people like @Melodie are always good for some fun RP. But, in general, you probably won't find many hardcore RPers. The exact same can be said about Hashan, and Ashtan. Both have their small core groups of excellent RPers, but the vast majority isn't interested. I can't speak much for Eleusis, having never had a character there, but i get the sense that its about the same as those previously mentioned. Now, there's certainly RP to be found in Targossas, but we have our share of people not interested as well. In my opinion, if you are looking for just pure RP, Mhaldor is the place to go. its got probably the smallest population of all the cities, due to its role in Achaea, but that same role is what enables it to have such a condensed population of people who enjoy RP. Its difficult to excel in the city without doing any RP. That being said, its also one of the most combat-intense cities. Their role as the general "bad guy" means that basically every other city wants to see them burn, the effect being that there is lots of raiding and combat. If you think you can RP an evil character well, then I'd strongly recommend that. If not, then I'd recommend Targossas. And I will mention that I do hope you pick Targossas because I need more people to RP with

Good luck finding a place you enjoy!

Nizaris

There are good and/or consistent role players in every city, though it can sometimes be difficult to seek them out. Where I presently am, I've pretty well surrounded myself with people that are always in-role, and it makes it much easier for me to stay in-role. I'll go ahead and throw out some names of people that I've interacted with, and respect. Mind you, I haven't gotten to know everyone in game, and so I'm surely missing quite a few.

Ashtan -- @Lianca

Cyrene -- @Melodie, @Herenicus, @Iocun

Eleusis -- @Delphinus, if he was still about. Beyond him, I don't have much contact with other Eleusians.

Hashan -- @Vayne

Mhaldor -- @Harmonia, @Ruth, @Orzaansyn, @Taraza, myself (I am a Mhaldorian, and so I know the most role players in Mhaldor)

Targossas -- @Halos, @Silas, I have quite a bit of respect for @Antonius, as well.

There are a great many more role players in Achaea than this; this is just who I can think of off the top of my head.

Ruth

I would add @Eiredhel for Hashan, @Taraus and surprisingly, @Ryldagh for Ashtan, @Jurixe and @Azor for Mhaldor, @Scarlatti's order isn't too bad for Cyrene, @Ada for Targossas, @Rangor (haha, ikr), @Wysteria, @Ellodin for Eleusis.

These are based off interactions not only on Ruth but also on my throwaway alts across cities, past and present.

Antidas

Nizaris said:

Targossas -- @Halos, @Silas, I have quite a bit of respect for @Antonius, as well.

Ruth said:

@Ada for Targossas

Ruth

I've never had lengthy roleplay with you before!

Jarrod

Your attitude probably doesn't help Antidas. Every city has their core group of RPers, people who will RP if put into the situation, people who really only want to RP with a certain group of people, and people who don't really have any desire to RP. Most of those that don't wish to RP will keep largely to themselves. The majority of RPers you won't ever get to talk to because you're generally only interacting with your faction and the more 'visible' parts of other factions. Making general comments like your first post just makes you sound elitist and stupid to pretty much everyone who RPs. I'd also feel safe saying that you don't find RP in other factions because most of the people I know in those other factions don't care to RP with you, and aren't forced to.

If you want solid RP, don't base any decisions you make off the forums. Stay yourself, try to RP where you can, and enjoy the game.

Nicos

Thanks to everyone! Very helpful tips here, and a lot of good points made. You've all helped rekindle my desire to play this game a little bit more. Currently already having a blast in Targossas (sorry Mhaldorians... Nicos just isn't evil enough)! At least for now I've found a few people to RP with, and that's good enough for me. Again, thanks for all the advice!

Mishgul

The replies in this thread are innocently obnoxious. Everyone in achaea roleplays and saying one person is better than another is degrading in all but the most obvious of cases.

Achaea is about being interactive. You might enjoy certain types of interaction more than others. Calling one set of interactions RP is very narrow minded.

I've met very few people who cannot legitimately roleplay. You tend to see a lot more people accusing each other of not roleplaying/roleplaying badly purely on subjective opinions.

The best thing you can do in any city is just speak up and try and make people enjoy interacting with you. I can name hundreds of great people to play with, who will make the game fun, as oppose to the ten people who got named here due to having forum presence. Talk to everyone and anyone, and remember its a game.

The main thing to remember is, the "RP" is in your head. How you enjoy it is defined by your actions and perceptions.

Rangor

edit: wrong topic

Jarrod

@Carmain is terrible at RP.

Once gave me a cookie jar, which resulted in me killing him with one of his own cookies.

Master assassin.

Caoimhaen

@mishgul is exactly right. Just because the person has a different type of role play, doesn't mean it's bad. Maybe they just want a relaxed character or something. Or maybe they want tons of interaction and emotes and drama. The possibilites are almost endless in the way of role play. Everybody is different.

Herenicus

I used to be more obnoxious on this very point, you'll enjoy more once you decide to meet people where they're at instead of where you'd prefer. 

Strata

Learned everything I know about being a so-called "good role-player" by spying on people who I thought might be "good role-players". The results were: Some people talk way too much and use all sorts of big words ... and then all of a sudden they say something completely OOC and you're like "you f***king faker... go wipe your ass with that dictionary, please."

You don't have to use extremely well written emotes and 300 word sentences that you prepared the day before -- unless that's your thing...

Synbios

I'm terrible at RP. Even our city's waterlogged humgii turns its face away in shame when I try to RP. Even our Targossian novices are infinitely better at RP than I am. I'm like the Anti-RP Equation, destined to bring awkward pauses in galas at my mere presence, uncomfortable coughing during sermons, and zaps all around when someone suggests that I perform a ritual. 

Wysteria

All my rituals involve blood so don't get me started on that one.

Athrax

Nicos said:

Thanks to everyone! Very helpful tips here, and a lot of good points made. You've all helped rekindle my desire to play this game a little bit more. Currently already having a blast in Targossas (sorry Mhaldorians... Nicos just isn't evil enough)! At least for now I've found a few people to RP with, and that's good enough for me. Again, thanks for all the advice!

Sorry about my earlier post, not sure why I was in such a bad mad yesterday, but it was definately rude upon re-reading.  I apologize.

Very cool to see you've found some people to RP with, though!

Vayne

"Hardcore RPers" is a really ambiguous and misleading term I think. People seem to have this mindset that hardcore RP means that you are out there always getting into arguments with opposing factions. While this is no doubt fun and gives the less combat inclined a way to do battle against the opposing factions by firing clever quips at one another, it does not necessarily equate into "good" RP. Like @Carmain well put it, there are so many niches that it is hard to define what "good" or "hardcore" RP is besides perhaps staying true to the world and being consistent in your gameplay.

You do not have to be the most clever, verbose, recognizable character, or even one of their entourage, to be a good RPer. It takes the commitment to develop your own character in whatever direction you want to, whether it be the awkward librarian, the town drunk, the fearless defender, the seedy politician or any other far more interesting archetype than the ones I listed. Being a "hardcore" roleplayer has more to do with what you can add to the world than how grand a character you can make; I know we all want to be the stars of the show, but often times you can make a bigger impact by carving out untapped potential in the crazy world we all have created over the past 15 years.

However, it may be easier to delineate what a "bad" RPer is. People who disregard the game world their characters inhabit are obviously the number one candidates for this. People who quickly move to OOC  messages when you deal with them, and frequently resort to OOC means to resolve conflict. Now, people who fall into that category, I think and hope, are in the minority. There is however, a large amount of players who merely lack consistency in their RP that can often hurt their character's continuity and the immersion of people who interact with them.

However, another issue I find is that many people accuse other of "bad" RP when they try to initiate interaction, usually through some sort of conflict, and do not receive the expected or desired type of response. I do not know how many times I have seen examples of this on the forums or in game, but as long as it does not violate the world we live in or is a blatant break in that character's being then you are going to have to deal with it. It's not bad RP; you cannot dictate other players' characters(Unless you are the Tyrannus).

Anyway, there are RPers in every city all the time, but like in real life you cannot always just break into someone else's conversation and expect to be welcome. Take some time to develop your character, listen to people, take advantage of the interactions you do find, and do not push too hard or force yourself into others'. Learn the culture, carve out your niche, and I believe you will find yourself rather well immersed in no time.

Mishgul

The only thing i regret is that i cant wield a pair of war axes called yolo and swag

Anedhel

There's also something to be said that, because Achaea's a game that never 'turns off', roleplay is more often carried out in the form of a character's legacy/reputation, than it is through a variety of single scenes.

There's no such thing, I think, as a person who's completely immersed in the world of Achaea without breaking into OOC at some point. Whether it's some subtle reference to a combat thing, expression of some desire your character would have no reason to articulate out loud, or just a goofy OOC reference among friends, everyone breaks character from time to time. That doesn't make you a 'bad' roleplayer.

I suppose 'success' in roleplay where Achaea is concerned boils down, in my eyes, to being able to establish a unique identity (both short and long term) for your character, such that they become a fitting and remarkable part of the fabric of the setting they have as a backdrop. I would only term people a 'bad' roleplayer if they consistently put OOC concerns over IC considerations, like switching factions a ton without having any real IC motivation to do that, or changing classes all the time for no particular reason.

Silas

lolz, I'm being mentioned in an RP thread.

Mishgul

yorpo

you only rp once

Trevize

You're probably not going to see the level of RP as Isildur - played that game a bit, it can be deep.

That said, Achaea has a lot more depth, in both the RP, and in the rest.

Alynna

They say you can learn about your true character by what you do when no-one is watching.

I feel this is true also for RP. Good role-players are those that stay in role all the time, whether there is an audience or not. They base their character's every actions and decisions on 'what would my character do?' This results in consistent, true, realistic RP.

These people exist in Achaea. Part of the fun of the game is finding them.

Greys

Alynna said:

They say you can learn about your true character by what you do when no-one is watching.

I feel this is true also for RP. Good role-players are those that stay in role all the time, whether there is an audience or not. They base their character's every actions and decisions on 'what would my character do?' This results in consistent, true, realistic RP.

These people exist in Achaea. Part of the fun of the game is finding them.

Definitely agree with this.  This is where you explore your character.  Does he/she agonize over killing things? Acquire a taste for blood? Develop a phobia.  Just don't pick up an accent that involves apostrophes.

Katzchen

When you find yourself emoting while alone... yeah I suppose some people would call that good rp... others would just direct you to  the 'you play too much achaea when....' thread.

I like keeping a journal with entries in character, helps cement 'what would she think/feel' about x. Of course this is no good if your character abhors writing. :P

Saibel

Mishgul said:

The replies in this thread are innocently obnoxious. Everyone in achaea roleplays and saying one person is better than another is degrading in all but the most obvious of cases. Achaea is about being interactive. You might enjoy certain types of interaction more than others. Calling one set of interactions RP is very narrow minded. I've met very few people who cannot legitimately roleplay. You tend to see a lot more people accusing each other of not roleplaying/roleplaying badly purely on subjective opinions. The best thing you can do in any city is just speak up and try and make people enjoy interacting with you. I can name hundreds of great people to play with, who will make the game fun, as oppose to the ten people who got named here due to having forum presence. Talk to everyone and anyone, and remember its a game. The main thing to remember is, the "RP" is in your head. How you enjoy it is defined by your actions and perceptions.

This is appreciated. I cannot stand rp elitists that seek to measure the contributions of others in game. So long as you aren't blatantly/openly ooc and most players aren't, you're role-playing. You're in character. You do not have to submit lengthy, ritual-like emotes or exercise an extensive vocabulary to be a positive addition to Achaea. If you are good at that sort of thing and enjoy it, more power to you- (though I find it a bit overwhelming and annoying and tend to hide from those sorts )

Ryldagh

Ruth said:

and surprisingly, @Ryldagh for Ashtan

These are based off interactions not only on Ruth but also on my throwaway alts across cities, past and present.

Surprisingly?  Hm.  Two ways to take that.  I'll go with @Ruth.

Now I'm curious who you were, though!