Looking for RP

Goryllin

I have played a mud called Crossroads - where everything happens long form and there are no mechanics. So combat would be "I tremble mightily from the affects of the rage boiling in my blood and quickly ball my hand into a burly fist before flinging it quickly towards Bob as he stands smugly in front of me". Whereupon the player of Bob has to decide how he wants to handle the situation and respond. "Startled by a fist suddenly hurtling my way, I quickly attempt to twist aside and almost make it as the blow strikes the side of my head instead of my face. Enraged, I have no choice but to throw my body forward in an attempt to tackle this coward and end his assault".

-- Achaea is really different. It runs on mechanics, which takes the roleplay away from the words and players and makes it all about actually playing a role. Being the character.

Long form generally means not using a canned or preset response -but Achaea has done so well in creating a myriad ways for you to interact and expressing yourself that you don't honestly need it. Thus most people, in the hurried and active life of Achaea, prefer to use what is built and use speaking and interaction to form the roleplay.

If you really like playing with words and expressions and making your own situation, that's perfectly fine! I do it at times as well, but I don't do it intentionally as a planned scenario but only when I feel the situation requires further input on my characters expression, body language, or actions.

**To the real point of the OP: You can often find people willing to listen and interact with your long form emotes, just pick the proper place and time. Walking into 20 people at Centre Crossing and starting a long form emote might feel like you are being ignored as they continue their conversations. They probably notice you, but long form interactions just aren't the typical response in such a crowd. However, finding 2 people sitting in the ClockTower would be in a slower and more relaxed environment and thus feel more towards responding in kind.

Astrika

So, a couple of observations after a week or so of acting on as much of the advice in this thread as I could:

1. MAJOR: Who you play around and with really matters. I relocated to a different city and it's just been a barrage of muuuuuch more consistent RP. Every interaction is turned into an opportunity to create a world - even if we're in a hurry and just get to the facts of a House advancement thing or something - and when we aren't in a huuuge rush the little extra bits really help.

2. I realized that I don't need super drawn-out, long emotes. I knew this intellectually before, but the almost complete lack of it has really driven that home. If a character is played consistently and when the emotes - pre-written or custom - just fit, it really drives across the realness and makes it so much better. Looking at you, @Taraus, @Zimona and @Kiet.

3. You guys rock. As soon as I made this thread I had like 5 people offer to RP. I didn't get to RP with all of them - and one of you is still happening at some point (@Qwyn), but I did get a little nudge of something before I relocated. The support here is really great.

Qwyn

Heh sorry, I haven't been on in like a week. New job + birthday + fat delayed paycheck from 2nd job arriving = busy!

Neftarys

Of the IREs, I've primarily played MKO, where longform RP is very prevalent. I really enjoy it, but I do get @Lorielen's point about the speed of things, and in fact even in MKO, if there are like seven people interacting primarily in says, I'm not gonna pause and write out a really long emote. There's just not time for it; it's not practical and you won't be able to keep up with the exchange.

I do think it's something to do more with a small group of RPers, but when I was playing Achaea in Targossas, one time, all I did was insert like two quite short one line custom emotes into a say conversation to communicate my character's emotion a bit more specifically and characteristically, and I was later told (in the nicest way possible, by a third party) that some of the people involved thought I (and my friend from MKO who did something similar) were being too 'showy'.

So, in short, I get longer custom emotes may be less the culture here, and admit they're not always appropriate, but that came off to me as a bit intolerant of more involved RP, and sort of scared me away. I'm sure it wasn't meant in a bad way, but there it is.

I guess I just wanted to add my two cents, and maybe also be told I'm wrong and find reason to come back, because the population here is a huge draw, and the rate of development, and the Blademaster class seems really cool.

Tristyn

@NeftarysI don't think I've ever had a problem with custom emotes in Targossas, or at least no one has complained to me (if they do, they know how many unicorns I give). That being said, there are certain people/families in each city that are more responsive to roleplay than others. Wintermournes being one of the Targossian families that will engage (as long as you aren't crazy stupid, then you might get glares from Tristyn). Also I find sometimes achaea role players have their "spot" or several they camp at, you won't always see them in public spaces "roleplaying" unless it is an event/sermon. 

This is coming from a person that plays achaea/Targossas 100% for roleplay. If I want to bash & pk, I'll play Aetolia where it is much more enjoyable!

Kiet

Neftarys said:

Of the IREs, I've primarily played MKO, where longform RP is very prevalent. I really enjoy it, but I do get @Lorielen's point about the speed of things, and in fact even in MKO, if there are like seven people interacting primarily in says, I'm not gonna pause and write out a really long emote. There's just not time for it; it's not practical and you won't be able to keep up with the exchange.

I do think it's something to do more with a small group of RPers, but when I was playing Achaea in Targossas, one time, all I did was insert like two quite short one line custom emotes into a say conversation to communicate my character's emotion a bit more specifically and characteristically, and I was later told (in the nicest way possible, by a third party) that some of the people involved thought I (and my friend from MKO who did something similar) were being too 'showy'.

So, in short, I get longer custom emotes may be less the culture here, and admit they're not always appropriate, but that came off to me as a bit intolerant of more involved RP, and sort of scared me away. I'm sure it wasn't meant in a bad way, but there it is.

I guess I just wanted to add my two cents, and maybe also be told I'm wrong and find reason to come back, because the population here is a huge draw, and the rate of development, and the Blademaster class seems really cool.

If anyone criticizes you for emoting, just ignore them and never interact with them again imo. Depending on where that happened, they might get an OOC chewing out for it, too. Don't let some insecure jackass put you off from the game. Like I said, there are definitely groups/orgs where emoting is commonplace.

Also: Aetolia pvp more enjoyable? No thanks  

Rodhel

Kiet said:

Also: Aetolia pvp more enjoyable? No thanks

+1