Returning, but different this time? (OOC) Help me please.

Kzir

Hello folks.

I've been playing on and off for about 20 years. I've generally annoyed most of the population over that time by not sticking with any faction, quitting cities/guilds/houses randomly (usually when returning to the game), and, sadly, not making any relationships with folks in the game.

I was playing it like a solo RPG game. I had bad social anxiety and fear of rejection issue baggage. That's mostly all under control.

So, instead of buying all the artifacts and playing every class, I'd like to rejoin the game fresh and make interpersonal relationships a big part of, if not the primary, why I play the game.

Can you please offer advice? 

I realize the interpersonal relationship focus is probably keyed on a few things:

• sticking with a city/guild/house for the long term (shared activities of combat, helping and learning from others, and day-to-day comms)
• focus more on immersing myself into the world and lore itself instead of abilities and levels.
• roleplay, but roleplay with others in their environment. breaking that also breaks their immersion.
• not care about the loss of levels (level 90 now)

I don't know many things, but I know that RP is helped by conflict. A character needs defining big moments in life and a cause to rally behind as part of who they are (even if it is a silly cause, in the end, it is real to the character).

I know folks owe me nothing to help them as I've been a serial flip-flopper for over two decades, but I personally feel like I could use these interactions and immersion into the game that I've barely scratched the surface.


-Kzir (also Drauka, of old, and some other failed alts and retired folks [have three retired toons, so much money])


PS: I love Mhaldor and all its flair, but have some difficulty with the RP maggot thing and not being able to converse with folks. It hampers my primary goals here of socializing [in-game] and interpersonal relationships. 


PSS: I'm not opposed to retiring Kzir again to get a fresh start (but would prefer not to). Kzir is a rogue Serpent, but I don't care about any specific class/city/guild/house; that's all secondary. I want to participate in a communally shared story and hopefully make some new friends who value that, too.

Romaen

However you adjust your playstyle - whether that means always saying hi when somebody else does on CT, emoting at other players when you see them sitting around the city, really striving for house advancement etc, or none of the above and being a quieter player - just stay consistent. 

Of course, don't burn yourself out (and possibly turn others off) by trying to talk to everyone and escalating every interaction all the time. 

Probably the majority of well known and popular personalities in Achaea today started off as pretty uninteresting characters with very little planning (especially characters from when there was very little OOC/IC divide and the playerbase consisted of mostly teenagers, but this likely also applies to most characters created since). Over time, most players settle into their habits, learn more about their character's ins and outs, pursue and follow the evolution of various goals, and build a reputation.

Even characters who only very occasionally foray/practice spar/raid/<insert group activity> but play the game as a long standing member of X organisation will make impressions and build their reputation. They might have specialist services or areas of knowledge that make them quite low-key and arguably very cool assets to their orgs. 

You'll be fine continuing with Kzir. Some people might remember the cityhopping for a bit, but it'll go away. Others have been far worse at it.

Tl;dr: Don't overthink it (sorry) - consistency over time is key. You can only plan so much.