Role-players → Discussion•
Do you think that MMORPGs really count?   11-16>|

147379Sep 28, 2006 7:32pm
Just to be cocky...
Do you really think that MMORPG have got anything to with role palying, in the sense of acting out a given character?

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CastorQuinnSep 28, 2006 11:14pm
Yep.

Although a lot of people don't stay in character, that's not because the game is in any way flawed.

MMOs are just a natural evolution of MUDs, and MUDs were just an automated version of the paper rules. So I'd have to say yes, at least in design, MMOs are still roleplaying games. Those people who choose not to roleplay are no different to traditional powergamers and min/maxers in dice games.

ArcumDaggsonOct 2, 2006 9:15pm
Well... I wouldn't say that there IS actually any roleplaying onvolved, in the sense of ACTING a role, not even by design.
137864Nov 8, 2006 9:04pm
Arcum, what you say is true of MMORPG's in a way.

If the character you are acting, is one that tries to get more powerul by killing creatures and completing quests for the sake of getting more powerful, then it's acting.

EVERYONE is acting the exact same character usually, and we all know this doesn't work too well in hollywood "I'm Neo! no I'm Neo!"

I've roleplayed a drunk priest in a mmorpg church, spouting rambling preachy lines about respecting the short people...

You can roleplay in them, you just have to make an effort.
It's the culture of mmorpg's that doesn't encourage roleplaying at the moment.

Change the culture, and voila! you have rolplaying

CalebTheHereticMar 14, 2007 6:49pm
Hi folks! Because my old persona is inactive by now (FF fucked up and i can't login since...) you're getting answers from my only account.
Regarding your answers:
Well, that is NO acting to me, because ACTING to me implies gesturing, speaking and generally bodily behaving in a way, which you don't do at a MMORPG.
Well, it's kinda "roleplaying", but not in a P&P or LARP-style sense.
And... i claim that a good roleplayer never plays a character that's directly modelled after a known movie/comic/game character, because that is neither creative nor intelligent, because if the GM recalls the behavior of character X the player is somewhat bound to that...
Because if he doesn't, the character WILL look silly as soon as the behavior gets inconsistent to the role.

And BTW: I won't change the "culture" of WoW... Actually i don't even give a damn if some retard blames himself for eternity while he tries to play a P&P RPG (Like D&D or some...) and asks when one may take a mount...
Loca-neMar 30, 2007 8:55pm
To be honest, the amount of actual RP going on in MMOs is so near nill that it really can't be considered RP. The only reason it's called RP anymore is because of the features. Building a character, gaining levels, equiping them, etc...

In the end, even I don't RP in any of the MMOs I've played all that much. Though I do relish a good pen and paper game for just such a thing :) But I suppose they do count because of the *ability* to RP, really the sad thing is it's the easiest place to RP because everything is done for you... all you have to do is move around and talk... I guess that's why so little RP goes on in MMORPGs... it's so simple the casual idiot can do it.
marpiotApr 1, 2007 11:27pm
The inclusion of WoW's RP servers right from the get go shows that there is at least an audience that they feel needs to be represented, or at least appeased. However, any WoW RPers will tell you that the RP population even on those servers is small.

In that context, I'd say that the RP in MMORPG definitely counts for something. The something that says that jackasses exist everywhere, and love to get their funny names all up in your RP.

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psychicpsamuraiApr 2, 2007 5:45pm
I think Morp-Guhs count as barely a game. Are they more than a number display?
Loca-neApr 3, 2007 7:33pm
do I really want to understand what the heck you're talking about? I think in the end I'm going to pretend that Morp-Guhs means something other than the phonetic pronunciation of MMORPG. Only perhaps because I find the remark astoundingly ignorant, that or I'd like to play the devils advocate... *shrugs*

AkranisApr 14, 2007 12:49am
It would be better if there was a tutorial in the beginning of the game that teaches the player how to act out their characters and perhaps a few moderators (GM's) that enforce's the players to RP, or a better interaction with the NPCs more then just choosing quests. Because i think the reason so few players RP is because no one tells them to, they think the game is just about killing and leveling. I tried to RP once on an MMORPG and got a few answers like "WTF, N00B?" and "What?". Which was when i stopped trying.

So for a while i joined a group in which we just leveled and talked OOC, once i reached lvl 30 or so the game became kinda stale and I stopped paying my submission.

But i think it could have worked if you created a guild where RP is mandatory. a group of 4-6 is usualy what you have with Pen an Paper anyway.
It's too bad that there is no class named "GM" :p


Do you think that MMORPGs really count?   11-16>|