The Art of Role Playing
Version 0.1ß (3/21/99)
Table of Contents:
Author's Note:
Firstly,
I would like to say that I am not the authority on Role Playing (RP), nor do I think
I know everything RP related, so nothing in this document should
be taken too seriously to heart. This document is just some
suggestions and guide lines you might wish to follow or
incorporate in to you RP'ing in Mulit-User-Dungeons/Domains (MUDs). Secondly, if
you disagree with something in here, e-mail me and tell me what
you disagree with and why, then I might see the light and change
my wrongful RP ways. The second last comment I would like to
throw in here is this, if you want to add another section, or
would like me to, feel free to e-mail me for the RTF file so you
can edit it (I can convert them directly to HTML :oÞ). Lastly,
this document is mainly focused towards RP'ing as it relates to
MUDs and more specifically, the Mudweiser MUD.
Just What Is Role
Playing?
Now
before you sexual maniacs go getting excited, this kind of Role
Playing is not the kind that goes on during one's honey moon.
Role Playing is exactly what the name suggests, playing the role
of a person other than yourself. Brought down to the most basic
level, RP'ing, as it is related to MUDs, is acting through
speech, actions, and beliefs. Many people get RP'ing confused
with simply only killing the kinds of mobiles (MOBs) that your
character would. RP'ing consists of much more than killing
preference. What you character does when they’re not killing
MOBs, how they interact with their surroundings, other
characters, and the choices you character makes are all a huge
part of RP'ing effectively.
Why, When and Where
to Role Play
Why
RP? Many new MUD players, or 'newbies' as they are called, ask
this question of 'why'? After you've made it to about level 20,
walking around and finding more stuff to kill just looses it's
appeal as a task on its' own. Making that number just after the
work 'Level' higher and higher becomes more and more pointless as
you advance in skills. Some may say 'Well I can kill other
players if I can get to a high level and that would be cool,' but
the truth of the matter is this, without a reason to kill the
other players, why bother? This, if not earlier, is where RP'ing
comes in for a newbie player. By RP'ing, extra depth is added to
the adventures a player experiences on the MUD. Of course, RP'ing
isn't just a method to enforce you actions, it makes the game
more fun and enjoyable. MUDs are played on the net for a reason
and that's human interaction! From personal experience I can say
that I had a few characters that I just tried to power level and
in each case, boredom sets in quick. Your key strokes have no
more meaning as you wonder the realm in search of a big
experience point (xp) kill. I found as soon as I started to RP, I was
having more fun than ever before on the MUD. I was having
in-character (IC) conversations with other characters that were
as imaginative an as unpredictable as I could be. I was going on
quests with other players to share the experience of the
adventure and give and receive a helping hand. The characters
that were against what I stood for, I shunned and pestered IC and
we both had a more enjoyable time for it. Not everyone can be
forced to RP, but sooner or later, boredom will set in and RP'ing
may become a handsome alternative to power leveling and senseless
MOB killing.
You should RP
when other people are around. If no one else is on the MUD at the
time, it is a pretty silly feeling to sit there and try to RP by
yourself. At this time power leveling is an OK option, as long as
you try to kill MOBs of opposite alignment than yours (this will
cause you alignment to remain on the same end of the scale as it
always should be [there are some exceptions which will be
described later]). So when other people are on the MUD, it is
suggested that you take advantage of the moment, RP with them and
further you skills as a social being.
Where should you
RP? Well, this ties in with how you RP. Say, for example, your in
a Tavern drinking and another player walks in. If you've had a
few too many beverages, you may hug or slur your words (not to
the point of being incompressible) to act the part of a
intoxicated character. If you meet another character in the
middle of the forest attacking a creature that you (your
character) like, why not say something to the other character
along the lines of 'That be a noble beast you have slain! Why
have ye done such a deed!?' and give a good sulking. If you
happen to be a Player Killer (PK), than challenge the other player to a battle to
the death. Another popular location for meetings of characters is
the healer's alter. At this prime location, one might ask another
about their battle scars or their recent adventures. So, as you
can see by now, the location of your RP'ing is a big factor to
what you're going to do. Some times a players comes up with
something to say on the spur of the moment and will 'gossip' it
for all to hear. This usually will set the tone and subject of
the conversation that will hopefully occur. So, the general rule
is not so much where you should RP, but how you should RP where.
Just try to think of an appropriate theme, subject or tone to fit
the location you are in.
Some Suggestions On
How to Role Play Effectively:
Choosing a Name
Many
newbies will choose a 'cool' name or their net name as the name
for their character. In most cases, this is not a good choice.
When I first started playing the MUD, I chose the name
'TheMatrix' because this is my net name. Turns out that name
wasn't very good for several reasons. Firstly, it was two words
and not a name. Character names should always have only one
capital letter as the first letter. Secondly, this name wasn't
medieval or olden at all. In most MUDs, the theme is very
strongly medieval or olden and a non-medieval name stands out
like a sore thumb. For this reason, a medieval name almost always
works better than a non-medieval one. Also, the name I chose has
no meaning to it. My newest character is named 'Talos'. The
reason this is a good name is because it is from the Greek
period, so it still sounds old and it has meaning related to my
character. In this case, my character is a Human Paladin and
Talos was a good mythological Greek guardian protector of a small
island. Finding a good name for the character you want can take a
while, but there are some 'name meaning' web sites that can be
very useful. Try not to use a common name as anything but a last
resort. One final note on name selection regards names of
stature. A name that implies a social standing, such as King
Talos, Lord Talos, Sir Talos, etc., should not be used. The
reason for this is that in the MUD world everyone should enter in
at the same low social level. Through a players skills, choices,
and a little luck, one can gain respect on the MUD and earn a
place of social standing.
Playing a Race
The
race of character you decide to play can affect how you RP you
character. By selecting a Drow, for example, you character is
more likely to be evil. An elf is loving of nature, a giant is
typically dumb. For information on more races, ask an
immortal/implementor (IMM) or high level mortal. Also, the TSR Dungeons
& Dragons game has a lot of documentation on many races that
MUDs use.
Playing a Class
Many
would argue that your character class is far more important than
your race and I would agree. Your class is like your occupation.
Your class will pretty much tell you what kind of character you
should be playing. A thief is a murderous, evil pick-pocket. A
paladin is a goodie-goodie helper of the good and fighter of
evil. The mage can be evil or good, but tends to be evil in most
cases. The cleric class is a 'healer' like class and is often
played good. The avenger is kind of like an anti-paladin class
that fights good. The basic warrior is can fight for good or
evil. Once again, for more information on different character
classes, ask an IMM or high level mortal. Also, many fantasy web
sites, have information on the different character classes too.
Some of the equipment (EQ) in may MUDs are anti-classes and can't be used
by that class. For example, some evil daggers may be anti-paladin
or a wand anti-warrior. This will help your class wear the EQ
that is correct for your class.
Alignment
The
alignment of you character can change easily depending on what
you kill. If you kill evil MOBs, then you alignment will be
closer to angelic. If, on the other hand, you were to kill good
MOBs, your alignment would be closer to satanic. In the middle
ground is the neutral alignment, where you kill an equal number
of good and evil MOBs or only kill neutral MOBs. I personally
feel that it is way too easy to change your alignment, so be
careful not to have you alignment change too much or you may seem
like a poor RP'er that can't keep their story straight. Also,
much equipment in MUDs is made for only one alignment and if you
are wearing this EQ at the time your alignment, it may cause you
harm or simply fall off. Recently, some clans have become made
for only one alignment, and if you are a member of that clan and
you have you alignment change, you risk being exiled from the
clan. I feel that this is a good idea and hope to see it more
often (see 'Clans' section for more information). There are rare
times when you should change your alignment. An example of such a
time is if you were RP'ing a good character that has been
fighting the temptation of evil and finally gives in. If at any
time you plan to change your alignment, be sure you are aware of
what consequences may await you on the other side. One final note
is this, try very hard to remain of one alignment for you
character and never change alignments for no reason.
It's All In How You
Say It
Since MUDs are
completely text games, how you write things shows a lot about
your character. Medieval language is most often appropriate to
use when RP'ing. Try not to go spelling things like 'kool',
'kewl' or 'thanx', but use the correct spelling as it makes the
game feel more tidy. This does not mean that if someone should
make a mistake(s), as we all sometimes do, that you should bring
it up or bother that person about their incorrect spelling. As
MUDs are really ment to be an imitation of a real world, how
another character spells something doesn't mean your character
would hear it that way, so there is really no need to comment on
other character's typing skills. Talking in rhyme, verse, or
riddle is often most affective when talking to groups of people
or you enemies. Slightly twisting what another character says
often can make things interesting and causes the other players to
phrase their character's speech more interestingly. The MUD is
entirely text and because of this the tone of some messages can
be interpreted wrong. For this reason, adding an emotion face to
the end of a text line can be appropriate :o). Also, to show
emotions, a character can put a '*' on either side of an action
or emotion. For example, 'Ya, you almost got him that time!
*giggle*'. In the next section, I will explain how to do
expressions and action emotions.
Social Actions
To
see a list of social actions, type 'social' and press [enter]. A
list of social commands will come up. To perform one of these
social actions, simply type the social action in and press
[enter]. For example, by typing 'giggle' other characters in the
room will be told that you giggle. Some social commands require
and/or accept a taget character or MOB to carry out the action on
or with. By typing the social command followed my the character
of MOB's name, the social action will be performed. An example of
a targeted social would be 'poke cityguard', which would result
in 'You poke the cityguard in the ribs.' being displayed on the
screen. In order to personalized social actions on the MUD, the
command word 'emote' is used. When 'emote' is typed followed by
description of what you character is doing the result will be
other characters in the same room being able to see your 'name'
followed by the description of what you wanted your character to
do. For example, if I were to type 'emote sits and thinks hard
about what to do next.', what would be seen by other players is
'Talos sits and thinks hard about what to do next.'.
Interaction With
Other Players
When
RP'ing with other players, many people make the small mistake of
tell the other player what's happening to them. Often, it is a
very small difference in how one performs an action that
expresses if the action is being performed or received. To make
this easier, I will use this example: 'Talos knocks Etah to the
ground'. The problem with this action is that I (Talos) have told
Etah what's happened to him. Now if Etah was a giant, human Talos
would have some trouble doing this task. The easiest way to
remedy this is to add the word 'tries' in to the action: 'Talos
tries to knock Etah to the ground'. Now Etah can decided if he is
going to be knocked to the ground. Etah might decide that 'Etah
steps away from Talos'. If you really want to perform an action
on to another character, do it through a PK fight. A warrior can
attempt to use the bash skill to knock a player to the ground,
and the success chance is decided on by the stats of both
characters. For more info on PK fight's, see the 'Player Killing'
section.
Channels, the Do's
and Don'ts
Channels
are very easy to use and even easier to mis-use. Most channels
are used specifically for In Character dialog or Out Of Character
(OOC)
dialog. IC channels are usually as follows: say, tell, emote,
gossip, auction. OOC channels are usually as follows: OOC (duh!),
newbie, ask, music. These are not all of the channels, as many
different MUDs use different channels, but this should at least
giver you an idea as to which channel is for which type of
dialog. For more information on the channels of your particular
MUD, contact an IMM. The rule is this: If you are talking,
use an OOC channel, if your character is talking,
use an IC channel. By following this simple rule, much
confusion in the MUD world can be easily avoided.
Clans - Why, Which
and When?
A
clan is like a guild, of which members of a like clan will
usually help one another. In MUDs, there are usually many clans,
each different from the other. Each clan holds different rules,
requirements, and beliefs.
Why?
The
best reason to join a clan is usually to help your RP'ing. Being
in a clan the holds certain ideals and beliefs helps show other
players that you also share these ideals and beliefs strongly.
Most clans also have clan EQ that (in my opinion) is often overly
powerful. Often, this is the motivating factor that causes a
player to join a clan. Usually this is short lived, as IMMs will
adjust, oblivious to the screaming and kicking that follows, the
strength of clan EQ to balance the MUD. Once a player joins a
clan, there is almost no reason to quit a clan. A clan that a
player feels is good enough to join usually doesn't change so
much that the player feels they must leave.
Which?
Which
clan to join is often a dilemma that faces every MUD player.
Although not every player feels the need or want to join a clan,
many do. A player should think for a day or so when deciding
weather or not to join a particular clan. The right clan for a
player is one that shares the same ideals and beliefs as the
character. By join a clan on this criteria, a player should be
able to choose a clan the they will be part of for the life of
their character.
When?
Although many
MUDs have different suggested levels at which one may join a
clan, I personally suggest that the right time is when you feel
that you can hold your own as a player killer and have found the
right clan. Please note that many clans, if not all, have the
prerequisite of a character being PK before join a clan.
Leveling
The
topic of if leveling is RP or not has been debated on over the
MUD for as long as I have played. I will try to express both
sides of the argument. Those that believe that leveling is not RP
feel that a character that kills for the sake of gaining xp to
level shows no or little RP behind their actions in their
leveling. Many of these people who share this belief are usually
more long time players than newbies. Being able to enjoy the
MUD'ing experience at a low level is hard for many new and
intermediate players. Those that feel that leveling can be RP,
such as myself, feel that by gaining levels, one can experience
more of the MUD realm and accomplish more in one's RP tasks.
Regardless of one's stance on leveling as RP, power killing of
every MOB is seen as not RP because there is no motive behind the
actions. As you play try and decide for yourself if leveling is
RP.
Player Killing
One
of my favorite topics on the MUD and just about any other RP'ing
game, the infamous PK! Being a PK, in short, means that you will
kill other players and are open to attacks from other players.
Most newbies are tricked in to becoming a PK at a far too early
level and are slaughtered by the higher level PKs. So on a short
note, don't become a PK because someone tells you to, wait until
you feel ready and are of a mid level. Not all players must
become a PK, as usually very little is physically gained by doing
so. The RP element that is added when a character becomes a PK
though is very interesting. By arguing with another PK character,
the risk exists that you may die for you actions, words, and
beliefs. This can help one's RP'ing skills as pretending your
character is a real person. As I mentioned earlier, don't become
a PK because someone else wants you to, do it when you feel
ready, if ever. And as a final note in this section, PK's that
power kill other PK's, chances are you're not RP'ing very well,
and the RP gods will rain down their wrath upon you...
Mind Your Manners
As
in real life, there are some rules that should be followed while
on a MUD, even while not RP'ing. Firstly, don't be a general
annoyance all the time to everyone. This can be a good way to get
yourself banned from the MUD for life if you break this first
rule. If you character is an annoying person, then show this, but
not to the point that you are harassing another player. Secondly,
don't force other people to RP if they don't want to. By forcing
RP on someone, you can very much ruin the fun that person may
have had RP'ing in their own time. Not everyone feels the need to
RP all the time or anytime for that matter, but it's a free world
(well, most of them and kind of) and people should be able to
enjoy things as they see fit. Thirdly and lastly, try to wear
pants (I can't stress this enough) or at least boxers while you
play the MUD. It's just general politeness that one should not
have to worry if another player is wearing pants or not. Ya,
that's the big one.
Final Words...
If
you're reading this, you deserve a pat on the back for reading
all of the above information (or being clever enough to skip it
to the end). As mentioned in my first note, I claim not to be the
RP master, so nothing in here is written in stone (actually HTML
that changes way too often). If you have another section
to add, change or adjust, get a hold of me through e-mail for the
RTF file of this article. I'm happy now to have finished this
article as it has take a lot of effort to procrastinate doing it
for so long. The date today that I actually finished this is (8/9/99), that's ~4
months. Well, I'm finished, free! I wonder what the out side is
like... I don't remember, the sun, oh glorious sun! Awh, I'll go
out side later, I'm going to play the MUD...
v0.1ß Created by:
Tristan Coysh (3/21/99 - 8/9/99)
thealphmatrix@hotmail.com