Why do you play?

[Dracaeon]

Hmm, I was fully expecting Esorono to pick that...

Anyway, I'm one of the many or so that picked RPing, because, that is literally all that I do now.  OOC chats have reached a zero on my list, and I don't have tendencies to sit on peoples heads......

[Earowo]

Well I play for more reasons then one..
But RP is one of two things keeping me drawn to the game.

I love RP, be it fighting RP style, which, im new at honestly, people never actually wanted to do anything other then duel back in the old days. Or chatting in a bar, I enjoy it all. I'm always learning somthing new about Rp, and it keeps me drawn to PS, I guess you may have known that already, Dannae.
I also stick Around as I have a responsibility to my guild...

Btw, that vote, To sit on sombodies head. I think you got that from me sitting on lilura for scaring teshia >.>

Anyways, call me a nerd for loving RP, I dont care, just remember, IRL I could kick any of yall's ass

[Geoni]

Probably by clicking in General Discussion.

If this forum / user group has wrong permissions, blame the admin?!

Finally, how did someone else add that last choice to my poll???

that was me.




my question is how did a regular forum user get access to start polls?  as, the only people that should have rights to do that are people like me.  mysteries!

Meanwhile, in Neko's computer chair:

[Sangwa]

Seems like Sen was right. Also, RP ftw.

[Roled]

This is an encouraging thread! 

 I appreciate the description of the surprise of emotional commitment to the action of our characters. Certainly a reason I play, even when I really REALLY should be working or doing schoolwork, is the surprise of playing with others, the deepening back story from conversations AND 'dramatic' events, and the challenge of trying to stay in settings ~ (in my case usually to REMEMBER settings, 'cause I forget a lot of stuff... synapse overload) and apply settings to solving rp dilemmas, like, how to most appropriately heal injuries, how to react to characters in crisis, and (OOCly as a player) to simultaneously try to think of my characters actions as involving and needing the other players' characters who are there.

That's a run on sentence but you get it, eh?   

Let me add that as a suggestion for me to remember, and perhaps for you to use too, as many of you/us already do. When you act, ask the others around you to help if your character would do that! It doesn't have to be a big deal, but sometimes just the opening of the invitation is enough for newer or shyer rpers to dive in, and fear less for mistakes, and more for being committed to the reality of the scene happening.

Thanks for this poll!         
Yers,

Roled
 

[Tessra]

I voted RP.  But anyone who knows me in game, knows I probably spend about as much time PLing, Chatting and Duelling as I do in complex roleplays.  I joined the game with a friend, and honestly, spent a lot of time on my own at first, too shy to really talk to people much.  Then I found a large group of people to interact with, and honestly, I cannot join the game without there being someone to RP with.  It's totally awesome.  This past week, almost once a day I've had to turn down groffels with RP invites because I was already involved in one or two others.  When people come here or in gossip and ask "where's all the RP?" I have to wonder how they can't see it.  I haven't had a chance to level anything in a while because of all the RP.   

One thing about the OOC chatter... Some people are faster RPers than others. I'm sure we've all experienced role playing with someone who just seems to creeeeeeeep along with their lines, but if they have really good lines, it's worth it to wait. For me, I have a short attention span.  If the lines take more than about a minute between replies, I can guarantee you, I'm poking about at something else on my computer, or rearranging my inventory, or doing something just to occupy the dead time.  This is where gossip and guildchat and /tells come in for me.  I LOVE having the gossip channel there for random, inane chatter when a RP is moving slowly. The only time it ever bothers me is when I get flooded with 4-5 different people in /tells during an indepth RP.  I hate letting people feel like I am ignoring them... be it main or in /tells. 

[Sangwa]

There's no such thing as PLing when you RP. "PLing" is called training IG, if you RP it as a complement of your character. Just because some people are frustrated with their lack of patience to train their characters appropriately doesn't mean the rest must feel guilty for it.

[Geoni]

No, it isn't about patience, it is about actually having time in our life to sit in front of a computer all day trying to level. I would rather spend the little time I have roleplaying. But I agree, if you are still roleplaying as you train, then I wouldn't exactly call in PLing, I would call it RPPLing. BUT...the many people we see on the RP server who are arena and stock zombies that never even RP get on my nerves. They shouldn't be on the RP server. They should be on Ezpcusa. The problem is that there aren't enough GM's to monitor if a person RP's or not. Though now I'm spewing out a repeated problem that hasn't been fixed, so I'll stop here.

[Sarva]

I would have to say that I can't think of anyone on Zeroping who just levels and never RPs. I can think of a lot of people who spend a lot of time at the forge, or anvil or in the arena but I have also seen lots of time when those same people have been involved in RPs.

[Mekora]

Thank you Sarva. I'd say that I'm here to RP, but at the same time, I do train in swords and armour and magic, and I do setup my merchant shop(Which some people have said is PLing :p) I can not simply just vote for 1 of the things though. Sorry. If anything I'd vote for staying in the game for my guilds and my friends, so that should really be one of the choices.

[derula]

I'm playing because I have no one to talk to IRL while on the other hand I keep coming up with these stories about singing elves, lying merchants, stupid couriers and cooking cats. What option am I going to choose? I think I'll go with RP.

(also dead witches and smart children of said stupid couriers, but that's stories yet untold)

[Everybody]

I play to progress my character, and it's a lot more fun to do so in character. I only have my character do things my character would do, and I picked my skills carefully to fit the concept. I speak in character, but you won't find me devoting too much time to pure acting, like pretending to eat at a bar or something. I'll RP from quest to quest, RP any circumstantial fellow adventurer dialogue, and whatnot, but RP for the sake of RP isn't really for me. The G in RPG is still the most important of the three letters. I don't really go for PVP of either variety, but given the option of using the fruits of my hard work or just pretending, I'd choose the former. I'm not sure what I'd do if someone came up behind me and typed: "/me swings a sword at...". There's a very focused sort of RP that I'm into, letting the game do everything the game can do, and using the dialogue box to talk like my character would, but without a lot of the flowery garnishing.

[LigH]

I'm not sure what I'd do if someone came up behind me and typed: "/me swings a sword at...".

Roleplaying fights is an interesting concept, probably already an advanced form: It is quite instructive, both avoiding godmodding and considering imperfection (eventually even surrender).

[Chessire]

I'm not sure what exactly to pick here, the reason for me to play has changed through time more than once. I started just looking for another game, i was frustrated by the amount of time other games required to level your character and how games lost their charm after a while. Never having been in a real RP game before, when i created Chessire i had realised i'd have to play out that character so i picked something i thought i'd be able to perform according to things i had in my head. I actually used to be insecure (maybe still am) of how i'd play out and especially combat. This was the true reason i made such a martial character, as well as the fact it was the most i expected form a game... isn't it true most MMOs are made to involve fighting all the time?

I did realise there were much better things to find of course
My RL behavior is nowhere near to the things Chessire does; i can safely say now PS changed me in RL by having me see things i could potentially be or do. The fact i'm able to play out something means i could BE that after all. And the fact anything can happen and be just a lie makes RPers feel safe. You may play afraid or play angry or hurt but as long as the person behind the char sees things clearly there is no danger because nothing is real. Here, you may even die.
And then i found out it is also possible to feel things for real through your character... you helped me too with that, Dannae. I admit it was hard for me to keep track of what's IC and what's OOC at that point.

I have now made another character that is also a female and i'm going to try have her involved much less with combat although she's not going to be an ordinary person, definitely... and we'll see. Its proving to be challenging Thus, i put RP as my reason.

PS: OOC chats? Let them burn in hell!!!
       Well, maybe keep just one.

[Dannae]

@ Ruya, Tessra, Roled, Earowo, Novacadian, Sarras, Mishka, Dracaeon, Sangwa, Mekora, Garile, Everybody:
I've really enjoyed reading about all the reasons some of you who took the time to write have given for playing. I found some to be quite revealing or eye opening.
Thanks for allowing me and others get a glimpse to your thinking. 

@ Chessire:

i found out it is also possible to feel things for real through your character... you helped me too with that, Dannae.

What can I say Chess... that is without a doubt one of the best compliments I could ever imagine and really made my day! 

@ Derula: Too funny!! And I owe you much for making Dannae's in-game art possible.

Some others have talked about progression of their characters so thought I'd expand on mine as well. When I made Dannae 27 months ago, I had no idea what RP even was. After 3 months of almost nothing but questing and training, and after completing some goals I'd set for myself, I began losing interest. Then I discovered RP and was hooked. Perhaps by destiny, Dannae met the character Lhaa when she first was granted the Red Crystal Den as well as the character Siteya, guild leader of DOX at the time. These were some of the first very influential RP players whom I learned from and lead to Dannae's current place.

Of course, not understanding RP at the beginning has also lead to character flaws such as no back story other than the lame amnesia thing. I'm hoping to create one in an interesting way that will include others through clues to discovering her past. Some players have found and pointed out the first of these to her now and she needs to follow up. When I figure out what her past was, I intend to make many more clues to solving it that hopefully might be fun for other players who become involved.

I'm really glad this thread didn't turn into another discussion over what RP is or isn't as I only wanted to hopefully get an idea what others liked best about PS. I also hoped to find out what percentage of players liked things other than RP best. So far, not including those who no longer play, the poll shows:

30 votes for RP
16 votes for other

I have a request for those players who enjoy RP, but spend 30% or more of their time joking around ooc. I'd love to see more joking around from your character in an ic way where it makes sense and think it could lead to just as much fun. It's rare to find funny in-game characters. RP doesn't need to be serious stuff all the time.