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[Discussion] Tips For Roleplay Improvement

T

Th3RealLegend

Guest
Sorry for posting in a thread that hasn't got a new post in some time, but I do need some help with something pretty basic.
I can't think of a motive about my characters. I can think of personality, back story to some extent, appearance etc. but I can never think of a worthwhile non-clique motive or reason or main goal for him to do anything. I like talking with strangers in the crossroads inn, but why? Why is my character around here in the first place? Why isn't my character in his hometown? Why am I talking to strangers, instead of doing anything else? Why am I spending so much time in the inn? etc. etc. I've had a few characters through my years, but they never developed in real, fleshed out characters that people care about just because of that. Or if I do think of a stupid motive/reason/goals to achieve, it restricts the person from doing practically anything that I want to do, for example, live in a town. Any help is welcomed.
 

Jstar

Exitus acta probat
Lore Staff
Good
Staff
JstarGames
JstarGames
Good
Sorry for posting in a thread that hasn't got a new post in some time, but I do need some help with something pretty basic.
I can't think of a motive about my characters. I can think of personality, back story to some extent, appearance etc. but I can never think of a worthwhile non-clique motive or reason or main goal for him to do anything. I like talking with strangers in the crossroads inn, but why? Why is my character around here in the first place? Why isn't my character in his hometown? Why am I talking to strangers, instead of doing anything else? Why am I spending so much time in the inn? etc. etc. I've had a few characters through my years, but they never developed in real, fleshed out characters that people care about just because of that. Or if I do think of a stupid motive/reason/goals to achieve, it restricts the person from doing practically anything that I want to do, for example, live in a town. Any help is welcomed.
Wandering bard? Storyteller? Migrant worker looking for his next radiant? Drunkard? Tavern keeper, or failing that, aspiring tavern keeper? The list is endless
 

Anithola

Lord of Altera
Sorry for posting in a thread that hasn't got a new post in some time, but I do need some help with something pretty basic.
I can't think of a motive about my characters. I can think of personality, back story to some extent, appearance etc. but I can never think of a worthwhile non-clique motive or reason or main goal for him to do anything. I like talking with strangers in the crossroads inn, but why? Why is my character around here in the first place? Why isn't my character in his hometown? Why am I talking to strangers, instead of doing anything else? Why am I spending so much time in the inn? etc. etc. I've had a few characters through my years, but they never developed in real, fleshed out characters that people care about just because of that. Or if I do think of a stupid motive/reason/goals to achieve, it restricts the person from doing practically anything that I want to do, for example, live in a town. Any help is welcomed.
What is your "motive" in your real life? It doesn't have to be something complex. Maybe you can try reflecting that over to your character?
 

CyberChaosV2

Lord of Altera
Sorry for posting in a thread that hasn't got a new post in some time, but I do need some help with something pretty basic.
I can't think of a motive about my characters. I can think of personality, back story to some extent, appearance etc. but I can never think of a worthwhile non-clique motive or reason or main goal for him to do anything. I like talking with strangers in the crossroads inn, but why? Why is my character around here in the first place? Why isn't my character in his hometown? Why am I talking to strangers, instead of doing anything else? Why am I spending so much time in the inn? etc. etc. I've had a few characters through my years, but they never developed in real, fleshed out characters that people care about just because of that. Or if I do think of a stupid motive/reason/goals to achieve, it restricts the person from doing practically anything that I want to do, for example, live in a town. Any help is welcomed.
personally, i always have my characters always based off of some part of myself, and when i want to be that character i just kinda let that part take over and let it drive my mind from there.
 

NIAH

The Lurker
Retired Staff
So, I'm necroing this with a thought that just came to mind. I sort of want to touch on how to be a better roleplayer. I am not the best at it. There's a ton of areas I can improve on. So don't take this is a sage parting advice to a young grasshopper.

However- I know that I've certainly improved. Reading through old RP's I find myself cringing. I asked myself what changed between then and now?

The biggest thing I could pinpoint was expanding the list of people I RP with. Everyone has such a diverse style, with varying levels of immersion. It's been a journey to meet all the different players and I think expanding my rolodex of RPers has really helped me. Actually, I was a little intimidated to RP with certain groups because how in-depth their characters were and how thorough their approach was. (*cough* @Lannis *cough*).

But that's my tip of the day for roleplay improvement. RP with all the people. Check out the different styles. Throw yourself into new scenarios and new groups. It'll be worth it to see what you pick up along the way.
Signing on for another episode of, "Niah Leaves Tips Based on Personal Experience!"

So Aracena Gideon was my very first character. I had not done forum RP / written RP since high school or middle school, so rejoining that style of roleplay was a bit of a throwback. Even in playing tabletop RPG, half of the experience was party members trolling one another. ( @Immerael and his damn celestial dolphins...) Having that character was an experience. Even up until I stopped playing her, I learned a lot about the way I RP from her.

And you know what? In the beginning, I was marvelously bad. Arguably, I am still pretty bad. But- One of my famous early day blunders came when Aracena just sort of invited herself into someone's house for a dinner party. (@Sophe @IceandFire ) Another instance of bad was taking Aracena, who was eight months pregnant at the time, and having her join an angry mob as they chased a dragon to and from the warcamp. Impractical and implausible.( @Michcat ) Also a certain instance where she killed a slaver just because RNGesus and PM's between the player made it so, even though it probably wasn't possible for that outcome to realistically happen (@Tomato150 & @blargtheawesome ).

All of this to say- We all have moments of facepalming. Point is to recognize and learn from them. I'm not one to go crying about "muh immersion" or demand it to be exactly "so-so," but I'm learning to consider what is realistically possible for my characters with greater understandings of their capabilities BECAUSE it gives way to a better story. It's also important to realize you don't have to be the star in every scene of roleplay. The amount of crap Niah has learned JUST from sitting quietly and eavesdropping is tremendous. This is useful for people asking about motives and goals for their characters. Sometimes just going into an RP and listening to other folks can help inspire your own character's goals via what's happening in the world around them.

So don't feel pressured to always be doing something. Being a passive participant can be just as fun. And when you sit down and think, "Does it make sense for my character to do this," consider all options and alternatives for approach. Now that I have retired Aracena and Niah is getting full play, I'm seeing all of these opportunities to improve. I'm still not the best RPer. My emotes are generally a mess. And I struggle with working past my own social anxieties to handle characters like Erikor and Niah who do not have that problem. But I work at it. I improve best I can. And I learn from blunderous RP by interacting with folks I recognize as better than myself.

So yeah. This has been my post of the day. I'm not sure there was a proper point to all this, and it didnt exactly pose a question or answer any direct concerns. But I'm bored and at work, so gotta have something to do.
 

samsam223

Lord of Altera
Samsam's Top Tips!

1: If it has a word, it can be in RP.

2: If you can can dream it, it can be in RP.

3: If you make words up, it can be in RP.
 

Tempy_

Insert Custom Title here
Tempy_
Tempy_
Oh my, look at this snazzy littl' thread.

I find myself sometimes getting stuck in a continious cycle of a Roleplay happening again and again, where the events of before happen again only with minor alterations, and when you finally think it's done, it pops right back up in some other way.

For example, to explain myself, by not using any actual events: Get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get capt-You get the idea.

Obviously there'd be small changes and it would never be completely the same each time, but there is a clear "Step 1, step 2, step 3" to it. Any way on how to turn this less... Tedious, perhaps? You cannot stop a certain action of another player happening to your own character, ofcourse, however you can perhaps.. Change it, or alter it so it isn't the same over and over again?

Also, what to do when you feel your character is, in a realistic aspect of things, more or less "doomed". Go full edge or keep on trying or anything else?
 

Tomato150

Lord of Altera
Oh my, look at this snazzy littl' thread.

I find myself sometimes getting stuck in a continious cycle of a Roleplay happening again and again, where the events of before happen again only with minor alterations, and when you finally think it's done, it pops right back up in some other way.

For example, to explain myself, by not using any actual events: Get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get capt-You get the idea.

Obviously there'd be small changes and it would never be completely the same each time, but there is a clear "Step 1, step 2, step 3" to it. Any way on how to turn this less... Tedious, perhaps? You cannot stop a certain action of another player happening to your own character, ofcourse, however you can perhaps.. Change it, or alter it so it isn't the same over and over again?

Also, what to do when you feel your character is, in a realistic aspect of things, more or less "doomed". Go full edge or keep on trying or anything else?
This sorta RP is gonna happen over and over unless one of the sides submits, or if something else happens in the middle somewhere. Trust me, I know. I was a slaver for a good amount of time.

Using the slaver scenario, I'm just gonna work with the first idea of breaking the cycle by submittin'. Step 1: Get Captured, Step 2: Get tourtured, Step 3: Sold? (( I will say us slavers are so quick on the sales . . . Am sorry to all slaves past and future )).

Another example would be Step 1: Get Captured, Step 2: Get tourtured, Step 3: Savior /Tries/ to save the slave, instead fails! Slave is then sold off to buyer and works as slave. Failing can be fun sometimes, if the result is acceptable and reasonable. The best way to achieve that would be to communicate OOC as well, before and after RP.

Basically, just try and do things that lead to different avenues of RP. One thing I like to keep in mind with this sorta stuff is that RP is just a big collaborative story, there shouldn't be the need for winners and loosers. If you want to be a slave, let it take you places apart from right back where you started, go be a slave for someone, go do the hard yards until something happens, like they be careless and give you an opportunity to escape, or there's an uprising, or you poison them.

I think what I'm trying to say is don't try and get back to the big neutral state of calm and relax. Tell your savior that you want to try and do something new, that you actually wouldn't mind breaking the cycle. Tell the slavers you opt out now that you're free, just, if you see the cycle, and you don't want it, try and break it. There are often so many ways to RP that we loose sight of, that could be such an extraordinary RP if they did occur. In summary, don't be afraid to try and talk to people OOC to break the cycle, and don't be afraid of leaving the safeties of familiar RP for a new adventure to be had and story willing to be written.

Also please forgive if this seems like a giant mess of ideas, my body is sore and I am tired
 

Immerael

The Shadow Admín
Retired Staff
So two tips I've noticed is simple.

1. Unless your Characthers is meant to be rude and cut folks off wait for them to finish their thought if they end with "-". If they are meant to be rude or strange that's perfectly okay. Just let folks know OOC if you're RPing with them the first time.

2. A personal struggle of mine. I've been working on the description thing where less can be more. I sometimes get in a let me info dump all these things my Characther is doing! "Look at him! Watch me do this thing!"

Now there are obvious exceptions where you need to be more descriptive not less. However remember the other folks are here for themselves not to hear you or I tell a story. Especially if it really doesn't add anything to the current RP. To modify a writers saying. "If it doesn't advance RP or show new characterization, cut it"
 

NIAH

The Lurker
Retired Staff
Tips for revitalizing RP interest?

I know that we all have these low points where we don't have an interest in RPing as much as we used to. It seems my interest waxes and wanes about every two months like clockwork. When this happens, what tips do you have for getting into it again? What ways do you try to bring yourself back into Altera with an active RP presence?



Debate of whether it is good to be a Reactionary RPer a Creationary RPer?

On the note of what I said above, my RP waxes and wanes. I can tell my interest is slipping because my RP becomes solely reactionary. I log in and generally just react to what other players are doing. Do you think this sort of RP approach is bad? I'm generally a meek person anyway, so if I'm just not feeling it during a span of time, I don't try to initiate big things unless I have the drive to see them through. It takes a sense of dedication and a willingness for me to put myself out there to throw my characters into scenarios where they are anything else but background reactionary forces.

Do you think its better to try and create scenarios and make things happen every step of the way? Should a player strive to create dynamic scenarios all of the time? Do you think just existing inside of the world is a negative approach?

As I said, I generally become reactionary during my loss of RP interest, but still a question I pondered and wanted to get community feedback on.
 

Solus

object oriented
Staff member
Admin
Retired Owner
Tips for revitalizing RP interest?

I know that we all have these low points where we don't have an interest in RPing as much as we used to. It seems my interest waxes and wanes about every two months like clockwork. When this happens, what tips do you have for getting into it again? What ways do you try to bring yourself back into Altera with an active RP presence?
A lot of people can relate- I find myself noting other player's and their RP interest along with my own. Are they attentive during our roleplay?- is the topic/flow of theme something they like? I suppose this is because one of my characters tries to pay attention to characters in that way, I end up doing it with players. This somewhat leads me in attempting a broader scope of roleplay. Politics, religious talks, teaching, learning, idle living roleplay, occasional mild combat rp.. If someone wants to roleplay, I usually soak up to any topic/type that I feel we both seem to like. If I get sluggish in one topic, I ease into the other. ..Sometimes the rp consists of lots of words on my end.. This leads into revitalizing rp interest in one way: Broaden your comfort zone. You're only practiced in political rp and playing a human- yet find that rp is a bit stale? You only roleplay with a certain group and they're not online? Give your character a side-interest- hobby, maybe? Brewing, traveling, writing, shooting targets with arrows, practicing short blades, etc. Try a new race and see if you can find a new roleplayer. Maybe give our races some love- I know humans are easy to play, but different cultures can be interesting. In some sense, I don't mean create new characters to fit new areas of roleplay only. Maybe find your current character has more interests than you thought. This is probably one of the more drastic methods of revitalizing RP interest, changing what you usually did before- but only if it's something you believe the character can do and can handle, along with your like of it.

Simple things could be:
Give your character a new goal. Finish their current goals. .. - Slowly set goals that should be tangible and something they can probably accomplish in the future. Help someone else finish their goals, etc. (Sometimes characters reach their end goals early with death/they actually complete it. Find another goal or finish the story. No use keeping a hanging character loosely around unless you give them more of a purpose.)
Find a new player to roleplay with. A fresh face, a new page. (Sometimes lack of rp interest comes from your rp partners/group taking breaks.)
Sometimes, roleplaying by yourself gives more interest to the character. Where you're the one creating the moves, the short story, etc.

Debate of whether it is good to be a Reactionary RPer a Creationary RPer?
(Creationary mayyy not be a word). This is a hard one. But one is not better than the other. A practiced roleplayer should learn both methods, create and react. Realized early on I'm comfortable with both, and it's taking me time to realize that it's not easy to balance. By creating roleplay, you're making a new sandbox or pathway to pursue for your character and other characters. This generates more roleplay for anyone catching interest, including yourself. If you find yourself lacking in creating roleplay, give your character a goal to pursue. Take an initiative in creating roleplay. It could be going from training their new squire to use shields to signing up for brewing lessons. Writing a journal on a topic to pursing another character for some reason. For the more ambitious, it could be creating the 12th Kingdom in Altera (We have lots, who's counting?), or something more grim and memorable. A player should indeed strive to create dynamic roleplay if they have that ability and want to pursue it. Being solely reactionary will definitely wane interest.

It isn't bad to be solely reactionary if the character was supposed to be background noise, or if you're just here for some idle roleplay. Some players create background characters to have light roleplay or to support other characters. You just most likely lose interest faster than a character that has short goals and long ones that've been given a bit of time and thought into them. Handing background noise characters their own goals give them a bit more life. They may regularly do idle, reactionary roleplay, but once in a while have small bursts of serious roleplay to finish their goals. It's alright if not all your roleplays have your character learning something amazing, pursuing something grand or destroying something. It's alright if it takes time to get there.

I have more thoughts, but my energy is fused. I saw a few other questions that could use discussion, too. May come back later to elaborate/add. ~
 

NIAH

The Lurker
Retired Staff
A lot of people can relate- I find myself noting other player's and their RP interest along with my own. Are they attentive during our roleplay?- is the topic/flow of theme something they like? I suppose this is because one of my characters tries to pay attention to characters in that way, I end up doing it with players. This somewhat leads me in attempting a broader scope of roleplay. Politics, religious talks, teaching, learning, idle living roleplay, occasional mild combat rp.. If someone wants to roleplay, I usually soak up to any topic/type that I feel we both seem to like. If I get sluggish in one topic, I ease into the other. ..Sometimes the rp consists of lots of words on my end.. This leads into revitalizing rp interest in one way: Broaden your comfort zone. You're only practiced in political rp and playing a human- yet find that rp is a bit stale? You only roleplay with a certain group and they're not online? Give your character a side-interest- hobby, maybe? Brewing, traveling, writing, shooting targets with arrows, practicing short blades, etc. Try a new race and see if you can find a new roleplayer. Maybe give our races some love- I know humans are easy to play, but different cultures can be interesting. In some sense, I don't mean create new characters to fit new areas of roleplay only. Maybe find your current character has more interests than you thought. This is probably one of the more drastic methods of revitalizing RP interest, changing what you usually did before- but only if it's something you believe the character can do and can handle, along with your like of it.

Simple things could be:
Give your character a new goal. Finish their current goals. .. - Slowly set goals that should be tangible and something they can probably accomplish in the future. Help someone else finish their goals, etc. (Sometimes characters reach their end goals early with death/they actually complete it. Find another goal or finish the story. No use keeping a hanging character loosely around unless you give them more of a purpose.)
Find a new player to roleplay with. A fresh face, a new page. (Sometimes lack of rp interest comes from your rp partners/group taking breaks.)
Sometimes, roleplaying by yourself gives more interest to the character. Where you're the one creating the moves, the short story, etc.



(Creationary mayyy not be a word). This is a hard one. But one is not better than the other. A practiced roleplayer should learn both methods, create and react. Realized early on I'm comfortable with both, and it's taking me time to realize that it's not easy to balance. By creating roleplay, you're making a new sandbox or pathway to pursue for your character and other characters. This generates more roleplay for anyone catching interest, including yourself. If you find yourself lacking in creating roleplay, give your character a goal to pursue. Take an initiative in creating roleplay. It could be going from training their new squire to use shields to signing up for brewing lessons. Writing a journal on a topic to pursing another character for some reason. For the more ambitious, it could be creating the 12th Kingdom in Altera (We have lots, who's counting?), or something more grim and memorable. A player should indeed strive to create dynamic roleplay if they have that ability and want to pursue it. Being solely reactionary will definitely wane interest.

It isn't bad to be solely reactionary if the character was supposed to be background noise, or if you're just here for some idle roleplay. Some players create background characters to have light roleplay or to support other characters. You just most likely lose interest faster than a character that has short goals and long ones that've been given a bit of time and thought into them. Handing background noise characters their own goals give them a bit more life. They may regularly do idle, reactionary roleplay, but once in a while have small bursts of serious roleplay to finish their goals. It's alright if not all your roleplays have your character learning something amazing, pursuing something grand or destroying something. It's alright if it takes time to get there.

I have more thoughts, but my energy is fused. I saw a few other questions that could use discussion, too. May come back later to elaborate/add. ~
((Creationary is indeed a made up word. I couldn't think of another -ary word to juxtapose with reactionary.~))

And a lovely response as always Solus. :D
 

Centurion

Dark Council Elite
Tip- refrain from playing mental disorders unless you understand how that mental disorder works. It takes, like, twenty minutes of research to gather all you need to know; please, stop winging it and making every disorder mimic homicidal sociopathy.
 

Centurion

Dark Council Elite
Oh my, look at this snazzy littl' thread.

I find myself sometimes getting stuck in a continious cycle of a Roleplay happening again and again, where the events of before happen again only with minor alterations, and when you finally think it's done, it pops right back up in some other way.

For example, to explain myself, by not using any actual events: Get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get captured by slavers, get tortured, get saved, live happy life with savior, get capt-You get the idea.

Obviously there'd be small changes and it would never be completely the same each time, but there is a clear "Step 1, step 2, step 3" to it. Any way on how to turn this less... Tedious, perhaps? You cannot stop a certain action of another player happening to your own character, ofcourse, however you can perhaps.. Change it, or alter it so it isn't the same over and over again?

Also, what to do when you feel your character is, in a realistic aspect of things, more or less "doomed". Go full edge or keep on trying or anything else?
This is something I can probably help with, Illy';

Archaeus has been running amok in a big cycle for two years on Hollowworld. He makes a fool of himself, does something stupid, redeems himself, and becomes a hero; rinse and repeat. What I've found that breaks this cycle is just give your character a break from his daily life. Archaeus retired from combat and politics for about, what, six months, this year? He worked on his painting skills, cooking skills, and woodworking ability. He spent time with his few but strongly bonded friends, he just relaxed. And because of that, Archaeus hasn't even had an attempt on his life in nearly six months - this is coming from somebody who's had this character end up dead, maybe... twelve, fifteen times total here. Giving your character expansion in a new area of his life can breathe life into him and break cycles.

or alternatively have him wreck the shit of anyone who tries to bother him lol
 

Immerael

The Shadow Admín
Retired Staff
Tip- refrain from playing mental disorders unless you understand how that mental disorder works. It takes, like, twenty minutes of research to gather all you need to know; please, stop winging it and making every disorder mimic homicidal sociopathy.
Honestly I gotta agree here but I'd go a step farther. Just don't RP Mental disorders unless during roleplay your character legitimately develop them. I get the appeal I do as on tabletop games they can be a lot of fun for making things happen, Cyra'tina my alt was originally like this in a tabletop game. However for HW's RP environment where its much heavier in RP they just make things frustrating for everyone. So please don't. And if you must listen to Glados here to have at least an idea of what your supposed to be like. Even if you already "know" please do just a little research.
 

Solus

object oriented
Staff member
Admin
Retired Owner
Also, what to do when you feel your character is, in a realistic aspect of things, more or less "doomed". Go full edge or keep on trying or anything else?
Go full edge. Have it be the orphan assassin it never was.

No but- Depends. What do you mean by "Doomed"?
Has the character gone through things that would pretty much kill him already due to frequent injuries, disorders? pressure? .. If you feel like that character has met their end, mentally, then it's probably time to let go. Next conflict they find themselves in would be a good time to send them off officially or send them off to retirement. Or you know, pace your roleplays. If your character finds themselves in stressful situations that "doom" them, take a break from that. If the character goes on actual breaks, removing the character from conflict, maybe it's possible for them to have healing periods.

Is the character off the charts of what you originally intended? Can they backtrack to who they were before? Can they grow in their current position? It all depends on what you want. Do you want them to redeem themselves? Is it possible in their current point in time? Do you want them to go away? Or take in what they've gone through and throw it back at the world? Lots of possibilities and pathways to go before your character reaches full "doom" mode.

Having your character slowly deteriorate can also be an interesting process if you're willing.
 
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