If you are new to HollowWorld, I would recommend looking at the official Roleplay section in our Survival Guides first. There you can find a quick overview of how roleplay on HollowWorld works, as well rules regarding RP on our server.
This is a guide intended to go into more detail, as well as providing tips and advice not found in the guide mentioned above. Niek's long-winded extension, if you will. This is written by me in my capacity as a player and is not Staff Official.
This is a guide intended to go into more detail, as well as providing tips and advice not found in the guide mentioned above. Niek's long-winded extension, if you will. This is written by me in my capacity as a player and is not Staff Official.
Hello all! Everyone has to start somewhere, right? We are not born being great roleplayers. We find this wonderful niche and we grow into it, evolving and getting better as we go. There's nothing to worry about if you're new to the experience because everyone starts out as a newbie at some point. What's important is that you know the basics, which is what I'm hoping to do with this guide. Below you will find basics, some already covered in our official Roleplay Survival Guide, and some is my own imparted wisdom.
Sections:
- What Is Roleplay?
- How Do I Make a Character?
- Now How Do I Roleplay?
- Tips, Tricks, and Advice
What is Roleplay?
In its most basic definition, roleplay is simply a set of interactions with others as a persona other than yourself. Believe me, I've gotten strange looks from others when I mention that I'm a roleplayer. It's important to remember that roleplay is a journey of character creation, character development, and storytelling. With written roleplay, it truly is an interactive novel.
You create a character, and with this persona under your control, you go forth into this fictional world and watch tales of adventure, heroism, villainy, love, and war unfold before your very eyes. It is an outlet for improving your writing skills while also interacting in a collaborative setting. It is important to remember that roleplay IS collaborative, which means that there is no main character. Your character has the same potential to fail or succeed as any other encountered. It's one of the factors that make RP so exciting!
How Do I Make A Character?
Before you make a character, you have to remember: 1) This is not Hollywood, 2) This is about character development, 3) This is a character that you need to be able operate, and 4) A bit of realism goes a long way.
What I mean by this is that many folks starting out think that the biggest, most macho, most edgy Edgelord imaginable is going to be a great character to RP. This is a painful experience for you and people interacting with you if you go this route. Unfortunately, this isn't Mad Max and you're not sending a Byronic Hero down the Fury Road. What you see in movies may work in the movies, but this is a character in a roleplay environment that you'll ideally watch change and grow.
Which also means that you should never create a character that is already a master at everything. Backstory is a great tool for getting started. But you shouldn't make Mercutio an expert swordsman at the age of sixteen because he watched his parents be brutally murdered and he vowed to avenge them. Okay, I may be blending the previous point and this point- But you understand. In RP, you need to take these characters and actually interact with other swordsmen, other fighters, to learn these skills. It needs to be roleplayed out and learned in-game to count. The veterans on the server can all attest to the blood, sweat, and tears their characters have dealt with in RP on our server that the training was worth it. Not only does learning skills in RP, instead of backstory, legitimize what your character can do, but it also makes you better as a writer and a roleplayer. But more than just skills, you should never make a character whose backstory is too grand for someone just starting out. Really. Create a character that's low on the totem pole. Want to make a princess? I would recommend talking to players with characters in existing kingdoms. Seeing if any of the nobles have children that need playing. You can't poof a noble into existence out of thin air. Or maybe you'd rather create a physician to heal the masses. His knowledge should be rudimentary at best, and he learns his trade from others, or from research. If you create a character that is overpowered, it truly ruins the experience for everyone involved if you don't go through the appropriate steps in-game.
With that being said, you may want to make Mercutio a cobbler instead of Edgelord McEdgington. His whole passion in life is shoemaking. (This is just an example. I mean, if you want to make a passionate shoemaker, don't let me stop you. But this is just a quick example.~) Anyway. If you say that you're going to make your character this or that, the make sure you have the know-how to back that up. It goes back to the old adage, "Write what you know." Do a little research on shoemaking (Or whatever the subject is) because it'll make things easier for you, and make your character more believable.
And on that same tangent- While this is a Medieval Fantasy Server, it doesn't mean that realism is something to toss aside. Hypothetical Mercutio may be.... say... an elf, but that does not mean he feels no pain, exists without emotion, or goes through his day without sweating. You should always remember what is realistically possible for the character you want to make. Making a believable persona will make others enjoy RPing with your character, and it will make the experience better for you as well.
Check out our Character Profiles forum for examples of characters already floating around our world. You can also check out some layouts to use for making your new character.
Now How Do I Roleplay?
Emotes and dialogue. The world of an RPer is a world of emotes and dialogue. You've made your character, who for the sake of amusing continuity, is named Mercutio. Now what? With this persona in mind, you go forth, and you RP!
Some basic examples of emotes:
Emotes are actions. Emotes are what you use to describe what your character is doing. Emotes are you friend. Any time you enter an RP, it's a good idea to emote walking into the area in some way. It lets people know that you're In-Character, or IC. It's usually frowned upon to walk up to a group without emoting first, as that group may not have even know you were there IC. Even if you are trying to be sneaky, maybe eavesdrop In-Character, always emote so people are aware.
Some good examples of making yourself known IC:
But it is also important to not use too many actions in one emote. This isn't a novel with you as the only author. You need to give other players a chance to respond to your emotes. Sometimes, when you put too much into an emote, it can even get into the realm of powergaming, which I'll mention in a bit.
This is an example of an overloaded emote:
Yes, this is an absurd example. However, it's accurate. You put too many actions into one emote and you give the others around you no chance to interact. Maybe Ellen, over in the corner, wanted to join in? Maybe Russeau wanted to punch Mercutio for getting a drink on his fancy doublet. Do emotes in pieces to avoid this. As I mentioned above, it gets into the realm of powergaming. Doing something which excludes the possibility for other characters to respond is the essence of powergaming. You definitely want to steer clear that. You may not want anyone to stop your character from strangling Bob, but you need to make sure your emotes aren't powergaming and denying anyone the chance to interfere/react/respond.
Here are some examples of powergaming:
It's a lot more obvious in combat scenarios, but the emotes above do not give any of the other characters a chance to interact. In one emote, Benedict has been beheaded. Given no chance to duck, dodge, step back. Hamlet's been pick-pocketed in one swift motion. No chance to feel the shift of the dagger, or to notice someone standing beside. And then poor Claudio can't even do anything for invincible Mercutio impaling him. Couldn't even brace himself or avoid the kick. Powergaming can happen in combat or out of it, so it's important make sure you're not setting it up to deny other's their chance to respond. We all want to win, but powergaming is not the answer.~
Another common mistake beginning roleplayers make is metagaming. Sometimes it's intentional, sometimes its not. But metagaming is when your character does or knows something that they have no way of legitimately knowing. As with Powergaming, Metagaming is against the rules.
Some examples of metagaming:
Now, with all that being said, actually roleplaying is such a fun experience. Just remember to be mindful of what your character can do. Did your character take their cloak off? Don't forget to emote grabbing it before you leave. Wouldn't want them to lose it! Or what about your character's twisted ankle? Don't forget that they'd have some trouble walking and would need a crutch, or at the very least, a limp.
Tips, Tricks, & Advice
- RP with as many different people as you can! You learn a lot by Roleplaying with different characters and players. If you RP with the same three people everyday, you'll get burnt-out quickly. You'll also miss opportunities to improve because there's always someone out there you can learn from!
- Challenge your comfort zone! Throwing your character into exciting new scenarios can be a good way to try new things. More of a introvert? Try putting your character into a group setting. See what happens.
- Try not to log out in an RP area. A lot folks will log out in the middle of an inn. When you do that and log back in, you run the risk of logging in between people in an already existing RP. On that same note, if you log-in and RP is happening around you, leave and re-enter that area. Don't say that your character had been there the whole time, because other characters would have noticed a 6ft forest elf brooding in the otherwise empty inn.~
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. Some folks have been here for four years. Some more, some less. There are a lot of folks knowledgeable enough to help you if you're not sure how to approach something.
- Traumatic backstories don't always equal good characters. A trend in people applying for the whitelist is to create very traumatic and violent backstories. It's astoundingly common and overused. "My parents were killed before my eyes by bandits. I vowed revenge. I took up the sword and went down a dark path I could never escape." Or, "My village was burned. My dog was killed. Now I search the world for the man who did it." It's so common that doing something original and with a good amount of thought is more impressive and makes for a more unique character.
- Minecraft Inventories aren't the same as IC items. You may have went to a crafting table and made iron armor, but that doesn't necessarily mean your character has iron armor. We have an OOC resource gathering world, but IC, certain items need to be gained through RP with a blacksmith, tailor, teacher, etc.
- You may want an outcome immediately, but sometimes you have to work at it. I know you want a kingdom, but sometimes, you have to work your way up the ladder instead of saying that, "Poof. I have kingdom now."
- If you don't like your character, you can always make more! Character creation can be half the fun, honestly.
- Use your whole character's body. Don't forget you can do more than just talk. Make your character more real and more lively by having them do things. Wiping their brow. Sweating. Tapping their leg. Dancing. Making gestures while talking. It's more immersive to try and create a realistic portray of an individual. None of us just sit perfectly still and talk at each other.
- Try to stay consistent. Injuries moving from one arm to the other is confusing for people who RP with you at different times. Personalities that change will often be equally confusing for one and for others. Work at keeping your characters within a set scope of traits, as well as keeping things the same that normally wouldn't change.
- Create RP! Sometimes you just want to kick back and react to RP. But I promise you that making RP happen will be worthwhile. Create a scenario for others to react to. If you nothing is happening, don't be afraid to make something happen.
- IC and OOC Deaths are different. Don't worry! If you're out in the Sorrows, dying there is perfectly fine. It doesn't affect you IC. If you're engaged in an RP and you die in RP, that's an IC death, which means you'll either have a dead character, or you'll throw your character into the revival queue.
- Make sure you have consent! If you're trying to do anything that is violent and/or potentially fatal, make sure you PM that person first to make sure the direction that RP is fine. The only time it doesn't apply is in a Peaceful region, which bans that type of RP anyway. Or in a Violent region, where entering into the region equals consent. Of course, if you do something violent, it's also fair to assume you consent to violence in turn.
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