A Short MMO Roleplaying Guide

"Roleplaying isn't about using a few pseudo-Elizabethan terms and mimicking high school Shakespeare. Rich, enjoyable roleplaying is about getting into a character that you develop, whether the language is ancient, modern, or rarely used."
- The Official FFXI Players Guide

Introduction

Hello to everyone out there interested in roleplaying in an MMORPG (FFXIV in this case). This guide is here to give a small glimpse into the world of roleplaying and what is involved. If you are new to this idea, I hope these words will help spur you into delving deeper down this rabbit hole, and maybe giving it a try. So now, let's get down to it!

What is RP

What exactly is roleplaying? Well, as far as RP in an MMO, it can be described as a player who takes on the role of their character and acts the part of that person, all within the confines of the world that the game creators have given. Players create storylines, some that my interact with the main story of the game and some that are created from pure imagination, to add depth and personality to their characters. Stories may even cross paths with another, such as two players being siblings or close childhood friends. A character lives, grows and evolves along with the developing setting of the game. Good player-driven stories have a lot to do with what makes roleplaying so much fun. Just remember, player stories should always stay in accordance with the lore of the game.

Why RP

The game creators have offered a whole world for us to explore, so why not take advantage of it and really immerse yourself? Seeing the cities and landscapes through the eyes of your character add a new element to the game, and might make you notice things that you may have overlooked before. It is also a great way to make new friends, long lasting friendships can be made through the cooperation of players roleplaying together.

I have heard many comments about roleplayers being a bunch of little kids and nerds who only like to ERP (Erotic Roleplay). Believe me, these are just blind assumptions by people unaware to what RP is really about.

If you are reading this, chances are that you plan to play FFXIV. I suggest checking out the RPC (Role-playing Coalition), the FFXIV community for roleplayers, to get a feel for the people that you may end up RPing with in the future.

Here is the link: www.ffxiv-roleplayers.com

How to RP

One way to start is by thinking of how you would like to play your character. Are they going to be a kind and caring person, cocky, shy, hot-tempered? Then, come up with your character's past history (where were they born, when were they born, what was their family life like, were there any life altering events that happened in thier past), and keep in mind that the past can have a lot to do with what kind of a person you are in the present. Think of what, when, where, and why your character does the things he/she does, and how they would react to different situations. Remember to establish your characters needs and wants as well. Above all, don't be afraid to make things interesting!

We have seen in FFXIV that we will be able to customize our characters apearance much more than what we were able to in FFXI, this should be used to the advantage of roleplayers. Take time to consider what your character will look like physically, and why they look the way they do. If your character has scars on their face, how did they get them?

A characters background should stay consistant with the main story of the game, not to say it can't stray away from the storyline and take on new, unfolding situations. Let me take an example from FFXIV: Ala Mihgo was once a powerful city-state that has now since been defeated by the Garlean Empire in a campaign to conquer Aldenard. A player roleplaying as a Hyur born in Ala Mihgo might tell of the day their family had to flee the city-state for their lives., and how he/she has sworn to one day take back their homeland. The consistancy with the origional story is still there, with the added in detail of the character's history.


What to do:
It is best to try and keep a steady pace while actively roleplaying with others, long pauses tend to hurt the experience. Not to imply that one must be very fast at typing to roleplay well, I know that I am slower than most, but being able to think on your feet and adapt to situations that araise will help keep things flowing and add to the enjoyment. Know how your character would respond to others as well as the the unexpected and everything should be fine.

This can even be done well by shy or quiet characters.
Let's say there is a heated discussion unfolding between two characters and they have just decided to involve our character, the shy Miqo'te. One turns and asks what our opinion on the matter is.

We begin to blush and start to stumble on our words, before giving a little shrug and turning our head away.

Without saying much at all, it is still possible to keep the flow of the roleplay going strong with a little creativity.


What not to do:
Godmoding is the tendency to roleplay someone else's character or to say their lines for them. When RPing, one should act and answer for themself, and not for the others they are RPing with. It can sometimes be hard, a player may have an idea of where they would like the RP to follow, however, this is the beauty of RPing. One must adapt to whatever comes, whether it was what they were expecting or not.

Also, when developing character stories, make sure to ask/discuss with the other roleplayer(s) involved beforehand when mentioning them. For example, back in FFXI, my good friend and I roleplayed as adopted siblings and incorporated it into our character backgrounds. He had asked me beforehand if I had wanted to do this, in which I agreed and we began to work on our story together. It is great to use the forums for communications with other players like this.

One should also be careful not to develop their character into a Mary Sue, which is someone typically lacking any flaws, or overly powerful (like being able to cast spells that are not available in the game).

There are two terms that every roleplayer should become familiar with when communicating with others, in character (IC) and out of character (OOC). 'In character' refers to when you are acting the part of your character, while 'out of character' is all non RP communication, when you would like to talk freely to other players. OOC talk should be visibly distinguished from IC talk.

Ex: ((I have to use the bathroom, back in a moment.))

In FFXI, /emotes were also a great way to communicate actions and emotions. They are used by typing /emote in the beginning of the sentence followed by the motion. The sentence appears on screen in the third-person.

How it looks when it is typed:
/emote has a stern look upon his face.

How it looks on the screen:
Elithien has a stern look upon his face.

Although it is not known what forms of communication will be available in FFXIV, my assumpsion is that they'll most likely be similar to XI. We'll have to wait and see in which ways they can be best used for RP.

Closing

This guide is by no means finished, I will be adding to and changing parts as more information on the game becomes available. Any comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

I love what you did here. Must simple and impressive. Only thing I want to ad is:
Godmoding: The Tendency of Roleplay someone else's character or saying their lines.

When RPing you act and answer for yourself, not for the others RPing with you. It is sometimes hard for one has an idea of where one wants the RP to flow to. However, that is the beauty of RPing, you need to adapt to whatever comes, whether you get the answer you expected or not.

PS: Do mind some can let you have some lead way: ej. You can swing a sword and cut their clothes in a RP fight. Details that leads the other to what you really plan to take the RP.

Great guide so far, nice work

Thanks for the encouragement!

To ramdragn, it has been added and updated.

Going to post a link to this article on the front page since its a great thing for new people to read. Thanks for the work that's been done on this.

o.O Nice guide thanks you also forgot to add. When making the character please don't rp a Mary sue xD lol. For example: "Yoda is trying to rping in the universe of FFXIV o.o unlike anyone else he roams around the lands with his lightsabers slicing away at his enemies by using the force"

((be, that cannot! Roam, Yoda doesn't!)) Laughs hard ((To the story, you must stick. . . Never fear. Usable name might be, but impossible, character be.))

Thanks for the information Corolie, I'll be adding that in. And to Guardian, awesome, and thanks for the complement!