Should I roll on Shadefallen?

[Omedon]

I think it's awesome that RP communities have such a great reputation and draw other mature players that value such a community in mmos. But I think what Kufu said here might touch some of the concerns RP'ers have about non-RP players on official RP servers. That's a sad thing to hear about the RP element of an RP server disappearing, and I don't blame the RP community for fearing that could happen to their server...

I am also looking for a home on an RP server, but have only seen a couple people engage in world RP. And it's something that I get nervous about trying, because I don't know if the people I try to talk to are actually RP'ers. Like someone else said, even on an official RP server, we are the minority.

So now people like me are afraid or self-conscious to randomly engage in RP not knowing if it will be welcomed or not. Which likely means other people feel the same way, and the RP community suddenly finds itself smaller and smaller.

Not trying to ruffle any feathers here, I promise! I certainly have nothing against people that don't RP at all, as they have done nothing wrong really, but it makes me sad that seeing people RP isn't the day-to-day norm on RP servers, that's all.

I think I'm going to start a character on Shadefallen though, and hope that the higher levels prove more RP abundant. Now... if I can only decide on Guardian or Defiant...

My response to and advice concerning the dilemma you find yourself involved in, which I sympathize with, is thus:

Function OOC, (out of character) converse OOC, if that's how you are comfortable, but utilize well known and accepted RP'er conventions such as ((bracketing your text as OOC)). When people return this, you know they are *more likely* to be a RP'er, and then try an IC comment with them. Do note, however, that these conventions can't be considered universal or enforced or anything, it's just a suggestion based on practices I've seen and maintained across a handful of MMOs.

Honestly, this is deserving of its own topic, and I'm glad you brought it up.

As for the "invisibility" of world RP, I can offer the perspective that roleplay is a trust exercise, and for the same reasons that the "new to RP" player is careful and cautious, most of the RP I involve myself in (and it's a lot) is with cautiously selected partners, usually in party chat, and I know I'm not alone in this practice, which I/we follow in both games we all play in together. We'll regularly throw out the odd /say RP as somewhat of a "fishing exercise", but my advice to anyone trying to break into RP is to seek it out OOC, with focus and courtesy, because it's happening, I can tell you for a fact that it's happening, it just might not be out in public.

Do also note that there is a vast difference between the elitism of exclusion I alluded to in my above post (which would lead to the "you're not good enough" sorts of exclusion... rampant in lore-heavy WoW circles) and the "everyone RPing in party" caution. The people RPing in party are more likely (for the reasons I've known of, anyway) to generally accept a new RP'er, just perhaps not into the plot/story/conversation currently going on in party chat.

Seek it out, it might not land in your lap, but it's out there.

The more I think of it...the more I think I should start a new topic with this angle...

-Omedon
<Carpe Noctem>

[Omedon]

The more I think of it...the more I think I should start a new topic with this angle...

Couldn't resist.

New topic started!

[Allure1]

Couldn't resist.

New topic started!

Thanks for the response, and for taking my post in the tone and light that it was meant to be. I'll take the advice, and see what I come up with during the adventures of my new character.