Re: Role-playing, and RPGs: An explanation
Hi Swagtastic.
Thumbs up for a great summary, you might consider putting together an article on this subject for our articles room.
I confess for myself, I have been a little spoiled in rp terms by getting used to tabletop games with a gm, which tend to mean when I play rpgs I am more interested in roleplay by exploration of the games' world and mechanics than rping with other actual humans.
This is for two principle reasons.
In a tabletop game, the gm can make the story and evolve around your characters.
For example in a 7th sea game I played last year, we to actually go and find the authorities when we found a conspiracy at a nobleman's house rather than storm straight in, so the gm had us jumped in the woods mysterious henchmen and injured to the point where it was clear we had to finish the conspiracy before the conspiracy finished us .
An online rp world does not have that flexibility in it's plot. Suppose for example in a swamp mission, you might decide that the warehouse is too full of zombies to risk going in via the front door, and so decide to ram raid the area where most supplies are stored with your truck instead.
A human gm, since they are as flexible as you are can go along with these things, whether in major changes in plot, or just in some idea you have of an alternative way to combat your enemies, ---- eg, in our last 7th sea game my character (a magic user), used an oil lamp and torch to light a trail of burning oil across the mouths of a couple of caves containing vampires so that we weren't attacked by a hord minerd minions while the fighters in our greep kept the main boss busy.
This is of course where free form mushes and forum based rp do have the advantage, though there is a second problem, that of significance.
In a tabletop game, the gm can make sure to play all the miner npcs necessary for a story. All the shop keepers, news reporters, school mates, villains' henchmen etc. since online mmorpg worlds are full of a bunch of human players, all of whom want to be a significant character of some sort, there isn't generally a room for npcs exist as side players in the individual story a set group of characters, ---- not unless (as sadly does happen), the gms of the mud or online world basically revolve their game and the evolution of its events around a few very high level players.
This is why I personally tend to view role playing computer games, even those that are online, as basically my own solo exploration of the games' world. They are a chance for me to play a character who explores the world, does quests, helps people out and is an over all hero. This is why I will level and improve my stats and explore and find new items, to go and see more of th e world and do more significant deeds. It does not matter to me that the people I am a hero to are mostly code in the background of the game, I still myself just enjoy the story, the atmosphere and the chance to explore.
that is why for me, interaction with other human players is waaaaay down on the list. I will say hi and courteous in ooc channels, and I will share ooc quest info and tips if I can and maybe even drop off a helpful item or spellup, but I just don't have much interest in trying to chat to people in character or playing my character as a real person, just one among millions of other online players all doing the same thing.
Of course, this is just me, I know there are others who feel differently, and there are certainly games that cater to enough tastes out there.
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