Factional RP Guilds?

[eschiava]

After a number of conversations with various people ingame I come to realize that Factional RP guilds are an extreme rarity, or is it even safe to say that they do not exist?

There are factional guilds, and there are RP guilds, but it baffles me terribly that there are no factional RP guilds. I would have though that in a game that offers different races and factions that have animosity towards one another that the best RP would have been that involving the clash of factions.

Anyone care to take a stab at explaining why that is not the case?

TIA!

[katriell]

Most factioned guilds are semiRP...or RP to the extent of tossing insults to the opposite faction during outpost battles and FvF. At least, that is what I've observed.

Basically, there's playing a role, and there's roleplaying...IMO.

Looking at the List of Guilds, there's only three high-RP factioned guilds, one of which isn't actually on the list: Divine Order of Kamihood, Sirens of Atys, and Exiles. The former two are Kamist.

[mostevil]

There are quiet a few factional RP guilds but really most dont RP as much as say Red Ribbon Army or other Neutral guilds if you look at Spriteh's guild thread Hes added a [RP stance] next to the guild leaders names, tbh i think Factional guilds just have more to do, but i dont think many guilds dissmiss on the fact that people wants to RP a lot of them encourage it in a low key sort of way.

[kostika]

No, I think factional RP guilds definately exist. My own guild very much RPs being caught in the middle and having many views on each side and on being neutral. Having many views is what makes us neutral in the first place.

RPing your faction can give your guild part of its personality. And I think that happens quite alot.

[ghyselsj]

We decided to make our new guild (Exiles) High/semi RP, since we actually do enjoy RPing Karavan. We don't do it all the time, and not as hardcore as some others (hence the /semi) but we are proud to be Karavaneers, and RP accordingly. We have our share of RP, but being an RP guild doesn't mean only that to us. Boss hunting, level grinding, making gear... it's all part of our playstyle. We put a lot of time in other things as well, and generally have ourselves a good time.

[vguerin]

I think the smaller community makes us all nudge a bit in the direction that has us with most folks that are similar to us. Faction RP is a whole different can of worms as Kostika said. You have to have opposites as well to make it feel real. We actually did quite a bit of this before the server merged when it fit the storyline and it was quite fun, usually tied into an event.

We have been unable to get the same thing going since the merge because there are less folks inclined to do it. Not to mention there is always someone that will sour the milk by getting involved without purpose. To properly RP factionwise you have to also be able to effect the side you choose or it's a lot of empty talk. If you're roleplaying the saviour of a faction yet cannot hold your own when the magic flies... it kind of makes it tough Getting that many like minded folks in our smallish community is a challenge that nobody has yet done very well.

[kostika]

Getting that many like minded folks in our smallish community is a challenge that nobody has yet done very well.

We do try to do this to some effect with the Pub Nights. It gives people a place to play their faction and their side.

Although sometimes we do jsut goof around

[dc77066]

...I would have though that in a game that offers different races and factions that have animosity towards one another that the best RP would have been that involving the clash of factions.

Maybe I'm the wrong person to answer since I'm not really a RP person. I'll get a wild hair and try to speak as a Tryker who's convinced he's taller than a Zorai, at least in his hopes and dreams, if not stature.

I always felt that the sins of our fathers and forefathers don't really shape us for the level on animosity or even pride that factional RP would require. The kitins kinda leveled the field. We emerged from the darkness, from the brink of oblivion merely because of chance and fate. Everything we thought we once were is gone. Our gods had foresaken us. We became dependant upon each other for survival.

There is also the emersion factor. The story and lore is pretty much limited to a couple of pages in the manual and a few pages on a website. Chronicles has definitely expanded on that but after the story telling is done we simply grab our picks and dig next to the person that PK'd us an hour before.

Then again I'm speaking of time before the temples, outposts and spires. Maybe RP isn't about grandiose proclamations and speaking in "Ole English". Maybe its just living vicariously through your avatar, given his/her history and life experience and tolerence for DP, "what would I do if I was him".

-Raku

[kostika]

For me, I've built a long and involved history for the guild form jsut the minor bits of lore we know. Added stuff here and there. Ignoring some things, exxagerating others. Same for my own char's history since it's very entangled in the guild's story.

Sometimes you jsut gotta take little pieces of the lore and add your own ittle twist to it. Not knowing the whole story gives us alot of wiggle room.

[katriell]

There is also the emersion factor. The story and lore is pretty much limited to a couple of pages in the manual and a few pages on a website. Chronicles has definitely expanded on that but after the story telling is done we simply grab our picks and dig next to the person that PK'd us an hour before.

Ryzom has put more effort into its lore than most other MMORPGs, though. Most MMORPGs don't even deserve to be called that...they're simply MMOGs. XD

Anyway, true RP, I believe, is expanding on that story with your every in-character word. Developing your own character to have a past, a present, and a future, and affecting other characters through your character's words and actions. Thereby affecting the game's story. The story being the living story made by day-to-day roleplaying amongst players, based on and interacting with the story set out by the lore and official events.

So to RP, is to not only take what is given (those pages of lore on the website, etc) at face value, but interact with it by interacting with other characters. To act and speak as your character most of the time rather than participate in FvF events, throw a few faction insults around, then leave that all behind at the end of the event and carry on the rest of the time as an out-of-character player.

All of the above is my opinion. I'm not trying to define what everyone should think RP is, simply express what I think it is and why I think most guilds don't actually RP.