Does anyone actually care about the story or roleplaying?

[kisedd]

Even when I was playing tabletop games we didn't RP all the time. Sure we had some fantastic RP sessions and events I rememmber really well. We all sat around and shot the breeze a fair amount of the time. People knew what was proper at the time.

Trying to log into a computer game and RP with a bunch of total strangers full time is pretty difficult. I pick my moments to RP when it seems relevant. I also agree with other posters that chocies I make in game tell people alot about my character. If I run out of my way to rezz people, that says something about me. If I try to help people, that is a choice I make. Actions can be just as important to RP as words.

[sidusar]

I'd want people to make earning Kami fame a priority. I'd want the members to actively go to Matis and Tryker lands and try to convert people from Karavan to Kami. I'd want the members to spend time killing Karavan supporting groups, and pvp challening Karavan supporting players. I'd want them to really support the Kami and go against the Karavan.

That would be awesome if people actually played like that. Too bad trying to 'convert' people would likely just get you a lot of "what the hell are you talking about?" reactions.
I'm usually one of the part-time RPers myself. When talking about ingame events I always try to speak as if I were my character and not someone controlling that character from behind a pc. Sometimes that's just not possible, like when discussing gameplay, and then I'll just as easily switch to OOC. If someone speaks to me IC I would definitely do my best to RP along though. After a while my characters may develop a personality that's somewhat different from my own, but never too different. I play this game to enjoy myself and relax, thus I want to be able to act and talk naturally, not constantly having to think: "What would my character do/say now?" This also goes for: "How would my character say this?" My character will always speak as I do, I won't try to speak more mystical when controlling a Zorai, or more eloquently when controlling a Matis.

You had your ideas of HOW others should roleplay and I got the idea that it was YOUR way or the highway...if you had been in charge. Sorry but that is not MY idea of role playing.

That has unfortunally often been what drove me away from RPing, both in games and in forums. In my experience a fair portion of the hardcore RPers expect everybody to roleplay as they do, and don't tolerate anyone whose character or style does not fit with their ideas. Since I myself am not that hardcore about it, I prefer not RPing at all over constantly being criticized. (I'm not saying Raynes is like this, I don't know him. I'm just saying I've met people like this in the past.)

[raynes]

That would be awesome if people actually played like that. Too bad trying to 'convert' people would likely just get you a lot of "what the hell are you talking about?" reactions.

I know.

That has unfortunally often been what drove me away from RPing, both in games and in forums. In my experience a fair portion of the hardcore RPers expect everybody to roleplay as they do, and don't tolerate anyone whose character or style does not fit with their ideas. Since I myself am not that hardcore about it, I prefer not RPing at all over constantly being criticized. (I'm not saying Raynes is like this, I don't know him. I'm just saying I've met people like this in the past.)

I beleive that lyrah is reffering to the fact that I wanted LPD to take a position on the Kami/Karavan conflict. I wanted the guild to actually put some effort forth and work on supporting the Kami. I wanted other members to make doing fame missions as a part of their play. I brought up the fact that guild fame will matter with outposts and the guild should work on it. The responce was mixed. Some wanted to do it others did not. To the ones that didn't want to do it, I got told pretty much what Lyrah is talking about.

Of course that brings me to part of the reason I got fed up and left. Yes, not all players play the same. Yes not all players have the same goals. Nor should they. But a guild should have the same goals and the players in the guild should have a similar style of play. That is the purpose of a guild. If you have some members that don't want to fight, remain neutral, and do nothing but harvest and you have members that want to take a side, fight, do pvp, and work on taking over outposts you are going to have issues. Are either style of play right or wrong? No. But having a guild with a bunch of people who all have totally seperate goals and styles of play is just stupid and pointless.

I was under the impression that you had to have a minimum number of people to start a guild (I think I was just used to City of Heroes). I was told differently by 3 seperate people. Those people also told me that they thought I should start my own guild. I have been giving this some thought. I'm still sorting out the details of how I want to run it and what exact guildlines I will have, but I think I am going to do it. The worst that can happen is I have a guild to myself. lol

I do know that the guild will be a Kami supporting guild. Some of the requirements will be that members have to work on fame. They will be strongly encouraged to work on getting 100 personal fame with the Kami. It will be a primarily Zorai and Fryos based guild. Other races will be allowed but only if they denounce the Karavan. There will be more, but as I said I am still working on the details. So if you think you would have an interest in such a guild send me a pm on the board or in game.

[aylwyne]

It seems like a lot of people seem to think that RP means you need to be fanatical about following the factions and history in the game. Talk of equating roleplaying with running around trying to "convert" people to kami or karavan, challenging people to PvP because they're the other faction, etc. just reinforces this.

Why does this have to be what roleplaying is? In reality, do you go around challenging people that follow a different path to a duel? Do you actively try to convert them? Yes, some people in this world do just that but they tend to be at the extremes of the spectrum.

I feel that a lot of hardcore RPers seem to think everyone has to be at this type of extreme to also be roleplaying. Why can't someone that has tolerance for all the factions in the game also be a roleplayer?

[vguerin]

RP would be easier if guild creation (or could be added in) required some selections of sorts. You'd think by nature of race selection things would fall in line, BUT folks select race by how cute they look etc...

Each race has guilds that are all over the chart as far as race or faction loyalties. There is neither a reward nor penalty for not following a certain path now and this is the result. Typically we will see the guilds that don't make a stand jumping on the bandwagon of the winning side later on. Thats not RP whatsoever and as many of you know I consider them worse than enemies on the RP side of things.

Those of you that do RP certain things IG, I have always found to be the more fun folks to play with or against. Though we all tend to turn it on or off at will, it would be more enjoyable with more RP in the game... That in it's nature would need more requirements to be done well, with rewards and punishments that come with it.

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[raynes]

It seems like a lot of people seem to think that RP means you need to be fanatical about following the factions and history in the game. Talk of equating roleplaying with running around trying to "convert" people to kami or karavan, challenging people to PvP because they're the other faction, etc. just reinforces this.

Why does this have to be what roleplaying is? In reality, do you go around challenging people that follow a different path to a duel? Do you actively try to convert them? Yes, some people in this world do just that but they tend to be at the extremes of the spectrum.

I feel that a lot of hardcore RPers seem to think everyone has to be at this type of extreme to also be roleplaying. Why can't someone that has tolerance for all the factions in the game also be a roleplayer?

You can't roleplay without a decent knowledge of the story. It's just not possible. In order to play the part of something, you have to know about that something.

Now having said that, can someone roleplay a neutral stance? Yes. But the key is if they have a reason for the stance. Not just because they want spawn points.

You ask why running around trying to convert people or challenging others because they are the opposing faction has to be what roleplaying is, well lets discuss this a bit. Using the Kami and Karavan as a example. You as a player decide to follow the Kami. Why are you following the Kami? If you are roleplaying, then the answer is that you beleive in what the Kami preach (If there is another reason, please let me know). As someone who beleives in what the Kami believe, you have to oppose the Karavan. On that same note you have to oppose those who support the Karavan. There is no arguement in that point. To try to say that you can support the Kami while not opposing the Karavan simply shows that you have a lack of knowledge of what either group is about.

Now the question comes into play, how do you oppose the Karavan and it's supporters? If you buy goods from them, never challange them in pvp, never try to preach to them the error of their ways, how exactly do you oppose them?

I guess what my question really comes down to, is how do you roleplay without ever taking actions based upon what you are roleplaying?

[raynes]

Each race has guilds that are all over the chart as far as race or faction loyalties. There is neither a reward nor penalty for not following a certain path now and this is the result. Typically we will see the guilds that don't make a stand jumping on the bandwagon of the winning side later on. Thats not RP whatsoever and as many of you know I consider them worse than enemies on the RP side of things.

I totally agree. Now back to your evil Karavan masters before the Kami strike you!

[aylwyne]

You seem to equate support for your own chosen path as automatically meaning opposition to others' paths. I think this is where we fundamentally differ in our views.

Like others, I have my own strong beliefs and views on things such as religion, politics, society, etc. In some cases, I will strongly oppose those that take the opposite stance. This may be in the form of withdrawing financial support, not voting for that person/group, or even friendly forum banter However, in most areas, this is not the case. I'll use religion as a personal example. I have very specific beliefs, however, I don't go around trying to convert others to my beliefs or actively trying to undermine theirs.

Just because someone chooses to be a Tryker that is Karavan aligned in the game does not automatically mean they are anti-Kami or opposed to those players that choose to believe in the Kami.

Also, it seems that people feel that if you support the Karavan or Kami, you have to support them 100%. Therefore, if some game developer writes that the Karavan think the Kami are evil, all players that support the Karavan automatically have to share this belief. I don't believe this needs to be the case. As another personal example, I fundamentally believe in and support our system of government, however, there are many policies and actions taken by our government that I oppose.

[raynes]

You seem to equate support for your own chosen path as automatically meaning opposition to others' paths. I think this is where we fundamentally differ in our views.

Like others, I have my own strong beliefs and views on things such as religion, politics, society, etc. In some cases, I will strongly oppose those that take the opposite stance. This may be in the form of withdrawing financial support, not voting for that person/group, or even friendly forum banter However, in most areas, this is not the case. I'll use religion as a personal example. I have very specific beliefs, however, I don't go around trying to convert others to my beliefs or actively trying to undermine theirs.

Just because someone chooses to be a Tryker that is Karavan aligned in the game does not automatically mean they are anti-Kami or opposed to those players that choose to believe in the Kami.

Also, it seems that people feel that if you support the Karavan or Kami, you have to support them 100%. Therefore, if some game developer writes that the Karavan think the Kami are evil, all players that support the Karavan automatically have to share this belief. I don't believe this needs to be the case. As another personal example, I fundamentally believe in and support our system of government, however, there are many policies and actions taken by our government that I oppose.

How can you support the Kami or Karavan without opposing the other? Please explain.

[aylwyne]

How can you support the Kami or Karavan without opposing the other? Please explain.

Um, I could do missions for the karavan. That's about the only way to really support them in the game that I see. Yes, this may mean that the Kami view me in a less favorable light (i.e. lower fame number) but it doesn't mean I'm doing something to actively oppose them.

Fame is just that groups opinion of you. You can be hated by a group without directly doing anything to oppose or injure them. The Kami might hate me because I support the Karavan, even though I've done nothing to oppose the Kami.

Right now, there's really no way in game to actively oppose the opposite faction. There are no missions to harm the other or spy on them or anything of that nature. The only missions in the game are to provide positive support to one side or the other.

What you seem to be proposing is introducing a way to directly oppose the other side by using PvP, trying to recruit people from the other side, not buying their goods, etc. I just don't feel that introducing negative support such as this to my character is necessary to roleplay.