Roleplay Today.
To be clear, I am not trying to insult anyone. This is the conclusion i drew after a month or study on roleplay. Some of the things to follow may not come well to some, so i kndly ask, not to insult me too harshly.
This study started several months ago, counted the hours and days I spent on this would build up to a month. The motive? Curiosity.
As I was saying... me and my girlfriend always played wow, since the release. After BC we decided to try and play other characters, so instead of my tauren warrior I made a bloodelf paladin, my girlfriend set aside her troll shaman and became a bloodelf warlock. Sadly my work occupied a considerable ammount of time, and my paladin stayed low while her warlock grew...
One day, upon coming home I found her a bit upset. So, as any good man, I asked what the problem was.
Out of boredom she tryed a character on a RP/PVP realm. But, despite the rumors wich made roleplay seem appealable, she encounterd several situations where she was insulted and ignored. Now, you might think it was her fault. But 5 years with her are enough to say that she is a person mature enough not to start or support such things. After hearing what happen, as i had to, curiosity started to build up. She never got back on her "roleplay" character, her warlock being now quite close to the endgame, but I started to take more and more interest on the subject.
I started reading the WoW roleplay thread, very nice storys, very complex characters. Reading most of the threads was like reading a book. I moved on to the Roleplaying Realm forums. One by one. Alot less consturctive then the Roleplay Forum, but there, as well I found some nice storys.
Finnaly, I decided I was versed enough in the basics of roleplay to experience it first hand. So, wich server to pick. The best choice was the same one gu girlfriend got insulted. Now I am not sure it it is wise to name the server, and for the moment I will not. I decided to try the horde side first.
I was there as a plain observant, so I made an undead rogue, something that I belive, draws no attention. And I started looking for people roleplaying. Alas, no luck, despite my expecations the Glades were tottaly empty, not a soul to see... I saw the first people dueling outside the Undercity. Waching for a while I understood that it was just a test of skill and no actual roleplay.
Inside the Undercity, alot more people, but still no Roleplay. So I was forced to request some information over the general chat, regarding Roleplay locations. Shortly I was kindly directed to the streets of Silvermoon City.
And so I dragged my undead's carcass to the city of the elfs. The sight was nice, I saw people dressed in casual clothes walking around the city. It was a nice picture to see. Like these people have blend in the actual city itself.
This was the roleplay capital of the Horde on that server, it seemed. I wached for a bit, followed a few around, trying not to interfere in any way, thus not spoiling any plans these people had. Unfortunatley I was forced to leave as real life called.
Later I got back on, and started to observe. I saw several people standing about, not interracting with eachother however. A lonley maiden stood on the edge of the fountain, obviosly looking for someone to contact her. What made it so obvious? Her constand /sigh emotes.
Finnaly a brave elf paladin dared to initiate conversation with her. By the looks of it they knew eachother but vaguely. What began as common chit-chat, turned into a spark or romance. Like a french movie, where he gives his heart ot her and she says no, while meaning yes. It was a bit amusing to wach. Altho not the ideal blood elf aproach, as far as i read, but still a good attempt. As i decided to leave the 2 lovebirds alone and move to another group that gatherd while i was spying on the two.
Incidentally, i found another similar situation among the group. As one male was, once again, declaring his feelings twards another maiden, with a few friends as backup perhaps.
---
After several days spent in Silvermoon City, and getting myself muore suited for my research, such as getting the required tool to read people's flags and getting my humble undead a little story of his own, not original, mind you. But something to answer if asked. A roach merchant.
As much as i hate to say it, however, I was deeply dissapointed in the Roleplay going on there. What at first seemed amusing, turned out to be a religion most of the roleplayers live by.
The similarity betweend Silvermoon and a highschool yard filled with jocks and cheerleaders, all pretty and rich, was becoming ridiculos. Everyone was flirthing with everyone elce. Rololeplay consisting out of a series of flirts and steamy emotes. And the brave heroes quests consisted out of finding a relationship after another. Furthermore, I was given the opportunity to see the rudeness I was thold about long ago. I was insulted myself several times for not "roleplaying" properly. Even if i wasn't doing anything elce but sittyng in a corner waching and waiting for someone to buy my roaches. Alas, a roach merchant's silent presence was upseting some of the community, who boldy thold me to ((Go roleplay for real)).
Now, given that I never said a word, occasionaly responded to the few that came to ask about my roaches, I don't see how those people could have interpreted my roleplay in any way.
So, it comes to a simple question: What is real roleplay? Is it the over-used aproach Silvermoon is filled with? The sensual male bloodelfs with tragic pasts? I am sorry, I don't feel this is right. I understand a majority would take that aproach, but everyone? I am also aware of the Bloodefl Lore wich implys a tragic past. But on 6 people out of over 30 have their flags written according to the lore.
---
Two weeks passed and I took a few notes on the regulars. I knew their characters and I knew their storys. At some point I got to meet the person behidn the character, and, again, sorry to say, but I was deeply dissapointed.
I broke one of my own rules and stepped up for a person that was being harassed on the general chat for, ironicly, asking about roleplay on the server.
I ended up being thold that...I "have never seen the inside of a woman" by a good memeber of the community. Ofcorse I didn't spend much time time trying to figure out where he came up with that. But I felt I had enough information to draw a conclussion.
I was wrong. A friend of mine, from my old guild, who has been thold by my girlfriend about my "research" offerd to help me. He got me a ticket ot Shat, where I could use the potals for fast travel. Why?
While his words about the Silvermoon community were poor, as I knew myself. He asked me to give the realm a chance.
One day he came online and quickly had me to log my roach merchant and meet him in the tauren capital.
There I wached several members of a guild, all being non-elfs roleplay, and I can say I got lost into their words, into their emotes. It was so... somooth so well timed. Everyone waited for the other to finish, no foolish arguements or boasts of grandure. A redeeming quiality to the Roleplay on this server.
3 days ago, i came upon 2 undead roleplaying. They were trying to figure out who they were. Looking for clues around Brill. Again some quiality roleplay.
I feel dissapointed to say however, that such roleplay is indeed rare, atleast in my experience, while the "popstar" roleplay seems to grove bigger and bigger...
As I feel my research concluded on the horde side, I moved on to the Alliance side. The roach merchant is gone, replaced by a dwarf miner. I don't have nearly enough information to present for now, but I'll be sure to write abput it once I do. And only then will I reveal the server where I was.
Last edited by Solarispulse : 28-12-2007 at 03:31 PM.
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Old 28-12-2007, 04:04 PM #2
Polaba Polaba is offline
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RP Forum is that way VV
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Old 28-12-2007, 04:06 PM #3
Naolin Naolin is offline
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I play on the EU-Argent Dawn roleplay server, and I must say I agree. I been playing there a while now (more then a year I guess) and I also play horde (undead rogue female)
Silvermoon is also the capitol for RP on the horde side. Me and my guildies have mostly been avoiding the place like the plague only going there when we are looking for trouble or to ridicule people.
Nice RP is far and wide in between, I got lucky that I got in a reasonable well RP guild (Factio Funestus, shameless advertisment)
But it seems that RP in silvermoon at least for the largest part on our server is "foreplay" for the well known "Cyber"
For now I have given up on RP outside my own guild.
As for alliance... well they have night elves and its even worse (I had an alliance main for a while)
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Old 28-12-2007, 05:33 PM #4
Silver Pal piscene piscene is offline
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I spent a little while on a RP server, and I can't say that I ever saw any role playing at all. Or maybe all I saw was flirting, which doesn't qualify as RP in my opinion.
Maybe RP within a guild is the only way to do it.