1: What is Roleplaying? Also, what is a guide?
Roleplaying is an aspect of an RPG which is technically indistinguishable from the more popular acts of PvP and grinding. It simply involves the attempt to make a fantasy world like Rubi-Ka more mundane and realistic by pretending you are actually there. Just like PvP and grinding, you can earn prestige and points by doing it well.
In this guide, I will attempt to give RPn00bs a starting-advantage so that they may be able to break into the elite groups who dominate the scene. Consider this guide a way to level the playing field if you will.
I will also be so bold as to suggest that seasoned roleplayers might even learn from this guide a couple of tricks-of-the-trade which will aid them in vanquishing their RP foes and holding back the tides of n00bs who may be inspired to follow the advice of this guide.
2: The goal of Roleplaying.
Break any RPG down into its base components and you will find that it simply involves the allocation of numeric values to abitrary traits on a character and then attempting to increase those numbers.
However, according to the law of conservation of numbers, there are only a finite amount of numbers in any given system. This means, essentially, that the numbers you use to increase your values must be taken from enemies such as mobs or other players.
In roleplaying, we are concerned primarily with the allocation and receipt of rPeen points. Once you have collected a certain number of these from the various sources, you will find that other roleplayers (on the same side - see: "4.1: Joining a faction.") look up to you with awe and reverence. You are now a major player in the faction war, but you have also completed the game.
The acquisition of rPeen points will be covered in more detail in the "5: Playing your character. (Properly)" section.
3: Creating a character.
Character creation is a skill in roleplaying just as in any other aspect of a game. It is one that involves maximising certain traits at the expense of others. This process is known as "Twinking" or "Min-Maxing". It is hard work, but once you have your desired, uber RPtwink, you will immediately see the rewards.
The basic character you will want to create is a pathetic, pitiful creature. This is very important to remember since it is these characters that roleplayers tend to gravitate towards. It is essential that you do not make the character strong or authoritative since roleplayers will feel threatened by this. Now you are begining to see the sacrifices involved in RP twinking.
Here are some example builds you may consider:
Symbpathetic Sue
The Woobie
Mysterious Waif
Strange Girl
Moe
Black-Hole Sue
4: Playing your character. (Starting out)
Congratulations! You now have your first proper RP character, now it's time to take them for a spin. But what to do first? This is a confusing stage and it is important not to rely on any help from other roleplayers since you are still unpracticed and vulnerable. Consider the following options to start off.
4.1: Joining a faction.
There are two roleplaying factions on Rubi-Ka. These are: "Those-who-suck-up-to-the-ARK-Events-Team" and "Those-who-suck-up-to-those-opposed-to-the-ARK-Events-Team". There is arguably a third, but don't join it unless you want to gimp your character.
In the discussion of these factions I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible in the pros and cons.
Firstly, what is the ARK-Events-Team, and why is it so important? This is a team made up of volunteers who police roleplaying in AO. They decide the rules and dictate what you may and may not do in roleplaying. If you join this side you will get access to pointbot raids, which in the roleplaying world are known as "Events". These will be a nice steady flow of rPeen points for your characters and are spectacular, but unfortunately the raid mobs only spawn once every six months.
Secondly, what about Those-who-oppose? For some reason the Events Team have enemies. In the game lore this is explained by the story of a tyrant Events Team director who was stingy with the rPeen points. Many roleplayers believed that they had worked hard and deserved more points and more adoration, but the Events Team disagreed... violently. In the end these renegade roleplayers decided that the search for adoration would be quicker and easier if they had their own followers and so they left for the North.
As you can see, the advantages and disadvantages of each could be argued all day. In the end, you should pick a side that suits your character... and the stats you want to exploit.
4.2: Grinding spots.
The grinding spots are good places to go to start out and meet other roleplayers to leech points from. These spots constantly change and differ between dimension. Some examples include:
The table in Newland City near the big dish.
The Neuters 'R' Us bar in Newland City.
The Reet Retreat nightclub in Last Ditch.
As you will notice, many of these locations are "faction-neutral". This means that if you belong to a faction, you MUST NOT GO THERE. It would be entirely against your character to go to these locations and so result in negative rPeen points. Be warned.
Due the the scarcity of locations and the rarity of use, it may be a good idea to also try one of the following:
4.3: Joining an RP Guild.
RP Guilds in AO are a great way to meet RP opponents and get in on player-run raids. There are lots of these organisations out there and it is very important to choose the right one for you. Remember, they will be after your points as much as you will be after theirs. It is a delicate balance.
Firstly, ask yourself: Have I seen these people actually roleplaying? This is the most important question. If you have seen them roleplaying, DO NOT JOIN. These people obviously have no idea how to roleplay since they are exposing themselves to just anyone who might walk up and steal their points. Repeated for clarity: Only ever join an RP Guild if you have NOT seen them roleplaying before.
Joining a Guild considered to have high RP-status will give you automatic rPeen points. But beware, by actually roleplaying you may lose these points.
4.4: Leeching.
Leeching is an important skill in any aspect of any RPG. Learn it. Find someone with high status and then stick to them. By proxy you will be able to hoover up stray rPeen points thrown in their direction. The great thing about this system is that it is symbiotic. This means that the leechee actually gains status from having more leechers or "followers" and therefore receive more rPeen points themselves. It is a beautiful circle where, when this person retires (or is retired) having maxed out their stats with points, you will increase a rung on the status ladder until one-day, you too could be at the top, raking in the points.
Faction plays an important part here and there are a few things to consider. For those of you who chose Those-who-suck-up-to-the-Events-Team, you are in luck. The Events Team actually invests rPeen points into leeching characters called LTCs (Leech-Trade Characters) These soak up points by their very existence and provide an easy way for faction members to gain proxy points from being in their presence. For those who joined this faction, you can see a list of these characters here.
This is a helpful system, but it is important to remember, as with all faction-based issues, that there are pros and cons. Although this is an easy way to leech, you will never, ever reach the top rung on this ladder. The LTCs will ALWAYS remain way above you in the status chain, no matter what you do. While in the other faction, although there may be fewer people to leech from, there will always be the option, through the usual methods of conspiracy, rumour-mongering and harassment, of reaching the top yourself.
5: Playing your character. (Properly)
Now that you have started your roleplaying career, this section will help you find your place in the roleplaying world and developing your charcter.
5.1: The Roleplaying-World.
You will notice that roleplayers occupy a different world from the rest of the game. This is what is known as a "metaverse" and you must understand its rules before you really find your place within it. The AO universe is populated with excitement, adventure and really crazy stuff. This is not acceptable to roleplayers since it is an unrealistic canvas on which to paint a character. Therefore they create the metaverse in which to interact, one with more realism and soap-opera drama.
The AO metaverse is an interesting entity in that each roleplayer has their own opinion on which aspects of the game should be ignored. These opinions are often contradictory and cause many a fall-out and upset. This is okay though and is all part of roleplaying (See 5.2: Drama).
As a helpful guide, some of the common traits of the metaverse are:
Tower wars do not happen.
You did not really fight that boss.
You are not really wearing that armour.
This item is silly, it does not exist.
You can attack people regardless of the suppression gas level.
5.2: Drama.
Here is where you really get the points coming in. Drama is an art and there are two schools of thought as to how you can get the most out of it.
5.2.1: The inane.
One way to really score those rPeen points is to use what is known as a "hook". A hook is how you focus the roleplaying onto yourself. Followers of the inane will tend to use passive-aggresive techniques such as staring into space or sighing to steer the conversation away from broad, interesting topics and into topics that only affect your character. This may be your sick mum, unpaid debts or any other mundane issue. Note how this relates to 5.1: The Roleplaying-World - By taking the conversation away from the fantasy and into reality you are effectively shaping the metaverse into your own personal tool (See Black Hole Sue) and gaining points at the same time since anyone who can turn the conversation into something this boring and solely about themselves must be important.
5.2.2: The bitchy.
Are the passive-aggresive techniques of the inane not working for you? Do people just ignore you? Never fear! The other technique is to actively belittle your roleplaying opponents. This is a combination of techniques both in and out-of-character. Remember not to worry about scruples. Any action you take while roleplaying is, after all, just roleplaying and just your character. You can use any trick at your disposal to lower the status of an enemy and suck out their rPeen points for yourself. Try forcing their character to leave a session or perhaps declaring their character an idiot to be ignored. When out-of-character, try spreading personal rumours about other players and ridicule their knowledge of game lore. (This last technique is particularly effective due again to the metaverse phenomenon.)
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Originally Posted by Pheats
omfg that SLAYS!
Thanks for making me grin on a cloudy Saturday!
