Quill, a former resident of my server, raises some interesting points – primarily about the nature of roleplay and the importance of random roleplay – in a recent forum post calling for a “Role Playing Atmosphere Revival Movement”.
Read what they have to say (any italics or bold text is my own emphasis):
The Role Playing Atmosphere Revival Movement
WHAT IS THIS?
The Role Playing Atmosphere Revival Movement is a concept that everyone — light RPers, heavy RPers, even your friends on the server who don’t go in for what is classically considered RP on these realms — can get involved in to make the RP realm environment more welcoming and conducive to getting others to role play.
It is a series of behavioral changes, each small in scope, that combined make the realm atmosphere much more interactive. It will help bring those who are afraid to role play out of their shells, because the sort of behavior you will be performing is the sort of thing they can easily emulate. Ultimately, it brings more people into RP.
WHY IS THIS NEEDED?
Look at the history of the realms with the RP ruleset. Open world role play dies off fairly soon after the server opens. Initially, few people know each other and thus they react to strangers more, but as one finds their own RP circle, those reactions diminish. Inevitably people get bored of the game and leave the servers or the game altogether, but new people never come into RP at the same rate, because that initial interactive atmosphere disappears.
If we are to learn from our own history, and from other games that have achieved this in a more successful light, we must change our behavior and bring that interactivity back into the environment. If we want RP to survive on our server of choice, it’s important that we do not do as those before us have done and close off to the rest of the community.
HOW DO I HELP?
The following are some simple behaviors that will cost you very little time and bring you more role play on average:
* Use emotes (and, if needed, says) for every possible character reaction. When you can, use the default slash commands.
Prose and creativity are well and good, but commands like /nod are generally faster than typing out your own and that convenience means you’ll do it more often. Use them to show your character’s reactions to everything during your routine. Turning in a quest and the questgiver says something interesting? React. Win a needed auction? React. Get something great in the mail? React. Someone enchant your gear? React. See someone impressive walking by? React. Put those little reactions out there for people to see and, potentially, to use.
* Observe what others are saying and doing, and react to those as well if at all possible.
If your character has an opinion at all about something going on, react! Say something, do something. If your response is to be quiet and ignore it, emote that, too. Hate death knights? Spit on the new ones coming through town. Watch what others are doing and be ready to toss something their way. Put your character out there. Make them react to the world and the people around them. Too often, we find ourselves in tunnel vision; break down that tunnel.
* Adjust your behavior to your given environment.
Walk, don’t run, into the presence of your faction leader. Kneel before them if you’re turning in a quest. Wave at the auctioneer. Salute the guards. Stroll through town rather than dashing through on your mount if you have the time. Call out a battlecry if you’re jumping into the fray, even if you’re raiding. By treating your environment as if it matters to your character, you enrich the environment for both yourself and others.
HOW WILL THIS BEHAVIOR CHANGE HELP RP?
Role playing is a social activity. It should be encouraged everywhere on a realm with the ruleset, and it should be ideally encouraged by everyone. RP has become an activity that takes place where people congregate — in inns, primarily — where very little of consequence actually occurs. By bringing your RP with you wherever you go and showing the entire community you’re doing it, you in turn encourage others to react to what you’re putting out there. The overall change, if people adopt this strategy, will make the realm healthier for RP as a whole.
Do your part to make this realm more RP friendly today!
I especially liked the comment about using the games built in emotes instead of crafting your own every single time. It really does move roleplay along faster.
Versed 