Ask WoW Insider: Advice for RP noobs?
by Barb Dybwad 
May 18th 2007 at 3:40PM
It's time once again for Ask WoW Insider, wherein we publish one of your questions for our readers to answer. Last week we looked at Bar AddOns, and this week we concern ourselves with how to get into RPing. Thomas asks: I have always wanted to get into a RP server but none of my friends are into it, so I find it hard to find anybody else to RP with. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to get into a good RP guild? Also, are there any essential mods that are commonly used on an RP server? Any other advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!What advice do you have to give RP noobs, or folks interested in getting into role-playing in WoW? Do you have any hardcore RP guilds or servers to recommend? Tips and tricks on imaginating your character or proper RP etiquette?
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Filed under: Ask WoW Insider, RP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
whiteysah Mar 30th 2008 2:09PM
Check out this Rp forum z7.invisionfree.com/roleplayingcommunity
Girkke Sep 21st 2009 10:12PM
A few of us from the Twisting Nether server have put together a Common Role Playing Code. We've posted it up on WoWwiki:
www.wowwiki.com/Common_Role_Playing_Code_(CRPC)
Please feel free to edit this document. The idea is to create a common understanding among the role playing community. We are hoping to create an organic document that will reflect our collective structure. Savvy?
bazwyn May 18th 2007 7:38PM
RP...Its an interesting topic. In an MMO my first experience with RP was with wow. I was skeptical. Im not a heavy RP player. But its fun to get into the lore while we do our quest/raids. I am on Maelstrom with a great guild, Dying Light. We arent hardcore raiders. We are a semi-RP guild on a rppvp server. Its alot of fun, and I think the easiest way to get into RP is to find a guild who is mild RP. Any of the hardcore RP guilds can really turn someone off real quick to RP. Its just weird, especially on vent. We only RP in our guild channel, and we got one player who is the Head of the RP, once we are in an instance, he talks about the lore of the raid in rp, and doesnt stop until we are out. And boy does his character hate gnomes, so much I tend to retaliate by biting his toes. Thats a gnomes life. Anyhoo, RP make this game even better than the mindless pvp, or tedious pve servers. Not to mention, you find significantly less kiddies on a rppvp server than I have found on pvp servers.
Bazwyn
Rich May 18th 2007 3:56PM
I would just suggest read the RP Realm forums (*shutter*) and see if you find some guilds that work for you. If you are not set on a specific side (alliance/horde), then it can be pretty easy. Some guilds have tips and ideas for RP and will help newbies with it. Others are not so helpful or flexible.
I've seen 3 types of RP'ers here (and elsewhere). There are good RP'ers, bad RP'ers and RP snobs. All of them are pretty easy to spot. Find what works for you and just have fun.
RogueJedi86 May 18th 2007 4:05PM
Probably a "no duh" tip, but I suggest reading up on the lore on www.wowwiki.com. KnowYourLore on here helps, but the deep info is on WoWWiki. Read up on there and learn the lore well, especially of your race/class. Every class has a special page on their own lore, so it's easy. It helps with knowing the style, from naming patterns to casual references in conversation.
Scalin May 18th 2007 4:06PM
I'm oldhat when it comes to RP, due to many years playing tabletop games and the such, as well as the good old (when they were free at least) MSN rp chats.
Truth be told, rp in this game doesn't exist. You find as much metagaming and Chuck Norris talk on RP servers as you do on normal ones. You might find a few people in a guild here or there that try to stick with it, but as soon as someone busts out a custom-made teabag emote, you know it's all for naught.
But as Rich said, troll the RP server forums, see if you can find an up-and-coming guild that you could get into, and start from there. Either way, good luck with that.
Dracula Jones May 18th 2007 4:12PM
I'd love to be on a casual RP server, but... ok, have you seen that Reno 911 where they respond to a car theft at the renaissance faire? Ugh.
#1's got it right. RPers can be courteous and eloquently verbose (read: no l33t), but they can also use RP as another mask to hide behind so they can more adequately douche up the joint. Often, the douchery outweighs the eloquence.
If there was a "Be Nice and Use Proper Grammar and Spelling, If Only to Further Immerse Yourself and Others" server, I'd be all over it.
David May 18th 2007 4:22PM
Hi Thomas,
We're actually looking forward to writing more roleplaying-related content in the future. I'm a roleplayer too, as well as a new blogger here, and I'm hoping to be able to provide answers and inspiration for people who have any interest at all in roleplaying, even if only to wonder why anyone would ever want to.
As for your questions, in addition to checking your target RP server's forums for good RP guilds which seem to have reasonable people in them, consider downloading the mod "FlagRSP" as a way to share physical descriptions of characters, last names, and other things.
http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info6544-flagRSPBC.html
Mystrana May 18th 2007 4:24PM
Recently when my server was down extra randomly, I made a new character on an RP server. I've always wanted to play RP but could never convince my bf to play one with me (he'd rather do PVP or RP PVP and .. argh) but that was the perfect chance, blah, blah, etc.
Anyhow - my findings have been sadly that no one really rp'd that much, or even bothered to use full spelling (I don't care if there's not a period at the end of every sentence, but is it SO very hard to write out 'your' instead of 'ur'?)
One person told me that "RP is mostly for /say talk and the general chat is still Chuck Norris."
My advice in any case would be to go through the game and whenever you find someone who actually likes to RP, stay in contact. Really, there's no easy way to do it, but if you have fun RPing, then you know there's gotta be others who do too! Good luck.
Pingmeister May 18th 2007 4:33PM
I am a casual RPer and I thoroughly enjoy my time on RP servers.
I do not belong to any RP guilds but RP on a regular basis.
If you want some casual RP experience before committing to having to write a backstory for your character (as some Heavy RP Guilds *require*) I suggest just hitting up some of the more popular Inns around Azeroth.
Not the usual gathering places (Capital Cities or Starter Towns) as they are non-RPer hangouts.
But the Inns in Duskwood, Ratchet, etc. tend to attract folks who gather to RP together.
Sometimes I pretend to skulk in the backgrouond listening to them or I just walk up and start explaining a recent exciting run-in with a mob or enemy.
It works very well and I have a lot of fun.
I don't RP all the time so this type of "pick-up" RP works great for me.
RPing May 18th 2007 4:44PM
Absolutely avoid general chat at all costs. Also, most RP servers will have an "ooc" channel (out-of-character channel). Which is a great way to meet some of the people who RP. RP servers are the best places to play WoW, without exception. Particularly if you are new to the game. You are more likely to get friendly help there than anywhere else.
Like the other poster said, learn the basic lore, talk in complete sentences, and remember that the good RPers will *not* be found in the general channels.
Addie May 18th 2007 4:54PM
*nods* Most RP is found within guilds or guild alliances.
Here's a link to the RP Resources sticky on the Scarlet Crusade forum:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=15562196
You'll probably find something like that on most RP Realm Forums.
Take up fishing and strike up a chat with whoever comes to fish next to you - the pond on Thunder Bluff is good for this. Get a set of gear together that just looks good and wear that when you're in town. RP with the NPCs *grins* I've read that wanted poster to Grek in Stonebreaker a million times.
RP doesn't have to be complicated and fussy... just do what you do and express yourself from your characters point of view. In character can be simply not out of character, janno? Say that you need to "rest" instead of "log". Excuse yourself for "daydreaming" instead of saying "Sry, was afk." Tiny things like that make a difference.
Avoid shortcuts, acronyms and especially leetspeak. People will be more interested in interacting with you if you communicate like a grown-up.
*smiles* be respectful and have fun and you'll do fine.
Adendra, Scarlet Crusade
Addie May 18th 2007 5:00PM
RP mods to look up: MyRoleplay, ImmersionRP, FlagRSP, Ephemeral, Lore
Oomfoofoo Jun 5th 2007 3:15PM
@ Addie #9 & @ Pingmeister #7
Great advice! Sounds like fun if you approach it with the right mentality. Guess I'd have to pick a different name :(
Oldbear May 18th 2007 7:51PM
Don't use the word "noob"...
Finnicks Daerkhiv May 18th 2007 8:23PM
Here's my tidbit...
On RP servers, there is actually a general difference in trends between Horde and Alliance, and in general it's a "quality vs quantity" issue.
On the Alliance side, you'll find a great deal more RP. And I mean a LOT MORE. However, in general, Alliance-side RP is SILLY. Some guilds are tiny hotbeds of in-character soap opera. There are so many night elves in Goldshire having cybersex that it isn't even funny. And then there's the really bad kind: The ones that completely and utterly ignore the lore of Warcraft and go off into their own twisted fantasies. One time, on my Draenei mage, I met someone who was the vampire demigod child of Takhisis (that's right, the evil god from Dragonlance) who was punished by being teleported to the world of Azeroth as a mortal woman. Not. Joking.
On the Horde side, RP tends to be a bit more serious, with most people staying in-lore and playing their characters are citizens of Azeroth, and NOT vampire children of Arthas. The most interesting RPers I've yet met have ALL been Undead (like me). I think it's because the lore behind the Forsaken is just so good that they're fun to RP as exactly what they are. But, on the Horde-side, RP is harder to find.
Krianna May 18th 2007 8:30PM
1) Grow thick skin for the idiots who roll, get to 70 and end game in an RP server, but can't stand the sight of RP in the game.
2) Figure out your character. You don't have to have a background just know what your character will or won't do. My troll is hugely devoted to Thrall, and will not attack the Alliance until they attack a hordie who didn't deserve it. My BF's blood elf, on the other hand, has all Nelfs on the KOS list because they caused all the troubles in Azeroth-- and will usually kill humans, because they help the Nelfs.
3) Roll a character, level it a bit, and RP. It's amazing how much RP you'll get in return if you RP.
I've been on two different RP servers-- my main is RP/PVP, Lightninghoof. From what I've seen, Horde tends to have more RPers.
Laurens Holst May 19th 2007 1:39AM
For me, RPing mostly consists of staying in-character, and the occasional role-played chat. I’m not sure if that makes me a good or a bad role-player, but I’m comfortable this way, and I generally like my server :).
Please don’t take General as an indication for RP-ness, because General is always OOC. As Mystrana mentioned, most RP is taking place in /say’s (after all, that is most realistic), and most guilds also have an RP-channel (although for my guild, there’s not much happening there).
Like Pingmeister, I also love to listen in on RP conversations, while trying to not be too obvious with it, listening in on someone else’s conversation is impolite after all ;p.
Maybe we should put it in EVE Online terms: everyone’s role-playing, there’s just some who take it to more depth than others. We shalt name those ‘immersionalists’.
~Grauw
Jim Moreno May 19th 2007 12:24PM
I had sent in a query letter to WoW Insider some time ago to gauge any interest in hosting an RP article. When I did not receive any reply at all, the impression was the site wasn't interested in anything RP related. So, now, you'll find me covering all things involving the awesomeness that is WoW RP at the following places:
WoW WarCry's RP Guide
http://wow.warcry.com/news/view/71727-WoW-WarCrys-RP-Guide-Article-1-MMO-RPG-WoW
RoleCraft
http://rolecraft.wordpress.com/
And my friends and fellow RP'ers at The Elf & Dwarf (http://theelfanddwarf.podbean.com/) podcast are also worth a listen.
"... rp in this game doesn't exist."
What an absolutely absurd and horrendously erroneous statement.
Senior Coconut May 20th 2007 2:13AM
While I was in a very strong RP guild for months in WoW, I found the game was not very amenable over the long-term to any RP play. This is because there is no way to "share" anything in WoW -- a guild can't work together to get a house, there is no real guild bank system, there is no way to formally interact with the Alliance, and there is no way to make any kind of "mark" on the world (other than campfires maybe).
That said, the WoW lore is pretty damn deep, and the Horde side is particularly interesting as a sort-of post-colonial tale in which there is neither good nor evil. So its well worth a go, and you can really get into it, but over the long-term it runs out of steam.