All the World's A Stage: If someone asks you if you're a god ...
by Anne Stickney 
Jan 23rd 2011 at 4:00PM
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.
Last week, we talked about the perplexing perfection of the Mary Sue and how to spot whether or not you're creating that type of character. While Mary Sue characters can be irritating, it's easy enough to ignore a player who isn't up to your standards of roleplay. After all, wherever there is a good universe to work in, you're generally going to find a handful or two of Mary Sues, blissfully wandering around and generally oblivious to the world around them.
It's those players who step over the lines of polite interaction that tend to cause more irritation among roleplayers. Godmoding, or powergaming as it's sometimes called, is pretty much what it sounds like -- playing god. Though Mary Sues can sometimes create characters that are invincible or extraordinarily powerful, there's a difference between Mary Sues and godmoders. While Mary Sues can be content with keeping their immense powers largely to themselves, godmoders will attempt to manipulate the world around them -- including the actions of other roleplayers.
How does godmoding work?
There are a few different types of godmoding, from minor to major. The most minor of these lies in the RP descriptions that people write for the characters that they play. When writing out a description, you're supposed to describe what a person viewing that character would see. When you start adding quips along the lines of "A chill runs down your spine and you shudder in fear at the sight of this fearsome creature," you're taking the reaction away from the observer and writing it yourself. That's essentially what godmoding is -- altering the universe around your character, with no regard for the reactions of those around you.
The most drastic kind of godmoding comes in roleplay, particularly in combat. When playing out combat situations, the godmoder will write out the results of his actions without consulting whomever he happens to be roleplaying with. An example:
Players who profess to be all-powerful, omniscient, or otherwise at a distinct advantage over other roleplayers can also be a source of godmoding. If a player uses out-of-character knowledge to try and manipulate other characters around him, it falls under godmoding, because it's really not something that player's character should be intimately familiar with.
Not every powerful character falls under the godmoding label, however. If it's a case in which that character has a distinct advantage because of his or her knowledge and there are no repercussions for having that knowledge, that's generally where the line is crossed from roleplaying into godmoding.
And then there are the players who godmode by simply stepping in. Common examples are roleplayers who run into an inn and then declare that they've set it on fire, or roleplayers who will walk up to random characters and emote punching, hitting, or otherwise touching them for no reason whatsoever, or roleplayers who state that they've killed major lore characters -- for example, a character who claims he is the one who dealt the final blow to Illidan, the Lich King, or Kael'thas.
In most of these cases, it's simply a matter of roleplayers looking for attention and thinking that this is the best way to go about getting it. They don't understand that what they are doing is disruptive or wrong; they just want to roleplay any way that they can.
How do I deal with a godmoder?
Some godmoders are easier to deal with than others. In the case of godmoding RP descriptions, I don't really recommend that you ignore these players outright. Some of them may be quite good at RP, and their godmoding may be restricted to their descriptions, nothing more. Check the rest of their description, and if the writing is the kind of quality you like, give them a shot. It's better to be polite than unkind, after all. If you happen to make a new friend, you can gently point out what needs adjusting in their description, cross your fingers, and hope they don't get offended. If it's a friend of yours who has done this, then there shouldn't be a problem with politely bringing up the fact that his description seems to be falling towards godmoding.
As for those who tend toward being disruptive, like setting an inn on fire or slapping your character out of nowhere, it's up to you whether or not you ignore those actions. However, if you do choose to do so, sending an out-of-character whisper to the player and explaining why you are ignoring their actions is the polite thing to do. If they refuse to leave, you can continue to ignore them -- and if they get too disruptive or abusive, you can report them. I don't really recommend reporting someone unless he's harassing or being deliberately abusive, but in extreme cases, it may be warranted. The general rule of thumb is if the player is deliberately interfering with your gameplay in order to annoy you, it's probably a good time to report.
For characters who profess to be all-knowing, having an out-of-character chat with the player behind that character can help clear the air. If you aren't comfortable with that player's character knowing intimate details about your character's life, say so. More importantly, ask why he is using that out-of-character knowledge -- is there a specific reason, or is it just to make his character somehow "better"? If he protests or tries to continue roleplaying after you've told him you aren't comfortable with it, it might be a good idea to put him on ignore.
In the case of godmoders who attack you and harm your character without giving you a chance to respond to their actions, again, you can choose to simply ignore them, but a whisper explaining why is polite. Before you up and ignore these players, though, it may be worth it to ask them why they did what they did -- especially if the attack was completely unwarranted in your eyes.
Making a fight fair
Conflict, combat, and RP is a tricky topic, because there's no really elegant way to do it. It's one thing for a character to beat up a mob while questing or a boss in a dungeon; it's another thing entirely when that character is fighting another character. So how do you fight in roleplay without running the risk of godmoding?
Establish limits Before you even think about engaging in a fight with another roleplayer, think about what your limits are as far as fighting goes. Is it okay if your character gets hurt? Is it okay if he gets wounded, lose a limb or are otherwise scarred? Is it okay if he dies? Knowing what you're comfortable with in regards to your character is just as important as making sure you aren't stepping on the other player's toes.
Open communication Talk to the person you're fighting with out of character, and find out what their limits are. Is he okay with getting wounded, scarred, losing or potentially dying? Yes, this takes a lot of the freeform out of the RP. But in a game where you easily get attached to the character you play, you may not want to risk losing that character in a silly random battle, especially if you've poured a substantial amount of time into developing that character. The same goes for the person you're roleplaying with.
Battle plans If you and the other player are in agreement, you can plan out the fight in as much detail as you like. You can nitpick down to the fine details if you choose, but I've found the best way to keep as much freedom in the RP as possible is to simply agree on the end of the fight. "Okay, both characters will walk away alive, but your character is going to hurt mine, and it's going to lay him up for a few days." Once you've agreed on final outcome of the battle, you can play the fight out whatever way you like, as long as the ending is the one you agreed on. This leaves a lot more room to play with.
Roll the dice If you're wanting really random battles and you don't care about the outcome so much, use the built-in dice. When one character attempts to attack the other, both players can simply type /roll 10, and whoever has the higher number has the upper hand. Since the results are completely up to the dice, this guarantees a "fair" fight in that neither player really has an advantage in the situation. Just make sure your opponent isn't using loaded dice!
Dueling The dueling system in game can also be used to solve roleplay conflicts -- but it's not really the most fair way to go about it. A roleplayer may not have any experience at all in PvP. Or one player may vastly outgear the other. Or one player may vastly outlevel the other. That said, if both players are okay with dueling to solve an issue, go right ahead! Actually using abilities and spells can be a lot of fun -- and if you want to make the ground a little more equal, fight in RP gear that doesn't give you any stat advantage. A rousing bout of fisticuffs can be a lot more fun than simply typing out emotes!
Addons There used to be a really neat addon out there called Rollcraft that was specifically designed for in-game fighting between characters. To my knowledge, it hasn't been updated for Cataclysm, and I haven't been able to find any other addons specifically for roleplaying fights. With that in mind, if anyone has any addon suggestions for combat situations, feel free to comment on this post and fill us all in!
Correction vs. condemnation
When dealing with godmoding players, keep in mind that more often than not, they don't even realize what they're doing is wrong. Much like Mary Sues, godmoders are often roleplayers who simply don't have a lot of experience with RP. The roleplay community of WoW is relatively small, and I think that all players should be given a chance to get into roleplay. It's better to foster correct roleplay than to shut people out of the community altogether. The more the merrier, after all!
With that thought, rather than simply shutting down players you observe godmodding, taking the time to sit down and talk to them about what they are doing and why people are offended by it is often a better tactic. Much like instances and raids, players respond a lot better to constructive criticism than abuse -- if they're doing something wrong, it's better to point it out and offer suggestions on correcting the problem. The worst that can happen is that they'll end up ignoring you in the process -- but you can't say you didn't try.
In the end, it all comes down to being considerate to your fellow roleplayers. Situations that involve godmoding can quickly become heated, so keep a cool head, an objective mind, and try to come to a resolution that will make both sides happy.
And if somebody asks you if you're a god ... just say no.
All the World's a Stage is your source for roleplaying ideas, innovations and ironies. Let us help you imagine what it's like to sacrifice spells for the story, totally immerse yourself in your roleplaying or even RP on a non-RP realm!
It's those players who step over the lines of polite interaction that tend to cause more irritation among roleplayers. Godmoding, or powergaming as it's sometimes called, is pretty much what it sounds like -- playing god. Though Mary Sues can sometimes create characters that are invincible or extraordinarily powerful, there's a difference between Mary Sues and godmoders. While Mary Sues can be content with keeping their immense powers largely to themselves, godmoders will attempt to manipulate the world around them -- including the actions of other roleplayers.
There are a few different types of godmoding, from minor to major. The most minor of these lies in the RP descriptions that people write for the characters that they play. When writing out a description, you're supposed to describe what a person viewing that character would see. When you start adding quips along the lines of "A chill runs down your spine and you shudder in fear at the sight of this fearsome creature," you're taking the reaction away from the observer and writing it yourself. That's essentially what godmoding is -- altering the universe around your character, with no regard for the reactions of those around you.
The most drastic kind of godmoding comes in roleplay, particularly in combat. When playing out combat situations, the godmoder will write out the results of his actions without consulting whomever he happens to be roleplaying with. An example:
What makes this godmoding isn't the fight itself; it's that the person taking an action isn't waiting to see what the other player's reaction is -- he's simply writing it out for the other player. This completely takes away any kind of freedom for the other roleplayer to respond. By doing this, the roleplayer is escaping any repercussions for his actions./em cries out in fury, drawing his sword and charging at you. You crumple at his assault and lie in the street dying as he walks away, the problem having been dealt with.
Players who profess to be all-powerful, omniscient, or otherwise at a distinct advantage over other roleplayers can also be a source of godmoding. If a player uses out-of-character knowledge to try and manipulate other characters around him, it falls under godmoding, because it's really not something that player's character should be intimately familiar with.
Not every powerful character falls under the godmoding label, however. If it's a case in which that character has a distinct advantage because of his or her knowledge and there are no repercussions for having that knowledge, that's generally where the line is crossed from roleplaying into godmoding.
And then there are the players who godmode by simply stepping in. Common examples are roleplayers who run into an inn and then declare that they've set it on fire, or roleplayers who will walk up to random characters and emote punching, hitting, or otherwise touching them for no reason whatsoever, or roleplayers who state that they've killed major lore characters -- for example, a character who claims he is the one who dealt the final blow to Illidan, the Lich King, or Kael'thas.
In most of these cases, it's simply a matter of roleplayers looking for attention and thinking that this is the best way to go about getting it. They don't understand that what they are doing is disruptive or wrong; they just want to roleplay any way that they can.
Some godmoders are easier to deal with than others. In the case of godmoding RP descriptions, I don't really recommend that you ignore these players outright. Some of them may be quite good at RP, and their godmoding may be restricted to their descriptions, nothing more. Check the rest of their description, and if the writing is the kind of quality you like, give them a shot. It's better to be polite than unkind, after all. If you happen to make a new friend, you can gently point out what needs adjusting in their description, cross your fingers, and hope they don't get offended. If it's a friend of yours who has done this, then there shouldn't be a problem with politely bringing up the fact that his description seems to be falling towards godmoding.
As for those who tend toward being disruptive, like setting an inn on fire or slapping your character out of nowhere, it's up to you whether or not you ignore those actions. However, if you do choose to do so, sending an out-of-character whisper to the player and explaining why you are ignoring their actions is the polite thing to do. If they refuse to leave, you can continue to ignore them -- and if they get too disruptive or abusive, you can report them. I don't really recommend reporting someone unless he's harassing or being deliberately abusive, but in extreme cases, it may be warranted. The general rule of thumb is if the player is deliberately interfering with your gameplay in order to annoy you, it's probably a good time to report.
For characters who profess to be all-knowing, having an out-of-character chat with the player behind that character can help clear the air. If you aren't comfortable with that player's character knowing intimate details about your character's life, say so. More importantly, ask why he is using that out-of-character knowledge -- is there a specific reason, or is it just to make his character somehow "better"? If he protests or tries to continue roleplaying after you've told him you aren't comfortable with it, it might be a good idea to put him on ignore.
In the case of godmoders who attack you and harm your character without giving you a chance to respond to their actions, again, you can choose to simply ignore them, but a whisper explaining why is polite. Before you up and ignore these players, though, it may be worth it to ask them why they did what they did -- especially if the attack was completely unwarranted in your eyes.
Conflict, combat, and RP is a tricky topic, because there's no really elegant way to do it. It's one thing for a character to beat up a mob while questing or a boss in a dungeon; it's another thing entirely when that character is fighting another character. So how do you fight in roleplay without running the risk of godmoding?
Establish limits Before you even think about engaging in a fight with another roleplayer, think about what your limits are as far as fighting goes. Is it okay if your character gets hurt? Is it okay if he gets wounded, lose a limb or are otherwise scarred? Is it okay if he dies? Knowing what you're comfortable with in regards to your character is just as important as making sure you aren't stepping on the other player's toes.
Open communication Talk to the person you're fighting with out of character, and find out what their limits are. Is he okay with getting wounded, scarred, losing or potentially dying? Yes, this takes a lot of the freeform out of the RP. But in a game where you easily get attached to the character you play, you may not want to risk losing that character in a silly random battle, especially if you've poured a substantial amount of time into developing that character. The same goes for the person you're roleplaying with.
Battle plans If you and the other player are in agreement, you can plan out the fight in as much detail as you like. You can nitpick down to the fine details if you choose, but I've found the best way to keep as much freedom in the RP as possible is to simply agree on the end of the fight. "Okay, both characters will walk away alive, but your character is going to hurt mine, and it's going to lay him up for a few days." Once you've agreed on final outcome of the battle, you can play the fight out whatever way you like, as long as the ending is the one you agreed on. This leaves a lot more room to play with.
Roll the dice If you're wanting really random battles and you don't care about the outcome so much, use the built-in dice. When one character attempts to attack the other, both players can simply type /roll 10, and whoever has the higher number has the upper hand. Since the results are completely up to the dice, this guarantees a "fair" fight in that neither player really has an advantage in the situation. Just make sure your opponent isn't using loaded dice!
Dueling The dueling system in game can also be used to solve roleplay conflicts -- but it's not really the most fair way to go about it. A roleplayer may not have any experience at all in PvP. Or one player may vastly outgear the other. Or one player may vastly outlevel the other. That said, if both players are okay with dueling to solve an issue, go right ahead! Actually using abilities and spells can be a lot of fun -- and if you want to make the ground a little more equal, fight in RP gear that doesn't give you any stat advantage. A rousing bout of fisticuffs can be a lot more fun than simply typing out emotes!
Addons There used to be a really neat addon out there called Rollcraft that was specifically designed for in-game fighting between characters. To my knowledge, it hasn't been updated for Cataclysm, and I haven't been able to find any other addons specifically for roleplaying fights. With that in mind, if anyone has any addon suggestions for combat situations, feel free to comment on this post and fill us all in!
When dealing with godmoding players, keep in mind that more often than not, they don't even realize what they're doing is wrong. Much like Mary Sues, godmoders are often roleplayers who simply don't have a lot of experience with RP. The roleplay community of WoW is relatively small, and I think that all players should be given a chance to get into roleplay. It's better to foster correct roleplay than to shut people out of the community altogether. The more the merrier, after all!
With that thought, rather than simply shutting down players you observe godmodding, taking the time to sit down and talk to them about what they are doing and why people are offended by it is often a better tactic. Much like instances and raids, players respond a lot better to constructive criticism than abuse -- if they're doing something wrong, it's better to point it out and offer suggestions on correcting the problem. The worst that can happen is that they'll end up ignoring you in the process -- but you can't say you didn't try.
In the end, it all comes down to being considerate to your fellow roleplayers. Situations that involve godmoding can quickly become heated, so keep a cool head, an objective mind, and try to come to a resolution that will make both sides happy.
And if somebody asks you if you're a god ... just say no.
All the World's a Stage is your source for roleplaying ideas, innovations and ironies. Let us help you imagine what it's like to sacrifice spells for the story, totally immerse yourself in your roleplaying or even RP on a non-RP realm!Filed under: All the World's a Stage (Roleplaying)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
jrockzmyv382 Jan 23rd 2011 4:07PM
...you say YES!!
Menz Jan 23rd 2011 7:33PM
One of my all-time favorite movie quotes
Necromann Jan 23rd 2011 4:13PM
"Are you a god?"
"no"
"Then die"
jstout2001 Jan 23rd 2011 4:46PM
not a god...just a demi-god
Sean Riley Jan 23rd 2011 4:35PM
I'm going to disagree slightly with you on the duelling aspect. When an RP issue is about combat, then duelling is absolutely, no questions about it the best way to resolve the question. It uses the game's actual mechanics, is most visually interesting, and is simplest. Most of the issues you've brought up I see as RP features, not bugs.
Level difference? Hey, this is something a good RPer should be accounting for. Level 85s are the Heroes of Azeroth(tm) and while your level 3 warrior is a Good Solider, he's not a Hero of Azeroth yet.
Vastly outgeared? Again, these are things that should be RP concerns. If you're worried about this, though, how about levelling the playing field? Go to the local armourer and buy equivalent armour sets and weapons. (That obviously only works for a formal duel, but it makes sense and keeps the game in the game mechanics.)
The point about PVP experience is truer, but even so, there's a basic sense of 'walk the talk' here. I'm all for the RP, but RP within the system.
Now, that said, non-combat challenges, they're better resolved with /roll. I like the idea of using profession scores. Two people trying to forge the better sword? /roll 525 against Blacksmithing. Whoever gets the higher roll while going under their skill wins. (Obviously, if both have maxed out Blacksmithing, that's gonna happen, but then, both are really equally good there.)
Sean Riley Jan 23rd 2011 4:38PM
(Actually, you did mention the 'level the gear' idea, so my bad. Still, it's a good one!)
Rhev Jan 23rd 2011 7:38PM
The problem with dueling is that it really doesn't take into account the rock paper scissors aspect of the game. A poorly geared (insert class X here) can almost always beat the pants off an epicly geared (insert class Y here) in a one on one duel. It's just not a realistic way to roleplay.
My raiding geared warrior who's a veteran of every major battle since molten core can never beat a freshly rolled, yet also level 85 worgen shadowpriest? That just doesn't make sense from a roleplay perspective.
omedon666 Jan 23rd 2011 4:42PM
Go get'er Ray!
Dragonrose Jan 23rd 2011 5:21PM
In the end it all boils down to how intimate you are with your fellow RPer. Though I don't RP in WoW, I used to have a very close friend who I RPed over MSN with and we godmodded each other all the time, mostly on small stuff. We knew each other and each other's characters well enough to know what the reaction would be so we could speed things up a little in small details. We even killed each other's characters* without remorse, using logic and, again, our mutual trust.
Of course, you'd never do this with someone you're unfamilar/barely familiar with. It took me and my friend years of RPing together to get to that point.
*We kept a persistent world up, with each having one main character, several support characters and "NPCs" which we both controled as necessary (crowds, random people/animals). The main characters never died.
Deathknighty Jan 23rd 2011 5:26PM
But I AM! :O
jrockzmyv382 Jan 23rd 2011 6:10PM
Tell me that's from Reverend X... LOL.
Fernin Jan 23rd 2011 6:05PM
I agree on most of the stuff, but as for battle outcomes, with my RP folks we've always determined the outcome via duals, provided both combatants where at or near the same level; save a few were we've played an over confident low-level character who was put in their place by someone vastly more powerful (most recently a short tempered lv42 Warrior vs a lv85 Warrior; the 'younger' character challenged the more experienced warrior for leadership of an expedition, and when dismissed attacked him; the resulting dual was ended by a single shield bash from the more experienced warrior. The fight itself being part of a growing divide between the members, some siding with the slower paced more experienced warrior, and some siding with the hot blooded one who wishes to charge in and finish the mission in blood and glory. Never mind the warlock plotting to kill them all and harvest their souls. X3 )
HunterTure Jan 23rd 2011 6:12PM
You forgot to put in the godmoding concept of "knowing" what class your character is. Unless a hunter has a pet out, they would be indistinguishable from any other player. Rogues are a prime example of this, a rogue is a thief, what thief wants to be called a thief to their face? I mean come one, that is godmoding at it's worst and it is SO simple to correct.
Kylenne Jan 23rd 2011 6:15PM
In the pencil and paper world we called this metagaming, and yeah, it's no good. Failing to make a distinction between character knowledge and player knowledge is a red flag that you're potentially dealing with a modder.
Oteo Jan 23rd 2011 6:34PM
I absolutely can't stand that! My rogue lives a double life; her "legit" day job is working on war machines, zeppelins, etc. as a mechanic (Engineering is one of her professions). She almost never reveals that she's a capable thief and I usually have her dressed in either overalls or armor sets that could pass as standard military issue, along with an arclight spanner.
Still, lots of people like to say "Greetings, rogue." She usually responds with something along the lines of "Greetings *what?* What the hell did you just call me?" If fellow rogues call her a rogue out loud, she would lecture them... or punch them in the face. She's an orc, after all.
omedon666 Jan 23rd 2011 10:02PM
You need to read this. http://omedon666.livejournal.com/79005.html
Do you want roleplay or not? Creating unreasonable, easily "euphemised away" barriers like this one suggests that you do not.
"Greetings thief" is lame, yes, but THE NPCs address you by class. it's something that anyone who's been around for any degree of time can eyeball. It is obviously something intended to be so in the gameworld if THE NPCs (you know, your precious lore creatures) address you by class.
Figure out how it works for you, invent your own euphemism, but it works.
omedon666 Jan 24th 2011 4:30AM
Here, I even wrote a new blog post, just for/inspired by this comment thread!
http://omedon666.livejournal.com/79589.html
Shadda Jan 24th 2011 5:20PM
The only issue I could see with addressing other players by class is that not everyone RPs the class blizzard assigns them. They could be RPing a local tailor (in which case "Hello, mage!" is likely to get you a strange look) or a class that exists in wow lore but is unplayable (a Night Elf sentinel, for example). If the character is wearing plate and wielding a sword, it's probably safe to address them as a warrior but an unarmed rogue in cloth overalls and a chequered shirt probably won't be distinguishable from your average Westfall citizen. (Especially considering the allegiances of the average Westfall citizen :D)
Shadda Jan 24th 2011 5:24PM
K, admittedly I posted before reading the links. You suggest that the hypothetical Gnome rogue sneaking around in her robes has just shot herself in the foot by refusing to acknowledge her class. There are other ways to look at the situation though. Your rogue risks having her cover blown: what does she do? Does she fabricate a story? Let the new RPer in on the act? This could spawn a whole new bout of RP.
You also talked about a priest character who was not a priest in their RP story and suggested that reminding you of this somehow keeps them from finding RP. I disagree. It's certainly easier to play a class "as it was meant to be played." No one argues when a priest calls on the Light to heal their party or to bless/buff them, but that doesn't mean choosing to be outside the norm is wrong. It just requires a little extra explanation. In my mind, this explanation is part of what creates the grounds for good storytelling. If you can be "outside the box" while staying within the realms of the Warcraft universe, more power to you!
By writing off the "undercover rogue" or the "medic/tactician" you risk limiting your own RP experience just as much as they do.
HunterTure Jan 24th 2011 5:40PM
How often do you walk up to someone in real life who's wearing a suit, a dress or anything similar and say - Hi, How are you thief? There-in lies the problem, in real life we can not click on someone's person and see what "class" they are. Game or not, if you want real style RP then people need to realize this, Blizzard included.