Immersion, Stance, and Playstyle Discussion

[Rel]

Two things:

1. Be consistent.
2. Persevere. Let the others get used to it.

In addition, when somebody complains about your acting, respond in character. If you're speaking with an accent or in dialect, respond using that accent or dialect. Act affronted, act insulted, take the bastich to task for his foul manners and insulting speech. Play to him as his character, and if playing a touchy sort such as a dwarf or noble (regardless of character class) offer to face him on the field of honor. Make a big stink about his rudeness. You make your tirade entertaining enough you'll get the others on your side and Mr. Impatience will back down and let well enough alone from then on.

I'm not paid to speak on behalf of Mr. Dyal (boy would that be a sweet gig!) but I'm pretty sure that he's saying that he doesn't keep up a constant accent or mannerism because it becomes tiresome for he himself. I've found this to be the case with myself and most of the gang that I play with. The fact is that while a few of us do have somewhat of a dramatic streak, we are NOT actors and don't wish to become one.

When I GM, I will give quirks, accents, mannerisms and a certain tone to the NPC's that I portray. But even for the brief time that I'm running them it can be difficult to "stay in character". It is something that I'm having to think about in addition to the motivations of the NPC as well as the information I'm hoping will be conveyed to the PC's during that scene. So after a couple minutes, my accent or whatever will probably start to slip and I often say to the players, "You get the idea of what this guy is like so I'll just speak in my normal voice now."

As a result, I tend to play it fairly safe with my NPC's and don't give them outrageous accents or very strange mannerisms so that it is easier to keep them up for longer. A little seems to go a long way with this sort of stuff.

As I said, this probably makes me a pretty poor actor and some may feel that it makes me a mediocre GM at best. But for me when the attempt at acting gets in the way of the fun of gaming it is best to drop it and I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[fusangite]

You get right down to it, a better term is acting. When you role play you are acting.

When you are role-playing, you are approximating and conveying your character's responses to in-game events. One of the ways one can do this is acting.

Do you stay in character even 'off stage', or only when 'on stage'.

By employing this term, you're implying the existence of audience here. I'm not sure that this is descriptive of all group game dynamics.

I have the feeling a number of people who dislike acting do so because they don't feel comfortable doing it.

But I would hazard a guess that this is not the most common reason for not enjoying acting. Not being good at it and not actually enjoying doing it recreationally probably come out ahead.

"Sir, I be freeholder Mark. Be I free to trouble you some? Thank you, sir. I be...What be you saying?"

Yow! That's a worse take on Early Modern English than Joseph Smith's! Indiscriminate and inappropriate use of the present subjunctive does not good improvisation make. Clean up thy language mythusmage!

Two things:

1. Be consistent.
2. Persevere. Let the others get used to it.

In addition, when somebody complains about your acting, respond in character.

I think you're mistakenly assuming that if people who don't play like you would have a better time if they did. Personally, I trust that Joshua has found a playing style optimal for him and his group.

 

[mythusmage]

When you are role-playing, you are approximating and conveying your character's responses to in-game events. One of the ways one can do this is acting.By employing this term, you're implying the existence of audience here. I'm not sure that this is descriptive of all group game dynamics.But I would hazard a guess that this is not the most common reason for not enjoying acting. Not being good at it and not actually enjoying doing it recreationally probably come out ahead.Yow! That's a worse take on Early Modern English than Joseph Smith's! Indiscriminate and inappropriate use of the present subjunctive does not good improvisation make. Clean up thy language mythusmage!I think you're mistakenly assuming that if people who don't play like you would have a better time if they did. Personally, I trust that Joshua has found a playing style optimal for him and his group.

(Fret not, twas my browser that screwed it up.)

Fu, "offstage" and "onstage" referred to theatrical performances, not to game performances. Besides which, game acting is more akin to jazz ensembles getting togeth in private to jam.

Where pseudo medieval English is concerned, I was butchering Ebonics. Besides, what antique English I was using was based on Elizabethan English.

Going on to acting during the course of a game. If you don't practice you won't improve. The more you practice the better you'll do, the more comfortable you'll get, and the more comfortable your fellows well get. You're not doing it in front of an audience but a group of friends.

Now, this goes into the area of GMing style, but I've found those GMs who are comfortable in their presentation and comfortable in their acting tend to produce a more comfortable climate for their players. This all leading me to a couple of new RPG terms, which I'll start a new thread with.

 

[mythusmage]

I'm not paid to speak on behalf of Mr. Dyal (boy would that be a sweet gig!) but I'm pretty sure that he's saying that he doesn't keep up a constant accent or mannerism because it becomes tiresome for he himself. I've found this to be the case with myself and most of the gang that I play with. The fact is that while a few of us do have somewhat of a dramatic streak, we are NOT actors and don't wish to become one.

When I GM, I will give quirks, accents, mannerisms and a certain tone to the NPC's that I portray. But even for the brief time that I'm running them it can be difficult to "stay in character". It is something that I'm having to think about in addition to the motivations of the NPC as well as the information I'm hoping will be conveyed to the PC's during that scene. So after a couple minutes, my accent or whatever will probably start to slip and I often say to the players, "You get the idea of what this guy is like so I'll just speak in my normal voice now."

As a result, I tend to play it fairly safe with my NPC's and don't give them outrageous accents or very strange mannerisms so that it is easier to keep them up for longer. A little seems to go a long way with this sort of stuff.

As I said, this probably makes me a pretty poor actor and some may feel that it makes me a mediocre GM at best. But for me when the attempt at acting gets in the way of the fun of gaming it is best to drop it and I see nothing wrong with that.

Okay, for those times when you'll be playing a bit character have a pad of note paper on hand. Post-it notes work great. Jot down a couple of quirks or traits you can consult during the scene.

When you have some free time practice your accents and dialects. Come up with some stock characters you can easily slip into, and add variations to their personality whenever necessary.

One thing I've found useful is zoning out. Learn how to put yourself in a light trance. You'll be more comfortable and more in control.

It aint that hard and it won't ruin your life.

 

[fusangite]

Where pseudo medieval English is concerned, I was butchering Ebonics. Besides, what antique English I was using was based on Elizabethan English.

Elizabethan English=Early Modern English. Anyway, whatever it was you were satirizing, it certainly produced a grating piece of dialogue. Well done!

Going on to acting during the course of a game. If you don't practice you won't improve.

People have said the same thing to me about tennis. But that piece of information doesn't really alter the fact that I don't want to play tennis.

Now, this goes into the area of GMing style, but I've found those GMs who are comfortable in their presentation and comfortable in their acting tend to produce a more comfortable climate for their players.

I agree that a comfortable social dynamic is the bedrock of a good RPG, regardless of the style of play.

 

[mythusmage]

I stink at tennis. And you don't want to see my golf game.

Duare: What is, "golf"?

Carson Napier: Golf, my dear, is a four letter word meaning insanity.

Agree re GMs who can make their players comfortable, regardless of play style. Before you know it you could find yourself playing 1st person instead of 3rd person style. Well, at least as much as you're comfortable with.

But let us not forget the main reason we're in this hobby; the opportunity to scam free swag from worn out company reps Sunday afternoon at GenCon or Origins.

Company CEO: We've got twice as much swag as we had product coming down here, and we still have this box of adventures to unload. It's 3 in the afternoon and the hall closes at 5. What say we hand out some review copies?

 

[Rel]

Now, this goes into the area of GMing style, but I've found those GMs who are comfortable in their presentation and comfortable in their acting tend to produce a more comfortable climate for their players. This all leading me to a couple of new RPG terms, which I'll start a new thread with.

My game table is a comfortable climate for the players precisely because they know they won't have to endure a non-stop parade of accents and mannerisms from their GM or each other. I'm perfectly happy to drop in tidbits here and there to convey the general personality of the NPC's and for the PC's to do likewise to whatever level they deem comfortable (which appears to be a pretty low level).

I don't feel that our gaming experienced would be enhanced terribly much even if we could all do Olde English dialogue to perfection. Hell, my gaming experience would be enhanced if I could just get them all to remember the Attack of Opportunity rules! As I commented in the "Alcohol" thread, my games are meant to be fun but I have no pretensions to "High Art".

YMMV

 

[mythusmage]

... my games are meant to be fun but I have no pretensions to "High Art".

High art is what they show in galleries, low art is what sells DVDs.

Pop Culture: What the people got their hands on before academics could ruin it.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I have a natural gift for accents (when I was in France, speaking all of ten words of French, I had French people asking me directions. ), and I use them extensively in-game. I can switch effortlessly between various believable American and British male voices on the fly in conversation. When I want to disturb people, I do so - rather like Soulcatcher in the Black Company, but without the female voices.

Seriously, though.

In-game, I always pick an accent for each character. I certainly get involved in the "acting" aspect of immersion.

However, I don't "immerse" myself in the character. There's certainly no cool-down time, not when I can hold a conversation between five NPCs, switching accent, personality and mannerism on the fly and tossing in out-of-game commentary where appropriate.

I'm much more in the "author" stance than the "actor" stance, I suppose - even though I'm acting.

 

[Rel]

High art is what they show in galleries, low art is what sells DVDs.

Pop Culture: What the people got their hands on before academics could ruin it.

Well then I guess my games strive to be "low art".