So, I've decided that I hate roleplaying

[Mallus]

Some folks seem to be equating role-playing a character (in the theatrical sense) with role-playing a really dull character who only does mundane and uninteresting things, in an uninteresting way -- like haggling over cloth or livestock, or randomly shouting 'huzzah'.

Most of my group, myself included, like the theatrical side of RPG play. But we don't slip into character to dicker over the price of chickens, or to otherwise bore the rest of the table with boring stuff. We try, at least, to role-play characters who are entertaining, who say clever things and are fun to listen to, even when engaged in, how shall I put this, non-goal-oriented play.

Which isn't to say haggling can't be fun. It's fine if it's down with style and clever-talk.

 

[Mallus]

Looking for non-roleplaying fun in a role-playing game seems like setting yourself up for heartbreak.

He's looking for a particular kind of role-playing fun, or at least an emphasis on it, like I pointed out earlier.

Hasn't low-immersion ass-kicking always been a part of D&D (it's certainly where I started).

 

[ExploderWizard]

Okay. And...?

I'm just commenting because it seems a lot of RPG players have a bad reaction to wargames... and if you dig deep enough it's because the opponent is suddenly equal and the person who supposedly seeks tactical challenges doesn't really know what a tactical challenge is.

Really? I know several rpg players that also enjoy wargames. Even for those who do not, the level of tactical challenge to be found in an rpg can actually be greater than that found in some wargames.

He also seems to want to not have to engage with the game in the way other players find satisfying. They're not wrong to tell him they don't enjoy his style of play, just like he's not wrong to say he doesn't like talking in first person. I'm serious - he's asking if he should just hang it up and play WoW, and I'm leaning towards, "yes."

This is where all that advice about about finding a compatible group comes in.

I 100% agree. I avoid MMO's for this and other reasons. I don't get the idea that the OP cares about the role-playing angle though, even going so far as to call role-players in MMO's "jerks."

The jerk comment is simply a product of taking an MMO too seriously. I can enjoy playing them but they are no substitute for ttrpgs.

Even the action-only hacks I run have more role-playing than what wayne62682 seems to want. Looking for non-roleplaying fun in a role-playing game seems like setting yourself up for heartbreak.

Quite possibly. Not finding a compatible group is a possibility. That doesn't mean that he shouldn't try.

 

[Wolf1066]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. Big ups to the OP for knowing what he likes.

My players and I are more into the role-play - not so much the "silly accents" and mangled old english but more talking as your character.

There's generally a mix of "OK, I explain why we're here and attempt to use my persuasion skills and charm to sway his opinion" and in-character "OK, our car has broken down and we need to find a replacement, do you know anywhere that can rent us another" - depending on what the situation seems to warrant or what would be quickest.

None of us expect that an encounter requires a player to recount what all of us, GM included, already know "for the sake of realistic role playing", especially if such a thing would be rather lengthy. "I explain the situation" or something similar is quite sufficient.

However, other times, actual role play of the conversation can yield some great results and the players can get to be their character and express things as their character would. "Dude, things are really screwed, we need you and your friends to help us out, here."

As GM, I'll use first person dialogue for characters they meet and inject the characters' personality - prejudices, idioms, register of speech etc - into it. I'll use the occasional accent to start with then slide into my native "Kiwi" accent rather than maintain the character's accent - kind of like the way they slid from Russian into English in Hunt For Red October...

With the exception of me, no one says "My character is going to..." or "Name-of-character picks up the wallet" - and I only do it as, being the GM, I may well be playing more than one role in any given encounter. For everyone else, it's purely first person - even when just reporting/narrating rather than speaking as the character. "I tell him who we are and why we're here".

 

[Leatherhead]

It doesn't amaze me. If someone comes in and describes how he likes mocha ice cream, but how his local store doesn't carry mocha, and what should he do, I'm going to suggest he try chocolate. It isn't the same, but it may contain much of what he's looking for.

Or not. But that's okay - he at least gets a new experience out of it, and maybe learns something.

Not really. This is more along the lines of a guy saying he likes vanilla ice cream, but doesn't like the butterscotch topping that people put on it, and everyone telling him he should go get pizza instead of just asking them to hold the butterscotch.

 

[Oryan77]

Not really. This is more along the lines of a guy saying he likes vanilla ice cream, but doesn't like the butterscotch topping that people put on it, and everyone telling him he should go get pizza instead of just asking them to hold the butterscotch.

Or, it's like saying you are really into girls, and you spend the night with one, and then wake up with your cheek resting on her adams apple.

No wait, it's like a guy that spontaneously passes gas, doesn't like the smell of it, but enjoys finding out that he's stained his undies.

You could even say it's more like being a redneck, you're not from the south, but you still think wrestling is real.

No, everyone is right. Telling him to try something different is nothing more than us being mean. We've been had!

 

[Leatherhead]

you're not from the south, but you still think wrestling is real.

You have just crossed the line!

 

[Oryan77]

You have just crossed the line!

I said "wrestling". Everyone knows "wrassling" is real!

 

[wayne62682]

Well, I think what I've established is it's not roleplaying I hate, it's:

A) I hate being forced to engage in "narratives" and first person dialogue
B) I'm more fond of "kick in the door" style play with some small doses of roleplay, than heavy roleplay with small doses of combat.

The problem I have with my current game (the WHFRP one) is that none of us are really big into the roleplay aspect, but the GM thinks it's the best part (also why he chose WHFRP) and so kind of pushes it onto us, and dislikes when we don't start doing it more often. He tended to do the same thing in our 4E game, instead of tailoring the game to what we wanted it was more of a "You guys aren't doing this the way I would, so I'm going to make you do it my way" kind of situation. The roleplay seems forced because none of us are really into it apart from some occasional dialogue or description, and we get shoehorned into doing it anyways for the GM.

 

[coyote6]

Okay, now that you've got that settled, we can move on to what really matters:

Where do you stand on sandboxes?