Sound Off: What is "Role-playing" anyway?

[Remathilis]

I've seen more than a few thread discussing the elements of rolls to roles, IE. roll-playing vs. role-playing. So, I pose the following question:

How do YOU define role-playing in character?

Do you talk in the 1st person? With accent? Do you have intricate backgrounds? Form bonds with NPCs? What does it take to be a "true" role-player? What draws the distinction between rolls and roles anyway?

Its an age-old debate with lots of sides, share yours and be civil to others opinions.

 

[DragonLancer]

I talk as my character, although not always in an accent. I describe what I'm doing but not in character (IE: I don't say "Bob the Magnificant walks over to the bar")

The difference between Roll-Playing and Role-Playing is that one lends itself to combat, hanck n' slash and monty haulism, while the other leads to storytelling, and interaction.
YMMV but RPG's are meant to be about Role-Playing. Otherwise you may as well be playing a video game.

 

[hong]

Mang, rangers got teh shaft.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Roleplaying is what you do when you sit down to play D&D, whether it's speaking in character so well that you move NPCs (and the DM) to tears, or making that tactical decision of where to move and whom to attack in combat.

Rollplaying is a derogatory word made up by elitists who don't like rolling dice. In my humble opinion, of course, D&D must involve dice, combat, hacking, and slashing... or you might as well be having a conversation.

 

[DragonLancer]

In my humble opinion, of course, D&D must involve dice, combat, hacking, and slashing... or you might as well be having a conversation.

I quite agree, but when the dice rolling and combats overshadow the roleplaying then you have a problem.

 

[Jack Daniel]

That's very subjective. If the players were deep underground in level 7 of the Dungeon of Horrible Unpleasantness for several sessions, I would be very disturbed if the character interaction was overshadowing the action -- just as I would be very disturbed if the players only visited populated cities to "rack up the kill XPs."

 

[WanderingMonster]

...Rollplaying is a derogatory word made up by elitists who don't like rolling dice. In my humble opinion, of course...

I basically agree. Everyone enjoys the game differently. I enjoy the game differently depending on the day and my mood. Somedays I like adjudication by letting the dice fal where they may (roll-playing), othertimes I like a little less dice and more player-driven gaming (role-playing).

As a sidenote, I was worried that someone wouldn't revive this topic. I don't think I've seen it in the last 30 days.

Oh, and is it moral to kill orc babies?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Rollplaying is a derogatory word made up by elitists who don't like rolling dice. In my humble opinion, of course, D&D must involve dice, combat, hacking, and slashing... or you might as well be having a conversation.

Where I come from that's 'Munchkin' talk. Thinking of another fine derogatory term.

Anyway, I was going to type something similar to your post, but you beat me to it!

I think roleplaying is a fun form of escapism - thinking in ways that you wouldn't normally do, with the aim of relaxing and have some fun... How much of the time is spent on 'ameteur dramatics' and how much on 'tactical wargame' need to be tweaked to suit individual tastes.

And Hong, Rangers are great. <Insert screamy, dribbling rant here>. Sorcerors are the ones that got the shaft.

 

[DragonLancer]

Yes, I accept that that is subjective and I agree that if they are that deep into a dungeon then the game is going to be more dice rolling than character interaction. Perhaps I should rephraise it, as if the campaign is more dice rolling and character interaction there is the problem.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Oh, and is it moral to kill orc babies?

Yes and No. At the same time.

But only if you use Real World (tm) Politics, Ethics, Morals and Religion to argue why.