What is role playing?

[Jerrid Al-Kundo]

Re: Re: What is role playing?

To me an important part of role-playing is character development. Not only development statwise. A good role-playing scenario makes the player's ask and answer questions about their characters. Questions like what makes them tick, what they fear and what they cherish.

That sums it up for me, rather nicely.

It's kinda like being in a movie or a book. Very rarely are such handled in the prospect of "hack-kill-treasure-hack-kill-treasure", but rather are a series of RP-based scenarios with occasions of action and/or violence.

Refering to Flexor's original post, the issue seems to arise around RttToEE. Having browsed through the adventure, I found it time driven and extremely combat/action focused. Where it's made to purposefully bring the characters from 4th to 14th Level in a short amount of time, my own style (and that of my group) would have such a gain take years of game time.

In such regard, when folks say, "that's not role-playing," what they're likely really saying is, "it doesn't permit me to role-play the way I like to." (Is that what you meant, Otter?)

Granted, anyone looking down at someone that likes RttToEE and similar style play is just as guilty of being a snob as someone that says that a character that wasn't min-maxed isn't effective or suitable for play.

 

[Otterscrubber]

I think you hit the nail on the head Jerrid. Well said.

 

[Desdichado]

Flexor, trying to reaffirm your own fairly transparent opinion here, are we?

 

[Walter_J]

I think my point has been missed. My point was that everyone seems to think that role-playing is different. Case in point, Walter_J, you think that role playing and playing styles are different, someone else may not. You ask 20 players to define role-playing you will get 20 different answers. You seem to make a distinction between playing the game and role-playing, my examples state that no matter how many gamers I have met play the game they all consider themselves role-players. That is a fact. Simply by playing a character in D&D you are role-playing to some degree. Some people just don't consider it role-playing until you begin to play in a certain style, which is why how people play and role-playing can be perceived to go hand in hand.

No, I didn't miss your point. Actually, I agree with you 100%. I disagreed because the question was "What is roleplaying?" Not "how do you roleplay" or even "what is a role-playing game." There is a big difference between the questions. Also, role playing and games are two distinctive things and it is important to look at them seperately. Bear with me a moment and I'm sure you'll agree.

First "what is..."
Several times in this thread "role playing" has been defined. That is, assuming the role of someone or something else. Agreed?

As far as "what" is a game, well, lets say someone grabs a dictionary, looks up the word and one of the qualifiers is "rules." A game has to have rules. (I'm not sure of the entire definition, but for purposes of conversation, lets go with that.)

Second "how..."
Four people get together and they agree that each will take on the role of a fictional character. All four characters are stuck in an elevator together. They go on to talk "in character" and describe their characters actions to one another. We are still "role playing" here. There is no game.

Then, one of the characters gets on another characters nerves. Character #1 says "I punch him in the jaw and knock him out so he'll quit yammering." Character #2 says "No way. I'm a retired Navy Seal. I'd whoop your butt." #1 says "Well, I was the prized student of Bruce Lee, I'll whoop your butt." Someone else interjects and says "OK. You are both butt whoopers. Here is a six-sider for you and one for you. Whoever roles higher knocks the other guy out." Now, we have a game.

"Role playing" and "game" are actually two seperate activities. Someone just had the cool idea to put them together. Call it "army men with rules."

I'm supposing you can play an RPG as a 100% game. I guess you could also play one as 100% role-playing. Most play as some mix of the two.

Otterscrubber, when you say that every player is going to define "role playing" differently, you are right, but they are not defining "role playing" they are trying to define a "role playing game" and I don't know if that can really be done to a degree where everyone will be satisfied. Why? One big reason is it depends on what mix of the two forms of entertainment (i.e. role playing and game) a person favors most. I believe that in that regard, no one is wrong. However one group gets their jollies is just as valid as another.

Good thread.

 

[Nightfall]

The difference for me in roleplaying and ROLL playing is actually very simple:

A paladin of Heironious trying to convert others:
I decide to roll my Diplomacy check!

A paladin of Corean in a village that just been assaulted by strange and unnatural creatures: I cast Commanding Presence, and I start to tell the people of the Virtures of Corean. I say "Fear not humble people of this town. I, (insert name) come to help you. I know your fear. I too have felt it when I have face the might of the cursed Titanspawn. They are strong true, but so is the might of the Gods. For I have seen Corean's works in all things. Even now, as we struggle to rebuild, the Forger will make our souls stronger with these things we call love, honor, and duty!"

Well that's a least start!

 

[Walter_J]

The difference for me in roleplaying and ROLL playing is actually very simple:

A paladin of Heironious trying to convert others:
I decide to roll my Diplomacy check!

A paladin of Corean in a village that just been assaulted by strange and unnatural creatures: I cast Commanding Presence, and I start to tell the people of the Virtures of Corean. I say "Fear not humble people of this town. I, (insert name) come to help you. I know your fear. I too have felt it when I have face the might of the cursed Titanspawn. They are strong true, but so is the might of the Gods. For I have seen Corean's works in all things. Even now, as we struggle to rebuild, the Forger will make our souls stronger with these things we call love, honor, and duty!"

Well that's a least start!

Me too. Skill use like that is one reason how I came to the conclusion that D&D can be played 100% game (no role, all roll.) Don't get me wrong. Skills are great and how a person plays and has fun is their own business, but I think skills are DM tools to help judge the success or failure of a situation.

 

[Emiricol]

Roleplaying is when you pick sauerkraut instead of strawberries because sauerkraut is european and strawberries are just red.

Or when the paladin loses his paly abilities to protect the innocent and promote the cause of LG. Whichever. The sauerkraut is less painful.

 

[LostSoul]

A paladin of Heironious trying to convert others:
I decide to roll my Diplomacy check!

A paladin of Corean in a village that just been assaulted by strange and unnatural creatures: I cast Commanding Presence, and I start to tell the people of the Virtures of Corean. I say "Fear not humble people of this town. I, (insert name) come to help you. I know your fear. I too have felt it when I have face the might of the cursed Titanspawn. They are strong true, but so is the might of the Gods. For I have seen Corean's works in all things. Even now, as we struggle to rebuild, the Forger will make our souls stronger with these things we call love, honor, and duty!"

Hmm... I think they are both Role-Playing. Because both characters decided to convert others, which is part of the role they are playing.

The method they use to determine success - which is dependant on your DM - is the only thing that's different here.

 

[Frosty]

Hmm... I think they are both Role-Playing. Because both characters decided to convert others, which is part of the role they are playing.

The method they use to determine success - which is dependant on your DM - is the only thing that's different here.

If both are "role-playing" in this context it becomes increasingly hard to discuss this topic. We need a third term.

On one end we have roll-playing, in the middle we find role-playing and on the other end we have... what?

 

[LostSoul]

On one end we have roll-playing, in the middle we find role-playing and on the other end we have... what?

Meta-gaming.