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<blockquote data-quote="Walter_J" data-source="post: 220636" data-attributes="member: 2938">No, I didn't miss your point.&nbsp; Actually, I agree with you 100%.&nbsp; I disagreed because the question was &quot;What is roleplaying?&quot;&nbsp; Not &quot;how do you roleplay&quot; or even &quot;what is a role-playing game.&quot;&nbsp; There is a big difference between the questions.&nbsp; Also, role playing and games are two distinctive things and it is important to look at them seperately.&nbsp; Bear with me a moment and I'm sure you'll agree.First &quot;what is...&quot;Several times in this thread &quot;role playing&quot; has been defined.&nbsp; That is, assuming the role of someone or something else.&nbsp; Agreed?As far as &quot;what&quot; is a game, well, lets say someone grabs a dictionary, looks up the word and one of the qualifiers is &quot;rules.&quot;&nbsp; A game has to have rules.&nbsp; (I'm not sure of the entire definition, but for purposes of conversation, lets go with that.)Second &quot;how...&quot;Four people get together and they agree that each will take on the role of a fictional character.&nbsp; All four characters are stuck in an elevator together.&nbsp; They go on to talk &quot;in character&quot; and describe their characters actions to one another.&nbsp; We are still &quot;role playing&quot; here.&nbsp; There is no game.Then, one of the characters gets on another characters nerves.&nbsp; Character #1 says &quot;I punch him in the jaw and knock him out so he'll quit yammering.&quot;&nbsp; Character #2 says &quot;No way.&nbsp; I'm a retired Navy Seal.&nbsp; I'd whoop your butt.&quot;&nbsp; #1 says &quot;Well, I was the prized student of Bruce Lee, I'll whoop your butt.&quot;&nbsp; Someone else interjects and says &quot;OK.&nbsp; You are both butt whoopers.&nbsp; Here is a six-sider for you and one for you.&nbsp; Whoever roles higher knocks the other guy out.&quot;&nbsp; Now, we have a game.&quot;Role playing&quot; and &quot;game&quot; are actually two seperate activities.&nbsp; Someone just had the cool idea to put them together.&nbsp; Call it &quot;army men with rules.&quot;I'm supposing you can play an RPG as a 100% game.&nbsp; I guess you could also play one as 100% role-playing.&nbsp; Most play as some mix of the two.Otterscrubber, when you say that every player is going to define &quot;role playing&quot; differently, you are right, but they are not defining &quot;role playing&quot; they are trying to define a &quot;role playing game&quot; and I don't know if that can really be done to a degree where everyone will be satisfied.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; I believe that in that regard, no one is wrong.&nbsp; However one group gets their jollies is just as valid as another.Good thread.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Walter_J, post: 220636, member: 2938"] 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. [/QUOTE]

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