What Part Does the Role Play in the Role-Playing Game?

[MGibster]

I think I know what you're trying to say, but this to me reads like a defense of conformity, "It's the proud nail that gets hammered down". All of your rules are easiest to follow if you just do the same thing as everyone else, no matter how you feel about it.

Since when is conformity a dirty word? Just about ever single one of us conforms to various formal and informal rules in the myriad of social situations we find ourselves in whether it's work, school, or even our D&D game. You really can't get anything accomplished in a group without some conformity. So, yeah, if you see the group prefers playing the game differently from you then it might be best to paddle along with them or find another group.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Since when is conformity a dirty word? Just about ever single one of us conforms to various formal and informal rules in the myriad of social situations we find ourselves in whether it's work, school, or even our D&D game. You really can't get anything accomplished in a group without some conformity. So, yeah, if you see the group prefers playing the game differently from you then it might be best to paddle along with them or find another group.

I think there's some matter-of-degree issues here. A group has a reason to have some expectations about how other members will play in terms of them not doing things that are clearly disruptive. On the other hand, not all such expectations are, in and of themselves, reasonable and while it still might be the best to just move on if that causes too much dissonance, the problem is not necessarily with the odd-man-out.

 

[dragoner]

I just like play something different from myself.

I think we all play variations on ourselves, tbh. It is what we know.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I think we all play variations on ourselves, tbh. It is what we know.

This seems to be based on the assumption we can't know enough about other people to move outside ourselves. That's certainly a--position.

 

[dragoner]

This seems to be based on the assumption we can't know enough about other people to move outside ourselves. That's certainly a--position.

We are also naturally lazy enough so that in campaigns, some I have been in have lasted for 5 years, the fall back position is to play what you know, which is yourself.

 

[Distracted DM]

The simplest way I explain it to players is that:
1. By making choices in the game, you're roleplaying.
2. A greater extent of/advanced roleplaying is when you make choices that you as the player wouldn't want to make, but which make sense for your character. They're imperfect examples, but A. refusing a reward from villagers because your paladin character would think that they need it more, while you the player would very much like the reward; or B. Retiring or sacrificing a character that you like and have spent a lot of time developing, because that's what you think fits the character.

It's sort of the not-terrible-meme version of "it's what my character would do!"

 

[Crimson Longinus]

We are also naturally lazy enough so that in campaigns, some I have been in have lasted for 5 years, the fall back position is to play what you know, which is yourself.

Thankfully I don't see much of that.

If that is common, I'd advice to build character personalities around clear and even somewhat caricatureish archetypes.
Then you can add nuance as you go along,* but the archetype remains as the fall back.

* Easy way to add depth is demeanour/nature that was used in many White Wolf games. Your "public persona," how you present yourself and want to be perceived, versus your true self, which you might wish keep hidden but which occasionally slips though.

(I also do not remember what this thread is actually about, as it is months old but someone revived it, so if I'm repeating myself or my comments seem like non sequiturs, that's why.)

 

[dragoner]

Thankfully I don't see much of that.

If that is common, I'd advice to build character personalities around clear and even somewhat caricatureish archetypes.
Then you can add nuance as you go along,* but the archetype remains as the fall back.

* Easy way to add depth is demeanour/nature that was used in many White Wolf games. Your "public persona," how you present yourself and want to be perceived, versus your true self, which you might wish keep hidden but which occasionally slips though.

(I also do not remember what this thread is actually about, as it is months old but someone revived it, so if I'm repeating myself or my comments seem like non sequiturs, that's why.)

Still a lot of that will be a variation on yourself, after forty plus years of RPG's I just accept people will be like that. It is predictable at least; I think there could be some great actor, able to do completely different characters, though even in Hollywood, one sees a lot of actors just playing a variation on themselves.

 

[Thomas Shey]

We are also naturally lazy enough so that in campaigns, some I have been in have lasted for 5 years, the fall back position is to play what you know, which is yourself.

Like I said, its a position, but I'm not convinced it applies to even the majority of people. They may be playing broad stereotypes in many cases, but they're actively not playing themselves, and the difference in decision-making between two characters they play shows it.

Don't get me wrong, some people have kind of standard things they play, and those may, indeed contain a lot of themselves; but as a constant thing I'm not sold it describes most people, let alone everyone.

 

[dragoner]

Like I said, its a position, but I'm not convinced it applies to even the majority of people. They may be playing broad stereotypes in many cases, but they're actively not playing themselves, and the difference in decision-making between two characters they play shows it.

Don't get me wrong, some people have kind of standard things they play, and those may, indeed contain a lot of themselves; but as a constant thing I'm not sold it describes most people, let alone everyone.

Its not an indictment, just an observation, I'm not judgemental about other people's way of playing. Most are not some great thespian, I'm not.