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Ever wondered why some people act really wierd sometimes and treat their character as if it's an actual person? Chances are that that person was doing something called "roleplaying." Roleplaying can be a very fun and exciting time for everyone involved. Be warned: Roleplaying is NOT for everyone. Let me repeat that: Roleplaying is NOT for everyone. Some people could care less about it. Others play the game -just- to roleplay. Others are neutral on the topic and don't mind it nor wish to participate in it. Here's a guide for those that are actually interested in the concept of roleplaying. These are NOT rules. Many roleplayers go outside of these suggestions and still manage to do a very good job at roleplaying. These are just simple suggestions.
What is roleplaying? Roleplaying can be defined as immersing one's character into the world of Vana'diel (or whatever other world you're roleplaying in >.>). This means you actually -be- your character. This usually involves creating a personality and history for that character and then applying that into the game when you interact with others.
Names: Naming your character is a very important aspect to roleplaying. Roleplayers take what they do seriously. This means that they tend to avoid names such as "Iamgod," "Dumbguy," or any other similar phrase names. I mean...would you -really- name your children anything like that? Other names to avoid would be movie character names such as "TheTerminator." Names from other video games and movies are kind of best left alone at times as well. We all know the famous "Sephiroth" (and the million other variations) is a common name and has become more of an annoyance than anything.
Choosing a good name only takes a bit of creativity. Mithra usually have a short first name and a 'strange' last name, such as Kuu Mohzolhi. Elvaan tend to have a royal sounding name, such as Excenmille. Tarutaru usually have two-part names. Koru-Moru is an example. Other examples include the last syllables being repeated, such as Shantotto. Galka usually have two different names. They have their 'true name,' such as Zeid or Detzo, and they have the names that the humes give them, such as Black Mud or Invincible Shield. Humes are the easiest to name. Names can range from common names that you see in real life (ie. Tom or Kelly) to more complex names. There aren't really any "rules" to creating a hume name. You can easily come up with an entirely different name that doesn't go with the guidelines as well. Perhaps your taru has a hume type name because it was raised in Bastok. There are endless possibilities in the realm of roleplaying.
Background: It's not necessarily mandatory for a roleplayer to create a history for their character. It's highly recommended though. It's best to be prepared if someone asks you where you grew up or any other questions about your character's past. A person's history heavily defines who they are. Perhaps your hume female was abused by her father during her childhood. Maybe you were a galka who grew up in San d'Oria and had to deal with racist comments from the elvaan. There are millions of possible background stories. The better you develop one, the better others will be able to relate to your character. Parents, siblings, childhood friends, mentors; all important to a person's past. Be sure to add some past experiences with each of them if they apply to you.
Personality: Once you have a name and background, you need to figure out what you want your character to be like. Is he a selfish elvaan who only cares about becoming more powerful? Is it a loving taru who can't seem to ever stop hugging people? Your character's personality is usually quite dependent on that character's past. Once again, the possibilities are endless. Here are some, but not by any means all, personality traits:
Brave, mean, kind, jealous, sarcastic, shy, outgoing, fanatical, lazy, overconfident, self-absorbed, reckless, artistic, intelligent, greedy, clueless, funny, curious, sensitive, needy, manipulative, playful, aggressive. (There are a ton of examples, so don't think this is everything. It's wise to choose more than just one trait as well.)
Make sure you have some flaws in your character's personality. It's no fun to roleplay with someone who's "perfect." Maybe add a phobia or odd traits. Perhaps your mithra meows a lot. Or maybe your taru has a severe fear of heights and refuses to ride airships. Again, endless possibilities.
Knowledge is power: It's not wise to roleplay without -some- knowledge about the world you live in. The actual game manual itself is a great source for this. The Vana'diel Tribune is another great source. (Notice the Tribune is always IN CHARACTER ^^). Another great way to find out more about Vana'diel is to simply talk to NPC's around towns.
Emotes: Everyone is familiar with the emotes of the game. Roleplayers take emoting a step further though. Emotes are used to express some form of action. This can include laughing, poking, grinning, etc. The game has several built in emotes, but that doesn't limit anyone to what can be done using this feature. You can easily create your own emotes using /em <insert text here>
Here are some examples: /em looks up at the stars.
Everyone nearby will see the following:
Charactername looks up at the stars.
Your name is automatically attached to the front of the sentence. This is the method roleplayers use to go about actions. Sometimes words just aren't enough^^.
Another example: /em sits near the beach and closes her eyes.
Everyone will see the following:
Charactername sits near the beach and closes her eyes.
There is such a thing as bad emotes. Emotes are supposed to be actions, not thoughts. For example: /em thinks the mithra is hot
OR /em wants to hug the taru.
These are bad examples of emotes. In roleplaying, nobody can read minds (unless that's some part of your character development). A good rule of thumb is to never have the words "think" or "want" (or anything similar to those words) in an emote when roleplaying.
On the same topic of emotes...emoting over the linkshell is sometimes frowned upon by roleplayers (not always though. Some roleplay communities allow it to certain extents.) Linkshells in the roleplay realm are similar to telephones. Can you slap someone over a telephone? A lot of roleplayers make it possible to -see- the people in the linkshell. This means emoting smiles, gestures, and other facial expressions over the linkshell chat is usually okay. On a similar note, some roleplayers stray away from roleplaying through tells or party chat. This usually depends on the individual's preferences.
Emotes are a great way to perform some kind of action. Just don't go overboard and use nothing but emotes (unless your character is mute >.>). Conversation is a key aspect in roleplaying as well.
Grammar: Nobody is perfect when it comes to spelling and grammar. We all make mistakes. However, roleplayers should at least make an -attempt- to ensure that their sentences and words are grammatically correct. The better your grammar and spelling is, the more serious your character will be taken. Let's look at an example.
Bob: oh my gorsh that gooblin almstkillied mee
Not a good example of roleplaying. Let's look at a better one.
Bob: Oh my gosh! That goblin almost killed me!
Which one would you take more seriously? We all make typos every now and then. However, a simple attempt at making sentences grammatically correct can go a long way and make you look like a better person overall.
NPC's: Using NPC's in your character's storyline can be a great help in developing your character. Here are some general guidelines that one should follow before doing this though.
1. Avoid making NPC's the main focus of your character plot You -never- know what Square Enix has planned for their storyline. New things are always happening with the game storyline. Let's say you make an NPC a very important part of your story. He's so important that you wouldn't have a plot without him. You go on a quest and this important NPC ends up dying. Now what? Your story has just reached a dead end. It's always wise to keep a back up plan to prepare for something like this.
2. If you don't know much about an NPC, don't use them!. Square Enix created each NPC with different personality traits. If you're a rank 2 Bastokan, it would be best that you leave someone like Cid out of your storyline completely. If you're rank 10, you may be able to put him into your plot somehow since you know so much about him now (only if you know what you're doing though). Let's say you choose an NPC to be the main villain of your story. This villain kills people in cold blood without remorse, steals candy from baby tarus, and tortures everyone he come across with constant verbal insults that would make anyone want to curl up and die. You make this guy out to be a follower of Promathia. There's nobody on Vana'diel more evil than this guy. Then you complete a quest and see a cutscene where this "evil" guy sacrifices his life to save a young mithra he doesn't even know. Everything you painted him out to be completely contradicts the personality Square Enix gave him. So now you'll be stuck in quite the bind.
3. Make up your own NPC's. This is by far the -best- method to go about using NPC's. You want to make President Karst your main villain? That may not be wise since he's such an important figure in FFXI. You never know what SE will do with his character. Instead, how about making up an NPC similar to Karst? Perhaps a Bastokan ambassador or something. Give him all the same personality traits if you want. Keep in mind that we also have NPC buddies now^^
4. Unless you know what you're doing, avoid using gods in your storyline. Gods in Vana'diel are no different than gods in reality. They're mysterious and there's no telling if all of them even exist. The best way to use a god in your storyline is to once again make up your own! Why use Promathia when you can just as easily make up another evil god that you worship? There aren't that many limitations in the roleplaying world. Feel free to have your character be a worshipper of either Altana or Promathia. Just don't use them -directly- in your story (As in claiming to be an incarnation of Altana or something).
When not to roleplay: Sometimes it's just better to not roleplay in certain situations.
1. Parties: Roleplaying in parties can be difficult, especially with random invite parties. Everyone is trying to focus on making sure everyone stays alive. The slightest distraction could cause trouble. If the party is roleplaying, then by all means go with it. Be warned that there are hundreds of players out there not interested in roleplaying at all. Some simply enjoy Rated R emotes for humor, harassment, etc. The only time you'll find yourself roleplaying in a party is probably when it's with other roleplayers (and maybe not even then).
2. Quests and missions: Sometimes it's difficult to roleplay while trying to do a big quest or mission. This usually works out better if you're in a group with other roleplayers (and even then it's not always easy). Try to keep your main focus on what you're trying to accomplish. You could always roleplay after the event is completed.
3. Real life: Real life should ALWAYS take priority over roleplay. If there's a family crisis, work, school, etc, it all needs to be put first. A person's health and sanity are far more important than roleplaying in Vana'diel. Also, it's not wise to spend 100% of your time roleplaying. Sure, you may find it fun. But it's really healthy to just take a break every now and then and get to know people on an out of character level as well.
IC (in character) and OOC (out of character) terminology: Some terms don't work well in roleplay situations. Here are just a few. There's a ton more than this but these are the most common.
1. Death: Death is final. If you die, you're not coming back. Next time something "kills" you, take a look at the upper left hand of the screen. The game calls it "KO."
OOC: That goblin just killed me.
IC: That goblin just knocked me unconscious. (Although if you're unconscious, you shouldn't be talking >.>)
2. Levels: Different roleplayers go about this term in different ways. Some just stick with the term "level." Others use "seasons" or "trainings." There's probably other words to use as well.
OOC: DING! I just leveled up!
IC: I just reached my 40th training as black mage.
3. Home point (After being KOed): This one is tricky. Roleplayers are still trying to figure out how to go about this the right way to this day.
OOC: I just went to my home point.
IC: Good thing my comrades found me and got me safely to the outpost.
IC: Altana gave me a second chance.
4. Logging off: When you're logging off, the best way to say "goodbye" to the roleplay shell is to simply say "Goodnight" or "I'm taking a nap." DO NOT say something like "The Netherworld is calling me." People who do this don't know how to roleplay. They refer to the "Netherworld" as real life, but it makes no sense at all to use that term. Also don't say "I'm logging off now." When roleplaying, there is no such thing as "logging off."
These are by no means all of the IC/OOC terms. These are just the most common.
Closing: Roleplaying adds an entirely new aspect to the game. Some people spend all their time roleplaying and end up being stuck at the same level for months. Expect to get odd reactions from some people if you're roleplaying out in the middle of Jeuno or something. It's very obvious that roleplayers are a minority. Don't lose hope though. There are several communities on different servers that come together just to roleplay and have a blast doing it. Once again, these are not rules. Some roleplay linkshells may make some of these guidelines into rules, but most don't.
Here's a somewhat new roleplay community if anyone is interested: Ethereal There are plenty of other roleplay linkshells on other servers as well (though I'd be stupid to give free advertisement for other communities in my own post
)
This guide has been created with help from several different roleplay communities. Thank you all for your many contributions^^.
What is roleplaying? Roleplaying can be defined as immersing one's character into the world of Vana'diel (or whatever other world you're roleplaying in >.>). This means you actually -be- your character. This usually involves creating a personality and history for that character and then applying that into the game when you interact with others.
Names: Naming your character is a very important aspect to roleplaying. Roleplayers take what they do seriously. This means that they tend to avoid names such as "Iamgod," "Dumbguy," or any other similar phrase names. I mean...would you -really- name your children anything like that? Other names to avoid would be movie character names such as "TheTerminator." Names from other video games and movies are kind of best left alone at times as well. We all know the famous "Sephiroth" (and the million other variations) is a common name and has become more of an annoyance than anything.
Choosing a good name only takes a bit of creativity. Mithra usually have a short first name and a 'strange' last name, such as Kuu Mohzolhi. Elvaan tend to have a royal sounding name, such as Excenmille. Tarutaru usually have two-part names. Koru-Moru is an example. Other examples include the last syllables being repeated, such as Shantotto. Galka usually have two different names. They have their 'true name,' such as Zeid or Detzo, and they have the names that the humes give them, such as Black Mud or Invincible Shield. Humes are the easiest to name. Names can range from common names that you see in real life (ie. Tom or Kelly) to more complex names. There aren't really any "rules" to creating a hume name. You can easily come up with an entirely different name that doesn't go with the guidelines as well. Perhaps your taru has a hume type name because it was raised in Bastok. There are endless possibilities in the realm of roleplaying.
Background: It's not necessarily mandatory for a roleplayer to create a history for their character. It's highly recommended though. It's best to be prepared if someone asks you where you grew up or any other questions about your character's past. A person's history heavily defines who they are. Perhaps your hume female was abused by her father during her childhood. Maybe you were a galka who grew up in San d'Oria and had to deal with racist comments from the elvaan. There are millions of possible background stories. The better you develop one, the better others will be able to relate to your character. Parents, siblings, childhood friends, mentors; all important to a person's past. Be sure to add some past experiences with each of them if they apply to you.
Personality: Once you have a name and background, you need to figure out what you want your character to be like. Is he a selfish elvaan who only cares about becoming more powerful? Is it a loving taru who can't seem to ever stop hugging people? Your character's personality is usually quite dependent on that character's past. Once again, the possibilities are endless. Here are some, but not by any means all, personality traits:
Brave, mean, kind, jealous, sarcastic, shy, outgoing, fanatical, lazy, overconfident, self-absorbed, reckless, artistic, intelligent, greedy, clueless, funny, curious, sensitive, needy, manipulative, playful, aggressive. (There are a ton of examples, so don't think this is everything. It's wise to choose more than just one trait as well.)
Make sure you have some flaws in your character's personality. It's no fun to roleplay with someone who's "perfect." Maybe add a phobia or odd traits. Perhaps your mithra meows a lot. Or maybe your taru has a severe fear of heights and refuses to ride airships. Again, endless possibilities.
Knowledge is power: It's not wise to roleplay without -some- knowledge about the world you live in. The actual game manual itself is a great source for this. The Vana'diel Tribune is another great source. (Notice the Tribune is always IN CHARACTER ^^). Another great way to find out more about Vana'diel is to simply talk to NPC's around towns.
Emotes: Everyone is familiar with the emotes of the game. Roleplayers take emoting a step further though. Emotes are used to express some form of action. This can include laughing, poking, grinning, etc. The game has several built in emotes, but that doesn't limit anyone to what can be done using this feature. You can easily create your own emotes using /em <insert text here>
Here are some examples: /em looks up at the stars.
Everyone nearby will see the following:
Charactername looks up at the stars.
Your name is automatically attached to the front of the sentence. This is the method roleplayers use to go about actions. Sometimes words just aren't enough^^.
Another example: /em sits near the beach and closes her eyes.
Everyone will see the following:
Charactername sits near the beach and closes her eyes.
There is such a thing as bad emotes. Emotes are supposed to be actions, not thoughts. For example: /em thinks the mithra is hot
OR /em wants to hug the taru.
These are bad examples of emotes. In roleplaying, nobody can read minds (unless that's some part of your character development). A good rule of thumb is to never have the words "think" or "want" (or anything similar to those words) in an emote when roleplaying.
On the same topic of emotes...emoting over the linkshell is sometimes frowned upon by roleplayers (not always though. Some roleplay communities allow it to certain extents.) Linkshells in the roleplay realm are similar to telephones. Can you slap someone over a telephone? A lot of roleplayers make it possible to -see- the people in the linkshell. This means emoting smiles, gestures, and other facial expressions over the linkshell chat is usually okay. On a similar note, some roleplayers stray away from roleplaying through tells or party chat. This usually depends on the individual's preferences.
Emotes are a great way to perform some kind of action. Just don't go overboard and use nothing but emotes (unless your character is mute >.>). Conversation is a key aspect in roleplaying as well.
Grammar: Nobody is perfect when it comes to spelling and grammar. We all make mistakes. However, roleplayers should at least make an -attempt- to ensure that their sentences and words are grammatically correct. The better your grammar and spelling is, the more serious your character will be taken. Let's look at an example.
Bob: oh my gorsh that gooblin almstkillied mee
Not a good example of roleplaying. Let's look at a better one.
Bob: Oh my gosh! That goblin almost killed me!
Which one would you take more seriously? We all make typos every now and then. However, a simple attempt at making sentences grammatically correct can go a long way and make you look like a better person overall.
NPC's: Using NPC's in your character's storyline can be a great help in developing your character. Here are some general guidelines that one should follow before doing this though.
1. Avoid making NPC's the main focus of your character plot You -never- know what Square Enix has planned for their storyline. New things are always happening with the game storyline. Let's say you make an NPC a very important part of your story. He's so important that you wouldn't have a plot without him. You go on a quest and this important NPC ends up dying. Now what? Your story has just reached a dead end. It's always wise to keep a back up plan to prepare for something like this.
2. If you don't know much about an NPC, don't use them!. Square Enix created each NPC with different personality traits. If you're a rank 2 Bastokan, it would be best that you leave someone like Cid out of your storyline completely. If you're rank 10, you may be able to put him into your plot somehow since you know so much about him now (only if you know what you're doing though). Let's say you choose an NPC to be the main villain of your story. This villain kills people in cold blood without remorse, steals candy from baby tarus, and tortures everyone he come across with constant verbal insults that would make anyone want to curl up and die. You make this guy out to be a follower of Promathia. There's nobody on Vana'diel more evil than this guy. Then you complete a quest and see a cutscene where this "evil" guy sacrifices his life to save a young mithra he doesn't even know. Everything you painted him out to be completely contradicts the personality Square Enix gave him. So now you'll be stuck in quite the bind.
3. Make up your own NPC's. This is by far the -best- method to go about using NPC's. You want to make President Karst your main villain? That may not be wise since he's such an important figure in FFXI. You never know what SE will do with his character. Instead, how about making up an NPC similar to Karst? Perhaps a Bastokan ambassador or something. Give him all the same personality traits if you want. Keep in mind that we also have NPC buddies now^^
4. Unless you know what you're doing, avoid using gods in your storyline. Gods in Vana'diel are no different than gods in reality. They're mysterious and there's no telling if all of them even exist. The best way to use a god in your storyline is to once again make up your own! Why use Promathia when you can just as easily make up another evil god that you worship? There aren't that many limitations in the roleplaying world. Feel free to have your character be a worshipper of either Altana or Promathia. Just don't use them -directly- in your story (As in claiming to be an incarnation of Altana or something).
When not to roleplay: Sometimes it's just better to not roleplay in certain situations.
1. Parties: Roleplaying in parties can be difficult, especially with random invite parties. Everyone is trying to focus on making sure everyone stays alive. The slightest distraction could cause trouble. If the party is roleplaying, then by all means go with it. Be warned that there are hundreds of players out there not interested in roleplaying at all. Some simply enjoy Rated R emotes for humor, harassment, etc. The only time you'll find yourself roleplaying in a party is probably when it's with other roleplayers (and maybe not even then).
2. Quests and missions: Sometimes it's difficult to roleplay while trying to do a big quest or mission. This usually works out better if you're in a group with other roleplayers (and even then it's not always easy). Try to keep your main focus on what you're trying to accomplish. You could always roleplay after the event is completed.
3. Real life: Real life should ALWAYS take priority over roleplay. If there's a family crisis, work, school, etc, it all needs to be put first. A person's health and sanity are far more important than roleplaying in Vana'diel. Also, it's not wise to spend 100% of your time roleplaying. Sure, you may find it fun. But it's really healthy to just take a break every now and then and get to know people on an out of character level as well.
IC (in character) and OOC (out of character) terminology: Some terms don't work well in roleplay situations. Here are just a few. There's a ton more than this but these are the most common.
1. Death: Death is final. If you die, you're not coming back. Next time something "kills" you, take a look at the upper left hand of the screen. The game calls it "KO."
OOC: That goblin just killed me.
IC: That goblin just knocked me unconscious. (Although if you're unconscious, you shouldn't be talking >.>)
2. Levels: Different roleplayers go about this term in different ways. Some just stick with the term "level." Others use "seasons" or "trainings." There's probably other words to use as well.
OOC: DING! I just leveled up!
IC: I just reached my 40th training as black mage.
3. Home point (After being KOed): This one is tricky. Roleplayers are still trying to figure out how to go about this the right way to this day.
OOC: I just went to my home point.
IC: Good thing my comrades found me and got me safely to the outpost.
IC: Altana gave me a second chance.
4. Logging off: When you're logging off, the best way to say "goodbye" to the roleplay shell is to simply say "Goodnight" or "I'm taking a nap." DO NOT say something like "The Netherworld is calling me." People who do this don't know how to roleplay. They refer to the "Netherworld" as real life, but it makes no sense at all to use that term. Also don't say "I'm logging off now." When roleplaying, there is no such thing as "logging off."
These are by no means all of the IC/OOC terms. These are just the most common.
Closing: Roleplaying adds an entirely new aspect to the game. Some people spend all their time roleplaying and end up being stuck at the same level for months. Expect to get odd reactions from some people if you're roleplaying out in the middle of Jeuno or something. It's very obvious that roleplayers are a minority. Don't lose hope though. There are several communities on different servers that come together just to roleplay and have a blast doing it. Once again, these are not rules. Some roleplay linkshells may make some of these guidelines into rules, but most don't.
Here's a somewhat new roleplay community if anyone is interested: Ethereal There are plenty of other roleplay linkshells on other servers as well (though I'd be stupid to give free advertisement for other communities in my own post
) This guide has been created with help from several different roleplay communities. Thank you all for your many contributions^^.
