Your defination of "roleplaying"

[Baka]

I notice a lot of people getting upset at one another for not adhering to their definition of roleplay. I know the community was asked this many of times, be it past conversations or even your whitelist applications, but I think it's time to ask again because I am genuinely curious of what you all think of as roleplay.

What is good roleplay?

What is heavy roleplay?

If you were giving a new player advice on how to roleplay, what would it be?

I'm interested in what you have to say.

--

My thoughts. Note, none of what I say is reflected on how other staff members feel, that these are my own musings and opinions.

I define roleplaying in SS13 not as a scripted storytelling as I've seen some roleplays go, but an impromptu improv with an personalized avatar. That in itself makes it a bit more unique as the usual chatroom roleplay relies heavily on the imagination of characters unless there was a portrait done. Some may see the pixels as lazy character design, as there's only so much that can be customized within a 32x32 format, but if anyone remembers the ye olden days of SS13 spritework:

 

 

I say where we are heading is a damn well improvement.

Which moves on to what is heavy roleplaying and good roleplaying. Let's take a look at the words "Heavy Roleplay". I've seen people define it as many things, but from what I've seen, the most agreed upon definition is roleplaying a character more seriously and keeping in character 100% of the time, not breaking out of roleplay unless for a good reason. This presents a problem as some players just want to play the game but expect people to stay in character constantly. Things such as tabling one another, whispering memes, forming a mass of one people on a single tile and the like are frowned upon in this definition of Heavy Roleplay. Stepping outside as an admin for a moment, I want to express that I don't really want to shit on anyone's day. People play this game for fun. And from what I've seen, those who most criticize people for not doing 'heavy roleplay' still do these things anyway.

For what is good roleplay, good roleplay is extremely subjective. Good roleplay to me be different from good roleplay that, hell I dunno, TheIguanaman2 likes. Sometimes you get the people that thinks a certain player isn't roleplaying well which is sometimes true but often times comes with the feeling that the player is godmodding how things should have went down.

And for advice...the most important thing about roleplaying is to have fun. And if you're not having fun, step back and evaluate why. This may be a roleplaying server, but it's also a game too.

Also another advice, it does your mind well to take breaks. If your mad or stressed out, it's okay to step back and take a break.

[Frances]

For me, roleplaying is simply what most people can agree on, and what makes the most people happy.

I had a discussion about chucklefucking with Tenenza a while ago. We pretty much concluded that chucklefucking wasn't bad, or good. I know there's a few people that hate chucklefucking and OOC jokes, but most people don't care or seem to think the game would get boring without some occasional humor. At the same time, when it happens too much or too often, it starts being more detrimental than good for the game.

Everything in moderation. It's hard to give a clear explanation of what "good roleplay" is because good roleplay is a little bit of everything.

[Guest Menown]

My style of roleplay falls into a standard of 'realistic roleplay' due to when playing this I try to enforce my own standard of "hey this is a workplace why aren't you people working don't you know you're paid to be here WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING GET OUTTA HERE"

So, I basically just try to handle every round as a normal day of work. My character performs his duties, trying to maintain a standard of how I imagine a corporation would want them. Keeping people working, doing what he can to keep assets intact (not killing slimes, keeping the drones safe until Icarus can rein them in, ect). I try to give him a realistic backstory, and goals for his future, such as Lyar's desire to afford a pair specialty footwear because sandals be uncomfortable as fuck, while giving him faults of his own.

As a heavy roleplay server, I believe we've fallen into a medium RP with a ruleset. We're medium with what we tolerate, while a realistic RP set would fall us under Hypatia's always extended normal workday formula. I'm not sure if either is better, all I know is when it comes down to it, I just want to play a fucking catbeast.

[Lady_of_Ravens]

If I were to have to sum it up conscisely and on the spot, I'd say good RP is portraying a character in a manner which is both contextually appropriate (aka realistic, though what that means in 2d spess makes that word seem somewhat of a stretch) and, because this is a community game, conducive to other people engaging in good and enjoyable RP.

As for chucklefucking... it's something people do. For some characters pulling stupid pranks and such is good RP. The problem arises when it's taken to a level/direction no longer thematically appropriate and becomes a case of the player fucking around rather than the character.

[Baka]

I added my piece.

I must also say it's absolutely difficult to maintain a server with a rotating population. Fuck, I don't even know a quarter of the regular's story arcs. Imagine trying to make sure 40+ people are roleplaying correctly.

[Conservatron]

as many know, I am a 'fun at all costs' player

that being said, a lot of time I find it fun to do my job and do it well, but sometimes I just want to go play solitaire on the station alert computer while the CE is in a meeting and sneak a nip of alcohol when nobody is looking.

In short, I try to be realistic in motivations and play while dipping my toes into the absurd. Lets be honest, this is a game, and we all play it to enjoy ourselves. I'm far from a 'have to win' player, in fact I am fairly actively unrobust by virtue of me allowing myself to get into situations where I can be easily robusted (oh what? something really neat in maint and I don't need my radio? ok lead the way!) and I TRY to actively influence the rounds of other people to make it more enjoyable. I sometimes fail and may go too far occasionally, but that's my thing.

If I had to give advice, make a backstory, and play the backstory. What you do in game doesn't really matter as long as its honest with your character and realistic in the setting.

[Jboy2000000]

I think the best roleplay comes from character-to-character interaction. Its natural, easy, and fun. Just work and talk with your coworkers like its real life, which is easy, because you life in real life. Thats also where my opinions of antags come from. Interaction is cool and fun. Talking to or being a wizard or being a wizard does mix things up a bit, but still just as easy. However, this is also why I think antags hinder roleplay. How many times has your work place been invaded by cultists with magical powers, gun totting madmen, or terrorist squads? Chances are very slim. So adding antags makes it harder to react in a believable way, because you've probably never had to deal with these things before. Plus, even if you're having fun playing and conversing, eventually something an antag does will butt in, even if you're not directly involved. Even if you do get the roleplay both ways, it does take you, or me should I say, because its my opinion, out the roleplaying set you're most comfortable, and have the most fun with.

[Frances]

I think the best roleplay comes from character-to-character interaction. Its natural, easy, and fun. Just work and talk with your coworkers like its real life, which is easy, because you life in real life. Thats also where my opinions of antags come from. Interaction is cool and fun. Talking to or being a wizard or being a wizard does mix things up a bit, but still just as easy. However, this is also why I think antags hinder roleplay. How many times has your work place been invaded by cultists with magical powers, gun totting madmen, or terrorist squads? Chances are very slim. So adding antags makes it harder to react in a believable way, because you've probably never had to deal with these things before. Plus, even if you're having fun playing and conversing, eventually something an antag does will butt in, even if you're not directly involved. Even if you do get the roleplay both ways, it does take you, or me should I say, because its my opinion, out the roleplaying set you're most comfortable, and have the most fun with.

I'm not here to dismiss your point. Or even disagree. Don't get me wrong. But just for the sake of contrast, consider the amount of people who play DnD. Now, compare them to the amount of people who roleplay realistic work environments. We're in a bit of a niche here, and this niche is made possible in part because we have all these wacky happenings to keep people interested and motivated. For most people, I'd argue the fun is really in the contrast. You get a bit of both realism and fantasy.

Besides, in the end, we're all roleplaying jobs that we don't have, as characters we aren't, some 400 years into the future. We're constantly pushing our boundaries as it is, so I only see tossing in mad, gun-toting cosmonauts as an extra challenge.

[Guest]

This might sound arrogant, but I think the definition of Roleplay is unversal.

I think roleplay is simply putting yourself into shoes of another person, being someone else. Good roleplaying is therefore keeping to the rules of what your character would realistically do. It follows that good roleplay is when everyone conforms to these rules and immursion isn't broken. It's simple and it's something that actual actors conform to. It's why we label RL actors who are incapable of distancing themselves or playing different roles as bad actors. They are, in extension, bad roleplayers.

However, there is good roleplaying, then there is fun roleplaying. The two are not the same.

Personally, I find fun in creative situations, where people don't meta and force me to meta as well. Good roleplay where outside effects, such as metors, accidents or terrorists, help make magic.

[Guest]

As for what I think good roleplaying is. Christ, that's subjective. It depends a lot on the roleplaying group, community, game, and the tone. Whether you're fucking around as space Slavs with some friends on skype in an only war campaign. Trying not to get uncomfortable as a very hefty neckbeard hit on your qt3.14 elf grill from across the table.

In the case of SS13, it's a mixed bag. Aurora too, is an interesting place and context. Because of hands off administration behaviour when it comes to IC issues, heads of staff and antagonists occupy a shared DM role. With heads of staff responsible for their own parties of players. And antagonists responsible for providing an unconventional story and/or conflict arc.

Humoring the GMs and going along with their policies, ideas, pitches, and stories is part of what makes roleplaying fun. Because the GM's supposedly there to create and facilitate roleplaying beyond the normal, interpersonal shit.

Most if not all antagonists and heads of staff seem like they'd rather be playing SS13, the antagonist massacre version. Whether it's lining the newcops up and shoving laser rifles down their throats, or huffing glue while bombing the station into crispy bits.

There's no interest in a narrative or story. It's just "working" the game mode. And maybe having forced conversation in between.

Now I'm rambling, my bad.

[Killerhurtz]

oh my god that screenshot gives me mad nostalgia. Anyone remembers when you could make 90000 temp bombs because there wasn't pressure code OR a limit to the heater so you could just leave it for an hour an a half?

Anyhow, for me, roleplaying is defined as "given a situation, you have a role. Play it."

Good roleplay is adhering to that - you make your own character, sure, but that's worldbuilding technically. Roleplaying well is STICKING to that character. Got a neurotic security officer? Don't make it happy-go-lucky AND extremely robust.

[Frances]

Most if not all antagonists and heads of staff seem like they'd rather be playing SS13, the antagonist massacre version. Whether it's lining the newcops up and shoving laser rifles down their throats, or huffing glue while bombing the station into crispy bits.

There's no interest in a narrative or story. It's just "working" the game mode. And maybe having forced conversation in between.

"Playfulness" is key. I see a lot of people just working along, doing their own thing. And while I'm sure most of these people have their own amazing stories and richly developed characters, they seldom do anything to enable others to let their own characters shine.

Playing along is important. You need to give others opportunities to create their stories, not just expect others to do the same for you (as they rarely will, and when you do find people that actually set up situations for you, cherish and treasure them!)

[Guest]

To clarify a bit, what I mean by "working" the game mode, is pushing what you're capable of doing on either side of the conflict to the maximum. Making the most intuitive leaps you possibly can to justify killing an antagonist or ending the round. Or vice versa, gassing the crew, or rounding up sex slaves after chunking the key portions of the station.

That's why antagonists who trick the crew into thinking it's a different game mode have such an easy time. Because there isn't any focus on either side in creating drama or convincing narratives. It's just about shutting the opposing force down so you can chucklefuck over each other's corpses and play out some shitty, forced RP.

[hivefleetchicken]

A system in which every character is "the most wacky steriotypical blue haired overweight furious fact free terrible lesbian" as Milo Yiannopoulos once put it.

[TechnoKat]

A system in which every character is "the most wacky steriotypical blue haired overweight furious fact free terrible lesbian" as Milo Yiannopoulos once put it.

this.

[Carver]

Take a role, character idea, stereotype, or whatever you feel like. Mold your mind around that character's mind so you can get IMMERSED (No matter how silly your character might be). Have fun.

If it begins to fuck with your head go take a break and get drunk or play some other video games.

[swat43]

you know.. The longer i stay at this community, the less i start to feel any glimpse of any normal roleplay by every time i join, even if i take huge amount of time outs from the server. It's like, people are now getting diverted into smaller groups of people, isolate them selves into those groups and have their own roleplay fandom, and then come back and see TONS of stereotypical bullsh*t, that not only some what starts to offend me, but also makes me question the said people who make them this. "Why the f*ck then you are here to judge other people? I was also one of the victims WHO WAS JUDGED by the way I MADE MY CHARACTER and the way i ROLEPLAY as (Her mostly.. since only one main character), and you know what? I listened, i didnt argued and i just remade my character, because i would feel more worse if i just say the wrong thing and then have tons of spears of 'internet justice' pierce me and i will just be left, as if i am there, but as a phantom and nothing more.

Okay.. starting to drift away from the topic.. back on track.. I dont feel the impact of the roleplay any longer towards me or to anyone else. Maybe because i am getting worned out by the roleplay itself? Possibly. Or is it that, most people are getting a bit more unfriendly and starting to wait for the perfect moment for the other party to make a wrong move and then strike them with the complaints as to how they breath the wrong way they didnt liked.

Roleplay to me on this server was everything. It showed that some one cared to do the funny me's or when having a nice logical conversation even if it's just two people by them selves. To me roleplaying, i am always trying to put myself as my character ingame. I try to act like i am in real world into the game, adding more fear, experimenting, tweaking, limiting myself so that either the other party antagonist/nonantagonist have a pleasent response for both me and the other party.

Bah.. i dont even think i know what the hell i am babling about. Guess i'd better calm down and get some tea. Cheers mates!

[TechnoKat]

you know.. The longer i stay at this community, the less i start to feel any glimpse of any normal roleplay by every time i join, even if i take huge amount of time outs from the server.

 

how about start playing less in command staff and stop validhunting, that'll bring you "lots of normal arpee"

[swat43]

you know.. The longer i stay at this community, the less i start to feel any glimpse of any normal roleplay by every time i join, even if i take huge amount of time outs from the server.

 

how about start playing less in command staff and stop validhunting, that'll bring you "lots of normal arpee"

 

Okay.. Techno, i will be reall honest with you, and i dont think if you havent noticed, but as of late.. You've become salty. That's it. I don't care why all the hate towards me, but you should also pipe down. Hell, if you're going to point fingers to my flaws, well before you judge ME, take a good look at yourself in the mirror or ask around the other people about your attitude towards others,couse if you're going to ask me, our arguments will go around in circles untill some one else tells you how wrong you are about yourself. I can live with sh*ttalks behind my back, but constantly doing this on forums and bringing unnecesary comments like me validhunting now AFTER i recieved my official warning one time not as a head staff, but as a science staff, that's when i piped down, and realised what i've done wrong. I learn from my mistakes fast, and i atleast don't b*tch about it over Forums or OOC in-game where i am supposed to enjoy myself and roleplay with others.

I do not wish to ruin this thread with ranting, so really suggest you take a chill pill and think about the things i wrote here down. I am here to enjoy this entire communitys spirit and the joy we can all bring to each other.

[TechnoKat]

you know.. The longer i stay at this community, the less i start to feel any glimpse of any normal roleplay by every time i join, even if i take huge amount of time outs from the server.

 

how about start playing less in command staff and stop validhunting, that'll bring you "lots of normal arpee"

 

Okay.. Techno, i will be reall honest with you, and i dont think if you havent noticed, but as of late.. You've become salty. That's it. I don't care why all the hate towards me, but you should also pipe down. Hell, if you're going to point fingers to my flaws, well before you judge ME, take a good look at yourself in the mirror or ask around the other people about your attitude towards others,couse if you're going to ask me, our arguments will go around in circles untill some one else tells you how wrong you are about yourself. I can live with sh*ttalks behind my back, but constantly doing this on forums and bringing unnecesary comments like me validhunting now AFTER i recieved my official warning one time not as a head staff, but as a science staff, that's when i piped down, and realised what i've done wrong. I learn from my mistakes fast, and i atleast don't b*tch about it over Forums or OOC in-game where i am supposed to enjoy myself and roleplay with others.

I do not wish to ruin this thread with ranting, so really suggest you take a chill pill and think about the things i wrote here down. I am here to enjoy this entire communitys spirit and the joy we can all bring to each other.

 

bah, the irony. I'd love to see that "official" warning about you validhunting, since you keep doing it all the fucking time unless abendroth joins as nia snyder so you can snuggle and huggle in RD's office/RnD lab. you also bitched about how there is 0 normal rp, i gave you an answer on how to start looking for it, you get ranty and start bursting how innocent you are after i put your character in.

but yeah, all said, let's continue with thread, ahem.

pardon for intrusion.

[hivefleetchicken]

no offense to any parties involved but can i do a small spoiler tangent in which I ask why people find it necessary to include breast sizes into flavour texts

 

My serious definition of roleplaying is to make a character and put them in a situation and be able to do things differently than your own self might.

That's all it is - a stupid way to crack some jokes and have some fun in a (mostly) consequence-free environment that's more interesting in the one you live in.

It's when people start having a problem with other peoples' methods of having fun and RPing when it gets frustrating. And even I can admit to having a problem with the way other people RP. (see: The_Furry, Swat43, medbay) That's just the way things are; we can't agree on everything. And we're going to have moments in which our interests actually conflict the other person's. It's not like I have any real intense beef with anyone here for doing things their way, I just kinda' grumble and move on with my life. Maybe some of you salty bitch-ass motherfuckers need to learn to do the fucking same GOD DAMN SHIIIIT

Moral of the story, we all have our own definitions of a gud tiem and rollplei. Live with them, for god's sake, and don't try to remove the fucking person from your life just because they take things differently. Sheesh.

[hivefleetchicken]

i still hate you medbay

[Lady_of_Ravens]

What's so bad about medbay?

[jackfractal]

Medbay, specifically the lesbian in medbay, were the thing that everyone got off on hating before everyone started getting off on hating Tajaran.

My personal opinion on the topic of this thread is that my personal opinion is pretty irrelevant. As this thread demonstrates, 'role-playing' is a term that has an enormous number of only tangentially overlapping definitions. Part of the challenge for someone creating a role-playing community, whether that be a small tabletop group or a large community like Aurora, is offering a clear definition for what is and what is not expected of participants.

[Guest]

What's so bad about medbay?

 

Absolutely nothing.

What people really love to misconstrue nowadays is that medbay is absolutely horrible because of its past history on Apollo, Baystation, literally every RP server ever, for the influx of aggressively lesbian nurses or doctors.

And by 'aggressively lesbian', I mean a lesbian with serious libido problems.

Whenever they didn't get what they wanted, they'd almost always commit suicide for whatever reason. Typically by spacing themselves. I honestly thought it was always hilarious.