Roleplaying, a primer

**Mal** · 06-03-07, 14:20

Okay, so I�ve had a few people who�ve come up to me, both in game and on the forums asking about roleplaying.

The general consensus from them is that they want to roleplay, but find the idea of starting it a little intimidating. The purpose of this post is to give players who�re interest in roleplaying a little insight into it.

Before you start

The first, and most important thing to remember is that every player is entitled to play in his or her own way. If you want to roleplay, then that�s your right. Don�t bother listening to the L337 kiddies who want to poke fun at you for adding depth at the game, if they think roleplaying is a waste of time then that�s their loss. I�ve had particular problems with certain people who have gone out of their way to be abusive just because I�m a roleplayer � and at the end of the day, when I�ve spoken to other people about it, they�ve ALL said that those particular people are wankers.

At the same time, don�t try and force others to roleplay either. I�ve found that simply by standing in Plaza 1 and being ALICE, people join in. On the first night of bringing ALICE back, I had 10 people roleplaying with me. You might say �yeah, so what?� but if you think about it, 10 people is around 10% of the entire server, and that�s a damned good number. If you look at that in perspective, if you�re in Plaza 1 during peak times, that means that by law of averages, at least one person stood around you is either a roleplayer, or is interested in joining in.

Getting started

So, to confront of common problem, how do you start to roleplay a character? Well, it�s actually quite easy. Firstly, take a look at your character and his or her class. For this example, we�ll take a male gen-tank as our case study.

It's worth noting at this point that if you want to start as a roleplayer, it's a good idea to have a decent roleplaying name. It's hard to be taken seriously as a roleplayer if your name is POPPASMURF or IPWNU

Personality
According to Neocron, the gen-tanks are a group of biologically engineered warriors, built for the Ceres war. It states that gen-tanks �were left to themselves for �humanitarian reasons� rather than being destroyed� which could hint at the gen-tanks being bitter for being considered hardware that can just be destroyed. It also states �the original genetic blueprint did not call for any particular emotional or intellectual prowess� which basically means that the tank isn�t very bright, nor is it capable of complicated emotions.

Now, this can be interpreted in different ways. I have a gen-tank named J.D. Gheist, who is a jaded old soldier, now earning a living as a free-lancer, sweeping the under-city of mutants to pay the bills. He�s something of a loner after his clutch (the batch of soldiers created at the same time as Gheist) was destroyed, and he�s used to being treated as a meat shield. He has quite a long fuse for a tank since he�s learnt to keep his head down instead of causing trouble � after all, all he wants is to live his life.

Now, another interpretation is that J.D. Gheist could have been a violent outcast. Embittered by his treatment after the war, being cast aside to become another nobody, he has decided that he will do what he can to gain recognition, legal or not. This type of tank would be suited for a DoY character, especially such as Twilight Guardian or Black Dragons - where a violent outcast would be useful; City Admin would be unlikely to promote a violent criminal walking the streets after-all.

Back-story and personality

Think up a story for your character. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Above, I�ve already hinted at two different stories for characters. Gheist could be an ex-soldier eking a living, or he could be a violent member of the Black Dragons. Those are both very simple stories, but they work very well. A good roleplayer doesn�t need a deep and elaborate storyline � a good roleplayer just needs to be able to think like their character. The purpose of the story is to help you, as a player, start connecting with the character you�re trying to play. If you think of it like acting, if you don�t understand a characters motives or background, how can you act that role convincingly?

From this story, you can start to look at your character with a little more depth. How does he feel about the city he lives in? What is his relationship with the Corporation he�s apart of? How does he treat other people when they�re being nice to him, or when they�re being wankers? Just give a little thought to his general attitude.

Extended personalities

If you want to take things a little further, you could also add quirks to his personality. Perhaps he�s scared of spiders? Perhaps if he�s a tank �ee talks like �ee�s a bit dumb or even a research scientist with a n-n-nervous s-s-stutter. Adding a quirk or two to a character can make them much more interesting to play. Currently ALICE is a cyborg who was created by Phoenix enterprises, but never completed. Due to this, and being left on the scrap heap for a while, her systems don�t work properly. She walks only in straight lines, and stops when she needs to turn. Sometimes her speech is garbled and sometimes she crashes out completely and needs to reset. It�s little quirks like this that let other people know that there�s something wrong with her, and means I don�t have to explain myself all the time.

Further notes

Remember, a good roleplayer doesn�t need to have the most intricate or lifelike story line or character. They just need to have a character they can play as. As I said earlier, there�s no point in being an actor if you play roles you can�t do. If you�re nervous, keep it simple to start off with, and as you get more experienced, then add more scope to your character. Very often, as you roleplay with others, you open up new aspects of your character. For example, if you get involved in a storyline to kidnap an executive of a rival corporation, then perhaps your character becomes a little nervous, in fear of a reprisal.

Recap

Write a story for your character, make it as simple or complex as you want it
Use that story to determine your character�s personality
Add a couple of quirks to your character to make him fun to play
Ignore people who want to stop you from roleplaying
And most importantly: HAVE FUN!

Anyway, that�s enough to get you started! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reply, or send me a PM.

**Brammers** · 06-03-07, 14:45

Nice little guide there Mal!

If anyone wants to see some background stories goto http://www.techhaven.org/neocron-stories.html and scroll down to the Background stories. They are not upto date, but it may help people give some pointers to their own background stories.

Edit: A little tip on in character and out of character. Usually it's assumed that a character is talking in character. Most people either put ooc before their text, or some people put brackets around their text. eg.

Alice: *Sytem shutting down*
Brammers: Quick someone get some more batteries.
Alice: (Got to go! Cya tomorrow)
Brammers: Maybe we better find some more powerful batteries first. ooc: Cya later!

**Hell-demon** · 06-03-07, 17:54

I made an RP guide ages ago. Ya too late, mate
linky

**Doc Holliday** · 06-03-07, 18:15

Well. great post.

One of my chars is called Poppa Doc. does that mean i cant roleplay

Seriously. i had my clan rank as "The oldest man in neocron" as the toon i used was the old nc1 spy model with gray hair and the suit. Poppa was a business man first and a researcher 2nd. so i used to have fun pretending to be an old man till some idiot asked me how old i was in real life about a month ago last time i played.

it went something like

Runner: "Lol the oldest man in neocron?"

Me: "Yes my son"

Runner: "so how old are you then, like 60 years old or some shit?"

Me: " Try a hundred on to that and your not even close....."

Runner: "WTF???!!!!!

"

so yeah it was pretty interesting.

**Zheo** · 06-03-07, 19:06

Join The Black Knights!

We are a PURE role play clan based in the Tsunami Syndicate faction. So anyone who wants to be part of some hardcore role play should give me a hola!

**Mal** · 06-03-07, 19:37

Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

One of my chars is called Poppa Doc. does that mean i cant roleplay

Nickname

Originally Posted by Hell-demon

I made an RP guide ages ago. Ya too late, mate

It's not showing in the roleplay section. Could have saved myself some time there

Quite funny that I wrote my guide nearly exactly a year after yours, I was just 2 weeks too early

**afk2p** · 06-03-07, 22:58

From time to time you may spot Black Willy wandering the wastes and fringes of NC City, searching for his "sister" Lilly. Perhaps they really do share some genes, although it would be hard to imagine so, judging by appearances. The poor thick bastard doesn't even know she is a whore and woe-betide the person who tries to tell him so.

**Zheo** · 07-03-07, 09:33

Originally Posted by Mal

Personality
According to Neocron, the gen-tanks are a group of biologically engineered warriors, built for the Ceres war. It states that gen-tanks �were left to themselves for �humanitarian reasons� rather than being destroyed� which could hint at the gen-tanks being bitter for being considered hardware that can just be destroyed. It also states �the original genetic blueprint did not call for any particular emotional or intellectual prowess� which basically means that the tank isn�t very bright, nor is it capable of complicated emotions.

Doesn't mean gentanks are stupid though, Intelligence is basically how fast you learn, now what you can learn it's not your IQ! So low intelligence just means it takes you say three times to learn how to read as it would for a normal person, and perhaps you can't grasp the biggest of words of the complexity of english grammer! As far as emotions go they have nothing to do with intelligence, if anything they'd be in charisma which is not part of neocron.

**Mal** · 07-03-07, 11:22

I didn't say they were stupid, I said they're not bright

I'd sort of see them like Rambo. He complains that in the war he was handling multi-million $ equipment, and now he can't get a job washing cars. I'd assume that the gen-tank would be sort of the same. And also, if someone's not academically fast, it doesn't mean they're not cunning either. Your tank might not be able to understand fusion, but he would surely know the best places to launch an ambush

**Zheo** · 07-03-07, 20:03

Originally Posted by Mal

I didn't say they were stupid, I said they're not bright

I'd sort of see them like Rambo. He complains that in the war he was handling multi-million $ equipment, and now he can't get a job washing cars. I'd assume that the gen-tank would be sort of the same. And also, if someone's not academically fast, it doesn't mean they're not cunning either. Your tank might not be able to understand fusion, but he would surely know the best places to launch an ambush

Thats ok then, some people thing gentanks are like the most retarted person you'll ever meet, and I reply with "And they can reload a hightech plasma cannon how exactly?" If they can do that they need at least some smarts.

**Clive tombstone** · 10-03-07, 21:49

intellegence-the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience.

thats just to clarify I think.

Yeah Ive had a few different Ideas for my own characters, one thing that definatly helps with role play also is the "Job" you choose at the beggining of your characters creation. Like street Samurai or Test pilot, these can help with what exactly you want your character to become (Although clive was created long before these were in place, I still concider him a "test pilot"). Your faction like alice said also can dictate your mentality to some degree as well.

Where one from tangent may have a bit more "Gun pride", a NEXT man way be a bit more on the casual side or liking luxury a bit, or even Diamond Real would be kinda a "Noble" (not meaning like a knight, more like a Rich guy (or on the abusive side, a rich Douche)). On the other side like Twighlight guardian, they have different arch types like being the radical rebel, who just wants to spill NC blood, or the "weathered" rebel, whos seen past the corruption of both sides, but still believes DoY is right, and fights for them just as hard as any other gaurdian. To sum up some of the other factions quickly, With the tsunami and dragons, think mobsters (diferent regional bases for ether of them though) with Crahn, think semi to full on Zelotus religious people. And finally with Fallen angels and The mercs, think people that are in this fight for themselves and the betterment of theyre own faction.

Sorry for being a bit wordy.

For example Clive tombstone was once a Test pilot for Next a few years back, as he had been all his life growing up with NEXT. His parents belonged to NEXT, and were actually apart of one of the shuttles sent to communicate with NeoTokyo after its Satilite discovery, sadly a suicide squad from the twighlight guardian destroyed the craft as it was taking off, killing everyone onboard including his parents. After some soul search after a few key jobs (see the NEXT epic story line), he left with his vehicles from the city (still keeping a apartment in the city for himself under a different callsign). Due to the fact that the twighlight guardian was responsible for the deaths of his original family, and the fact that neither side had any real appeal to his long term goals, he "settled down" with the city mercs at the old military base, where he now is a "Black stripe" transport specialist/scout.

:Personality-adopting a somewhat backwards philosphy "Ask first, shoot later", His general idea of neutrality is something of a mystery. Clive tends to avoid fights whenever he can, but seems more that willing to join in on an attack when his compadre's engage someone. This is not to say that he's a cold blooded killer. In fact he would be more likely be helping someone if he ran into just about anybody, so long as they didnt try and kill him on sight for any old reason. His infatuation with vehicles also tends to throw him more in with more "technologically literate" individuals.

Personal quirks-Clive tends to laugh at just about anything (he's quite easily amused), and say "aye" instead of yes, due to hanging around the mercs motor pool mechanics.

**Apocalypsox** · 10-03-07, 22:34

Maybe we should start a thread thats stickied that explains the roleplay stories behind our chars. (Yes, i personally have and memorized a roleplay story for EVERY ONE OF MY CHARACTERS.)

Very good thread for beginners to roleplaying here Mal, very nice work.

**Clive tombstone** · 11-03-07, 04:03

Definatly sounds good, Might also be a good idea to imput various player relationships as well (plutonic I mean, Like who wants to kill who, and so on, or who is allies with who, and for what reason). You wanna make the thread of me Apoc?

**Clive tombstone** · 11-03-07, 06:18

Oops think I ment to say, "want to make the thread or should I?" not "of" me.

**Apocalypsox** · 11-03-07, 06:56

Lol sure why not, i guess i can be the one to get the ball rolling.

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