Kaelir's Roleplaying Articles

[Kaelir]

What is Role-playing?

Role-playing means “An instance or situation in which one deliberately acts out or assumes a particular character or role”

In other words, role-playing is assuming an avatar or alter ego and stepping into another reality; becoming intertwined with your surroundings in the game, and acting out as that character. You cease to become just a person behind the computer, and become whatever you desire within the limits of the world; a rogue, a knight, a diligent craftsmen or trader… whatever you want.

Role-playing adds depth to the game and creates a purpose beyond simple monster bashing.


Creating the Biography

To role-play your character, you must have a history, desires, goals, and personality. The first step toward this is creating the biography. You can either write it down (Which I strongly suggest doing) or just make everything up in your head. To get an idea of what a biography is like, there are usually “Character Profile” threads on every role-playing message boards. However, you will want your biography to be more in depth than most of these profiles

These are a few questions you can ask yourself for help on writing your biography;

What is the name of your character?
What race and class is your character?
What eye color/hair color?
What other physical attributes does your character have?

Where was your character born?
Who were his parents?
What was your character’s childhood like?
What significant events shaped your characters personality?
How have you changed from childhood?

What does your character hope to improve about himself?
What are your character’s fears?
What are your character’s wants?
What motivates your character?
What are good qualities of your character?
What are some flaws of your character?
Is your character neutral, good, or evil? (Or undecided?)


Physical Appearance

“She looked as I thought dark elves would look, thin and reedy with a darkness that blurred into shadow.”

Most of physical appearance is known by just looking at your in-game avatar, and isn’t as important as developing your character’s motivation, history, and personality. Just a few words are needed for appearance, like if you were tattooed on the back in the Shilen Temple or have a scar on your chest from being attacked by your sworn enemy. Otherwise, don’t spend too much time on this.


Flaws

“I dropped my weapon and began to sob into my hands. He touched my shoulder and whispered. ‘You’ll never be perfect! And that… Is what I love about you.”

Perfect is boring. Give your character more flaws than virtues, it will help to flesh out your character and make him more believable. Also, flaws help to avoid clichéd characters.


Motivation

“Even as a young child I would stare up at the clouds and imagine dragons carved into their fluffy shapes, and in my dreams I rode on a dragon who touched stars with its muzzle. When I accepted the duty of a knight, I saw myself riding above the azure sky on leathery wings, holding the sword of my fathers.”


Even non-role-players have some sort of motivation, whether it being simply leveling up or trying to get enough adena for the next weapon upgrade; but as a role-player you will want a more detailed motivation. Why does your character do what he does? This is one of the most important questions.


Once you create your bio, use it as needed. You can string together your history to create a story. Always remember your motivation and your history, and act according to it. You can post your history or keep it private, but you can draw back on your biography for help on how to act and think.

This is Woofie’s biography as an example;

My name is Janice De Undriel, but most know me as Woofie; a childhood nickname my mother gave me after I tried to imitate the sounds of wolves in the hills, and that has stuck ever since.

I was born to a family of Dwarven Raiders in Elmore; to parents who taught me to find the answers I seek in the cogs and wheels of the earth, to seek solace in the forge fires of our god Mapre. It was from them I learned to take things apart, to understand that Aden is nothing more than a complex, breathing machine.

Sometimes I think I disappointed my parents, because of my choice to become an artisan; for my family was a long and noble line of scavengers and bounty hunters. But my parents knew that it was not what I was destined for, or what I desired, for every time after a hunt they asked me to hold a cut of the spoils, I distracted, would drop it somewhere along the way. After a while they gave up.

The first time I killed a goblin with my own hands, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the bashing and the thrill of victory over my small enemy; yet I was ashamed at my happiness, for killing was not something that was supposed to be enjoyed. I told my parents this, and they took me aside and explained to me that inside of everyone there is a flame; some have black flames, and some have white flames. I only carried a black flame, but that I should never be ashamed for the way Mapre crafted me. It was then that I understood my nature.

When I was still young, I knew it was time for me to leave Elmore. My parents gave me a club and a few adena to sustain myself for a while, and I traveled to Gludin. There I met my first friend, a dwarf named George, who had dreams of becoming a scavenger. We became friends, and together we traveled to what we only knew as the Great City, the underground city of dark elves.

When we got to the lands, there was a darkness cast over the land, and me and Georgy ran down the road toward the city as fast as our small dwarven legs could, for we could hear the growling of giant beasts in the forests, feel the cold eyes watching us.

And then it happened, we were attacked.

“Give us all your money, dwarfs!” Someone shouted, and I was pushed to the ground. I dropped my club, and tasted dirt in my mouth. I jumped to my feet, and I saw George trying to run but was quickly overcome by the dark elves. They began to bleed him on the ground.

This was the first time I felt the anger, but not the last, but it was boiling inside me. I grabbed my club and screamed, running towards the dark elves. I remember those stunned expressions still as I bashed their skulls in, and after the deed was done, I dropped the club and stood panting for several minutes, and then I helped George up to his feet.

“How did you do that?” He asked, “Those were dark elves! There was no way you could have killed them!”

To this day I do not know.

We traveled into the dark elven city, where I got a job as a smelter in the forge. Day after day I stood stooped over an orange fire to melt metals and steels for components for the chief Warsmith to craft. The pay was minimal, but after many years I was able to save up enough to buy the materials to craft my own gear.

I remember the first thing I crafted was a necklace of anguish. I didn’t craft it so much as it formed itself underneath my hands. I stared at the bone white totem grimacing up at me with a sort of pride. I gave this necklace to George.

I can still recall the way the sparks flew up in the air, the grease on my fingers and on my face, the way the heat stung my eyes and my arm ached with the weight of the hammer. After many hours, I had crafted a sword. The workmanship even amazed me. Then, I crafted my armor, carefully fitted by myself. I stood with pride in the forge, sweat and soot covered, holding my precious crafts.

I still hold the old sworn, a bit dented, but beautiful. I still wear the old armor, which I shine every day to keep new. And as I sit in town, hawking my wears among the droves of the other dwarves, I remember the black flame.

The intricacies of this world, the trappings of society, good and evil, worship of Shillen, worship of Mapre, seem so difficult for me to comprehend; but if I can remember the Black flame, if I can remember that this world is nothing but an elaborate crafting project, then it doesn’t seem so difficult.

I try to remember every day.






A Few Common problems of beginning role-players

“Halt Knave! Thou shall be punished to the full extent of the law for what thy has done!”

Beginners try to fluff up their speech by adding these and thous and trying to put on the act of a dignified, pompous lord or knight. My advice is don’t do it; it will detract from your character and hardly anyone talks like this. Unique dialects give you much more personality. (I met an orc who “talkz like thiz”, very befitting for his character)

“I’m a guy with no past and no purpose but I have a big sword!”

I have seen way too many profiles like this. Amnesia or no past is laziness on the character’s part. A character with no motivation is not very believable either. Take some time to think about your character and give them a past, it will add much needed depth.


Through the Character’s eyes

“I edged backwards from the dark elf, staring at the hand he had outstretched to greet me with. He was probably waiting for the perfect opportunity to stab a dagger into my exposed heart. I would never trust him.”

Every time you role-play; you step into your character’s skin. You become them, you believe in what they believe, you know what they know. You have the same prejudices, you see out of the same eyes.

Try to imagine looking out of a colored glass. Your perception is distorted. You see everything green while someone else may see something red. Try to get involved in the character and embrace your prejudices and conceptions… or misconceptions.


Read the Lore

“The Orcs are a proud race. Why should we help you, after what you did to us?”

Lineage 2 already has an expansive history, which can answer many questions you may have about the birth of races, creations of the gods, and bitter race feuds. It’s a good place to start off. I would suggest looking around the official site or various fan-sites for information. Also, many Npc’s and quests give more insight into the world.

Gaps or inconsistencies in the lore you can fill in yourself or with the help of others. (For instance, there are quite a few Drow; which are much different from Aden dark elves) But with a history already there you have something to go back on when creating your biography.

Your Character and Change

“For days… I used to get lost from the road. I thought I wouldn’t live past my eighteenth birthday but… that doesn’t happen anymore.”

As your character matures, he should go through change. Your gladiator probably has changed a lot from the time he was fighting keltirs on the Talking Island shore. Your character should be able to develop and grow and learn from his changes. Your character is constantly trying to improve his skills or improve himself as a person. Mark these significant events and add them to your history.


Emotes

You can usually identify a role-player by the use of emotes. The most common emotes are facial expressions, such as smiling or frowning, but you can also try, leaning on a barrel, or falling into a deep sleep.

There are a limited amount of emotes (bowing, greeting, laughing, clapping, dancing) that are actually in the game, so the others you will have to type out. Emotes help convey emotions and actions which the avatar themselves cannot because of restrictions in the game.

In Lineage 2, you have to use some sort of tag to convey emotes. Here are the most common that I see:

(Brushes the hair away from her face)
<Brushes the hair away from her face>
*Brushes the hair away from her face*
~Brushes the hair away from her face~

It’s really up to you which tag to use, or you could create one not seen here.

Using the Environment

“I’m sorry, it’s just so cold here, and we’re so far up. I’ve never been this high before.”

Remember, you ARE your character when you are playing. Emotes help you become meshed into your environment, but there are other ways, such as through chat.

Feel the wind on your face, the ground underneath your feet. Imagine what it’s like trying to shoulder past people in a crowded marketplace, or the fear you must feel when a powerful beast is pursuing you. What does it feel like slogging through a slimy swamp, or stepping on the cracked, red soil of a wasteland?

Out of Character

“Sorry, my friends… but the day grows long and I am weary. We must discontinue the hunt ((My mom wants me to clean my room))”

Try to stay “In Character” as much as possible, but in pressing matters such as real life situations or having to leave the keyboard for a while, Ooc (Out of Character) Can be useful

To go out of character, either type Ooc after or before your chat or surround your out of character with ((Chat here))


What Not to do

Don’t be In Character one minute and the next talking about “Pwning someone” Be consistent in your role-playing.

Don’t be rude to non-role-players. I like to tease them sometimes, but try to be polite and don’t harass them for not role-playing.

Don’t live in a role-playing bubble! Get out there in the towns and the dungeons and role-play. It’s a great way to meet other role-players that are hiding out there. Most role-players I know tone down their role-playing a lot when hunting or with non-role-players and only role-play with friends.

On another note…

Meet other role-players, post in role-playing message boards, and role-play as much as possible. When you add depth to the game it becomes a lot more fun, and when you get involved the game ceases to become an endless grind.

Attend events! Events are a great way to meet other role-players of various skills and to practice your role-playing.

Join a role-playing clan! There are several role-playing clans on Lionna, and with like-minded people you can get role-playing hints and tips and interact in character.

[Kaelir]

Creating Characters That Breathe – The Background


Introduction

Our characters are stories. They live to excite, thrill, horrify, and entertain. They live to create a suspension of belief. They live for wonder and magic.

In the land of Aden, our characters can come to life. You want them to appear living among the people, laughing and crying and breathing and thinking, as if they have always been there long before you came along to the creation screen.

This is the essence of role-playing.

In this guide, I hope to give you a better understanding of the creatures of role-playing in Lineage 2 far beyond what may appear at the surface. You will learn how to create a character that breathes, thinks, and speaks as if he has always done so and always will.

This is meant to be a reference, and a guide expressing my own opinions. I am sure you can create your own unique character by going against everything I say, but this is still a useful guide for those looking to make their characters more realistic and dimensional or those just starting to role-play. At the end of each chapter, you will find exercises to help with each part of the building process. If you have any questions, please contact me here: [e-mail]

The Background

Your character came from somewhere. What, you thought he came from the creation screen? Nope. He was a baby and a child, and he had parents and a history and a first kiss and a first kill. Start to think of your character as a real person and you’ve got a pretty good start.

So you’re there at the creation screen, going through the five hairstyles and two facial expressions. Imagine your character on a sunny day, sleeping in his home at night, running alongside his friends, even mouthing off to his parents (or maybe he was an orphan), or eating breakfast. (Does he like ham and eggs or raw keltir meat? Does he like to eat radish soup or human flesh? You decide)

I will guide you through this process with our newly made female dwarf, because she has a cute mouth and smile and I already like her and just because. It’s not really the race or class you pick, not at all, it’s the personality that you put behind it. As you think about these questions, try to create an air of mystery for your character, a history that comes out in his traits.

Now ask yourself these questions regarding your character. Below each question I will put an example that I got from our female dwarf.

What is your character’s gender, age, race, class, and name?

Female, 232 years of age (young for a dwarf!), dwarf artisan, lets call her Blossoms

What physical attributes does your character have? (Make this one as detailed or as brief as you like, since you already have an avatar for physical description. Physical description should have more “personality” than just eye color, hair color, etc, but things that actually describe the character)

Blossoms has long, wiry red hair, with the appearance of an untamed animal. She has wolf eyes that shine red in the dark and leathery skin from working all day at the forge. Blossoms wears chains of flowers as bracelets and headdresses. She has a scar on her knee.

Where was your character born?

Blossoms was born in Elmore, in a small cottage on a mountain. In summer, the fields would be full of flowers. In autumn, the sky would turn the color of red and gold. The town was nearby, where Blossom’s parents went off to sell their homemade wares.

Who were your characters parents and what attributes did they have?

Elle and Barry Maphre met underneath an Elmore mountain when they became trapped in a cave-in. With their courage and strength they managed to survive, pulling themselves out of the rubble and promising undying love to each other. They were married and had two children; Lily their firstborn, and Blossoms their baby. They survived by selling homemade wares and crafts made at their homemade forge. Elle is an entrepreneur and a ferocious haggler. Barry has become a drinker in his old age but his loveable and kind, liking to shower gifts on his two-dwarven children.

What is your character’s fatal flaw?

Jealousy. Blossoms cannot stand her older sisters success because she believes it is falsely gained. Jealousy drives Blossoms to get a job working at the forge and even forces her to steal from the dwarven guild she is a member of. Blossoms cannot stand that Lily is a flawless craftswoman, beautiful, has many suitors, and has the full attention of her parents. Jealousy drives Blossoms to revenge and greater and greater risks.

What is your character’s saving grace?

Mercy. Blossoms shows kindness and graciousness even to her enemies, and showers her friends with gifts and love. She finds that it is hard to hate anyone, except for her sister and parents, of course, because she believes there is an inherent goodness in everyone.

What challenge did your character have to overcome that has shaped her as a person?

Blossoms was held hostage for several hours at the hands of Dark Elves with her sister and three other dwarven companions when they had gone out for some sport hunting. In the freezing cold, huddled together against the wind beneath the blades of the dark elves, Blossoms had a choice to make. She could escape and leave her friends behind, or fight and overcome. She chose to fight the dark elves, but it cost her dearly. She almost had to amputate her arm because of wounds and a dark elf mage burned “holes” into her brain, so that Shillen can now come through and whisper dreams. At the expense of saving her sister and other companions; she is forever tortured and can no longer sleep at night without intensely painful dreams.

Who does your character love?

A human in her guild, a rogue who does not seem to notice her affections. Blossoms becomes painfully shy around the human rogue and cannot express her feelings. She is forever tortured trying to speak to him, and when she does can only mutter a few words. She does not think he will ever notice her because is only a small dwarven girl, and he a hero of great strength.

Who does your character hate?

Blossoms finds it hard to hate anyone except for her sister, with whom she is perpetually locked into a battle with to get honor and praise from their parents. Though Blossoms hates her sister, she still loves her on a primal level and will do anything for her even though they sometimes cannot stand to be in the same room.

What is your character’s goal(s) and why?

Blossoms has only a few goals. First, she wants to become a master warsmith so that she can win approval from her parents. She wants to get the love of the human rogue. And, she wants to find a way to stop Shillen’s curse from keeping her up at night.

Who will prevent your character from reaching these goals?

Lily, Blossoms sister, who tries to sabotage Blossom’s attempts to be truly great, and Shillen, who needles Blossoms until she is so tired she cannot think straight.

Give your character three or more minor flaws.

A determination that can push everything else out of focus and make Blossoms lose touch with reality, a hot headedness when haggling or trying to deal with others who don’t agree with her, and a cloud of sadness that seems to drift around her.

Give your character three or more fun “quirks.”

Likes to get crazy drunk while hunting, likes to sing to herself, likes to jump on people when they are not looking, likes to find stray wolves and kitties and nurse them back to health.


You can see how a character begins to form just by a simple background; now the rest is up to you. Breathe life into your characters; give them a shape and form and attitude.

Now all you have to do is write their story.

[Tregarde]

Wow... makes the article I had written back in my UO days look pitiful.

Well done.

[Caindal]

This is great Kae. Do you mind if I repost it on Sentries forum?

[Kaelir]

No problem, Dalamar.

[Kaelir]

Some General Hints:

I've met good roleplayers - and bad roleplayers. Here's some tips on how to improve your roleplaying experience.

Do not Godmode

Do you ever remember playing "make believe" with your friends and there was this one kid who had fire powers, ice powers, invisibility, force fields, laser eyes, AND mind control? Didn't you hate that kid? Don't be like that kid.

Godmoding is making yourself extremely powerful - in an effort to be "cool", while it really makes you look pretty lame. Being the son of a god, a half god or a god yourself, a walking man of ultimate destruction, a dragon, or someone who "decides the fate of man" really needs to rethink their character. it can inhibit other people's gameplay by forcing them into grand schemes when they might have other plans for their characters. And plus, it makes you look bad.

If you have to be something "cool", give people a chance to actually combat your awesomeness. (cough.) If you're a mind-reader, give people a chance to have natural defenses. If you're a half god, maybe you fell out of heaven and your power has weakened considerably. If you can read the future, maybe you're a sadist who just likes screwing with people and telling them lies.

Godmoding is bad. Let everyone decide the fate for their own characters. You have enough to worry about with your own.

Give people a chance

Perma-death is a possibility. This is a fantasy world with lots of violence, so death is a very real possibility. But if you're planning on killing someone, you need to give them a fighting chance.

This is bad:

<walks up and stabs Alex in the heart, and walks away.>

This is good:

<raises the knife, shaking with uncontrollable anger, and lunges.>

The first example gives the person no chance at all to respond. It's instant death. The second gives the person a chance to sidestep, parry, block, or give their own counter attack. If you're in a life or death situation, you need to give the person a chance to fight back, bargain, run, etc.

This is the same as in a hostage situation, or any situation for that matter. If you plan on killing the person - give them a chance to run away. Give them a chance to talk or try to change your character's mind. Your character is not a perfect being. let them make mistakes.

Make it real, not dramatic

Dramatic has its proper place, but sometimes I cannot help myself to dispel the dramatic tension with off-hand sarcastic remarks. I've just seen too much of the same thing.

- Everyone is an orphan.
- Everone has a terrible past
- Everyone is either a loner, or bitter.
- Everyone has "the weight of the world on their shoulders," or some terrible secret.
- Everyone likes to complain - a lot.
- Everyone likes to tell random people about their history.

Think about it, do you tell strangers about how your wife died five minutes into meeting them - or reveal key information at the exact right time? Tension and story can be pulled off beautifully, but it can't be forced.

Let the story be character driven, not plot driven. If the characters are bright and colorful, no one will care if the plot sucks. Let your characters be -real- people, in the sense that they have feelings and emotions. I think if I see one more -silent assassin- type, I'm going to have to kill someone. Do not make your character an archetype. Make them a person.

I hope this was helpful, and if you have any questions - well, you know how to find me.

[mehrunes]

Ha, you said Alex. I hope Durwin doesn't read that.