It had us captivated. So much so that, when our parents kicked us out of the house to get fresh air, we still wanted to play.

I wouldn’t realize it until years later, after I’d started gaming, but our little neighborhood hack of Dragon Warrior was my first experience with GMing. Sure, it was a glorified game of Let’s Pretend, but as the other kids played their parts — princess, warrior, slimes, dragons — I played the part of narrator, orchestrating the fights, weaving a story, making calls about who won the combat. Everyone described their actions and reactions, and though we didn’t have a system established to keep track of what it meant, the players “leveled up.”

I don’t remember how long we played, whether the novelty wore off in days or weeks, nor do I recall us ever doing anything like it again.

But it’s no surprise to me that, years later, I fell in love with tabletop roleplaying and, when the opportunity arose, running my own games.

So how about it, cats ‘n’ kittens? What games and stories inspired you so much you wanted to keep on playing in that world?

Annalea ragdoll by Loreli http://aodstudios.com

…but still the devils you know.

As Bricu hinted at a few weeks ago, WTT: [RP] is getting a bit of an overhaul.

World of Warcraft — and Feathermoon specifically — has been our home and our primary RP place for the last *mumbledycough* years, but it’s a wide ol’ world of RP out there, and we’d love to share them with you. And, of course, invite you to share your favorites with us.

There’s plenty yet to talk about — other MMOs, single-player RPGs, old favorites, anticipated new releases, tabletop games, and other assorted RP geekery.

So, give us a holler as we gear up for a whole new set of awesome: what are you playing these days? How’s your RP going? What would you like to see us write about over the next few weeks and months? What’s got you excited?

Andrew Ross begins his “Have You Ever Seen Anyone RP a Peon” post with… a slam against RPers:

Let’s face it — most roleplayers are heroes, villians, peerless veterans, or other Mary Sues.

Shael, how does that make you feel?

Mr. Ross follows it up with this STUNNING ADMISSION:

I’m not on an RP realm…

He doesn’t play on an RP realm and yet writes a post that begins with sweeping generalizations about RPers?  Really?  So his expertise on RPers and their stories comes from where, precisely?  His article, short as it is, describes one guildie’s RP — which he doesn’t seem to be calling Sue-ish — and states that sometimes he’ll see PUGs trying to get some RP going, but that tends to fizzle.

Lore, any reactions?

Right.  So it’s just the old fish-in-a-barrel, make-fun-of-roleplayers trope, then.  Good to know.

Yes, there are sites dedicated to calling out over-the-top characters.  There are livejournal communities and blogs that rip into FlagRSP descriptions that tend to mention “curves in all the right places.”

I get it, I do.

But if you’d like to write an article discussing roleplayers whose characters are simple citizens — ones who don’t go out and slay undead, who have no affinity with magic and can’t hold a sword — why not simply talk about that, rather than make snide remarks about “most” roleplayers?  Why not spend a few paragraphs pointing out the Reese Langstons and Magars of Azeroth?

Mr. Ross might think he’s found a clever way to set up his question, but instead of actually talking about playing average characters and how one might approach it, he takes a four-paragraph article, dedicates the first paragraph to calling “most” RPers Sues, the second to describing his guildie’s RP, and the next saying that… what, PUG RP doesn’t happen, but his guildies’ story makes him chuckle enough to participate?  I’m not quite finding his point in there, but the last paragraph — half the size of the preceding three — finally asks the question that the headline advertises:

Have you ever met someone who RPed something unique? A seer who was always wrong? A farmer’s guild? A hard-working peon?

Nitpickery:  I get that the writer is suggesting that non-Sues are the rarities here, and thus his choice of the word “unique,” but I’m pretty sure that what he actually means is “ordinary.”

I’m sorely disappointed in Mr. Ross’ piece.  If you’d like to have a discussion about RPing an average Jane or Joe, hey great! As a matter of fact, we did that here at WTT:RP just over two years ago.  It makes for a really interesting discussion (and I see that at least some people in the WoWInsider comments are talking about just that.)  But why start out by tearing down the very community your topic is aimed at?

Unlike Mr. Ross, I’ve played on an RP server for nearly seven years.  Have I met the occasional long-lost half-dragon Menethil brother seeking Lordaeron’s crown?  Sure.  I don’t deny that some RPers have stories or character concepts that make them a little too special.

However.

The vast, vast majority of characters I’ve encountered are people who play quite nicely with the setting and lore we’ve been given.  They’re soldiers fighting under Stormwind’s banner against the undead and Twilight’s Hammer and anything else that threatens their families and their homes.  They’re trolls celebrating Zalazane’s demise and reclaiming the islands that once were theirs.  They’re gnomes wondering just how the hell to start rebuilding Gnomeregan, or goblins trying to make a buck after losing everything in Kezan.

They succeed and they fail.  They take risks and suffer the consequences.  Some days they just want to have a pint at the pub.  Others they’re out on patrol, teeth chattering in thewinter cold.  Hardly any of them would name themselves heroes, even if they’ve fought dragons or were there when Arthas fell — they have a job and they do it, simple as that.

There’s a lot of good RP out there.  Maybe Mr. Ross should roll himself a peon or an Elwynn farmer on an RP realm and take a look around.

Today’s guest post is from the Riders’ favorite half-faced, surly elf, Illithias.  Like a night elf, Illi has blue hair IRL and it is awesome.  I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not IRL Illi bounces when idle for long periods of time.

On our forums, Solmandar asked:

What really concerns me is the uber “YOU are the hero of <insert zone here> and chosen by <insert epic god-like being here> to solve all of our problems!” aspects. That, combined with phasing of content.

How are people dealing with that, beyond the “Oh, we put out all the fires, but they started again” trope?

This was Illi’s excellent response:)
This particularly has been something I’ve referenced and discussed/thought about a few times. Short answer: it’s a game and it’s an exaggeration.

Long answer? I’m going to paraphrase here, but for most of the races/class types, your character is considered to have been about since the beginning of Vanilla (according to “the game”). The game assumes that your character had a hand in or helped with most/all of the content of the game – the old world raids such as BWL and AQ40, the expeditions out to Illidan’s Draenor and the Sunwell, back out to Northrend to take down Yogg and Arthas. You may not have done some/all of them in actually, but the game *assumes* so. So, naturally, by Wrath and Cataclysm, the NPCs have “heard of you”. They recognise you, or have conversations between one another about the Champions of the Naaru being on their way, or ask you to babysit their Princeling son. The game says; You’re a massive hero, and everyone knows you.

And, you know – this is a fantasy RPG. And that’s cool.

However, it’s also an MMO, and a part of the MMO where we RP. So not everyone can be “the most awesome famous hero Azeroth has ever seen!” Not everyone was able to get the killing blow on Nefarian, or recover Illidan’s warblades, or been there to witness Arthas’ defeat firsthand. So (and please note, this is just my opinion of how best to deal with this) it’s best to have metaphorically taken the game’s proclaimations of your famous awesomitude with a grain of salt. You’re a powerful hero, for certain, but you’re no Thrall. No Sylvannas. No Fordring. You’re the cult indie band to Varian Wrynn’s U2 (yes I hate each equally).

I think it also ties in to the concept that the “game world” is a recapped, truncated version of “Real Azeroth”, or the Azeroth we RP. The world doesn’t really take 30 minutes to fly from top to bottom. The cities don’t really only have a population of 20 people, all of whom are there to repair your gear or teach you how to brew potions or tell you to collect seventeen raptor horns for some godforsaken reason. We see the “game world” view of a much richer, involved, and foremost theoretical world.

So I know I play Illi as “famous, but not that famous”. She’s known. She’s traveled the worlds. She’s been present at some major events/battles/happenings. She has a history. So your average Stormwind or Orgrimmar denizen may have heard of the Half-Faced Elf, and may know something of her situation and her backstory. Or they may not. They may have read about her in the papers before, or through rumour. Some people may know more, maybe because they’re soldiers, or know of the WFR, or what have you. Some people may know less – I’d imagine there aren’t very many Tauren farmers who know who Illi is. But I certainly don’t think Varian Wrynn personally requested that she babysit his prince. And I wouldn’t think anyone we play with (with the exception of Delion, natch) would’ve.

BUT, this is all just my philosophising on the subject, and my personal point of view and opinion. This is far from canon – but I hope it helps.

How are you dealing with this in your own guilds and realms?

It seems that Illi’s excellent post about using your professions in RP got linked on wow.com’s The Daily Quest today.  So, to the newcomers, welcome!  We hope you’ll poke around a bit, find some neat things, and stay awhile.

A few posts you might want to peek at, to get you started:

Yva’s posts, “Stuff I’ve Learned About Major RP Arcs,” and her posts on raiding, raid leading, and RP (They’re not mutually exclusive!)

Bricu posted a series on arguing and conflict in RP.

I really ought to get back to my peeks behind the curtain.  Also remember, RP happens with you, not to you.

If you’re in the mood for some RP-related fiction, check out our Wrathgate Wednesday and Friday Fiction tags.  Wrathgate Wednesday was a project with the Wildfire Riders and their friends and allies (and, yes, even some enemies).  We’re pretty damned proud of how it all turned out.

I will also use my powers for good!  Did you know we have a real, live, published author on Feathermoon? You should totally go read his book, Stuff of Legends.

Take a look around, get comfortable.  There’s some delicious chocolate cake in the fridge.  Drop us a comment and say hello!

I received an email from Jan this morning asking,

Unfortunately, I’m one of those avid wow players who haven’t received any
cataclysm beta invites!

Do you think it’s wise to just wait for the release? Because some people
say playing the cataclysm beta will eventually remove the fun in playing
when cataclysm is released. I’m afraid it will feel like leveling an alt
from 70-80, which is not as fun as leveling the first one. I’m actually
still subscribed in WoW even if I’m not playing anymore just to get a
chance in getting an invite.

Do you still play WOTLK? It’s getting a lot boring now and I’m running out
of things to do…

Excellent questions!

I’m assuming that your “should I wait for release” is for what to do if a shiny beta invite appears in your mailbox.

The answer to that is sort of “your mileage may vary,” but let’s peek into it a bit.  In order to answer your question, I need to shoot one back your way:  how do you see yourself spending time in the beta?

I have to admit I’m a pretty casual beta-er.  I know there are plenty of people who’ve spent as much time as they can exploring the world, leveling up, and drinking in every shiny new pixel.  I’m more the log in for a few hours, do some random things, then next time I log in do something completely different sort.

The people reading the bug reports are probably /facepalming:  “I love the detail in this house in Gilneas!”  (Don’t worry, I submit useful bug reports, too, I promise.)

But you know what?  It’s a good way to experience it, for me.  I get to see some of the world without feeling like I have to do everything omg right now.  And everything’s subject to change.  The quests I do in the beta might change when the game goes live.  Talents and spells are going to change.  Itemization and skills will change.

Knowing that what I see in the beta won’t be the same as what I see when Cata goes live is pretty neat.  It’s a sneak peek of what’s to come.  It’s also a chance to try out a whole bunch of things without having to really make a solid commitment to any of them.  On my character screen, I have Threnn, Annalea and Davien.  The rest are a rotating cycle of alts that I’ve created just to see how things play.  None of them are all that safe from deletion if I need to free up a character slot for the next new shiny to come along.  Worgen priest!  Human hunter!  Goblin warlock!  Troll druid!  Somewhere in there will come a Tauren paladin and who knows what else.

I’m like a puppy in a room full of neat smells:  “What’s this?  What’s this?  What’s this?  Oh, look over there!  What’s that? What’s this?”

I’ve scoped out a whole bunch of spots that will be neat for RP, and as I go along questing, I’m keeping an eye out for story hooks.  Why, yes, my beta experience is totally selfish.

You mention that some friends say it will take the fun out of the release.  I think that will depend on your playstyle.  I could absolutely see, if I were to spend all my time in there getting Threnn to level cap and running the instances over and over, that it would feel like a bit of a chore having to do it all over again when the expansion goes live.  If that’s what you’re concerned about, I’d recommend trying something new with your characters.  Pick a spec you haven’t tried before.  If you have multiple 80s, don’t transfer your main to the beta servers.  Poke around on a secondary or tertiary alt instead, one you won’t get around to leveling for a while.  Do you play primarily one faction?  Roll a lowbie on the other side of the fence and play through the starting zones.

Other people I know in the beta are having a blast leveling their mains.  They’re enjoying the new talent trees and trying out the new content.  They’re getting their number-crunching started now and love theorycrafting.  The week-to-week changes are exciting for them.

Whether or not participating in the beta will take the fun out of Cataclysm’s launch definitely depends on your playstyle.  For me, it’s been fun to see a little bit of a lot of things.  That way, there will still be plenty of surprises for me when Cataclysm goes live.  For others, focusing on one character is more their cup of tea.  The advice I’d offer to anyone of any playstyle is this:  if it starts feeling like work, it’s time to switch gears — whether that’s simply playing a different character or logging out altogether.

As for whether I’m still playing Wrath, hell yes!  I’ll be honest, I don’t mind the slower pace between expansions so much.  Right now, Threnn, Anna and Davien are about as well-geared as they’re going to be until Cata greens replace Wrath epics.  PvE-wise, I can concentrate on finding some new shinies for Lyr and leveling my baby shaman.  I’m in no rush for him — he’s been around since 2006 and is still wandering around in Stranglethorn.

RP-wise, it’s quiet for all my characters, and again, that’s okay by me.  If something interesting comes along, they can join in, but meanwhile, they’re doing their day-to-day things, enjoying a little while where the world isn’t falling apart.  I have a couple of loose ends to tie up for Davien, and some others for Annalea that will probably carry into a story line for her in Cataclysm.  Threnn and Bricu are planning for the future, figuring out what they want to do now that the world’s a safer place for their daughter.  Y’know, for now.

What goals do you have left for yourself in Wrath?  Any alts you’d like to cap or gear?  Are there any achievements you’re after or reputations you’d like to max out?  Are there any storylines you haven’t had a chance to finish yet for your characters?

A whole lot will be changing in the starter zones — now’s your last chance to see the old Vanilla world, if there are any races or classes you haven’t explored yet (or if you’re up for some nostalgia.)

What about some silly fun?  Some of my hordie friends have been doing Iron Man runs — starting off in the lowbie dungeons with no gear, and equipping only what drops, then working their way up.

However, if you find yourself bored every time you log in, it’s also perfectly valid to take a WoW-break.  The game shouldn’t be an obligation or a chore, and if you’re hearing the siren song of DragonAge, Starcraft II, or going to the beach, go for it!

All right, readers, if you’re in the beta, tell us what you’re up to.  If you’re not, what’s keeping you busy in-game (or out of it, if you’re taking a break?)  Any advice for Jan?

Let us know!

Are there any sorts of common threads you notice when you consider those plots?  What about the events that led your character to be part of those things — is there a particular kind of hook that will reel her in time after time?  Are there any skills he falls back on repeatedly?

You might have the start of a theme there.  It’s also possible that your character’s theme might intersect with his or her personality traits — is your character prideful?  Stubborn to a fault?  If these traits get him into or out of trouble on a regular basis, you’re looking at a theme.

When Bricu’s player and I talk about future RP stories, I try to keep some of their themes in mind:  Bricu’s cleverness and tendency to scheme, Threnn’s stubbornness and desire to make things right.  There’s also often the reminder of a shared dream of theirs:  once the world is a safe place, to grow old surrounded by their children, grandchildren, and orphans they might someday adopt.  Of course, to achieve that aim in the first place, they’ll need to survive villains, enemies, and the world at large.

What are some themes you’ve noticed while crafting and participating in stories for your characters?  How can these influence and inspire future RP?

Also, for bonus Monday slacker-time, I’ll leave you with my new favorite Bricu and Threnn song (which got me thinking about this post!), Sting’s “The End of the Game.”

Hey you.

Do you like good books?  Do you like books in which there is ass-kicking, magic, hot elf chicks, evil wizards, bards, pissed-off dragons, and famous warriors?  Do you like laughing so hard people give you funny looks on public transportation?

Then you probably ought to go pick up Stuff of Legends by Ian Gibson.

Jordan the Red has done it all.  He’s slain dragons, rescued princesses, outsmarted minions and henchmen and evil overlords.  Now he just wants to live out the rest of his life in the village of Cheese, where nothing ever happens and people don’t know he used to be a famous hero.

Except, nothing ever goes as planned.  Jordan’s biggest fan, Eliott, gets a wishing braid for his birthday and does what any Number One Fan would do:  he wishes he could go on an adventure with his idol.  Jordan wants none of it, but his old agent would love for him to make a big ol’ comeback (which means scads and scads of money in his own pockets, of course) and Eliott’s the perfect pawn for making that happen.

Jordan finds himself picking up his old sword and acting as a reluctant mentor to Kess (Eliott’s hot Elvish babysitter) and a wannabe bard sent by Central Casting to tell the tale.

Stuff of Legends was a finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel awards, and the author is one of Feathermoon’s own.

If you’re a fan of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, hie thee to your local independent bookstore (or their website!) and pick up a copy of Stuff of Legends. Then come back here, tell us how awesome it was, and join me in my chant of “Sequel!  Sequel!  Sequel!”

As you peer at it, something shifts inside:  just the faintest sound of movement, then all is still again.

What do you do?

((Just a little bit of tomfoolery for you to pass the time.

The rules, such as they are!

1.  Anyone can play along.
2.  If you have six million alts, please have mercy on me and pick one.

3.  If your character doesn’t have an apartment, that’s fine!  The box can be wherever it is they go to settle down for the night — if they sleep in a tree, it’s at the trunk of the tree.  If they’re planning on drinking the night away in a bar, that’s okay, too — if they get up to order another round or use the facilities, the box is on or beside their chair when they return.
4.  I’m kicking this off late in the day, which means my responses might get waylayed by commuting and dinner, but never fear, I’ll be peeking.
5.  Have fun!))

Hello everyone,

I’d like to take some time to speak with all of you regarding our desire to make the Blizzard forums a better place for players to discuss our games. We’ve been constantly monitoring the feedback you’ve given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums. As a result of those discussions, we’ve decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.

It’s important to note that we still remain committed to improving our forums. Our efforts are driven 100% by the desire to find ways to make our community areas more welcoming for players and encourage more constructive conversations about our games. We will still move forward with new forum features such as conversation threading, the ability to rate posts up or down, improved search functionality, and more. However, when we launch the new StarCraft II forums that include these new features, you will be posting by your StarCraft II Battle.net character name + character code, not your real name. The upgraded World of Warcraft forums with these new features will launch close to the release of Cataclysm, and also will not require your real name.

I want to make sure it’s clear that our plans for the forums are completely separate from our plans for the optional in-game Real ID system now live with World of Warcraft and launching soon with StarCraft II. We believe that the powerful communications functionality enabled by Real ID, such as cross-game and cross-realm chat, make Battle.net a great place for players to stay connected to real-life friends and family while playing Blizzard games. And of course, you’ll still be able to keep your relationships at the anonymous, character level if you so choose when you communicate with other players in game. Over time, we will continue to evolve Real ID on Battle.net to add new and exciting functionality within our games for players who decide to use the feature.

In closing, I want to point out that our connection with our community has always been and will always be extremely important to us. We strongly believe that Every Voice Matters, ( http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/mission.html ) and we feel fortunate to have a community that cares so passionately about our games. We will always appreciate the feedback and support of our players, which has been a key to Blizzard’s success from the beginning.

Mike Morhaime
CEO & Cofounder
Blizzard Entertainment

Those emails and forum posts and, yes, account cancellations have, for the moment, paid off.

Well done, everyone.