The first rule of Romantic RP: Talk it over with the other player.

Let me perfectly honest here: You might think this RP idea is the best thing since D&D, but if the player of the character isn’t interested, you don’t force it. If they are interested, you need to do the following things:

In short, treat this RP like you would any other RPing partner. The major difference between this kind of RP and “traditional” RP is that you have to allow your character to grow and change based on what occurs in the in game relationship.

Not following Rule Number one isn’t cute or ground breaking RP. It is a serious breach of boundaries. Just because it happens in a romantic comedy does not mean its a good idea in game.

What are some other good rules for romantic RP? Do you have a story about Romance Gone Wrong? Fill us in!

A character who is either stupid or willfully obtuse. Dealing with a lurch is no different than dealing with any other difficult character. Some might scream at a lurch, some may ignore a lurch while others just love their lurch. Today’s filler open thread: who is your lurch and how do you rp with them?

This is a refrain that has been going on since before the original Naxx dropped all those years ago, and it was a ridiculous refrain even then.  Just because you cannot find the RP doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  To be fair, sometimes it may seem that there is a dearth of RP…so here are five quick ways to bring it back:

1)  Plan an event.  

That’s right.  You see the dearth, you plan the event.  Pick a day that people are going to be online and have a party.  Run a pub crawl.  Host a dueling tournament.  Host a back room poker game that is busted up by Stormwind Watch Officers.  The point is that since you see the problem, try and fix it.

2) Slow Walk

Slow walk through the capital of your choice.  Visit the places that should be active for RP.  Talk to people.  Ask for directions.  Buy people a round of drinks because you just had the windfall of a lifetime.  In short, reach out to the community of your faction by interacting with your faction.

Be ready to /ignore the people who want to give you a hard time.  Personally, I don’t think that will be a huge problem, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

3)  Use the Content

WE’ve said it before and I’m saying it again:  Blizz has given us a huge world to play in, so play in it.  Throw together an RP raid.  Establish a target and a motive (Shaw wants this person dead, disrupt more Defias activity, Garrosh has issued an honor challenge to the person who can bring back Nefarian’s head).  Better yet, throw down with the opposite faction.  Organize a War Game.  See how many RPers you can fit into AV or Gilneas.  The reason is there, go exploit it.

4)  Visit Your Forum

A lot of RPers check their realm forums to see what is going in the server. If you want to have more RP on the sever, I’m sure someone else is going to have a similar thought.  Team up with that other person and get RPing.

5)  Search WTTRP

We have tips, tricks and tutorials on a number of ways to kick off RP or integrate yourself into established RP.  While all of them have a similar tone, “Don’t be a dick, RP with people not at people” some of them may have a particularly brilliant idea that can inspire you to do great things.

RP is out there folks.  It isn’t going to die.  It isn’t to cliquish.  You just need to find the right fit for you.

Yesterday we discussed a question that came from the Twitter feed. Spinning off from that discussion was yet another Twitter based question, this one from @_loug, “How do you find a race/class combo that’s right?” It’s a fair question, but it is a question that needs clarification. What do you mean by right?

If one is looking for the “best” racial bonus for a class, I would suggest heading over to Elitist Jerks and other theory crafting websites. They hash that stuff out all the time. But if you’re looking for the right Race/Class combo for your RP Concept, then you’re at the right blog.

Start with a concept*. This can be something as simple as a phrase–say “bastard Paladin” or “Elven Ranger”–to something a bit more complicated like, “Orphan of the 3rd War.” Make the concept as specific as you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that this is also the starting point. The ending point for RP comes at the end of the Character Arc, not necessarily the Story Arc. During RP, you may find your self drifting (or even running) from one concept to another. That’s completely okay. Hell, that might even be fantastic. Character development is a key factor in continuing RP.

But that is further down the character’s arc. Right now we are focusing on the start of the Arc: Who the character was before the story began. Take the concept that you have for this character and see if there is an immediate link with an established class in game. For Bastard Paladin and Elven Ranger the choices appear self-explanatory: Paladin and Hunter. But these obvious choices may not be the best choices. What if the Bastard Paladin lost the ability to use the Light? What if this was a Hunter who preferred to get close for a kill? Then the options for classes begin to expand. A paladin without the light could easily become a Warrior or even a Death Knight. A Hunter who prefers to get very close for kill could be a Rogue…maybe even a feral Druid.** In order to pick the right class, you have to figure out how your character interacts with the world. Your class choice is one facet–albeit an extremely important facet– of your initial concept.

An additional facet are the professions this character has and maxes out.  . If you want to play the Ranger, Herbalism and Skinning will help define the “Rangerly” aspects of your character. A Bastard Paladin who lost the Light may want to cap out First Aid as soon as possible, just to show that they had some skill in the healing arts. Use your professions to max out the traits of the character.

Once you have a list of possible classes, pick a race. Fiddle with the character creation screens. Put together a new toon that looks like the character you’ve imagined. Once you put together a character that looks like your concept, establish some  of the all important details: Quirks, personality, back story.  You do not have to set anything in stone just yet.  But you should get a feel for what you want to play:  A hard ass?  Maybe this character’s motivation is guilt?  Maybe they want adventure?  Maybe they’re running from something?  Let the ideas percolate through the first few levels of the game.  See if you can determine how this character responds to the game world. Once you begin to interact with the game–or with other RPers–some of these details will begin to emerge.  Once you start working with other RPers, the details will become more solid, more fixed in place.

Another method for determining the best Race/Class combo is to start with a particular race and look at the available class options. Chaanni, a Feathermoonie, said on Twitter that a Gnome Druid would be the ultimate badass combo, as it would cause the servers to explode. Exploding servers puts a damper on playing the game. Fortunately for our hobby, one cannot play a gnome druid….but one can play a Gnome Priest. Now, Priests and Druids are both spiritual classes. Priests have a spiritual connection to the Light and/or Shadow, while Druids have an innate connection to nature and the Emerald Dream. Since Cataclysm, Gnomes have been exploring their spiritual natures. So while it is impossible to make a gnome druid, it is possible to make a gnome who recently moved to Darnassus in order to study with the Priesthood of Elune. Once with the Night Elves, learning about druid culture isn’t too difficult. Said Gnome may be more interested in learning about Druidic ways than the priestly vows. That’s why the wee gnome learned Herbalism and Alchemy (or Skinning or whatever). Maybe said Gnome will make it their life quest to learn how to shift into the different animal forms of a druid. Granted, this is a quest that will never truly be completed, but there are items in game that would make it appear as if the Gnome is beginning to bond with the Dream. Sure, the Gnome couldn’t shift into a Bear just yet, but maybe they get half-way there by using the Frenzyheart Brew. Said item could be the reward for a long series of RP adventures!

A word of caution: Bending Lore to fit a character is acceptable. Breaking the Lore is not. Bending something too much, and it won’t just break, it will shatter. I fully recognize that some of our readers might find the Gnome example a bit too far for their taste. Other’s might see the potential in that race/class combo. If you can make it work for you, and your circle, then run with it.

There is a right way and a wrong way to RP. If you are not having fun, or you are ruining someone else’s fun, you’re doing it wrong. That’s it. You cannot RP “Wrong.” Picking the right race/class combo may appear difficult, but it is only one small step in defining the character that you want to RP in World Of Warcraft.

Have any other ideas or suggestions for RPing a particular race/class combo? Have any ideas on how to bend the combos to fit your concepts? Let us know!

*Actually, start with an understanding of the Lore of WoW. Then run with a concept.

**I just had an idea for a Worgen Druid.  Street Rat turned feral monster…  This should be part of yesterday’s post!

This is what a Flag RSP Looks like(Bricu note:  As of Today, this add on is out of date).  It is not the best, nor is it the worst, but this is the window that is displayed if you, and your target or mouse-over, has FlagRSP 2.  The box in yellow shares Bricu’s title, first or last name and appearance.  His title, of course, is Right Bastard.  Bricu’s is the character’s name on the server.  Bittertongue is thanks to FlagRSP.  His appearance is documented as what one would see if the looked at Bricu in game.

We have discussed how to write RSP’s before.  In short, writing a Flag RSP is showing the rest of the world what your character looks like.  We cannot see your toon’s family on their face, but we can see: family resemblances, race, ethnicity, scars, tics and quirks.  We cannot hear your thoughts, but we sure as heck can pretend to hear the tone of someone’s voice.

–

The Window in which the RSPs can be positioned by the user.  This feature can be turned off or on by the user as well.  Personally, I’ve found the window interface to be the wonkiest bit about FlagRSP, which is why I typically keep the windows loading on the side.  This way, if I click on another RP while in combat, I don’t see their flag in my face.  That would be problematic.  To demonstrate, check out Fells’ newest RSP.

Another feature of the most recent FlagRSP is the “accept” button.  When editing descriptions, if you do not hit accept, the description can be lost.

One cans search a server for other RSPs, but this is a feature I have not used.  RSP does store character flags, and this data can be purged in order to clear errors or speed up performace.

I have not had any issues using Flag.  I have not noticed any conflicts with other Add-Ons and It has never caused a slow down for me.  It does exactly what I want it to do–customizes Bricu’s appearance–without any bells and whistles.

Any questions or screen shots of your own flags?  Post links in the comments. If you prefer Email, let me know and I will get to you as soon as I finish this new RSP….

10:04 AM me: I need your braiiiins. For a WTTRP post

10:05 AM Fellsie: Ooooooh!

How can I halp.

10:06 AM me: help me think of an idea. What RP wisdom should I look for or try to impart

also, I’m totally using this chat session in the post.

Fellsie: Oshi.

RP wisdom, huh.

How about a post on picking up random RP?

10:07 AM me: that’s been done I think

Fellsie: How about one on trying to join established RP? Lots of folks seem to have trouble knowing how to either join a conversation in progress, or eavesdrop/audience without it being creepy.

10:08 AM me: yeah. That ‘s worth a revisit.

So what new insight is there?

Fellsie: What’s been covered so far?

10:11 AM me: communication, not stalkerish behavior. No brooding NPCs

how to talk to people in a bar

actually.

10:12 AM Fellsie: The latter was gonna be my suggestion.

—

That isn’t me, just a regular at one of my old Bars and a regular in the Pig and Whistle…

As a gentleman of a certain age, I can attest to the nuances and differences in Bars and Bar Culture. There are Sports Bars, Juice Bars, Coffee Shops, Dive Bars, Music Clubs, Wine Bars, Gastro Pubs and “Meat Markets,” each with their own rules, customs and specials. Navigating these social morays in the real world is, relatively speaking, easy. You go to the Bar, eat and drink, and eventually leave. Becoming a regular is significantly more trying. One does not become a regular just by going to the bar, the same day at the same time, for weeks at time. No, one has to learn the culture of the bar. Regulars differ by not just by style of bar, but also day and time of day.

For instance, when I was dating my wife and going to stay with her while she worked at a South Side Dive Bar, I didn’t become a regular because I was dating the bartender. As her shift started, it was the transition from the day drinkers to the evening crowd. I focused on the later. So I bided my time by talking music, mocking the north side and buying drinks of the evening crowd. When the bar changed hands a year later, I was a regular.

The rules for working with regulars in a drinking establishment are similar to breaking into an RP Circle. To help draw the parallel, let’s focus on the Pig And Whistle on Feathermoon. Tuesday Nights, most of the Wildfire Riders and Associate Friends come by for a drink, swap stories and catch each other up RP. These people are the regulars. It doesn’t matter if another group of RPers show up on any other day of the week: Tuesday night has been (and will probably continue to be) Wildfire Rider Night at the Pig.

These are the regulars who have set up the tone and the “rules” of the bar. In real life, if someone acts up in a bar, bar-backs and bouncers remove the problem. In an RP setting, people can be reported; however, the most likely scenario is the following: Problems will be /ignored.

By problems, I mean individuals who dance on tables, have their toons run in their underwear and actively try and ruin RP. In essence, they’re griefers. Most people who read WTTRP are not griefers. They actually want to join the RP. So how to join the RP?

Join their conversations: Don’t sit in the corner table and Brood. Standard dive bar culture: Avoid the brooding people, as they’re the ones who are going to throw the first punch.

Participate, don’t dominate: Regulars like to hang out with other regulars. While they’re not opposed to new people, they are also not there to talk to the new people. They are there to drink with their friends. If you butt in on conversations, try to dominate a conversation or draw attention to yourself by being a jerk, you’re going to be at best, politely ignored.

Buy the first round: When in doubt, bribe new friends with drinks. It goes a long way to establishing new relationships. If the circle you want to join isn’t in a bar, bring food. Bring Drinks. Even if it is buff food, it goes along way to transition from “interesting person” to “new circle member.”

Keep coming back: The more you frequent the same circle in their setting, the more you show you are willing to be a part of their circle.

Your stories and your ideas are just as important as the stories and ideas of the “regulars” you want to visit. To share your stories, however, you have to acknowledge the RP that occurred before you joined it. One cannot just walk into a bar and declare oneself a regular. Likewise with an RP Circle. You can’t walk in and declare yourself to be part of the group. You have to work at it and share with them, not RP at them.

It'd be better if it was full tier2

Yesterday, I started a discussion regarding the definition of various Anti-social personality traits, including an investigation of the terms used in pop culture. Today, I want to focus more how to integrate some of the APD traits with RP.

To begin with, I’m going to one more client: Hannibal.

Hannibal has a history of violent offenses. He was a clumsy manipulator, and a frequent target for less-than-ethical staff and for the kids. His offenses were horrific, his abuse history was terrifying and he knew it. He tried to make progress in his treatment work, and frequently felt some levels of guilt, but he was not always displaying an appropriate affect. He also had a tendency to stand too close to female staff and study them–very much like a creepy guy at a local bar. For instance, while playing softball he missed the ball–either hitting it or catching it–because he was too busy starring at female staff.

Last I knew, Hannibal served his probation sentence in a juvenile correctional facility where he received little, to no, real treatment.

Hannibal was often cited as being “the other psycho on the unit.” He fit a pop-culture definition of APD/Psychopathy; however, his development history suggested he was suffering from more emotional trauma than APD. Instead of being trauma focused, we focused on his (admittedly, extremely scary) violent behaviors. Looking back, I think Hannibal would have benefited from Trauma focused therapy. Despite being more mild than Jenga, Hannibal still is difficult to relate too. It was not his comfort with violence that was problematic. It was how he treated other people. While on an intellectual level, he attempted to process people as more than just individuals to use and abuse, emotionally he thought of them as opportunities and obstacles. The most appealing aspect of Hannibal was his attempt to understand his own psychology, and that he wanted to, “Be good.” He just could not figure out how to do it… and the people who should have helped him, failed him.

Both Jenga and Hannibal had the same four key traits we discussed yesterday:

Jenga, however, had more extreme versions of these trait–I would argue a 2 on the PCL–while Hannibal had low scores–mostly 1s on the PCL. Jenga could not muster transient (fake) guilt. Hannibal could. This could be done in RP. One can try and emote and demonstrate appropriate affect, apologies and discussions. People with APD, typically, CANNOT even approximate culturally appropriate responses to certain behaviors. This is more than just being socially awkward–ie a Night Elf being confused at a Gnomish ritual or a human being unable to comprehend a dwarven wedding–it is akin to trying to understand non-euclidean geometry.

The most successful APD people can mimic proper responses and learn what is called for during a particular event. APD means having a difficult time using empathy–and empathy is an inherently human trait. These can be RP’d as well; however, it means striking the proper balance between unsettling and dark humor. Playing a lack of empathy is comparatively easy to playing a character who does not seem to understand that people are not objects to be abused.

I honestly do not advocate playing someone with APD, but this is in regard to my own comfort zone. Some of these behaviors trigger very specific responses to my behaviors. As a player, I find it difficult to remain in the
RP if someone is trying to RP an APD that wants to associate with Bricu. That being said, I think it is possible to do APD well in game. Here are some of my suggestions:

1) If you want to “Save them” or “Change them” make it epic.
I know we’re talking about RPing in a world where magic exists, dragons destroy cities and elves live for thousands of years; however, there is inherent consistency within the setting. A person that is incapable of Empathy and has an aggressive sense of self will not change because “they found love.” First, a person without empathy has a difficult time relating to other people. Secondly, one cannot love with out empathy. The Healing Power of Love Cliche will not work with this.

A story of bringing someone to terms with their past and encouraging them to heal is a epic in and of itself. It should not be easy.

2) Stick to, and exaggerate, the traits
Having the traits of APD does not, in and of itself, indicate that one has APD. The criteria for scoring the PCL requires a number of sources of information and the scorer needs to have an advance degree in order to do this properly. That being said, if one is interested in playing someone with APD traits, one needs to stick to the traits. Not every person with APD has the same number of traits, or the same ‘degree’ of trait; however, they do have some of them.

3) Understand the Traits and where they come from.
Evidence for psychopathy seems to indicate that people with APD can be “made” and Born. One of the trainings I attend with Dr. Anna Salter suggested that through the historical record, we can see instances of psychopathy in nearly every culture in nearly every era: From the Inuit to the ancient Greeks. Some people who have scored high on the PCL report having an idyllic childhood, and have the documentation to prove it. Some report terrible instances of trauma. Either path towards APD is a viable character option. Understand how the traits you chose for your PC make your character.

4) Recognize the difference between Asshole and APD
Assholes, bullies and APD may share some traits, but they are not the same thing. A war vet that doesn’t like people doesn’t have APD. Likewise, a bully that has all the adults fooled and the children terrified may, in fact, be more than your average jerk.

5) Doing good and getting help may mean things get worse
I don’t expect Azeroth to have a lot of treatment or rehab clinics. Sure, Shadow Priests maybe able to futz around the brain and “Fix” things, yet keep in mind attempts to rehabilitate people with APD teaches them how to hide and how to mimic. It typically does not cure them.

6) Flat Affect is a Key
There’s a scene in Silence of the Lambs where Dr. Chilton tells Clarice that Hannibal’s heart rate, “never went above 80″ as he viciously attacked a woman who got to close to him while undergoing a medical procedure. Studies have been done on people with high scores on the PCL: The only time their affect or pulse rates changes is when they have been personally humiliated. Not attacked. Not witnessing violence. Not engaging in violence: When humiliated. This is factor cannot be understated, and should be key in understanding how APD influences your character.

My experiences in the field have made me very specific about the terms I use when talking about mental health issues. The jargon is an attempt to take difficult concepts and give them a precise language, so we can understand what the issues how and how we can address them. RP is an attempt to spin a story. Some will prefer the more pop-culture elements of psychopathy. Personally, I’m more afraid of the real ones. I understand the appeal of invoking psychopathy in your stories, and I hope that this provides some direction in terms of understanding how to “get it right.”

Feel free to ask more questions or comment in the comments!

The Wrathgate Project was one way of dealing with it: Organized fiction. There is, of course, another way: Organize an RP session after the In Game Event.

This would be a one shot, In Game RP event that occurs after a number of characters complete the Questline/Kill the End Boss. Allow enough time for characters to see said event as well–If you are organizing this event, it would be a good idea to offer to run the characters through the event on a specific day. Make sure everyone knows that to participate in this RP event, they have to either 1) Complete the quest ahead of time or 2) accompany the IC group.

When all of the participants have completed the Quest/Storyline, then you hold the event. This method allows for some powerful RP. Of course, the RP is going to be fresh and dynamic–there is no worry that the event will grow long in the tooth while waiting for a post. The major problem with this style of event, however, is that it is time-locked. If someone develops an Alt that would be “perfect” for the event three months after the RP, one has to be creative and flexible to make the RP work.

The possibilities for RP are damn near endless: Are you RPing an escape from a failed attack? Are you celebrating the demise of a particularly engaging NPC? Are you mourning the death of one of the PCs?Are you introducing a new PC? Are you forwarding your own epic plotline within the context of WoW’s storyline?

WoW RP is limited only by our creativity. While the game provides us boundaries to follow–in terms of lore, cannon characters and game mechanics–these are not obstacles. These are opportunities. Using the game’s environment to inspire your RP is part of the fun.

If you are feeling the lull, and don’t know what to do with your RP, you are not alone. There are probably at least two or three other people in your circle who are feeling the same drain. I recommend the following:

1) Take control of your Character’s Story.
Figure out what is going on in your toon’s brain. Are they worried about the assault on ICC? Are they worried about the Scourge? Are they dealing with the terror or ICC? Are they looking for something to fill the void of combat? Once you know where your character is (psychologically, emotionally) following the content, you can begin to address it.

2) Gather your peeps
Take your group on an RP Session to “deal with the Lull.” This can be anything from a traditional story nights and pub crawls to a guild meeting where someone loses their shi–stuff. The RP event you create needs to be focused on the consequences of the content. Take ICC for instance. This is the heart of the Lich King’s Undead kingdom. It is full of terrifying monsters. Monsters made up of former friends, relatives, comrades and enemies. Witnessing those atrocities will leave scars, so why not RP the healing process?

When all else fails, vary the RP
If you are used to forum RP, try RPing in the client. If you are used to RP in the client, try some forum or Ficcing. Sometimes the best way to fill in a lull is to change the format.

We have two examples to share:
Currently, Anna and I are working (via google Wave) on a story for our own content Lull. While it is a bit of a secret, I can share this much: Just because Arthas is gone does not mean that everyone begins to heal from what he has done to his people. There are traditional ways of dealing with loss and grief, and Bricu wants to give that method a chance. Arthas may not deserve it…but one has to pay their debts.

Secondly:
Last RP night, Bricu and Threnn learned how to can fruit. That RP Night was “domestic night.” While canning, they discussed:

The Content Lull was dealt with. Current Story lines were tied up and inspiration for new stories were planted. All in all, a perfect way to deal with the doldrums.

The Lull isn’t all bad folks. In fact, this is the time when we can dust off old RP, set up new stories and finish current plots. The Lull is more an opportunity than a pain in the ass. Since we have all “Been there, done that” we have the time to work our own stories into WoW’s plot.

Does the lull have you down? Have you conquered it? Fill us in! Tell us how you are dealing, or not dealing, with the lull.

Hey there Fellow RPer!

Let’s be honest with each other for a minute. When we create, tell or participate in a storyline, we are creating our own content in Blizzard’s setting. While our content may not have the same game-play mechanics as an encounter or a boss fight–although, if someone tried to orchestrate a Sindragosa-esque fight on your server, we’d love to hear about it–this does not mean our RP sessions are any less intricate or detailed as Blizzard’s plots and dialogue. RP content has one additional benefit that Blizz content does not have: We do not depended on new content to keep our stories going. While you may be burned on ICC-10 and 25 or bored to death of the random daily, as an RPer you have an alternative to the current (stale) content. In short, a content lull is fertile ground for RP. Fertile ground, however, does not preclude hard work. Getting a medium or EPIC story together can be insanely difficult work: We’ve talked about the behind the scenes work here before. For instance, Mugrir of the Boomstick Gang (a dwarf and gnome guild on US-Feathermoon) is currently working on an epic storyline to occur AFTER the “Official Arthas is Dead Date.” He started working on this in April. When this story line kicks off, most of the work will be prepped and ready to go.

Throwing an epic storyline together isn’t recommended. While I am sure it can be done, I am also sure that it is easier to take one’s time developing it. EPIC RP isn’t the only kind of story that can flourish during a content lull. Story nights, parties, and pub crawls are RP events that can be organized fairly quickly and can provide a nice alternative to a dungeon crawl. Furthermore, these events can also kick off future EPIC stories. These are traditional RP alternatives during a lull. Given how long some of us have been playing, and RPing, in WoW, these events may also be long-in-the-tooth (or Tusk if you play horde). So what to do?

Fellow RPers, the options at our finger tips are damn near limitless. As players we are responsible for our character’s narrative. If we are feeling the lull (or burnout or tedium) then we, as players, need to respond accordingly. This may mean enjoying the summer, picking up a book or trying to write something instead of interacting with the usual crew. This may mean rolling a different server and finding other RP groups to interact with (its okay, really. You’re not cheating on your regular group if, in your down time, you visit another server. It’s cheating when you blow people off, but that’s a post for another day–Bricu). Fact is, it is your responsibility as a player to find the RP you want to participate in. It’s out there.

I whole heartedly suggest small group RP as an antidote to the Lull. Specifically, I mean learning a new skill in game. We’ll go over that in the second half of the day. Till then, fill us in: What are your concerns with the Lull? Are you feeling it or are you conquering it?