I’m going to be honest: I don’t get people who feel the need to come after or condescend RPers. For the past two days, the Breakfast Topic at WoW Insider has attempted to start a conversation about RP: What we do, how we do it, what mechanics we follow and why we follow those and not others. I get it. Mr. Ross has questions about the hobby we talk about here regularly. Yesterday, Falconesse answered a few concerns.

Today it’s my turn.

First and foremost, I need to help clarify something: Dr. Who’s Police Box is a Tardis: Time And Relative Dimension in Space. It’s like a time travelling bag of holding that’s stuck in the shape of UK Police Box circa 1963. The 11th doctor explains that to Amy Pond in the above video clip.

Now that we are all set on the Doctor, let’s come back to Azeroth.

Dealing with the Sandbox that WoW provides is pretty consistent topic here at WTTRP. Some mechanics we incorporate easily: Anything magical or ‘engineery” is quickly imported into RP. Some, like rezes, require a little finesse. Some are flat out ignored by specific rp circles but others are full embraced. Levels are an example of this particular mechanic. I’ve seen it used a “seasons” or “campaigns” while most of the RPers I associate with it don’t use it all that often.

When we queue for a random–what some of us call ‘taking a job’–we don’t typically start RPing while we’re healing, dpsing or tanking. RPers want to enjoy the content just like every other player of the game. Random BGs are in a similar vein: Although, to be perfectly frank, when people do trash talk RP or Feathermoon, some of us do become more vocal…but that’s a future post.

What matters most to RPers–as much as lore and content–is the story they are telling. RPers have an idea that they want to carry out their way. Sometimes they find the right circle, sometimes they don’t. But they try to tell a story set in someone else’s world. They pay their $15 a month to let their story play out. Blizzard probably will not allow player-created content in WoW, which means the stories told by RPers will be the closest our hobby gets that form of content. It may not work for everyone, but given the population of the WoW, it will probably work for someone.

Questions about RP, how to RP, how to integrate Mechanics of WoW into RP are all fair questions. These are questions that can be easily answered by playing on an RP realm or hanging out with RPers. My question to Mr. Ross is this: Do you really care?

Honestly, these questions could have been addressed by reading a few articles on WoW Insider, WTTRP or any other RP blog. Framing the questions with “I don’t get it” comes across as condescending at best. There is enough griefing on RP Servers, we don’t need to start this conversation the same way WorgenFreeman starts to bash an RP event.

So Mr. Ross, if you’re sincere, you’re welcome to come to Tuesday night at the Pig and Whistle. Anyone else have questions about RP, we’ll be here till they turn the servers off.