Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The RP In Your MMOG

So, in case you didn’t know, the realm I play on, Kirin Tor, is an RP realm. Yes, yes, I know – Goldshire lol.

Anyway, a few of the WoW blogs I read are written by players on RP realms, and I've noticed that many of them are much more active in their in-game roleplaying than I've ever wanted to be. You see, I never actually roleplay with others in-game; it's just too reminiscent of the freeform roleplaying chatrooms that I long ago learned to shun. Rather, I seek out in-game superficialities that reflect my characters' personalities and backstories, even if I’m the only one who is aware of them. This includes everything from particular pets, to choice of professions, to titles – needless to say, the achievement system has really been a boon to my enjoyment of the game.

The practical effect of this approach is mostly a matter of how I spend my “non-progression” time in the game: whenever I’m not running instances or grinding rep for better gear. In this off-time, I’ll work toward acquiring the titles, tchotchkies, and even rewardless achievements that I feel reflect my character’s… character.

So basically, playing on an RP server is just a miniscule aid to the immersiveness of the experience – fewer people named Gankor and Jaknicklezon breaking the fourth wall. The only roleplaying I do in WoW is in my own head.

What about you? Whatever flavor of realm you play on, how far do you take your roleplaying? Do your characters have personalities, or are they just cartoon projections of yourself?

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