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In this installment of our discussion about role-playing within MMORPGs, I’ve chosen to explore the various types of role-players and the various types of role-playing. While role-playing as a whole, along with the players who choose to participate, cannot be categorized specifically, the following are some general categories by which many role-players can be described. All role-players stray outside of these margins, and there is no reason to confine yourself while role-playing: not every role-player can be neatly examined, labeled, and theoretically dissected.

The broad types of role-players and role-playing may be defined as follows: Lore RP, PvP RP, PvE RP, Godmod RP, and Special RP.

Lore RP
Lore Role-Playing is when the player sticks to the lore of the world wholeheartedly. Many do not do this, sometimes not even realizing that they have swayed from known lore. If you develop a character that is not defined by the characteristics of their race, you’re not Lore Role-Playing. Few players actually do, but those who do so embrace it completely. If dark elves worship an evil god and consider all others inferior, they have those exact same principles, though their character often times has several unique personality flairs.

Personally, I try to Lore Role-Play, but sometimes the lore is too constraining for me. In order to keep with the atmosphere of the world the developers have built, however, I try to do so as often as possible.

PvP RP
This is one of the most obvious forms of role-play. Playing on a PvE server with frequent dueling, or (predominantly) playing on a PvP server can be classified as this. Generally, PvP Role-Players tend to want the most realistic role-playing possible (or they RP occasionally but love to fight other players!) Within it, you can kill whoever you wish, and the PvP element can fit in with your character perfectly, and make quite the interesting ongoing plotline.

I don’t have the guts or patience to be on a PvP server. As mentioned in a previous RP article, PvP, with or without RP, is generally associated with “griefing” and “ganking”, and with plenty of cause! I can’t stomach all that, though I’d enjoy the more realistic experience if these types of people did not play on PvP servers of any sort.

PvE RP
The other most obvious form of RP is PvE Role-Playing, where some limited dueling is found. It can be quite fun to role-play on a PvE server if the other, opposing player agrees to a duel. Not as realistic as it can get, that’s for sure, but it sure does beat, in my humble opinion, being ganked and griefed!

Godmod RP
Oooh, now this is an interesting form of RP, eh? I’m sure all of you know how frustrating, aggravating, and obnoxious backseat drivers are: well, those backseat role-players, also known as Godmod Role-Players, can be just as annoying!

You have your character planned out, and are developing them based on those around you. Only YOU know what your character should be doing and is preparing to undertake. Well, it turns out that the person you are in a role-playing group with decides that THEY know all about your character, and start saying things that determine progress through the “story” in the specific way that they want.

Are you a goody-goody, and they are simply neutral, and want your character to do a marginally evil deed? You don’t want to, so they end up godmodding your character into doing it. Sometimes you don’t even quite know it’s happening! These types of people are highly annoying, and if I call them out on it and they still do not stop, they are headed straight to my ignore list.

Special RP
This isn’t necessarily a widely known term, if it’s known at all. It is one I just happened to create on my own, but I think it fits these types of people quite well. I call it “Special RP” because the people who do this role-play their characters in such a way that they do not have to fit the lore in any way. I’m not sure if they think they are more unique than others, but they can be just as aggravating as the backseat role-players.

Generally, these people are the “one” good dark elf, the “one” evil dwarf, the “one” person who has had a traumatic and pitiful previous life, the “one” person whose parents have died from some large raid and now they’re evil and hate everyone for it, or that “single” person who is, or… well, you get the idea.

These types of people do nothing but “cliché up” the world for those who make their characters “normal, yet unique”. Special RP players also often times go on my ignore list.

Again, these are only general terms used to categorize people and types of role-playing, and should not be take too harshly.
           

Come back to Vanguard Ten Ton Hammer next Wednesday for the do’s and don’ts of role-playing!